- A
Inform the product owner that the work meets the agreed criteria and cannot be changed
Why wrong: This may damage the relationship; collaboration is preferred.
- B
Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision
Why wrong: Escalation is premature; the product owner and team should resolve first.
- C
Ask the team to redo the work to meet the product owner's unstated expectations
Why wrong: This would be gold-plating—doing extra work without change control. The criteria were agreed upon.
- D
Facilitate a conversation between the product owner and the team to clarify expectations and update the acceptance criteria for next sprint
Open communication resolves discrepancies and ensures future alignment.
Question 754 of 892
Resolving Acceptance Criteria Conflicts in Sprint Reviews
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.
During a sprint review, the product owner expresses dissatisfaction with the delivered increment because it does not meet their expectations. The team followed the agreed-upon acceptance criteria. What should the project manager do?
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 conversation between the product owner and the team to clarify expectations and update the acceptance criteria for next sprint
Option D is correct because the project manager's role in an Agile framework is to facilitate collaboration and ensure alignment between the product owner and the development team. Since the team met the agreed acceptance criteria, the gap is in the product owner's expectations, which must be clarified through direct conversation. Updating the acceptance criteria for the next sprint ensures future increments align with the product owner's vision without redoing work that was technically correct.
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.
- ✗
Inform the product owner that the work meets the agreed criteria and cannot be changed
Why it's wrong here
This may damage the relationship; collaboration is preferred.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision
Why it's wrong here
Escalation is premature; the product owner and team should resolve first.
- ✗
Ask the team to redo the work to meet the product owner's unstated expectations
Why it's wrong here
This would be gold-plating—doing extra work without change control. The criteria were agreed upon.
- ✓
Facilitate a conversation between the product owner and the team to clarify expectations and update the acceptance criteria for next sprint
Why this is correct
Open communication resolves discrepancies and ensures future alignment.
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, thinking that meeting acceptance criteria is absolute, but the PMP exam emphasizes stakeholder satisfaction and adaptive communication over rigid adherence to documentation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Scrum, the sprint review is a formal inspect-and-adapt event where the product owner evaluates the increment against the current definition of done and acceptance criteria. If the product owner's expectations are not met despite the criteria being satisfied, it indicates a need to refine the criteria for future sprints, not to rework the current increment. This scenario highlights the importance of the project manager as a servant leader who facilitates communication and ensures the product backlog is transparent and prioritized based on value, not just technical compliance.
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.
- →
People — Leading Projects — study guide chapter
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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: Facilitate a conversation between the product owner and the team to clarify expectations and update the acceptance criteria for next sprint — Option D is correct because the project manager's role in an Agile framework is to facilitate collaboration and ensure alignment between the product owner and the development team. Since the team met the agreed acceptance criteria, the gap is in the product owner's expectations, which must be clarified through direct conversation. Updating the acceptance criteria for the next sprint ensures future increments align with the product owner's vision without redoing work that was technically correct.
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
2 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. During a sprint review, the product owner expresses dissatisfaction with the feature delivered, stating it does not meet the acceptance criteria. The team disagrees, claiming it meets the definition of done. What should the project manager do first?
medium- A.Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision
- ✓ B.Schedule a meeting with the product owner and the team to review the acceptance criteria and define done
- C.Support the team's position and ask the product owner to accept the deliverable
- D.Ask the team to redo the work to meet the product owner's expectations
Why B: Clarifying expectations by reviewing the acceptance criteria together resolves the misunderstanding and aligns both parties.
Variation 2. During a sprint review, the product owner expresses dissatisfaction with a feature delivered by the team, stating it does not meet the acceptance criteria. The team insists they followed the requirements as written. What should the project manager do FIRST?
medium- A.Ask the team to redo the feature to meet the product owner's expectations.
- ✓ B.Facilitate a conversation between the product owner and the team to clarify the acceptance criteria.
- C.Update the project documents to reflect the product owner's new requirements.
- D.Refer to the project charter to determine the original scope.
Why B: Option B is correct because the immediate priority is to resolve the misunderstanding between the product owner and the team. The project manager should facilitate a conversation to clarify the acceptance criteria, ensuring both parties have a shared understanding before any rework or documentation changes occur. This aligns with the PMP's focus on stakeholder engagement and conflict resolution within the 'People' domain.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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