PMI-ACP® Prep Hub — Free Agile Practice Questions, Flashcards & Mock Exams
PMI-ACP® Prep Hub is a free, all-in-one preparation tool for the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® exam, with 1,500 ECO-aligned practice questions, active-recall flashcards, 50 applied case studies and 5 full-length mock exams across the Mindset (28%), Leadership (25%), Product (19%) and Delivery (28%) domains. Every question maps to a task and enabler in the PMI-ACP® Examination Content Outline (November 2024). This content is loaded interactively; the summary below is provided for search engines and readers without JavaScript. Last reviewed: 2026-09-13.
Exam at a glance
- Questions: 120 (100 scored + 20 unscored pretest)
- Time: 180 minutes (3 hours)
- Domains & weight: Mindset 28% · Leadership 25% · Product 19% · Delivery 28%
- Contact hours: 21 hours of agile training required before the exam
- Renewal: 30 PDUs every 3-year cycle (minimum 18 Education)
The 24 PMI-ACP® ECO tasks (November 2024)
Domain 1 - Mindset (28%, 7 tasks)
- MIND1 — Experiment Early: Build an increment of the product to validate solution and/or market need; Create an environment to innovate, learn, and grow.
- MIND2 — Embrace Agile Mindset: Use agile values and principles; Apply the appropriate complexity method/domain to the complexity theory system (i.e., CAS, Stacey Matrix, Cynefin) to classify scenarios; Identify the application and importance or risks of each complexity system theory given a specific scenario (and more).
- MIND3 — Promote Collaborative Team Environment: Establish team vision and working agreements; Form and develop a high performing team; Use retrospective findings to improve the team (and more).
- MIND4 — Build Transparency: Make status, progress, process, risks, impediments, and learning accessible to all (e.g., using information radiators); Establish a feedback loop for team; Define communication strategies for co-located and distributed teams.
- MIND5 — Foster Psychological Safety: Promote a no blame culture by encouraging objectivity; Encourage dialogue over debate; Solicit and provide constructive feedback, and act on it (and more).
- MIND6 — Shorten Feedback Loops: Include the stakeholders from day one; Maximize value given a specific timeframe; Use tools and techniques to shorten feedback (e.g., design thinking and lean startup).
- MIND7 — Embrace Change: Promote a growth mindset to respond to change; Embrace process adaptation by responding to changing requirements and priorities; Encourage and model cross skills (e.g., generalizing specialists) (and more).
Domain 2 - Leadership (25%, 6 tasks)
- LEAD1 — Empower Teams: Establish an environment of trust (e.g., enable transparent communication); Motivate team members (e.g., to experiment and/or take risks); Coach and mentor team members (and more).
- LEAD2 — Facilitate Problem Resolution: Investigate the root cause of problems (e.g., root cause analysis, Ishikawa); Determine the resolution strategies with the team that will add the most value; Ensure the problems are resolved in a timely manner.
- LEAD3 — Promote Knowledge Sharing: Create an environment to capture and share knowledge (e.g., Lessons Learned, Retrospectives, Communities of Practice); Leverage organizational knowledge assets (e.g., previous initiatives, expert insights, documented processes); Allocate time for knowledge sharing and updates to improve team efficiency.
- LEAD4 — Promote Agile Mindset Principles and Practices: Create awareness around the agile values and principles; Foster an environment for continuous improvement; Recognize, reward, and encourage agile behavior.
- LEAD5 — Promote Shared Vision and Purpose: Define and ensure there is a common understanding of the purpose and vision with all stakeholders; Ensure product is always aligned to the vision and organizational goals; Continuously communicate the vision and purpose.
- LEAD6 — Facilitate Conflict Management: Identify the root cause and the level of the conflict; Promote collaborative approach to solve the conflict.
Domain 3 - Product (19%, 4 tasks)
- PROD1 — Refine Product Backlog: Clarify the backlog items; Prioritize the backlog items with the customer/stakeholder; Break down backlog items as needed (and more).
- PROD2 — Manage Increments: Ensure increment is aligned with business priorities; Define the increment goals; Demonstrate increments of value for early feedback (and more).
- PROD3 — Visualize Work: Educate work visualization techniques; Establish a process to update the data/stats; Continuously share information.
- PROD4 — Manage Value Delivery: Define what value will look like (e.g., success criteria, sustainability, security, privacy, regulatory, compliance); Ensure the value increments are optimized; Ensure that the targeted results are achieved (e.g., customer satisfaction, increase in sales).
