PgMP Practice Test 17 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Which TWO actions should be taken when a stakeholder expresses concerns about program risks?

Accepted Answer

Document the risk in the Risk Register.. Option A is correct because any identified program risk, including one raised by a stakeholder, must be formally captured in the Risk Register so it can be analyzed, prioritized, assigned an owner, and tracked through its lifecycle. Option D is correct because once a mitigation plan exists, the stakeholder who raised the concern must receive clear communication about how the risk will be addressed, which maintains transparency and trust and closes the feedback loop. Options B, C, and E are not appropriate: increasing the budget immediately is a premature and unjustified response before risk analysis is performed, dismissing a risk simply because it is unlikely ignores its potential impact and violates proper risk management, and changing the program sponsor is unrelated to handling a stakeholder's risk concern and would not mitigate the risk itself.

Answer

Increase the program budget immediately.

Answer

Dismiss the risk if it is unlikely.

Answer

Change the program sponsor.

Question 2

What is the relationship between the Program Roadmap and the Strategic Plan?

Accepted Answer

The roadmap executes the strategy. The Program Roadmap is the execution-oriented artifact that translates the organization's Strategic Plan into sequenced program tranches, deliverables, and milestones. It operationalizes strategy by showing how and when the program will deliver the benefits the strategy demands.

Answer

They are the same document

Answer

They are unrelated documents

Answer

The strategic plan is a subset of the roadmap

Question 3

An organization decides to shift its strategy, rendering a long-term program benefit obsolete. The program has already spent 70% of its budget. What is the best course of action?

Accepted Answer

Formally close the program and document lessons learned.. When a strategic shift renders a program's benefits obsolete, the program no longer has a valid business case, and the correct governance response is to formally close it and capture lessons learned. Sunk cost (the 70% already spent) is irrelevant to the forward-looking decision — continuing would only waste the remaining 30% and consume resources that could deliver current strategic value. Formal closure also preserves governance integrity and feeds organizational learning.

Answer

Modify the benefit to match the new strategy without steering committee approval.

Answer

Continue to the end because 70% of the budget is already spent.

Answer

Wait for the next fiscal year to review the benefits.

Answer

Report the program as successful to protect organizational reputation.

Question 4

Which THREE factors should be considered when assessing the feasibility of a proposed program benefit?

Accepted Answer

Availability of required resources.. Option A (Availability of required resources) is correct because a benefit is only feasible if the people, budget, technology, and time needed to deliver it can realistically be obtained. Option C (Current organizational culture and change readiness) is correct because even a well-resourced benefit may fail if the organization is not prepared to adopt the required process, behavior, or structural changes. Option E (Alignment with organizational strategy) is correct because a proposed benefit must support the organization's strategic objectives to be considered worthwhile and sustainable. Option B is not correct because a sponsor's personal preference is subjective and not a valid feasibility criterion. Option D is not correct because software license count is only one narrow resource detail, already covered under resource availability, and is not a standalone feasibility factor.

Answer

The personal preference of the project sponsor.

Answer

The number of software licenses required.

Question 5

During the execution phase of a program, the organization shifts its strategic focus due to a merger. What is the first action the program manager should take regarding strategic alignment?

Accepted Answer

Re-evaluate the Program Business Case. When the organization shifts its strategic focus due to a merger, the first action the program manager should take regarding strategic alignment is to re-evaluate the Program Business Case. The business case documents the justification for the program based on strategic objectives, benefits, costs, and risks. A merger may invalidate assumptions or change priorities, so re-evaluating it ensures the program remains aligned with the new strategy before making other changes. This is a proactive step to determine if the program should continue, be modified, or be terminated.

Answer

Immediately terminate the program

Answer

Review the Benefit Register

Answer

Update the Program Roadmap

Question 6

Which governance artifact tracks the transition of project outputs into operational business value?

Accepted Answer

Benefits Realization Plan. The benefits realization plan specifically maps how outputs lead to outcomes and value.

Answer

Program Charter

Answer

Risk Register

Answer

Governance Board Minutes

Question 7

Which TWO methods are effective for gathering stakeholder feedback?

