PMP · Question #779
An agile team has been struggling to keep up with the planned pace, which is frequently resulting in sprint failures. What should the project manager do to help avoid this situation in the future?
The correct answer is D. Review the velocity of the team over the last several sprints and adjust the plan accordingly. To avoid future sprint failures, the project manager should review the team's historical velocity to set more realistic expectations and adjust future sprint plans accordingly.
Question
An agile team has been struggling to keep up with the planned pace, which is frequently resulting in sprint failures. What should the project manager do to help avoid this situation in the future?
Options
- ASwitch to a Kanban approach, implementing features on a first-come, first-serve basis, fostering a
- BReplace junior team members with more experienced ones, and negotiate the project scope to
- CAsk the project sponsor to approve overtime to compensate for the lack of performance while
- DReview the velocity of the team over the last several sprints and adjust the plan accordingly.
How the community answered
(29 responses)- A3% (1)
- B7% (2)
- C14% (4)
- D76% (22)
Why each option
To avoid future sprint failures, the project manager should review the team's historical velocity to set more realistic expectations and adjust future sprint plans accordingly.
Switching to Kanban is a significant methodology change and doesn't directly address the underlying issue of an unrealistic pace in Scrum; it also doesn't provide a direct solution for sprint failures caused by over-commitment.
Replacing team members or negotiating scope are drastic measures that do not address the immediate problem of unrealistic sprint planning and can negatively impact team morale and project stability.
Approving overtime is a temporary solution that can lead to burnout, decreased quality, and does not resolve the fundamental problem of an unsustainably planned pace within the sprint cycle.
Velocity is a key metric in agile, representing the amount of work a team can complete in a sprint. By reviewing past velocity, the project manager can gain an empirical understanding of the team's sustainable pace, allowing for more accurate and achievable sprint planning in the future, thus preventing over-commitment and failures.
Concept tested: Agile team velocity for sprint planning
Source: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-velocity
Topics
Community Discussion
4
Luis F.Mar 29, 2026D is the answer here. The key word is "velocity" - in agile you use historical data from past sprints to figure out what the team can realistically deliver, not what you wish they could deliver. If sprints keep failing it usually means the plan was based on assumptions instead of actual team capacity. I almost picked B because swapping in senior devs sounds like a quick fix, but PMP is all about using metrics and adapting the plan rather than blaming people.
Anjali D.Apr 11, 2026Our group landed on D as the right call. Looking at actual velocity over recent sprints is the most agile-aligned response, since it uses real data to reset expectations and helps the team commit to a more realistic pace going forward.
Grace U.Apr 27, 2026Leaned toward B at first, but D clicked when I saw velocity is how you fix sprint planning.
Dervla O.May 6, 2026D is correct. Velocity is your evidence base, so if the team keeps missing sprint goals you look at the actual data from recent sprints and recalibrate the commitment level to match what the team can realistically deliver.