Domain 4 - Delivery (28%, 7 tasks)
- DEL1 — Seek Early Feedback: Evaluate customer satisfaction; Deliver work in small increments; Collect and incorporate stakeholders' feedback on a regular basis.
- DEL2 — Manage Agile Metrics: Determine which metrics are appropriate for a given audience; Radiate metrics across the relevant audience; Review and analyze metrics (and more).
- DEL3 — Manage Impediments and Risk: Proactively identify risks and impediments; Engage the team to find the most appropriate course of action; Prioritize impediment removal and risk mitigation activities (and more).
- DEL4 — Recognize and Eliminate Waste: Visualize the end-to-end flow of value in the system (e.g., value added, non-value added); Use metrics, tools and feedback loops to identify waste; Prioritize waste reduction activities (and more).
- DEL5 — Perform Continuous Improvements: Obtain metrics and feedback to drive continuous improvements; Implement improvement actions; Evaluate the effectiveness of process improvement.
- DEL6 — Actively Engage Customers: Identify and analyze customer and their needs; Validate that iteration deliverables meet acceptance criteria; Encourage collaboration between customer and team.
- DEL7 — Optimize Flow: Limit work-in-progress at all levels; Shield team from interruptions (e.g., create team interfaces); Use metrics to analyze and improve flow.
Sample PMI-ACP® practice questions
What is the PRIMARY purpose of building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)? (Mindset — Experiment Early)
Answer: To test a core hypothesis about the product with real users, using the least amount of effort needed to gather valid learning
An MVP exists specifically to validate a hypothesis with minimal effort — not simply to minimize scope for its own sake, satisfy compliance, or serve as a final deliverable.
According to the Agile Manifesto, which of the following is valued MORE, while the other is still valued? (Mindset — Embrace Agile Mindset)
Answer: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
The Manifesto explicitly states 'Individuals and interactions over processes and tools' as one of its four core value statements — the reverse framings in the other options misstate the actual Manifesto values.
Why should a newly formed agile team establish a clear, shared vision early on? (Mindset — Promote Collaborative Team Environment)
Answer: A shared vision aligns the team around a common purpose, helping guide decisions and prioritization throughout the work
A shared vision genuinely aligns decision-making and prioritization — a substantive practice (not ceremonial), ideally co-created with the team (not imposed solely from leadership), and established early (not near completion).
What is an 'information radiator' in the context of agile team transparency? (Mindset — Build Transparency)
Answer: A highly visible display (physical or digital) that communicates key information such as status, progress, or impediments to anyone passing by
An information radiator is specifically designed for broad, passive visibility (e.g., a Kanban board) — the opposite of a confidential document, an infrequent executive-only report, or a private one-on-one channel.
Why should a team foster a 'no blame' culture when investigating a problem or defect? (Mindset — Foster Psychological Safety)
Answer: A no-blame culture encourages people to speak honestly about mistakes, supporting genuine root-cause learning rather than defensive silence
A no-blame culture genuinely encourages honest disclosure supporting root-cause learning — it does not eliminate accountability, has real practical effect (not merely a slogan), and applies broadly, not just to low-risk contexts.
Why should relevant stakeholders be included from the very beginning of a project, rather than only being engaged once significant work has already been completed? (Mindset — Shorten Feedback Loops)
Answer: Early involvement allows stakeholders to shape direction and catch misalignments before significant resources are invested in an incorrect direction
Early involvement genuinely allows course-correction before significant investment — waiting until completion forfeits this benefit, early involvement can actually prevent costly rework (not simply slow things down), and this principle applies to internal stakeholders too, not just external customers.
What is the core distinction between a 'growth mindset' and a 'fixed mindset,' as relevant to responding to change? (Mindset — Embrace Change)
Answer: A growth mindset views abilities and circumstances as capable of developing through effort and learning, while a fixed mindset views them as static and unchangeable
This is the foundational distinction from Carol Dweck's research — growth mindset embraces development through effort, while fixed mindset assumes static traits; a growth mindset doesn't mean uncritical agreement, and a fixed mindset is generally poorly suited to agile, adaptive environments.
