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

In Agile, continuous integration and regression testing should be part of every iteration to ensure that the product is always in a potentially shippable state. These practices help catch issues early in the development process, preventing defects from accumulating and becoming harder to fix later. By integrating and testing frequently, the team ensures that new code works with existing code and that the product maintains its quality throughout the development lifecycle. This approach aligns with Agile principles of delivering working software regularly and maintaining high-quality standards throughout each iteration.

The correct answer is B – A product backlog should be created to list the project requirements from all of the project stakeholders.

In Agile, the product backlog serves as a living document where requirements, user stories, and stakeholder feedback are continuously refined. It is the central mechanism for capturing and prioritizing stakeholder needs and ensuring that business value is delivered incrementally.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“The product backlog is a prioritized list of work for the development team that is derived from stakeholder input, user stories, and emerging needs. It evolves as the project progresses and stakeholder feedback is incorporated.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 5.2 – Product Backlog)

Mike Griffiths writes:

“Product backlogs provide transparency into stakeholder priorities. They enable the team to continuously align work with customer expectations and business needs.”

(Mike Griffiths, PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book, Chapter 3 – Stakeholder Engagement)

Why the other options are incorrect:

A refers to the traditional project charter, which is not commonly updated throughout the agile life cycle.

C is a misunderstanding—the Agile Manifesto is a set of principles, not a project-specific document.

D misuses user stories; stories are used for functional requirements, not stakeholder profiles.

Answer: B

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The correct answer is C – Ask the team to collaboratively work out a solution. Agile teams are self-organizing, and problem-solving is most effective when handled collaboratively. The Scrum Master’s role is to facilitate discussions and remove impediments—not to impose solutions.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Problem detection and resolution is a continuous process. Agile teams regularly identify and resolve problems as part of the team’s responsibility. The Scrum Master supports the team by facilitating resolution discussions rather than solving problems directly.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 6.5 – Problem Detection and Resolution)

Mike Griffiths states:

“When technical challenges arise, the team should collaborate to assess the issue and determine the best course of action. The Scrum Master enables this by fostering open communication and guiding the team through the problem-solving process.”

(Mike Griffiths, PMI-ACP Exam Prep, Chapter 6 – Problem Detection and Resolution)

Incorrect options:

A delays resolution and pushes it into the future unnecessarily.

B undermines team autonomy and ownership.

D introduces unnecessary hierarchy into team-level problem-solving.

Answer: C

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Tounderstand the needs of different user types, agile teams usepersonasandextreme charactersto represent a range of users, including edge cases. According to thePMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 5.2: Requirements and Personas)andMike Griffiths’ PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 6: Adaptive Planning), personas help teams build empathy and ensure that stories reflect actual user roles—not just generic assumptions.

Option Dis correct: personas and extreme characters ensureinclusive and realistic story coverage.

Option AandBfocus on communication and sequencing but not user diversity.

Option C(process flows) is more technical and doesn’t solve the misalignment with user perspectives.

The correct answer is C – Identify and monitor issues through a risk burndown chart.

Risk burndown charts track how risk exposure is increasing or decreasing over time. This agile artifact is used to communicate risk trends and drive conversations around risk mitigation. It’s especially useful when risks threaten iteration goals or release timelines.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Risk burndown charts are visual tools that track remaining project risk. They help identify whether risks are increasing or decreasing and enable proactive management.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 3.5 – Risk Management in Agile)

Mike Griffiths explains:

“Tracking risks visually, such as in a risk burndown chart, helps stakeholders understand exposure levels and fosters risk-mitigation behavior across the team.”

(Mike Griffiths, PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book, Chapter 6 – Risk Management)

Why the other options fall short:

A delays action and does not help real-time monitoring.

B tracks tasks, not risk.

D (issue log) may help but lacks the proactive visual trend tracking provided by a burndown chart.

Answer: C

The correct answer is D – Write tests that will be used to know when a story has been correctly developed. This practice aligns with Test-Driven Development (TDD) and Acceptance Test-Driven Development (ATDD), which are common in agile environments. Agile promotes defining “done” through clear acceptance criteria and tests before coding begins.

From PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Agile teams use test-first practices, such as TDD or ATDD, where acceptance tests are written before development begins. This ensures that functionality is built to meet agreed expectations.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 5.5 – Agile Testing and Quality Strategies)

From Mike Griffiths’ PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book:

“Defining acceptance criteria or tests before development is a core agile practice. It ensures the team understands what success looks like and builds quality in from the start.”

(Mike Griffiths, Chapter 6 – Problem Detection and Resolution)

Option A may be useful but is unrelated to the new requirements.

Option B is not standard—customers help define acceptance criteria but rarely write tests.

Option C skips an important quality control step and doesn’t align with test-first practices.

Answer: D

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When there is uncertainty about how certain product features should work, creating a prototype is an effective way to reduce that uncertainty. Prototyping allows the product owner to test ideas, gather feedback from users early in the process, and make adjustments based on real-world input. This approach helps clarify the product's functionality and ensure that the team is building something that meets user needs, all while maintaining flexibility and adaptability in the Agile environment.

The correct answer is D – Planning poker.

Planning poker is a consensus-based estimation technique commonly used in Agile projects. During this technique, team members discuss user stories, clarify details, and independently assign story points. The facilitator (often the Scrum Master) ensures balanced participation. This process encourages team collaboration and reduces estimation bias.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Planning poker is a common estimation technique where team members discuss the story, then individually provide estimates using a card deck, reaching consensus over multiple rounds.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 5.3 – Estimation Techniques)

Mike Griffiths adds:

“Planning poker is based on Wideband Delphi and allows teams to converge on estimates through discussion and consensus. It is particularly useful for relative estimation of story points.”

(Mike Griffiths, PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book, Chapter 5 – Adaptive Planning)

Why other options are incorrect:

A (Lessons learned) applies to retrospective activities, not estimation.

B (Wideband Delphi) is the foundation of planning poker but is more formal and anonymous.

C (Formal point counting) is not a standard Agile estimation technique.

Answer: D

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In Agile, transparency and communication within the team are key. The team member should log the concern into the risk register to formally track the issue and share it with the team at the next standup. This allows the entire team to discuss and assess the situation collaboratively, ensuring that the concern is addressed and managed collectively. This approach aligns with the self-organizing nature of Agile teams, where team members are responsible for working together to find solutions.

Delivering value in agile depends onfrequent prioritization and real-time feedback. According to thePMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 5.1 Product Backlog and Prioritization), product owners and agile teams mustcontinuously reprioritize the backlogbased on changing stakeholder needs, market shifts, and feedback. Failure to do so can result in building the wrong product—even if it's "done."

Mike Griffiths (PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book, Chapter 6: Value-Driven Delivery) stresses thatvalue delivery is iterative and depends on current priorities, not static backlogs. It is vital that teams confirm that they're working on thehighest-value itemsbefore committing to a sprint.

Option Ais correct: proper backlog refinement and reprioritization ensures alignment with evolving stakeholder needs.

Option Bis an anti-pattern; agile welcomes change even late in development.

Option CandDare irrelevant or do not address the core issue of prioritization.