CAPM Practice Test 22 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A company is undertaking a new office building construction project using a predictive (waterfall) methodology. The project is in the planning phase. The project sponsor requires a cost estimate accurate within ±10% to secure funding. The project team has limited historical data because the company specializes in residential projects, and this is the first commercial high-rise they have attempted. The project manager has experience with parametric estimating but wonders if it is appropriate. Meanwhile, a senior team member suggests bottom-up estimating, but that would require detailed design, which is not yet complete. Another team member advocates three-point estimating to account for uncertainty. The project manager must choose the best estimation approach for the current phase given the constraints.

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

Use parametric estimating based on industry benchmarks for commercial construction.. Parametric estimating using industry benchmarks is the best option to achieve ±10% accuracy with limited data. Three-point estimating (A) is a technique for quantifying uncertainty but does not inherently improve accuracy without reliable inputs. Analogous estimating (B) from residential projects is not appropriate due to significant differences in scope and complexity. Bottom-up estimating (C) requires a detailed WBS and design, which are not yet available in the planning phase. Therefore, parametric estimating (D) is the most suitable approach given the constraints.

Answer

Use three-point estimating to combine optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely costs.

Answer

Use analogous estimating from similar residential projects.

Answer

Use bottom-up estimating after completing the work breakdown structure down to work packages.

Question 2

A project manager is leading a construction project with a fixed budget and strict deadline. During execution, a key supplier notifies that a critical material will be delayed by two weeks, which will push the project past the deadline. The project manager reviews the schedule and identifies that the delay can be compensated by fast-tracking two subsequent activities that are currently planned sequentially. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Assess the risks of fast-tracking the two activities.. The correct first step is to assess the risks of fast-tracking the two activities (Option B). Fast-tracking involves performing activities in parallel that were originally planned sequentially, which can introduce new risks such as rework, resource conflicts, or quality issues. The PMBOK Guide emphasizes that before implementing a schedule compression technique, the project manager must evaluate the associated risks and determine if the benefits outweigh the potential negative impacts. Since the project has a fixed budget and strict deadline, a risk assessment ensures informed decision-making before proceeding.

Answer

Accept the delay and update the project schedule accordingly.

Answer

Submit a change request to extend the deadline.

Answer

Immediately add resources to the delayed activity to catch up.

Question 3

Refer to the exhibit. The team wants to pull a new item into In Progress. What should they do first?

Accepted Answer

Move an item from In Progress to Done.. The In Progress column is at its WIP limit of 3 items. To pull a new item into In Progress, the team must first complete one of the current items by moving it to Done, freeing up a slot. This respects the WIP limit and ensures flow efficiency. Option B is correct: move an item from In Progress to Done. Option A is wrong because ignoring WIP limits violates Kanban principles. Option C is wrong because the team should first complete work before adding more. Option D is wrong because adding to To Do does not address the WIP limit issue.

Answer

Ignore the WIP limit and pull the item.

Answer

Increase the WIP limit for In Progress.

Answer

Add the item to To Do.

Question 4

Refer to the exhibit. What does the increase in remaining work from Day 3 to Day 4 indicate?

Accepted Answer

The team added new work to the Sprint Backlog.. An increase in remaining work on a burndown chart from Day 3 to Day 4 indicates that the team added new work to the Sprint Backlog (or re-estimated existing work upward). Option A is incorrect because a holiday would result in no work being done, so the remaining work line would stay flat, not increase. Option B would cause a decrease in remaining work as scope is removed. Option C would show a steeper decline, not an increase.

Answer

The team had a holiday on Day 4.

Answer

The team removed some work from the Sprint Backlog.

Answer

The team finished work faster than expected.

Question 5

A Product Owner frequently misses backlog refinement sessions, leaving user stories vague. The Development Team is struggling to estimate and plan Sprints. What fundamental Scrum role is being neglected?

Accepted Answer

Product Owner. The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and managing the Product Backlog, including its refinement. By frequently missing backlog refinement sessions, the Product Owner is neglecting this fundamental Scrum role. Option A is correct. Option B is incorrect because the Project Manager role does not exist in pure Scrum. Option C is incorrect because the Scrum Master facilitates the Scrum process but does not own the backlog. Option D is incorrect because the Development Team is responsible for delivering the product, not for refining the backlog.

Answer

Project Manager

Answer

Scrum Master

Answer

Development Team

Question 6

A business analyst is validating requirements and discovers that several requirements conflict with each other. The project sponsor insists on including all conflicting requirements to satisfy different stakeholders. What is the best course of action for the BA?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting with stakeholders to discuss trade-offs and prioritize requirements.. The business analyst's role includes facilitating stakeholder collaboration to resolve conflicts through trade-off analysis and prioritization. This aligns with the BABOK guide's requirement management process, where the BA helps stakeholders understand the impact of conflicting requirements and negotiate a prioritized set that delivers the most value within project constraints.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor and ask for a decision.

Answer

Remove the conflicting requirements and proceed with the remaining ones.

Answer

Include all requirements as requested and let the development team resolve conflicts during implementation.

Question 7

A project manager is developing the project schedule for a construction project. The team has identified all activities and their dependencies. Which tool should the project manager use to determine the critical path?

Accepted Answer

Critical path method (CPM). The Critical Path Method (CPM) is the correct tool because it calculates the longest path through the project network diagram by analyzing activity durations and dependencies, identifying which activities have zero float and thus determine the project's minimum completion time. The question specifically asks for determining the critical path, which is the core output of CPM, not just visualizing or estimating durations.

