The Development Team can cancel the Sprint:

Question

Options

• AWhen the availability of the Product Owner is less than expected.
• BWhen the requirements for the work to be done become unclear or not understood.
• CIt can't. Only Product Owners can cancel Sprints.
• DWhen the Sprint Backlog is determined to be unachievable.
• EWhen too many impediments occur.

• B
  5% (2)
• C
  92% (34)
• D
  3% (1)

Explanation

In Scrum, Sprint cancellation authority belongs exclusively to the Product Owner - this is explicitly defined in the Scrum Guide, making C the only correct answer. The Development Team (Developers) has no authority to cancel a Sprint, regardless of the circumstances they encounter. Options A, B, D, and E all describe real challenges a team might face, but none of them grant the Development Team cancellation power - instead, these situations should be raised as impediments, addressed in the Sprint, or escalated to the Product Owner or Scrum Master. The Product Owner holds this authority because Sprint cancellation is a business decision, typically warranted when the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete due to changing company direction, market conditions, or stakeholder needs.

Memory tip: Think of it this way - the Product Owner Pulls the plug. Only the person who owns the product vision can decide when a Sprint is no longer worth completing. The Development Team owns how the work is done, not whether to continue.

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