The PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI ACP) certification exam is designed for project management professionals that adhere to Agile principles and employ Agile methodology in their projects. The essential phase in PMI ACP test preparation is to follow the appropriate preparation track, however the last step is to practice. Mock examinations are extremely beneficial in assessing your level of study, building confidence, and preparing you for the real exam.
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1. An agile practitioner is explaining his team about the relationships between the development team and customer as well as and responsibilities of the development team and customer in agile project management. Which of the following statements is most appropriate with respect to the given?
A. The customer defines value and checks the user experience, not the development team
B. The development team sets the priority among the features, not the customer
C. The customer determines how to perform the work, not the development team
D. The development team determines which features should be developed first
Answer: Choice A is the correct answer.
Explanation: In agile project management, role and responsibilities of the customer, product owner, development team or other stakeholders are clearly defined. The initial product scope and the corresponding features are defined by the customer or their proxies like a product owner. Not only this, these features are represented in the form of user stories and these user stories are also prioritized by the customer or the product owner according to their values that indicate which story to be developed first. Now, the actual development work is on the team. It is the development team that defines how the work will be performed or what approaches and the techniques will be followed in the development process. And finally, after the development work is completed and team handovers it to the customer, it is the customer who defines value and checks the user experience, not the development team. The customer validates whether the delivered product meets the needs and expectations of the customer and the end users.
Option A is correct. In agile project management, values and user experience is defined and checked by the customer, not the development team. So, the option the customer defines value and checks the user experience, not the development team is correct.
Option B is incorrect. It is the customer who sets the priority among the features, not the development team. So, the option the development team sets the priority among the features, not the customer is not correct.
Option C is incorrect. In agile management, it is not the customer who determines how to perform the work rather it is the development team itself that defines how the work will be performed or what approaches and the techniques will be followed. So, the option the customer determines how to perform the work, not the development team is incorrect.
Option D is incorrect. In agile project management, the development team does not determine which features should be developed first. Rather, It is done by the customer himself. So, the option the development team determines which features should be developed first is not correct.
References: Agile Practice Guide, PMI Inc. 2017, Pages 41, 52-53; Agile Project Management: Creating Innovative products, 2e, Jim Highsmith, 2009, Agile Benefits.
Hence option A is correct whereas options B, C, and D are incorrect.
2. An experienced agile practitioner has been assigned to work on two different projects at a time. In a day, on a rough approximation, he is spending 50% of his time on each of the projects. Which of the following is the type of waste that will most likely occur in such an arrangement?
A. Defects
B. Task switching
C. Partially done work
D. Motion
Answer: Choice B is the correct answer.
Explanation: Software development includes seven types of waste, these are extra features, extra processes, partially done work, motion, waiting, task switching and defects. Therefore, all given choices are examples of the waste but in the given scenario, as the agile practitioner is working on two different projects and needs to switch between the projects, it is definitely the task switching wastage.
Option A is incorrect. Defects are also a type of the waste and generally is expected to exist in the code except when the code is enough simple and the developers are quite experienced. But as the question is asking the most likely occurrence of the waste, it is definitely the task switching as the agile practitioner needs to switch between the two different projects.
Option B is correct. As the agile practitioner is working on two different projects and needs to switch between the projects, task switching wastage will definitely exist there.
Option C is incorrect. Although in the given scenario, the agile practitioner is likely to leave the one task partially completed before switching to the second task, the question is asking the most likely form of waste that is task switching in this case.
Option D is incorrect. Motion is an effort needed to move or communicate the deliverables or the information from one group to another. It is especially associated with the distributed teams. The information provided in the given question is not sufficient to reject or support this assumption, so it can’t be the correct answer.
References: What is Waste? David Bernstein, Agile Alliance, 2016
Hence option B is correct whereas options A, C, and D are incorrect.
3. A customer, a tester, and a developer were having a conversation about using the best testing approach on their project when an agile practitioner overheard them. Which of the following approaches would an agile practitioner most likely recommend in this situation?