Why is establishing trust considered foundational to empowering an agile team? (Leadership — Empower Teams)
Answer: Team members are more likely to take genuine initiative, share honest concerns, and self-organize effectively when they trust one another and their leader
Genuine trust directly enables initiative, honesty, and self-organization — core requirements for empowerment. Trust doesn't automatically exist and requires deliberate effort, and this concern applies broadly, not just to safety-critical work.
Why is investigating the ROOT CAUSE of a problem generally more valuable than simply addressing its immediate symptom? (Leadership — Facilitate Problem Resolution)
Answer: Addressing only the symptom risks the same underlying problem recurring, while addressing the root cause helps prevent recurrence
Addressing only symptoms risks recurrence, while root cause investigation genuinely helps prevent it — this has real practical value (not purely academic), and applies to problems of varying financial scale, not just significant ones.
Why should a leader deliberately create an environment that supports capturing and sharing knowledge, rather than assuming it will happen organically? (Leadership — Promote Knowledge Sharing)
Answer: Without deliberate support, valuable knowledge often remains siloed with individuals or is lost entirely, especially as team composition changes over time
Without deliberate effort, valuable knowledge genuinely tends to remain siloed or get lost, especially through team changes — a real leadership responsibility (not solely HR/documentation's), relevant regardless of organization size.
Why should a leader actively create awareness of the Agile Manifesto's values and principles, rather than assuming team members already fully understand them? (Leadership — Promote Agile Mindset Principles and Practices)
Answer: Deep understanding of underlying values and principles supports genuine agile behavior, whereas mechanically following specific practices without this understanding often produces only surface-level adoption
Genuine understanding of underlying values supports authentic agile behavior, unlike mechanical practice-following — awareness isn't automatic, this is a genuine leadership responsibility (not solely an external trainer's), and remains relevant even for experienced teams, not just those new to agile.
Why is it important to establish a genuinely shared understanding of vision and purpose across ALL relevant stakeholders, not just the immediate team? (Leadership — Promote Shared Vision and Purpose)
Answer: Stakeholders with differing or unclear understanding of the vision may work at cross-purposes or provide conflicting direction, undermining coherent progress
Stakeholders with unclear or conflicting understanding can genuinely work at cross-purposes — a real, practical concern (not mere formality) extending beyond the immediate team, applicable to internal initiatives too.
Why should a leader investigate the actual root cause of a conflict before attempting to resolve it, rather than addressing only its surface-level symptoms? (Leadership — Facilitate Conflict Management)
Answer: Addressing only symptoms risks the same underlying conflict recurring, while addressing the genuine root cause helps produce a more lasting resolution
Addressing only surface symptoms risks recurrence, while root cause investigation supports lasting resolution — this has real practical value (not purely academic), and applies to conflicts of varying sizes, not just larger ones.
Why is it important to clarify a backlog item's intent and acceptance criteria before the team begins work on it? (Product — Refine Product Backlog)
Answer: Clarity reduces the risk of the team building something that doesn't actually meet the genuine underlying need, minimizing costly rework
Genuine clarity before work begins reduces the real risk of costly rework — a substantive practice (not mere formality), the whole team benefits from understanding intent (not just the product owner), and this applies to items of any size.
Why should each product increment genuinely align with current business priorities, rather than simply reflecting whatever the team finds technically interesting? (Product — Manage Increments)
Answer: Genuine business alignment ensures the team's effort translates into meaningful organizational value, rather than technically impressive but low-priority work
Genuine alignment ensures effort translates to real organizational value — a substantive concern (not mere formality), team/PO technical interest alone isn't the right driver, and this applies to internal-facing increments too.
Key agile terms & frameworks
- Agile Manifesto: The four values and twelve principles that define agile ways of working, favouring individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration, and responding to change.
- MVP (Minimum Viable Product): The smallest product increment that lets a team validate a core hypothesis with real users using the least effort needed to gather valid learning.
- Validated Learning: Empirical insight grounded in real user or market behaviour, including a disproven hypothesis, rather than assumption or opinion alone.
- Build-Measure-Learn: A Lean Startup cycle of building a small testable version, measuring actual results, and learning to inform the next iteration.
- Cynefin Framework: A sense-making model classifying situations as Clear, Complicated, Complex, Chaotic, or Disorder to guide the appropriate response.
- Stacey Matrix: A model plotting requirements certainty against technology/approach certainty to gauge whether predictive or adaptive methods fit.
- Complex Adaptive System (CAS): A system of interacting, self-organising agents that evolves and adapts without centralised control, a lens for understanding agile teams.
