Question 617 of 892
How to Handle a Sprint Velocity Drop in Agile Projects
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of business environment: strategy and project benefits. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: product Owner Responsibilities. 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.
In an agile transformation initiative, the project manager notices that the team's velocity has dropped significantly over the last three sprints. The team cites unclear requirements and frequent interruptions from stakeholders. The project manager also notes that the product owner has been absent from sprint planning and review meetings. What should the project manager do first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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
✓
Schedule a meeting with the product owner and the project sponsor to discuss the importance of the product owner's role and its impact on velocity.
The correct first step is to address the root cause: the product owner's absence, which leads to unclear requirements and stakeholder interruptions. Option A directly involves the product owner and sponsor to reinforce the product owner's critical role in agile. Option B (stricter definition of done) does not address the absence or requirement issues. Option C (adding buffer) is reactive and does not solve the underlying problem. Option D (escalating to replace) is premature without first discussing the issue with the product owner and sponsor.
Key principle: Product Owner Responsibilities
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates may think that implementing stricter processes (Option B) or adding buffer (Option C) are immediate fixes, but the correct response is to first address the root cause—the product owner's lack of engagement.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Treat this as a scenario question. Identify the problem, the constraint, and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Product Owner Responsibilities
- Agile Transformation
- Velocity
- Root Cause Analysis
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
Product Owner Responsibilities
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. Product Owner Responsibilities Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review product Owner Responsibilities, then practise related PMP questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
- →
Business Environment: strategy and project benefits — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Business Environment: strategy and project benefits practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All PMP questions
892 questions across all exam domains
- →
Project Management Professional PMP study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
PMP practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related PMP practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
People — Leading Projects practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to People — Leading Projects.
Process — Managing Technical Aspects practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to Process — Managing Technical Aspects.
Business Environment — Strategy and Value practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to Business Environment — Strategy and Value.
Business Environment: strategy and project benefits practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to Business Environment: strategy and project benefits.
PMP fundamentals practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to PMP fundamentals.
PMP scenario practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to PMP scenario.
PMP troubleshooting practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to PMP troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free PMP practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PMP question test?
Business Environment: strategy and project benefits — This question tests Business Environment: strategy and project benefits — Product Owner Responsibilities.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Schedule a meeting with the product owner and the project sponsor to discuss the importance of the product owner's role and its impact on velocity. — The correct first step is to address the root cause: the product owner's absence, which leads to unclear requirements and stakeholder interruptions. Option A directly involves the product owner and sponsor to reinforce the product owner's critical role in agile. Option B (stricter definition of done) does not address the absence or requirement issues. Option C (adding buffer) is reactive and does not solve the underlying problem. Option D (escalating to replace) is premature without first discussing the issue with the product owner and sponsor.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Review product Owner Responsibilities, then practise related PMP questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Product Owner Responsibilities
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
3 more ways this is tested on PMP
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. In an agile project, the team's velocity has dropped across three consecutive sprints. The project manager suspects that technical debt is causing slowdowns. What should the PM do?
medium- A.Replace the underperforming team members
- ✓ B.Facilitate a retrospective to identify impediments and create an action plan
- C.Increase the sprint duration to give the team more time
- D.Report the velocity drop to the sponsor immediately
Why B: Option B is correct because facilitating a retrospective allows the team to openly discuss the causes of the velocity drop, including technical debt, and collaboratively create an action plan to address it. Option A is incorrect because replacing team members does not address underlying issues. Option C is incorrect because increasing sprint duration may mask the problem without solving it. Option D is incorrect because immediate escalation to the sponsor bypasses the team's problem-solving process.
Variation 2. In an agile project, the team's velocity has dropped for three consecutive sprints. What should the project manager do FIRST?
easy- A.Ask the team to work overtime to catch up
- B.Add more team members to increase capacity
- ✓ C.Facilitate a retrospective to identify the root causes and address them
- D.Reduce the sprint scope to match the current velocity
Why C: Option C is correct because the PM should investigate the root cause of the velocity drop before taking action. Option A is wrong because asking the team to work overtime can lead to burnout and does not address the underlying issue. Option B is wrong because adding more team members can disrupt team dynamics and may not immediately improve velocity. Option D is wrong because reducing scope without understanding the cause may hide problems and not solve the root issue.
Variation 3. Your agile project has experienced a drop in sprint velocity for three consecutive sprints. The team cites increasing technical debt and unclear requirements. As the project manager, what is the most effective first step?
medium- ✓ A.Conduct a root cause analysis in a retrospective with the team
- B.Reduce the sprint backlog to a manageable size
- C.Increase the sprint duration to give the team more time
- D.Replace the underperforming team members
Why A: The PM should facilitate a retrospective to identify the root causes and collaboratively develop action items. This aligns with agile principles of continuous improvement.
Keep practising
More PMP practice questions
- During a sprint review, the product owner rejects a completed user story because it does not meet the acceptance criteri…
- During a daily standup, a developer mentions she is blocked by a dependency from another team. The issue was not previou…
- A project manager is leading a digital transformation initiative. Midway through the project, a new regulation is introd…
- Your project is a large infrastructure build. You have completed the planning phase, but the sponsor has put pressure on…
- You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the product owner reque…
- Your agile project has been experiencing declining velocity over the last three sprints. During the retrospective, the t…
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
This PMP 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 PMP exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.