Eng.

Mahmoud Nassar Facebook Group: Agile Tips & Tricks

PMI-ACP Lesson Learned v3.0

Few Tips & Tricks on PMI-ACP Exam: -

The following notes are based on many collected notes from successful
engineers who passed the PMI-ACP Exam.

1. Study plan between 2 to 3 months. Plan is published on Agile Tips &

Trick FP Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/418680728933507/files/
2. Minor updates on the plan with done with Eng. Mahmoud depend in
each one free time.
3. It is Very important that you focus during the last month on solving
questions and exams for making sure you are ready for the exam.
4. Mike Griffith book is really one of the best books for preparation for the
exam while some people also prefer Headfirst from my side, I would
recommend any of them just chose one and follow it.
5. Currently I have published the PMI-ACP agile course in Arabic
https://www.udemy.com/course/pmi-acp-in-
arabic/?referralCode=9F47DB96E54BBE90B823

Solve PMI-ACP Real Practice Exam (3 full exams – 360 Questions).

[Questions are based on many experiences and many resources)
https://www.udemy.com/course/pmi-acp-real-practice-
exam/?referralCode=8483EC5F4F09C33D81D9

6. Solve the Exam Questions based on Agile Practice Guide (PMI-ACP) (2

short exams – 100 Questions) – very important questions where they
make you fully familiar with any question that may come from the Agile
practice guide.
https://www.udemy.com/course/questions-on-agile-practice-
guide/?referralCode=9B091232CA14D347455F
7. Solve the Headfirst exam in the end of Headfirst book (a bit hard but
recommended one)
8. Please take care that almost 90% of the questions are situational.
9. If you have PMP based change management aspect, it is hard to answer
correctly most of the question. Understanding the Agile mindset for
responding the changes is really important.
10. The roles and responsibilities of Scrum Master/Agile Coach/Team Lead,
Product Owner, Sponsor, Agile Practitioner should be clearly understand.
Eng. Mahmoud Nassar Facebook Group: Agile Tips & Tricks
PMI-ACP Lesson Learned v3.0

11. Most of the questions were asking “what should have been done” for a
case with an unwanted result, therefore considering preventive actions
was necessary.
12. As in PMP exam, some questions have more than one correct answer, the
best one should be chosen.
13. Some questions the best-known answer was not available in the choices,
therefore I had to decide the nearest correct answer.
14. Again, Very important to understand the Agile mindset, most of the
questions on the exam are situational questions. Asking you as (PO, Agile
Coach, etc.) what you will do in these situations.
15. Exam has few situations, around 3 and even sometimes 4 written lines.
Other than that, many short questions 2 lines max.

16.The exam questions are very intelligently designed and required a

thorough understanding of the subject to answer correctly. Most
questions are just one-liners, but the answer choices were superbly well-
crafted (and super tricky). Expect 120 question like this:

• 20 questions - straight forward questions, which anybody with reasonable

preparation could bag easily.
• 20 questions - could be answered by eliminating 3 wrong answer choices.
• 60 questions - 2 correct answer choices and required some reasoning or logic
to determine the better of the 2 choices.
• 10 questions - tough questions with 3 very close answer choices.
• 10 questions - I was not familiar with the topic.

17.Remember PMI-ACP exam has 20 pre-test questions. So, it the last 20

could in the pre-test category.
18. If you have real Agile practicing experience, it will help you a lot within
the exam.
19. Usually you will not have so much time to review questions as mention
exam have long questions.
20. PMI-ACP exam doesn’t have so much calculation questions 1, 2 max 3
questions.
21. Few questions on domain tasks
22. Not much questions on burnup & burndown as usual. Specially the
graphs ones.
23. Fully focus on understanding Agile Manifesto (4 values & 12 principles)
24. PMI-ACP is not easy exam. It is between medium to hard. You will need
to focus during the exam.
Eng. Mahmoud Nassar Facebook Group: Agile Tips & Tricks
PMI-ACP Lesson Learned v3.0

