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

Reducing test automation in agileundermines quality and slows down feedback loops, contradicting agile principles. According to thePMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 5.5 Quality Management in Agile Projects)andPMBOK® Guide (6th Edition, Section 8.1), agile projects aim forbuilt-in quality, and test automation is critical in achieving that.

Mike Griffiths (PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book, Chapter 6: Value-Driven Delivery) strongly advocates fortest automation to support sustainable developmentand improve predictability, quality, and speed. Rather than comply blindly with the product owner’s request, the agile practitioner shouldengage stakeholdersand clarify the long-term trade-offs of reducing quality practices.

Option Ais correct: consulting stakeholders ensures transparency, alignment, and helps prevent short-sighted compromises that could undermine the product.

Agile promotescross-functional teamsandreducing bottlenecksthrough knowledge sharing and skill development. ThePMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 4.3.3: Cross-functional Teams)recommends that team members developT-shaped skillsto handle more types of work. Mike Griffiths in thePMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 3: Team Performance)advocates forskill broadeningto improve team throughput and resilience.

Option Ais correct: cross-training removes dependencies and improves flow.

Option Bdelays action and prolongs the issue.

Option Creduces delivery capacity rather than addressing the root cause.

Option Darbitrarily limits scope and doesn’t resolve the underlying skill gap.

Tounderstand the needs of different user types, agile teams usepersonasandextreme charactersto represent a range of users, including edge cases. According to thePMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 5.2: Requirements and Personas)andMike Griffiths’ PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 6: Adaptive Planning), personas help teams build empathy and ensure that stories reflect actual user roles—not just generic assumptions.

Option Dis correct: personas and extreme characters ensureinclusive and realistic story coverage.

Option AandBfocus on communication and sequencing but not user diversity.

Option C(process flows) is more technical and doesn’t solve the misalignment with user perspectives.

Theretrospectiveis the agile ceremony designed for teams toinspect and adapttheir process based on actual performance. According to thePMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 5.6: Retrospectives), discussingvelocity issues and delivery concernsduring retrospectives allows the team to collaboratively identify improvement actions.

Mike Griffiths in thePMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 6: Adaptive Planning)also notes thatretrospectives are the best settingto discuss variations in velocity and refine estimation or planning practices based on empirical evidence.

Option Cis correct: the retrospective is where the team adapts based on reality.

Option Amay come later but doesn’t address the root issue.

Option Bgoes against agile principles of stable teams and empirical planning.

Option Dis reactive and may mask underlying process issues.

The scrum master should first remind the team of the purpose and goals of each scrum event (such as the daily standup, sprint planning, sprint review, and retrospective) to ensure that they remain focused on their intended outcomes. The scrum master can then implement a policy that ensures discussions that deviate from the scope of the event are stopped. This approach keeps the team on track, prevents time-wasting conversations, and helps maintain the efficiency of the events.

This method empowers the team to stay focused on what is essential for each event and encourages self-management while still providing room for relevant discussions. In doing so, the team can achieve the desired outcomes of each scrum event without unnecessary delays.

In agile, theProduct Owner is the ultimate decision-makerregarding backlog prioritization and scope changes. According to thePMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 5.1: Backlog Prioritization), any changes thataffect value delivery, schedule, or scopeshould be discussed with the Product Owner, who evaluates the business impact.

Mike Griffiths in thePMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 6: Value-Driven Delivery)reinforces that product direction and scope decisions must be handled through collaboration between the team and the Product Owner.

Option Dis correct: seeking Product Owner input ensures value-based decision-making and customer alignment.

Option A(re-estimating the entire project) is unnecessary and burdensome.

Option Brejects valuable input and ignores iterative flexibility.

Option Cgoes against agile principles of focus and sustainable pace.

Delivering value in agile depends onfrequent prioritization and real-time feedback. According to thePMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 5.1 Product Backlog and Prioritization), product owners and agile teams mustcontinuously reprioritize the backlogbased on changing stakeholder needs, market shifts, and feedback. Failure to do so can result in building the wrong product—even if it's "done."

Mike Griffiths (PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book, Chapter 6: Value-Driven Delivery) stresses thatvalue delivery is iterative and depends on current priorities, not static backlogs. It is vital that teams confirm that they're working on thehighest-value itemsbefore committing to a sprint.

Option Ais correct: proper backlog refinement and reprioritization ensures alignment with evolving stakeholder needs.

Option Bis an anti-pattern; agile welcomes change even late in development.

Option CandDare irrelevant or do not address the core issue of prioritization.

The Scrum Master should facilitate open discussions between the product owner and the development team to help them align on the initial features and the first stages of implementation. By encouraging dialogue, the Scrum Master can ensure that both parties understand each other’s perspectives and collaborate to find a solution that meets the goals of the project. This approach fosters a collaborative environment and ensures that everyone is aligned on what needs to be delivered, promoting shared ownership of the product’s success.

The correct answer is A – Work with the team to improve collaboration by fostering group decision-making and conflict resolution techniques.

One of the core principles of Agile is self-organizing teams. Teams must learn to make decisions collaboratively. If they are struggling, the Scrum Master or Agile Coach should facilitate improved team dynamics, encouraging consensus-building and effective conflict resolution techniques such as consensus, dot voting, or facilitation.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Agile teams are empowered to make decisions. Coaches support this by teaching group decision-making techniques and fostering a culture of psychological safety and collaboration.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 6.2 – Coaching the Agile Team)

Mike Griffiths highlights:

“When teams hesitate to make decisions, the coach’s role is to facilitate better team dynamics—not to make decisions for them. Group decision-making leads to greater commitment and alignment.”

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

Why other options fall short:

B gives decision-making power to the Product Owner inappropriately for technical matters.

C fragments accountability and may cause misalignment.

D may help in leadership development but doesn’t guarantee collaborative decision-making.

Answer: A

In agile, especially under conditions ofuncertainty or anticipated changes, teams should focus oncollaborative product development, includingongoing backlog refinement and continuous product reviews. This approach is endorsed by thePMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 5.1 Product Backlog and Refinement)andSection 7.2 (Engaging Stakeholders), which emphasizefrequent interaction with the product owneranditerative feedback loopsto adapt quickly.

Mike Griffiths in hisPMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 4: Stakeholder Engagement)supports the practice ofrefining the backlog regularlyand conductingfrequent reviewsto stay aligned with stakeholder expectations.

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

Option Ais only a partial measure.

Option Cpromotes a waterfall mindset.

Option Dignores the nature of changing requirements.