×

Quiz Session - Attempts With Random Questions

PMI-ACP Exam Questions

Page 10 of 25

181.

Maria is a new Scrum master in an Agile project team. As she takes over the work, she observes that project transparency and trust can be improved. Which of the following should she pick to fulfill this need? 

  • Develop and display information radiators for each sprint

  • Work with the team to develop documentation

  • Review and update the project contract with the vendor

  • Release a project plan that fits the Agile approach selected

Correct answer: Develop and display information radiators for each sprint 

Project transparency involves openness to communicate where the team is on the project and how things are progressing, even if the news is not so great. This is a good way to build trust with the development team and other stakeholders. Information radiators can include posters, dashboards, and other artifacts that communicate the honest progress of the team to everyone.

The Agile methodology minimizes the importance of documentation in favor of delivering iterative value. Reviewing and updating the project contract with the vendor is essential, but it has nothing to do with the context of this question. Agile projects are not heavily focused on planning, so there is no project plan artifact within the Agile methodology.

182.

A product owner in conversation with the Agile project team has decided to keep the redesign of the legacy ticketing system out of scope from the project. The upgrade of the legacy ticketing system was too high-risk to do then. 

What risk response has been undertaken by the organization?

  • Avoidance

  • Transference

  • Mitigation

  • Acceptance

Correct answer: Avoidance

There are four risk responses to implement in an identified project risk:

  • Mitigation
  • Transference
  • Avoidance
  • Acceptance

In this scenario, the project team has decided that upgrading the legacy ticketing system is too risky to do at that time. Keeping it out of scope is an example of avoiding the risk entirely.

The organization has not transferred the risk to a third party. Mitigation involves reducing the probability or impact of a risk. The organization has not taken any steps to reduce the probability or impact of the risk associated with the redesign of the legacy ticketing system.

Acceptance involves accepting the risk and its potential impact without taking any action to address it.

183.

The Development team just identified a list of risks and responses for the Agile project you are running. How should you go about dealing with that work?

  • Create new tasks for the product backlog to include the risks and responses

  • Create a dedicated risk backlog and assign them to the team

  • Create a Kanban board to work only on risk response activities

  • Develop a risk management plan for the project so it is clear what the next steps are

Correct answer: Create new tasks for the product backlog to include the risks and responses

Once the development team identifies risks and their appropriate responses, new tasks need to be created to be added and prioritized in the product backlog.  

Creating separate lists or boards for assignment and tracking is not ideal for keeping the team focused simultaneously on delivering value and reducing risk. Each new planning cycle should aim to tackle the highest risk areas of the project in the next iteration. A risk management plan is more appropriate for a predictive-type project. Agile does not value documentation over working software, per the Agile Manifesto. 

184.

In the Kano analysis, the dissatisfier category relates to:

  • features that will cause a user to dislike the product if they are not present but will not raise satisfaction if they are

  • features that customers do not care enough to have included in the product; we can safely eliminate or defer these

  • features that can be kept at low levels of quality since the customer does not care for them

  • features that need to be avoided because they provide dissatisfaction to the customer

Correct answer: features that will cause a user to dislike the product if they are not present but will not raise satisfaction if they are

The Kano analysis is a technique to classify customer preferences into the following categories: Exciters or delighters, satisfiers, dissatisfiers, and indifferent. The dissatisfiers category relates to features that will cause a user to dislike the product if they are not present but will not raise satisfaction if they are.

Features that customers do not care enough to have included in the product would be in the Indifferent category in the Kano analysis. The remaining two options do not belong to any category in the Kano analysis at all.

185.

A team has a target to fix defects in less than 10 hours. In iteration 3, the team discovered an issue with the product and set up a ticket to solve it. It would typically have taken the team 9 hours to fix the issue. However, one of the senior developers was out that week, so it took 15 hours to fix the issue. What is the defect cycle time to fix the issue identified?