25. Few questions on MOSCO, Prioritization, Affinity, Estimation &

Persona
26. It is important to have a good knowlage on what is those terms and when
to use them:
Value stream map , Kanban board , burndown chart , information radiator,
interpersonal skill, servant leader ship, product backlog refinement, issues and
risks ,project charter, WIP

27. Up to 20 to 25 easy and direct questions

- Example 1: While you are choosing the sprint stories, which stories will
be the least to choose – you will not chose- (High Risk - low value)

- Example 2: You want to calculate your team Efficiency which activity

you will use, or you can calculate your efficiency using (Value Stream)

The Rest of questions are usually covering different areas. In

next points we try to cover them.
28. Questions with known ideas but the situation is a bit longer than normal.
29. Questions with known idea but the situation is fully new to the reader.
30. Questions with new and long situations and sometimes you would need
to read the questions two times to get what is needed.
31. Few questions with known situations, but the answers are quiet long one
or two line for each option.

32. Short questions one line but the answers are very tricky

- Example: You are selecting interpersonal skill from the following ones
to use. Within your team (Communication or Leadership). Best answer is
communication as sometimes they define Interpersonal skills as
communication between two or more people.

33. Questions with similar situations but one sentence is different. Then ask
you in this case what you will do or to whom you go.

- Example: Two similar questions with a bit different words then ask you who -
you will contact PO or stakeholder (for sure the case will make it easy to solve
the questions)
Eng. Mahmoud Nassar Facebook Group: Agile Tips & Tricks
PMI-ACP Lesson Learned v3.0

- If it is potential problem or risk usually contact Product Owner.

- If it is essential or major risk, contact Stakeholder

34. Few different situations with same answers, then each time as you what
you will chose. So, it is very important to understand the situation
correctly.

- Example: Two different questions with similar answers and ask you what is
the was not set correctly (definition of done or acceptance criteria).

- Example: The is disagreement on the requirement, someone say it is there

and another say it is not there and it is not meeting the requirement (definition
of done)
- Example: While you are presenting the demo, it was not accepted as it is not
meeting the requirements (acceptance Criteria)

35. Few questions come with long situation then ask you what you will do
next or what is the next step. This type of questions tests your
understanding of the Agile & Scrum Framework.
36. Questions tell you a story then ask you what you are doing now or in
which meeting you are now.

37. Questions count on your understanding of Scrum Master, PO, Agile

Coach roles.
38.Questions asks you (who takes the lead in this case)
39.Questions about the team and its characteristics (Self-organized – Self-
directed)
40.Questions that team found new innovative ways. So, should the team
implement it or return back to PO.

- Example: Your team made an innovative way to implement the solution in a

new way. Should the team directly implement it or check it with the product
owner
- One case team should directly implement it as team is self-organized and self-
directed - Another case you will need to return back to the case will clear it
fully

41. If you will have the exam at home. Take care of your network and also
know that your hands movement will be controlled J.
Eng. Mahmoud Nassar Facebook Group: Agile Tips & Tricks
PMI-ACP Lesson Learned v3.0

42.Very minor direct questions on agile methodologies. Asking you if this

XP or Scrum or Kanban.
43.Few indirect questions on agile methodologies. For example, long
situation and didn’t mention anything related to agile methodologies, then
ask you how to solve it. From the case the answer would be pair
programming.
44.Chart question with team behind schedule and then ask you what the
reason is.
45. Make sure you read the Agile practice guide and solve questions on it
46.Sometimes for none English native speakers some words may cause
confusion, but you would understand it from the case.

47.Questions that team, Scrum Master or PO in middle of sprint and there is

a problem. Then ask you or the team how will act.
48.Questions ask you as Agile coach how you will act when there are
issues/risks/dependencies/ changes.
49.Few questions in the answers give you famous word attract your eyes.
Don’t run directly to those answers without understanding the question.

