PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
In an agile project, the team has been working on the same product backlog for several sprints. During sprint planning, the product owner introduces a new high-priority user story that will require the team to reprioritize existing work. What is the BEST approach?
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
✓
Discuss the new story with the team and the product owner, and if accepted, remove a lower-priority story of equivalent size
In agile, the product owner can change priorities, but the team should assess the impact on the sprint goal and capacity. The best approach is to discuss the new story and its priority, and then adjust the sprint backlog accordingly, possibly removing lower-priority items.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Reject the new story because the sprint has already started
Why it's wrong here
Agile principles emphasize adaptability over strict adherence to a plan. While a sprint backlog is committed, the Product Owner retains the authority to reprioritize or introduce urgent items, especially if business value dictates. Simply rejecting a high-priority story due to an ongoing sprint ignores this flexibility and the collaborative nature of agile, potentially delaying critical value delivery.
- ✗
Put the new story in the product backlog for a future sprint
Why it's wrong here
Placing a high-priority new story directly into the product backlog for a future sprint without further discussion fails to address its immediate urgency. In agile, the goal is to continuously deliver the highest possible value. Deferring a high-priority item without assessing its impact on current sprint goals or overall project value contradicts the principle of maximizing work not done and responding to change, potentially missing a critical market opportunity.
- ✗
Add the new story to the sprint backlog and ask the team to work overtime to complete everything
Why it's wrong here
Unilaterally adding a new story to an already committed sprint backlog and expecting the team to work overtime is detrimental to sustainable pace and team morale. Agile emphasizes a consistent, sustainable rhythm to prevent burnout and maintain product quality. Overloading the team compromises the quality of work, increases technical debt, and can lead to inaccurate future capacity planning, undermining the very principles of agile delivery.
- ✓
Discuss the new story with the team and the product owner, and if accepted, remove a lower-priority story of equivalent size
Why this is correct
This option exemplifies effective agile practice by promoting collaboration and respecting team capacity. The Development Team, being self-organizing, must be involved in assessing the impact of new work and its feasibility. If the new high-priority story is accepted, removing an equivalent lower-priority item ensures the sprint goal remains achievable, prevents overloading the team, and maintains a sustainable pace while adapting to changing priorities and maximizing value.
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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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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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.