CAPM Practice Test 22 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A software development project is using a predictive approach with a detailed project schedule based on the critical path method (CPM). The project is currently in the execution phase. The team reports that a critical task (Task X) is two weeks behind schedule. Task X has a total float of 0 and has two immediate successors: Task Y and Task Z, both of which are also on the critical path. The project manager has the ability to add resources to overlapping tasks. The project sponsor is concerned about the schedule delay and wants a recovery plan. The project manager needs to determine the best course of action to get the project back on track without impacting quality or budget excessively.

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

Accepted Answer

Crash Task X by adding more resources to complete it faster.. Task X is on the critical path with zero total float, meaning any delay directly impacts the project end date. Crashing involves adding resources to critical path tasks to shorten their duration, which is a schedule compression technique. Since the project manager can add resources to overlapping tasks, crashing Task X is the most direct way to recover the schedule without changing scope or re-baselining.

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Reduce the scope of Task X to meet the original deadline.

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Re-baseline the schedule to reflect the delay and inform the sponsor.

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Fast-track the successors by starting them as soon as possible even if the predecessor is incomplete.

Question 2

During the initiation phase of a project, the project manager needs to identify stakeholders. What is the primary purpose of stakeholder identification at this stage?

Accepted Answer

To understand stakeholder expectations and influence. Stakeholder identification in the initiation phase is performed to recognize everyone affected by or able to affect the project, and to capture their expectations, interests, and relative influence. This understanding feeds the stakeholder register and informs engagement and communication strategies later. Assigning roles, budgeting, and communication planning are downstream activities that depend on first knowing who the stakeholders are and what they care about.

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To assign roles and responsibilities to stakeholders

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To determine the project budget and schedule

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To create a communication plan for the project

Question 3

Which THREE techniques are commonly used for requirements elicitation?

Accepted Answer

Surveys. Surveys, brainstorming, and interviews are all commonly used requirements elicitation techniques. Surveys efficiently gather input from a large number of stakeholders, brainstorming facilitates creative idea generation in a group setting, and interviews allow for in-depth exploration of individual stakeholder needs. SWOT analysis and Gantt charts are not elicitation techniques; they are used for strategic analysis and project scheduling, respectively.

Answer

SWOT analysis

Answer

Gantt charts

Question 4

A team is transitioning to Kanban. Which TWO principles should they adopt? (Choose two)

Accepted Answer

Define process policies. Option B, define process policies, is correct because Kanban requires making work policies explicit (e.g., definition of done, entry/exit criteria, WIP limits per column) so that everyone understands how work flows and decisions are made. Option C, limit work in progress, is correct because constraining WIP is the core Kanban practice that exposes bottlenecks, reduces multitasking, and improves flow and cycle time. Options A (sprint reviews) and D (fixed-length iterations) belong to Scrum's timeboxed framework, not Kanban, which is continuous-flow and does not mandate iterations or sprint ceremonies. Option E (velocity tracking) is a Scrum metric based on story points completed per sprint; Kanban instead uses flow metrics such as cycle time, lead time, and throughput.

Answer

Sprint reviews

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Fixed-length iterations

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Velocity tracking

Question 5

A project manager is developing the project schedule using a predictive approach. The project involves multiple dependencies and a critical path that has been identified. Which TWO of the following are valid techniques for schedule compression that can be applied to activities on the critical path?

Accepted Answer

Crashing - adding resources to critical path activities to reduce duration.. Crashing and fast-tracking are both schedule compression techniques that focus on the critical path. Crashing reduces duration by adding resources to critical path activities, while fast-tracking performs critical path activities in parallel that were originally sequential, thereby shortening the overall schedule. Both are valid because they directly target the critical path, where any reduction directly impacts the project completion date.

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Resource leveling - adjusting start and finish dates based on resource constraints.

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Monte Carlo simulation - analyzing probable schedule outcomes.

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Critical chain method - adding buffers to protect the schedule.

Question 6

A project manager is leading a team in a matrix organization where team members report to both a functional manager and the project manager. The project is in the planning phase. What is the primary responsibility of the project manager during this phase?

Accepted Answer

Developing the project management plan. During the planning phase, the project manager's primary responsibility is to develop the project management plan, which integrates all subsidiary plans and baselines. This is a core PMBOK process. In a matrix organization, the project manager still owns this deliverable, though resource assignments may involve functional managers.

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Managing team conflicts

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Assigning daily tasks to team members

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Closing out the project

Question 7

In a predictive project management approach, which TWO artifacts are components of the project management plan?

Accepted Answer

Schedule baseline. The schedule baseline (A) is a component of the project management plan because it is the approved version of the schedule model, used to compare actual performance against planned dates and to measure schedule variance. The work breakdown structure dictionary (D) is also part of the project management plan, as it provides detailed descriptions, assumptions, and deliverables for each WBS component and supports scope, cost, and schedule management. The lessons learned register (B) is a project document, not a plan component, and is used to capture knowledge throughout the project. The requirements traceability matrix (C) is likewise a project document that links requirements to their origin and to deliverables. The project charter (E) is not part of the project management plan; it is the document that formally authorizes the project and precedes the plan's development.

Answer

Lessons learned register

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Requirements traceability matrix

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Project charter

Question 8

A business analyst is working on a project to implement a new human resources software. The project is using an Agile framework with two-week sprints. After three sprints, the product owner is frustrated because the team has not delivered any working functionality that can be demoed. The business analyst realizes that the user stories lack acceptance criteria and are too large to complete in a sprint. The team is also spending too much time on documentation. As the business analyst, what should you do to improve the situation?

