PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
In a hybrid project, the product owner wants to add a high-priority feature to the current sprint, but the team has already committed to the sprint backlog. The product owner insists it is critical for the upcoming release. What should the project manager do?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers think swapping work (Option B) is a valid compromise, but the PMP exam emphasizes that the sprint backlog is a commitment and should not be altered mid-sprint, even by swapping equivalent work, because it disrupts the team's plan and can introduce unaccounted dependencies or risks.
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 to the product owner that the current sprint is committed and the feature can be added to the product backlog for the next sprint
In a hybrid project, the sprint backlog is a commitment made by the team for the current iteration. The project manager should protect the team from scope changes mid-sprint to maintain velocity and predictability. Option D is correct because it respects the sprint commitment and follows the agile principle of not changing the sprint backlog once it is set; the new feature is deferred to the product backlog for prioritization in the next 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.
- ✗
Escalate the request to the steering committee to force the change
Why it's wrong here
Escalating a request to the steering committee as a first step is premature and bypasses the established agile process for managing scope. The Project Manager's role is to facilitate collaboration and negotiation between the Product Owner and the development team regarding backlog prioritization and sprint commitments. Immediate escalation undermines team autonomy and the Product Owner's responsibility for the product backlog, disrupting effective communication channels.
- ✗
Allow the team to swap the new feature for an equivalent amount of existing work
Why it's wrong here
Allowing the team to unilaterally swap features is not the Project Manager's decision to make; rather, it requires negotiation and agreement. While swapping might be a viable solution, the Project Manager should facilitate a discussion between the Product Owner, who owns the product backlog and feature value, and the development team, who owns the sprint backlog and capacity. The PM's role is to ensure informed decisions are made collaboratively, not to dictate scope changes.
- ✗
Ask the team to add the feature to the current sprint and work overtime
Why it's wrong here
Asking the team to add a new feature to the current sprint and work overtime directly violates the core agile principle of sprint commitment and sustainable pace. Introducing new work mid-sprint disrupts the team's focus, jeopardizes the sprint goal, and can lead to scope creep and decreased quality. Furthermore, demanding overtime is unsustainable, leading to burnout, reduced morale, and ultimately diminished productivity and product quality.
- ✓
Explain to the product owner that the current sprint is committed and the feature can be added to the product backlog for the next sprint
Why this is correct
Explaining to the Product Owner that the current sprint is committed and the feature can be added to the product backlog for the next sprint is the correct agile practice. This approach protects the integrity of the sprint commitment, allowing the team to focus on delivering agreed-upon work without disruption. It also respects the Product Owner's authority to prioritize items in the product backlog, ensuring the high-priority feature is considered for the subsequent sprint based on its value and team capacity.
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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.