PMI-ACP Sample Questions

Listed below are 20 sample exam questions, which are aligned with topics on the PMI-ACP
Exam Content Outline. People studying for the PMI-ACP exam should find them useful practice.
The answers and accompanying explanations are provided at the end of this post.

1) Which of the following is an Agile Manifesto principle?

A) Welcome changing requirements, early in development. Agile processes handle changes for
the customer's competitive advantage.
B) Welcome changing priorities, early in development. Agile processes harness change for the
customer's competitive advantage.
C) Welcome changing priorities, even late in development. Agile processes handle changes for
the customer's competitive advantage.
D) Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change
for the customer's competitive advantage.

2) When managing an agile software team, engaging the business in prioritizing the backlog is an
example of:
A) Technical risk reduction
B) Incorporating stakeholder values
C) Vendor management
D) Stakeholder story mapping

3) Which of the following items is not a benefit associated with product demonstrations?
A) Learn about feature suitability
B) Learn about feature usability
C) Learn about feature estimates
D) Learn about new requirements

4) Choose the correct combination of XP practice names from the following options:
A) Test-driven design, refactoring, pair programming
B) Test-driven development, reforecasting, peer programming
C) Test-driven development, refactoring, pair programming
D) Test-driven design, refactoring, peer programming

5) An agile team is planning the tools they will use for the project. They are debating how they should
show what work is in progress. Of the following options, which tool are they most likely to select?
A) User story backlog
B) Product roadmap
C) Task board
D) Work breakdown structure

6) When using a Kanban board to manage work in progress, which of the following best summarizes the
philosophy behind the approach?
A) It is a sign of the work being done and should be maximized to boost performance.
B) It is a sign of the work being done and should be limited to boost performance.
C) It is a sign of the work queued for quality assurance, which should not count toward velocity.
D) It is a sign of the work queued for user acceptance, which should not count toward velocity.

7) Which of the following is not true of how burn up charts that also track total scope differ from burn
down charts?
A) Burn up charts separate out the rate of progress from the scope fluctuations
B) Burn up charts and burn down charts trend in opposite vertical directions
C) Burn up charts can be converted to cumulative flow diagrams by the addition of WIP
D) Burn down charts indicate whether rate of effort changes are due to changes in progress rates or
scope

8) As part of stakeholder management and understanding, the team may undertake customer persona
modeling. Which of the following would a persona not represent in this context?
A) Stereotyped users
B) Real people
C) Archetypal description
D) Requirements

9) An agile team is beginning a new release. Things are progressing a little slower than they initially
estimated. The project manager is taking a servant leadership approach. Which of the following actions
is the project manager most likely to do?
A) Create a high-level scope statement and estimates.

B) Intervene in nonproductive team arguments.

C) Do administrative activities for the team.

D) Demonstrate the system to senior executives.

10) The PMO has asked you to generate some financial information to summarize the business benefits
of your project. To best describe how much money you hope the project will return, you should show an
estimate of:

A) Internal rate of return (IRR)

B) Return on investment (ROI)

C) Gross domestic product (GDP)

D) Net present value (NPV)

11) What do risk burn down graphs show?

A) The impacts of project risks on the project schedule

B) The impacts of project risks on the project budget

C) The cumulative risk severities over time

D) The cumulative risk probabilities over time

12) What is the process cycle efficiency of a 2-hour meeting if it took you 2 minutes to schedule the
meeting in the online calendar tool and 8 minutes to write the agenda and e-mail it to participants?

A) 90%

B) 8%

C) 92%

D) 96%

13) The steps involved in value stream analysis include:

A) Create a value stream map to document delays and wasted time, such as meetings and coffee breaks.

B) Create a value stream map of the current process, identifying steps, queues, delays, and information
flows.

C) Review the value stream map of the current process and compare it to the goals set forth in the
project charter.

D) Review how to adjust the value stream charter to be more flexible.

14) When we practice active listening, what are the levels through which our listening skills progress?

