PMP Practice Test 2 — 30 Questions

Question 1

A team member consistently misses deadlines, causing delays for the rest of the team. When you discuss this with them, they cite personal issues but assure you they will improve. However, the pattern continues. What is the BEST next step?

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

Accepted Answer

Consult with human resources to determine the appropriate course of action. When a team member's performance issue persists despite verbal coaching and involves personal matters, consulting HR ensures the project manager follows organizational policies and legal guidelines. The PMP emphasizes that the project manager should leverage HR expertise for sensitive personnel issues to mitigate risk and maintain fairness, rather than making unilateral disciplinary decisions.

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Reassign the team member to less critical tasks to minimize impact

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Issue a formal warning and put the team member on a performance improvement plan

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Remove the team member from the project to protect the team's morale

Question 2

In a Scrum project, the development team consistently fails to meet the sprint goal. The product owner is frustrated, and the team is demotivated. During the retrospective, the team identifies that the sprint backlog is too ambitious. What is the BEST action for the Scrum Master?

Accepted Answer

Coach the team on how to estimate and commit to a realistic amount of work based on velocity. The Scrum Master's primary role is to coach the team in self-management and continuous improvement. Since the team identified that the sprint backlog is too ambitious, the best action is to coach them on estimating and committing to a realistic amount of work based on their historical velocity. This empowers the team to make accurate commitments, directly addressing the root cause of missed sprint goals and demotivation.

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Reduce the sprint backlog yourself to ensure the team can succeed

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Add more team members to increase capacity

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Extend the sprint duration to give the team more time

Question 3

In a Scrum team, the product owner frequently changes priorities within a sprint, causing the team to abandon work mid-task. The team is becoming demotivated. What should the scrum master do?

Accepted Answer

Coach the product owner on the impact of changing priorities mid-sprint and reinforce the sprint backlog agreement. The Scrum Master's primary role is to coach the Product Owner and the team on Scrum principles, including the importance of a stable Sprint Backlog. Changing priorities mid-sprint violates the Sprint Goal and undermines team focus, leading to demotivation. By reinforcing the Sprint Backlog agreement, the Scrum Master protects the team from disruption while respecting the Product Owner's authority outside the sprint.

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Escalate the issue to the project sponsor to overrule the product owner

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Shorten the sprint length to two or three days to accommodate frequent changes

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Accept the changes as the product owner has authority over priorities

Question 4

Which TWO of the following are typically included in a business case? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Cost-benefit analysis. The business case is a foundational document used to justify the initiation of a project or investment. It must demonstrate that the project is worthwhile, which is why a cost-benefit analysis (Option B) is a core component, quantifying the financial viability. Additionally, the business case must show how the project aligns with the organization's strategic objectives (Option C) to ensure it supports the broader business goals and receives executive sponsorship.

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Risk register

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Detailed project schedule

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Communication plan

Question 5

An executive stakeholder has been directly contacting your team members and assigning them work that is not in the sprint backlog. The team is feeling pressured and confused about priorities. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Speak privately with the executive to explain the impact on the project and ask them to route requests through the proper channels.. The project manager must address scope creep and priority conflicts directly with the stakeholder who is causing the disruption. By speaking privately with the executive, the PM can explain how unauthorized work impacts the sprint goal, team velocity, and project deliverables, and request that all work be routed through the proper change control or product owner process. This aligns with the PM's responsibility to manage stakeholder expectations and protect the team from conflicting priorities.

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Inform the project sponsor about the executive's behavior and ask them to intervene.

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Tell the team to prioritize the executive's requests to maintain a good relationship.

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Update the risk register to document this as a future risk.

Question 6

A project team member from a different culture consistently remains silent during daily stand-ups and rarely contributes ideas. Other team members are frustrated because they feel the person is not engaged. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a one-on-one meeting with the team member to understand their communication style and any barriers. The project manager should first seek to understand the team member's perspective and any cultural or personal barriers before taking action. Directly addressing the behavior in a one-on-one setting aligns with the PMP's emphasis on servant leadership and emotional intelligence, ensuring the root cause is identified rather than assuming disengagement.

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During the next stand-up, directly ask the team member to share their progress and ideas

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Reassign the team member to a solo task where they can work independently

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Inform the team that the member is disengaged and they should not rely on them

Question 7

Your agile project team has been consistently delivering high-quality work, but sprint velocity has dropped over the last three sprints. The team reports feeling overworked and demotivated. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a retrospective to identify root causes and collaboratively develop improvements. Facilitating a retrospective is the correct first step because it empowers the team to collaboratively identify the root causes of the decreased velocity and demotivation, such as technical debt, unclear requirements, or process inefficiencies. This aligns with the agile principle of continuous improvement and servant leadership, where the project manager acts as a facilitator rather than imposing solutions. Addressing the underlying issues through team-driven improvements is more sustainable than forcing scope or personnel changes.

