- A
Have a private conversation with the stakeholder about the purpose of the daily standup and the impact of their actions.
Direct communication with the stakeholder to educate and realign expectations is the appropriate first step.
- B
Remove the stakeholder from the daily standup invitations to prevent disruption.
Why wrong: Excluding stakeholders is not recommended; they should be engaged appropriately. Better to educate than exclude.
- C
Ask the team to accommodate the stakeholder's requests to maintain a good relationship.
Why wrong: Accommodating unauthorized requests disrupts the sprint plan and undermines agile principles.
- D
Update the sprint backlog to include the stakeholder's requests and adjust the sprint goal.
Why wrong: Changing the backlog without proper prioritization and stakeholder agreement violates the sprint commitment.
Quick Answer
The answer is to have a private conversation with the stakeholder about the purpose of the daily standup and the impact of their actions. This is correct because the daily standup is a time-boxed event for the development team to synchronize activities and plan the next 24 hours, not a status meeting for external stakeholders to redirect work. By addressing the stakeholder directly and privately, you protect the team’s focus, maintain the sprint backlog’s integrity, and uphold the agile principle of self-organization, which directly prevents the stakeholder from disrupting daily standup agile ceremonies. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your ability to apply stakeholder engagement and communication management under the Agile Practice Guide, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly choose to “ask the team to comply” or “escalate immediately.” Remember the memory tip: “Private before public, process before product”—always address process violations one-on-one before they escalate, and protect the team’s rhythm as your first duty.
PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of process — managing technical aspects. 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.
A key stakeholder on your agile project frequently attends the daily standup and redirects team members to work on tasks that are not part of the sprint backlog. This is causing confusion and reducing the team's velocity. As the project manager, 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
Have a private conversation with the stakeholder about the purpose of the daily standup and the impact of their actions.
The PM should address the issue directly with the stakeholder, explaining the importance of protecting the team's focus and the agreed-upon process. This aligns with stakeholder engagement and communication management.
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.
- ✓
Have a private conversation with the stakeholder about the purpose of the daily standup and the impact of their actions.
Why this is correct
Direct communication with the stakeholder to educate and realign expectations is the appropriate first step.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Remove the stakeholder from the daily standup invitations to prevent disruption.
Why it's wrong here
Excluding stakeholders is not recommended; they should be engaged appropriately. Better to educate than exclude.
- ✗
Ask the team to accommodate the stakeholder's requests to maintain a good relationship.
Why it's wrong here
Accommodating unauthorized requests disrupts the sprint plan and undermines agile principles.
- ✗
Update the sprint backlog to include the stakeholder's requests and adjust the sprint goal.
Why it's wrong here
Changing the backlog without proper prioritization and stakeholder agreement violates the sprint commitment.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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.
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Process — Managing Technical Aspects — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PMP question test?
Process — Managing Technical Aspects — This question tests Process — Managing Technical Aspects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Have a private conversation with the stakeholder about the purpose of the daily standup and the impact of their actions. — The PM should address the issue directly with the stakeholder, explaining the importance of protecting the team's focus and the agreed-upon process. This aligns with stakeholder engagement and communication management.
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
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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.
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