CAPM Practice: Explain when it is appropriate to use an adaptive approach

At 10 story points per sprint × 15 sprints = 150 story points of capacity. The backlog has 200 story points. Unless velocity increases or scope is reduced, approximately 50 story points (25% of the backlog) will not be delivered by the release date. The product owner must prioritize — ensuring the 150 highest-value story points are completed first, so that if items are cut, they are the lowest-value items.

**Why not B:** Counting 50 items ignores story point sizing entirely, which is the relevant unit for capacity planning. Backlog items vary in size; a count of items with no reference to points provides no actionable information for comparing capacity to backlog size. The question frames the calculation in story points, and the answer must use that unit to be meaningful.

**Why not C:** Requiring overtime to deliver all 200 story points treats the velocity and backlog mismatch as a team performance problem rather than a scope prioritization challenge. Adaptive projects respond to capacity constraints by reducing scope (cutting lower-priority items), not by pressuring the team to exceed its sustainable pace. Sustainable pace is an agile principle; chronic overtime undermines quality, morale, and long-term velocity.

**Why not D:** Claiming all 200 story points will be delivered contradicts the arithmetic: 10 points/sprint × 15 sprints = 150 points of capacity. Asserting full delivery would require either a velocity increase or a scope reduction, neither of which is stated. Ignoring the capacity gap sets up a planning failure and misleads the product owner about what can realistically be completed by the release date.