CAPM Practice Test 13 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Which TWO statements correctly describe characteristics of the Kanban method?

Accepted Answer

Work in progress limits are used to improve flow. Option C is correct because a defining characteristic of the Kanban method is the use of explicit work-in-progress (WIP) limits, which constrain how many items can be in a given workflow state at once and thereby improve flow, reduce multitasking, and expose bottlenecks. Option E is correct because Kanban relies on visualizing the workflow on a Kanban board, typically with columns representing process states and cards representing work items, so the team can see status and manage flow. Option A is incorrect because Kanban does not require a team to be dedicated to a single project; it can be applied to shared or multi-project teams and to ongoing service work. Option B is incorrect because the strict product owner, Scrum Master, and development team roles belong to Scrum, whereas Kanban prescribes no mandatory roles. Option D is incorrect because fixed two-week timeboxed iterations are a Scrum practice, while Kanban is based on continuous flow rather than mandatory timeboxed sprints.

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The team must be dedicated to a single project

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Roles are strictly defined as product owner, Scrum Master, and development team

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Iterations are timeboxed to two weeks

Question 2

A project manager is leading a requirements workshop for a new software system. The business analyst suggests using a technique that involves creating a visual representation of the sequence of steps in a business process. Which technique is being suggested?

Accepted Answer

Flow chart. A flowchart is the correct technique because it visually represents the sequence of steps in a business process, using standardized symbols (e.g., ovals for start/end, rectangles for tasks, diamonds for decisions) to map the flow of activities. This aligns directly with the scenario of creating a visual representation of process steps during a requirements workshop.

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Use case diagram

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Mind map

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Data flow diagram

Question 3

After deploying a new CRM system, the project team measures user adoption rates, number of support tickets, and average response time. This activity belongs to which business analysis domain?

Accepted Answer

Solution Evaluation. Solution Evaluation in business analysis assesses how well a deployed solution meets business needs, including measuring adoption, performance, and support metrics. User adoption rates, support ticket volumes, and response times are classic post-implementation evaluation metrics, confirming this is Solution Evaluation.

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Requirements Elicitation

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Needs Assessment

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Requirements Traceability

Question 4

A business analyst is planning stakeholder engagement for a new regulatory compliance project. To ensure stakeholder buy-in and minimize risks, when should the business analyst involve key stakeholders?

Accepted Answer

Early and continuously throughout the project. Best practice in business analysis (per PMI's Business Analysis for Practitioners and the BABOK Guide) is to engage stakeholders early and continuously throughout the project lifecycle. Early involvement builds buy-in, surfaces requirements and constraints before costly rework, and continuous engagement keeps stakeholders aligned as scope, risks, and regulatory interpretations evolve — critical for a compliance project where regulations may shift.

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Only during requirements gathering

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Only at project sign-off

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After the solution is developed

Question 5

A project team is using a colocation (war room) technique. What is the primary benefit?

Accepted Answer

Improved communication and collaboration among team members. Colocation, also called a war room, places the project team in a single physical location to enhance communication and collaboration. The primary benefit is faster, richer information exchange — team members can resolve issues face-to-face, share knowledge informally, and build trust. PMBOK lists colocation as a tool/technique in Develop Project Team and Plan Communications Management.

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Lower project costs

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Reduced project risk

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Faster decision making

Question 6

You are a senior business analyst on a multi-year program to overhaul the customer service operations. The program uses a tailored framework combining elements from BABOK and Agile. During the transition phase, you discover that the requirements traceability matrix is incomplete; many requirements are not linked to test cases or business objectives. The project manager is concerned about regulatory compliance and wants to ensure all requirements are validated. The testing team is falling behind schedule. As the business analyst, what is the most critical action to take?

Accepted Answer

Prioritize linking high-risk regulatory requirements to both test cases and business objectives first.. The most critical action is to prioritize linking high-risk regulatory requirements to both test cases and business objectives first. This ensures that the most compliance-critical requirements are validated and aligned with strategic goals, mitigating the greatest risk. By focusing on high-risk items, the business analyst addresses the project manager's concern about regulatory compliance while also making efficient use of limited time and resources. This approach balances urgency with thoroughness, ensuring that the most important requirements are traceable and testable without halting progress.

Answer

Focus on linking all requirements to test cases and ignore business objectives for now.

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Stop all work and conduct a comprehensive audit of the traceability matrix.

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Ask the project manager to extend the schedule for testing to accommodate incomplete traceability.

Question 7

A project is behind schedule and over budget. The sponsor asks the project manager to reduce costs without affecting the end date. Which constraint should the project manager consider adjusting?

Accepted Answer

Scope. The triple constraint (scope, time, cost) means you cannot change one without affecting the others. Since the sponsor explicitly wants to reduce costs without moving the end date, time is fixed and cost must decrease — the only remaining lever is scope. Reducing scope (descoping features or deliverables) lowers the work required, which in turn lowers cost while preserving the schedule.

