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

The correct answer is A — A formalized agile approach offers controlled flexibility in dealing with unknown variables in a manner that adds business value.

Agile is designed to operate effectively under conditions of high uncertainty. It allows for controlled experimentation, feedback loops, and adaptive changes, all while maintaining a focus on delivering business value. This makes it ideal for environments reliant on data analytics and frequent changes.

PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Agile approaches provide the flexibility to respond to changing conditions and unknowns while ensuring that value delivery remains aligned with stakeholder needs.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 2.2 – Agile Principles)

Mike Griffiths:

“Agile’s incremental delivery model enables teams to validate assumptions and adapt based on feedback and data—making it a natural fit for data-driven organizations.”

(PMI-ACP Exam Prep, Chapter 1 – Agile Principles and Mindset)

Incorrect options:

B is factually incorrect and overly simplistic.

C misrepresents agile as a formal change-control process.

D is an opinion, not a principle.

According to thePMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 7.2.2), one of the key responsibilities of the agile practitioner is toactively engage stakeholdersthroughout the development cycle—not just during review meetings. Agile frameworks promote continuous collaboration and frequent feedback. Merely attending sprint reviews is passive participation and may lead to missed alignment on expectations.

Mike Griffiths also emphasizes in hisPMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 4: Stakeholder Engagement)that stakeholder satisfaction requires more than periodic visibility—it requiresongoing interactionand inclusion in decision-making and backlog refinement sessions. This deepens shared understanding and reduces the risk of late-stage surprises.

Hence, answerBis correct because proactivestakeholder engagement with the product ownerfosters mutual understanding, timely feedback, and course correction—ensuring the product aligns with expectations.

The correct answer is D – Fishbone diagram. Also known as an Ishikawa or cause-and-effect diagram, this analysis tool helps teams identify root causes of delays or inefficiencies. In this scenario, the team needs to understand the causes of delayed release cycles to make process improvements.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Root cause analysis tools such as fishbone diagrams can help teams identify underlying causes of inefficiencies or failures, supporting continuous improvement.”

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

Mike Griffiths also writes:

“A fishbone diagram helps the team brainstorm and categorize the potential causes of a problem, enabling a structured investigation into delays or bottlenecks.”

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

Incorrect options:

A is for identifying and managing risks, not diagnosing root causes.

B analyzes progress metrics but doesn’t provide root cause insights.

C is for understanding customer satisfaction, not operational delays.

Answer: D

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The correct answer is D — Create a space on the board to prioritize the threats, along with an update on the actions that are in progress and what still needs to be done.

Agile promotes visual management and transparency. By using a dedicated section on the team board (information radiator), risks can be prioritized, tracked, and made visible to the entire team, enabling ongoing awareness and proactive response.

PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Information radiators can be used to display risk burndown charts, prioritization, and mitigation plans, allowing teams to manage and address risk openly.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 7.3 – Risk Management)

Mike Griffiths:

“Making risks visible and tracking them alongside features fosters collective ownership and ensures proactive handling.”

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

Incorrect options:

A is reactive and lacks persistent visibility.

B may create fatigue and be seen as micromanagement.

C involves the sponsor unnecessarily and doesn’t address day-to-day risk management.

Answer: D

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The correct answer is A – Be transparent with all the stakeholders and make them aware of the issues encountered and the current project's status.

Agile encourages transparency and regular stakeholder engagement to ensure alignment and avoid surprises. Even if a stakeholder prefers minimal involvement, it is the team’s responsibility to raise issues that could impact delivery, especially if they introduce risk or require input.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Agile promotes transparency and ongoing stakeholder engagement. Teams should proactively communicate risks and emerging issues to build trust and enable timely decision-making.”

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

Mike Griffiths notes:

“Transparency is one of the pillars of Agile. Teams must keep stakeholders informed—even those who prefer limited involvement—to ensure that value is continuously delivered.”

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

Other options explained:

B is a secondary action; transparency should come first.

C risks late discovery and undermines agile values.

D removes responsibility from the team, which contradicts self-management.

Answer: A

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Large user stories, also known as "epic" user stories, can be challenging to manage and lead to difficulties in tracking progress and delivering value incrementally. The Scrum Master should work with the team to break down large user stories into smaller, more manageable pieces. These smaller stories can be completed within a single sprint, allowing the team to deliver value more frequently and with greater clarity. This practice aligns with Agile principles by ensuring that work is broken into digestible chunks that can be iteratively built, tested, and delivered.

Agile teams operate on the principle ofinspect and adapt. According to thePMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 5.6 Retrospectives)andPMBOK® Guide 6th Edition (Section 3.7), retrospectives are designed forexperimentation and safe failure. Teams should be encouraged to try new process improvements and assess their impact. If the result is not positive, it’s an opportunity for collective learning—not for blame.

Mike Griffiths states in hisPMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 7: Continuous Improvement)that leaders shouldfoster a culture of experimentation, where teams are praised for trying new approaches, even if they fail. This maintains psychological safety and continuous learning.

Thus,Option Ais correct: Commending the attempt and facilitating a team discussion to explore alternatives is consistent with agile values and promotes team maturity.

Agile encouragesteam collaborationandself-organization. If a team member feels underutilized, the team should be encouraged to engage that person more fully, leveraging their skills across tasks. According to thePMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 4.3: Team Performance)andMike Griffiths’ PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 3: Team Development), the agile practitioner supports healthy team dynamics and facilitatesinclusive participation.

Option Cis correct: promoting team-level inclusion helps resolve underutilization and fosters engagement.

Option Ais a last resort and undermines team stability.

Option Breframes the issue as a performance problem when it may not be.

Option Dunnecessarily escalates what should be resolved within the team.

The agile lead should evaluate the team's capacity and help them select user stories that align with around 80% of their available capacity for the iteration. This approach takes into account potential issues or interruptions and helps ensure the team is not overcommitting. By selecting user stories based on a realistic understanding of the team’s capacity, the team is more likely to meet their commitments and avoid incomplete work. This method promotes sustainable work practices and helps the team maintain a predictable velocity over time.

To calculate cycle time, we use Little’s Law, which states:

Where:

WIP (Work in Progress) = 50 tickets

Throughput = 200 tickets per 8-hour shift

Now, applying the formula: