Free Practice Questions for PMI PMI-ACP Exam

A developer is unable to work on their tasks within an iteration, because senior management is constantly pulling them into production incident analyses.

This is a blocker because the developer is unable to work on tasks within the iteration due to external interruptions (senior management pulling them into production incident analyses), preventing the team from progressing.

The offshore testing team is pulled away at the last minute from a high-profile initiative and testing cannot be resumed until a new testing team is assigned.

This is also a blocker because the offshore testing team has been pulled away at the last minute, causing a halt in testing until a new team is assigned. This delay impedes progress and prevents the team from moving forward with their work.

The correct answer is C — Use retrospective techniques such as silent writing, clustering, and dot voting to field feedback prior to discussion by the team.

Agile retrospectives should foster psychological safety and equal participation. Techniques such as silent brainstorming or writing on sticky notes (physical or digital), followed by clustering similar themes and dot voting, help balance group dynamics and encourage input from all team members—including those who are less vocal.

PMI Agile Practice Guide explains:

“Effective retrospectives use facilitation techniques such as silent brainstorming, dot voting, and clustering to gather inputs from all participants. These techniques level the playing field, reduce groupthink, and support diverse communication styles.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 5.8 – Retrospectives)

Mike Griffiths also emphasizes:

“Using structured techniques allows quieter team members to contribute equally, and minimizes the dominance of more outspoken participants. The Scrum Master plays a key role in facilitating inclusive discussions.”

(PMI-ACP Exam Prep, Chapter 4 – Team Performance)

Incorrect options:

A and D are passive methods that reduce the collaborative and iterative nature of retrospectives.

B may help, but does not address dominant voices or structure participation equitably.

Answer: C

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The project manager should engage in a constructive conversation with the team member to understand the reasons behind the performance dip. Instead of focusing on blame, it’s important to discuss the specifics of the project deliverables and identify any challenges or factors that may be affecting the team member ' s performance. Providing constructive feedback helps the team member understand the areas of improvement while maintaining a supportive environment. This approach encourages open communication, identifies potential solutions, and can lead to a positive outcome for both the team member and the project.

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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The correct answer is D — Up-to-date project radiators.

Information radiators provide at-a-glance visibility into project status, progress, blockers, and other key metrics. Sharing or including these visual tools in extended stakeholder communication ensures transparency and up-to-date awareness, which aligns with agile values.

PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Information radiators provide immediate and transparent access to project health and status. They reduce the need for formal reporting and keep stakeholders aligned in real time.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 5.6 – Information Radiators)

Mike Griffiths:

“Using radiators to keep stakeholders informed improves trust, accelerates decision-making, and supports ongoing engagement.”

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

Incorrect options:

A and B are not relevant for stakeholder reporting.

C is too narrow and lacks the holistic view offered by radiators.

Answer: D

The purpose of the daily standup (or daily coordination meeting) is to help the development team stay aligned with the sprint goal and actively manage any risks or impediments that may be blocking progress. It allows the team to quickly discuss their progress, share potential issues, and identify dependencies that could affect the sprint ' s success. The focus is on team collaboration and ensuring that everyone is on track.

Managing technical debt is crucial for the long-term health of the project. The most effective approach is to include technical debt tasks in every sprint, ensuring that the debt is addressed incrementally without disrupting the flow of new feature development. By treating technical debt as a priority alongside new features, the team can reduce the impact of technical debt over time, maintain product quality, and align with stakeholder expectations. Continuous review of the impact ensures that the team is making informed decisions and balancing both short-term delivery and long-term maintainability. This approach also allows the team to meet performance expectations and customer satisfaction more consistently.

Agile promotes transparency and ongoing communication with all stakeholders, including legal and compliance teams. According to the PMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 7.1 Communications), one of the Scrum Master ' s responsibilities is to keep stakeholders informed of project progress and projections using tools like burnup/burndown charts, velocity trends, or product roadmaps.

Mike Griffiths in the PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 4: Stakeholder Engagement) emphasizes that sharing the trajectory of progress and scope delivery builds trust and provides clarity to non-technical stakeholders.

Option C is correct: sharing actual progress and trends with legal ensures alignment and transparency.

Option A misplaces the responsibility—it ' s the stakeholders who need visibility.

Option B shifts product decisions prematurely.

Option D assumes satisfaction trumps contractual obligations—this can cause legal issues.

The correct answer is B – Manage communication between all team members and the customer to promote effective and transparent collaboration. Agile values open, direct, and frequent communication, particularly between team members and stakeholders. Transparency, collaboration, and shared understanding reduce misunderstandings and promote customer satisfaction.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Agile values individuals and interactions over processes and tools. Frequent, open, and direct communication with stakeholders is essential. Agile teams are encouraged to engage stakeholders frequently to ensure alignment and transparency.”

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

Mike Griffiths emphasizes:

“Agile fosters transparency and trust through direct communication. Information should flow freely between all team members and stakeholders to facilitate quick feedback and mutual understanding.”

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

Incorrect options:

A and C limit communication and transparency.

D is useful for conflict resolution, but not for broad issue management or stakeholder communication.

Answer: B

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The correct answer is D — Periodically, at both the release and project level.

Agile planning is iterative and layered. When new requirements or constraints emerge, plans should be updated at the appropriate levels—sprint, release, and potentially the overall project level. Periodic adjustments ensure continued alignment with business needs and system dependencies.

PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Agile planning is done at multiple levels: product vision, roadmap, release, iteration, and daily. These plans are continually updated based on new learning and stakeholder feedback.”

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

Mike Griffiths:

“Effective planning includes periodic updates at all planning horizons. Adjusting at both the project and release levels ensures strategic alignment and tactical feasibility.”

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

Incorrect options:

A misses the iterative nature of Agile planning.

B and C are too narrow in scope.

Answer: D

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