A) 1) Global listening, 2) Focused listening, 3) Intuitive listening

B) 1) Interested listening, 2) Focused listening, 3) Global listening

C) 1) Self-centered listening, 2) Focused listening, 3) Intuitive listening

D) 1) Internal listening, 2) Focused listening, 3) Global listening

15) The Agile Manifesto value “customer collaboration over contract negotiation” means that:

A) Agile approaches encourage you not to focus too much on negotiating contracts, since most vendors
are just out for themselves anyway.

B) Agile approaches focus on what we are trying to build with our vendors, rather than debating the
details of contract terms.

C) Agile approaches prefer not to use contracts, unless absolutely necessary, because they hamper our
ability to respond to change requests.

D) Agile approaches recommend that you only collaborate with vendors who are using agile processes
themselves.

16) To ensure the success of our project, in what order should we execute the work, taking into account
the necessary dependencies and risk mitigation tasks?

A) The order specified by the project management office (PMO)

B) The order specified by the business representatives

C) The order specified by the project team

D) The order specified by the project architect

17) Incremental delivery means that:

A) We deliver nonfunctional increments in the iteration retrospectives.

B) We release working software only after testing each increment.

C) We improve and elaborate our agile process with each increment delivered.

D) We deploy functional increments over the course of the project.

18) In agile approaches, negotiation is viewed as:

A) A zero-sum game

B) A winner-takes-all challenge

C) A failproof win-win scenario

D) A healthy process of give and take

19) In Scrum, the definition of “done” is created by everyone EXCEPT:

A) Development team

B) Product owner

C) ScrumMaster

D) Process owner

20) When working with a globally distributed team, the most useful approach would be to:

A) Bring the entire team together for a diversity and sensitivity training day before starting the first
iteration.

B) Bring the entire group together for a big celebration at the end of the project

C) Bring the entire group together for a get-to-know-you session before starting the first
iteration.

D) Gather the entire team for a kickoff event and keep them working together for at least the first
iteration.
Answers and Explanations

1) Which of the following is an Agile Manifesto principle?

A) Welcome changing requirements, early in development. Agile processes handle changes for the
customer's competitive advantage.
B) Welcome changing priorities, early in development. Agile processes harness change for the
customer's competitive advantage.
C) Welcome changing priorities, even late in development. Agile processes handle changes for the
customer's competitive advantage.
D) Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the
customer's competitive advantage.

Answer: D

Explanation: The correct wording of the principle is “Welcome changing requirements, even late in
development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.” The agile
principles do not speak to changing priorities or to welcoming only early changes.

2) When managing an agile software team, engaging the business in prioritizing the backlog is an
example of:

A) Technical risk reduction

B) Incorporating stakeholder values
C) Vendor management
D) Stakeholder story mapping

Answer: B

Explanation: We engage the business in prioritizing the backlog to better understand and incorporate
stakeholder values. Although such engagement will likely impact technical risk reduction, vendor
management, or stakeholder story mapping, these are not the main reasons we engage the business.

3) Which of the following items is not a benefit associated with product demonstrations?

A) Learn about feature suitability

B) Learn about feature usability
C) Learn about feature estimates
D) Learn about new requirements

Answer: C

Explanation: Product demonstrations provide the benefits of learning about feature suitability and
usability, and they can prompt discussions of new requirements. They are not typically used to learn
about feature estimates, however, since estimating is done during estimation sessions, rather than
during demonstrations.

4) Choose the correct combination of XP practice names from the following options:

A) Test-driven design, refactoring, pair programming

B) Test-driven development, reforecasting, peer programming
C) Test-driven development, refactoring, pair programming
D) Test-driven design, refactoring, peer programming

Answer: C

Explanation: The XP practices include test-driven development, refactoring, and pair programming.
“Test-driven design,” “reforecasting,” and “peer programming” are not XP practice names.

5) An agile team is planning the tools they will use for the project. They are debating how they should
show what work is in progress. Of the following options, which tool are they most likely to select?