Accepted Answer

Interviews.. Interviews (A) are effective for gathering stakeholder feedback because they allow direct, interactive questioning where the interviewer can probe for clarification, uncover underlying concerns, and capture qualitative insights and expectations that structured data sources miss. Surveys (B) are also effective because they let you collect input from many stakeholders efficiently and anonymously, often using rating scales or open-ended questions to quantify satisfaction and identify trends across a broad group. By contrast, resource utilization charts (C) are project tracking tools that show how labor or assets are allocated, not stakeholder opinions, and automated logs (D) record system or process events rather than human feedback. Procurement contracts (E) are formal legal agreements defining deliverables, terms, and obligations, so they document requirements and commitments rather than capturing stakeholder sentiment or feedback.

Answer

Resource utilization charts.

Answer

Automated logs.

Answer

Procurement contracts.

Question 8

Which TWO of the following are examples of stakeholder engagement challenges?

Accepted Answer

Inadequate communication channels.. Option C (Inadequate communication channels) is a classic stakeholder engagement challenge because when channels such as status meetings, shared repositories, or escalation paths are missing or unreliable, information does not reach stakeholders in time, feedback loops break down, and trust erodes. Option E (Conflicting expectations between stakeholders) is also a core engagement challenge, since different stakeholders often hold divergent priorities, success criteria, or constraints, and reconciling these requires active negotiation and expectation management. By contrast, option A (standardized email templates) is a communication aid that improves consistency rather than a challenge, option B (too many positive stakeholders) describes a favorable situation rather than a difficulty, and option D (meeting all requirements on time) is a desirable project outcome, not an engagement problem.

Answer

The use of standardized email templates.

Answer

Having too many positive stakeholders.

Answer

Meeting all requirements on time.

Question 9

Which THREE strategies can improve stakeholder participation in program workshops?

Accepted Answer

Distribute pre-read materials in advance.. Option A is correct because distributing pre-read materials in advance gives stakeholders time to review context and data, so they arrive prepared and can contribute substantively rather than spending workshop time on background briefing. Option C is correct because a neutral facilitator manages airtime, prevents dominant personalities from monopolizing discussion, and ensures all voices are heard without bias toward any stakeholder group. Option D is correct because clear objectives define the workshop's purpose and expected outcomes, which focuses participation, sets expectations, and motivates stakeholders to engage meaningfully. Option B is wrong because scheduling during a holiday period reduces attendance and availability, undermining participation. Option E is wrong because inviting only the most vocal stakeholders excludes quieter but relevant perspectives, reducing diversity of input and overall participation.

Answer

Schedule the workshop during a holiday period.

Answer

Invite only the most vocal stakeholders.

Question 10

Which THREE factors should a program manager consider when analyzing stakeholder influence?

Accepted Answer

Access to resources.. Option B (Access to resources) is correct because a stakeholder's control over budget, staff, tools, or funding directly determines how much leverage they have to enable or block program work. Option D (Formal authority within the organization) is correct because positional power—such as being a sponsor, executive, or governance-board member—gives a stakeholder legitimate decision rights over scope, priorities, and approvals. Option E (Ability to impact program outcomes) is correct because influence is fundamentally measured by a stakeholder's capacity to affect schedule, cost, quality, or benefits realization, whether through authority, expertise, or relationships. Option A (hours worked per week) is not a reliable indicator of influence, since effort level does not equate to decision power or resource control. Option C (physical office location) is also not a valid influence factor, because co-location or distance does not by itself confer authority, resources, or outcome impact.

Answer

The number of hours they work per week.

Answer

The stakeholder's physical office location.

Question 11

Which TWO factors in a PESTLE analysis would most likely impact a long-term infrastructure program's strategic fit?

