The correct response is to facilitate a retrospective to identify process improvements that could sustainably increase velocity. This is because velocity is a lagging indicator of past performance, not a target to be imposed; the Scrum framework empowers the team to self-organize and determine how to improve their own throughput through continuous inspection and adaptation. On the Project Management Professional PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of agile principles versus traditional command-and-control management, often appearing as a trap where less experienced managers might artificially inflate story points or cut quality assurance. The key trap is mistaking velocity for a productivity quota rather than a planning metric, so remember the mnemonic: “Velocity is a mirror, not a hammer”—it reflects what happened, not what you demand.
PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
You are leading a Scrum team. For the past three sprints, the team has consistently completed all committed user stories. The product owner wants to increase the team's velocity by 20%. What should you do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Facilitate a retrospective to identify process improvements that could sustainably increase velocity
Option C is correct because velocity is a measure of past performance, not a target. The team should self-organize to improve. Option A is wrong because forcing a higher velocity can lead to burnout. Option B is wrong because adjusting story points artificially inflates velocity. Option D is wrong because removing testing increases technical debt.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Reduce the definition of done to skip testing activities
Why it's wrong here
Compromising quality violates agile principles and can lead to defects.
✗
Instruct the team to commit to more stories each sprint
Why it's wrong here
Imposing commitments can undermine team autonomy and lead to overcommitment.
✓
Facilitate a retrospective to identify process improvements that could sustainably increase velocity
Why this is correct
Empowering the team to find improvements aligns with agile principles and servant leadership.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Ask the team to estimate stories with lower story points to increase velocity
Why it's wrong here
Manipulating estimates is unethical and does not reflect true capacity.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the PMP exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PMP question in full detail.
Identify which PMP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
People — Leading Projects — This question tests People — Leading Projects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Facilitate a retrospective to identify process improvements that could sustainably increase velocity — Option C is correct because velocity is a measure of past performance, not a target. The team should self-organize to improve. Option A is wrong because forcing a higher velocity can lead to burnout. Option B is wrong because adjusting story points artificially inflates velocity. Option D is wrong because removing testing increases technical debt.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which PMP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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.
Question Discussion
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