A. Using manual, rather than automated testing tools
B. Initiating testing later, rather than early, in the development cycle
C. Limiting the quality assurance activities to identify the defects
D. Developing code as per the results of acceptance tests
Answer: Choice D is the correct answer.
Explanation: Acceptance test-driven development (ATDD) involves creating the tests before start developing the code. These tests basically represent the expected behavior of the functionality at an acceptance test level. In this manner, the exact behavior, the software should exhibit is determined and ‘definition of done’ is provided at a very granular level.
Option A is incorrect. Automated testing is an efficient testing approach that ensures the quick and wide test coverage of the software in an agile environment.
Option B is incorrect. Initiating testing early rather than later in the development cycle is as per best agile best practices and reduces the risk of poor quality with early quality checks.
Option C is incorrect. Limiting the quality assurance activities to identify the defects is not a good agile strategy as quality assurance is associated with both risk identification as well as preventing the defects.
Option D is correct. Developing code as per the results of acceptance tests helps in improving the quality due to the consideration of quality in the earlier phase of the development by the team.
References: Agile Practice Guide, PMI Inc. 2017, Page 56; Lean-Agile Software Development: Achieving Enterprise Agility, Alan Shalloway, Guy Beaver, James R. Trott, 2010, Testing.
Hence option D is correct whereas options A, B, and C are incorrect.
4. An agile team has been assigned to work on the development of a software product. The project leader is helping the team in prioritizing the requirements by using the dot voting technique. Which of the following is the most appropriate description of the dot voting?
A. Dot voting, also known as the 100-point method, enables customers to allocate dots to various features
B. Dot voting draws the features on a graph with axes as dots and classifies each feature by how customers will respond
C. Dot voting, also known as multi-voting, provides every attendant a fixed number of dots for voting
D. Dot voting uses a fixed number of votes to rank priorities from high to low in a simple scheme
Answer: Choice C is the correct answer.
Explanation: As there are multiple features or user stories for a product, they are needed to get prioritized. The agile team should emphasize on delivering the maximum customer value throughout the project. Dot voting, also known as multi-voting, is a scheme used for the features’ prioritization. This technique works good on a small scale and does not need any complex tools for implementation. In this technique, attendants are instructed to use common dots to be put next to their choices.
Option A is incorrect. The 100-Point method is itself a separate customer value prioritization scheme used by project stakeholders in which exactly 100 points are given to each and every participant to assign to the different features. Therefore, Dot voting and 100-point method are different and choice Dot voting, also known as the 100-point method, enables customers to allocate dots to various features is incorrect.
Option B is incorrect. The given choice Dot voting draws the features on a graph with axes as dots and classifies each feature by how customers will respond is the incorrect description of the dot voting. Rather it is the description of Kano analysis if the dots are excluded.
Option C is correct. In dot voting technique, attendants are instructed to use common dots to be put next to their choices. Dot voting, also known as multi-voting, is a scheme used for the features’ prioritization. So, the option Dot voting, also known as multi-voting, provides every attendant a fixed number of dots for voting is the most appropriate description of the dot voting.
Option D is incorrect. Dot voting uses a fixed number of votes to rank priorities from high to low in a simple scheme is not the correct description of the dot voting. Rather, it is the description of a simple technique (with the exclusion of dots).
References: PMI-ACP Exam Prep, Premier Edition: A Course in a Book for Passing the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) Exam, Mike Griffiths, 2012.
Hence option C is correct whereas options A, B, and D are incorrect.
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5. A product owner has set up a room with five laptops and invited four different end users to test the capabilities of a new system. The developers from the project team have been invited in the room to observe the users, take notes, and answer the basic questions. Which of the following agile techniques and tools has been described in this scenario?
A. Usability testing
B. Automated testing
C. Scripted testing
D. Exploratory testing
Answer: Choice A is the correct answer.
Explanation: Usability testing is a type of testing that involves end users to check their response to the system under realistic circumstances. The main goal of this testing is to identify how easy it is for the end users to use the system and to expose the usability issues or defects that may need changes or redesign. The concerned people, developer in this scenario, observe the end users when they interact with the system, takes notes and answer their questions. To properly analyze the ease of usability of the system, data can be collected using a number of various approaches like videotaping the users, direct observation, eye-tracking tools and conducting post-testing interviews, etc.
