The correct answer is to coach the product owner on Scrum rules and the impact of mid-sprint changes on team focus. This is correct because in Scrum, the sprint backlog is frozen once the sprint begins; changing priorities mid-sprint violates the core principle of sprint stability, which protects the team’s ability to deliver a committed increment. The product owner’s role is to maximize value by ordering the backlog before the sprint, not during it. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of agile servant leadership and stakeholder management under the Agile Practice Guide, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly choose to “adjust the sprint backlog” or “ask the team to work overtime.” The key is recognizing that the project manager must educate the product owner, not accommodate the disruption. Memory tip: “Freeze the sprint, coach the source”—if priorities shift mid-sprint, coach the person shifting them, not the team absorbing the change.
PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A project manager is leading a Scrum team. The product owner frequently changes priorities mid-sprint, causing the team to lose focus and miss sprint goals. The team is frustrated. What should the project manager do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Coach the product owner on Scrum rules and the impact of mid-sprint changes on team focus
In Scrum, the product owner should not change priorities during a sprint; the sprint backlog is frozen once the sprint starts. The project manager, acting as a servant leader, should coach the product owner on Scrum rules and explain how mid-sprint changes disrupt team focus and jeopardize sprint goals. This aligns with the PMP's emphasis on stakeholder management and agile principles.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Add a buffer in the sprint to accommodate potential changes
Why it's wrong here
Adding buffer normalizes the behavior and does not address the root cause.
✓
Coach the product owner on Scrum rules and the impact of mid-sprint changes on team focus
Why this is correct
Coaching and education help the product owner understand the importance of sprint stability.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Ask the team to accommodate the changes since the product owner has authority
Why it's wrong here
Accommodating mid-sprint changes violates Scrum rules and demotivates the team.
✗
Escalate the issue to the project sponsor to intervene
Why it's wrong here
Escalation may be necessary if coaching fails, but it should be a later step.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose Option A (adding a buffer) because it seems pragmatic, but it violates Scrum's time-boxing and fails to address the underlying stakeholder behavior, which is a key agile coaching responsibility.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Scrum, the sprint backlog is a commitment between the team and the product owner; changing it mid-sprint breaks the sprint goal and reduces velocity predictability. The project manager should facilitate a retrospective or one-on-one coaching session to explain the impact on team morale and delivery, referencing the Scrum Guide's rule that no changes are made that endanger the sprint goal. Real-world scenarios show that repeated mid-sprint changes can lead to technical debt and burnout, making coaching essential for long-term agility.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the PMP exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PMP question in full detail.
People — Leading Projects — This question tests People — Leading Projects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Coach the product owner on Scrum rules and the impact of mid-sprint changes on team focus — In Scrum, the product owner should not change priorities during a sprint; the sprint backlog is frozen once the sprint starts. The project manager, acting as a servant leader, should coach the product owner on Scrum rules and explain how mid-sprint changes disrupt team focus and jeopardize sprint goals. This aligns with the PMP's emphasis on stakeholder management and agile principles.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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