PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
In a project using a hybrid approach, the team is developing a new product. During sprint planning, the product owner wants to add several new user stories that were not in the release plan. The team is concerned that adding these stories will overload the sprint. What should the scrum master 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
✓
Facilitate a negotiation between the product owner and the team to prioritize and possibly swap stories.
The scrum master should facilitate a discussion between the product owner and the team to negotiate scope. This encourages collaboration and respects the team's capacity. Option B correctly describes this action, as it allows the team and product owner to prioritize and possibly swap stories to fit within the sprint's capacity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Add the stories to the product backlog and defer them to a future sprint.
Why it's wrong here
Adding new stories to the product backlog is a standard practice for managing new requirements. However, immediately deferring them to a future sprint without discussion misses a critical opportunity for value optimization. The Product Owner, in collaboration with the team, should evaluate if these new stories are of higher priority and could potentially replace existing, lower-priority stories within the current sprint backlog, rather than simply postponing them. This approach ensures continuous value delivery.
- ✓
Facilitate a negotiation between the product owner and the team to prioritize and possibly swap stories.
Why this is correct
In a hybrid or agile environment, the Product Owner has the authority to introduce new work, especially if it represents higher value. The most appropriate action is to facilitate a negotiation between the Product Owner and the Development Team. This collaborative discussion allows them to assess the impact of the new stories, prioritize them against existing sprint backlog items, and potentially swap out lower-priority work to accommodate the new, more valuable items, thus optimizing value delivery while respecting the sprint goal and team capacity.
- ✗
Accept the new stories and ask the team to work overtime.
Why it's wrong here
Accepting new stories and immediately resorting to overtime is an unsustainable and counterproductive practice in project management. This approach disregards the team's capacity and can lead to burnout, decreased morale, and a significant reduction in the quality of deliverables. Agile methodologies prioritize a sustainable pace and protecting the sprint goal, making scope negotiation and adjustment preferable to forcing additional, unplanned work through extended hours.
- ✗
Reject the new stories because they were not planned.
Why it's wrong here
Outright rejecting new stories simply because they were not part of the initial sprint plan contradicts the core agile principle of embracing change and adapting to evolving requirements. The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing product value and has the authority to introduce new, high-priority items. The appropriate response involves engaging in a collaborative discussion to assess the new stories' value and feasibility, rather than an immediate dismissal, which hinders responsiveness and value delivery.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to the PMP Exam and Project Management Basics
Key term
Scrum Methodology
Scrum is a lightweight process framework that helps teams deliver complex projects in small, iterative chunks called sprints.
Key term
Sprint Planning
Sprint Planning is a time-boxed meeting at the start of a Scrum sprint where the team decides what work they can deliver and how they will do it.
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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.