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.
Your agile project has seen a consistent drop in velocity over the last three sprints. The team is demotivated and blaming external dependencies. Retrospectives have not yielded actionable improvements. What should the project manager 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
✓
Facilitate a root cause analysis with the team to identify underlying issues and create an action plan.
Option C is correct because the first step when facing a consistent drop in velocity and team demotivation is to facilitate a root cause analysis with the team. This aligns with the PMP's focus on servant leadership and empowering the team to identify and solve their own problems, rather than imposing external solutions. The retrospective has failed to produce actionable improvements, so a deeper, facilitated analysis is needed to uncover the true underlying issues, which may include but are not limited to external dependencies.
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.
✗
Remove the team's external dependencies by negotiating with stakeholders.
Why it's wrong here
While helpful, this may not be feasible; a root cause analysis is needed first.
✗
Replace the scrum master with a more experienced one.
Why it's wrong here
Blaming the scrum master is not constructive; the team should be empowered to improve.
✓
Facilitate a root cause analysis with the team to identify underlying issues and create an action plan.
Why this is correct
This is the proactive, collaborative approach to address the problem systematically.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Increase the sprint duration to give the team more time.
Why it's wrong here
Changing sprint length may not address root causes and could mask issues.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume the obvious symptom (external dependencies) is the root cause and jump to negotiating them away (Option A), rather than first facilitating a team-led investigation to uncover all contributing factors.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In agile frameworks, velocity is a lagging indicator of team throughput, and a sustained drop often signals systemic issues such as technical debt, unclear requirements, or external blockers. Root cause analysis techniques like the '5 Whys' or fishbone diagrams help the team move beyond surface-level complaints (e.g., 'blaming external dependencies') to uncover deeper process or communication failures. The project manager's role here is to facilitate a safe environment for honest discussion, ensuring the team owns the action plan, which increases buy-in and commitment to improvements.
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: Facilitate a root cause analysis with the team to identify underlying issues and create an action plan. — Option C is correct because the first step when facing a consistent drop in velocity and team demotivation is to facilitate a root cause analysis with the team. This aligns with the PMP's focus on servant leadership and empowering the team to identify and solve their own problems, rather than imposing external solutions. The retrospective has failed to produce actionable improvements, so a deeper, facilitated analysis is needed to uncover the true underlying issues, which may include but are not limited to external dependencies.
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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