PMP Practice Test 29 — 15 Questions

Question 1

You are the project manager for a software development project using a hybrid approach. During the sprint review, the product owner is satisfied with the deliverables, but one key stakeholder requests a significant change that would add a new feature. The team has already started planning the next sprint. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to the change control board for evaluation and approval.. According to PMI, any change to scope must go through the formal Integrated Change Control process. The project manager should document the request, assess its impact on cost, schedule, and resources, and then present it to the change control board for a decision. Option A bypasses change control; Option D is too rigid; Option C delays the process unnecessarily.

Answer

Refuse the change because the scope was already agreed upon during sprint planning.

Answer

Ask the team to include the new feature in the next sprint since it's a high priority for the stakeholder.

Answer

Advise the stakeholder to wait until the project is complete and then submit an enhancement request.

Question 2

Your project is in the planning phase, and you need to develop the schedule. You have identified the activities and their dependencies. The team estimates that the project will take 12 months. However, the sponsor requires completion in 10 months. The project has a fixed deadline. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Apply crashing or fast tracking to the critical path to try to meet the 10-month deadline.. Before applying schedule compression, the PM should first analyze the schedule to determine if compression is feasible and what the trade-offs are. The PM should then communicate with the sponsor about options and impacts. Option A is too quick to accept; Option D fails to explore options.

Answer

Inform the sponsor that the deadline is unrealistic and request a 12-month schedule.

Answer

Reduce the project scope without formal change control to shorten the schedule.

Answer

Add more resources to all activities to reduce duration.

Question 3

You are managing a construction project using a predictive approach. The project is currently in the execution phase. A key vendor notifies you that due to a raw material shortage, the delivery of critical steel beams will be delayed by 4 weeks. This will impact the critical path. The risk register had identified a 'material shortage' risk with a response of 'accept'. What should the project manager do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to update the project schedule and baseline due to the delay.. Since the risk occurred, the PM should implement the planned response (accept) but also initiate a change request to formally address the schedule impact. Accepting without action is passive; the change request documents the impact and seeks approval for schedule changes.

Answer

Ask the team to compress the schedule by overlapping activities to recover the delay.

Answer

Invoke the 'accept' response and do nothing further, as it was planned.

Answer

Immediately escalate to the sponsor for additional budget to expedite delivery.

Question 4

You are managing a project that is experiencing resource constraints. Two critical tasks are scheduled concurrently but require the same specialized resource. Which TWO actions should the project manager consider to resolve this conflict?

Accepted Answer

Adjust task dependencies to sequence the tasks if possible.. Resource leveling adjusts the schedule to resolve resource over-allocation, and adjusting dependencies can help sequence tasks. Outsourcing or adding resources are alternative options, but the two best are resource leveling and adjusting dependencies.

Answer

Crash the schedule by adding more resources to both tasks.

Answer

Hire additional contractors to perform one of the tasks.

Answer

Remove one task from the schedule to prioritize the other.

Question 5

Your agile team has been experiencing conflicts between two senior developers over technical approaches during sprint planning. The conflicts are causing delays and affecting team morale. As the project manager, what is the BEST course of action?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting between the developers to discuss and resolve the technical disagreement. Option B is correct because facilitating a structured discussion helps the team resolve conflicts collaboratively, which aligns with PMI's emphasis on team development and conflict resolution.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the functional managers of the developers

Answer

Make the technical decision yourself to end the debate

Answer

Assign the developers to different teams to avoid future conflicts

Question 6

You are the project manager for a large infrastructure project. The sponsor has requested that the team skip the quality assurance review for the next deliverable to save two weeks and meet an aggressive deadline. The deliverable is critical to the next phase. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Explain the consequences of skipping QA to the sponsor and propose schedule compression alternatives to meet the deadline without compromising quality. Option D is correct because skipping QA to save time compromises quality and increases risk. The PM should explain the risks of skipping QA and propose alternatives like schedule compression. Option A is wrong because it violates PMI's ethics. Option B is reactive. Option C abdicates responsibility.

Answer

Comply with the sponsor's request since they have authority over the project

Answer

Skip the QA review but document the risk in the issue log

Answer

Ask the sponsor to put the request in writing to protect yourself

Question 7

You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the customer expresses dissatisfaction with a recently delivered feature and requests a significant redesign. This change will impact the critical path and increase costs. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to the change control board (CCB) for evaluation and approval. PMI requires that any change impacting scope, schedule, or cost must go through the formal change control process. Submitting a change request ensures proper evaluation and approval before any work begins.

