PMP Practice Test 19 — 15 Questions

Question 1

You are managing a project to develop a mobile app. During the testing phase, a critical defect is found that could cause data loss. The team estimates it will take one week to fix, but the project is already two weeks behind schedule. What is the BEST course of action?

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

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to fix the defect, assessing the impact on schedule and cost, and obtain approval. It follows the formal change control process required by the PMBOK Guide. When a critical defect is discovered that impacts the project's schedule and cost, the project manager must submit a change request to assess the impact on the triple constraint (time, cost, scope) and obtain formal approval from the change control board (CCB) before implementing the fix. This ensures that the decision is documented, risks are evaluated, and stakeholders are aligned, preventing unauthorized scope creep or schedule changes.

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Release the app as scheduled and patch the defect later to avoid further delays

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Escalate to the sponsor and ask for a decision on whether to fix or release

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Fix the defect immediately and update the schedule without formal approval

Question 2

A project manager is leading a global virtual team. A conflict arises between two senior developers from different cultures. One feels the other is not respecting their time zone, while the other accuses the first of micromanaging. What is the best approach to resolve this conflict?

Accepted Answer

Mediate a meeting between the two developers to openly discuss their concerns. As a project manager leading a global virtual team, the best approach to resolve a conflict between two senior developers from different cultures is to mediate a meeting where they can openly discuss their concerns. This aligns with the PMP's focus on collaborative problem-solving and emotional intelligence, allowing both parties to express their perspectives on time zone respect and micromanagement, leading to a mutually agreed solution. Mediation fosters trust and understanding, which is critical for virtual team cohesion and productivity.

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Escalate the issue to human resources for a formal resolution

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Assign each developer to separate tasks to minimize interaction

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Decide on a compromise and inform both parties of the new rules

Question 3

A project team has low trust and poor collaboration. The project manager wants to build a high-performing team. Which of the following is the MOST effective first step?

Accepted Answer

Develop a team charter that defines values, communication norms, and conflict resolution processes.. Developing a team charter is the most effective first step because it establishes a shared foundation of values, communication norms, and conflict resolution processes, which directly addresses low trust and poor collaboration by creating psychological safety and clear expectations. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on team charter as a key tool for forming a high-performing team, as it proactively prevents conflicts rather than reactively resolving them.

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Conduct a team-building event, such as a social gathering.

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Identify and resolve the biggest conflict in the team.

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Introduce daily stand-up meetings.

Question 4

In a Kanban project, the team notices that the work-in-progress (WIP) limit is frequently exceeded, causing bottlenecks. What is the BEST action for the project manager to take?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a team discussion to analyze the bottlenecks and adjust WIP limits accordingly. In a Kanban system, WIP limits are not static; they should be adjusted based on empirical data and team feedback. By facilitating a team discussion, the project manager enables root cause analysis of the bottlenecks, allowing the team to collaboratively recalibrate WIP limits to match actual throughput and flow efficiency. This aligns with the Kanban principle of 'start with what you do now' and 'agree to pursue incremental, evolutionary change.'

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Increase the WIP limits to reduce bottlenecks

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Enforce the existing WIP limits strictly

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Remove WIP limits to allow more flexibility

Question 5

Your agile team has been self-organizing and performing well, but during the last two retrospectives, the team has raised concerns about the product owner not providing clear acceptance criteria for user stories. As the project manager, what is the most effective way to address this?

Accepted Answer

Coach the product owner on writing effective acceptance criteria and encourage the team to raise concerns during backlog refinement. It directly addresses the root cause—unclear acceptance criteria—by coaching the Product Owner (PO) on how to write them effectively. This aligns with the agile principle of continuous improvement and the servant-leader role of the project manager, who facilitates collaboration between the PO and the development team. Encouraging the team to raise concerns during backlog refinement ensures that issues are resolved proactively before the sprint begins, maintaining self-organization and team performance.

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Escalate the issue to the project sponsor

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Write the acceptance criteria yourself to ensure clarity

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Add a task to the sprint backlog for the team to clarify acceptance criteria with the product owner

Question 6

During a project retrospective, the team identifies several obstacles that are slowing them down, including unclear requirements and lack of access to a testing environment. As a servant leader, what should you do?

Accepted Answer

Work with the team and relevant stakeholders to remove the obstacles. As a servant leader, your primary responsibility is to remove impediments that hinder the team's progress. By working directly with the team and relevant stakeholders to address unclear requirements and lack of access to a testing environment, you enable the team to maintain velocity and focus on delivering value. This aligns with the PMI's focus on empowering teams through proactive obstacle removal rather than deferring or delegating the issue.

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Document the obstacles and review them at the next retrospective

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Prioritize the obstacles and include them in the project risk register

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Ask the team to resolve the obstacles themselves

Question 7

A key vendor informs you that they will be unable to deliver a critical component on time due to a production issue. This component is on the critical path. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the impact on the project schedule and explore mitigation options such as fast-tracking or alternate suppliers.. The immediate priority when a critical path component is delayed is to analyze the schedule impact and identify mitigation options (e.g., fast-tracking, crashing, or alternative suppliers) before escalating or taking contractual action. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's iterative risk response process, where the project manager must first assess the situation and determine feasible corrective actions to minimize schedule variance.

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File a claim against the vendor for breach of contract.

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Update the risk register and inform the sponsor about the delay.

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Immediately find a new vendor to deliver the component.

