CAPM Agile Frameworks and Methodologies Practice Question
Which TWO activities are considered part of Product Backlog refinement? (Select TWO)
⚠ Common exam trap
CAPM often tests the boundary between Scrum events and ongoing activities — candidates incorrectly pick formal events like the Sprint Review or Retrospective as refinement because they involve the backlog.
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
✓
Prioritizing items in the Product Backlog
Product Backlog refinement is the ongoing activity of reviewing and updating backlog items to make them ready for upcoming Sprints, so option C (Prioritizing items in the Product Backlog) is correct because ordering items by value, risk, and dependencies is a core part of refinement performed collaboratively by the Product Owner and Developers. Option E (Adding detailed acceptance criteria to user stories) is also correct because breaking down, clarifying, and elaborating items with acceptance criteria is exactly the decomposition and detailing work that refinement entails. Option A is not part of refinement because the Daily Scrum is a 15-minute timeboxed event for the Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog, not the Product Backlog. Option B is not part of refinement because the Sprint Retrospective is a Scrum event focused on inspecting and improving the team's process and interactions, not on grooming backlog items. Option D is not part of refinement because demonstrating the increment at the Sprint Review is an inspection-and-adaptation event about the product increment and stakeholder feedback, not backlog item elaboration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Running the Daily Scrum
Why it's wrong here
The Daily Scrum is a fifteen-minute event for developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the plan; it does not groom, estimate or reorder backlog items. It is tempting because refinement is also a short, recurring conversation, and the Daily Scrum would be correct for synchronising daily work on the Sprint Backlog.
- ✗
Conducting the Sprint Retrospective
Why it's wrong here
The Sprint Retrospective inspects the team's process and identifies improvements for the next Sprint; it does not add, reorder, split or clarify Product Backlog items. It is tempting because both are recurring Scrum events, and the Retrospective would be the right forum for agreeing how refinement itself should be conducted.
- ✓
Prioritizing items in the Product Backlog
Why this is correct
Prioritising items is a core refinement activity: the Product Owner reorders the backlog so the most valuable, ready items sit at the top, keeping the team focused on what delivers value next. This satisfies the stem's requirement for a genuine refinement activity rather than a Sprint Planning or Review task.
- ✗
Demonstrating the increment at the Sprint Review
Why it's wrong here
The Sprint Review inspects the completed Increment with stakeholders and adapts the Product Backlog based on feedback; it is not the ongoing decomposition and ordering activity itself. It is tempting because feedback gathered there feeds refinement, and the Review would be correct for demonstrating finished work and validating the Increment.
- ✓
Adding detailed acceptance criteria to user stories
Why this is correct
Adding detailed acceptance criteria is refinement: the team elaborates user stories with clear conditions of satisfaction, improving shared understanding and readiness before Sprint Planning. This directly satisfies the stem's requirement for a refinement activity, distinguishing elaboration from estimation or Sprint execution work.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PMI exam blueprint
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.