Option A is correct. Usability testing is a type of testing that involves end users to check their response to the system under realistic circumstances. As in the given scenario, end users are invited to test the capabilities of a new system and developers observe the users while they interact with the system, take notes, and answer the basic questions, scenario describes the usability testing.
Option B is incorrect. Automated testing is closely associated with continuous integration and includes testing the software code automatically whenever it is checked in or at the regular intervals to make sure that the changed or added code has not created any defect and compiles correctly.
Option C is incorrect. In Scripted testing, there is a dedicated tester that executes all the functionalities of the system against the planned criteria. End users are especially not involved in this testing.
Option D is incorrect. Like scripted testing, exploratory testing also includes a dedicated tester but with a very different goal. The goal of exploratory testing is to expose unexpected behavior and issues in the system.
References: PMI-ACP Exam Prep, Premier Edition: A Course in a Book for Passing the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) Exam, Mike Griffiths, 2012, Usability Testing; Usability Testing, Agile Alliance, 2018
Hence option A is correct whereas options B, C, and D are incorrect.
6. You are an agile practitioner working on the critical medical application development project. In your company, the crystal family of methods is used for such complex projects that involve multiple teams. Which of the following methodology would you recommend as an agile practitioner using the crystal grid?
A. A darker color and softer crystal methodology from the upper right corner
B. A darker color and harder crystal methodology from the upper right corner
C. A clearer color and harder crystal methodology from the upper left corner
D. A clearer color and softer crystal methodology from the upper left corner
Answer: Choice B is the correct answer.
Explanation: Crystal is a family of methods that is used in agile methodologies for the implementation concerns. Crystal method is used for the different types of projects that involve various team sizes. It determines the unique characteristics of the projects based on several factors such as system criticality, team size, and project priority.
Crystal family of methods is represented by the grid in which team size is shown in the horizontal axis and project critically on the vertical axis. Project criticality represents how critical will be the impact of a defect in the system. Moving to the right of the grid means coordination with more people that requires heavier methodology i.e., choosing a darker color. While the upper movement in the grid represents the more damage from the damage in the system i.e., increased hardness.
In the given scenario, the project is to develop a critical medical application in which multiple teams are working. When the team size is large, a darker color methodology is used. When the project is more critical i.e., project criticality is higher, a harder crystal methodology is used. So, a darker color and harder crystal methodology from the upper right corner should be selected for the given scenario.
Option A is incorrect. The question mentions the development of a critical medical application. For which, the harder crystal methodology is required to be chosen, softer crystal methodology will not work.
Option B is correct. The project involves multiple teams i.e., team size is large, so darker color methodology will be used. Due to the higher criticality of the project, harder crystal methodology will be used. Also, higher criticality corresponds to the upper and right movement to the grid.
Option C is incorrect. Clearer color represents a smaller team size. In the given scenario where the multiple teams are working on the project, the team size is large. So, the darker color will be used to represent the team size.
Option D is incorrect. Clearer color represents a smaller team size. In the given scenario the team size is large, so the darker color will be used to represent the team size. Also, due to high criticality, the harder methodology will be used, not the softer one.
References: Agile Practice Guide, PMI Inc., 2017, Page(s) 106-107; Agile Software Development: The Cooperative Game, 2nd Edition by Alistair Cockburn, Chapter 6
Hence option B is correct whereas options A, C, and D are incorrect.
7. Ryan is a scrum master handling the team that is working on an agile project. The team members complaints that their work is being delayed as the new sponsor (who doesn’t know about the agile methodology and practices) keeps on asking them about the project details every time. What would you do in this situation as a scrum master?
A. Discuss with the product owner and request him to help in dealing with the new sponsor
B. Contact the sponsor and request him to bring all the questions to you (scrum master) only
C. Discuss with the team and fix one member as the spokesperson for the sponsor
D. Tell the team to take his (scrum master) permission before having any discussion with the sponsor
Answer: Choice B is the correct answer.
