PMP Practice Test 2 — 10 Questions

Question 1

A project manager is developing a business case for a new project. Which TWO elements are essential for a strong business case?

Accepted Answer

Alignment with organizational strategy. Alignment with organizational strategy (A) is essential because a business case must demonstrate how the proposed project supports the organization's strategic goals and objectives. Without this alignment, the project risks being unfunded or deprioritized, as it fails to justify its contribution to the broader business mission.

Answer

Identified risks and mitigation strategies

Answer

Resource allocation plan

Answer

Detailed project schedule

Question 2

You are managing a project where a team member consistently misses deadlines, affecting the team's velocity. You have had informal conversations with the team member, but the behavior continues. What is the BEST next step?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a private meeting to discuss the challenges and offer support to help improve performance.. As a project manager, your first formal step should be to understand the root cause of the performance issue through a private, supportive conversation. This aligns with the PMP's focus on servant leadership and addressing people problems with empathy before escalating to punitive measures. The goal is to identify obstacles (e.g., skill gaps, resource constraints, personal challenges) and collaboratively develop a plan to improve velocity, which is more effective than immediate reprimand or task reassignment.

Answer

Formally reprimand the team member and put them on a performance improvement plan.

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Inform the team that delays are unacceptable and expect improvement.

Answer

Reassign the team member to less critical tasks to minimize impact.

Question 3

You are leading a virtual team across three time zones. During a video conference, you notice that one team member from a remote location has not spoken for the entire meeting. In previous meetings, this team member has also been quiet. What should you do to ensure effective collaboration?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a one-on-one conversation to understand any barriers and encourage participation. It aligns with the PMP principle of servant leadership and proactive stakeholder engagement. By scheduling a one-on-one conversation, you create a safe environment to identify potential barriers (e.g., time zone fatigue, cultural differences, or technical issues with the virtual platform) that may be inhibiting participation. This approach fosters trust and encourages collaboration without putting the team member on the spot in a group setting.

Answer

Ask the team member directly during the meeting why they are not contributing

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Assign the team member as the note-taker to ensure they are engaged

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Assume the team member has nothing to contribute and focus on others

Question 4

You are managing a project that is running 15% over budget at the midpoint. The variance is due to higher-than-expected material costs. The sponsor is concerned about cost overruns. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the cost variance to determine the root cause and update the EAC. The PM should first analyze the root cause of the cost variance and determine if the trend is likely to continue. Based on this analysis, the PM can develop a revised estimate at completion (EAC) and communicate it to the sponsor. Simply asking for more budget or reducing scope without analysis is premature.

Answer

Ask the team to find cheaper alternatives for materials immediately

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Reduce the project scope to bring costs back in line with the budget

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Request additional budget from the sponsor to cover the overrun

Question 5

A key vendor notifies you that they cannot deliver a critical component on time due to raw material shortages. This component is on the critical path and has no float. The vendor suggests using a substitute material that meets specifications but costs 20% more. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to evaluate the substitute material, including cost and schedule impacts. Any change to the procurement approach (substitute material) requires a change request to assess cost and schedule impacts before approval.

Answer

Invoke the penalty clause in the vendor contract for late delivery

Answer

Accept the vendor's suggestion to use the substitute material to avoid delay

Answer

Look for alternative vendors who can deliver the original component on time

Question 6

A team member has been consistently late completing tasks. When you discuss this, they mention personal issues affecting their work. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Offer support, such as adjusting workload or providing resources. Show empathy and explore solutions together. Option A ignores the human aspect. Option B is punitive. Option D escalates prematurely without trying to resolve at the team level.

Answer

Escalate to human resources for disciplinary action

Answer

Reassign the tasks to another team member

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Document the issue in the performance report

Question 7

During a project, a risk you identified in the risk register occurs. Your response plan was to mitigate by purchasing backup equipment. However, you discover the backup equipment is not available due to a supplier issue. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Implement the contingency plan or develop a new response given the change in circumstances. The correct first action is to implement the contingency plan if one exists, or develop a new response (Option C). When a risk occurs and the planned mitigation fails, the project manager should immediately apply the fallback plan or create an alternative response. Option A (escalating to sponsor) is premature because escalation should be considered only after response options are exhausted. Option B (adding a new risk) is not the immediate action; addressing the current risk takes priority. Option D (updating the risk register) is insufficient without taking proactive steps to handle the realized risk.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for guidance

Answer

Add a new risk to the risk register about supplier reliability

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Update the risk register to reflect that the mitigation is ineffective

Question 8

Your agile team has a high turnover rate. New members are joining frequently, and the team's performance is declining. What should you do as a servant leader?

Accepted Answer

Implement a structured onboarding process and assign mentors to new members. As a servant leader on an agile team, your primary responsibility is to remove impediments and foster an environment where the team can thrive. A structured onboarding process with assigned mentors directly addresses the performance decline by accelerating the integration of new members, ensuring they understand team norms, tools, and processes, which stabilizes velocity and reduces disruption.

Answer

Ask HR to hire more experienced contractors to stabilize the team

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Conduct a retrospective to identify why people are leaving

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Reduce the team's workload until the new members are up to speed

Question 9

During the closure phase of a project, the customer is satisfied with the deliverables but refuses to sign the formal acceptance document, citing minor issues that were not part of the original scope. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Meet with the customer to understand the concerns and negotiate a path to acceptance. The PM should first attempt to resolve the minor issues through negotiation and follow the project's change control process if needed. Formal acceptance is crucial for project closure, so the PM should work with the customer to address concerns without gold-plating.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor immediately

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Accept the refusal and close the project without formal sign-off

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Instruct the team to fix the minor issues free of charge to obtain sign-off

Question 10

During a sprint review, a stakeholder expresses dissatisfaction with a deliverable's feature, claiming it does not meet their needs. The product owner disagrees, stating the feature was built exactly as specified. What is the BEST next step?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting between the stakeholder and product owner to clarify the requirements. The core issue is a misalignment between the stakeholder's needs and the product owner's interpretation of the requirements. The best next step is to facilitate direct communication between the stakeholder and product owner to clarify the requirements, ensuring that the team has a clear, shared understanding before any changes are made. This aligns with the PMP's emphasis on stakeholder engagement and conflict resolution through collaboration.

Answer

Ask the product owner to reprioritize the backlog and add the modification

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Thank the stakeholder for the feedback but proceed with the current deliverable

Answer

Instruct the team to modify the feature to satisfy the stakeholder