PMP Practice Test 18 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A project manager is managing a hybrid project with both fixed-price and agile components. The sponsor asks the project manager to skip the testing phase for the agile portion to save time, assuring that the team is highly skilled and can deliver quality code without testing. What should the project manager do?

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

Accepted Answer

Explain the risks of skipping testing and suggest alternatives such as automated testing or risk-based testing. The project manager has a fiduciary duty to protect the project from unnecessary risk. Skipping testing entirely, even with a highly skilled team, violates the principle of 'inspect and adapt' in agile and ignores the statistical certainty of defects in complex code. Suggesting automated testing or risk-based testing provides a pragmatic compromise that reduces time while maintaining quality assurance, aligning with the hybrid project's need for both speed and governance.

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Add a buffer in the schedule to compensate for potential rework from skipped testing

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Escalate the issue to the PMO for guidance

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Comply with the sponsor's request to save time and maintain a good relationship

Question 2

You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a daily standup, one developer mentions he has identified a potential security flaw in the current build that could significantly impact the release. The fix will require at least two days of additional work. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Log the issue in the issue log, assess the impact on scope and schedule, and then determine the next steps. In a hybrid project, when a security flaw is discovered during a daily standup, the first action must be to log the issue and assess its impact on scope and schedule before deciding on a response. Option B follows the correct risk management process: capture the issue, evaluate its severity, and then determine the appropriate fix strategy. This ensures that the fix is prioritized based on technical risk and business impact, not rushed or deferred without analysis.

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Add the fix to the product backlog and address it in the next sprint planning

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Instruct the developer to fix the security flaw immediately

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Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision

Question 3

A key vendor has notified you that they cannot deliver a critical component on time due to a raw material shortage. This component is on the project's critical path. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Evaluate the impact on the project schedule and identify possible alternatives, such as sourcing from another vendor. The first step in any project management issue is to analyze the impact and explore alternatives before taking action. Since the component is on the critical path, any delay directly affects the project finish date, so you must evaluate schedule impact and identify options like sourcing from another vendor to mitigate the risk.

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Initiate legal proceedings against the vendor for breach of contract

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Crash the schedule by adding resources to other tasks to compensate for the delay

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Immediately escalate the issue to the project sponsor

Question 4

You are the project manager for a software development project using a hybrid approach. Two senior developers have a heated disagreement about the best technical solution for a critical feature. The disagreement is causing delays and affecting team morale. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a meeting with both developers to listen to their perspectives and facilitate a resolution. As a project manager using a hybrid approach, your first responsibility is to facilitate conflict resolution among team members. By scheduling a meeting to listen to both developers' perspectives, you demonstrate servant leadership, encourage collaborative problem-solving, and leverage their technical expertise to reach a consensus, which aligns with the PMI Talent Triangle's leadership and team management skills.

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Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a final decision

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Ignore the conflict and hope it resolves on its own

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Make a decision yourself and tell the developers to implement that solution

Question 5

A new project manager is assigned to an ongoing project. The team seems demotivated because the previous PM did not recognize their contributions. What can the new PM do to motivate the team?

Accepted Answer

Publicly appreciate individual contributions and involve the team in key decisions. Recognizing individual contributions and involving the team in key decisions directly addresses the root cause of demotivation—lack of appreciation and empowerment. According to the PMBOK Guide's 'Manage Team' process, recognition and involvement in decision-making are key motivators under the 'People' domain, as they foster trust, ownership, and psychological safety. This approach aligns with Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene theory, where recognition and responsibility are true motivators, unlike hygiene factors such as team lunches or monetary bonuses.

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Organize a team lunch to get to know everyone

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Focus on project tasks and avoid discussing past issues

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Offer monetary bonuses for meeting milestones

Question 6

A project manager is leading a construction project. The critical path has a total float of zero. A key supplier notifies you that a critical component will be delayed by two weeks, which will push the project beyond its deadline. The risk was identified and a mitigation plan exists. What should the PM do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Implement the mitigation plan from the risk register. The risk was already identified and a mitigation plan exists in the risk register. The project manager should implement the mitigation plan as the next step, per the PMBOK Guide's risk response process, before escalating or changing the schedule. This ensures a proactive, planned response rather than a reactive or costly one.

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Immediately escalate the issue to the project sponsor

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Accept the delay and update the project schedule

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Crash the schedule by adding resources to other tasks

Question 7

During a project status meeting, the sponsor asks you to skip the final round of testing to meet the original deadline, stating that the product is already 'good enough.' What is your best response?

Accepted Answer

Explain the risks of skipping testing and propose a formal change request to document the decision. It aligns with the PMP Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, which requires project managers to provide accurate information and manage risks transparently. By explaining the risks of skipping testing and proposing a formal change request, you ensure that the decision is documented, the sponsor understands the potential impact on quality and schedule, and the project remains compliant with organizational processes. This approach balances stakeholder expectations with professional responsibility.

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Agree to skip testing to maintain the schedule and stakeholder satisfaction

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Secretly continue testing but report that testing is complete

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Refuse outright and insist on completing all testing as planned

Question 8

You are managing a hybrid project with a co-located core team and remote subject matter experts. Two senior developers argue daily about the technical approach for a critical module. The conflict is delaying sprint planning and affecting team morale. Which TWO actions should you take first?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a private meeting between the two developers to understand their perspectives and guide them toward a resolution. Facilitating a private meeting between the two developers allows you to understand the root cause of the technical disagreement (e.g., architectural trade-offs between microservices vs. monolith for the module) and guide them toward a collaborative resolution. As a hybrid project manager, you must address conflict directly and early to prevent further delays in sprint planning and restore team morale, aligning with the PMI People domain's emphasis on conflict resolution as a key leadership skill.