A) User story backlog

B) Product roadmap
C) Task board
D) Work breakdown structure

Answer: C

Explanation: Of the options presented, the best tool to show work in progress is a task board. The user
story backlog shows what work is still remaining to be done on the project. The product roadmap shows
when work is planned to be completed. Work breakdown structures are not commonly used on agile
projects.

6) When using a Kanban board to manage work in progress, which of the following best summarizes the
philosophy behind the approach?
A) It is a sign of the work being done and should be maximized to boost performance.
B) It is a sign of the work being done and should be limited to boost performance.
C) It is a sign of the work queued for quality assurance, which should not count toward velocity.
D) It is a sign of the work queued for user acceptance, which should not count toward velocity.

Answer: B

Explanation: The correct answer is “It is a sign of the work being done and should be limited to boost
performance.” A Kanban board shows work in progress (WIP), which represents work started but not
completed. Therefore, the WIP should be limited and carefully managed to maximize performance.
More WIP does not equal more output; in fact, it is quite often the opposite. Also, WIP is any work that
is in progress, regardless of what stage the work is at, so the answer options that limit it to work waiting
for quality assurance or user acceptance are wrong.

7) Which of the following is not true of how burn up charts that also track total scope differ from burn
down charts?

A) Burn up charts separate out the rate of progress from the scope fluctuations
B) Burn up charts and burn down charts trend in opposite vertical directions
C) Burn up charts can be converted to cumulative flow diagrams by the addition of WIP
D) Burn down charts indicate whether rate of effort changes are due to changes in progress rates or
scope

Answer: D

Explanation: It is true that burn up charts can be converted to cumulative flow diagrams by the addition
of WIP, and they trend in the opposite vertical direction from burn down charts. It is also true that burn
up charts that also track total scope (rather than burn down charts) separate out the rate of progress
from the scope fluctuations. So the option that is not true is “Burn down charts indicate whether rate of
effort changes are due to changes in progress rates or scope.”

8) As part of stakeholder management and understanding, the team may undertake customer persona
modeling. Which of the following would a persona not represent in this context?

A) Stereotyped users
B) Real people
C) Archetypal description
D) Requirements

Answer: D
Explanation: Personas do represent real, stereotyped, composite, and fictional people. They are
archetypal (exemplary) descriptions, grounded in reality, goal-oriented, specific, and relevant to
generate focus. Personas are not a replacement for requirements on a project, however.

9) An agile team is beginning a new release. Things are progressing a little slower than they initially
estimated. The project manager is taking a servant leadership approach. Which of the following actions
is the project manager most likely to do?

A) Create a high-level scope statement and estimates.

B) Intervene in nonproductive team arguments.
C) Do administrative activities for the team.
D) Demonstrate the system to senior executives.

Answer: C

Explanation: In taking a servant leadership approach, the project manager is most likely to do
administrative activities for the team. As implied by the term, the role of a servant leader is focused on
serving the team. A servant leader recognizes that the team members create the business value and
does what is necessary to help the team be successful. Of the choices presented, the action of doing
administrative work best supports this goal.

10) The PMO has asked you to generate some financial information to summarize the business benefits
of your project. To best describe how much money you hope the project will return, you should show an
estimate of:

A) Internal rate of return (IRR)

B) Return on investment (ROI)
C) Gross domestic product (GDP)
D) Net present value (NPV)

Answer: B

Explanation: Since we are being asked to show how much the project will return, the metric to choose is
the return on investment (ROI). You might have been tempted to choose net present value (NPV) since
this calculation accounts for inflation, but the question did not ask for an adjusted value. Instead, it
simply asked how much money the project would return. IRR and GDP would not provide the
information the PMO has asked for.
11) What do risk burn down graphs show?

