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PSM-I · Question #67

What happens if the Development Team cannot complete its work by the end of the Sprint?

The correct answer is B. The Sprint length holds and the Development Team continuously learns what is actually possible. In Scrum, Sprints are time-boxed and their length never changes mid-Sprint or as a result of incomplete work. If the Development Team cannot finish all selected work, the Sprint still ends on time. The unfinished items return to the Product Backlog. This is a key learning…

Submitted by hans_de· Apr 18, 2026Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework

Question

What happens if the Development Team cannot complete its work by the end of the Sprint?

Options

  • AThe Sprint is extended and future Sprints use this new duration.
  • BThe Sprint length holds and the Development Team continuously learns what is actually possible
  • CThe Sprint is extended temporarily. Lessons are taken to ensure it doesn't happen again.

How the community answered

(43 responses)
  • A
    2% (1)
  • B
    91% (39)
  • C
    7% (3)

Explanation

In Scrum, Sprints are time-boxed and their length never changes mid-Sprint or as a result of incomplete work. If the Development Team cannot finish all selected work, the Sprint still ends on time. The unfinished items return to the Product Backlog. This is a key learning opportunity - the team refines its forecasting and improves how it selects work in future Sprint Planning sessions. Options A and C both incorrectly suggest extending the Sprint, which violates Scrum's time-boxing principle.

Topics

#Sprint Timebox#Unfinished Work#Scrum Empiricism#Sprint Mechanics

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