PMP · Question #1126
How can agile measurements improve upon predictive measurements in cases where the final 10% of a project takes longer than planned?
The correct answer is A. By focusing on the delivery of incremental working products to the customer. Agile measurements improve upon predictive by continuously delivering incremental working products, enabling earlier feedback and course corrections that prevent late-stage delays.
Question
How can agile measurements improve upon predictive measurements in cases where the final 10% of a project takes longer than planned?
Options
- ABy focusing on the delivery of incremental working products to the customer
- BBy conducting daily standups to more accurately track project deliverables
- CBy reviewing burnup charts to determine the effort required against estimated earned value
- DBy scheduling iterative meetings with the product owner to improve project tracking
How the community answered
(55 responses)- A84% (46)
- B11% (6)
- C2% (1)
- D4% (2)
Why each option
Agile measurements improve upon predictive by continuously delivering incremental working products, enabling earlier feedback and course corrections that prevent late-stage delays.
Agile's focus on delivering incremental working products to the customer throughout the project lifecycle means that value is continuously delivered and feedback is received early and often. This approach helps avoid situations where a large portion of the project seems complete but encounters unexpected delays at the end because issues are uncovered and addressed much sooner.
Daily standups improve internal team coordination and progress tracking but do not inherently change the measurement approach in a way that prevents the 'final 10%' problem more fundamentally than incremental delivery.
Burnup charts track progress but are still a measurement tool; the underlying issue of the 'final 10%' taking longer often relates to the nature of work delivery (large batches vs. small increments), not just how it's charted.
Iterative meetings with the product owner improve tracking and feedback, but the core improvement of agile measurement lies in the frequency and nature of delivery itself, not just the meeting cadence.
Concept tested: Agile value delivery; Incremental development benefits
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/agile-project-management/2-agile-principles
Topics
Community Discussion
5
Luis F.Jun 10, 2026A is the right pick here. Agile tackles that nasty last 10% problem by delivering working increments throughout the whole project instead of waiting for a giant final delivery at the end. Predictive approaches measure progress against a baseline schedule which often hides the fact that integration and testing take way longer than expected. Focusing on incremental value to the customer means you actually know things work before you hit the finish line.
Fatima Z.Jun 13, 2026Confirmed A on my exam last week. Think A for Action, because Agile delivers Actionable increments instead of waiting for that final 10 percent trap. Predictive tricks you into thinking you are 90 percent done, but Agile shows real working product so you never get stuck in that fake finish line. Picture a P for Predictive as a Pie in the sky, while A is for Actual product on the table.
Viktor S.Jun 28, 2026A is the right call. The question is really about why predictive approaches blow up at the end, because the final integration and testing phase hides all the problems that agile surfaces early through actual working increments. Standups and meetings are just ceremonies, they do not directly address the core issue of delivering verified value versus chasing a percentage complete on a Gantt chart. Saw this one on my exam last year and almost overthought it, but the phrase incremental working products jumped out and reminded me that agile fixes the late-surprise problem by forcing real delivery every iteration instead of trusting a plan.
Bao N.Jun 2, 2026D is the answer, iterative PO meetings are what closes that last 10 percent gap.
Fatima Z.Jun 2, 2026Actually A is correct here, Bao. The exam is looking for automated regression testing as the mechanism that closes the final quality gap, not PO meetings, and you can remember it with the acronym ART closes the gap: Automated Regression Testing.