PMP Practice Test 20 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Your agile project is in its third sprint. The product owner has been pressuring the team to deliver more features each sprint to meet stakeholder expectations. Sprint velocity has dropped for two consecutive sprints, and the team seems demotivated. As the project manager, what should you do?

Accepted Answer

Coach the product owner on agile principles and facilitate a discussion on sustainable pace and prioritization. Option D is correct because servant leadership involves protecting the team from pressure and facilitating a sustainable pace. Option A is wrong because adding more people does not guarantee increased velocity and can disrupt the team. Option B is wrong because extending sprint length without addressing the root cause may not help. Option C is wrong because working overtime is unsustainable and can lead to burnout.

Answer

Add more developers to the team to increase capacity

Answer

Extend the sprint duration to allow more time for feature completion

Answer

Ask the team to work overtime to catch up on the backlog

Question 2

On a large-scale project, you have a team member who is technically skilled but consistently fails to complete tasks on time, affecting the team's morale. You have had informal conversations about this, but there has been no improvement. What should you do next?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a formal performance review, document the issues, and create a performance improvement plan with clear expectations and timelines. Option D is correct because the PM should use a progressive approach: after informal feedback, engage in a formal performance discussion with a plan. Option A is wrong because immediately replacing the member may be too harsh and could lose valuable skills. Option B is wrong because removing all critical tasks may not help the member improve. Option C is wrong because ignoring the issue could further damage team morale.

Answer

Replace the team member with a more reliable resource

Answer

Ignore the issue as the team member is technically strong

Answer

Reassign all critical tasks to other team members

Question 3

A new team member joins your project and is struggling to understand the technical domain and the team's culture. Their productivity is low, and they seem hesitant to ask questions. As project manager, what is the BEST way to support this team member?

Accepted Answer

Assign a senior team member to mentor and pair with them on tasks. Option D is correct because pairing with an experienced mentor provides on-the-job learning and social integration, which is effective for onboarding. Option A is incorrect because simply providing documents may not address the hesitancy to ask questions. Option B is incorrect because extending deadlines does not address the learning gap. Option C is incorrect because online courses may help but lack the personalized support and cultural integration.

Answer

Provide them with detailed documentation and ask them to read it on their own time

Answer

Extend their deadlines to reduce pressure

Answer

Enroll them in an online training course for the technical domain

Question 4

Your project team includes members from different departments, and there is a conflict between two team leaders over resource allocation. One leader insists their tasks are higher priority. Which THREE actions should you take to resolve this conflict?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting with both leaders to discuss priorities and find a compromise. Options A, C, and D are correct because facilitating a negotiation, reviewing the project priorities, and escalating if needed are appropriate steps. Option B is incorrect because making a unilateral decision disempowers the leaders and may cause resentment. Option E is incorrect because involving the sponsor should be a last resort after attempting resolution.

Answer

Immediately involve the project sponsor to enforce a decision

Answer

Make a decision yourself based on which tasks contribute more to the project objectives

Question 5

During a project audit, a new regulatory requirement is discovered that affects your project's deliverables. The compliance team says it must be implemented immediately. Your project is already behind schedule. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Communicate the situation to key stakeholders, including the sponsor and compliance officer. Option A is correct: assess the impact. Option B is correct: submit a change request. Option C is correct: communicate with stakeholders. Option D is wrong because ignoring is illegal. Option E is wrong because gold-plating is not recommended.

Answer

Instruct the team to implement the requirement immediately without formal approval

Answer

Ignore the requirement until the next phase to avoid further delay

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

Meet with both developers individually to understand their perspectives, then facilitate a joint discussion. Option B is correct because the project manager should first understand the conflict from both perspectives before taking action. This aligns with PMI's emphasis on communication and servant leadership. Option A is too directive and does not foster ownership. Option C escalates prematurely. Option D assigns blame and avoids root cause.

Answer

Decide on the technical approach yourself and assign tasks accordingly

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision

Answer

Replace both developers with a single developer who agrees with the original plan

Question 7

A project manager discovers that a team member has been working overtime for weeks to meet a deadline. The team member appears stressed and burnt out. The project manager is concerned about the team member's well-being and the sustainability of the project. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a private meeting to discuss the workload, express concern, and explore options for support or reprioritization. Option A is correct because servant leadership involves caring for team members' well-being. Having an empathetic conversation to understand the situation and offer support is the first step. Option B is confrontational. Option C ignores the issue. Option D may not address the root cause.

Answer

Increase the project budget to hire additional help immediately

Answer

Warn the team member that overtime is not sustainable and require them to stop

Answer

Ignore the situation as long as deadlines are met

Question 8

You are managing a project to develop a mobile app. The sponsor asks you to skip user acceptance testing (UAT) to meet an aggressive launch date. The team is concerned about quality risks. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose a change request to adjust the schedule. Option B is correct because the PM must communicate the risks of skipping UAT and follow proper change control. Option A is wrong because proceeding without sponsor awareness is unethical and risky. Option C is wrong because skipping UAT could lead to major defects post-launch. Option D is wrong because ignoring the sponsor's request without explanation may damage the relationship.

