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ACP-520 practice questions

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Question 1Agile values and principles

Which artifact in Scrum is the single source of truth for the work the team plans to deliver in the current sprint?

  1. The sprint backlog Correct answer.
  2. The definition of done
  3. The product roadmap
  4. The release burndown

Explanation

The sprint backlog is the set of product backlog items selected for the sprint plus the plan for delivering them. It is owned by the developers and updated as work is understood. Other artifacts describe broader or different concerns.

Question 2Agile values and principles

In the Agile Manifesto, which value is listed as preferred over comprehensive documentation?

  1. Following a plan
  2. Process and tools
  3. Working software Correct answer.
  4. Contract negotiation

Explanation

The manifesto values working software over comprehensive documentation. The remaining items pair with different values: contract negotiation pairs with customer collaboration, process and tools with individuals and interactions, and following a plan with responding to change.

Question 3Agile values and principles

A team holds a short daily event where each member discusses progress toward the sprint goal and any impediments. Which Scrum event is this?

  1. Sprint retrospective
  2. Sprint review
  3. Daily scrum Correct answer.
  4. Backlog refinement

Explanation

The daily scrum is a short, timeboxed event for the developers to inspect progress toward the sprint goal and adapt the plan. It is not a status report to management. The other events serve different inspection purposes.

Question 4Agile values and principles

What is the primary purpose of a sprint retrospective?

  1. To plan which items enter the next sprint
  2. To demonstrate the increment to stakeholders
  3. To estimate the effort for upcoming backlog items
  4. To inspect how the team worked and identify improvements Correct answer.

Explanation

The retrospective is the event where the team inspects its process, interactions, and tools and identifies changes to improve effectiveness. Demonstrating work belongs to the review, and planning belongs to sprint planning.

Question 5Agile values and principles

Who is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the scrum team?

  1. The stakeholders
  2. The product owner Correct answer.
  3. The scrum master
  4. The developers

Explanation

The product owner is accountable for product value and for managing the product backlog effectively. The scrum master serves the team's process, and developers create the increment. Stakeholders provide input but do not own value maximization.

Question 6Agile values and principles

Which statement best describes an agile principle regarding delivering value?

  1. Deliver documentation at each phase gate before software.
  2. Deliver software only after all requirements are fully specified.
  3. Deliver working software only at the end of a fixed contract.
  4. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. Correct answer.

Explanation

An agile principle calls for delivering working software frequently, with a preference for shorter timescales. This favors early and continuous value delivery. The other options describe phase-gated or contract-bound delivery.

Question 7Agile values and principles

What does the definition of done provide to a scrum team?

  1. A schedule of sprint events for the quarter
  2. A shared understanding of the quality required for an increment Correct answer.
  3. A ranking of backlog items by business value
  4. A list of stakeholders who must approve releases

Explanation

The definition of done is a formal description of the state of the increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. It creates transparency and a shared standard. It is not a schedule, approval list, or prioritization tool.

Question 8Agile values and principles

A cross-functional team can take a feature from idea through deployment without handoffs to other groups. Which agile concept does this illustrate?

  1. Timeboxing
  2. Incremental delivery
  3. Cross-functionality Correct answer.
  4. Self-organization

Explanation

Cross-functionality means the team collectively possesses the skills needed to deliver value without depending on outside groups. Timeboxing concerns fixed time limits, and self-organization concerns how the team manages its own work. Incremental delivery concerns building in slices.

Question 9Agile values and principles

During a sprint, a developer discovers a simpler way to implement a feature that changes the planned technical approach. What does agile guidance suggest?

  1. Continue with the original plan to preserve the sprint commitment.
  2. Adapt the approach now while keeping focus on the sprint goal. Correct answer.
  3. Escalate to the product owner for written approval before changing.
  4. Defer the improvement to a future sprint regardless of impact.

Explanation

Agile teams respond to change and inspect and adapt continuously, so the team should adjust its approach while protecting the sprint goal. Rigid adherence to an original plan undermines agility. Improvements need not wait if they serve the goal.

