PMP Practice Question: Business Environment: strategy and project benefits
During a project to develop a mobile app, the product owner wants to add a feature that the team believes will increase user engagement but was not in the approved scope. The sprint is already in progress. What should the project manager do?
⚠ Common exam trap
PMP often tests the misconception that any beneficial change should be immediately accommodated, but in agile, changes must go through the product backlog for prioritization and future sprints.
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
✓
Explain that changes should be added to the product backlog for future sprints after evaluation
In an agile environment, scope changes are managed through the product backlog, not by altering the current sprint's commitment. The product owner should add the new feature to the product backlog, where it can be prioritized and evaluated for future sprints. This preserves the sprint's focus and allows the team to deliver the agreed-upon increment. The project manager's role is to facilitate this process and ensure the team is not disrupted mid-sprint.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ask the team to do a quick spike to estimate the effort
Why it's wrong here
Asking the team to perform a quick spike for a new feature during an active sprint is inappropriate because it diverts the team's focus from the committed sprint goal. While spikes are valuable for research and estimation, initiating one mid-sprint for an uncommitted item disrupts the planned work and violates the sprint's timebox and scope stability. The Product Owner should protect the sprint from such unplanned interruptions.
- ✓
Explain that changes should be added to the product backlog for future sprints after evaluation
Why this is correct
This is the correct agile approach. The Product Owner should explain that any new feature requests or changes must be added to the product backlog. This allows for proper evaluation, refinement, and prioritization against other existing backlog items, ensuring that the most valuable work is selected for future sprints. Maintaining a stable sprint commitment is crucial for team focus and predictable delivery.
- ✗
Ask the sponsor for immediate approval to include the feature
Why it's wrong here
Involving the sponsor for immediate approval to include a new feature mid-sprint is incorrect as it bypasses the Product Owner's primary responsibility for managing the product backlog and prioritizing work. Sponsors typically operate at a strategic level, not dictating sprint-level scope changes. Such an action undermines the agile team's autonomy and the established process for managing emergent requirements.
- ✗
Allow the team to add the feature since it improves the product
Why it's wrong here
Allowing the team to add a new feature mid-sprint, even if it appears to improve the product, directly violates the sprint commitment and disrupts the team's focus. The sprint goal represents the agreed-upon increment of value the team aims to deliver within the timebox. Unplanned additions destabilize the sprint, risk incomplete work, and undermine the predictability and rhythm of agile development.
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Same concept, more angles
2 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. You are the project manager for a hybrid software development project. During a sprint review, a key stakeholder requests a new feature that was not in the original scope. The product owner believes it adds significant value. The team estimates it will take two additional sprints. What should you do first?
medium- ✓ A.Submit a change request through the Integrated Change Control process
- B.Add the feature to the product backlog and let the team work on it in a future sprint without formal approval
- C.Ask the team to start working on the feature immediately to satisfy the stakeholder
- D.Inform the stakeholder that no changes are allowed after the project has started
Why A: According to PMI, any change to scope must go through the formal change control process. The project manager should first submit a change request to assess impact on schedule, cost, and resources before any decision is made.
Variation 2. You are the project manager for a software development project using Scrum. During the sprint, the product owner requests a change that would significantly increase the value of the product but also expands scope. Which TWO actions should you take?
medium- A.Add the change to the current sprint immediately to maximize value
- ✓ B.Work with the product owner to prioritize the change for a future sprint
- C.Reject the change because it was not in the original plan
- D.Escalate to the project sponsor for approval
- ✓ E.Assess the impact of the change on the current sprint
Why B: In Scrum, the product owner can change the backlog, but the project manager should first assess the impact on the current sprint and, if accepted, ensure the change is added after the current sprint unless it is an emergency. The correct actions are to assess impact and work with the product owner to prioritize the change for a future sprint.
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PMI exam blueprint
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