PMI-ACP Mindset — 10 Questions

Question 1

Which THREE of the following are Agile principles?

Accepted Answer

Maintain a constant, sustainable development pace. Option A is correct because the Agile principles state that "Agile processes promote sustainable development" and that sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely. Option B is correct because one of the twelve Agile principles explicitly says to "Welcome changing requirements, even late in development" for the customer's competitive advantage. Option C is correct because the very first Agile principle states that "Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software." Option D is not an Agile principle, since Agile favors simplicity and minimizing unnecessary complexity rather than maximizing it. Option E is not one of the twelve Agile principles; it is one of the Lean software development principles ("maximize the amount of work not done" is actually phrased in Agile as "Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential," but as written here it is not one of the standard Agile principles and is not marked correct).

Answer

Agile processes should be as complex as possible

Answer

Maximize the amount of work not done

Question 2

A team is consistently missing sprint goals because they over-commit. What is the most Agile-aligned response?

Accepted Answer

Use historical velocity to guide future capacity planning.. The most Agile-aligned response to over-commitment is to use empirical data—specifically historical velocity—to forecast capacity and adjust the amount of work pulled into the sprint. Velocity provides a reliable, team-driven baseline for how much backlog can be completed in a sprint, enabling more accurate commitment. This supports the Agile principles of empirical process control and continuous improvement.

Answer

Stop doing retrospectives to save time for coding.

Answer

Assign tasks to members by seniority to ensure speed.

Answer

Increase the sprint length to provide more time.

Question 3

An Agile team is experiencing low morale due to excessive micromanagement. What is the servant leader's primary role here?

Accepted Answer

Act as a buffer to prevent external interference.. A servant leader's primary role when a team suffers from micromanagement is to shield the team from external interference so they can focus on delivering value. Acting as a buffer means intercepting disruptive demands, negotiating boundaries with management, and creating the protected space the team needs to self-organize and recover morale. This is a core servant-leadership behavior: remove impediments and protect the team.

Answer

Tell the team they must adapt to the manager's style.

Answer

Report the team for lack of productivity.

Answer

Become the manager and direct all work.

Question 4

The team is stuck in a 'blame game' after a failed release. How do you facilitate a transition to an Agile mindset?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a blame-free post-mortem focused on process gaps.. Facilitating a blame-free post-mortem focused on process gaps transitions the team to an agile mindset by emphasizing systemic improvement over individual fault. This aligns with agile values of respect, courage, and continuous learning.

Answer

Disband the team and create new ones.

Answer

Identify the individual responsible for the failure.

Answer

Ask the manager to provide disciplinary actions.

Question 5

A team is struggling with frequent context switching. As a servant leader, what is the best first step to foster an Agile mindset regarding focus?

Accepted Answer

Introduce WIP limits at the team level.. Introducing WIP (Work In Progress) limits at the team level is a direct Kanban/Agile practice that reduces context switching by capping the number of concurrent items. As a servant leader, the best first step is to foster this mindset through a lightweight, team-owned mechanism rather than imposing controls.

Answer

Implement mandatory overtime to finish tasks.

Answer

Mandate daily status reports to the PMO.

Answer

Assign specific tasks to individuals without team input.

Question 6

A product owner wants to add a new requirement mid-sprint. According to Agile principles, what should the team do?

Accepted Answer

Evaluate the change against the current sprint goal with the PO.. In Agile, the sprint goal is the commitment the team makes for the sprint, and changes that jeopardize it should be evaluated collaboratively. The correct action is for the team to assess the new requirement against the current sprint goal with the Product Owner, determining whether it can be accommodated without compromising the sprint's objective. This aligns with the Agile principle of welcoming changing requirements, even late in development, while maintaining focus and protecting the sprint's integrity. The PO and team decide together whether to adjust scope, swap items of equal size, or defer the change to the next sprint.

Answer

Accept the change and extend the sprint duration.

Answer

Refuse all changes immediately.

Answer

Ask the stakeholders to approve the change first.

Question 7

A team member consistently criticizes ideas during retrospectives, creating a defensive atmosphere. How should the facilitator address this to improve psychological safety?

Accepted Answer

Discuss the impact of the behavior privately with the individual.. The facilitator should address the behavior privately with the individual, explaining how the constant criticism affects the team's psychological safety and retrospective effectiveness. A private conversation preserves the person's dignity, avoids defensiveness, and gives them a chance to adjust — which is the coaching-oriented, psychologically safe approach. Public confrontation or removal would escalate conflict and further damage safety.

Answer

Publicly reprimand the team member during the next meeting.

Answer

Ignore the behavior to avoid conflict.

Answer

Remove the team member from the project immediately.

Question 8

A stakeholder demands a 'fixed-price, fixed-scope' contract. How can you demonstrate an Agile mindset to influence this stakeholder?

Accepted Answer

Show the stakeholder the cost of change if the scope is fixed.. Demonstrating an Agile mindset to a fixed-price/fixed-scope stakeholder means using data and transparency to show the trade-offs. Option D — showing the cost of change when scope is fixed — makes the economic consequences of rigidity visible and opens a conversation about alternatives like fixed-price/variable-scope or incremental delivery. This is a collaborative, evidence-based approach rather than an adversarial one.

Answer

Agree to the terms but plan to change them later.

Answer

Refuse to work on the project.

Answer

Submit a formal complaint to the executive board.

Question 9

Which action best demonstrates 'embracing change over following a plan'?

Accepted Answer

Updating the product backlog based on user feedback.. Updating the product backlog based on user feedback best demonstrates 'embracing change over following a plan' because it shows the team is responsive to new information and willing to adjust priorities accordingly. This aligns with the Agile Manifesto principle of welcoming changing requirements, even late in development. It reflects a mindset that values customer value and adaptability over rigid adherence to an initial plan.

Answer

Rejecting all feedback until the next project phase.

Answer

Changing the team members every sprint.

Answer

Strictly following the initial project roadmap.

Question 10

What is the goal of a servant leader?

Accepted Answer

To remove obstacles and empower the team.. A servant leader's primary goal is to remove obstacles and empower the team to self-organize and deliver value. This leadership style inverts the traditional pyramid: the leader serves the team rather than the team serving the leader. By clearing impediments and fostering autonomy, the servant leader enables the team to reach high performance without direct command.

Answer

To report to the board on team failure.

Answer

To command and control the team.

Answer

To make all technical decisions.