Question 10Agile values and principles

A product owner wants to add a high-value item mid-sprint that would jeopardize the sprint goal. What is the most aligned action?

  1. Collaborate with the developers to assess impact and decide together Correct answer.
  2. Reject the idea until the next quarterly planning cycle
  3. Ask the scrum master to add it to the sprint backlog directly
  4. Instruct the developers to add it immediately without discussion

Explanation

Scope changes mid-sprint are negotiated between the product owner and developers, weighing value against the sprint goal. Unilateral changes by either party undermine collaboration. Deferring all changes to a distant cycle is also overly rigid.

Question 11Agile values and principles

A team consistently finishes only half of the items it forecasts each sprint. Which agile response is most appropriate?

  1. Extend the sprint length to absorb the shortfall
  2. Add more developers to increase capacity
  3. Remove estimation entirely to avoid the mismatch
  4. Use retrospective data to improve forecasting and slice work smaller Correct answer.

Explanation

Inspect-and-adapt suggests using retrospective evidence to improve forecasting and reduce item size so commitments become realistic. Adding people or lengthening sprints treats symptoms rather than the estimation problem. Removing estimation removes useful transparency.

Question 12Agile values and principles

A stakeholder asks the team to produce a detailed Gantt chart with fixed task assignments for the next six months. Which response best reflects agile values?

  1. Produce the chart because predictability outweighs adaptation
  2. Offer a lightweight roadmap with rolling forecasts and regular reviews Correct answer.
  3. Refuse all forecasting and provide no visibility
  4. Commit to the chart but quietly change dates later

Explanation

Agile favors responding to change and customer collaboration, so a lightweight roadmap with rolling forecasts and frequent reviews balances visibility with adaptability. A rigid six-month chart assumes requirements will not change. Refusing all forecasting harms transparency.

Question 13Agile values and principles

Which practice best demonstrates the agile principle of sustainable pace?

  1. Maintaining a consistent, sustainable workload over time Correct answer.
  2. Compressing testing to hit every deadline
  3. Working overtime each sprint to maximize output
  4. Adding weekend work before each release

Explanation

Sustainable pace means the team maintains a workload it can sustain indefinitely without burnout. Chronic overtime and compressed testing erode quality and long-term productivity. Sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace.

Question 14Agile values and principles

A team delivers a potentially shippable increment every sprint but rarely releases to production. Which agile principle is most directly underused?

  1. Welcome changing requirements
  2. Simplicity
  3. Face-to-face conversation
  4. Deliver working software frequently Correct answer.

Explanation

The principle of delivering working software frequently emphasizes short timescales and frequent delivery to users, not merely producing increments internally. Simplicity concerns maximizing work not done, and conversation concerns communication.

Question 15Agile values and principles

What is the main benefit of timeboxing sprint events?

  1. It allows events to extend when discussions run long
  2. It creates focus and predictable cadence that limits scope creep Correct answer.
  3. It removes the need for a facilitator
  4. It guarantees every agenda item is fully discussed

Explanation

Timeboxes create focus and a predictable rhythm while capping the time spent on any event, which curbs unproductive expansion. They do not guarantee full coverage of every topic, and facilitation remains valuable.

Question 16Agile values and principles

A scrum master notices the team waits for direction on every task. Which action best supports self-organization?

  1. Escalate the behavior to management for correction
  2. Assign each task to a specific developer daily
  3. Take over planning to speed up decisions
  4. Encourage the team to decide how to divide and approach work Correct answer.

Explanation

Self-organizing teams choose how best to accomplish their work rather than being directed. Encouraging the team to make these decisions builds ownership. Assigning tasks or escalating removes that autonomy.

Question 17Agile values and principles

Why does agile favor face-to-face conversation as the most effective form of communication?

  1. It scales better than any other channel
  2. It conveys nuance and enables rapid clarification Correct answer.
  3. It eliminates the need for documentation entirely
  4. It produces a written record for audits

Explanation

Face-to-face conversation is valued because it conveys tone, context, and nuance and enables immediate clarification. It does not replace all documentation, nor is it the best channel for scaling or record-keeping.

