APMG-International AgilePM-Foundation Agile Project Management (AgilePM) Foundation Exam Exam Practice Test

Statement 1: Correct. The change curve describes typical emotional responses to change, including denial, resistance, exploration, and commitment.

Statement 2: Incorrect. The change curve applies to both positive and negative changes, as it reflects the adjustment process regardless of the perceived nature of the change.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Emotional Responses to Change: AgilePM Handbook, Chapter 6, Section 6.3.

Emotional Process: Transition, as per Bridges’ model, refers to the psychological adjustment individuals go through when adapting to change. It’s not about the change itself but how people internally process the transition.

Other Options:

A and D: These relate to the external processes of implementing change.

C: This overlaps with transition but is incomplete as a definition.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Bridges’ Transition Model: AgilePM Handbook, Chapter 6, Section 6.3.

Statement 1: Incorrect. While accountability is important, it should be addressed constructively, not by drawing attention to failures in a punitive way.

Statement 2: Incorrect. Constructive conflict is essential for innovation and problem-solving. Avoiding conflict entirely can lead to unresolved issues and reduced performance.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Team Dynamics and Conflict Management: AgilePM Handbook, Chapter 5, Section 5.5.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): KPIs are agreed-upon metrics that measure progress against desired outcomes. These indicators are crucial for tracking the effectiveness of change efforts.

Other Options:

A: Islands of stability refer to elements unaffected by change.

C: Incremental milestones are checkpoints but not specific measures of outcomes.

D: Transition tranches are phases of change implementation.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Outcome Measurement: AgilePM Handbook, Chapter 7, Section 7.5.

The application of Principle 8, Demonstrate Control, is collectively applied by the whole team4. This principle ensures that there are proper levels of planning, progress measurement, and reporting in place.

Productivity Dip: A temporary drop in productivity is common when employees are being trained on new processes or systems. This cost is critical to account for in planning and managing change effectively.

Other Options:

Safety & Wellbeing: Relates to physical and emotional health, not productivity.

Reputational: Refers to external perception of the organization.

Opportunity: Refers to lost potential from alternative courses of action.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Assessing Change Impact: AgilePM Handbook, Chapter 7, Section 7.3.

Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose: As outlined by Daniel Pink, these three factors drive motivation in knowledge work, which relies on creativity and engagement. Agile practices support autonomy through self-organizing teams, mastery through continuous learning, and purpose through shared goals.

Other Options: These reflect traditional or outdated models of motivation and do not align with Pink’s framework.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Motivating Teams: AgilePM Handbook, Chapter 5, Section 5.7.

Supporting and Influencing Local Staff: Line leaders play a vital role in translating the change vision into action at the team level. They understand the specific needs and concerns of their teams and can act as a bridge between staff and senior management.

Other Options:

A: Local decision-making authority is beneficial but not their primary role.

B: Leaders are often deeply impacted by change.

D: Line leaders often juggle multiple responsibilities.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Role of Line Leaders: AgilePM Handbook, Chapter 5, Section 5.6.

It is during the Feasibility phase that it is first established whether further investigation of the project is justified3. This phase aims to determine if the proposed project is likely to be feasible from both a technical and business perspective.

Qualitative Measures: These provide insight into the underlying reasons, motivations, and emotions behind behaviors. Examples include interviews, open-ended surveys, and focus groups.

Other Options:

B: Quantitative measures focus on numerical data but lack context.

C: Leading indicators predict future performance but don’t explain behavior.

D: Lagging indicators reflect past performance, not the reasons behind it.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Measurement and Analysis: AgilePM Handbook, Chapter 7, Section 7.5.

The Business Visionary is responsible for interpreting the needs of the Business Sponsor and communicating these to the team1. This role represents the Business Sponsor by communicating the vision of the project and ensuring that the team understands the sponsor’s requirements1.

The Project Manager is responsible for the delivery of the project from Foundations through to Deployment1. This role involves high-level coordination of the project, ensuring that both business and technical delivery aspects are managed effectively from the initial phases through to the final deployment1.

Referent Power: This form of power is derived from the personal qualities of the leader, such as charisma, integrity, or ability to inspire, making them a role model for others. AgilePM values leaders who lead by influence rather than authority.

Other Options:

Legitimate: Based on a formal position or title.

Reward: Tied to the ability to offer incentives.

Coercive: Involves using fear or threats, which is not ideal in Agile environments.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Leadership Styles: AgilePM Handbook, Chapter 4, Section 4.5.

A Timebox Plan is updated at the Daily Start-ups. These daily meetings allow the team to review progress, discuss any issues, and make necessary adjustments to the plan. Regular updates ensure that the project stays on track and that any deviations are addressed promptly, facilitating smooth and efficient progress towards the Timebox objectives.

References:

AgilePM Foundation Handbook

"Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time" by Jeff Sutherland

Both statements about the Technical Coordinator role in AgilePM are true. The Technical Coordinator provides the same function from a technical perspective as the Business Ambassador does from a business perspective, ensuring that the technical aspects of the project align with the overall business objectives. Additionally, the Technical Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that the solution conforms to the requested technical standards, overseeing the technical integrity and quality of the product throughout the development process.

References:

DSDM Agile Project Framework Handbook

"Agile Architecture: Strategies for Scaling Agile Development" by James O. Coplien and Gertrud Bjørnvig

Timeboxing: Fixed time periods, such as sprints, are used to focus efforts and deliver outcomes within a predefined timeframe. This helps teams remain disciplined and maintain momentum while working iteratively.