Answer

Work breakdown structure (WBS)

Answer

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

Answer

Gantt chart

Question 8

A business analyst is validating requirements with a customer representative. Which activity is being performed?

Accepted Answer

Ensuring requirements are complete and unambiguous.. Validation with a customer representative focuses on confirming that the requirements are complete, unambiguous, and meet the customer's needs. Option C correctly identifies this activity. In contrast, Option A is verification (checking alignment with business objectives), Option B is technical feasibility (a verification concern), and Option D is testability (also verification). Therefore, C is the correct answer.

Answer

Confirming that requirements align with business objectives.

Answer

Checking that requirements are technically feasible.

Answer

Verifying that requirements can be tested.

Question 9

A project manager is leading a business analysis effort to define the requirements for a new inventory management system. The stakeholders have conflicting needs regarding real-time data updates versus batch processing. Which business analysis technique should the PM use to facilitate a decision?

Accepted Answer

Use a decision tree to analyze the impact of each approach on project cost and timeline.. A decision tree is a structured business analysis technique that evaluates the trade-offs between conflicting stakeholder requirements—in this case, real-time data updates versus batch processing—by quantifying the impact of each approach on project cost and timeline. This enables the project manager to facilitate an objective, data-driven decision rather than relying on subjective preferences.

Answer

Develop a process flow diagram to map the current inventory process.

Answer

Create a Gantt chart to schedule requirement gathering activities.

Answer

Conduct a requirements validation workshop to review the requirements.

Question 10

During a requirements workshop, two key stakeholders disagree on a critical requirement. The project manager asks the business analyst to facilitate a resolution. Which approach is most effective?

Accepted Answer

Use a prioritization matrix to evaluate trade-offs.. A prioritization matrix enables objective comparison of requirements based on predefined criteria such as value, cost, and urgency, facilitating a data-driven consensus. Option A is wrong: asking the sponsor to decide bypasses stakeholder collaboration and may not address the underlying disagreement. Option B is wrong: proceeding with both requirements can lead to scope creep and resource conflicts. Option C is wrong: a vote may not resolve deep disagreements and can alienate minority stakeholders.

Answer

Ask the project sponsor to decide.

Answer

Document both requirements and proceed with both.

Answer

Hold a vote among all stakeholders.

Question 11

After solution implementation, the business analyst discovers that a key performance indicator (KPI) has not improved as expected. What is the most appropriate next step?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a root cause analysis to identify why the solution is underperforming.. Conducting root cause analysis helps identify why the solution is underperforming. Option B is wrong because requesting additional budget without analysis is premature. Option C is wrong because escalation without analysis is premature. Option D is wrong because documenting in lessons learned without action is inadequate.

Answer

Request additional budget for a new solution.

Answer

Immediately escalate to the project sponsor.

Answer

Document the discrepancy in the lessons learned.

Question 12

During requirements elicitation, a stakeholder suggests a feature that is out of scope and would significantly increase project cost. What is the best action for the business analyst?

Accepted Answer

Record the suggestion in the issue log and continue with planned elicitation. The business analyst should document out-of-scope suggestions in the issue log for future consideration, keeping the focus on the current scope and avoiding disruption of the elicitation session. Option A is incorrect as it prematurely changes scope without proper assessment; Option B is too dismissive and may discourage stakeholder input; Option C is premature because the sponsor should only be involved after a proper evaluation.

Answer

Immediately update the project scope statement

Answer

Reject the idea and explain it is out of scope

Answer

Ask the project sponsor for approval to include the feature

Question 13

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. The activity of measuring user adoption rates, support tickets, and response time after deployment is part of Solution Evaluation, which assesses whether the solution meets business needs. Needs Assessment (B) occurs before solution selection. Requirements Elicitation (A) involves gathering requirements, not post-deployment measurement. Requirements Traceability (D) is about tracking requirements throughout the project, not evaluating performance.

Answer

Requirements Elicitation

Answer

Needs Assessment

Answer

Requirements Traceability

Question 14

A business analyst is creating a business case for a new project. Which of the following is a key component that must be included in the business case?

Accepted Answer

Cost-benefit analysis and financial metrics. A business case must include a cost-benefit analysis and financial metrics to justify the investment and demonstrate the project's value. Option A (user stories and acceptance criteria) are part of requirements documentation, not the business case. Option B (project milestones and deliverables) are part of the project management plan, not the business case. Option D (risk register and risk responses) is part of the risk management plan, not the business case.

Answer

User stories and acceptance criteria

Answer

Project milestones and deliverables

Answer

Risk register and risk responses

Question 15

A business analyst is preparing a business case for a project with intangible benefits. How should the intangible benefits be presented to support the business case?

Accepted Answer

Provide a qualitative description with supporting evidence such as customer surveys. Intangible benefits, such as customer satisfaction or brand reputation, are best presented with qualitative descriptions supported by evidence like customer surveys. This approach provides credible justification without forcing inaccurate monetary valuations. Option A is wrong because listing without explanation fails to convey value. Option B is wrong because the cost-benefit ratio typically requires quantifiable monetary values, not intangibles. Option C is wrong because assigning a monetary value can be arbitrary and misleading.

Answer

List intangible benefits without explanation to keep the business case concise

Answer

Quantify intangible benefits using the cost-benefit ratio

Answer

Assign a monetary value to each intangible benefit