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Reduce the sprint scope to increase velocity

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Replace the scrum master with a more experienced one

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Ask the team to work overtime to regain velocity

Question 8

During a project, you discover that a team member is being excluded from social interactions by others because of cultural differences. The team member has not complained, but you sense low morale. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Organize a team session on cultural awareness and inclusion. The PMBOK Guide emphasizes proactive leadership in fostering an inclusive team environment. By organizing a cultural awareness session, you address the root cause of exclusion without waiting for a formal complaint, which aligns with the 'Servant Leadership' principle and the 'Manage Team' process. This approach prevents escalation and improves team cohesion, directly tackling low morale.

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Reprimand the team members who are excluding the individual

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Ignore it since no one has complained

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Speak privately with the team member to see if they are bothered

Question 9

An agile project team is in the middle of a sprint when the product owner introduces a high-priority change that was not part of the sprint backlog. The team is concerned about their ability to deliver the sprint goal. Which TWO options align with the Scrum framework? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

The product owner cancels the current sprint and starts a new sprint with the revised backlog. The Scrum framework explicitly allows the Product Owner to cancel a sprint if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete, such as when a high-priority change emerges that invalidates the current goal. Cancelling the sprint and starting a new one with the revised backlog ensures the team focuses on the highest-value work without disrupting the sprint's time-box or overloading the team. Option E is correct because the Product Owner can add the new work to the Product Backlog and prioritize it for the next sprint, which respects the current Sprint's commitment and allows the team to complete the Sprint Goal without interruption.

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Replace the least important sprint backlog item with the new work and adjust the sprint goal accordingly

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Instruct the team to include the new work in the current sprint and extend the sprint duration

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Add the new work to the sprint backlog and ask the team to work overtime

Question 10

A project manager is leading a hybrid project where the team uses Scrum for development but has a fixed end date for regulatory compliance. Halfway through, a key vendor informs you that they will be unable to deliver a critical component on time. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the schedule to determine the impact on the critical path and identify possible mitigation options. In a hybrid project with a fixed regulatory deadline, the first step when a vendor fails to deliver a critical component is to analyze the schedule impact on the critical path and identify mitigation options. This aligns with the PMI approach of assessing the situation before escalating or making changes, ensuring the project manager maintains control and explores all feasible alternatives to meet the compliance date.

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Adjust the sprint backlog to deprioritize features dependent on the component

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Escalate the issue immediately to the project sponsor and request additional budget

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Initiate legal proceedings against the vendor for breach of contract

Question 11

Your project is in the execution phase when a key risk event from the risk register occurs: a critical team member resigns unexpectedly. You need to minimize the impact on the project. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Implement the planned risk response from the risk register. The risk register contains a pre-planned risk response for this identified risk event. Implementing that response is the most efficient and effective way to minimize impact, as it was designed and approved during risk planning. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's guidance on executing risk responses during the execution phase.

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Inform the sponsor and ask for a project extension

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Immediately hire a replacement with the same skills

Question 12

A project team is composed of members from diverse cultural backgrounds. The PM notices that some team members are not voicing their opinions in meetings due to cultural norms. What is the BEST approach to foster inclusion?

Accepted Answer

Implement anonymous polling or virtual collaboration tools for input. It addresses the root cause of the issue—cultural norms that discourage direct verbal participation—by providing an alternative, low-pressure channel for input. Anonymous polling and virtual collaboration tools (e.g., real-time chat, shared documents) allow team members to contribute without violating their cultural norms, thereby fostering inclusion without forcing confrontation. This approach aligns with the PMP's emphasis on adapting communication styles and leveraging technology to create a psychologically safe environment.

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Pair team members from similar cultures to encourage participation

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Document the issue and ignore it if it does not affect project outcomes

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Ask each team member directly for their opinion during meetings

Question 13

A project manager is forming a new project team. To build a high-performing team, the project manager wants to establish clear expectations for behavior and communication. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a team charter workshop to collaboratively define ground rules, values, and communication protocols. A team charter workshop is a collaborative, facilitated process where the team collectively defines ground rules, values, and communication protocols. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on building a high-performing team through mutual agreement and shared ownership, which fosters trust and reduces ambiguity in behavior and communication from the start.

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Create a detailed project schedule and assign tasks immediately

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Ask each team member to submit a list of their personal expectations

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Send an email listing team rules and ask for acknowledgment

Question 14

Your agile team's velocity has dropped for three consecutive sprints. The team says they are overwhelmed by the number of user stories and that the definition of 'done' keeps changing. As the Scrum Master (project manager), what should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a sprint retrospective to identify the causes of the velocity drop and collaboratively develop an improvement plan. The Scrum Master's first responsibility is to facilitate a retrospective to uncover the root causes of the velocity drop and the changing definition of 'done.' This aligns with the PMP's emphasis on leading the team through collaborative problem-solving rather than imposing top-down solutions. The team's feedback about being overwhelmed and the shifting 'done' criteria indicates a process breakdown that requires team-driven improvement.

