PMI PMI-ACP Free Practice Questions — Page 3

Correct Answer: B. The customer changed requirements

In Agile, change to requirements — especially from the customer — is one of the most direct accelerators for revising the project plan, since the backlog, priorities, and potentially the release roadmap must be updated. The Agile Manifesto explicitly states: "Welcome changing requirements, even late in development." Customer-driven requirement changes are a legitimate and expected trigger for plan adaptation. Option A (competitors joined forces with the team) is a nonsensical scenario — it does not represent a recognized Agile trigger for plan changes. Option C (team members obtained additional certifications) is a team capability improvement, which might increase velocity slightly over time but is not a change accelerator for the project plan itself. Option D (technology that did not interfere with the final product) — if the technology doesn't affect the product, it has no bearing on the project plan. In Agile, the plan is a living document continuously updated in response to new information, stakeholder feedback, and changing business conditions. Requirement changes from the customer are the most direct and legitimate driver of plan updates. This reflects the Agile value of "responding to change over following a plan." Product owners and teams must continuously inspect and adapt based on evolving customer needs.

Correct Answer: D. Assume the team member's tasks to meet iteration goals, and notify the product owner

High-performance Agile teams are characterized by collective ownership and shared responsibility — when one member is unavailable, the team absorbs the work collaboratively to protect the iteration goal. Notifying the product owner is also correct because it maintains transparency about capacity changes and potential scope impacts. Option A (raise an impediment and block tasks) is overly passive — a high-performance team doesn't wait for external intervention when it can self-organize around the problem. Option B (ask the delivery manager for a temporary resource) introduces external dependency and onboarding delay — new resources take time to become productive and may disrupt team dynamics. Option C (ask the Scrum Master to assign tasks) violates self-organization principles — the Scrum Master does not assign work; the team decides collectively. The key qualifier in this question is "high-performance team" — such a team demonstrates cross-functionality, adaptability, and shared accountability. The Scrum Guide states that Development Team members may have specialized skills but collectively own the sprint backlog. Notifying the product owner ensures transparency and allows for potential backlog scope adjustment if capacity is significantly reduced. This behavior reflects Agile values of team collaboration and commitment.

Correct Answer: D. Post a project board in an area where all can view it

An information radiator — such as a visible project board (Kanban board, Scrum board, burndown chart) — is the most effective Agile tool for ensuring stakeholders have continuous, real-time visibility into project progress without requiring scheduled meetings or reports. Option A (circulate a detailed project plan) is a waterfall practice; detailed plans quickly become outdated and are not self-updating, making them poor tools for current information. Option B (update the PMO repository) is better than nothing, but it requires stakeholders to actively seek out the information and assumes they know where to look and how to interpret PMO documentation. Option C (invite stakeholders to daily stand-ups) is potentially disruptive — daily stand-ups are for the team, and stakeholder attendance can inhibit open team communication and shift the meeting's focus. The concept of the "information radiator" (coined by Alistair Cockburn) is central to Agile transparency — it makes project status visible passively to anyone who walks by. Physical or digital boards provide a shared, always-current view of work in progress, completed work, and blockers. This approach supports the Agile principle of transparency and reduces the need for status meetings. It also empowers stakeholders to stay informed on their own schedule.

Correct Answer: A. All the teams from both products should be simultaneously called together and allowed to completely self-manage

In a truly Agile and Scrum-based environment, especially when scaling (such as in the Large-Scale Scrum or LeSS framework), the principle of self-organization is paramount. When merging product lines, the individuals doing the work are often best positioned to decide how to structure themselves to deliver the most value. Why Option A is right: Allowing the teams to self-organize ensures buy-in and utilizes the collective intelligence of the developers to handle complex dependencies. This "team self-selection" process is a recognized high-performance practice for forming stable, cross-functional teams that are committed to the new product's success.

Correct Answer: D. Hold product review sessions with the client to obtain product acceptance

When a client states the product is not being built as requested, the root cause is typically a communication or feedback gap — the most direct Agile remedy is to establish regular product review sessions (Sprint Reviews / Iteration Reviews) where the client can inspect the actual product and provide real-time feedback. Option A (internal review before shipping) only validates against internal understanding of requirements, which is precisely what's misaligned with the client's expectations — it doesn't solve the communication gap. Option B (audit the quality control process) addresses process compliance, not client alignment — the issue is not quality assurance failure but rather a misunderstanding of what the client actually wants. Option C (lengthen iterations) is counterproductive — longer iterations delay feedback loops and make course correction even harder, compounding the misalignment. The Agile principle of "customer collaboration over contract negotiation" is the direct answer here. Sprint Reviews exist specifically to give the client/stakeholder the opportunity to inspect the increment and adapt the backlog based on their feedback. Frequent, structured client reviews are the primary mechanism for ensuring the product evolves in the right direction. This question highlights the importance of short feedback cycles and direct customer involvement in Agile delivery.