Pass the PMI PMI Agile PMI-ACP Questions and answers with CertsForce

The correct answer is A – Reduced or improper customer collaboration.

One of the core principles of Agile is continuous collaboration with the customer. If multiple feature changes are only identified during a late-stage review, it typically indicates that the customer was not involved sufficiently throughout the development process.

From the Agile Manifesto (cited in the PMI Agile Practice Guide):

“Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.”

“Working software is delivered frequently… with a preference to the shorter timescale.”

And from the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Ongoing engagement with the customer helps align product features with actual needs and reduce surprises during late-stage reviews.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 4.2 – Stakeholder Engagement)

Mike Griffiths also emphasizes:

“When customers are involved in iteration reviews and backlog grooming, their evolving needs are captured in real time. Surprises during release reviews usually reflect a failure of ongoing communication.”

(Mike Griffiths, Chapter 3 – Value-Driven Delivery)

Other options don’t directly address the root cause:

B may contribute, but customer collaboration is the key differentiator in agile.

C and D are traditional causes of waterfall-style failure, not typically root causes in agile.

Answer: A

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The sprint retrospective is a key Scrum ceremony where the team reflects on the sprint, identifies what went well, what didn’t, and discusses ways to improve their processes. The focus is on continuous improvement, and the team makes plans to implement those improvements in future sprints. Stakeholders are typically not involved in the retrospective, but it’s important for them to understand that the meeting is about helping the team improve their collaboration, efficiency, and performance.

The daily coordination meeting (often referred to as the daily standup) should be a brief check-in where each team member quickly shares their updates and impediments, focusing on the status of work and immediate blockers. If a detailed discussion arises during the meeting, the agile facilitator should politely stop the discussion and suggest scheduling a separate meeting to dive deeper into the issue. This ensures the daily meeting stays focused, time is used efficiently, and team members aren't distracted from their updates. By handling the issue separately, the facilitator helps maintain the flow and productivity of the team while still addressing the impediment effectively.

InKanban, one of the most effective ways to reduce variability in cycle time is by ensuring a consistent size of work items. According to thePMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 5.7 Flow-based Agile - Kanban), maintaining uniformity in work item size helps stabilize the system and supports reliable forecasts. Large or complex stories increase variability and unpredictability.

Mike Griffiths in thePMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 6: Value-Driven Delivery)recommendssplitting large user storiesand maintaining size thresholds for items on the board to ensure flow efficiency.

OptionCaligns best with this practice:establishing a policyfor breaking down large stories and adjusting WIP accordingly will help standardize flow, minimize cycle time variation, and improve predictability.

The correct answer is D – Use the team's historical velocity to calculate a range of features that can be delivered. Agile emphasizes forecasting over commitment, and this is achieved through empirical data such as velocity. Providing a range based on historical velocity allows for realistic planning while acknowledging uncertainty.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Agile forecasting is based on empirical data. Teams use their past velocity to forecast how much work they can complete in a given time frame. This forecast is typically expressed as a range to account for variability.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 5.3 – Adaptive Planning and Forecasting)

Mike Griffiths supports this:

“Rather than commit to fixed scope, agile teams use historical velocity and prioritized backlogs to forecast delivery. Forecasts are probabilistic, not promises.”

(Mike Griffiths, PMI-ACP Exam Prep, Chapter 5 – Estimation and Forecasting)

Incorrect options:

A violates agile’s core value of responding to change over following a fixed plan.

B delays valuable forecasting data.

C implies commitment rather than forecast.

Answer: D

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The act ofsharing iteration charts and progress metricsreflects a core agile value:transparency. According to thePMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 7.1: Communication and Transparency)andMike Griffiths’ PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 4: Stakeholder Engagement), transparency enables stakeholders to participate constructively in decision-making and promotestrust and visibility.

Option Ais correct: sharing charts buildsopenness and visibilityon the project's progress.

Option Bmay occur, but it’s not theprimary practicedescribed.

Option Cfocuses ondelivery method, not transparency.

Option Dis part of agile, but the emphasis here is onproject health visibility.

The correct answer is A — Make sure the product owner is fully embedded into the project team so that they are readily available to make quick decisions.

One of the major benefits of agile is that decision-making is streamlined by having empowered roles, such as the product owner, closely embedded with the team. This reduces delays and improves the responsiveness and accuracy of decisions, especially for prioritization and clarification.

PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Empowering the product owner and embedding them with the team ensures faster decision-making, increased feedback loops, and reduces delays.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 4.2 – Stakeholder Engagement)

Mike Griffiths:

“Agile teams thrive when key decision-makers, especially the product owner, are available to provide clarification and approval on the spot.”

(PMI-ACP Exam Prep, Chapter 3 – Value-Driven Delivery)

Incorrect options:

B is too broad and may slow decision-making further.

C adds overhead and delays.

D misplaces decision authority; the Scrum Master is not responsible for product decisions.

Answer: A

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Value stream mapping is a key Lean technique used to visualize the sequence of steps involved in delivering value to customers. It maps out both the value-creating activities and the non-value-creating activities (waste), providing a clear view of the entire process. This helps identify inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement to optimize the flow of value.

A clear, sharedvision statementis essential foralignment, motivation, and guidance. According to thePMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 2.3.1: Product Vision Statement), a strong vision statement enables team members and stakeholders to stay focused on what matters most, even as requirements evolve.

Mike Griffiths in thePMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 2: Agile Principles and Mindset)stresses the importance of ashared understandingand active participation when forming the vision.

Option Ais correct: it reinforces the value of shared vision and encourages stakeholder engagement.

Option Bis helpful but doesn't ensureshared understanding across the team.

Option Crisks misinterpretation and omits team collaboration.

Option Ddismisses a core agile practice—vision clarity is crucial, even in a change-friendly environment.

The correct answer is A – Send the member to training. Agile encourages cross-functional teams and continuous improvement. When a team member identifies a skill gap that affects delivery, addressing it promptly through training or mentoring increases team capability and autonomy.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Agile teams strive for cross-functionality. When skill gaps hinder progress, organizations support learning to reduce dependencies and improve throughput.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 4.3 – Continuous Learning and Team Development)

Mike Griffiths adds:

“Empowering team members through skill development enhances flexibility and velocity. Encouraging proactive learning improves team performance.”

(Mike Griffiths, PMI-ACP Exam Prep, Chapter 7 – Continuous Improvement)

Incorrect options:

B defers ownership of the solution.

C unnecessarily delays action.

D delays learning due to unnecessary constraints.

Answer: A

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