The correct first step is to facilitate a discussion between the product owner and the team to clarify expectations and revisit the acceptance criteria. This is because the Scrum Master’s primary role is to serve as a servant-leader and coach, ensuring that the Scrum framework is understood and that collaboration resolves misunderstandings before any rework begins. When a product owner is unhappy despite meeting acceptance criteria, the core issue is often a gap between the written criteria and the product owner’s unspoken vision—a classic symptom of incomplete requirement refinement. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your grasp of stakeholder engagement and conflict resolution within an Agile context, specifically that the Scrum Master protects the team from scope creep while validating the product owner’s concerns. A common trap is jumping to redo the work or escalating prematurely; instead, remember the memory tip: “Clarify before you crucify”—always open the dialogue to align expectations before taking any corrective action.
PMP Practice Question: Business Environment: strategy and project benefits
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of business environment: strategy and project benefits. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
During a sprint review, the product owner is unhappy with the delivered functionality and insists that the team redo the work to meet their expectations, even though the team met the acceptance criteria defined in the sprint planning. What should the scrum master do FIRST?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Facilitate a discussion between the product owner and the team to clarify expectations and revisit the acceptance criteria
Option C is correct because the scrum master should facilitate a discussion to understand the product owner's concerns and clarify the acceptance criteria. Option A is wrong because redoing work without understanding the issue wastes effort. Option B is wrong because ignoring the product owner's feedback damages stakeholder relationships. Option D is wrong because escalation is premature before discussion.
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.
✗
Ask the team to redo the work to satisfy the product owner
Why it's wrong here
This may lead to scope creep and demotivates the team if the work was correctly done per criteria.
✗
Inform the product owner that the work is complete and cannot be changed
Why it's wrong here
Dismissing feedback is not collaborative; the scrum master should seek to align expectations.
✗
Escalate the issue to the project sponsor
Why it's wrong here
Escalation is not the first step; the scrum master should first attempt to resolve the conflict within the team.
✓
Facilitate a discussion between the product owner and the team to clarify expectations and revisit the acceptance criteria
Why this is correct
The scrum master should foster communication to resolve misunderstandings and align on what constitutes 'done'.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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.
Business Environment: strategy and project benefits — This question tests Business Environment: strategy and project benefits — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Facilitate a discussion between the product owner and the team to clarify expectations and revisit the acceptance criteria — Option C is correct because the scrum master should facilitate a discussion to understand the product owner's concerns and clarify the acceptance criteria. Option A is wrong because redoing work without understanding the issue wastes effort. Option B is wrong because ignoring the product owner's feedback damages stakeholder relationships. Option D is wrong because escalation is premature before discussion.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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 →
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. You are the project manager for a hybrid software development project. During sprint review, the product owner demonstrates a feature that meets the acceptance criteria but the key stakeholder expresses disappointment, saying it does not meet their expectations. What should the project manager do first?
medium
A.Approve the change yourself and add it to the current sprint backlog.
✓ B.Schedule a meeting with the stakeholder to clarify their expectations and document any new requirements for future sprints.
C.Explain that the feature meets the agreed acceptance criteria and close the discussion.
D.Ask the development team to modify the feature immediately to satisfy the stakeholder.
Why B: The correct answer is to first understand the stakeholder's expectations and document them. This aligns with stakeholder engagement and scope management. Option A is incorrect because implementing changes without change control is gold-plating. Option B is reactive and may not address the root cause. Option D bypasses the product owner's role and the change process.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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