POPM Iteration Execution Practice Question
During Iteration Execution, the Product Owner notices that the team has completed all committed stories early and has several days left in the iteration. What should the Product Owner do?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is thinking that finishing early means the team should stop or jump ahead, when the Product Owner should instead help them pull more valuable work that fits.
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
✓
Ask the team to pull the next highest-priority item from the Team Backlog that fits within the iteration.
When a team finishes early, the Product Owner should help them pull the next highest-priority Team Backlog item that can be completed within the iteration. Idling, starting next iteration's work prematurely, or silently expanding scope all reduce value or transparency. The goal is to maximize delivered value while preserving the iteration's cadence and the team's Definition of Done.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Tell the team to stop working and wait for the next iteration to begin.
Why it's wrong here
Idle time at the end of an iteration wastes capacity and delays value delivery. The Product Owner should help the team find additional valuable work that fits within the remaining time. Waiting for the next iteration also misses an opportunity to reduce the backlog or address technical debt. The team should continue delivering value when possible.
- ✓
Ask the team to pull the next highest-priority item from the Team Backlog that fits within the iteration.
Why this is correct
When the team finishes committed work early, the Product Owner should help them select the next highest-priority item from the Team Backlog that can be completed within the iteration. This maximizes value delivery without disrupting the iteration cadence. It also respects the team's capacity and the priority order the Product Owner maintains. Pulling additional work is appropriate when it does not jeopardize quality or the Definition of Done.
- ✗
Ask the team to start working on stories from the next iteration's plan immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Starting next iteration's stories without re-planning can undermine the team's commitment and capacity assumptions for that iteration. The Product Owner should first look for unfinished or unstarted items in the current Team Backlog that still fit. Pulling future work without adjusting the plan can create confusion about what is committed and when. The current iteration's priorities should be exhausted first.
- ✗
Use the extra time to add more scope to the current stories without updating their acceptance criteria.
Why it's wrong here
Adding scope without updating acceptance criteria creates ambiguity and can lead to rework or unmet expectations. The Product Owner should not silently expand stories; any additional work should be a new or refined backlog item with clear criteria. This action also risks violating the team's Definition of Done. Transparency and clear acceptance criteria must be maintained.
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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.