- A
Increase sprint duration from two weeks to three weeks to allow more time
Why wrong: Longer sprints may hide problems, not solve them.
- B
Replace underperforming team members with new ones
Why wrong: The issue is process-related, not people-related.
- C
Take over the role of product owner to ensure clarity
Why wrong: The PM should not overstep the product owner role.
- D
Reinforce the sprint rule that no new work can be added once the sprint has started
Stabilizing scope protects the team's focus.
- E
Work with the product owner to improve user story refinement and acceptance criteria before sprint planning
Clearer requirements reduce rework and confusion.
Question 602 of 892
Managing Sprint Scope: Preventing Scope Creep in Agile
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 an agile team that has experienced a drop in velocity over the last three sprints. The team attributes this to unclear requirements and frequent changes during the sprint. Which TWO actions would best address this?
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
✓
Reinforce the sprint rule that no new work can be added once the sprint has started
Option D is correct because in Scrum, once a sprint begins, the team commits to a set of work; allowing new requirements to be introduced mid-sprint disrupts focus and velocity. This rule protects the team from scope creep and ensures they can deliver a potentially shippable increment. Option E is correct because unclear requirements and frequent changes often stem from poorly refined user stories; working with the product owner to improve acceptance criteria and story refinement before sprint planning reduces ambiguity and stabilizes velocity.
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.
- ✗
Increase sprint duration from two weeks to three weeks to allow more time
Why it's wrong here
Longer sprints may hide problems, not solve them.
- ✗
Replace underperforming team members with new ones
Why it's wrong here
The issue is process-related, not people-related.
- ✗
Take over the role of product owner to ensure clarity
Why it's wrong here
The PM should not overstep the product owner role.
- ✓
Reinforce the sprint rule that no new work can be added once the sprint has started
Why this is correct
Stabilizing scope protects the team's focus.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Work with the product owner to improve user story refinement and acceptance criteria before sprint planning
Why this is correct
Clearer requirements reduce rework and confusion.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose Option A (increasing sprint duration) thinking it gives more time for changes, but this violates the Scrum principle of time-boxed sprints and does not fix the requirement clarity issue.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Scrum, the sprint backlog is frozen after sprint planning to maintain a stable goal; any change requires terminating the sprint or deferring to the next sprint. The product owner is accountable for backlog refinement, ensuring user stories meet the Definition of Ready (DoR) with clear acceptance criteria before sprint planning. Real-world velocity drops often correlate with a weak DoR, where stories are too vague or large, leading to rework and mid-sprint clarification requests.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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People — Leading Projects — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PMP question test?
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: Reinforce the sprint rule that no new work can be added once the sprint has started — Option D is correct because in Scrum, once a sprint begins, the team commits to a set of work; allowing new requirements to be introduced mid-sprint disrupts focus and velocity. This rule protects the team from scope creep and ensures they can deliver a potentially shippable increment. Option E is correct because unclear requirements and frequent changes often stem from poorly refined user stories; working with the product owner to improve acceptance criteria and story refinement before sprint planning reduces ambiguity and stabilizes velocity.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on PMP
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Your agile team's velocity has dropped for three consecutive sprints. Upon investigation, you discover that the product owner has been adding unplanned work directly to the sprint backlog without consulting you or the team. What is the most appropriate action?
medium- ✓ A.Discuss the issue with the product owner and remind them that scope changes should go through the backlog refinement process
- B.Tell the team to accept the extra work to keep the product owner happy
- C.Allow the product owner to continue as they are the voice of the customer
- D.Immediately escalate the issue to the project sponsor
Why A: Option A is correct because the product owner is violating the Scrum framework by adding unplanned work directly to the sprint backlog, which undermines the team's commitment and velocity. The appropriate action is to discuss the issue with the product owner and remind them that all scope changes must go through the backlog refinement process to ensure the sprint goal remains achievable. This aligns with the PMP's emphasis on stakeholder engagement and maintaining team autonomy within agile practices.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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