Other Options:

A: Minimum viable product relates to the initial version of a product with essential features.

C: Full transparency refers to visibility into the process.

D: Frequent delivery is broader and does not imply fixed time periods.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Timeboxing: AgilePM Handbook, Chapter 3, Section 3.4.

Instrumental Success Factors (ISFs) in DSDM are crucial as they position projects for a successful outcome. ISFs are the critical elements that must be in place for a DSDM project to succeed. They provide a foundation for effective project management and delivery, ensuring that all necessary conditions are met to support the project's objectives and deliverables.

References:

DSDM Agile Project Framework Handbook

"Agile Project Management with Scrum" by Ken Schwaber

Dissatisfaction with the Status Quo: The change formula includes dissatisfaction as a key driver for change. Without sufficient dissatisfaction, the motivation to change is diminished.

Other Options:

B, C, and D: These factors, while important, are not explicitly part of the Beckhard and Harris change formula.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Change Formula Framework: AgilePM Handbook, Chapter 6, Section 6.5.

When using the Iterative Development technique, each cycle should include Thought, Action, and Control. These components ensure that the development process is systematic and reflective. Thought involves planning and considering the next steps, Action is the implementation of those plans, and Control is the evaluation and adjustment based on feedback and results. This iterative cycle helps in refining the product incrementally and ensures continuous improvement.

References:

AgilePM Foundation Handbook

"The Art of Agile Development" by James Shore and Shane Warden

The purpose of the Consolidation phase in a structured Timebox is to tie up any loose ends related to Evolutionary Development. This phase involves finalizing all outstanding work, ensuring that the deliverables meet the required quality standards, and preparing the product for acceptance and deployment. It is a critical phase for addressing any minor issues that may have arisen during development and ensuring that the Timebox objectives have been fully achieved.

References:

DSDM Agile Project Framework Handbook

"Agile Project Management: Best Practices and Methodologies" by Eric Brechner

The Solution Architecture Definition is an evolutionary product that provides a high-level design framework for the solution2. It is intended to cover both business and technical aspects of the solution to a level of detail that makes the scope of the solution clear but does not constrain evolutionary development2. This ensures that the solution architecture supports the business direction and the solution under development will be fit for its intended purpose3

Financial: A measurable increase in sales reflects improved financial performance, making it a financial metric. Financial views in a change delivery scorecard often include profitability, revenue growth, and ROI—all of which are influenced by sales increases.

Customer, Internal, Learning & Growth: These are equally important views but do not directly relate to sales performance. For instance:

Customer View: Focuses on customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Internal View: Addresses process efficiency.

Learning & Growth View: Pertains to employee development and organizational innovation.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Scorecard and Value Metrics: AgilePM Handbook, Section 2.5.3.

A DSDM team should measure progress: B. Based on what has been delivered at the end of a Timebox5.

Statement 1: Incorrect. Engaging people in change is complex and requires tailored strategies. It’s not a simple or routine task.

Statement 2: Incorrect. Change situations vary greatly, and no single formula works universally. Agile emphasizes context-specific approaches.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Engagement Strategies: AgilePM Handbook, Chapter 4, Section 4.2.

In DSDM, the Minimum Usable Subset refers to the “Must Have” requirements as defined by the MoSCoW prioritization1. This subset ensures that the project delivers the core functionalities that are critical for the system to be considered useful and viable2.

Discovery: The Continuous Change Management Cycle starts with understanding the current situation, challenges, and opportunities. Discovery ensures that subsequent steps are informed and targeted.

Other Options:

A: Ideas come after discovery.

B: Prioritization occurs after potential solutions are identified.

D: Action follows the planning and prioritization phases.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Continuous Change Management Cycle: AgilePM Handbook, Chapter 6, Section 6.6.

Statement 1: Incorrect. Diverse teams tend to take longer to make decisions due to differing perspectives and approaches. However, this trade-off leads to more thorough and creative decision-making, which is a recognized strength of diverse teams.

Statement 2: Incorrect. Members of diverse teams often require time to align on communication styles, goals, and processes. Effective collaboration in diverse teams is developed through trust-building and active engagement, as outlined in Agile team practices.

Why Diverse Teams Matter in Agile:Agile emphasizes collaboration and innovation, which are enhanced by diverse teams. However, the process of building trust and understanding takes time. AgilePM recommends fostering inclusivity and addressing conflicts constructively to harness the strengths of diverse teams.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Building Effective Teams: AgilePM Handbook, Chapter 5, Section 5.3.

Trust and Transparency in Teams: Chapter 4, Section 4.6.

In DSDM, it is true that one DSDM role does not necessarily mean one person. This allows for flexibility in assigning roles based on the project’s needs and the individuals’ skills and capacities. It is possible for one person to hold multiple roles or for a role to be shared among several people, depending on what is most effective for the project.

In a DSDM project, contingency is typically managed by varying the features to be delivered6. This approach aligns with the DSDM principle of delivering the most critical work first and using the MoSCoW prioritization to adjust the scope of delivery as needed.

Statement 1: Correct. Actively responding to contributions fosters a sense of inclusion and appreciation, which is crucial for engagement and trust during change.

Statement 2: Incorrect. Decisions during change often involve emotional as well as rational considerations, as people’s behaviors and attitudes are not purely logical.

Key AgilePM Concepts Referenced:

Engaging Stakeholders Emotionally: AgilePM Handbook, Chapter 4, Section 4.3.