The ultimate study package for the new PMI-ACP exam
The PMI-ACP Project Management Institute Agile Certified Practitioner Exam Study Guide is an all-in-one package for comprehensive exam preparation. This up-to-date guide is fully aligned with the latest version of the exam, featuring coverage of 100 percent of the exam domains. Expanded coverage of AGILE includes the basic principles, value-driven delivery, stakeholder engagement, team performance, adaptive planning, problem detection and resolution, and continuous improvement to align with the A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® 6th Edition) and its increased emphasis on agile, adaptive and iterative practices.
In-depth discussion merges with hands-on exercises and real-world scenarios to provide a well-rounded review of essential exam concepts, while the online learning center provides an assessment test, chapter tests, a practice exam, and study aids to help you ensure complete preparation for the big day.
- Master 100 percent of the exam objectives, including expanded AGILE coverage
- Reinforce critical concepts with hands-on practice and real-world scenarios
- Test your knowledge with challenging chapter review questions
- One year of FREE access to the Sybex online test bank featuring practice tests, flashcards, a glossary, and more
Project management is one of the most in-demand skills in today's job market, making more and more employers turn to AGILE methodologies to enhance delivery and results. The PMI-ACP certification shows employers that you have demonstrated mastery of essential project management skills and a practical understanding of adaptive, iterative processes; this validation puts you among the ranks of qualified project management professionals employers are desperately seeking, and the PMI-ACP Project Management Institute Agile Certified Practitioner Exam Study Guide is your one-stop resource for exam success.
Table of Contents
Preface xix
Introduction xxi
Assessment Test xlii
Chapter 1 Agile Foundations 1
History and the Agile Manifesto 2
The Agile Alliance 2
The Agile Manifesto 3
The 12 Principles of the Agile Manifesto 5
The 12 Principles Simplified 6
The Declaration of Interdependence 7
The Declaration of Interdependence Simplified 8
Empirical Process Control 9
Agile vs. Waterfall Project Management 10
The Benefits of Using Agile in Any industry 11
Satir Model 14
Organizational Agility Tips 15
Summary 15
Exam Essentials 16
Review Questions 17
Chapter 2 Scrum and eXtreme Programming (XP) 21
What Is Scrum? 22
Transparency 23
Inspection 23
Adaptation 24
Scrum Values 24
The Scrum Team 26
The Product Owner 27
The Development Team 28
Scrum Master 28
Scrum Artifacts 30
The Product Backlog 30
The Sprint Backlog 32
Scrum Events 34
Sprint Planning 34
The Sprint 36
The Daily Scrum 37
Scrum of Scrums 38
The Sprint Review 39
Elements of the Sprint Review 40
The Sprint Retrospective 40
The Purpose of the Sprint Retrospective 41
eXtreme Programming (XP) Overview 42
Key Aspects Of XP 43
XP Core Values 43
XP Core Values Simplified 44
XP Roles 45
Core Practices of XP 46
The 13 Core Practices of XP 47
The 13 Core Practices Simplified 48
Summary 54
Exam Essentials 54
Review Questions 56
Chapter 3 Key Aspects of Additional Agile Methodologies 61
Dynamic Systems Development Method 63
The Eight Principles of DSDM 64
Kanban 68
Kanban Board 70
The Six Principles of Kanban 71
The Six Principles of Kanban Simplified 72
What Is Lean Product/Software Development? 74
The Seven Principles of Lean 75
How Lean Complements Agile 75
The Seven Wastes of Lean Manufacturing 76
The Seven Wastes of Lean Manufacturing Simplified 76
The Seven Wastes of Lean Software Development 78
The Seven Wastes of Lean Software Development Simplified 79
Continuous Improvement 82
Feature-Driven Development 83
The Five Processes of FDD 84
Best Practices of FDD 85
Best Practices of FDD Simplified 85
Crystal Methods 86
Crystal Family Color Codes 87
The Crystal Family 87
Adaptive Software Development (ASD) 88
Adaptive Software Development Cycle 89
Adaptive Software Development (ASD) Cycle Simplified 89
Creating a Successful Mindset 90
