PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
During a sprint review, the product owner rejects a user story because it does not meet the acceptance criteria. The developer who worked on it becomes defensive and argues that the implementation is technically superior to what was requested. What should the project manager do?
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
✓
Support the product owner's decision and remind the developer to adhere to the agreed acceptance criteria in the future
The product owner is the ultimate authority on acceptance criteria. The developer's role is to deliver what was agreed upon, not to add unrequested features (gold-plating). Option B incorrectly escalates a project-level decision unnecessarily. Option C undermines the product owner's authority by letting the team override their decision. Option D is wrong because it still includes the unrequested technical implementation, which deviates from the acceptance criteria.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Support the product owner's decision and remind the developer to adhere to the agreed acceptance criteria in the future
Why this is correct
The Product Owner holds the ultimate authority for accepting or rejecting user stories, as they represent the voice of the customer and business value. Supporting this decision reinforces their critical role in defining "done" and ensuring the delivered increment meets the agreed-upon acceptance criteria. Reminding the developer to adhere strictly to these criteria prevents scope creep, often referred to as gold-plating, which can waste resources on features not explicitly requested or valued by the business.
- ✗
Escalate to the project sponsor to resolve the disagreement between the developer and the product owner
Why it's wrong here
Escalating to the project sponsor at this stage is premature and bypasses the established agile conflict resolution mechanisms. The Project Manager, or Scrum Master in a Scrum context, should first facilitate a discussion between the developer and Product Owner to understand the discrepancy and reinforce the importance of acceptance criteria. Such an issue is typically resolved within the development team and Product Owner collaboration, not by external intervention from higher management.
- ✗
Allow the developer to present the technical benefits and let the team vote on whether to keep the implementation
Why it's wrong here
Allowing the team to vote on whether to accept a user story undermines the Product Owner's accountability and authority regarding product value and acceptance criteria. While technical benefits are valuable, the Product Owner is the ultimate arbiter of whether the delivered increment meets the business need and defined "Definition of Done." Acceptance is not a democratic decision within the development team; it is a business decision made solely by the Product Owner.
- ✗
Suggest that the team rework the story to match the acceptance criteria while still incorporating the superior implementation
Why it's wrong here
Suggesting a rework to incorporate a "superior implementation" while still matching the original acceptance criteria is a subtle form of gold-plating. This approach encourages adding functionality or complexity beyond what was explicitly agreed upon, potentially wasting time and resources on features not prioritized by the Product Owner. Any perceived superior implementation should be proposed as a new story or enhancement for future consideration, allowing the Product Owner to prioritize it against other backlog items based on business value.
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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. During a sprint review, the product owner rejects a user story because it does not meet their expectations, even though the team followed the acceptance criteria. The team is frustrated. What should you do FIRST?
hard- A.Ask the team to rework the story based on the product owner's feedback without further discussion
- ✓ B.Facilitate a meeting between the product owner and the team to clarify the acceptance criteria and align expectations
- C.Appeal to the project sponsor to mediate the disagreement
- D.Add the story back to the product backlog for future prioritization
Why B: The immediate conflict stems from a misalignment between the acceptance criteria and the product owner's expectations. As a servant leader, the first step is to facilitate a meeting between the product owner and the team to clarify the acceptance criteria and ensure a shared understanding, which directly addresses the root cause of the frustration without escalating or ignoring the issue.
Variation 2. During a sprint review, the product owner rejects a user story because it does not meet the acceptance criteria. The developer who completed the story argues that the functionality is sufficient and that the criteria were too strict. Both parties escalate to you. What should you do FIRST?
medium- A.Ask the team to redo the story to strictly meet the criteria without further discussion
- B.Accept the story as is and move on to avoid delaying the sprint
- ✓ C.Schedule a meeting with both parties to review the acceptance criteria and discuss expectations
- D.Support the developer and ask the product owner to relax the criteria
Why C: The acceptance criteria are part of the definition of done agreed upon with the product owner. The PM should clarify expectations and facilitate a conversation to reach a mutual understanding, potentially updating the criteria if needed.
JA
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.