PMI-ACP PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) Free Practice Exam Questions (2026 Updated)

In Agile, it ' s important to maintain focus on the current sprint ' s goals and scope. Since the sprint deadline is approaching, adding additional features may compromise the team ' s ability to deliver the planned work on time. The best approach is to explain to the client that the new features can be considered for the next sprint, ensuring that the team can finish the current work and deliver value on time. This also allows the team to properly plan for the new features in the next iteration without overloading the current sprint.

The correct answer is D – Brainstorm with the team to identify a solution.

Agile promotes collective ownership and team-based decision-making. When a critical issue such as architectural scalability arises, the team should be involved in brainstorming alternatives, weighing trade-offs, and deciding how best to move forward collaboratively.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Agile encourages collaborative problem-solving and cross-functional ownership. Teams should collectively analyze challenges and determine the most appropriate course of action.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 4.3 – Collaborative Decision-Making)

Mike Griffiths also affirms:

“When teams face significant technical or architectural risks, they should come together to explore options and make decisions based on consensus, feasibility, and value.”

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

Why the other options are inappropriate:

A is authoritarian and ignores team input.

B risks performance degradation without team consensus.

C may be part of the process, but only after the team has evaluated options.

Answer: D

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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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To prevent the prioritization meeting from turning into a brainstorming session, the product owner should ensure that user stories are well-defined before they are added to the backlog. By reviewing the items with the product owner’s teammates (or stakeholders) beforehand, the product owner can clarify the details of the stories and ensure they are properly defined. This allows the team to focus on prioritization during the meeting, rather than spending time clarifying vague requests. This proactive approach improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the prioritization process.

The correct answer is D – Ask the team to decide if the task should be reassigned. In agile, the Scrum Master serves as a servant leader and facilitator, not a manager. Task decisions are made by the team through collaboration and self-organization.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Agile teams self-organize and make decisions collaboratively. The Scrum Master facilitates discussion and decision-making but does not dictate task assignments.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 4.3 – Team Empowerment and Self-Organization)

Mike Griffiths adds:

“The Scrum Master’s role is to empower the team to find their own solutions and make informed decisions that support sprint goals. When adjustments are needed, the team should decide how to proceed.”

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

Incorrect options:

A undermines self-management and may create fear or pressure.

B implies outside control instead of team autonomy.

C ignores opportunity for improvement and team input.

Answer: D

The correct answer is D – Facilitate a product development roadmap workshop. Engaging stakeholders early through a roadmap workshop helps align expectations, prioritize outcomes, and build shared understanding around value delivery.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Product roadmaps provide a high-level view of deliverables and timing. Facilitating roadmap workshops ensures that all stakeholders contribute to and align with the vision.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 5.4 – Product Roadmap and Planning)

Mike Griffiths further explains:

“Roadmap workshops allow stakeholders to discuss release priorities and business goals, ensuring engagement in the planning process and continuous alignment throughout the project.”

(Mike Griffiths, PMI-ACP Exam Prep, Chapter 5 – Adaptive Planning)

Incorrect options:

A reflects a waterfall mindset.

B involves team-level planning, not broad stakeholder engagement.

C is informative but not collaborative or sufficient for planning.

Answer: D

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The correct answer is C — The team should have conducted more demonstrations with the product owner during the iteration.

Continuous feedback is essential in Agile. Regular product demos or interim check-ins during the sprint (not just at the end) allow the product owner to validate progress and course-correct early. This ensures that expectations are aligned and surprises are avoided at the sprint review.

PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Stakeholder feedback should be gathered continuously throughout the sprint. Regular engagement and interim demos reduce the risk of misalignment at iteration end.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 5.7 – Reviews and Demos)

Mike Griffiths:

“Waiting until the sprint review to validate features with the product owner increases risk. Frequent collaboration and demonstrations ensure the work remains on target.”

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

Incorrect options:

A is helpful but doesn ' t guarantee alignment.

B is testing-focused and misses early collaboration.

D places all responsibility on the product owner, ignoring shared ownership.

Answer: C

The correct answer is C – Determine who is best qualified to address the challenges. Agile teams are self-organizing and empowered to make technical decisions. When challenges arise, the team collaboratively identifies who is best suited to resolve issues, rather than relying on external direction or top-down task assignment.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Agile teams are self-organizing. When challenges or new work arises, the team decides how to proceed, including task allocation based on skills and availability.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 4.3 – Self-Organization)

Mike Griffiths also notes:

“Team members decide how work is divided and who tackles what. When technical complexity is involved, those with relevant expertise are encouraged to step in, with support from the rest of the team.”

