Answering: “The Developers inform the Product Owner during the Sprint that they are not likely to complete everything they forecasted. What would you expect a Product Owner to do?”

The Product Owner should renegotiate the selected Product Backlog items with the Developers so the Sprint Goal can still be met. The Sprint Goal stays, and scope flexes.

Exam Question

The Developers inform the Product Owner during the Sprint that they are not likely to complete everything they forecasted. What would you expect a Product Owner to do?
(choose the best answer)
A. Re-negotiate the selected Product Backlog items with the Developers to meet the Sprint Goal.
B. Skip Product Backlog refinement activities.
C. Cancel the Sprint.
D. Change the Sprint Goal.
E. Inform management that more resources are needed.

Correct Answer

A. Re-negotiate the selected Product Backlog items with the Developers to meet the Sprint Goal.

Why This Is the Correct Answer

The Sprint Goal gives the Sprint its purpose, while the selected items are the Developers’ forecast of how to get there. The Scrum Guide says during the Sprint “No changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal” and “Scope may be clarified and renegotiated with the Product Owner as more is learned.” When the Developers raise a gap early, the Product Owner works with them to decide which items matter most for the goal and which can return to the Product Backlog. This keeps quality intact and still delivers the outcome the Sprint was meant to achieve.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

B. Skip Product Backlog refinement activities. Refinement prepares future Sprints. Skipping it trades a current problem for a future one and does not help the Sprint Goal.

C. Cancel the Sprint. A Sprint is cancelled only when its Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. A shortfall in forecast items does not make the goal obsolete.

D. Change the Sprint Goal. The Sprint Goal is the fixed commitment of the Sprint. Scope around it flexes, not the goal itself.

E. Inform management that more resources are needed. Adding people mid-Sprint rarely speeds things up and avoids the real conversation about scope.

Exam Tip

In Scrum, the Sprint Goal is fixed and scope is negotiable. When the forecast is at risk, look for the answer that renegotiates scope with the Product Owner.

Key Takeaways

• The Sprint Goal stays fixed during the Sprint.
• Scope is renegotiated between the Developers and the Product Owner.
• Cancellation is for an obsolete Sprint Goal, not missed forecasts.