- A
Ask the team to rework the story based on the product owner's feedback without further discussion
Why wrong: This may lead to rework without addressing the root cause of misalignment.
- B
Facilitate a meeting between the product owner and the team to clarify the acceptance criteria and align expectations
Open communication resolves misunderstandings and improves the definition of done.
- C
Appeal to the project sponsor to mediate the disagreement
Why wrong: The PM should resolve at the team level first; escalation is premature.
- D
Add the story back to the product backlog for future prioritization
Why wrong: This defers the problem rather than solving it.
Question 739 of 892
Sprint Review Product Owner Rejection — First Step as Scrum Master
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. 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 rejects a user story because it does not meet their expectations, even though the team followed the acceptance criteria. The team is frustrated. What should you 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 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 meeting between the product owner and the team to clarify the acceptance criteria and align expectations
Option B is correct because the immediate conflict stems from a misalignment between the acceptance criteria and the product owner's expectations. As a servant leader, the first step is to facilitate a meeting between the product owner and the team to clarify the acceptance criteria and ensure a shared understanding, which directly addresses the root cause of the frustration without escalating or ignoring the issue.
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 rework the story based on the product owner's feedback without further discussion
Why it's wrong here
This may lead to rework without addressing the root cause of misalignment.
- ✓
Facilitate a meeting between the product owner and the team to clarify the acceptance criteria and align expectations
Why this is correct
Open communication resolves misunderstandings and improves the definition of 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.
- ✗
Appeal to the project sponsor to mediate the disagreement
Why it's wrong here
The PM should resolve at the team level first; escalation is premature.
- ✗
Add the story back to the product backlog for future prioritization
Why it's wrong here
This defers the problem rather than solving it.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
PMI often tests the principle of servant leadership and conflict resolution by tempting candidates to choose immediate rework (Option A) or escalation (Option C), when the correct first step is always facilitated communication to align expectations.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Scrum, the sprint review is a working session for inspecting the increment and adapting the product backlog, not a formal sign-off gate. The product owner's rejection based on unmet expectations, despite the team meeting the written acceptance criteria, indicates a gap in the Definition of Done or a need for more collaborative refinement during backlog grooming. A real-world scenario is when a user story for 'login with OAuth' passes all technical tests but the product owner expected a specific UI flow not captured in the criteria, requiring a facilitated conversation to update the criteria and the product backlog item.
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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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: Facilitate a meeting between the product owner and the team to clarify the acceptance criteria and align expectations — Option B is correct because the immediate conflict stems from a misalignment between the acceptance criteria and the product owner's expectations. As a servant leader, the first step is to facilitate a meeting between the product owner and the team to clarify the acceptance criteria and ensure a shared understanding, which directly addresses the root cause of the frustration without escalating or ignoring the issue.
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.
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 →
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 rejects a user story because it does not meet the acceptance criteria. The developer who worked on it becomes defensive and argues that the implementation is technically superior to what was requested. What should the project manager do?
medium- ✓ A.Support the product owner's decision and remind the developer to adhere to the agreed acceptance criteria in the future
- B.Escalate to the project sponsor to resolve the disagreement between the developer and the product owner
- C.Allow the developer to present the technical benefits and let the team vote on whether to keep the implementation
- D.Suggest that the team rework the story to match the acceptance criteria while still incorporating the superior implementation
Why A: Option A is correct because the product owner is the ultimate authority on acceptance criteria. The developer's role is to deliver what was agreed upon, not to add unrequested features (gold-plating). Option B incorrectly escalates a project-level decision unnecessarily. Option C undermines the product owner's authority by letting the team override their decision. Option D is wrong because it still includes the unrequested technical implementation, which deviates from the acceptance criteria.
Variation 2. During a sprint review, the product owner rejects a user story because it does not meet the acceptance criteria. The developer who completed the story argues that the functionality is sufficient and that the criteria were too strict. Both parties escalate to you. What should you do FIRST?
medium- A.Ask the team to redo the story to strictly meet the criteria without further discussion
- B.Accept the story as is and move on to avoid delaying the sprint
- ✓ C.Schedule a meeting with both parties to review the acceptance criteria and discuss expectations
- D.Support the developer and ask the product owner to relax the criteria
Why C: The acceptance criteria are part of the definition of done agreed upon with the product owner. The PM should clarify expectations and facilitate a conversation to reach a mutual understanding, potentially updating the criteria if needed.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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