  • 15 hours

  • 10 hours

  • 12 hours

  • 9 hours

Correct answer: 15 hours

Defect cycle time is the time it takes from when the defect is first found to when it is fixed. The length of the defect cycle time gives an indication of how far up the cost of change graph the defect will go. In this scenario, the issue would have typically taken 9 hours, below the target defect cycle threshold of 10 hours. However, the absence of expertise in the team elongated the defect cycle time to 15 hours.

186.

An Agile project manager set up a meeting to resolve a specific issue that arose. She plans to use process analysis techniques during the session to help the team focus on resolving the issue. What is the name of such a meeting?

  • Introspective

  • Retrospective

  • Pre-mortem

  • Value stream analysis

Correct answer: Introspective

An introspective is an ad-hoc meeting to resolve specific issues or bottlenecks that arise in the project. Teams use various process analysis techniques to resolve such issues during the session.

Retrospectives are facilitated meetings where the team identifies what worked well and what can be improved during the iteration.

Project pre-mortem is an event to determine the potential failure areas in the project before the project has started.

Value stream mapping is a technique to eliminate wasteful work to reduce the time it takes to create value for the customer. The objective is to reduce the total cycle time.

187.

The total cycle time to make a birthday cake is 8 hours from buying the ingredients to delivering the cake to the customer. The baking of the cake in the oven represents:

  • Value-added time

  • Nonvalue-added time

  • Cycle time

  • Process cycle efficiency

Correct answer: Value-added time

Value stream mapping is a technique to eliminate wasteful work to reduce the time it takes to create value for the customer. The objective is to reduce the total cycle time. There are four important terms in this technique:

  • Total cycle time: Total amount of time that it takes to complete an activity which includes value and nonvalue-added time.
  • Value-added time: Activities that add direct value to the end-product.
  • Nonvalue-added time: Activities that do not add value to the end-product directly.
  • Process cycle efficiency: This is calculated by dividing the value-added time by the total cycle time.

In this example, baking the cake in the oven is an activity that represents value-added time since it directly helps produce the product.

188.

An Agile team is planning the work to be included in upcoming sprints through a process of progressive elaboration. What does this mean?

  • New details are added to the plan as new information is uncovered

  • New details need to go through change requests before they make it to the plan

  • New details are rejected for inclusion in the plan since planning is complete

  • New details need to be approved by the sponsor before they can be added to the plan

Correct answer: New details are added to the plan as new information is uncovered

Progressive elaboration is the process of continuously developing parts of the project as new information emerges. Project assets are continuously refined as this information is uncovered.

No formal change request processes need to be in place in Agile projects.

Agile embraces change even during execution, so plans can continually be updated and improved based on what is found. The Project Sponsor does not then need to approve any changes to the plans.

189.

A new product has been released to production after successive sprints. The release has increased brand recognition. What does this demonstrate?

  • Intangible business value

  • Exploratory testing

  • Little’s law

  • Theory of constraints

Correct answer: Intangible business value

A project often creates a tangible result in the form of a product, but it can also create intangible business value (e.g., increased brand recognition, reputation).

Exploratory testing lets the tester take any direction he/she desires, providing a more ad-hoc and spontaneous way of testing the product. The tester will often pursue different “what if” scenarios and explore different functionality to look for improvements. This type of testing is complementary to automated testing, which follows a defined script. According to Little’s law, if the WIP queue is too long, the team will take a long time to complete the work. 

Theory of constraints (TOC) is an approach for production system optimization. This approach advocates finding one or a few variables (constraints or bottlenecks) in the system, focusing on improving these to make the greatest impact.

190.

A new Agile team has just finished its first iteration. None of the members had experience with Agile, including the Scrum Master and Product Owner. The team is struggling to figure out how to perform its first retrospective. Some in the team want to skip it entirely for now, since there are more pressing issues to take care of. What is the best recommendation for the team in this scenario?

  • Novice teams should follow the standard methodology at the beginning.

  • The Scrum Master is not an authority figure to dictate how Agile should be implemented.

  • The team is self-organizing, so they should decide how they want to implement the Agile methodology.

  • Agile advocates for flexibility and adaptability when implementing the methodology.

Correct answer: Novice teams should follow the standard methodology at the beginning.

