What does it mean if an item is in the Sprint Backlog but incomplete at the end of a Sprint?
- It should be automatically carried over to the next Sprint
- It represents failed planning and should be penalized
- It must be completed before the Sprint Review
- It should be returned to the Product Backlog for future Sprints ✓
Correct answer: It should be returned to the Product Backlog for future Sprints
In Scrum, incomplete Sprint Backlog items at the end of a Sprint are returned to the Product Backlog so the Product Owner can re-prioritize them, making Option D correct. This preserves the Product Owner's authority over what gets worked on next, and the item may or may not be selected for the immediately following Sprint. Option A is incorrect because Scrum does not allow automatic carry-over; each Sprint Backlog is formed through Sprint Planning, not by inheriting leftovers. Option B is incorrect because incomplete work is a normal part of empirical process and is not treated as a failure or penalized; Scrum values transparency and adaptation instead. Option C is incorrect because a Sprint cannot be extended to finish incomplete work; the Sprint ends on its fixed date and incomplete items simply return to the backlog.
Topic: · scrum, sprint backlog, product backlog, sprint review