CSM Scrum Events Practice Question
A Product Owner decides that the market has shifted so dramatically that the current Sprint Goal no longer provides value, and cancels the Sprint midway. What should happen to the completed and incomplete Sprint Backlog items?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming a canceled Sprint wipes out all work, when in fact completed items can be accepted and incomplete items simply return to the Product Backlog.
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
✓
Completed items that meet the Definition of Done are reviewed and potentially accepted, while incomplete items are returned to the Product Backlog.
Canceling a Sprint does not discard work. Completed Product Backlog items that satisfy the Definition of Done are reviewed and may be accepted by the Product Owner if potentially releasable, while incomplete items return to the Product Backlog for future consideration. The next Sprint still begins with Sprint Planning to establish a new Sprint Goal and Sprint Backlog.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Completed items are released to production immediately, and the team moves directly into a new Sprint without Sprint Planning.
Why it's wrong here
Even after a cancellation, a new Sprint begins with Sprint Planning, where a Sprint Goal and Sprint Backlog are established. Releasing completed items is a Product Owner decision based on readiness, not an automatic step. Skipping Sprint Planning would violate the Scrum framework and leave the team without a shared objective for the next Sprint.
- ✗
All Sprint Backlog items are discarded, and the team starts fresh in the next Sprint with a new Product Backlog.
Why it's wrong here
Discarding all items would waste potentially valuable work. Scrum states that when a Sprint is canceled, any completed Product Backlog items are reviewed, and if they are potentially releasable, the Product Owner typically accepts them. Incomplete items are simply returned to the Product Backlog, not thrown away along with the entire backlog.
- ✗
The entire Sprint Backlog is carried over unchanged into the next Sprint to maintain continuity of work.
Why it's wrong here
Carrying the Sprint Backlog over unchanged would ignore the reason for cancellation: the Sprint Goal is obsolete. Incomplete items return to the Product Backlog, where the Product Owner can re-prioritize them against new information. A new Sprint Planning event then selects items for the next Sprint, which may or may not include the same entries.
- ✓
Completed items that meet the Definition of Done are reviewed and potentially accepted, while incomplete items are returned to the Product Backlog.
Why this is correct
When a Sprint is canceled, any completed Product Backlog items are reviewed; if they are potentially releasable, the Product Owner typically accepts them. All incomplete Product Backlog items are returned to the Product Backlog, re-estimated if needed, and reconsidered for future Sprints. This preserves value and keeps the Product Backlog the single source of work.
About these practice questions
This CSM question is part of Courseiva's 312-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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 Scrum Alliance exam blueprint
This CSM practice question is part of Courseiva's free Scrum Alliance 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 CSM exam.