PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
In your Scrum project, the development team has been consistently missing sprint commitments. During the retrospective, the team identifies that scope is often added during the sprint by the product owner without consulting the team. What should you do as the Scrum Master?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is picking a pragmatic-sounding compromise like 'allow the PO to add scope if the team agrees' — candidates think flexibility is good, but Scrum's timebox and sprint goal protection make this the wrong answer; the Scrum Master should coach, not accommodate the anti-pattern.
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
✓
Coach the product owner on the importance of not changing scope during a sprint.
As Scrum Master, the correct action is to coach the product owner on why scope should not change mid-sprint — the sprint backlog is owned by the development team and protected during the sprint. Coaching is the Scrum Master's primary tool for addressing process violations and helping the product owner understand their role boundaries.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ask the product owner to stop attending daily standups to prevent scope changes.
Why it's wrong here
Excluding the Product Owner from the Daily Scrum is counterproductive to Scrum's principles of transparency and collaboration. While the Daily Scrum is primarily for the Development Team to plan their day, the Product Owner's presence as an observer can foster understanding and alignment. Preventing their attendance does not address the root cause of scope changes and instead creates an information silo, hindering effective communication and shared understanding of progress and impediments.
- ✗
Update the sprint backlog to reflect the changes and extend the sprint duration.
Why it's wrong here
Modifying the Sprint Backlog to incorporate new scope and extending the sprint duration fundamentally undermines the Sprint Goal and the time-boxed nature of a sprint. The Sprint Backlog represents the Development Team's forecast of work to achieve a specific Sprint Goal within a fixed timeframe. Such changes disrupt the team's focus, compromise predictability, and prevent the team from learning to accurately forecast and commit to work, thereby weakening the entire Scrum framework.
- ✗
Allow the product owner to add scope if the team agrees.
Why it's wrong here
Even with the Development Team's agreement, adding new scope during a sprint is generally discouraged as it jeopardizes the Sprint Goal and the team's ability to deliver a "Done" Increment. The Sprint Goal is a commitment established at Sprint Planning, providing focus and stability. While minor clarifications or re-prioritization of existing scope might occur, introducing entirely new work, regardless of team consensus, can lead to overcommitment, reduced quality, and failure to meet the original Sprint Goal.
- ✓
Coach the product owner on the importance of not changing scope during a sprint.
Why this is correct
This is the most appropriate action for a Scrum Master. The Scrum Master's role includes coaching the Product Owner on Scrum principles and practices, emphasizing the importance of the Sprint Goal and the detrimental impact of mid-sprint scope changes. Educating the Product Owner about how such changes disrupt the Development Team's focus, reduce predictability, and compromise the integrity of the sprint commitment fosters a better understanding of Scrum and promotes healthier team dynamics.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PMI exam blueprint
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