Accepted Answer

Political factors. Political factors (C) are correct because government policy, regulation, funding priorities, and geopolitical stability directly shape the long-term viability and strategic fit of an infrastructure program, which often depends on public approvals and multi-year budgets. Technological factors (E) are correct because emerging technologies, innovation cycles, and obsolescence risk can fundamentally alter infrastructure requirements and the strategic direction of a long-term program. Options A and B are incorrect because daily operational task lists and individual team member performance are tactical, short-term, internal concerns rather than macro-environmental PESTLE factors. Option D is incorrect because office supply costs are a minor operational expense, not a strategic macro-level factor in PESTLE analysis.

Answer

Daily operational task lists

Answer

Individual team member performance

Answer

Office supply costs

Question 12

Which THREE of the following are necessary to ensure effective benefits realization?

Accepted Answer

Organizational readiness.. Effective benefits realization requires organizational readiness (B), because the people, processes, and culture must be prepared to adopt and sustain the change that produces the benefits. Active stakeholder participation (D) is essential so that sponsors, users, and other affected parties engage with, support, and help drive the initiative toward its intended outcomes. A clear Benefits Realization Plan (E) is also necessary because it defines the target benefits, owners, metrics, timelines, and governance needed to track and confirm that benefits are actually achieved. Option A is incorrect because a budget covering only the first month cannot sustain an initiative long enough to realize benefits, and option C is incorrect because ignoring external market conditions removes critical context that can affect whether benefits remain valid and achievable.

Answer

A budget that only covers the first month.

Answer

Ignoring all external market conditions.

Question 13

Which THREE of the following are common reasons for program closure?

Accepted Answer

The program no longer aligns with the organizational strategy.. Option B is correct because program management exists to deliver benefits tied to organizational strategy, so if the strategy shifts and the program no longer aligns, the program is typically closed or redirected. Option C is correct because a program is a temporary endeavor designed to deliver a defined set of benefits; once those intended benefits are realized and no further tranches are justified, the program reaches its natural closure. Option E is correct because programs are time-bound and are commonly closed when they reach their planned end date, provided the intended benefits have been delivered or the remaining work is transitioned. Options A and D are not standard reasons: individual project managers stopping projects is a project-level action rather than a recognized program closure driver, and a team wanting to start a new project is a resource or portfolio motivation, not a valid justification for closing a program.

Answer

The project managers decided to stop the projects.

Answer

The team wants to start a new project.

Question 14

When a program manager is performing a strategic environmental assessment, which THREE sources provide the most reliable information?

Accepted Answer

Corporate Strategic Plan. The Corporate Strategic Plan (A) is the most reliable internal source because it formally documents the organization's mission, goals, and long-term direction, which the program must align with during a strategic environmental assessment. Direct feedback from key stakeholders (D) is reliable because it comes straight from the individuals who own, sponsor, or are affected by the program, providing authoritative input on needs, constraints, and expectations. Industry white papers (E) are reliable external sources because they are typically researched, peer-reviewed, or published by recognized industry bodies, offering validated trends and benchmarks relevant to the strategic context. Casual water cooler conversations (B) are informal, unverified, and anecdotal, so they lack the rigor and authority needed for strategic decisions. Personal social media feeds (C) are subjective, uncurated, and often biased, making them unsuitable as a dependable basis for a formal environmental assessment.

Answer

Casual water cooler conversations

Answer

Personal social media feeds

Question 15

Which THREE inputs are necessary for a program governance board to make an informed decision?

Accepted Answer

Current program performance data. Option B (Current program performance data) is correct because a governance board can only judge whether a program is on track against its scope, schedule, cost, and benefit baselines if it has up-to-date metrics such as earned value, milestone status, and KPI results. Option D (Updated risk and issue logs) is correct because these registers give the board visibility into active threats, realized issues, their severity, ownership, and mitigation status, which are essential for deciding whether to approve, redirect, or escalate work. Option E (Impact assessment of the proposed decision) is correct because it quantifies the consequences of each option — for example effects on cost, schedule, resources, benefits, and risk exposure — enabling a defensible, evidence-based choice rather than a guess. Options A and C are not valid inputs: dietary restrictions and a manager's personal vacation plan are irrelevant personal matters that have no bearing on program governance decisions.

Answer

Project team members' dietary restrictions

Answer

The Program Manager's personal vacation plan