CAPM Practice Test 21 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Which THREE of the following are typically included in a business case?

Accepted Answer

Alternatives analysis. A business case includes the problem statement, cost-benefit analysis, and alternatives analysis to justify the project. Risk register and stakeholder list are separate documents that inform but are not core parts of the business case.

Answer

Stakeholder list

Answer

Risk register

Question 2

A project team is conducting cost estimation for a project that uses a predictive lifecycle. They have historical data from similar projects. Which estimation technique is MOST appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Analogous estimating. Analogous estimating uses historical data from similar past projects to estimate the current project's cost or duration, which is exactly what the team has available. It is a top-down, expert-judgment-based technique that is fast and inexpensive, making it well suited to predictive lifecycles where scope is relatively stable and comparable projects exist.

Answer

Three-point estimating

Answer

Parametric estimating

Answer

Bottom-up estimating

Question 3

A project manager is closing a phase in a predictive life cycle. Which document should be updated to record lessons learned for future phases?

Accepted Answer

Lessons learned register. The lessons learned register is the specific project document designed to capture knowledge gained during a project, including what went well, what could be improved, and recommendations for future phases or projects. During phase closure in a predictive life cycle, the project manager updates this register to ensure that insights are documented and can be applied to subsequent phases. This aligns with PMBOK Guide's emphasis on continuous improvement and knowledge management.

Answer

Project charter

Answer

Risk register

Answer

Issue log

Question 4

A project has a fixed deadline but flexible scope. The project manager receives a change request that would significantly increase scope. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Evaluate the impact on time, cost, and quality. The project manager should first evaluate the impact of the change request on the project constraints (time, cost, quality) before deciding. Since the deadline is fixed but scope is flexible, understanding the trade-offs is essential to make an informed recommendation or decision. This aligns with the Perform Integrated Change Control process.

Answer

Escalate to the sponsor immediately

Answer

Approve the change because the scope is flexible

Answer

Reject the change to protect the fixed deadline

Question 5

Which TWO activities are considered part of Product Backlog refinement? (Select TWO)

Accepted Answer

Prioritizing items in the Product Backlog. Product Backlog refinement is the ongoing activity of reviewing and updating backlog items to make them ready for upcoming Sprints, so option C (Prioritizing items in the Product Backlog) is correct because ordering items by value, risk, and dependencies is a core part of refinement performed collaboratively by the Product Owner and Developers. Option E (Adding detailed acceptance criteria to user stories) is also correct because breaking down, clarifying, and elaborating items with acceptance criteria is exactly the decomposition and detailing work that refinement entails. Option A is not part of refinement because the Daily Scrum is a 15-minute timeboxed event for the Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog, not the Product Backlog. Option B is not part of refinement because the Sprint Retrospective is a Scrum event focused on inspecting and improving the team's process and interactions, not on grooming backlog items. Option D is not part of refinement because demonstrating the increment at the Sprint Review is an inspection-and-adaptation event about the product increment and stakeholder feedback, not backlog item elaboration.

Answer

Running the Daily Scrum

Answer

Conducting the Sprint Retrospective

Answer

Demonstrating the increment at the Sprint Review

Question 6

Which TWO practices are part of the Scrum framework?

Accepted Answer

Sprint Review. Sprint Review (B) is a core Scrum event where the Scrum Team and stakeholders inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog, making it an official part of the framework. Sprint Retrospective (D) is also a required Scrum event, held at the end of each Sprint so the team can inspect its process and identify improvements. Pair Programming (A) is an Extreme Programming (XP) practice, not a Scrum event or artifact. Continuous Deployment (C) is a DevOps/engineering practice, not defined by Scrum. Backlog Refinement (E) is a useful activity, but it is not one of Scrum's formal events; it is an ongoing collaboration rather than a prescribed framework element.

Answer

Pair Programming

Answer

Continuous Deployment

Answer

Backlog Refinement

Question 7

During project execution, you notice that a key stakeholder, the head of the legal department, has been disengaged from project reviews and has not responded to your emails requesting input on a regulatory compliance issue. The project is at risk of missing a legal requirement that could result in fines. You have classified this stakeholder as having high power and high interest. According to stakeholder engagement best practices, what should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a face-to-face meeting with the stakeholder to discuss their concerns and the project's needs. For a stakeholder with high power and high interest, proactive engagement is key. A face-to-face meeting (C) is the most effective first step to directly address disengagement, understand their concerns, and re-establish communication. Option A escalates prematurely without attempting direct engagement first, Option B ignores the risk and the stakeholder's input, and Option D is too indirect and may further alienate the stakeholder.

Answer

Escalate to the project sponsor to demand the stakeholder's participation

Answer

Document the risk and proceed without the legal input, assuming compliance

Answer

Send another email with a deadline for response and escalate if no reply

Question 8

During a project’s initiation phase, the business analyst is conducting a stakeholder analysis. Which technique is most appropriate for categorizing stakeholders based on their power and interest?

Accepted Answer

Power/Interest Grid. The Power/Interest Grid is a standard stakeholder classification technique. Brainstorming generates ideas, Nominal Group Technique is for group decision-making, and Delphi Technique achieves consensus through anonymous rounds.

