PMP Practice Test 10 — 10 Questions

Question 1

Your project is facing significant schedule delays due to unforeseen regulatory changes. You need to compress the schedule. Which TWO techniques are appropriate for schedule compression?

Accepted Answer

Fast-tracking: performing activities in parallel that were originally sequential. Fast-tracking (A) is a valid schedule compression technique because it overlaps activities that were originally planned to run sequentially, which can shorten the overall duration, though it increases risk and may require rework. Crashing (B) is also valid because it adds resources (such as additional staff or overtime) to critical path activities to shorten their duration, typically at increased cost. Adding buffers (C) does not compress the schedule; it adds contingency time and therefore lengthens or protects the schedule rather than shortening it. Resource leveling (D) adjusts the schedule to resolve resource over-allocation and may actually extend the duration, so it is not a compression technique. Reducing scope (E) changes the project's deliverables rather than compressing the existing schedule, so it is not an appropriate schedule compression method.

Answer

Adding buffers to the schedule

Answer

Resource leveling: smoothing resource demand to avoid peaks

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Reducing scope: removing non-critical deliverables

Question 2

Your project is using a predictive lifecycle. The team has identified a potential risk that could cause a two-week delay. The risk has a probability of 30% and an impact of $50,000. The project has a contingency reserve of $100,000. What is the most appropriate risk response?

Accepted Answer

Add the risk to the risk register, monitor it, and prepare a contingency plan. The most appropriate risk response is to add the risk to the risk register, monitor it, and prepare a contingency plan. This is a form of risk acceptance with a contingency plan, which is suitable for a risk with a 30% probability and $50,000 impact, given that the contingency reserve is sufficient to cover it.

Answer

Transfer the risk to the customer through a contract clause

Answer

Accept the risk and take no further action, since the contingency reserve is sufficient

Answer

Immediately allocate $50,000 from the contingency reserve to mitigate the risk

Question 3

Your project's CPI is 0.85 and SPI is 0.90 at the midpoint. The project sponsor asks for a status update. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Inform the sponsor of the cost and schedule variances and present a recovery plan. PMI emphasizes clear communication of project status to stakeholders, including variances and corrective actions.

Answer

Implement cost reduction measures without informing the sponsor

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Report that the project is on track and the variances are temporary

Answer

Request additional budget to cover the cost overrun without changing scope

Question 4

During a daily standup, a developer mentions that a third-party API integration is more complex than anticipated and will take an extra two days. The sprint ends in four days. The product owner is not in the meeting. What should the scrum master do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Help the team assess the impact and discuss options to adjust the sprint backlog, then inform the product owner.. The scrum master should facilitate the team in adjusting the sprint backlog and then communicate the impact to the product owner for reprioritization.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project manager immediately.

Answer

Remove the task from the sprint and add it to the backlog.

Answer

Tell the developer to work overtime to complete the task on time.

Question 5

You are managing a project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint, the development team discovers a critical security vulnerability that was not identified during risk planning. The fix will require significant rework and will cause the sprint goal to be missed. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Perform an impact analysis and submit a change request to address the vulnerability. The project manager should first assess the impact of the security vulnerability on scope, schedule, and cost, then submit a change request to formally address the issue. Option B is incorrect because bypassing change control violates project governance, especially in a hybrid approach where change management processes are defined. Option C is incorrect because requiring overtime to achieve the sprint goal ignores the rework impact and could lead to burnout and quality issues. Option D is incorrect because delaying the fix leaves the vulnerability unaddressed, which is unacceptable for a critical security issue.

Answer

Instruct the team to fix the vulnerability immediately without formal change control

Answer

Ask the team to work overtime to fix the vulnerability while still achieving the sprint goal

Answer

Allow the team to continue with the sprint and address the vulnerability in a future sprint

Question 6

During a project retrospective, the team identifies that a major risk was not properly mitigated because the contingency plan was not executed on time. The risk event caused a two-week delay. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Document lessons learned and update the risk management plan to improve future contingency execution. The first step after a risk materializes is to capture lessons learned from the failure to execute the contingency plan and update the risk management plan to improve future contingency execution. This aligns with the PMI principle of continuous improvement. Option B is wrong: the risk should be closed only after analyzing root causes and capturing lessons learned, not immediately removed from the register. Option C is wrong: while performance issues may be addressed, the immediate focus should be on process improvement rather than individual accountability, and this should be part of lessons learned. Option D is wrong: creating a new contingency plan without first understanding why the original plan was not executed on time is premature; root cause analysis should precede any new planning.

Answer

Update the risk register to remove the risk since it has occurred

Answer

Identify who was responsible for the contingency plan and address the performance issue

Answer

Create a new contingency plan for the risk, as the original plan failed

Question 7

A project manager is building a new project team. Which TWO actions are most effective for establishing a high-performing team?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a kick-off meeting to align on goals and build rapport.. A kick-off meeting aligns the team on project goals, establishes shared understanding, and builds rapport among members, which are foundational for collaboration and high performance. Option E is correct because developing a team charter with the team's input fosters ownership, clarifies norms, and sets expectations for communication and decision-making, directly contributing to team cohesion and effectiveness.

Answer

Avoid discussing potential conflicts to maintain harmony.

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Mandate overtime to meet aggressive deadlines.

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Assign roles and responsibilities without team input.

Question 8

Your construction project is in the execution phase. A key vendor informs you that a critical material will be delayed by 3 weeks due to a strike at their factory. This delay will push the project beyond the required completion date. The risk was identified and documented in the risk register with a planned response. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Implement the pre-defined risk response as documented in the risk register.. The planned risk response should be executed as per the risk management plan. Option A is correct because the response is already defined. Option B is reactive; Option C skips the planned response; Option D may be needed later but is not first.

Answer

Inform the sponsor and ask for additional budget to expedite shipping.

Answer

Crash the schedule by adding extra resources to other tasks to recover time.

Answer

Update the risk register and escalate to the steering committee.

Question 9

During a project, a risk event that was identified in the risk register occurs. The risk response plan had a mitigation strategy, but it is not fully effective. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Implement the contingency plan or develop a workaround and update the risk register. The project manager should implement the contingency plan or develop a workaround, then update the risk register and communicate with stakeholders.

Answer

Notify the sponsor and request additional time and budget

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Ignore the risk because the mitigation strategy was already implemented

Answer

Escalate the risk to the steering committee for resolution

Question 10

Your project team is distributed across three time zones. You notice that the daily stand-up meetings are poorly attended, and team members complain about meeting fatigue. What is the BEST way to address this situation?

Accepted Answer

Rotate the meeting time so no time zone is always inconvenienced.. Rotating meeting times distributes the inconvenience fairly and shows servant leadership. Option A ignores the issue; Option B may not be sufficient; Option D discourages communication.

Answer

Reduce the stand-up to twice per week.

Answer

Record the stand-up for later viewing by those who can't attend.

Answer

Mandate attendance by linking it to performance reviews.