Question 18Agile values and principles

A team keeps its definition of done weak, allowing unfinished work into the increment. What is the most likely consequence?

  1. Faster and more accurate release decisions
  2. Improved ability to respond to change
  3. Increased transparency for stakeholders
  4. Higher technical debt and hidden rework Correct answer.

Explanation

A weak definition of done lets incomplete or low-quality work accumulate, creating technical debt and hidden rework. It reduces transparency rather than increasing it and undermines reliable release decisions.

Question 19Agile values and principles

Which scenario best reflects the agile value of customer collaboration over contract negotiation?

  1. Enforcing contract terms strictly regardless of changing needs
  2. Relying on the contract to resolve all disagreements
  3. Limiting customer contact to formal change requests
  4. Involving the customer regularly to shape the product together Correct answer.

Explanation

Customer collaboration means working closely with the customer to shape the product throughout delivery rather than relying solely on contractual terms. Regular involvement enables shared ownership and adaptation. The other options reflect a contract-first stance.

Question 20Agile values and principles

A team uses a Kanban board with work-in-progress limits. Which agile outcome does this most directly support?

  1. Maximizing the number of items started in parallel
  2. Reducing multitasking and improving flow Correct answer.
  3. Eliminating the need for a retrospective
  4. Guaranteeing a fixed delivery date

Explanation

WIP limits constrain concurrent work, which reduces multitasking and improves flow and throughput. They do not guarantee dates, remove the need for reflection, or increase the number of items started.

Question 21Agile values and principles

In Scrum, what happens to the sprint backlog once the sprint begins?

  1. It is controlled exclusively by the product owner
  2. It is owned and updated by the developers as they learn more Correct answer.
  3. It is replaced by the product backlog each day
  4. It is frozen until the sprint review

Explanation

The sprint backlog is owned by the developers and emerges as more is learned during the sprint. It is not frozen, and the product owner does not control its day-to-day content. The product backlog remains separate.

Question 22Agile values and principles

A large organization wants to scale agile across many teams. Which foundational condition best enables this?

  1. Removing retrospectives to save time across teams
  2. Each team adopting a different process with no shared agreements
  3. Strong cross-team alignment on goals and a shared definition of done Correct answer.
  4. Centralizing all decisions with a single program manager

Explanation

Scaling depends on alignment around shared goals and common quality standards so increments integrate coherently. Divergent processes and centralized decision-making undermine team autonomy, and removing reflection removes the engine of improvement.

Question 23Agile values and principles

A team is asked to 'embrace changing requirements, even late in development.' Which underlying rationale best explains this principle?

  1. Changing requirements can yield competitive advantage for the customer Correct answer.
  2. Requirements should never be baselined at all
  3. Change requests eliminate the need for prioritization
  4. Late changes are always cheaper than early ones

Explanation

The principle rests on the idea that responding to change can deliver competitive advantage to the customer, so agility has value even late. It does not claim late changes are always cheaper, that requirements are never baselined, or that prioritization becomes unnecessary.

Question 24Agile values and principles

A product owner orders the backlog purely by effort, placing the smallest items first. Which risk does this most directly create?

  1. The team will be unable to estimate effort accurately
  2. The sprint goal becomes impossible to define
  3. The definition of done will be violated
  4. The team may deliver low-value items ahead of high-value ones Correct answer.

Explanation

Backlog ordering should maximize value, so ordering solely by size can push high-value work behind trivial items. Estimation accuracy, sprint goal definition, and the definition of done are separate concerns not directly caused by this ordering.

Question 25Agile values and principles

A team claims to be agile but delivers in a single big-bang release after twelve months of phase-gated work. Which combination of agile principles is most clearly violated?

  1. Sustainable pace and technical excellence
  2. Simplicity and face-to-face conversation
  3. Frequent delivery of working software and responding to change Correct answer.
  4. Self-organization and motivation

Explanation

A twelve-month big-bang release after phase gates contradicts frequent delivery of working software and the ability to respond to change late in development. The other principle pairs are not the ones most directly contradicted by this pattern.

Question 26Agile values and principles

Which statement best captures the agile principle about working software as a measure of progress?