A) The impacts of project risks on the project schedule

B) The impacts of project risks on the project budget
C) The cumulative risk severities over time
D) The cumulative risk probabilities over time

Answer: C

Explanation: Risk burn down graphs do not show the impacts of the risks on the schedule or budget, but
they do show the cumulative risk severities over time. Tracking just the probabilities over time would be
of little use without knowing the impacts of these risks. After all, they could all be trivial, and in that
case, why would we need to be concerned?

12) What is the process cycle efficiency of a 2-hour meeting if it took you 2 minutes to schedule the
meeting in the online calendar tool and 8 minutes to write the agenda and e-mail it to participants?

A) 90%
B) 8%
C) 92%
D) 96%

Answer: C

Explanation: The formula for finding process cycle efficiency is: Total value-added time / total cycle time.
In this question, the value-added time is 2 hours, and the total cycle time is 2 minutes + 8 minutes + 120
minutes = 130 minutes. So the correct answer is 120 / 130 = 92%.

13) The steps involved in value stream analysis include:

A) Create a value stream map to document delays and wasted time, such as meetings and coffee breaks.

B) Create a value stream map of the current process, identifying steps, queues, delays, and
information flows.
C) Review the value stream map of the current process and compare it to the goals set forth in the
project charter.
D) Review how to adjust the value stream charter to be more flexible.

Answer: B
Explanation: The only option here that is a step in value stream analysis is “Create a value stream map
of the current process, identifying steps, queues, delays, and information flows.” None of the other
options are valid steps in value stream mapping.

14) When we practice active listening, what are the levels through which our listening skills progress?

A) 1) Global listening, 2) Focused listening, 3) Intuitive listening

B) 1) Interested listening, 2) Focused listening, 3) Global listening
C) 1) Self-centered listening, 2) Focused listening, 3) Intuitive listening
D) 1) Internal listening, 2) Focused listening, 3) Global listening

Answer: D

Explanation: The progression is internal listening (how will this affect me?) to focused listening (what
are they really trying to say?) and then finally to global listening (what other clues do I notice to help me
understand what they are saying?).

15) The Agile Manifesto value “customer collaboration over contract negotiation” means that:

A) Agile approaches encourage you not to focus too much on negotiating contracts, since most vendors
are just out for themselves anyway.
B) Agile approaches focus on what we are trying to build with our vendors, rather than debating the
details of contract terms.
C) Agile approaches prefer not to use contracts, unless absolutely necessary, because they hamper our
ability to respond to change requests.
D) Agile approaches recommend that you only collaborate with vendors who are using agile processes
themselves.

Answer: B

Explanation: Valuing customer collaboration over contract negotiation means we look for mutual
understanding and agreement, rather than spend our time debating the fine details of the agreement.

16) To ensure the success of our project, in what order should we execute the work, taking into account
the necessary dependencies and risk mitigation tasks?

A) The order specified by the project management office (PMO)

B) The order specified by the business representatives
C) The order specified by the project team
D) The order specified by the project architect

Answer: B

Explanation: It is largely the business representatives who outline the priority of the functional
requirements on the project. That prioritization is then a key driver for the order in which we execute
the work.

17) Incremental delivery means that:

A) We deliver nonfunctional increments in the iteration retrospectives.

B) We release working software only after testing each increment.
C) We improve and elaborate our agile process with each increment delivered.
D) We deploy functional increments over the course of the project.

Answer: D

Explanation: Incremental delivery means that we deploy functional increments over the course of the
project. It does not relate to retrospectives, testing, or changes to the process, so the other options are
incorrect, or “less correct”.

18) In agile approaches, negotiation is viewed as:

A) A zero-sum game
B) A winner-takes-all challenge
C) A failproof win-win scenario
D) A healthy process of give and take

Answer: D

Explanation: In agile approaches, negotiation is viewed as a healthy process of give and take rather than
a zero-sum game, a competitive challenge, or a failproof win-win scenario.

19) In Scrum, the definition of “done” is created by everyone EXCEPT:

A) Development team
B) Product owner
C) ScrumMaster
D) Process owner
Answer: D