The correct answer is to ask the product owner to add the story to the product backlog and prioritize it for the next sprint. This is because in Scrum, the sprint backlog is a fixed commitment made by the development team during sprint planning, and adding work mid-sprint violates the core principle of a stable sprint goal. The product owner retains the authority to reprioritize the product backlog at any time, but cannot force new work into an active sprint without breaking the team’s velocity and trust. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of hybrid frameworks where Scrum’s time-boxed iterations coexist with traditional project oversight—a common trap is choosing to “negotiate scope” or “let the team decide,” which undermines Scrum’s protective rules. Remember the memory tip: “Sprint is a sealed box; new stories go to the backlog’s next slot.”
PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of process — managing technical aspects. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 a hybrid project, the development team is using Scrum, and the project manager is responsible for overall coordination. During a sprint, the product owner asks the team to add a high-priority user story that was not included in the sprint planning. The team is concerned about overcommitment. What should the project manager do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Ask the product owner to add the story to the product backlog and prioritize it for the next sprint.
In Scrum, the sprint backlog is fixed once sprint planning is completed. The product owner cannot add work during the sprint. The correct action is to ask the product owner to add the story to the product backlog for prioritization in a future sprint. This respects the team's commitment and the sprint goal.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Remove a lower-priority story from the sprint to make room for the new one.
Why it's wrong here
This still changes the sprint backlog without going through proper backlog refinement and planning.
✗
Allow the team to add the story if they can accommodate it without affecting the sprint goal.
Why it's wrong here
This violates Scrum principles; the sprint backlog should not be changed after sprint planning.
✗
Escalate to the project sponsor to resolve the conflict.
Why it's wrong here
Escalation is not necessary; the project manager should facilitate the correct process.
✓
Ask the product owner to add the story to the product backlog and prioritize it for the next sprint.
Why this is correct
This is the correct Scrum practice; the sprint is protected, and the story can be planned for the next sprint.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PMP question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PMP NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Process — Managing Technical Aspects — This question tests Process — Managing Technical Aspects — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Ask the product owner to add the story to the product backlog and prioritize it for the next sprint. — In Scrum, the sprint backlog is fixed once sprint planning is completed. The product owner cannot add work during the sprint. The correct action is to ask the product owner to add the story to the product backlog for prioritization in a future sprint. This respects the team's commitment and the sprint goal.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PMP NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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