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

Incorrect options:

A violates the principle of team autonomy.

B delays delivery rather than solving the problem.

D incorrectly places the Product Owner in a team management role.

Answer: C

Agile teams are self-organizing and should strive for consensus-based decision making. The PMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 4.3.1 Team Empowerment) supports facilitative leadership where leaders guide decision-making, not override it. Mike Griffiths in the PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 3: Team Performance) emphasizes that leaders should foster collaboration and respect diverse views to prevent disengagement.

Option A is correct: encouraging consensus builds ownership, trust, and engagement.

Option B and C still place control with the leader, reducing team empowerment.

Option D is too passive; agile leaders participate actively as facilitators.

The correct answer is B – The entire team is responsible for quality, but each team member ' s role may vary as stated in the definition of done (DoD).

In Agile, quality is a shared responsibility. While specialists like QA may have defined roles, all team members are expected to contribute to maintaining and improving product quality. The Definition of Done (DoD) captures shared criteria for acceptance and completion.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Agile teams are cross-functional and collectively accountable for quality. Specific roles may perform different tasks, but everyone contributes to ensuring the product meets the agreed-upon standards.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 5.2 – Quality and Definition of Done)

Mike Griffiths clarifies:

“Quality is everyone’s responsibility. Teams should define what ' done ' means and ensure that all members understand and uphold those standards during development.”

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

Why other options fall short:

A implies all members must be involved in every component, which may not be efficient or realistic.

C incorrectly assigns surprises or gaps solely to QA.

D misrepresents the Product Manager ' s role and overemphasizes top-down functionality.

Answer: B

The correct answer is B — The stakeholder who can prevent the project from achieving its goals.

Stakeholder prioritization is based on power and influence. Those who can significantly impact or block project success (positively or negatively) should be prioritized. This ensures their concerns are addressed and their support is cultivated early.

PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Stakeholder engagement is critical in agile. The team must identify those who have the most influence over project outcomes and ensure early and frequent communication.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 4.1 – Stakeholder Engagement)

PMBOK® Guide:

“Stakeholder prioritization involves assessing who has the greatest influence on project success.”

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The correct answer is B – Ask the team for suggestions. Agile teams are self-organizing. The Scrum Master should facilitate problem-solving by enabling the team to collaboratively decide how to handle bottlenecks. This approach respects the team ' s autonomy and encourages shared ownership.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Scrum Masters facilitate team collaboration and self-organization. When problems arise, they engage the team in identifying and implementing solutions, rather than solving issues unilaterally.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 4.3 – Servant Leadership and Team Empowerment)

Mike Griffiths explains:

“The Scrum Master’s role is to facilitate rather than direct. If a team member falls behind, the team should collectively explore options for support, ensuring accountability and transparency.”

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

Incorrect options:

A undermines team autonomy and assigns tasks, which the Scrum Master should not do.

C may help, but addressing issues privately doesn’t promote transparency.

D involves the Product Owner unnecessarily in team internal issues.

Answer: B

According to the PMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 7.2.2), one of the key responsibilities of the agile practitioner is to actively engage stakeholders throughout the development cycle—not just during review meetings. Agile frameworks promote continuous collaboration and frequent feedback. Merely attending sprint reviews is passive participation and may lead to missed alignment on expectations.

Mike Griffiths also emphasizes in his PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 4: Stakeholder Engagement) that stakeholder satisfaction requires more than periodic visibility—it requires ongoing interaction and inclusion in decision-making and backlog refinement sessions. This deepens shared understanding and reduces the risk of late-stage surprises.

Hence, answer B is correct because proactive stakeholder engagement with the product owner fosters mutual understanding, timely feedback, and course correction—ensuring the product aligns with expectations.

Agile roles are clearly defined to avoid overlap and confusion. According to the PMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 3.3 Agile Roles), the Product Owner is responsible for backlog prioritization and stakeholder communication, not managing team tasks. Task management is the domain of the self-organizing team and facilitated by the Scrum Master or Agile Project Manager.

Mike Griffiths in the PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 4: Stakeholder Engagement) reinforces that resolving role confusion through discussion helps realign expectations and improve team performance.

Option C is correct: by clarifying roles and responsibilities, the agile project manager helps prevent overreach and ensures smoother collaboration.

Option A addresses the issue too late and in the wrong forum.

Option B misrepresents agile dynamics (self-organizing teams).

Option D risks team morale and doesn’t address the root cause.

