- A
Facilitate a discussion with the team to identify actions to reduce technical debt and improve velocity.
The scrum master should coach the team to identify and resolve impediments, such as technical debt, to improve performance.
- B
Ask the product owner to reduce the sprint backlog to match the lower velocity.
Why wrong: While velocity may need adjustment, the immediate focus should be on addressing the root cause, not just accommodating the lower velocity.
- C
Report the velocity drop to management and escalate the technical debt issue.
Why wrong: Escalation is premature; the scrum master should first work with the team to find solutions.
- D
Add more developers to the team to increase velocity.
Why wrong: Adding people to a late project often delays it further (Brooks' law) and does not address technical debt.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to facilitate a discussion with the team to identify actions to reduce technical debt and improve velocity. This is the right first step because the scrum master’s role is to coach the team toward self-organization and continuous improvement, not to dictate solutions. When an agile team velocity drop technical debt is identified as the root cause, the scrum master must guide the team in analyzing the debt’s impact and collaboratively creating an action plan, such as allocating time for refactoring or improving definition of done. On the Project Management Professional PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of agile servant leadership and the scrum master’s responsibility to foster team ownership rather than imposing fixes. A common trap is choosing “escalate to management” or “assign tasks to reduce debt,” which violates agile principles of self-management. Memory tip: Think “Facilitate, don’t dictate” — the scrum master’s first move is always to enable the team’s own problem-solving.
PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of process — managing technical aspects. 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.
In an agile project, the team's velocity has decreased over the last three sprints from 30 story points to 22. During the retrospective, the team cites increasing technical debt as the cause. What should the scrum master 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
Facilitate a discussion with the team to identify actions to reduce technical debt and improve velocity.
The scrum master should facilitate the team to identify root causes and create an action plan to address technical debt. This aligns with agile principles of continuous improvement and self-organization.
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.
- ✓
Facilitate a discussion with the team to identify actions to reduce technical debt and improve velocity.
Why this is correct
The scrum master should coach the team to identify and resolve impediments, such as technical debt, to improve performance.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Ask the product owner to reduce the sprint backlog to match the lower velocity.
Why it's wrong here
While velocity may need adjustment, the immediate focus should be on addressing the root cause, not just accommodating the lower velocity.
- ✗
Report the velocity drop to management and escalate the technical debt issue.
Why it's wrong here
Escalation is premature; the scrum master should first work with the team to find solutions.
- ✗
Add more developers to the team to increase velocity.
Why it's wrong here
Adding people to a late project often delays it further (Brooks' law) and does not address technical debt.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PMP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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Process — Managing Technical Aspects — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PMP question test?
Process — Managing Technical Aspects — This question tests Process — Managing Technical Aspects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Facilitate a discussion with the team to identify actions to reduce technical debt and improve velocity. — The scrum master should facilitate the team to identify root causes and create an action plan to address technical debt. This aligns with agile principles of continuous improvement and self-organization.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which PMP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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
1 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. Your agile team's velocity has dropped over the last three sprints. During the retrospective, the team cites increasing technical debt and lack of automated testing. Which TWO actions should you take to address this?
medium- ✓ A.Allocate time each sprint to address technical debt and improve code quality.
- B.Reduce the definition of done to skip testing.
- C.Ask the team to work overtime to complete more story points.
- D.Add more developers to the team to increase capacity.
- ✓ E.Implement automated testing to catch defects early and reduce rework.
Why A: To improve velocity, the team should allocate time to reduce technical debt (e.g., refactoring) and implement automated testing to improve efficiency.
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.
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