Answer

Refuse the request without further discussion

Answer

Comply with the sponsor's request to meet the deadline

Answer

Proceed with UAT secretly and report the launch date as planned

Question 9

You are managing a global virtual team. Team members have reported feeling isolated and disconnected from the project's goals. Which TWO actions would best help improve team cohesion and engagement?

Accepted Answer

Establish a team charter that includes communication norms and collaboration expectations. Options A and C are correct: scheduling virtual team-building activities and establishing clear communication norms foster cohesion. Option B is wrong: increasing reporting frequency may cause micromanagement. Option D is wrong: rotating work hours may not be feasible for all. Option E is wrong: introducing collaboration tools without training may not be effective.

Answer

Ask team members to rotate their working hours to overlap with all time zones

Answer

Require daily status reports from each team member

Answer

Implement a new collaboration tool without providing training

Question 10

Your predictive project is halfway through execution. A team member has been consistently missing deadlines, and their work quality is declining. You suspect personal issues but are unsure. The project is at risk of schedule delays. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a private meeting to discuss their performance concerns and offer support. Option B is correct because a private, empathetic conversation helps understand the root cause and shows concern for the individual, aligning with servant leadership. Option A is incorrect because immediate reassignment may demoralize the team member and does not address the issue. Option C is incorrect because escalating to HR without first understanding the situation is premature. Option D is incorrect because a performance improvement plan should come after understanding the cause and attempting to address it.

Answer

Escalate the issue to human resources for disciplinary action

Answer

Formally document the underperformance and issue a performance improvement plan

Answer

Reassign their tasks to other team members to protect the schedule

Question 11

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. Option A is correct because addressing the conflict directly is essential. Option D is correct because a team charter establishes ground rules for behavior. Option B is wrong because reassigning the senior developers may not address root cause. Option C is wrong as it avoids the issue. Option E is wrong because escalating without resolution attempts is premature. (Note: correct answers are A and D)

Answer

Reassign one developer to a different module to reduce interaction

Answer

Ignore the conflict and hope it resolves on its own

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision

Question 12

Your project is 50% complete, and you realize it is 15% over budget due to unforeseen material cost increases. The sponsor is concerned about the budget variance. Which TWO actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Present the variance and your corrective action plan to the sponsor. Option A is correct: reviewing the cost baseline and EAC is the first step. Option E is correct: communicating with the sponsor transparently. Option B is wrong because reducing scope without change control is not allowed. Option C is wrong because requesting more funds without analysis is premature. Option D is wrong because hiding the variance is unethical.

Answer

Request additional budget from the sponsor immediately

Answer

Use management reserve without informing the sponsor

Answer

Reduce the project scope to bring costs back in line

Question 13

You are transitioning a traditional project team to an agile framework. Some team members are resistant to the change. Which THREE strategies should you employ to facilitate the transition?

Accepted Answer

Hold one-on-one meetings to understand individual concerns and address them. Options A, B, and D are correct: providing training, involving the team in process design, and addressing concerns foster buy-in. Option C is wrong: imposing the change without consultation breeds resentment. Option E is wrong: removing resistant members without support is not servant leadership.

Answer

Mandate immediate adoption of agile practices without discussion

Answer

Replace resistant team members with agile-experienced staff

Question 14

During a project review, you discover that the project is 15% over budget at the midpoint. After analysis, you find that the cost overrun is due to underestimation of testing effort and one team member's inefficiency. Which TWO actions should you take to address the situation?

Accepted Answer

Have a private conversation with the underperforming team member to understand challenges and provide support. Options B and C are correct because reviewing the estimate and using EVM provides data-driven insight, and having a performance conversation with the team member addresses the human factor. Option A is incorrect because reducing scope without change control bypasses governance. Option D is incorrect because training may help but is not the immediate action; understanding causes first is key. Option E is incorrect because applying contingency without understanding root cause risks using reserves incorrectly.

Answer

Apply contingency reserves to cover the cost overrun

Answer

Reduce the project scope to bring costs back in line

Answer

Immediately enroll the team member in an advanced testing training course

Question 15

You are leading a global virtual team across four time zones. Recently, team members have complained about unclear task assignments and lack of collaboration tools. Which THREE actions would best improve team performance?

Accepted Answer

Implement a centralized project management tool with task tracking and communication features. Option A helps clarify responsibilities. Option B provides a single source of truth for collaboration. Option E fosters team cohesion. Option C is wrong because video calls may not be feasible across time zones. Option D is wrong because daily standups may be impractical and can cause fatigue.

Answer

Require all team members to work during the same four-hour overlap window

Answer

Schedule daily stand-up meetings at a fixed time convenient for the project manager