Question 8

You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During sprint planning, the product owner requests adding a new feature that was not in the project scope. The team estimates it will take two additional sprints. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Initiate a change request and assess the impact on schedule, cost, and scope before seeking approval. In a hybrid project, changes to scope must follow a formal change control process. Option D is correct because initiating a change request allows you to assess the impact on schedule, cost, and scope before seeking approval, ensuring that the new feature is evaluated against the project's constraints and priorities. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's guidance on managing change requests in adaptive and hybrid environments.

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Tell the product owner that no new features can be added mid-project

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Ask the team to include the feature in the current sprint if possible

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Add the feature to the backlog and inform the product owner it will be addressed in a later phase

Question 9

During a hybrid project, the project sponsor asks you to skip the testing phase in the next release to save time and meet an aggressive market deadline. The team is concerned about quality risks. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Discuss the risks of skipping testing with the sponsor and propose a compromise, such as risk-based testing. As a project manager, your first responsibility is to address the sponsor's request directly by communicating the quality risks and negotiating a balanced solution. Risk-based testing allows you to prioritize critical test cases, reducing overall testing time while still mitigating the highest-priority quality risks, which aligns with the hybrid project's need for both agility and governance.

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Tell the team to add extra testing in the next sprint to compensate

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Escalate the issue to the PMO or steering committee for a decision

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Refuse the sponsor's request and insist on following the original plan

Question 10

You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. In the middle of a sprint, you discover that a team member has been working on a feature that was de-scoped in the last sprint review. The team member claims the product owner informally agreed to add it back. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Stop work on the feature and initiate a change request through the change control process. In a hybrid project, scope changes must follow a formal change control process to maintain baseline integrity. The team member's informal agreement with the product owner bypasses this, risking scope creep and unapproved work. Stopping work and initiating a change request ensures proper evaluation of impact on schedule, budget, and sprint goals before proceeding.

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Ask the product owner to formally document the agreement and add it to the backlog

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Allow the team member to continue since the product owner agreed

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Escalate to the project sponsor for a decision

Question 11

Your project is using a Kanban approach. The team's lead time has increased over the last two weeks, and work items are piling up in the 'In Progress' column. What is the BEST action for the project manager to take?

Accepted Answer

Reduce the number of work items allowed in the 'In Progress' column (WIP limit). In Kanban, the primary lever to address flow issues like increased lead time and work piling up in 'In Progress' is to reduce the WIP limit. This forces the team to finish existing work before pulling new items, directly addressing the bottleneck and reducing cycle time. Increasing priority, adding people, or working overtime are classic push-system responses that violate Kanban's pull-based, flow-optimization principles.

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Increase the priority of all items in the backlog

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Add more team members to the project to increase capacity

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Ask the team to work overtime to clear the backlog

Question 12

During a sprint retrospective, several team members express frustration that the daily stand-ups are too long and not focused. As the Scrum Master, what is the BEST action to take?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a discussion on how to improve the stand-up and agree on a time-box and focus. The Scrum Master's role is to facilitate the team's self-improvement, not impose solutions. By facilitating a discussion on how to improve the stand-up, the team collaboratively defines a time-box and focus, which directly addresses the root cause of frustration and aligns with the agile principle of continuous improvement. This approach ensures the team owns the solution, leading to better adherence and effectiveness.

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Shorten the stand-up to 5 minutes regardless of the number of participants

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Ask the product owner to attend the stand-up to enforce discipline

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Cancel the stand-up and ask team members to send written updates

Question 13

The sponsor asks you to skip the final round of user acceptance testing (UAT) to meet the deadline, stating that earlier tests were sufficient. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose alternatives, such as reducing test scope or compressing the schedule. The project manager must first address the sponsor's request by explaining the risks of skipping UAT, which validates that the system meets user requirements and functions correctly in a production-like environment. Proposing alternatives like reducing test scope or compressing the schedule demonstrates proactive risk management while keeping the project aligned with quality standards. Skipping UAT entirely could lead to undetected defects, user dissatisfaction, and costly rework post-deployment.

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Direct the team to proceed without UAT because the sponsor has authority

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Agree to skip UAT to accommodate the sponsor's request

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Escalate to the PMO or senior management that the sponsor is compromising quality

Question 14

A project is running 15% over budget at the midpoint. The sponsor is concerned and asks the PM to reduce costs by cutting team training and team-building activities. What should the PM do?

Accepted Answer

Explain the importance of these activities and propose other cost-saving measures. The PM should protect the project's long-term success by explaining the critical role of team training and team-building in maintaining performance and morale, especially when the project is under budget pressure. Cutting these activities can lead to decreased productivity, higher turnover, and ultimately greater cost overruns. The PM should propose alternative cost-saving measures that do not compromise the team's capability or the project's quality.

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Agree to cut training and team-building to meet the sponsor's request

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Reduce the project scope to cut costs

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Escalate to the PMO for a decision

Question 15

Your agile team's velocity has dropped for the third consecutive sprint. The team members report feeling burned out and demotivated due to excessive overtime. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Hold a retrospective focused on identifying the causes of overtime and discuss ways to improve sustainable pace. The first step when facing burnout and overtime is to hold a retrospective to identify root causes and discuss sustainable pace improvements. This aligns with the agile principle of continuous improvement and the PMP People domain focus on team motivation and well-being. Addressing the underlying issues before taking corrective actions ensures long-term productivity rather than temporary fixes.

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Increase the team size by adding new members to distribute the workload

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Reduce the scope of the next sprint to give the team a break

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Inform the product owner that the team cannot commit to any new features until morale improves