Example: After describing the case ask you for the solution and you see
in the answer (Describe or explain to the customer working software is
better than compressive documentation or other agile values) Usually
those are tricky questions make sure you understand it very good as the
answer in many case is not that easy choice. Sometimes implement the
solution or discuss the solution with the customer or the product owner
before you implement it.
50.For sure some of the questions can be answered with those famous
words. (Be smart)
Example: A questions about senior manager is asking for many reports –
educate him that the agile working software is over comprehensive
documentation
Example: question a senior manager is asking for many reports – refer
him to the information radiator.
51.Win time from the easy questions don’t spend too much time on it

52.Questions about Osmatic communication & Located team

53.Few words will make you to avoid such answers as [Force, push, etc.]
54.Few words will make you to choose/ thinks in those answers [guide,
support, help, etc.]
Eng. Mahmoud Nassar Facebook Group: Agile Tips & Tricks
PMI-ACP Lesson Learned v3.0

55.Many questions the customer complain about the product and ask you
as a product owner or scrum master how you will act
56.Question about estimation and mention one of the criteria of affinity and
that will be the answer

57. A question about two teams and comparison about them after giving
you the velocity of each team then ask you is it possible to compare
between the two teams
58.A question about two teams and comparison about them after giving you
the velocity of each team then ask which team you prefer the team who
finish early or the team who do his work in a better way/quality.
59.Question about a team member who came with innovative idea and ask
for permission to make it. Then ask you what you will do:
support him & let him try it in the next iteration.
60.Question about a team member is overloaded and is thinking that the
work has no end. (To give him a break or to give him vacation)
61.Product Owner is not needed to attend sprint regular meetings. Only
some of them.

62.Few important documents to review mentioned below. All links are from
the group. You need to have access to Agile Tips & Tricks group.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/418680728933507/files/

63.For each question, there is a keyword for the answer .... find it ! Think
Agile not PM
64.the retrospective meeting is used to check what went good in the last
sprint and enable improving for next iteration
65.as agile coach you reward and recognize innovative failure. Its ok to fail
as long as team learn and improve.
66.Sprint review is a collaborative meeting between the product owner,
team, Scum Master and other stakeholders.
67.Product Owner is not needed to attend sprint regural meetings. Only
some of them.
68.Experience team member to be hired by another company, your action –
focus on knowledge retention
Eng. Mahmoud Nassar Facebook Group: Agile Tips & Tricks
PMI-ACP Lesson Learned v3.0

69.Sprint retrospective is an opportunity for the team to inspect itself and

create a plan for improvements to be enacted during the next sprint.
70.One more deeply understand the scrum ceremonies (A lot of questions
will ask you, during the retrospective what you should do, or you are in
situation in which meeting you should discuss it)

71.Two teams are working on same project and they are cooperative, check
what is reason for that and make sure both teams understand the
project vision and scope.
72.We communicate in two ways, synchronously and asynchronously.
Synchronous communication is when people are focused continuously
until the communication is finished. Asynchronous communication is
using a pattern that allows for focusing on something else while waiting
for the other person to formulate a response. Increasing asynchronous
communication is a good place to start.
73. Know the prioritization-techniques such as [Moscow, Kano model, Risk-
value quadrant, ..etc.]
74.There are several ways we can make non-functional requirements visible
in an Agile context. The most common ways of doing this are with an
explicit backlog item, as Acceptance Criteria, or as part of the team’s
Definition of Done.

75.Review Very Important-Notes from PMI-ACP Domain

76.Review Scrum events or ceremonies
77.Review the PMI-ACP domain tasks
78.Review the PMI- ACP-Glossary
79.Follow the Agile Tips & Tricks group to get all the updates
80. Additional information about the FP group, agile course and Exam questions.

FP Group
-PMI-ACP course in Arabic
‫ﻛورس ﻣﻣﺎرس ﻣﻧﮭﺟﯾﺔ اﻷﺟﺎﯾل‬
PMI-ACP Real Practice Exam
Exam Questions based on Agile
Practice Guide (PMI-ACP)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/418680728933507/
https://www.udemy.com/course/pmi-acp-in-
arabic/?referralCode=9F47DB96E54BBE90B823
https://www.udemy.com/course/pmi-acp-real-practice-
exam/?referralCode=8483EC5F4F09C33D81D9
https://www.udemy.com/course/questions-on-agile-
practice-guide/?referralCode=9B091232CA14D347455F