Product Owner Unhappy Despite Meeting Acceptance Criteria
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?
Quick Answer
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.
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
✓
Facilitate a discussion between the product owner and the team to clarify expectations and revisit the acceptance criteria
The scrum master's primary role is to facilitate communication and remove impediments. In this scenario, the product owner and team have a misunderstanding about the acceptance criteria. The scrum master should first facilitate a discussion to clarify expectations and potentially revise the acceptance criteria if needed. Option A is wrong because redoing work without understanding the issue wastes effort and bypasses the problem. Option B is wrong because ignoring the product owner's feedback damages stakeholder relationships and does not address the underlying concern. Option C is wrong because escalation to the sponsor is premature before attempting to resolve the issue within the scrum team.
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'.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Managing Conflicts and Communication
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.
Key term
Scrum Methodology
Scrum is a lightweight process framework that helps teams deliver complex projects in small, iterative chunks called sprints.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way 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. 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: 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 constitutes gold-plating and bypasses the change control process. Option C is incorrect because it dismisses the stakeholder's concerns, which could lead to dissatisfaction and reduce trust. Option D is incorrect because it bypasses the product owner's role and the proper change process; modifying the feature immediately without analysis is not appropriate. Therefore, scheduling a meeting to clarify expectations and document new requirements for future sprints is the best first step.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.