  1. Customer satisfaction surveys are the primary measure of progress.
  2. Comprehensive documentation is the primary measure of progress.
  3. Working software is the primary measure of progress. Correct answer.
  4. Adherence to plan is the primary measure of progress.

Explanation

The Agile Manifesto states that working software is the primary measure of progress. This principle emphasizes that tangible, functioning software provides the most reliable indication of a team's progress, rather than intermediate artifacts or plans.

Question 27Agile values and principles

A team holds a daily stand-up where each member answers: What did I do yesterday? What will I do today? Are there any impediments? Which agile principle does this practice most directly support?

  1. Face-to-face conversation-the most efficient and effective method of conveying information. Correct answer.
  2. Sustainable development-the team maintains a constant pace indefinitely.
  3. Simplicity-maximizing the amount of work not done.
  4. Self-organizing teams-the best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.

Explanation

The daily stand-up is a face-to-face communication event where team members synchronize their work and surface impediments. This directly reflects the agile principle that face-to-face conversation is the most efficient and effective method of conveying information within a development team.

Question 28Agile values and principles

According to the Agile Manifesto, which item is valued more than comprehensive documentation?

  1. Contract negotiation
  2. Following a plan
  3. Processes and tools
  4. Working software Correct answer.

Explanation

One of the four values of the Agile Manifesto is 'Working software over comprehensive documentation.' This means that while documentation has value, delivering functioning software is prioritized.

Question 29Agile values and principles

A team is struggling to deliver a potentially shippable increment every sprint because they keep refining their processes. Which agile principle suggests they should focus on technical excellence and good design to enhance agility?

  1. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility. Correct answer.
  2. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months.
  3. Agile processes promote sustainable development.
  4. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.

Explanation

The principle 'Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility' directly addresses the need for high-quality engineering practices to maintain a shippable increment. By focusing on technical excellence, teams can reduce defects and rework, thereby improving their ability to deliver each sprint.

Question 30Agile values and principles

Which statement best describes the agile principle regarding simplicity?

  1. Simplicity means reducing the number of features to the absolute minimum.
  2. Simplicity is the art of maximizing the amount of work not done. Correct answer.
  3. Simplicity means avoiding any design upfront.
  4. Simplicity requires eliminating all documentation.

Explanation

The Agile Manifesto principle states: 'Simplicity-the art of maximizing the amount of work not done-is essential.' This means focusing on delivering only what is necessary and avoiding unnecessary complexity or features.

Question 31Agile frameworks and practices

In Scrum, which role is solely accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team?

  1. The stakeholders who fund the work
  2. The Development Team collectively
  3. The Product Owner Correct answer.
  4. The Scrum Master

Explanation

Scrum assigns product value maximization to a single accountable person, the Product Owner, who orders the Product Backlog accordingly. Accountability is not shared with the Scrum Master or the developers, though the Product Owner collaborates with them.

Question 32Agile frameworks and practices

What is the maximum recommended length of a Sprint in Scrum?

  1. Three months
  2. Two weeks
  3. One month Correct answer.
  4. Six weeks

Explanation

Scrum caps Sprint length at one month to keep complexity and risk bounded and to preserve frequent inspection opportunities. Shorter Sprints are permitted, but never longer than one month.

Question 33Agile frameworks and practices

Which artifact is described as an ordered list of what is needed to improve the product, with the most valuable items at the top?

  1. The Increment
  2. The Definition of Done
  3. The Sprint Backlog
  4. The Product Backlog Correct answer.

Explanation

The Product Backlog is an emergent, ordered list of everything that may be needed to improve the product, with higher-value items typically nearer the top. The Sprint Backlog is a subset plus a plan for a single Sprint.

Question 34Agile frameworks and practices

In Kanban, what does a work-in-progress (WIP) limit primarily accomplish?

  1. It fixes the total number of items a team may complete per quarter
  2. It guarantees every item meets the Definition of Done
  3. It assigns each item to a named owner
  4. It caps concurrent items to expose bottlenecks and improve flow Correct answer.