Process tailoring refers to changing and adapting the implementation of Agile based on the project needs. In this scenario, some in the Agile team want to skip the retrospective. However, novice Agile teams should stick with a proven “out-of-the-box” methodology at the beginning to take full advantage of the framework. As they become more proficient in Agile, it will be more natural to adapt the methodology.

While it is true that the Agile team is self-organizing, that does not mean that they decide how the Agile methodology should be implemented. They self-regulate what they work on and how they work. The Scrum Master is the Agile coach for the team who guides the team on Agile best practices. In this instance, this person is in the perfect position to advise the team on the best route. Agile is a methodology for delivering a project and it does not advocate changing the way it is implemented.

191.

A project manager is considering what project approach to use. He is considering setting up a governance framework to help the team deal with increment approval and incoming changes. The project is considered a low priority for the company since there are other more critical projects that need to start earlier. What would you recommend as the Agile mentor for this project?

  • Since the project is low criticality, consider removing any added ceremonies or frameworks.

  • Since the project is low priority, consider moving the start date sooner rather than later to get the administrative work out of the way.

  • Compare this project with other high priority projects to see how the priority can be raised.

  •  Increase the team size so that a heavier methodology can be used, which includes governance.

Correct answer: Since the project is low criticality, consider removing any added ceremonies or frameworks.

Systems thinking, which centers around the Agile project management environment as the system to analyze, refers to four methodology success patterns to remember about this environment:

  • Interactive face-to-face communication: Face-to-face communication is preferred, as it is the cheapest and fastest.
  • Balance of methodology: The Agile methodology should not be too heavy or too light. Either approach can be costly for the team.
  • Team size affects structure: Larger teams need more structure and thus a heavier methodology to use.
  • Project criticality requires ceremony: Higher priority projects will typically require greater ceremony, such as additional framework and governance.

These methodology success patterns provide best practices for teams to succeed with the Agile approach.

In this scenario, since the project is low priority/criticality for the organization, there is no clear reason why the project manager should be adding additional frameworks and governance to the methodology. Project criticality will generally require additional ceremony.

Moving the start date sooner goes against the fact that the project is low criticality. There are other higher priority projects that should take precedence.

There is no need to compare this project to others to raise the priority. The priority is set at the portfolio level for the organization and this activity will have no impact.

Increasing the team size just so that governance can be used is not the best approach here.

192.

The purpose of use case diagrams is to:

  • show how people and systems interact with a solution

  • show how data flows through a system

  • show a sketch of a typical user’s background

  • show project progress and risks

Correct answer: show how people and systems interact with a solution

A use case diagram model shows how people and systems interact with a solution.

A data model shows how data flows through a system.

Personas are profile-type documents that outline key stakeholder values, interests, and background. This helps the development team focus and empathize with the end-user.

A project report will contain the project progress and risks.

193.

Which of the following is least likely to promote knowledge sharing in an Agile team?

  • Project elevator statement

  • Kanban boards

  • Personas

  • Wireframes

Correct answer: Project elevator statement

Agile teams need to be encouraged to share knowledge. Examples of tools used for knowledge sharing include Kanban boards, personas, and wireframes, among others. A project elevator statement is a short description of the project objectives and benefits. It is used to help stakeholders build and clarify their thinking about the project.

194.

An executive has developed a proposal for the company to create a new product to better compete in the market. He is not sure what it will take to build the product and is not clear on all the requirements to put in place yet. What would you recommend as the next thing to do? 

  • Build a proof of concept   

  • Gather requirements from all stakeholders 

  • Create a product backlog 

  • Facilitate a daily stand-up

Correct answer: Build a proof of concept

Since neither the executive nor any other stakeholders have yet seen the new product described in the proposal, a tangible prototype should be built for everyone to start iterating from. Also, because not all the requirements are yet fleshed out, the proof of concept will help all stakeholders understand what they are getting into and come up with enhanced and new requirements. Creating a proof of concept is typically used in iterative project life cycles where teams work on a bounded timeframe, obtaining feedback along the way which they can analyze and rework on a subsequent iteration. 