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Reduce the sprint backlog to lower the team's workload

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Ask the functional manager to add more developers to the team

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Ask the product owner to prioritize fewer stories in the next sprint

Question 15

Your project team is experiencing conflict between two senior members who have different opinions on the technical approach. The conflict is starting to affect the entire team's morale. Which THREE actions should you take to resolve the conflict effectively?

Accepted Answer

Use a collaborative problem-solving approach to find a win-win solution. Collaborative problem-solving directly addresses the root cause of the conflict by seeking a win-win solution that satisfies both senior members' technical concerns. This approach aligns with the PMP's emphasis on conflict resolution techniques that preserve team relationships and leverage diverse expertise to improve the technical approach. By focusing on mutual gains, you avoid the morale damage of a win-lose outcome and foster a culture of shared ownership.

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Escalate the conflict to the project sponsor for resolution

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Make a unilateral decision on the technical approach to end the conflict quickly

Question 16

During a sprint planning meeting, the product owner proposes a user story that the team believes is too vague and lacks clear acceptance criteria. The product owner insists it must be included in the sprint to meet a stakeholder deadline. What should the scrum master do?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a discussion to refine the story with the product owner and team, and suggest splitting it. The Scrum Master's primary responsibility is to facilitate collaboration and ensure the team works with clear, actionable items. By facilitating a discussion to refine the story and suggesting splitting it, the Scrum Master helps the team achieve a shared understanding and create acceptance criteria, while still addressing the stakeholder deadline. This approach aligns with the Agile principle of delivering value incrementally and avoids committing to vague work that could lead to rework or failure.

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Accept the story as is to meet the deadline

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Escalate to the project sponsor

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Remove the product owner from the meeting

Question 17

A project team member has been underperforming for several weeks. You have had informal conversations with them, but performance has not improved. What should you do next?

Accepted Answer

Initiate a formal performance improvement plan with clear expectations and milestones. After informal coaching has failed, the project manager must follow a structured performance management process. Initiating a formal Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) with clear expectations, measurable milestones, and a defined timeline aligns with the PMBOK Guide's principles for leading the team and managing performance issues. This approach provides the underperforming team member with a documented opportunity to improve while protecting the project's objectives.

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Ignore the underperformance and hope it resolves on its own

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Immediately replace the team member with a new resource

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Escalate the issue to human resources for termination

Question 18

You are the project manager for a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the product owner requests a significant change to a feature that has already been accepted in a previous sprint. The change would require rework and impact the critical path. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request and evaluate the impact on the project constraints. In a hybrid project, changes to accepted deliverables must follow a formal change control process. Submitting a change request (Option B) ensures the impact on the critical path, schedule, and budget is evaluated before any rework begins, aligning with the PMBOK Guide's guidance on integrated change control.

Answer

Add the change to the product backlog for a future sprint without formal approval

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Instruct the team to implement the change immediately to maintain stakeholder satisfaction

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Reject the change because the feature was already accepted

Question 19

A project manager is leading a large, distributed team. Several team members have expressed feeling isolated and disconnected from the project's goals. The project manager wants to improve team cohesion and motivation. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Create a team charter with agreed-upon communication norms, shared values, and goals. Creating a team charter establishes a foundational agreement on communication norms, shared values, and goals, which directly addresses the root cause of isolation and disconnection in a distributed team. This aligns with the PMP People domain's emphasis on building a cohesive team environment through collaborative rule-setting before implementing tactical solutions.

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Implement daily stand-up meetings to increase communication

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Send a motivational email to the team emphasizing the project's importance

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Organize an in-person team-building event to boost morale

Question 20

Your project is using a hybrid approach with both predictive and agile elements. The team is working on a critical feature that has a high degree of uncertainty. The product owner wants to use a time-boxed sprint to explore the feature. However, the sponsor insists on a detailed upfront plan. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting between the sponsor and product owner to agree on a hybrid approach that includes both planning and exploration. The project manager must facilitate a collaborative resolution between the sponsor and product owner to define a hybrid approach that balances upfront planning with iterative exploration. This aligns with the PMI's principle of stakeholder engagement and adaptive planning, where the team uses a time-boxed sprint (e.g., a 2-week spike) to reduce technical uncertainty while still producing a lightweight roadmap for the sponsor. The hybrid model allows for a high-level plan (e.g., a release plan with milestones) and a detailed backlog for the exploratory sprint, satisfying both parties without sacrificing agility.

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Escalate the disagreement to senior management

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Follow the sponsor's directive and create a detailed plan

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Use a time-boxed sprint without informing the sponsor