Explanation: There are a lot of duties of scrum master like promoting conversation and collaboration within teams. To keep the team shielded from any type of interruption is also one of the major duties of scrum master. As in the current scenario, the new sponsor is disturbing the team by asking the project details frequently that is an interruption and slows down the progress of the project. It further makes it difficult for the team to accomplish the decided project goals. Therefore, it is the duty of scrum master to contact with the new sponsor and discuss with him the actual working of agile methodology. The scrum master should make a request to new sponsor to contact him in case of any question or query, not the team members.
Option A is incorrect. The product owner is the ultimate key stakeholder who is responsible for delivering the final product to the client. Product owner always wants the uninterrupted growth of the project but taking the assistant from the product owner, in this case, is not the best option. As all have their specific roles and responsibilities and it is the duty of scrum master to shield his team from any interruption.
Option B is correct. To contact with the sponsor is the best option for the scrum master. The scrum master should contact the sponsor to make him understand the agile working and the proper channel of forwarding the questions or queries regarding the project.
Option C is incorrect. It is the scrums master, not any team member who is responsible for keeping the team away from any interruption. The scrum master should handle the situation himself to make it easy for the team to accomplish the project goals with mutual collaboration.
Option D is incorrect. It is not the way how agile works. It is a scrum master who should shield his team from this type of interruption. Also, the involvement of the team in these types of activities will waste their time in just waiting and responding that will divert them away from their actual project goals.
References: Agile Practice Guide, PMI Inc. 2017, Page 36; Glossary: Scrum Master, Agile Alliance 2019
Hence option B is correct whereas options A, C, and D are incorrect.
8. Daily stand-up meeting is very important for an agile team as it allows the team to communicate, collaborate, and make future work plans. Many new agile team members may need to understand the meaning of daily stand up meetings. Which is the following is the most important thing that an agile practitioner should keep in mind for an effective daily stand up meeting?
A. Every team member should take part in the daily stand-up meeting; it will help to keep the meeting short
B. Daily stand-up meeting helps to make sure that none of the team members have any doubt about the deliverables and the performance of the team is intact
C. Daily stand-up meeting is a short meeting only for 15 minutes; no one can leave the meeting until the discussion is over
D. Daily stand up meeting should be well-structured and short
Answer: Choice D is the correct answer.
Explanation: The daily meeting is used in the different agile methodologies. In the Scrum, it is known as a daily meeting and timeboxed to 15 minutes while in eXtreme Programming (XP), it is known as a daily stand-up meeting and timeboxed to 5 minutes. Generally, the daily meeting is a short meeting held daily at the same time, to keep everyone up-to-date about the vital information regarding the project. Team members discuss three questions during the daily meeting. The daily stand-up meeting should be well-structured to get the answer to these questions but short.
• What did you do since last daily standup meeting?
• What are you planning to do today?
• What are the risks/problems you are facing?
Option A is incorrect. It is recommended that every team member should take part in the daily stand-up meeting, but it’s not related to the duration of daily stand-up meeting short. Also, it’s not the most important be kept in mind for the effective daily stand-up meeting.
Option B is incorrect. Daily stand-up meeting involves the discussion on three questions. One question is about the impediments i.e., risks and issues that any team member have. It helps to deal with risks and ensures that team performance is intact. But it doesn’t make the daily stand-up meeting effective.
Option C is incorrect. The duration of daily stand-up meeting varies in different agile methodologies. As in the question, the term used is daily stand up, it signifies that the XP methodology is being used. In XP, the daily stand-up meeting should have the duration a maximum of 5 minutes. Rather, we can’t be ensured about the duration as the methodology has not been specified.
Option D is correct. The daily standup meeting should be short, it is true. Also, it should be well-structured, such that the team members should be focused on answering the three questions. So, it’s the most important point that specifies the effective daily stand-up meeting.
References: Agile Practice Guide, PMI Inc. 2017, Page(s) 53-54; Glossary: Daily Meeting, Agile Alliance 2019
Hence option D is correct whereas options A, B, and C are incorrect.
