PgMP Practice Test 9 — 10 Questions

Question 1

During program planning, how should you determine the dependencies between component projects?

Accepted Answer

Create a program-level dependency map.. Dependency mapping is essential to ensure that projects do not block each other and that the sequence of delivery supports the program roadmap.

Answer

Ignore minor dependencies to simplify the plan.

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Ask each project manager to list their dependencies.

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Let the project managers resolve them during execution.

Question 2

How do you manage risks that are common to multiple projects within a program?

Accepted Answer

Manage them at the program level as shared risks.. Risks common to multiple component projects within a program are managed at the program level as shared risks, because they affect the program's aggregate benefits and require coordinated mitigation across projects. The program manager owns these risks in the program risk register and addresses them through program-level risk response strategies.

Answer

Assign them to the most senior project manager.

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Ignore them until they impact a project.

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Manage them individually in each project.

Question 3

What is the primary objective of a phase-gate review in program governance?

Accepted Answer

To assess program viability and strategic alignment. Phase-gate reviews (also called stage gates or kill points) exist to evaluate whether the program or component should continue, pivot, or be terminated based on continued viability and alignment with organizational strategy. The gate decision hinges on business case validity, benefit realization trajectory, risk exposure, and strategic fit — not on tactical artifacts like budgets or personnel reviews. This is why option C captures the primary objective: it is a strategic go/no-go checkpoint, not an administrative update.

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To review the performance of individual team members

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To update the program management plan

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To approve the final project budget

Question 4

During a program's benefits realization phase, a business unit leader who previously supported the program begins publicly questioning the accuracy of the benefits tracking. The program manager has data showing the benefits are on track. What is the most appropriate action?

Accepted Answer

Meet privately with the business unit leader to understand the concern, review the benefits data together, and agree on how benefits will be reported going forward.. When a key stakeholder publicly questions benefits data, the program manager should engage directly and privately to understand the concern, share evidence, and jointly agree on reporting expectations. This preserves trust, corrects misperceptions, and keeps the stakeholder invested in benefits realization, rather than escalating or broadcasting a defensive message.

Answer

Ask the program sponsor to instruct the business unit leader to stop questioning the benefits data.

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Request a formal audit of the benefits tracking methodology to independently validate the data.

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Publish a program-wide communication reaffirming the accuracy of the benefits data and the program's progress.

Question 5

A program manager is leading a complex program with stakeholders spread across multiple countries. The program manager wants to ensure that stakeholder engagement remains effective despite cultural differences. Which TWO actions should the program manager take to address cultural considerations in stakeholder engagement? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Use local program team members to facilitate engagement with stakeholders in their regions.. The program manager should conduct a cultural assessment and use local team members to facilitate engagement. These actions address cultural differences by understanding preferences and leveraging local knowledge. A standardized plan, mandating English, or limiting to written communication ignore cultural nuances and can hinder effective engagement. Tailoring engagement to cultural contexts is essential.

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Limit engagement to written communication to avoid potential verbal misunderstandings.

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Develop a single, standardized communication plan that applies to all stakeholders regardless of location.

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Mandate that all stakeholder meetings be conducted in English to ensure consistency.

Question 6

Which TWO of the following are primary components of a Program Management Plan?

Accepted Answer

Benefits Realization Plan. The Benefits Realization Plan (A) is a primary component of a Program Management Plan because program management is fundamentally oriented toward delivering and measuring business benefits across the program, so the plan must define the benefits, metrics, and ownership for tracking them. The Governance Plan (C) is also a primary component, as it establishes the decision-making structures, roles, escalation paths, and oversight mechanisms that keep the program aligned with strategy and enable consistent control across constituent projects. Technical Design Documents (B) are project- or solution-level artifacts that describe how a specific product or system is built, not program-level management components. Employee Performance Reviews (D) belong to HR/line-management processes and are not part of the program management plan. Individual Project Timesheets (E) are operational tracking records used within projects, not a primary component of the program management plan.

Answer

Technical Design Documents

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Employee Performance Reviews

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Individual Project Timesheets

Question 7

You are the program manager for a global product development program. The Program Governance Board has approved a new benefits realization plan. A project manager reports that a key benefit will be delayed by three months due to a supplier issue. The governance board meets quarterly. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Assess the impact on the program's benefits and determine if the delay affects other projects or strategic objectives.. The program manager should first assess the impact of the delay on the program's benefits and dependencies. This analysis provides the necessary context for the governance board to make informed decisions. Acting without understanding the full impact can lead to misaligned responses. Once the assessment is complete, the program manager can escalate with recommendations.

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Update the benefits realization plan to reflect the new timeline and inform the governance board at the next quarterly meeting.

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Direct the project manager to find an alternative supplier to recover the schedule before escalating to the governance board.

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Immediately escalate the delay to the governance board chair and request an emergency meeting.

Question 8

Which THREE of the following represent common challenges in program integration?

Accepted Answer

Inconsistent reporting standards. Option A (Inconsistent reporting standards) is correct because when different projects within a program use different metrics, formats, or reporting cadences, consolidating status and performance data becomes difficult and error-prone, which is a well-known integration challenge. Option B (Misalignment between component benefits and program goals) is correct because program integration requires that each project's deliverables and benefits map to the overarching program objectives; when they diverge, the program fails to realize its intended benefits. Option E (Conflicting resource demands between projects) is correct because projects within a program typically share a common pool of people, budget, and equipment, and competing demands require active resource optimization and prioritization to avoid delays. Option C (Hiring a new project assistant) is not a common program integration challenge but a routine staffing action, and Option D (Using a standard email client) is a trivial tooling choice that does not represent an integration challenge.

Answer

Hiring a new project assistant

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Using a standard email client

Question 9

A component project within your program has achieved its deliverables but the benefits cannot be realized due to organizational readiness. What is your next move?

Accepted Answer

Collaborate with operational leadership to accelerate organizational readiness activities.. When deliverables are complete but benefits cannot yet be realized because the receiving organization is not ready, the program manager's responsibility shifts to benefit enablement — actively working with operational leadership to close the readiness gap. Benefits realization is the ultimate measure of program success, so simply closing the project or escalating to closure would abandon the program's purpose. Collaboration with operations is the correct next move because organizational readiness (training, process changes, staffing, culture) is typically owned outside the program and requires joint action.

Answer

Close the project and move on.

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Request a project extension to train the staff.

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Report the failure to the sponsor and request program closure.

Question 10

A program manager is developing the benefits realization plan for a program that will modernize a claims-processing platform. The sponsor wants assurance that the plan will support objective evaluation of whether the program delivered its intended value. Which two elements should the program manager include in the benefits realization plan to meet this expectation? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

A schedule of benefits reviews with assigned accountability for measurement. Objective evaluation of value delivery rests on two things: agreed measures and a governance routine that applies them. Metrics with baselines and targets provide the reference against which actual results are compared, and scheduled reviews with assigned accountability ensure the comparison occurs and is acted upon. Supporting artifacts such as risk registers, work breakdown structures, and staffing plans matter to execution but do not establish how benefits will be judged.

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A resource-loaded staffing plan for the program management office

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A complete risk register covering technical, schedule, and cost threats

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A detailed work breakdown structure for every project in the program