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.
You are the project manager for a software development project using Scrum. During the daily stand-up, two senior developers get into a heated argument about the technical approach for a user story. The sprint goal is at risk. 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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Ask the developers to resolve the conflict after the meeting and escalate if they cannot
Option D is correct because the Scrum framework empowers the development team to self-organize and resolve technical disagreements. The project manager should facilitate the team's autonomy by asking the developers to resolve the conflict after the stand-up, escalating only if they cannot reach a consensus, thus protecting the sprint goal without imposing a top-down decision.
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.
✗
Report the conflict to the product owner and ask for a decision
Why it's wrong here
The product owner is not responsible for technical decisions.
✗
Intervene immediately and decide the technical approach to resolve the conflict
Why it's wrong here
The PM should not impose technical decisions; this undermines team autonomy.
✗
Cancel the stand-up and schedule a separate meeting to resolve the issue
Why it's wrong here
Canceling the stand-up disrupts the team and escalates the situation unnecessarily.
✓
Ask the developers to resolve the conflict after the meeting and escalate if they cannot
Why this is correct
Coaching the team to resolve conflicts themselves promotes self-organization and empowerment.
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
The trap here is that candidates often assume the project manager must immediately intervene or escalate to the product owner, confusing the role of a traditional project manager with that of a Scrum facilitator who empowers team self-management.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Canceling the stand-up disrupts the team and escalates the situation unnecessarily.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Scrum, the daily stand-up is a time-boxed event for the development team to inspect progress toward the sprint goal and adapt the plan. The Scrum Guide explicitly states that the development team is self-organizing and responsible for how to do the work, including technical decisions. By asking the developers to resolve the conflict after the meeting, the project manager reinforces the team's ownership of the sprint backlog and preserves the stand-up's focus on coordination, not problem-solving.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PMP question in full detail.
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: Ask the developers to resolve the conflict after the meeting and escalate if they cannot — Option D is correct because the Scrum framework empowers the development team to self-organize and resolve technical disagreements. The project manager should facilitate the team's autonomy by asking the developers to resolve the conflict after the stand-up, escalating only if they cannot reach a consensus, thus protecting the sprint goal without imposing a top-down decision.
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.
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