- Servant Leadership: A leadership style focused on removing impediments and enabling the team's success rather than directing in detail.
- Psychological Safety: A shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking, so members can raise concerns, admit mistakes, and challenge ideas.
- Tuckman's Model: The team-development stages Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing (and Adjourning) describing how teams mature over time.
- Information Radiator: A highly visible display (physical or digital) that communicates status, progress, or impediments to anyone passing by.
- Working Agreement: A team-created set of norms defining how members will collaborate, communicate, and hold each other accountable.
- Definition of Done: A shared, agreed set of criteria an increment must meet to be considered complete.
- Definition of Ready: Criteria a backlog item must meet before a team commits to working on it in an iteration.
- Product Backlog: An ordered, evolving list of everything that might be needed in the product, continuously refined and re-prioritised.
- Backlog Refinement: The ongoing activity of clarifying, estimating, splitting, and re-ordering product backlog items.
- Planning Poker: A collaborative estimation technique where team members simultaneously reveal numbered cards to reduce anchoring bias.
- Story Points: A relative unit for estimating the effort or complexity of backlog items rather than absolute time.
- Velocity: The average amount of work an agile team completes per iteration, used to forecast capacity.
- Sprint Goal: A single, unifying objective that gives coherence to the items selected for an iteration and guides the team's focus.
- Increment: The sum of completed, integrated work that meets the Definition of Done and can be inspected and potentially released.
- MoSCoW Prioritization: A technique categorising requirements as Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have (this time).
- WSJF (Weighted Shortest Job First): A prioritisation method dividing cost of delay by job size to sequence work for maximum economic value.
- Kanban Board: A visual board with columns representing workflow stages, used to make work state and flow immediately apparent.
- WIP Limit: A cap on work-in-progress at a stage or level that encourages finishing before starting and improves flow.
- Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD): A chart showing how work accumulates and moves across workflow stages over time, revealing bottlenecks.
- Cycle Time: The elapsed time from when work actually starts on an item until it is completed.
- Lead Time: The elapsed time from when an item is requested until it is delivered.
- Throughput: The number of work items a team completes in a given period.
- Little's Law: The relationship stating average WIP equals average throughput multiplied by average cycle time.
- Value Stream Map: A visualization of the end-to-end flow of value, distinguishing value-added from non-value-added (waste) activity.
- Kaizen: The Lean philosophy of continuous, incremental improvement driven by everyone in the organisation.
- Retrospective: A recurring agile event where the team reflects on its process and identifies concrete improvements.
- Sprint Review: An event where the team demonstrates the increment and gathers stakeholder feedback.
- Burndown Chart: A visual showing work remaining over time within an iteration or release.
- Design Thinking: A human-centred, iterative problem-solving approach with phases Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.
- Lean Startup: A methodology using validated learning, MVPs, and Build-Measure-Learn to reduce the risk of building the wrong thing.
- Pivot: A structured change in strategy or direction that retains validated learning gained from a prior approach.
- Emotional Intelligence (EI): The ability to recognise and manage one's own emotions and understand and respond to others', supporting empathy and conflict resolution.
- Net Promoter Score (NPS): A customer-satisfaction metric based on how likely customers are to recommend a product or service.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the PMI-ACP exam?
The PMI-ACP exam has 120 questions (100 scored plus 20 unscored pretest items) to be completed in 180 minutes (3 hours).
What are the four PMI-ACP domains and their weights?
Mindset 28%, Leadership 25%, Product 19% and Delivery 28%, per the November 2024 Examination Content Outline.
How many contact hours do I need for the PMI-ACP?
You need 21 contact hours of training in agile practices, completed before the exam, plus eligible project experience.
How many PDUs are required to renew the PMI-ACP?
30 PDUs every 3-year cycle (minimum 18 Education, up to 12 Giving Back), plus the renewal fee.
Is the PMI-ACP Prep Hub free?
Yes. All 1,500 practice questions, flashcards, 50 case studies and 5 mock exams are free to use in any modern browser, with progress saved locally on your device.
How should I study for the PMI-ACP exam?
Study by ECO domain, task and enabler, drill the practice bank with detailed explanations, use flashcards for active recall, work the case studies, and take full-length timed mock exams until you consistently score around 75% or higher.
PMI-ACP, PMP, CAPM, PMI-RMP, PMI-PBA and PMI are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc. This is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by PMI.