Three Main Aspects of Leading an Agile Project Effectively 91
Three Main Aspects of Leading an Agile Project Effectively Simplified 91
Summary 93
Exam Essentials 94
Review Questions 95
Chapter 4 Agile Initiation and Stakeholder Engagement 99
Charters and Agile Projects 101
Determining Return on Investment 105
Payback Period 106
Internal Rate of Return 106
Net Present Value 107
Techniques of Pre-Project Engagement 109
Elevator Statements 109
Tweeting 112
The Definition of Done 115
Wireframes 115
User Stories 116
User Story Workshops 118
Agile Knowledge Sharing and Communication 121
INVEST for User Stories 122
The INVEST Acronym 123
Communication and Knowledge Sharing Basics 128
Summary 133
Exam Essentials 133
Review Questions 135
Chapter 5 The Human Side of Agile Project Management 139
Interpersonal Skills 141
Communication 142
Self-Directed Teams 147
Negotiation 147
Aspirational Skills 149
Motivation 150
Conflict Resolution 151
Adaptive Leadership 154
Summary 155
Exam Essentials 155
Review Questions 157
Chapter 6 Agile Estimation and Planning 163
Iteration Zero 165
Analyzing Based on Business Value 166
The Product Owner 167
Development Team 168
Agile Project Manager 170
Timeboxing 171
Themes, Epics, and User Stories 172
Themes 173
Epics 174
User Stories 175
Personas 179
Wireframes 179
Backlog Refinement 180
Definition of Done 181
Story Mapping 182
Relative Sizing 183
Wideband Delphi 184
The Fibonacci Sequence 184
Planning Poker 185
Planning Poker Best Practices 186
Initial Velocity 188
Iteration/Sprint Calculations 189
Story Point Estimates and Spikes 192
Summary 193
Exam Essentials 193
Review Questions 195
Chapter 7 Effective Team Performance on Agile Projects 201
Tuckman’s Ladder 203
Shu Ha Ri and Skill Mastery 204
Dreyfus Model: Five Stages of Skill Acquisition 205
Collaborative Working Environments 207
Distributed Teams 211
Context and Culture 214
Osmotic Communication 216
Team and Individual Coaching 217
Velocity Tracking 218
Burn Down and Burn Up Charts 220
Burn Down Charts 220
Burn Up Charts 222
Summary 223
Exam Essentials 224
Review Questions 226
Chapter 8 Agile Execution and Tracking of Iterations 231
Return on Investment and Benefit Measurement Methods 233
Earned Value Analysis 234
Controlling the Schedule 235
Controlling the Budget 236
Earned Value Technique 238
The Formulas 241
Key Performance Indicators 243
The Triple Constraints 246
The Gulf of Misunderstanding 247
Dot Voting, or Multi-Voting 248
MoSCoW 249
Monopoly Money 250
100 Points 251
Kano Analysis 252
Customized Procurement 254
Summary 256
Exam Essentials 257
Review Questions 258
Chapter 9 Detecting Problems and Working Through Changes 263
The Cost of Changes 264
Rolling Wave Planning 265
Technical Debt 266
Refactoring 267
Refactoring When You Don’t Code Software 267
Determining Defects 269
Common Causes 270
Special Causes 271
Risk Management 271
Spikes 273
Risk-Adjusted Backlog 274
Expected Monetary Value 275
Assessing Risk 278
Risk Burn Down Charts 281
Summary 283
Exam Essentials 283
Review Questions 285
Chapter 10 Tailoring, Quality Management, and Improving Project Processes 291
Tailoring 292
Tailoring and the PMBOK® Guide 295
Lead Time and Cycle Time 296
Process Improvement 299
Value Stream Mapping 301
Continuous Product Improvement 304
Intraspectives 304
Premortem 305
Retrospectives 305
Summary 306
Exam Essentials 307
Review Questions 308
Appendix A Next Steps 313
What Is the PMI-ACP Certification? 314
Real-World Considerations 315
Tools and Techniques Overview 316
Agile Toolkit 316
PMI Ethical Decision-Making Framework 317
Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct 317
Task Overview 317
Agile Principles and Mindset Considerations 318
Value-Driven Delivery 318
Stakeholder Engagement 320
Team Performance 321
Adaptive Planning 322
Problem Detection and Resolution 323
Continuous Improvement 323
Tools and Techniques Overview 324
Knowledge and Skills 327
Concluding Thoughts 328
Appendix B Answers to Review Questions 329
Chapter 1 330
Chapter 2 331
Chapter 3 333
Chapter 4 334
Chapter 5 336
Chapter 6 338
Chapter 7 339
Chapter 8 341
Chapter 9 343
Chapter 10 344
Index 347
