PMP · Question #1116
A project manager is assigned to an agile project that has an aggressive time line and a fixed budget. Currently, the majority of the items are in the backlog and only a few are in process or complete
The correct answer is C. Prioritize which backlog activities should be kept.. With an aggressive timeline and fixed budget, a large backlog in an agile project indicates a need for immediate prioritization to focus on the most valuable items and manage scope effectively.
Question
A project manager is assigned to an agile project that has an aggressive time line and a fixed budget. Currently, the majority of the items are in the backlog and only a few are in process or completed. What should the project manager do?
Options
- AWork on the backlog activities with fewer story points.
- BAsk for more resources to clear the backlog activities.
- CPrioritize which backlog activities should be kept.
- DAssign an owner for each backlog activity and track progress
How the community answered
(36 responses)- A11% (4)
- B3% (1)
- C83% (30)
- D3% (1)
Why each option
With an aggressive timeline and fixed budget, a large backlog in an agile project indicates a need for immediate prioritization to focus on the most valuable items and manage scope effectively.
Working only on activities with fewer story points might not deliver the most critical value and could lead to failure in meeting core project objectives within the given constraints.
Asking for more resources is a common response but might not be feasible with a fixed budget and doesn't address potential issues with scope management or prioritization within the existing resources.
In an agile project with an aggressive timeline and fixed budget, a large backlog with few items completed indicates potential scope creep or insufficient prioritization. The project manager must collaborate to prioritize the backlog activities to ensure that the most valuable and critical items are worked on first, aligning with the project's constraints and maximizing value delivery.
Assigning owners and tracking progress is part of execution but won't solve the fundamental problem of an overflowing backlog relative to capacity and constraints without proper prioritization.
Concept tested: Agile backlog management and prioritization
Source: https://www.pmi.org/agile/agile-guide/agile-practice-guide
Topics
Community Discussion
7
Bao N.Oct 24, 2025C is correct here. The stem gives you a fixed budget and aggressive timeline, so you cannot do everything in the backlog. Agile expects the PM to prioritize and trim scope to fit constraints, which is exactly what C describes. B is the trap because asking for more resources breaks the fixed budget, and D is just ceremony that does not solve the capacity problem.
Grace U.Nov 16, 2025Agreed, C is the right call here. With a fixed budget and aggressive timeline, you simply cannot do everything, so prioritizing the backlog ensures the team delivers the highest-value items first.
Imani T.Nov 2, 2025C is the right call here. Fixed budget kills B right away since throwing resources at an agile project costs money you don't have. D sounds responsible but tracking everything in the backlog is wasted effort when you should be trimming it down to what actually matters. The aggressive timeline means you need to prioritize ruthlessly and cut scope, which is exactly what C gets at, even though the wording could be sharper about saying drop items entirely rather than just keep them.
Brenda K.Nov 11, 2025D, assign owners fast and track, or the clock burns on unowned items.
Imani T.Nov 14, 2025C is correct here. The stem is asking about the initial step in the governance workflow, which is identifying and classifying the data assets themselves, you cant assign owners to stuff you havent discovered yet.
Olusegun A.Nov 20, 2025D is the move here. With an aggressive timeline and fixed budget, you need accountability and visibility on progress immediately, and assigning owners with tracking is how you actually get throughput moving instead of just staring at a bloated backlog.
Imani T.Nov 20, 2025C is the right call here. When you are staring down an aggressive timeline with a fixed budget, the very first thing you do is prioritize that backlog by business value and effort so the team is working on the highest-impact items first, and then you assign owners and track progress on those prioritized items.