Explanation

WIP limits constrain how many items may occupy a workflow state at once, which surfaces bottlenecks and encourages finishing work before starting more. They govern flow, not long-term throughput targets or ownership.

Question 35Agile frameworks and practices

What is the purpose of a Daily Scrum?

  1. To refine and estimate backlog items for the next Sprint
  2. To demonstrate completed work to stakeholders
  3. To inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the plan Correct answer.
  4. To decide whether the Sprint should be cancelled

Explanation

The Daily Scrum is a short daily event where developers inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adjust their plan for the next day. It is not a status report to management nor a stakeholder demo.

Question 36Agile frameworks and practices

Which statement best describes an Agile Manifesto value regarding documentation?

  1. Documentation must be eliminated on Agile teams
  2. Working software is valued over comprehensive documentation Correct answer.
  3. Documentation is valued equally with working software
  4. Only user-facing documentation is permitted

Explanation

The manifesto values working software over comprehensive documentation while still acknowledging value in documentation. The phrasing is comparative, not a call to remove documentation entirely.

Question 37Agile frameworks and practices

In Scrum, who is responsible for creating the Definition of Done if the organization has not already standardized one?

  1. The Scrum Team Correct answer.
  2. The Scrum Master alone
  3. An external quality assurance group
  4. The Product Owner alone

Explanation

If the organization has no shared standard, the Scrum Team creates a Definition of Done appropriate to the product. It must be applied to every Increment, and multiple teams on one product should share it.

Question 38Agile frameworks and practices

Which practice is central to Extreme Programming (XP) for ensuring code quality through paired effort?

  1. Collective code ownership
  2. Continuous integration
  3. Pair programming Correct answer.
  4. Test-driven development

Explanation

Pair programming is the XP practice in which two developers work together at one workstation, continuously reviewing each other's work. The other listed practices are also XP practices but address different quality concerns.

Question 39Agile frameworks and practices

A team's Sprint Review keeps turning into a one-way slide presentation with no stakeholder discussion. Which change best restores the event's intended purpose?

  1. Invite stakeholders to inspect the Increment and collaborate on what to do next Correct answer.
  2. Move the Review to after the Retrospective so feedback can be applied
  3. Replace the Review with a written status report sent to stakeholders
  4. Extend the presentation to cover every completed backlog item in detail

Explanation

The Sprint Review is a working session where stakeholders inspect the Increment and collaborate on adapting the Product Backlog. Replacing presentation with inspection and dialogue restores that purpose.

Question 40Agile frameworks and practices

A Scrum Team consistently finishes only about half of the items it selects for a Sprint. Which action best reflects empirical process control?

  1. Ask the Product Owner to lower the Definition of Done for the Sprint
  2. Inspect why items carry over and adjust selection or slicing in the Retrospective Correct answer.
  3. Add a buffer of extra items so the team appears to complete its forecast
  4. Extend the Sprint length so more items can be completed

Explanation

Empiricism calls for transparent inspection of the shortfall and adaptation of how work is selected or sliced. The Retrospective is the natural venue for that analysis and change.

Question 41Agile frameworks and practices

During a Sprint, a developer discovers that a backlog item needs significantly more work than estimated. What is the most appropriate Scrum response?

  1. Collaborate with the Product Owner to renegotiate scope while protecting the Sprint Goal Correct answer.
  2. Add the overrun to the next Sprint without informing the Product Owner
  3. Ask the Scrum Master to reassign the item to another team
  4. Silently extend the Sprint by a few days to finish the item

Explanation

Scope within a Sprint may be clarified and renegotiated with the Product Owner as more is learned, provided the Sprint Goal stays intact. The Sprint timebox itself is not extended.

Question 42Agile frameworks and practices

A product team wants to reduce the risk of releasing a large batch of changes at once. Which Agile practice most directly addresses this?

  1. Writing a more detailed release plan up front
  2. Delivering small, frequent increments to production Correct answer.
  3. Requiring sign-off from every stakeholder before each release
  4. Increasing the Sprint length to batch more work

Explanation

Small, frequent increments reduce batch size, making each release easier to validate and roll back and surfacing feedback sooner. Larger plans or batches increase risk rather than reduce it.