Accepted Answer

Work with the product owner to break down large stories into smaller ones with clear acceptance criteria.. The core issue is that user stories are too large to complete within a two-week sprint and lack acceptance criteria, which prevents the team from delivering demonstrable functionality. Breaking down large stories into smaller, well-defined ones with clear acceptance criteria directly addresses both problems: it makes work fit within a sprint and provides a shared understanding of what 'done' means. This aligns with Agile best practices for backlog refinement and enables the team to produce potentially shippable increments each sprint.

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Replace the product owner with a more experienced one who understands Agile.

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Reduce documentation requirements to free up more development time.

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Increase the sprint duration to four weeks to allow more time for completion.

Question 9

Which TWO of the following are valid techniques for schedule compression in a predictive project?

Accepted Answer

Fast tracking. Options A and D are correct. Fast tracking involves overlapping activities that would normally be done in sequence, shortening the schedule. Crashing adds resources to critical path activities to reduce duration. Option B is wrong because adding lag increases duration. Option C is wrong because Monte Carlo simulation is a risk analysis technique, not schedule compression. Option E is wrong because resource leveling often lengthens the schedule by balancing resource demand.

Answer

Adding lag

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Monte Carlo simulation

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Resource leveling

Question 10

An organization is considering a new software development project. The business analyst is asked to determine if the project is financially viable. Which analysis is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Cost-Benefit Analysis. Cost-Benefit Analysis directly assesses financial viability by comparing costs and benefits. Feasibility Study is broader, SWOT evaluates environment, and Business Case justifies the project but may not focus solely on financials.

Answer

Feasibility Study

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Business Case

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SWOT Analysis

Question 11

Refer to the exhibit. Which critical element is missing from this business case?

Accepted Answer

Alternatives considered. The business case is missing a comparison of alternatives considered. A business case must justify why the selected approach is the best option, which requires evaluating at least one alternative (e.g., build vs. buy, different technical solutions). Without this, stakeholders cannot assess whether the recommended solution is optimal or cost-effective.

Answer

Project sponsor

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Detailed schedule

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Risk mitigation plan

Question 12

A project manager is evaluating cost performance using earned value management (EVM). The project has a cost performance index (CPI) of 0.85 and a schedule performance index (SPI) of 0.90. Which conclusion is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

The project is over budget and behind schedule.. CPI = EV/AC; a CPI of 0.85 means the project is earning only 85 cents of value per dollar spent — it is over budget. SPI = EV/PV; an SPI of 0.90 means the project is earning only 90 cents of value per planned dollar — it is behind schedule. Both indices below 1.0 therefore indicate the project is over budget and behind schedule.

Answer

The project is over budget but ahead of schedule.

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The project is behind schedule but on budget.

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The project is under budget and ahead of schedule.

Question 13

A newly formed agile team is about to start their first sprint. The product owner has a well-groomed backlog and the team has done relative sizing using planning poker. The team is excited but unsure about the process. They ask the Scrum Master what the primary goal of the first iteration should be. The Scrum Master should explain that the most important goal of the first sprint is to deliver a potentially releasable increment of the product. However, some team members are worried they may not be able to deliver enough due to team formation and learning the codebase. The product owner wants to see a visible outcome. What should the Scrum Master recommend as the primary focus for the first sprint?

Accepted Answer

Deliver a small but complete user story that adds value to the product. In Scrum, the primary goal of every sprint, including the first, is to deliver a potentially releasable increment of the product. Option C is correct because delivering a small but complete user story that adds value ensures the team practices the full Scrum cycle—from backlog refinement to definition of done—while producing a tangible outcome that satisfies the product owner's need for visible progress. This approach balances team learning with value delivery, which is the core purpose of an agile iteration.

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Create a detailed design document for the entire release

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Focus exclusively on setting up the development environment and CI/CD pipeline

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Skip the sprint goal to allow the team to learn without pressure

Question 14

Which TWO are core practices of Extreme Programming (XP)?

Accepted Answer

Test-driven development (TDD).. Test-driven development (TDD) is a core XP practice in which developers write an automated unit test before writing the code, then refactor once the test passes, giving rapid feedback and a safety net. Pair programming is also a core XP practice: two developers work together at one workstation, with one typing and the other reviewing, which improves design quality and knowledge sharing. By contrast, sprint review, product backlog grooming, and retrospectives are Scrum ceremonies/artifacts rather than XP's defining engineering practices, so they do not belong here.

Answer

Sprint review.

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Product backlog grooming.

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Retrospectives.

Question 15

A project manager is leading a software development project using a predictive plan-based methodology. The project is at 70% completion and the team has discovered a significant defect in a module that was completed two months ago. The defect was not identified during testing because the test cases were incomplete. The project schedule has a buffer of 5 days, and the defect is expected to take 10 days to fix. The project manager needs to determine the best course of action. Which of the following should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Follow the project's change control process to evaluate the impact on scope, schedule, and cost before deciding on corrective actions.. In a predictive plan-based methodology, any change to the project baseline (scope, schedule, cost) must go through the formal change control process. The defect represents a significant issue that impacts the schedule and potentially cost and scope. The project manager should follow the change control process to evaluate the impact, document the change request, and obtain approval before implementing corrective actions. This ensures that stakeholders are informed and that changes are managed systematically.

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Update the project schedule with the 10-day fix and request additional resources to compress the schedule.

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Immediately assign the team to fix the defect without any formal change request to save time.

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Inform the customer and request a change to the scope to remove the defective module.