The correct answer is A – Include it in the product backlog and use a new indicator to annotate that it is technical debt. Agile teams track technical debt transparently by adding it to the product backlog. Marking it with a clear label helps the team and product owner consider it during prioritization and planning.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Technical debt should be made visible and added to the product backlog. Teams may use tags or indicators to distinguish it and make informed prioritization decisions.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 5.5 – Technical Debt)

Mike Griffiths emphasizes:

“Technical debt must be tracked in the backlog to avoid long-term consequences. Tagging it ensures stakeholders are aware and can prioritize its resolution appropriately.”

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

Incorrect options:

B assumes all technical debt is low priority, which may not be true.

C is incorrect; agile explicitly recommends tracking tech debt.

D introduces inconsistency and reduces visibility.

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The correct answer is A – Educate the QA manager that in agile, quality is integrated from the beginning to the end of the project. Agile emphasizes “built-in” quality through test-first approaches, continuous integration, and Definition of Done. Addressing resistance through education helps clarify that quality is a core part of Agile—not an afterthought.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“Agile does not remove quality controls; rather, it integrates them throughout the development process. Quality is everyone’s responsibility and is embedded through practices such as TDD, automated testing, and continuous feedback.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 3.5 – Quality and Agile)

Mike Griffiths adds:

“In Agile, quality is not sacrificed. It is a fundamental principle. Teams ensure quality by defining acceptance criteria, using continuous integration, and practicing test-first development.”

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

Incorrect options:

B may be helpful tactically, but doesn’t address the underlying concern.

C misrepresents technical debt.

D places too much QA responsibility on the product owner.

Answer: A

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Kanban is continuous and can lead to burnout or low morale due to lack of visible milestones. The PMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 5.7: Flow-based Agile) and Mike Griffiths’ PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 3: Team Performance) suggest that recognizing and celebrating milestones or delivery points is essential to maintain motivation, especially in long-running Kanban teams.

Option A is correct: celebrating completed work gives the team a sense of closure and achievement, improving engagement.

Option B might help temporarily but doesn’t address the root motivational issue.

Option C adds pressure and is counterproductive.

Option D may improve flow but doesn ' t directly address the lack of visible progress recognition.

The correct answer is D – The Product Owner is responsible for both the budget and the release plans.

In Scrum and Agile frameworks, the Product Owner acts as the voice of the customer and is responsible for maximizing the value of the product. This includes managing the product backlog, prioritization, and release planning. Additionally, in Agile environments, budget management—especially in terms of what value is delivered with what investment—is a key aspect of the Product Owner’s role.

From the PMI Agile Practice Guide:

“The Product Owner manages the backlog and prioritizes work based on value delivery. The Product Owner is also typically responsible for budgeting and release planning, often in collaboration with stakeholders.”

(PMI Agile Practice Guide, Section 5.2 – Roles and Responsibilities)

Mike Griffiths adds:

“Release planning and value-based budget decisions fall under the Product Owner’s responsibilities, as they are closest to business stakeholders and value prioritization.”

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

Why other options are incorrect:

A is partially correct but misplaces budget responsibility.

B is traditional and does not reflect Agile delegation to the team and Product Owner.

C promotes team ownership but budget and release planning specifically lie with the Product Owner.

Answer: D

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The burndown chart displayed shows two lines:

A diagonal guideline (ideal trend line) representing the expected or planned burndown rate.

A line with plotted black squares representing the actual progress of work completed during the iteration (typically in story points or hours).

The actual progress line (with black squares) stays consistently above the ideal line throughout the iteration.

This indicates that less work was completed than planned at each point in time.

Toward the end of the iteration (around the 30th or 31st), the chart shows that the total remaining work does not reach zero—implying incomplete work by the iteration’s end.

Analysis of the Chart:Interpretation According to Agile Standards:According to the PMI Agile Practice Guide (Section 5.4: Tracking Iteration Progress) and Mike Griffiths ' PMI-ACP Exam Prep Book (Chapter 6: Adaptive Planning):

A burndown chart that remains above the ideal line and does not reach the baseline (zero) by the end of the iteration reflects that the team is behind schedule and did not complete all planned work.

The burndown chart is a primary information radiator for evaluating scope completion versus time and is a critical tool for monitoring iteration performance.

Therefore:

Option C is correct:

" It trended behind schedule and did not complete everything on time. "

Option A is incorrect — the chart clearly shows a lag behind schedule.

Option B is incorrect — there is no indication that the iteration time box was extended.

Option D is incorrect — the team did not finish early or complete all tasks.