Scrum Overcommitment Prevention
A Scrum Master observes that the Development Team consistently overcommits during Sprint Planning and often fails to deliver all committed items by the Sprint Review. What should the Scrum Master do?
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to coach the team on using historical velocity data and encourage them to commit to a realistic amount of work. This approach directly addresses Scrum overcommitment prevention by grounding the team’s capacity in empirical evidence rather than aspiration. In Scrum, velocity—the amount of work a team completes per Sprint—provides a reliable baseline for forecasting future Sprints, and the Scrum Master’s role is to facilitate this data-driven decision-making without imposing decisions. On the Certified Associate in Project Management CAPM exam, this question tests your understanding of the Scrum Master as a servant-leader who coaches self-managing teams, not as a manager who dictates tasks. A common trap is choosing an option where the Scrum Master directly tells the team to reduce scope, which violates the principle of team self-management. Remember the mnemonic “Coach, Don’t Command” to recall that the Scrum Master guides the team toward using historical data, ensuring commitments align with proven capacity.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Coach the team on using historical velocity data and encourage them to commit to a realistic amount of work.
The Scrum Master should coach the team on using historical velocity data to make realistic commitments, fostering self-management and continuous improvement. Option A is wrong because the Scrum Master should not take over Sprint Planning; that undermines the team's autonomy. Option B is wrong because lowering the Sprint Goal artificially does not address the root cause of overcommitment. Option C is wrong because mandating a fixed percentage of velocity violates self-organization and does not teach the team to estimate effectively.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Take over the Sprint Planning and assign work based on the Product Owner's priorities.
Why it's wrong here
The Development Team owns the Sprint Backlog; the Scrum Master should not assign tasks.
- ✗
Change the Sprint Goal to be less ambitious each Sprint to ensure delivery.
Why it's wrong here
The Sprint Goal is set during Sprint Planning by the team; the Scrum Master should not unilaterally change it.
- ✗
Mandate that the team can only commit to a maximum of 80% of their velocity.
Why it's wrong here
The Scrum Master serves as a servant leader and should not impose arbitrary limits; the team should self-manage.
- ✓
Coach the team on using historical velocity data and encourage them to commit to a realistic amount of work.
Why this is correct
Coaching the team to make data-driven decisions empowers them to improve their planning and commitment accuracy.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on CAPM
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A team using Scrum consistently fails to complete all planned work in a sprint. What should the Scrum Master do first?
medium- A.Add more team members.
- ✓ B.Help the team break down user stories into smaller pieces.
- C.Remove the Product Owner from daily stand-ups.
- D.Increase the sprint length.
Why B: Breaking user stories into smaller pieces enables the team to estimate more accurately and complete work within the sprint. Option A is wrong because simply adding more team members does not address the root cause of incomplete work and can introduce communication overhead. Option C is wrong because the Product Owner is a vital participant in daily stand-ups to provide clarification and prioritize work; removing them hinders collaboration. Option D is wrong because increasing sprint length reduces feedback frequency and does not solve the underlying issue of work sizing or estimation.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CAPM practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CAPM exam.