PMI-ACP Mindset — 20 Questions

Question 1

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.. Reflecting on velocity and capacity allows the team to adjust their commitment for future sprints, embodying the principle of regular reflection and adjustment.

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 2

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.. Servant leaders protect the team from external interference to allow them to self-organize and perform.

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 3

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.. Shifting focus to system-level failures rather than individual errors fosters a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

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 4

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.. Servant leadership focuses on removing blockers to flow. Promoting WIP limits directly addresses the root cause of context switching.

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 5

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.. The team should collaborate with the PO to assess the impact and decide if it disrupts the current sprint goal.

Answer

Accept the change and extend the sprint duration.

Answer

Refuse all changes immediately.

Answer

Ask the stakeholders to approve the change first.

Question 6

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.. Addressing behavior directly in private allows for coaching without public shaming, maintaining the safety of the group.

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 7

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.. Focusing on value delivery and transparency builds trust and highlights the benefits of iterative delivery over rigid contracts.

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 8

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

Accepted Answer

Updating the product backlog based on user feedback.. Adapting the product backlog based on market feedback demonstrates that the value of the product is prioritized over the original 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 9

What is the goal of a servant leader?

Accepted Answer

To remove obstacles and empower the team.. The servant leader's purpose is to empower the team and remove obstacles so they can deliver value.

Answer

To report to the board on team failure.

Answer

To command and control the team.

Answer

To make all technical decisions.

Question 10

A new developer is struggling to adopt the team's pairing practices. What is the most appropriate action?

Accepted Answer

Coach the developer on the benefits of knowledge sharing.. Mentoring and explaining the *value* of the practice helps the individual internalize the Agile mindset rather than just following a rule.

Answer

Report the developer to HR.

Answer

Force the developer to pair against their will.

Answer

Ask them to work alone until they are more comfortable.

Question 11

A team is confused about who should make decisions. How should the servant leader address this?

Accepted Answer

Encourage the team to make decisions themselves.. Encouraging the team to make decisions increases ownership and autonomy, which are key to Agile success.

Answer

Let the team struggle indefinitely without guidance.

Answer

Make all decisions for the team.

Answer

Ask the client to make every decision.

Question 12

You notice a high-performer is hoarding knowledge, creating a bottleneck. How do you handle this?

Accepted Answer

Quietly mentor the individual on the value of team collective ownership.. Addressing the behavior through the lens of team success and shared responsibility encourages a shift toward collaborative behavior.

Answer

Fire the individual.

Answer

Ignore it since the individual is productive.

Answer

Promote the high-performer to a lead role.

Question 13

A stakeholder keeps asking for a detailed project plan for the next six months. How do you respond?

Accepted Answer

Explain that Agile planning is iterative and focus on the upcoming release goals.. Explaining the iterative nature of Agile and the value of short-term planning builds trust while maintaining the Agile approach.

Answer

Ask them to provide their own plan.

Answer

Tell them to wait for the final product.

Answer

Create a detailed plan to satisfy them.

Question 14

A team feels that their daily stand-up is a waste of time. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a discussion on how to make it more valuable for them.. Facilitating a discussion to improve the value of the ceremony ensures the team owns the process and makes it useful for them.

Answer

Start asking all the questions yourself.

Answer

Tell them they have to do it because it is required.

Answer

Cancel the stand-up.

Question 15

During a sprint, the team realizes the current technical approach won't work. What is the most Agile action?

Accepted Answer

Pivot the approach and communicate the impact to the PO.. Pivoting early prevents waste and allows the team to find a viable solution, aligning with the principle of welcoming change.

Answer

Continue the current path to avoid missing the sprint deadline.

Answer

Hide the issue and fix it next sprint.

Answer

Blame the architect for the bad design.

Question 16

A team is struggling to finish their stories. How can you help them improve their Agile mindset?

Accepted Answer

Help them refine their stories to be smaller and clearer.. Assisting the team in breaking down stories and focusing on 'Done' builds better habits and improves flow.

Answer

Tell them to work faster.

Answer

Assign more work to fill their time.

Answer

Extend the sprint.

Question 17

Which of the following is a sign of a healthy team?

Accepted Answer

Team members feel safe to voice concerns.. A healthy team is one that can handle conflict constructively without attacking each other.

Answer

The team always completes 100% of the work.

Answer

No one ever disagrees.

Answer

The team follows the manager's instructions.

Question 18

A team has a high turnover rate. What should the servant leader focus on?

Accepted Answer

Investigating the team culture and working conditions.. Understanding the underlying causes of turnover is essential to improving team stability and culture.

Answer

Replacing people faster.

Answer

Lowering the performance expectations.

Answer

Hiring more senior developers.

Question 19

What is the importance of 'transparency' in Agile?

Accepted Answer

To enable empirical process control.. Transparency allows for empirical process control—inspecting and adapting based on reality, not assumptions.

Answer

To satisfy auditors.

Answer

To make the team work harder.

Answer

So everyone knows who to blame.

Question 20

A stakeholder asks to change a completed feature. What is the correct response?

Accepted Answer

Evaluate the change's value and discuss the impact with the PO.. Welcoming change is an Agile principle, provided the change is evaluated for value and impact.

Answer

Tell them it's too late.

Answer

Charge the stakeholder for the rework.

Answer

Do the change immediately without question.