PMI PMI-ACP - PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)

The correct answer is B – The duration of feedback cycles has increased.

In Agile, quick feedback is crucial to success. An increase in feedback cycle time indicates breakdowns in communication, delayed decision-making, or weak collaboration—all of which are signs that a distributed team may not be functioning effectively.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Distributed teams require more intentional efforts to maintain communication and reduce feedback loops. Lag in feedback reduces responsiveness and impedes value delivery.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 2.3 – Agile Team Communication)

Mike Griffiths highlights:

“One of the key risks in distributed teams is the degradation of feedback speed. Long feedback cycles result in slower adaptation and lost opportunities.”

(Mike Griffiths, PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book, Chapter 4 – Team Performance)

Other options:

A (more emails) is neutral—could be communication, not dysfunction.

C (increased velocity) is a positive sign.

D (rescheduling meetings) is an adjustment, not necessarily dysfunction.

Answer: B

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The correct answer is B – Ensured the early engagement of key stakeholders. Agile emphasizes early and continuous stakeholder involvement. In this case, engaging enterprise architects and standards stakeholders early in the design process would have helped detect conflicts before sprint execution.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Key stakeholders should be engaged early in the development cycle to ensure alignment with organizational policies, standards, and expectations.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 4.2 – Stakeholder Engagement)

Mike Griffiths notes:

“Involving stakeholders early helps mitigate the risk of late surprises and rework. Enterprise architects should be consulted during backlog grooming or prior to sprint planning.”

(Mike Griffiths, PMI-ACP Exam Prep, Chapter 3 – Stakeholder Engagement)

Incorrect options:

A is reactive and escalatory.

C presumes the standards are flawed without analysis.

D ignores necessary compliance and does not solve the issue proactively.

Answer: B

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The project lead should focus on creating a safe environment where all team members feel comfortable expressing their opinions without fear of judgment or repercussions. This can be achieved by encouraging open communication, showing appreciation for diverse perspectives, and actively ensuring that everyone ' s voice is heard. A safe environment fosters trust and collaboration, which is essential for the team ' s success. While other options may help in certain contexts, building a culture of safety and trust is the most effective long-term strategy to encourage team members to speak up.

To estimate the project ' s conclusion using velocity, we use the formula:

Given:

Velocity = 40 story points per sprint

Remaining Work = 240 story points

Sprint Duration = 2 weeks

Since each sprint is 2 weeks, the total duration will be:

6 × 2 weeks = 12 weeks = 3 months

In agile, especially under conditions of uncertainty or anticipated changes, teams should focus on collaborative product development, including ongoing backlog refinement and continuous product reviews. This approach is endorsed by the PMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 5.1 Product Backlog and Refinement) and Section 7.2 (Engaging Stakeholders), which emphasize frequent interaction with the product owner and iterative feedback loops to adapt quickly.

Mike Griffiths in his PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 4: Stakeholder Engagement) supports the practice of refining the backlog regularly and conducting frequent reviews to stay aligned with stakeholder expectations.

Option B is correct: continuous collaboration with the product owner supports flexible, value-driven delivery.

Option A is only a partial measure.

Option C promotes a waterfall mindset.

Option D ignores the nature of changing requirements.

The correct answer is C — Work with the product owner to assess the impact for reprioritization.

Agile recognizes that new priorities may emerge during a sprint. The product owner owns the backlog and prioritization. If a request threatens sprint commitments, it should be reviewed and discussed with the product owner to determine the trade-offs and make informed decisions.

PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“New requests should be assessed in collaboration with the product owner. The team should make prioritization trade-offs in a transparent manner to maintain focus on delivering value.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 5.5 – Iteration Planning and Section 5.7 – Change Management)

Mike Griffiths:

“Product owners are responsible for backlog prioritization. When urgent issues arise, teams should discuss them with the PO rather than unilaterally shifting focus.”

(PMI-ACP Exam Prep, Chapter 3 – Value-Driven Delivery)

Incorrect options:

A risks burnout and violates sustainable pace.

B avoids accountability.

D assumes the change can wait, which may not align with customer needs.

Answer: C

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The correct answer is A – Ask the team for suggestions.

In Agile, the Scrum Master serves the team by facilitating problem-solving rather than dictating actions. When a team member falls behind, the first step is to bring the issue to the team (e.g., in a daily stand-up or task review session) and allow the team to self-organize around resolving the impediment—whether through swarming, pairing, or shifting workload.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Teams are empowered to self-organize and solve problems collaboratively. The Scrum Master supports this by facilitating discussion and removing impediments—not by reassigning work unilaterally.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 4.1 – Agile Mindset and Section 6.2 – Coaching Agile Teams)

Mike Griffiths also explains:

“The Scrum Master fosters a problem-solving culture. When issues arise, teams should explore solutions together—this builds ownership and improves trust.”

(Mike Griffiths, PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book, Chapter 4 – Team Performance)

Why other options are less suitable:

B circumvents team collaboration and may lead to resentment or overburdening.

C may be needed later, but collaborative resolution should be the first step.

D escalates prematurely and is not aligned with servant-leadership principles.

Answer: A

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The correct answer is D – Create a risk burndown chart showing the reduction of risks over time.

In Agile, risk management is integrated into each iteration. A risk burndown chart is a visual information radiator that tracks the total risk exposure and how it changes over time, making risk transparent and easy for the team to understand.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“A risk burndown chart can be used to communicate the decreasing level of project risk over time and encourage discussion on risk mitigation strategies.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 6.4 – Risk Management)

Mike Griffiths also states:

“Agile teams use tools like risk burndown charts to visualize risks and track mitigation. They provide real-time understanding of current and remaining risks.”

(Mike Griffiths, PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book, Chapter 6 – Problem Detection and Resolution)

Other options:

A is a responsibility assignment matrix (not risk-focused).

B and C are traditional (predictive) methods and don’t align with Agile risk communication.

Answer: D

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The sprint review/demo is the meeting where the team shows completed work to stakeholders and gathers feedback. According to the PMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 5.3: Sprint Review) and Mike Griffiths’ PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 4: Stakeholder Engagement), stakeholders such as department heads or executives should attend sprint demos to stay informed and provide input.

Option C is correct: sprint demos foster transparency and stakeholder involvement.

Option A is typically for the Scrum team and product owner.

Option B is for team internal coordination only.

Option D is reserved for team process improvement—not stakeholder participation.