The answer is to first analyze the sources of unplanned work and discuss with the team how to minimize interruptions. This is correct because an agile velocity drop caused by unplanned work and context switching is a symptom of process waste, not a capacity issue; jumping to solutions like adding resources or reducing scope without understanding the root cause risks masking the real problem and creating further inefficiency. On the PMP exam, this tests your understanding of the Agile Practice Guide’s emphasis on inspect-and-adapt cycles, where the project manager acts as a servant leader who facilitates root cause analysis before taking corrective action—a common trap is choosing a reactive fix like “increase sprint capacity” or “remove a team member.” Remember the memory tip: “Diagnose before you prescribe” to avoid the trap of treating symptoms instead of causes.
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.
Your agile team has experienced a drop in velocity for the past three sprints. During the retrospective, team members mention that they are spending too much time on unplanned work and context switching. As the project manager, what should you 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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Analyze the sources of unplanned work and discuss with the team how to minimize interruptions
The PM should first investigate the root cause of unplanned work and context switching. This involves analyzing the situation before taking corrective action. Jumping to solutions like reducing scope or adding resources without understanding the cause may be ineffective.
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 more team members to the project to increase capacity
Why it's wrong here
Adding resources may not solve the problem and could introduce further delays due to onboarding.
✗
Reduce the sprint backlog size to lower the team's workload
Why it's wrong here
Reducing backlog without analyzing root cause may not address the real issue of unplanned work.
✓
Analyze the sources of unplanned work and discuss with the team how to minimize interruptions
Why this is correct
Identifying root causes and addressing them proactively is the correct PMI approach.
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 prioritize all unplanned work into upcoming sprints
Why it's wrong here
While prioritization is helpful, it does not address why unplanned work occurs.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PMP question in full detail.
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.
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: Analyze the sources of unplanned work and discuss with the team how to minimize interruptions — The PM should first investigate the root cause of unplanned work and context switching. This involves analyzing the situation before taking corrective action. Jumping to solutions like reducing scope or adding resources without understanding the cause may be ineffective.
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 →
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 is experiencing a drop in velocity over the last three sprints. During the retrospective, team members mention that they are spending too much time on unplanned work and context switching. As the project manager, what should you do?
easy
A.Ask the team to work overtime for the next sprint to catch up
B.Add more developers to the team to increase capacity
C.Increase the frequency of daily stand-ups to twice a day to improve coordination
✓ D.Work with the product owner to reduce the amount of unplanned work and protect the team from external interruptions
Why D: Option A is correct because the root cause is unplanned work, so the PM should help the team limit work in progress and protect them from interruptions. Option B is wrong because adding more people to a late project often slows it down further (Brooks' Law). Option C is wrong because more frequent meetings would reduce productive time. Option D is wrong because forcing overtime can lead to burnout and reduced quality.
Variation 2. Your agile project has experienced a drop in velocity for the past three sprints. The team is frustrated. Which TWO actions should the project manager take to address this?
medium
✓ A.Work with the team to remove any impediments they are facing
✓ B.Facilitate a retrospective to identify root causes of the velocity drop
C.Set stricter deadlines to motivate the team
D.Replace underperforming team members with more experienced ones
E.Increase the sprint length to give the team more time
Why A: Option A and Option D are correct. A: Retrospectives help identify and address root causes. D: Removing impediments is a key scrum master responsibility. Option B is not the PM's role. Option C may not address systemic issues. Option E is reactive and may demotivate.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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.
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.