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Reassign one developer to a different module to reduce interaction

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Ignore the conflict and hope it resolves on its own

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Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision

Question 9

During a sprint retrospective, the team identifies that their velocity has dropped significantly in the last two sprints. What should the scrum master do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a discussion to identify root causes and create an action plan. The correct first action is to facilitate a root cause analysis and create an action plan because the sprint retrospective is the prescribed Agile ceremony for continuous improvement. The Scrum Master's role is to coach the team to self-organize and address impediments, not to impose solutions. Jumping to staffing or scope changes without understanding the underlying technical or process issues violates the empirical process control principle of transparency.

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Add more team members to increase velocity

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Reduce the sprint backlog to improve velocity metrics

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Encourage the team to work faster in the next sprint

Question 10

During a sprint retrospective, the team identifies that the daily standups have become too long (45 minutes instead of 15). Several team members feel the standups are unproductive. As the Scrum Master, what should you do?

Accepted Answer

Coach the team to keep standups within the 15-minute timebox and focus on the three key questions. The Scrum Master’s primary responsibility is to coach the team on Scrum practices, including enforcing the 15-minute timebox for daily standups and ensuring they focus on the three key questions (what was done, what will be done, and impediments). This directly addresses the root cause—lack of discipline and focus—rather than bypassing the event or escalating unnecessarily. By coaching, the team learns to self-organize and improve their process, which is a core agile principle.

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Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for guidance

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Mandate that standups be held only twice a week

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Cancel daily standups entirely to save time

Question 11

During a project, a key stakeholder requests a change that will increase the project scope. The project manager evaluates the impact and determines it will add two weeks to the schedule but no additional cost. The change request is approved by the change control board (CCB). What should the project manager do next?

Accepted Answer

Update the schedule baseline and inform all stakeholders of the approved change.. After the CCB approves a change that increases scope, the project manager must update the schedule baseline to reflect the approved two-week delay. This ensures the project plan remains accurate and serves as the basis for performance measurement. Informing all stakeholders of the approved change is a key communication requirement per the PMBOK Guide's Manage Communications process.

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Reject the change because it will delay the project.

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Instruct the project team to begin working on the additional scope immediately.

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Update the work breakdown structure (WBS) and communicate the change to the project team.

Question 12

A new government regulation has been announced that will affect your project's deliverables. The regulation will take effect in three months, and your project is scheduled to complete in six months. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Assess the impact of the regulation and submit a change request to address necessary adjustments. The PMBOK Guide requires the project manager to first assess the impact of any external change, such as a new regulation, on the project's scope, schedule, cost, and quality before taking action. Only after this analysis should a change request be submitted through the formal integrated change control process to adjust the project plan. Ignoring the regulation or acting without analysis violates the principle of proactive risk management and the change control system.

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Inform the team and continue with the current plan, assuming the regulation may not affect the project

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Fast-track the project to complete before the regulation takes effect

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Ask the legal department to interpret the regulation and wait for their response before acting

Question 13

During a project status meeting, you notice that one team member consistently interrupts others and dismisses their ideas. This behavior is affecting team morale and collaboration. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Speak privately with the team member after the meeting to discuss the impact of their behavior. Addressing interpersonal issues privately and promptly aligns with the PMP's focus on proactive conflict resolution and team management. By speaking privately with the team member, you can discuss the specific behavior's impact on morale and collaboration without public embarrassment, which is key to maintaining a respectful team environment and preventing escalation.

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End the meeting and schedule a team-building session

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Ignore the behavior as it is not affecting the project outcomes directly

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Ask the team member to leave the meeting until they can behave professionally

Question 14

Your project team includes members from diverse cultural backgrounds. You notice that some team members are reluctant to share their ideas in group settings due to cultural norms. What is the best approach to foster inclusion?

Accepted Answer

Offer multiple ways to contribute, such as anonymous feedback tools or smaller group discussions. It respects cultural diversity by providing alternative channels for participation, such as anonymous feedback or smaller groups, which can reduce the social pressure that inhibits contribution in larger, hierarchical settings. This approach aligns with the PMI Talent Triangle's emphasis on emotional intelligence and inclusive leadership, recognizing that a one-size-fits-all communication style may exclude team members from collectivist or high-power-distance cultures.

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Assign a team member to represent the quieter members and speak on their behalf

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Encourage everyone to speak up and emphasize that all opinions are valued

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Conduct a training session on assertiveness for the reluctant team members

Question 15

During a risk review meeting, a risk that was identified and registered occurs. The risk response plan is implemented, but it does not fully mitigate the impact, and the project is now behind schedule. What should the project manager do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the situation, implement a workaround, and communicate the impact to stakeholders.. When a risk response plan fails to fully mitigate the impact, the project manager must immediately analyze the situation to understand the residual effect, implement a workaround (an unplanned response to an emerging issue), and communicate the impact to stakeholders. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's guidance on managing risks and issues: after a risk occurs and the planned response is insufficient, the PM must take corrective action and keep stakeholders informed to maintain transparency and support decision-making.

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Blame the risk owner for inadequate response planning.

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Update the risk register and continue with the project as planned.

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Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for guidance.