A sprint is a short, fixed-length iteration, typically one to four weeks, used in Scrum to deliver a usable increment of product. Its length stays constant so the team develops a steady rhythm (cadence). Each sprint begins with sprint planning, includes a daily coordination meeting (the term the second edition of the PMI Agile Practice Guide uses for what was called the daily stand-up), and ends with a sprint review to inspect the increment and a retrospective to improve the way of working.
The goal of every sprint is a done, potentially releasable increment. Work is pulled from the product backlog, and once the sprint starts its scope is protected from change so the team can focus. Sprints make progress visible and create frequent points to gather feedback and adapt.
Related: iteration, story point, definition of done.
By Tom, PMP-certified since 2004. Last updated: September 2026