Answering: “Which of the following practices might help the Product Owner minimize waste in developing and sustaining the Product Backlog?” (PSPO II)

The waste-reducing practices are describing only the top items in detail, writing items around clear outcomes, and involving the Developers in refinement. Keeping a separate backlog for new ideas adds waste instead of removing it.

Exam Question

Which of the following practices might help the Product Owner minimize waste in developing and sustaining the Product Backlog?
(choose all that apply)
A. Only fully describe Product Backlog items near the top of the Product Backlog since they are more likely to be selected during Sprint Planning.
B. Maintain newly gathered Product Backlog items in a separate Product Backlog until they are fully understood to avoid distracting the Developers.
C. Write Product Backlog items with clearly expressed expected outcomes.
D. As Product Owner, ask the Developers to refine several important Product Backlog items.

Correct Answer

A, C and D.

Why This Is the Correct Answer

Refinement in the Scrum Guide is “an ongoing activity to add details, such as a description, order, and size.” Detail is added just in time: items near the top are refined until they can be done within one Sprint, while items further down stay coarse because they may change or disappear. Writing items around the outcome you expect keeps the conversation on value, and asking the Developers to help refine important items means the people who will size and build the work shape it early, which avoids rework later.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

B. Keep new items in a separate Product Backlog until fully understood. A second backlog hides work, duplicates effort and contradicts the Scrum Guide’s single Product Backlog per product. New ideas go on the same list, low in the order and lightly described, until they are worth refining.

Exam Tip

“Fully understood before it reaches the backlog” is a waterfall habit. On the PSPO exams, options that front-load detail or create extra lists usually point to waste, not less of it.

Key Takeaways

• Refine just in time: detailed at the top, coarse at the bottom.
• Express items as outcomes so the team can find the best solution.
• Refinement is a collaboration between the Product Owner and the Developers.