Answer

Approve the redesign to satisfy the customer and update the project schedule accordingly

Answer

Instruct the team to implement the redesign immediately to maintain customer satisfaction

Answer

Reject the request because it was not part of the original scope agreement

Question 8

You are managing a project to build a new office building. During excavation, the team discovers an unexpected archaeological site. This is a risk that was identified in the risk register with a low probability and high impact. The mitigation plan was to contact local authorities. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Stop work immediately and contact the local authorities as per the risk response plan. The risk has occurred, so the first step is to implement the planned risk response. This is proactive and follows the risk management plan.

Answer

Escalate to the project sponsor for a decision

Answer

Direct the team to continue work and cover the site to avoid delays

Answer

Update the risk register and mark the risk as closed

Question 9

Midway through your project, a key vendor informs you that they cannot deliver a critical component on time, which will impact the critical path. The risk was identified in the risk register with a 'mitigate' response. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Implement the contingency plan that was developed for this risk. Option A is correct: when a risk event occurs, the first step is to implement the agreed-upon risk response. Option B may be needed later but is not the immediate action. Option C bypasses the plan. Option D is reactive and unnecessary if the response is already planned.

Answer

Inform the sponsor of the delay and request additional budget

Answer

Issue a change request to update the project schedule

Answer

Meet with the vendor to negotiate an expedited delivery

Question 10

Your project is running behind schedule. You need to compress the schedule without significantly increasing cost. Which TWO techniques should you consider?

Accepted Answer

Add resources from non-critical path activities to critical path tasks. Option A (fast-tracking) and Option D (adding resources from non-critical path) are valid schedule compression techniques. Fast-tracking performs activities in parallel; adding resources (crashing) can be done selectively without major cost impact if resources are available. Option B changes scope without approval. Option C reduces quality. Option E reduces scope.

Answer

Eliminate non-essential deliverables without approval

Answer

Reduce quality standards to save time

Answer

Reduce project scope without change control

Question 11

During a project to implement a new CRM system, the sponsor asks you to skip the user acceptance testing (UAT) phase to meet the go-live date, stating that the system has been thoroughly tested by the IT team. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose a compressed UAT focusing on critical functions.. UAT is a critical quality activity to ensure the system meets user needs. Skipping it poses a high risk of failure. The PM should explain the risks and suggest alternatives like reducing the scope of UAT rather than eliminating it. PMI emphasizes proactive communication and risk management.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the PMO for a decision.

Answer

Agree to skip UAT to meet the deadline and update the project schedule.

Answer

Proceed with the go-live and document the decision as a risk in the risk register.

Question 12

You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the product owner demonstrates a completed feature to key stakeholders. One stakeholder is impressed and requests an additional functionality that was not in the original scope. The team estimates it would take two additional sprints. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to the change control board (CCB) and assess the impact on schedule, cost, and resources.. The correct action is to follow the change control process. Any change to scope must be formally evaluated and approved before implementation. Simply adding to the backlog or refusing without analysis bypasses proper governance.

Answer

Add the request to the product backlog and prioritize it in the next sprint planning.

Answer

Ask the development team to quickly estimate the effort and begin work if it can be accommodated without delaying the next release.

Answer

Thank the stakeholder and explain that the request is out of scope; no changes can be made.

Question 13

You are the project manager for a software development project that is using a hybrid approach. A key team member informs you that they have identified a new risk that could cause a two-week delay. The risk is not in the risk register. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Update the risk register with the risk and perform qualitative analysis.. The PM should first update the risk register with the new risk, then analyze its probability and impact, and plan an appropriate response. This follows the risk management process.

Answer

Immediately implement a contingency plan to mitigate the risk.

Answer

Ignore the risk until it occurs, as it may not materialize.

Answer

Inform the sponsor and ask for additional budget to handle the risk.

Question 14

During a sprint review, a key stakeholder expresses dissatisfaction with the product increment, stating that it does not meet their expectations. The team followed the acceptance criteria defined in the user stories. What should the project manager do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a meeting with the stakeholder and product owner to clarify expectations and refine the backlog. Option D is correct because engaging the stakeholder to clarify expectations and possibly update the product backlog ensures alignment and prevents future dissatisfaction.

Answer

Explain that the team delivered exactly what was agreed upon and the stakeholder should have raised concerns earlier

Answer

Refer the stakeholder to the product owner to discuss changes for future sprints

Answer

Ask the team to redo the work to meet the stakeholder's unspoken needs

Question 15

Your project is experiencing scope creep due to informal requests from stakeholders. The project manager wants to establish better control. Which TWO actions should the project manager take?

Accepted Answer

Implement a formal change control process and educate stakeholders on how to submit change requests. Options B and E are correct: implementing a formal change control process and updating the scope management plan are proactive steps to control scope.

Answer

Politely decline all additional requests from stakeholders

Answer

Increase the project budget to accommodate potential changes

Answer

Ask the team to accommodate small requests without documentation if they are low effort