POPM Iteration Execution Practice Question
During an iteration, a Product Owner notices that the team is consistently pulling stories from the Team Backlog that are not at the top of the prioritized list. What is the most likely reason, and what should the PO do?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming the team is deliberately ignoring priorities, rather than recognizing that the top stories may lack readiness and need refinement.
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
✓
The top stories may not be ready; the PO should work with the team to refine them so they are ready to be pulled.
When a team consistently bypasses top-priority stories, it usually indicates those stories are not ready for development. The Product Owner should work with the team to refine them—clarifying acceptance criteria, resolving dependencies, and slicing them into smaller pieces—so they meet the Definition of Ready and can be pulled in priority order.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The team is not following the prioritized order; the PO should remind them to follow the backlog sequence.
Why it's wrong here
While the team should generally follow the prioritized order, there may be valid reasons for pulling other stories, such as dependencies or skill matching. Simply reminding them may not address the root cause. The PO should first investigate why the team is deviating, rather than assuming non-compliance, as there could be a need for better refinement or clearer acceptance criteria.
- ✗
The team is avoiding the most important work; the PO should escalate to the Scrum Master.
Why it's wrong here
Escalating to the Scrum Master assumes a disciplinary issue, but the more likely cause is that the top stories are not adequately prepared. The PO is responsible for backlog readiness and should first examine whether the stories meet the team's Definition of Ready. Escalation without investigation can damage trust and does not solve the underlying problem.
- ✗
The team prefers different work; the PO should allow them to choose any story to keep them motivated.
Why it's wrong here
Allowing the team to choose any story undermines prioritization and can lead to delivering lower-value features. While team motivation is important, it should not come at the expense of business value. The PO should ensure the backlog is ordered by value and that top items are ready, so the team can work on the most important items without needing to skip them.
- ✓
The top stories may not be ready; the PO should work with the team to refine them so they are ready to be pulled.
Why this is correct
If the team is bypassing top-priority stories, it often means those stories are not ready for development—they may lack clear acceptance criteria, have unresolved dependencies, or be too large. The PO should collaborate with the team to refine the top of the backlog, ensuring stories meet the Definition of Ready, so the team can pull them and work on the highest value items first.
Visual reference
About these practice questions
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JA
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.