The answer is "Welcome changing requirements, even late in development," which is one of the twelve principles underpinning the Agile Manifesto. This principle directly supports the Manifesto’s value of "responding to change over following a plan," emphasizing that Agile teams should harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage rather than rigidly adhering to a fixed scope. On the CAPM exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish the four core values from the twelve supporting principles—a common trap is confusing a value (like "individuals and interactions") with a principle (like "deliver working software frequently"). To avoid this, remember that values are broad philosophical statements, while principles are actionable guidelines that describe how to live those values. A useful memory tip: think of the acronym "C-W-A-R" for the four values (Customer collaboration, Working software, responding to change, individuals and interactions), then recall that each value has three corresponding principles—making twelve total.
CAPM Agile Frameworks and Methodologies Practice Question
This CAPM practice question tests your understanding of agile frameworks and methodologies. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which THREE are principles of the Agile Manifesto? (Choose three.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Deliver working software frequently, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
Option A is correct because the Agile Manifesto explicitly states 'Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.' This principle emphasizes iterative delivery and rapid feedback cycles, which are core to Agile frameworks like Scrum and XP.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Deliver working software frequently, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
Why this is correct
This is principle #3.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.
Why this is correct
This is principle #4.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Welcome changing requirements, even late in development.
Why this is correct
This is principle #2.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use pair programming for all production code.
Why it's wrong here
This is an XP practice, not an Agile principle.
✗
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
Why it's wrong here
This is a value, not a principle.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
PMI often tests the distinction between the four Agile values and the twelve Agile principles, so candidates must memorize which statements belong to each category to avoid selecting a value when the question asks for a principle.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Agile Manifesto's twelve principles were authored in 2001 by 17 software developers and are designed to guide teams in applying the four values. Principle #1 is 'Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software,' and principle #3 is 'Deliver working software frequently...' — these are distinct from the value statements. In practice, confusing values with principles is a common error; values are overarching philosophies, while principles are actionable guidelines.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the CAPM exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Agile Frameworks and Methodologies — This question tests Agile Frameworks and Methodologies — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deliver working software frequently, with a preference to the shorter timescale. — Option A is correct because the Agile Manifesto explicitly states 'Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.' This principle emphasizes iterative delivery and rapid feedback cycles, which are core to Agile frameworks like Scrum and XP.
What should I do if I get this CAPM question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which THREE principles are common to multiple agile methodologies?
hard
A.Comprehensive documentation over working software.
✓ B.Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
✓ C.Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
✓ D.Responding to change over following a plan.
E.Following a plan over responding to change.
Why B: Options A, C, and E are correct. These are from the Agile Manifesto: Individuals and interactions, Customer collaboration, and Responding to change. Option B is the opposite of the Manifesto's value (working software over comprehensive documentation). Option D is the opposite of responding to change.
Variation 2. Which THREE of the following are core values of the Agile Manifesto?
hard
✓ A.Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
✓ B.Responding to change over following a plan.
C.Following a plan over responding to change.
✓ D.Working software over comprehensive documentation.
E.Contract negotiation over customer collaboration.
Why A: Option A is correct because the Agile Manifesto explicitly values 'Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.' This means that while processes and tools are important, the people doing the work and how they communicate take precedence. The Manifesto emphasizes that collaboration and human factors drive project success more than rigid adherence to prescribed procedures.
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This CAPM practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CAPM exam.
Question Discussion
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