One of the common debates in Scrum teams is whether they should take partial credit for work that is “almost done” at the end of a Sprint. For example, a team may estimate a user story as 8 points, and by the Sprint Review, they say they are 80–90% done. They feel they deserve some credit, maybe 5 or 6 points, because most of the work is finished. It might sound fair at first. After all, the team worked hard and completed most of the story. But the truth is, Scrum doesn’t work this way. In Agile, “done” means done. There is no partial credit.
Let’s explore why Scrum teams should not include semi-finished work in velocity, what problems arise when they do, and how this rule actually helps teams improve.
Why Partial Credit Doesn’t Work?
Velocity is a measure of how much work a team completes in a Sprint. It helps with planning and forecasting future delivery. If a team starts taking partial credit for unfinished work, their velocity becomes inflated and unreliable. Think of it like this: Imagine being invited to dinner and being served half-cooked chicken. It might look okay on the outside, but eating it would be a mistake. Similarly, half-done work is not ready for release and can create problems later. Accurate planning depends on reliable data. When teams take partial credit, they create a false picture of their progress. This leads to poor forecasts, missed deadlines, and frustrated stakeholders.
Problem with Estimating “Percentage Done”. Another big challenge is figuring out how much of a story is actually finished. Developers often believe they are 80% or 90% done, but in reality, they may still have a lot more work left. This happens because:
- Teams usually underestimate the hidden tasks that remain.
- The last 10% often reveals unexpected complexity.
- People naturally overestimate progress without meaning to.
So, when a team says they’re 90% done, they might actually be closer to 70%. This makes percentage-based progress unreliable and misleading.
No-Partial-Credit Rule
In Scrum, a backlog item is either done or not done, there’s no in-between. Just like in football, a team gets points only when the ball crosses the goal line. Running 99 yards but stopping before the end zone still scores zero. By sticking to the no-partial-credit rule, Scrum encourages teams to focus on finishing stories completely. This creates two powerful benefits: Teams are motivated to finish all their work rather than leaving items half-done. During backlog refinement and Sprint Planning, they learn to break large stories into smaller, more manageable pieces. Both of these habits make teams more Agile and predictable.
Is Partial Credit Ever Allowed?
There is one situation where partial credit can make sense. If a team realizes early in the Sprint that they cannot finish a large story, they can split it into smaller stories. The completed smaller stories can then be counted towards velocity. For example, if a story was originally estimated at 8 points, the team might split it into two smaller stories of 5 and 3 points. If they finish one of them before the Sprint ends, they can rightfully count that as done. But this should happen early in the Sprint, not on the last day. Splitting stories at the very end just to get credit is not Agile,it’s cheating the process.
What Happens to Unfinished Work?
So what do we do with backlog items that are left incomplete at the end of a Sprint? The answer is simple: move them back to the Product Backlog. The Product Owner and team can then decide whether to re-estimate them, refine them, or split them for future Sprints. The key takeaway is that unfinished work should not be counted in velocity. Coming close is nice, but in Scrum, close is not good enough
Why This Matters for Agile Teams?
Following this rule builds discipline. Teams stop over-promising and under-delivering. They start focusing on creating value that is truly ready for stakeholders. Over time, this leads to trust, predictability, and better products. At HelloSM, one of the top training institutes in India, we teach Scrum professionals why principles like this are so important. Many learners ask about the Scrum Master training fee and whether they can find a Scrum Master training institute with less fee. Our goal is to provide high-quality Scrum education that is both affordable and practical, ensuring that learners not only understand the rules but also the reasons behind them.
Scrum is about creating value in small, usable increments. Half-done work adds no value to stakeholders and should not be counted. By sticking to this principle, teams become stronger, more predictable, and truly Agile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Scrum teams take partial credit for unfinished stories?
No. In Scrum, backlog items are either done or not done. Partial credit leads to inaccurate velocity and poor planning.
Why is partial progress so hard to measure?
Because teams usually underestimate hidden work. What looks like 90% complete might actually have more effort left than expected.
What should teams do with unfinished work?
Unfinished work should go back to the Product Backlog. It can then be re-estimated, split into smaller items, and planned for future Sprints.