PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
During a project retrospective, the team identifies that their velocity has plateaued due to excessive context switching and unclear priorities. Which THREE actions should the project manager take to address these issues?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse increasing sprint length (Option C) as a valid solution for velocity issues, when in fact it only masks the symptoms without addressing the underlying causes of context switching and unclear priorities.
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
✓
Work with the product owner to prioritize the backlog and reduce ambiguity
Option A is correct because working with the product owner to prioritize the backlog directly addresses unclear priorities, ensuring the team pulls the highest-value items first and reducing ambiguity about what to build next. Option D is correct because limiting work in progress (WIP) is the core Kanban/Lean practice that reduces multitasking and context switching, allowing the team to finish work faster and improve flow. Option E is correct because shielding the team from external interruptions and unnecessary meetings removes the sources of context switching, protecting focused work time and stabilizing velocity. Option B is not appropriate because adding more features increases workload and context switching rather than resolving the root causes. Option C is not appropriate because lengthening the sprint does not fix unclear priorities or multitasking and can delay feedback and reduce adaptability.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Work with the product owner to prioritize the backlog and reduce ambiguity
Why this is correct
If the team is experiencing context switching, it often indicates unclear priorities or poorly defined work items. Collaborating with the Product Owner to refine backlog items, ensuring they are clear, concise, and well-understood, directly reduces the need for the team to switch between tasks due to uncertainty. A well-prioritized backlog allows the team to pull work sequentially, minimizing the cognitive load associated with deciding what to work on next or clarifying vague requirements.
- ✗
Add more features to the sprint backlog to increase challenge
Why it's wrong here
Adding more features to an already struggling sprint backlog, especially when context switching is an issue, is counterproductive. This action would likely increase the number of active tasks, forcing team members to juggle even more work items simultaneously. Such an approach exacerbates context switching, reduces focus, and ultimately decreases throughput and quality, rather than improving team performance or "challenge."
- ✗
Increase the sprint length to give the team more time to complete work
Why it's wrong here
Increasing sprint length does not inherently solve the problem of context switching; it merely extends the period over which the problem can occur. While it might provide more time, it doesn't address the root causes like unclear priorities, excessive WIP, or external interruptions. Furthermore, longer sprints delay feedback loops, making it harder to inspect and adapt quickly, which is a core principle of agile methodologies designed to mitigate such issues.
- ✓
Limit work in progress (WIP) to reduce multitasking
Why this is correct
Limiting Work in Progress (WIP) is a fundamental Lean and Kanban principle directly aimed at reducing context switching. By setting explicit limits on how many items can be in progress at any given time, the team is encouraged to focus on completing existing tasks before starting new ones. This dedicated focus minimizes the cognitive overhead of switching between multiple unfinished tasks, thereby improving flow, throughput, and overall efficiency.
- ✓
Shield the team from external interruptions and unnecessary meetings
Why this is correct
External interruptions and unnecessary meetings are significant contributors to context switching, as they pull team members away from their focused work. Project managers or Scrum Masters should actively shield the development team from these distractions, creating a protected environment where they can concentrate on sprint goals. Minimizing these disruptions allows the team to maintain a state of "flow," enhancing productivity and reducing the time lost to task switching.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.