POPM Iteration Execution Practice Question
A Product Owner is reviewing the Team Backlog mid-iteration and notices several stories that are not aligned with the current Iteration Goals. What should the Product Owner do?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is thinking that misaligned stories can be left for spare capacity or simply removed without team discussion.
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
✓
Discuss with the team to reprioritize the backlog and ensure the team focuses on stories that support the Iteration Goals.
The Product Owner should collaborate with the team to reprioritize the Team Backlog so that it aligns with the Iteration Goals. This ensures the team works on the most valuable items and maintains focus. Misaligned stories should be deferred or removed if they do not contribute to the goals. This is a core responsibility of the PO during iteration execution.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Discuss with the team to reprioritize the backlog and ensure the team focuses on stories that support the Iteration Goals.
Why this is correct
The Product Owner should collaborate with the team to reprioritize the Team Backlog so that the highest priority items align with the Iteration Goals. This may involve deferring or removing misaligned stories and ensuring the team understands the goals. This keeps the iteration focused and maximizes value delivery.
- ✗
Leave the stories in the backlog but prioritize them for a future iteration.
Why it's wrong here
Leaving misaligned stories in the current iteration backlog can distract the team and waste effort. The PO should actively manage the backlog to reflect current priorities, which may involve moving them out of the iteration if they are not needed for the goals.
- ✗
Remove the misaligned stories from the iteration and replace them with new stories that support the goals.
Why it's wrong here
Removing stories mid-iteration can disrupt the team's flow and may not be necessary if the stories are not blocking the goals. The PO should focus on the goals and ensure the team works on the highest priority items, but wholesale replacement is disruptive and may not be needed.
- ✗
Ask the team to work on the misaligned stories only if they have spare capacity after completing goal-related work.
Why it's wrong here
Working on misaligned stories even with spare capacity can distract from the goals and may deliver low-value features. The PO should keep the team focused on the iteration goals and use spare capacity for refinement or technical debt reduction, not for misaligned work.
About these practice questions
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Scaled Agile exam blueprint
This POPM practice question is part of Courseiva's free Scaled Agile 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 POPM exam.