9. Harold is a stakeholder in company A. He has recently learned that the team will use an agile framework in the current project. In a planning meeting, Harold tells the team members that they are not doing formal documentation in this project as they were doing in the previous projects. How will the team members react to his statement?
A. There is no documentation in the agile projects, they focus on the value-added delivery
B. The documentation is kept barely sufficient to fulfill regulatory requirements in agile methodology
C. In agile, the documentation is done for the clear work items only
D. Documentation is not created in agile methodology, but we used as much documentation possible to make you comfortable with the agile
Answer: Choice B is the correct answer.
Explanation: Agile Manifesto value #2 states “Working software over comprehensive documentation”. In agile, creating the formal documentation with a detailed description of everything is considered wastage of time. It does not mean that documentation is not necessary at all. It is necessary but it should be kept barely sufficient to fulfill regulatory requirements in an agile environment. Although for some safety-critical products, some additional documentation and conformance checks are recommended.
Option A is incorrect. In agile, working software with sufficient documentation is preferred. Value-based delivery is one of the major aspects of agile methodology but it should be supported with sufficient documentation to meet the regulatory needs.
Option B is correct. In agile, documentation is kept small and barely sufficient to fulfill regulatory requirements in an agile environment. Only the required time and effort should be applied to create documentation, neither less nor more.
Option C is incorrect. In agile, documentation is not related to clear or unclear work items. It is intended towards meeting the regulatory needs of the team, organization, and customer.
Option D is incorrect. Documentation has a significant place even in agile methodology. It is not true that the documentation is not created in agile. In Agile, small documentation is created to fulfill the regulatory requirements.
References: Agile Practice Guide, PMI Inc. 2017, Page 122; The Agile Manifesto, Scrum Alliance 2018
Hence option B is correct whereas options A, C, and D are incorrect.
10. Gerard is a scrum master handling a scrum team working on the customer production system development. The members of the team are distributed across the globe. During the iteration, the team found a critical defect so they decided to discuss the troubleshooting steps on the video conference. But suddenly the team members started blaming each other for the defect and the discussion turned into an argument. How would Gerrard handle this situation as a scrum master?
A. Request the team members to gather on site to resolve this type of critical defects
B. Ask the team to discuss and resolve the issue collaboratively in a professional manner
C. Tell the team to take a break and start the discussion after some time
D. Wait for the retrospective meeting and review the result of team discussion with the team
Answer: Choice B is the correct answer.
Explanation: Scrum master acts as a facilitator for his team. It is his responsibility to promote the conversation and collaboration within the team and among teams. He is supposed to extract best out of each member with his managing and collaborating skills. In case of conflicts or bottleneck, it is the duty of scrum master to encourage collaboration among team members. In the current scenario, scrum master should ask his team members to discuss the point of views of each in a collaborative and professional way. He should help team members in understanding that internal conflicts are not good for any team. Views of others should be considered as the other options and the team should try to resolve the issues in a professional way. It’s the collaboration that will help in resolving the conflicts and getting the desired results.
Option A is incorrect. Requesting the team members to gather on the site to resolve this type of critical defects is not the best option in this case. Gathering on site will just waste the time that otherwise can be put in development.
Option B is correct. It is the duty of scrum master to promote the collaboration within the team. Asking the team to discuss and resolve the issue collaboratively in a professional manner is the best option in this case.
Option C is incorrect. Agile teams are self-organizing teams but, in this case, as the discussion has turned into a heated argument, it is important for the scrum master to involve in the matter and facilitate the team for mutual collaboration and professional discussion.
Option D is incorrect. In simple situations, wait for the retrospective meeting and review the result of team discussion with the team seems a good option. But in the current scenario, a critical defect is found in the production system, therefore, the situation demands an urgent resolution.
References: Agile practice guide, PMI Inc. 2017, Page 35; Scrum Roles Demystified, Scrum Alliance 2018
Hence option B is correct whereas options A, C, and D are incorrect.
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