CAPM Practice Test 3 — 25 Questions

Question 1

Refer to the exhibit. The project manager is reviewing deployment logs. Which statement best describes the event?

Accepted Answer

A temporary error occurred and was automatically resolved. The deployment log shows a temporary error (e.g., database unavailable) that was resolved automatically after a retry. The event indicates an error occurred but was successfully mitigated, not a success or permanent failure. Options A, B, and C are incorrect: A is wrong because the database became available after retries; B is wrong because an error did occur; C is wrong because no warning was logged and an error did occur.

Answer

The database remained unavailable after retries

Answer

The deployment succeeded without any issues

Answer

A warning was logged but no error occurred

Question 2

In business analysis, what is the purpose of a stakeholder analysis?

Accepted Answer

Determine the communication needs and influence of stakeholders.. Stakeholder analysis is a core business analysis technique used to identify stakeholders, assess their interests, influence, and expectations, and determine how to engage them effectively. Option A is correct because understanding communication needs and influence is the primary purpose, enabling the business analyst to tailor engagement strategies and ensure stakeholder requirements are captured and managed.

Answer

Create a project schedule.

Answer

Identify all project risks.

Answer

Assign team roles and responsibilities.

Question 3

A project manager is leading a software development project. The sponsor has requested a new feature that was not part of the original scope. The project manager assesses that adding this feature will require additional resources and will extend the timeline by two weeks. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the impact on the project constraints and submit a change request.. The correct first step is to analyze the impact on the project constraints (scope, time, cost, quality) and submit a formal change request. This follows the Integrated Change Control process, ensuring the sponsor and change control board (CCB) evaluate the trade-offs before any work begins. In software development, adding a feature without analysis risks scope creep and uncontrolled budget or schedule deviations.

Answer

Refuse the request because it is out of scope.

Answer

Instruct the team to implement the feature and track extra time as overtime.

Answer

Immediately update the project schedule and budget.

Question 4

A BA is conducting a feasibility study. Which factor is assessed to determine if the project aligns with strategic goals?

Accepted Answer

Organizational feasibility. Organizational feasibility assesses whether the project aligns with the strategic goals of the organization by evaluating factors such as management support, stakeholder buy-in, and cultural fit. This ensures the project supports the overall business strategy and has the necessary organizational commitment to succeed.

Answer

Technical feasibility

Answer

Schedule feasibility

Answer

Economic feasibility

Question 5

Which TWO of the following are tools and techniques used in the Plan Schedule Management process?

Accepted Answer

Rolling wave planning. Options A and B are correct. Rolling wave planning is a technique for progressive elaboration used in developing the schedule management plan, while bottom-up estimating is used to estimate activity durations and resources, which informs the schedule management plan. Both are considered tools and techniques in the Plan Schedule Management process. Leads and lags (C) and critical path method (D) are techniques used in the Develop Schedule process, not in Plan Schedule Management. Decomposition (E) is used for scope definition.

Answer

Leads and lags

Answer

Critical path method

Answer

Decomposition

Question 6

A business analyst is creating a requirements traceability matrix (RTM) for a project. Which of the following is the primary purpose of an RTM?

Accepted Answer

To track requirements from identification through delivery and testing.. The primary purpose of a Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) is to link each requirement from its origin through the entire project lifecycle, including design, development, testing, and delivery. Option C correctly identifies this end-to-end traceability function, which ensures that every requirement is accounted for and validated against test cases and deliverables.

Answer

To document the final version of requirements after project closure.

Answer

To assign requirements to specific team members.

Answer

To estimate the cost of each requirement.

Question 7

A business analyst is prioritizing requirements using the Kano model. A feature that provides delight when present but causes dissatisfaction when absent is classified as:

Accepted Answer

One-dimensional. In the Kano model, a feature that causes dissatisfaction when absent cannot be attractive because attractive features do not cause dissatisfaction when absent. One-dimensional (performance) features cause satisfaction when present and dissatisfaction when absent, which matches the description ("delight" is often used loosely for satisfaction). Thus, the correct classification is One-dimensional.

Answer

Must-be

Answer

Attractive

Answer

Indifferent

Question 8

Given the exhibit, which action should the Scrum Master take?

Accepted Answer

Encourage the team to focus on completing User Story A, and defer B and D to the next Sprint.. The Scrum Master should protect the Sprint Goal and ensure the team focuses on completing committed work. In this scenario, User Story A is the highest priority and likely critical for the Sprint Goal; deferring B and D to the next Sprint maintains focus, avoids overloading the team, and preserves the integrity of the current Sprint. This aligns with the Scrum principle of delivering a potentially releasable increment at the end of each Sprint.

