How should changes to the product backlog be handled during a sprint?

The correct answer indicates that changes should be avoided to maintain focus during a sprint. This approach aligns with Scrum principles that emphasize the importance of stability and focus within the sprint. The development team commits to a specific set of deliverables at the beginning of the sprint, and allowing significant changes can disrupt workflow, undermine commitment, and make it challenging to achieve the sprint goal.

By maintaining focus, the team can concentrate on completing the items they have agreed to work on, which enhances productivity and quality. Therefore, while flexibility is a core aspect of Agile methodologies, during a sprint, it's crucial to limit alterations to ensure that the team can deliver the planned increments effectively and meet the objectives set during the sprint planning.

It's important to acknowledge that while maintaining focus is essential, minor adjustments that do not significantly alter the sprint goal or scope may sometimes be necessary. However, these should not detract from the overall strategy of reducing changes to enhance efficiency during a sprint. Hence, the emphasis is on limiting distractions and maintaining continuity in the work process.