Gathering requirements from all stakeholders would be appropriate for a predictive-type project. There is no need to create a product backlog or facilitate a daily stand-up yet, as customers may have differing ideas of what value means for them at this stage.

195.

In an XP team, a developer is writing acceptance tests before the new code is developed. What is this an example of?

  • Test-driven development

  • Refactoring

  • Pair programming

  • Unit testing

Correct answer: Test-driven development

In test-driven development, the tests are written before the code even exists. As the developer writes the new functionality, the test will fail and only pass when the functionality is complete.

Refactoring refers to rewriting the code to accommodate efficiencies and improvements to the code itself.

Pair programming deals with two or more developers working on a deliverable or a piece of code in conjunction to speed up the process and does not have to do with acceptance testing. 

Unit testing refers to testing code almost on a piecemeal basis, such as writing a few lines and running the code to ensure the larger components won't break due to the new code being introduced.

196.

An Agile team is completing the functionality needed in the current sprint. As they compile the code, they test the new functionality against what has already been built to make sure nothing breaks. 

What is this an example of?

  • Regression testing

  • Escaped defects

  • Demonstrations

  • Stand-up meetings

Correct answer: Regression testing

Regression testing is performed throughout the project. Regression testing ensures that new functionality does not break what has already been built by performing testing after the new code has been compiled.

Escaped defects are issues identified in the final product. This means that escaped defects avoided quality control and testing processes and ended up in the hands of the end user.

Demonstrations are events or ceremonies where the project team can demonstrate what they have built in the previous iteration.

Stand-up meetings are daily project team meetings where progress and impediments are discussed.

197.

Which Agile role is not required in iteration review meetings?

  • Project Sponsor

  • Product Owner

  • Scrum Master

  • Customer

Correct answer: Project Sponsor

The Project Sponsor is the project’s main advocate. This person provides the big picture of what the project aims to achieve. The Project Sponsor should be invited to the iteration review meetings but it is not required. Other roles that are required for this meeting are Product Owner, Scrum Master, customer, and Development team.

198.

As an Agile project manager, you are in the process of building a development team for a new project. You have identified several potential candidates for the team and are evaluating their skills and experience. 

Which of the following candidates is least likely to be part of the development team in an Agile project?

  • Project sponsor

  • Designer

  • Tester

  • Developer

Correct answer: Project sponsor

In an Agile project, the development or delivery team is a group in charge of building and testing the increment after each sprint. It could be composed of designers, testers, developers, analysts, technical writers, etc.

A project sponsor is a separate role played by a strong advocate. It is typically someone who provides the big picture of what the team is trying to achieve.

199.

Which of the following is not a Lean Product Development core concept?

  • Visualize the workflow

  • Deliver fast

  • Build quality in

  • Empower the team

Correct answer: Visualize the workflow

"Visualize the workflow" is one of the five Kanban principles, which also include:  

  1. Manage flow
  2. Limit WIP
  3. Make process policies explicit
  4. Improve collaboratively

Lean Product Development has seven core concepts that include: 

  1. Eliminate waste
  2. Empower the team
  3. Deliver fast
  4. Optimize the whole
  5. Build quality in
  6. Defer decisions
  7. Amplify learning

200.

Alejandra has plotted the cumulative income and spending for the Agile project she is running. She then calculates the net cash flow and charts it in the diagram. She observes that around mid-April of next year, when the income and spending are equal, the project investment will be recouped. What factor is Alejandra failing to account for in her financial evaluation? 

  •  Inflation rate 

  • Payback period

  • Project duration 

  • Payback rate 

Correct answer: Inflation rate 

When we need to calculate money expected to be received in the future, we need to account for the effects of inflation over time and any interest for any borrowed funds. Thus, from the options, inflation rate would be a factor that needs to be accounted for. Project duration should not be a factor because it should already be known. The payback period represents how long it will take the project or venture to return the investment. The payback period is also affected by changes in inflation and interest rates. Operating costs should have already been accounted for in the cumulative spending.

×