Answer

Ask the team to start work on User Story B in parallel.

Answer

Add another user story to the Sprint Backlog to keep the team busy.

Answer

Cancel the Sprint and start a new one.

Question 9

Refer to the exhibit. A business analyst is reviewing a requirements traceability matrix entry. What critical element is missing from this entry?

Accepted Answer

Link to design specification. The requirements traceability matrix (RTM) entry shown includes Requirement ID, source/description, and test case ID, but critically lacks a link to the design specification. Without this link, the traceability chain is broken because you cannot verify that the requirement has been translated into a technical design before implementation. The RTM must connect each requirement to its corresponding design element to ensure full lifecycle traceability from business need through design, test, and delivery.

Answer

Requirement ID

Answer

Source and description

Answer

Test case ID

Question 10

A project manager notices that the team is frequently redoing work because requirements were unclear. Which process group interaction would help address this issue?

Accepted Answer

Iterative interactions between Planning and Executing. Iterative interactions between the Planning and Executing process groups allow for continuous feedback and refinement of requirements, reducing the need for rework. Option A is incorrect because a direct progression from Initiating to Closing skips the iterative cycles needed for requirement clarity. Option B is incorrect because sequential handoffs from Executing to Closing do not address issues that arise during planning. Option C is incorrect because continuous monitoring between Initiating and Planning does not cover the execution phase where rework occurs.

Answer

Direct progression from Initiating to Closing

Answer

Sequential handoffs from Executing to Closing

Answer

Continuous monitoring between Initiating and Planning

Question 11

You are a project manager in a functional organization managing a software upgrade project. The functional managers control resources and priorities. Your project requires a senior developer from the IT department for two weeks starting next Monday. The IT functional manager informs you that the developer is assigned to an urgent operational issue and cannot be released until further notice. The project has a fixed deadline in four weeks, and any delay will impact the next phase. You have already used your influence and escalated to senior management, but the functional manager insists on keeping the developer. What should you do next?

Accepted Answer

Negotiate with the functional manager for partial release of the developer or a qualified replacement. In a functional organization, the project manager has limited authority over resources. Since the functional manager controls the developer's assignments, negotiating for a partial release (e.g., part-time work) or a qualified replacement is the most realistic next step to minimize project delay. Updating the schedule (A) would be premature without exhausting negotiation. Escalating to the CEO (B) may bypass the functional manager and damage relationships, and ordering the developer to work (D) is beyond the PM's authority in this structure.

Answer

Update the project schedule to reflect the delay and inform stakeholders

Answer

Escalate the issue to the CEO to override the functional manager

Answer

Direct the developer to work on the project despite the functional manager's order

Question 12

A project team encounters this error during deployment. Which project document should be updated first?

Accepted Answer

Issue log. An error during deployment is an issue that has already occurred, so it should be logged in the issue log for tracking and resolution. Option A is wrong because the change log is for approved changes, not for unexpected errors. Option C is wrong because the lessons learned register is updated after the project or phase, not immediately. Option D is wrong because the risk register is for uncertain events that may occur, but this error has already happened.

Answer

Change log

Answer

Lessons learned register

Answer

Risk register

Question 13

Refer to the exhibit. What is the cost performance index (CPI)?

Accepted Answer

0.83. CPI = EV/AC = 5000/6000 = 0.83. Options B, C, and D are incorrect calculations.

Answer

0.91

Answer

1.20

Answer

1.10

Question 14

During project planning, the team identifies that a key component must be custom-built by a vendor with a long lead time. The project manager wants to avoid the risk of the vendor failing to deliver. Which risk response strategy is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Transfer. Transfer is the most appropriate risk response strategy because it shifts the risk of vendor non-delivery to a third party (the vendor) through contracts, warranties, or insurance. Option B (Transfer) correctly addresses the risk by involving the vendor contractually. Option A (Accept) would involve acknowledging the risk without proactive action, which is not ideal when a specific vendor is critical. Option C (Avoid) would mean changing the project plan to eliminate the risk entirely, such as using a different component or building in-house, but that may not be feasible. Option D (Mitigate) would involve reducing the probability or impact of the risk, but transferring the risk through a contract is more direct and effective in this scenario.