Question 43Agile frameworks and practices

A Scrum Master notices the team treats the Retrospective as a complaint session with no follow-through. Which approach best improves outcomes?

  1. Remove the Retrospective until the team is more mature
  2. Lengthen the Retrospective so every complaint can be aired fully
  3. Help the team pick a small number of actionable improvements and track them Correct answer.
  4. Have the Scrum Master personally implement all suggested changes

Explanation

Effective Retrospectives produce a few concrete, owned improvements that are tracked in later Sprints. Focusing on a small set of actions increases the chance of real change.

Question 44Agile frameworks and practices

Which situation best illustrates servant leadership as practiced by a Scrum Master?

  1. Removing an organizational impediment that blocks the team's progress Correct answer.
  2. Setting the team's velocity target for the quarter
  3. Approving or rejecting the team's Sprint forecasts
  4. Directing which developer works on which backlog item

Explanation

Servant leadership focuses on the team's needs, including removing impediments and coaching. It does not involve directing task assignment or setting productivity targets.

Question 45Agile frameworks and practices

In Kanban, a team's cycle time is rising while throughput stays flat. Which diagnostic step is most appropriate?

  1. Examine where items queue and where WIP limits are being exceeded Correct answer.
  2. Reduce the Definition of Done to move items faster
  3. Raise all WIP limits so more work can start
  4. Add more items to the backlog to keep the team busy

Explanation

Rising cycle time with flat throughput suggests queues or exceeded WIP limits are slowing flow. Inspecting where work accumulates and whether limits are respected targets the actual constraint.

Question 46Agile frameworks and practices

A team is adopting Scrum and asks how much detail backlog items need before a Sprint. What guidance fits Scrum best?

  1. Only the Product Owner may write acceptance criteria for any item
  2. Every item in the backlog must be fully specified before any Sprint begins
  3. Items should be estimated only after development has started
  4. Items near the top are refined just enough to be ready for the next Sprint Correct answer.

Explanation

Backlog refinement is ongoing and proportional: items likely to be worked soon are detailed enough to be ready, while distant items stay coarse. Full up-front specification contradicts emergent planning.

Question 47Agile frameworks and practices

Which metric best indicates whether a team is delivering value frequently rather than merely working hard?

  1. The number of hours each developer logs
  2. The count of backlog items created this quarter
  3. The number of meetings held per Sprint
  4. The frequency of releases of usable increments Correct answer.

Explanation

Agile favors frequent delivery of usable increments as evidence of value flow. Effort, backlog size, and meeting counts do not demonstrate delivered value.

Question 48Agile frameworks and practices

A cross-functional team includes testers, developers, and a designer. Which characteristic most makes the team self-managing in Scrum?

  1. Work is routed through a separate coordination manager
  2. The Scrum Master assigns each member a specialty task daily
  3. The Product Owner approves each member's daily task list
  4. The team decides internally how to turn backlog items into increments Correct answer.

Explanation

Self-managing Scrum teams decide internally who does what, when, and how to produce increments. External assignment of tasks or routing through a coordinator undercuts self-management.

Question 49Agile frameworks and practices

An organization wants to scale Agile across several teams working on one product. Which practice best supports a single coherent product direction?

  1. Letting each team keep a fully independent backlog and roadmap
  2. Maintaining one ordered Product Backlog with a shared Product Owner accountability Correct answer.
  3. Assigning a separate product owner per component with no coordination
  4. Having each team define its own separate Definition of Done

Explanation

A single ordered backlog with clear product accountability keeps multiple teams aligned on one direction. Fragmented backlogs and separate quality standards create divergence.

Question 50Agile frameworks and practices

In test-driven development, what is the correct order of activities?

  1. Refactor first, then write tests, then write code
  2. Write a failing test, make it pass, then refactor Correct answer.
  3. Write the code, then write tests to match it
  4. Write all tests for the release, then begin coding

Explanation

TDD follows a red-green-refactor cycle: a failing test is written first, code is added to make it pass, and then the code is refactored. This keeps design driven by tests.