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Quality

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Time

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Resources

Question 8

Which of the following is a key output of the needs assessment process?

Accepted Answer

Business Case. The needs assessment process results in a business case that defines the business need and recommended solution. Project Charter authorizes the project, Requirements Documentation details requirements, and Stakeholder Register lists stakeholders.

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Stakeholder Register

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Project Charter

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Requirements Documentation

Question 9

Refer to the exhibit. A business analyst is reviewing the requirements status in a JSON export from a requirements management tool. The analyst notices that REQ02 is still in 'Draft' while REQ01 is 'Approved'. What should the analyst do next?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a review meeting for REQ02. A requirement in draft status needs to be reviewed and approved by stakeholders before proceeding, so facilitating a review meeting is the appropriate action.

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Update the traceability matrix

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Approve REQ02 immediately

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Request closure for REQ02

Question 10

The team notices that work is piling up in the Testing column. The WIP limit for Testing is 3, but currently there are 5 items. What should the team do first?

Accepted Answer

Focus the team on completing testing items until the WIP limit is met.. When a WIP limit is exceeded, the team should swarm on the bottleneck to complete the items in that column, thereby reducing work-in-progress and restoring flow. In Kanban, exceeding a WIP limit signals a constraint that must be resolved by finishing existing work, not by adding more. This aligns with the core principle of limiting WIP to improve throughput and cycle time.

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Move items from Backlog to To Do to increase throughput.

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Ignore the WIP limit and continue as is.

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Move some testing items back to In Progress.

Question 11

A business analyst needs to capture and manage requirements throughout the project lifecycle. Which artifact is most suitable for this purpose?

Accepted Answer

Requirements traceability matrix. The requirements traceability matrix (RTM) is the most suitable artifact because it links each requirement to its origin, source, and corresponding deliverables throughout the project lifecycle, enabling bidirectional traceability. This allows the business analyst to capture, track, and manage changes to requirements, ensuring that all requirements are met and that no scope creep occurs. The RTM is specifically designed for this continuous tracking and management role, unlike the other artifacts which serve different purposes.

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Project charter

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Business case

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Stakeholder register

Question 12

A project manager is developing the project schedule for a construction project. The team has identified that the foundation work must be completed before the framing can begin. Which type of dependency does this represent?

Accepted Answer

Mandatory dependency. The dependency between foundation work and framing is a mandatory dependency because it is physically required that the foundation be completed before framing can begin. In construction, this is a hard logic constraint inherent in the nature of the work, not a preference or external factor. Mandatory dependencies are often referred to as 'hard logic' and are typically based on contractual requirements or physical limitations.

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Lead

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Discretionary dependency

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External dependency

Question 13

Which THREE of the following are commonly used techniques for requirements elicitation?

Accepted Answer

Interviews. Interviews are a direct, one-on-one technique used to elicit requirements from stakeholders by asking structured or unstructured questions. They allow the business analyst to probe deeply into stakeholder needs, clarify ambiguities, and uncover implicit requirements that might not surface in group settings.

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Earned value management

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SWOT analysis

Question 14

Which document formally authorizes the project manager to use organizational resources to execute the project?

Accepted Answer

Project charter. The project charter is the document that formally authorizes the existence of a project and gives the project manager the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities. It is typically issued by the project sponsor or initiator and serves as the project's official 'birth certificate.' Without a charter, the project manager lacks the formal power to commit resources or make decisions on behalf of the project.

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Business case

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Scope statement

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Project management plan

Question 15

You are managing a software upgrade project for a financial institution. The project involves upgrading the core banking system to a new version. During user acceptance testing (UAT), the testers find that the new system does not handle certain legacy data formats correctly, causing errors. The project schedule has no buffer left, and the go-live date is fixed due to regulatory compliance. The team estimates it will take two weeks to fix the issue, but the go-live is in one week. The project manager has already used the contingency reserve for other issues. What should the project manager do next?

Accepted Answer

Evaluate the possibility of a partial fix or workaround to meet the go-live date, and escalate to the sponsor if needed.. The project manager must first evaluate feasible alternatives (like a partial fix or workaround) to meet the fixed go-live date, given that the contingency reserve is exhausted and the schedule has no buffer. Escalating to the sponsor is appropriate when the issue impacts regulatory compliance and requires a decision beyond the PM's authority. This aligns with the CAPM principle of managing stakeholder expectations and seeking sponsor guidance when constraints force trade-offs.

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Ignore the issue and proceed with the go-live as planned, since the errors affect only legacy data.

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Request additional budget from the management reserve to hire external consultants to fix the issue faster.

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Direct the team to fix the issue and delay the go-live, then inform the sponsor.