Answer

Accept

Answer

Avoid

Answer

Mitigate

Question 15

A business analyst is facilitating a workshop to define the scope of a new customer relationship management (CRM) system. The project manager insists on including a feature that automates email campaigns, but the BA has identified that this feature is outside the agreed budget and timeline. The product owner supports the feature because it was requested by a key customer. What should the BA do first?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a prioritization session with all stakeholders to discuss trade-offs.. The BA should first facilitate a prioritization session with all stakeholders to discuss trade-offs because this aligns with the business analysis framework's emphasis on collaborative decision-making when scope conflicts arise. By engaging stakeholders, the BA can evaluate the feature's value against budget and timeline constraints, ensuring informed trade-offs rather than unilateral rejection or escalation. This approach maintains stakeholder alignment and avoids premature scope changes without consensus.

Answer

Reject the feature because it exceeds the budget.

Answer

Add the feature to the backlog but flag it as out of scope.

Answer

Request a budget increase from the project sponsor.

Question 16

During requirements validation, the business analyst discovers that a key requirement conflicts with an existing system constraint. The project manager wants to proceed with the requirement as-is to meet customer expectations. What should the business analyst do?

Accepted Answer

Document the conflict, analyze trade-offs, and facilitate a decision with stakeholders.. The business analyst's role in requirements validation includes documenting conflicts, analyzing trade-offs (e.g., cost, schedule, technical feasibility), and facilitating a decision among stakeholders. This aligns with the BABOK® Guide's requirement for collaborative decision-making, ensuring that the project manager's desire to meet customer expectations is balanced against the system constraint through an informed, consensus-driven process.

Answer

Escalate directly to the project sponsor.

Answer

Modify the requirement to avoid the constraint without informing stakeholders.

Answer

Accept the project manager's decision and proceed.

Question 17

Which THREE of the following are tools and techniques used in the Control Schedule process? (Select exactly 3.)

Accepted Answer

Performance reviews. Performance reviews (B) are a tool and technique in the Control Schedule process used to compare actual schedule performance against the baseline, often through earned value management (EVM) metrics like schedule variance (SV) and schedule performance index (SPI). This helps identify deviations and trigger corrective actions.

Answer

Rolling wave planning

Answer

Critical path method

Question 18

A project manager is leading a software development project. The business analyst has identified that the current requirements gathering process does not align with the enterprise's business analysis framework. The team is experiencing frequent scope changes and rework. What should the project manager do first to address this issue?

Accepted Answer

Review the enterprise's business analysis framework and adjust the requirements process to comply with it.. The project manager must first ensure the requirements gathering process aligns with the enterprise's business analysis framework. This alignment is a foundational step to reduce scope changes and rework, as the framework defines standard practices, templates, and governance for requirements management. Without compliance, any change control or documentation updates will be ineffective because the underlying process itself is non-conforming.

Answer

Immediately implement a change control process to manage scope changes.

Answer

Train the business analyst on the project's requirements gathering techniques.

Answer

Update the requirements documentation to include a traceability matrix.

Question 19

During requirements elicitation, a business analyst (BA) observes that key stakeholders are reluctant to share information due to a previous project's failure. The BA needs to build trust. Which technique should the BA use to encourage open communication?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a workshop with ground rules to ensure respectful dialogue.. Facilitating a workshop with ground rules establishes a structured, respectful environment that directly addresses trust issues. Ground rules create psychological safety by setting clear expectations for behavior, which encourages reluctant stakeholders to share information openly. This technique is specifically designed to rebuild trust in a group setting after a project failure.

Answer

Conduct one-on-one interviews to gather individual perspectives.

Answer

Distribute a survey to collect anonymous feedback.

Answer

Organize a brainstorming session to generate ideas freely.

Question 20

A medium-sized software company is developing a new mobile application. The project manager, Alex, has a team of 10 developers and 2 testers. The organization uses a hybrid approach combining waterfall planning for the overall phases and agile for individual iterations. In the first iteration, the team committed to completing 20 user stories. During the sprint, two developers left the company, and the remaining team members had to pick up their tasks. The product owner is concerned about the delivery date. Alex needs to communicate the impact to stakeholders. What should Alex do first?

Accepted Answer

Re-estimate the remaining user stories using the new team capacity to determine the impact on the schedule.. Before communicating delays or taking corrective actions, Alex must first understand the impact of the reduced capacity on the iteration and overall project. Re-estimating the remaining stories based on the new team capacity provides a data-driven basis for revising the schedule and communicating realistic expectations. Option A is correct. Option B (immediately informing of delay) is premature without analysis. Options C and D are reactive and may not be feasible or effective.

Answer

Immediately inform the project sponsor that the release date will be delayed.

Answer

Ask the remaining team members to work overtime to make up for the lost capacity.

Answer

Add more developers from another project to the team.