CSPO Managing the Product Backlog 5

Question 1

Which factor should a Product Owner consider LEAST when ordering Product Backlog items?

Accepted Answer

The personal preference of the loudest stakeholder

Answer

Stakeholder preference alone — especially when it comes from volume or politics rather than value — should not drive backlog ordering decisions.

Question 2

How does the Product Owner collaborate with the Development Team during backlog refinement?

Accepted Answer

The Product Owner and team jointly clarify, estimate, and decompose items together

Answer

Refinement is a collaborative activity where the Product Owner and Development Team work together to clarify requirements and update estimates.

Question 3

A Product Owner wants to use story maps to manage the Product Backlog. Is this compatible with Scrum?

Accepted Answer

Yes, story mapping is a complementary technique that can help visualize and organize the backlog

Answer

Story mapping and other complementary techniques are entirely compatible with Scrum and can help teams understand scope and flow.

Question 4

What is the MOST effective way to communicate backlog priorities to stakeholders who are not in Sprint Planning?

Accepted Answer

Make the Product Backlog transparent and accessible, and hold regular stakeholder reviews

Answer

Transparency and regular stakeholder engagement — such as Sprint Reviews — keep stakeholders informed and aligned without disrupting the team.

Question 5

The Development Team consistently underestimates items during refinement, causing Sprint goals to be missed. What should the Product Owner do?

Accepted Answer

Work with the team to inspect and improve the estimation process and add buffer items

Answer

Persistent estimation misses are a signal to inspect and adapt the refinement and estimation approach, ideally surfaced in the Sprint Retrospective.

CSPO - Certified Scrum Product Owner® Certification Practice Test