Answer

Delphi Technique

Answer

Nominal Group Technique

Answer

Brainstorming

Question 9

A team is struggling with frequent requirement changes during a Sprint. The Product Owner keeps adding new items. What should the Scrum Master do?

Accepted Answer

Remind the Product Owner that once a Sprint is planned, no changes are allowed that endanger the Sprint Goal, and help them hold off until the next Sprint.. Once a Sprint is planned, the Product Owner should not add items that would endanger the Sprint Goal. The Scrum Master's role is to protect the Sprint and guide the Product Owner to defer changes to future Sprints. Option A is incorrect because blindly accepting changes disrupts the Sprint. Option B is incorrect because asking the team to work overtime is unsustainable and violates the principle of sustainable pace. Option C is incorrect because increasing the Sprint length breaks the timebox and does not address the root cause.

Answer

Accept the changes as the Product Owner is the voice of the customer.

Answer

Ask the team to work overtime to include the new items.

Answer

Increase the Sprint length to accommodate changes.

Question 10

A project team is evaluating a proposed solution that reduces operating costs by $200,000 annually but requires an initial investment of $800,000. The project lifespan is 5 years and the discount rate is 8%. What is the net present value (NPV) of this solution? (Assume annual cost savings occur at year-end.)

Accepted Answer

-$1,458. NPV is calculated by discounting each year's $200,000 savings at 8% over 5 years and subtracting the $800,000 initial investment. The present value annuity factor for 8% over 5 years is approximately 3.9927, giving PV of savings ≈ $798,542. Subtracting the $800,000 investment yields NPV ≈ -$1,458, so the project destroys value at this discount rate.

Answer

$20,000

Answer

-$20,000

Answer

$200,000

Question 11

A business analyst is evaluating a proposed solution and discovers that it does not fully address the root cause of the business problem. What should the analyst do next?

Accepted Answer

Revisit the needs assessment and adjust requirements.. When a proposed solution does not fully address the root cause, the business analyst should revisit the needs assessment to ensure requirements accurately reflect the problem and adjust them accordingly. Option B is wrong because proceeding with a flawed solution wastes resources and does not resolve the issue. Option C is wrong because while escalation may be needed, the first step is to reanalyze the problem and propose adjustments. Option D is wrong because terminating the project is premature without further analysis and potential requirement adjustments.

Answer

Proceed with implementation and document the gap.

Answer

Escalate to the project sponsor for a decision.

Answer

Recommend terminating the project.

Question 12

A business analyst is reviewing the output of a requirements validation session. The following issues were identified: 'Requirement REQ-001 has no associated business objective', 'Requirement REQ-002 has a conflicting priority with REQ-003'. What is the most likely cause of these issues?

Accepted Answer

The requirements traceability matrix was not properly maintained.. The requirements traceability matrix (RTM) links requirements to business objectives and tracks their status and relationships. Issues like missing business objectives and conflicting priorities indicate that the RTM was not properly maintained, as it would have highlighted these gaps and conflicts.

Answer

The project scope statement is incomplete.

Answer

The requirements management plan was not followed.

Answer

The business analyst did not use a standard template.

Question 13

You are a business analyst on a project to upgrade the network infrastructure in a large organization. The project plan was created using a predictive approach, and requirements were gathered months ago. During implementation, the team discovers that some requirements conflict with a new company-wide security policy issued after the project started. The project manager says the scope is frozen and changes cannot be accommodated. The sponsor is not involved daily. As the business analyst, what is the most effective action to take?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the impact of the security policy on the project and present options to the sponsor for a decision.. The business analyst's role is to analyze the impact of change and facilitate informed decision-making, not to unilaterally enforce or bypass scope control. When a new security policy conflicts with frozen requirements, the BA must assess how the policy affects scope, schedule, cost, and risk, then present options to the sponsor — the person with authority to approve scope changes. This preserves the change control process while ensuring the decision is made at the right level.

Answer

Ask the project manager to reconvene the change control board to evaluate the conflicts.

Answer

Proceed with the original requirements and note the security conflicts in a lessons learned document.

Answer

Update the requirements to align with the new policy without formal approval to save time.

Question 14

During a project, the team identifies a risk that could cause a 20% increase in cost. The project manager decides to accept the risk because the probability is low. What risk response strategy is being used?

Accepted Answer

Accept. Accept means acknowledging the risk and taking no proactive action, though contingency reserves may be set aside. Avoid changes the plan to eliminate the risk, transfer shifts the impact to a third party, and mitigate reduces probability or impact.

Answer

Transfer

Answer

Avoid

Answer

Mitigate

Question 15

A business analyst needs to understand how users currently perform a task before designing a new system. Which elicitation technique is best for capturing step-by-step processes in the actual work environment?

Accepted Answer

Observation. Observation is the correct elicitation technique because it allows the business analyst to witness the actual step-by-step process in the user's real work environment, capturing nuances and implicit steps that users may not articulate in interviews or surveys. This technique is ideal for understanding current workflows without relying on users' memory or interpretation, ensuring the new system design accurately reflects real-world constraints.

Answer

Interviews

Answer

Survey questionnaire

Answer

Prototyping