PMP Practice Test 33 — 15 Questions

Question 1

You are the project manager for a complex IT infrastructure project. Two senior developers have a conflict regarding the technical approach to a critical component. The conflict is causing delays and affecting team morale. Both approaches are valid but have different resource and schedule implications. What should you do first?

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

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting with both developers to evaluate each approach against project objectives.. As a PM, you should facilitate a collaborative discussion to resolve the conflict. The goal is to leverage the team's expertise to find the best solution. Avoiding personal confrontation and focusing on technical merits is key.

Answer

Ask the developers to document both approaches and then choose the one with lower cost.

Answer

Escalate the conflict to the project sponsor for resolution.

Answer

Make a decision yourself based on the project constraints to save time.

Question 2

A key vendor notifies you that they cannot deliver a critical component on time due to a supplier issue. The component is on the critical path. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Review the risk register for the identified risk and implement the planned response. When a risk (in this case, a vendor delay) occurs, the project manager's first action should be to consult the risk register to see if this risk was identified and if a planned response exists. If so, the PM should implement that response (e.g., using a backup supplier, fast-tracking, etc.). Option A is premature because finding an alternative vendor without first checking the risk register may introduce additional risks and is not the immediate step per PMBOK. Option C (overtime) is a workaround and not a planned risk response; it could cause team burnout and cost overruns. Option D (immediately informing the sponsor) is an escalation that should occur only after the PM has assessed the situation and determined the appropriate response; initial action should be to follow the risk management plan.

Answer

Find an alternative vendor and place an order

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Ask the team to work overtime to make up for the delay

Answer

Immediately inform the sponsor and steering committee

Question 3

You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the customer expresses satisfaction but requests a small additional feature that was not in the original backlog. The team believes it can be completed in two days without affecting the critical path. 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 change control process. Even if the change seems small, it requires formal evaluation and approval to prevent scope creep and ensure all impacts are considered.

Answer

Ask the team to implement the feature and document it as a scope change later.

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Inform the customer that no changes are allowed after the sprint review.

Answer

Approve the request since it is small and won't affect the schedule.

Question 4

You are managing a software upgrade project. During a team meeting, two senior developers get into a heated argument over the best technical approach for a critical component. The disagreement is delaying progress. As the project manager, what should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting with both developers to reach a consensus. As the project manager, your first responsibility is to facilitate conflict resolution among team members to keep the project on track. By mediating a meeting between the two senior developers, you encourage collaborative decision-making, leverage their technical expertise, and maintain team cohesion without imposing a top-down solution that could damage morale or overlook critical technical nuances.

Answer

Allow them to resolve the conflict on their own without intervention

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Escalate the issue to the functional managers of the developers

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Decide on the approach yourself and assign tasks accordingly

Question 5

A project manager is leading a software development project in an organization that uses a hybrid methodology. The team's sprint velocity has dropped for three consecutive sprints. Which THREE actions should the PM take to address this? (Choose three)

Accepted Answer

Review the team's estimation techniques and ensure they are accurate. Inaccurate estimation techniques can lead to consistently missed velocity targets. By reviewing and recalibrating estimation methods (e.g., story points, planning poker), the PM ensures the team's capacity is realistically measured, which is critical for sprint planning in a hybrid methodology.

Answer

Ask the team to work overtime to catch up

Answer

Increase the sprint length to give the team more time

Question 6

During a project's execution phase, a key vendor notifies you that they cannot deliver a critical component on time due to raw material shortages. The component is on the critical path, and any delay will impact the project completion date. The risk was identified and listed in the risk register with a planned response to accept. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Assess the impact on the project schedule and cost, and inform key stakeholders of the situation.. The risk has materialized, and the planned response was to accept, meaning no proactive action was pre-planned. However, the project manager must first assess the impact of the risk on the project schedule and cost, and inform key stakeholders of the situation. This aligns with the PMBOK process of 'Implement Risk Responses' and 'Communications Management'. Option C is the correct first step because it involves gathering information and engaging stakeholders before making decisions. Option B (updating the risk register and closing the risk) is premature without impact assessment. Option A (implementing the contingency plan) is not applicable since the plan was to accept. Option D (directing the team to find an alternative supplier) is a potential response, but it should follow assessment and stakeholder communication.

Answer

Implement the contingency plan as defined in the risk register.

Answer

Update the risk register to document the issue and close the risk.

Answer

Direct the team to find an alternative supplier and expedite the order.

Question 7

Your project's earned value analysis shows CPI = 0.85 and SPI = 0.90. The project is behind schedule and over budget. Several stakeholders are concerned about the viability of the project. What is the BEST course of action?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a variance analysis, identify root causes, and present a recovery plan to stakeholders.. With negative cost and schedule variances, the project manager should analyze root causes, develop a recovery plan, and submit a change request if needed. Updating the project management plan and communicating transparently with stakeholders is key.

Answer

Request additional budget from the sponsor to cover the overrun.

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Reduce scope by removing lower-priority features to cut costs.

Answer

Re-baseline the project schedule and cost to reflect current performance.

Question 8

Your project is 60% complete. The cost performance index (CPI) is 1.1, and the schedule performance index (SPI) is 0.85. The project sponsor is concerned about the schedule delay. Which of the following is the BEST action to take?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the schedule and evaluate options such as fast-tracking or crashing with the cost savings. Since the project is under budget but behind schedule, the best action is to analyze the schedule to determine if schedule compression techniques can be applied, using the cost savings to fund crashing or fast-tracking.

Answer

Reduce scope to meet the schedule deadline

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Immediately add more resources to the critical path to speed up work

Answer

Update the schedule baseline to reflect the current actuals

Question 9

You are the project manager for a large infrastructure project. Midway through, a new regulatory requirement is introduced that mandates additional environmental testing, which could delay the project by one month and increase costs by 5%. The change control board (CCB) is scheduled to meet in two weeks. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the impact of the regulatory requirement and prepare a change request for the CCB meeting. The PM must first assess the impact of the new regulation on the project's scope, schedule, cost, and quality before presenting it to the CCB. This analysis informs the change request. Simply waiting or proceeding without analysis is not appropriate.

Answer

Instruct the team to start the additional testing immediately to avoid further delay

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Ignore the requirement until the CCB meets, then decide

Answer

Submit a change request immediately to the CCB without detailed analysis

Question 10

Your project is using a hybrid approach. The business case is no longer valid due to a change in market conditions, but the sponsor insists on continuing because significant resources have already been spent. What is the best action?

Accepted Answer

Present the updated business case and recommend a formal decision review with the steering committee. The project manager should present the updated business case and recommend a formal review to decide whether to continue or terminate. Sunk costs should not drive decisions.

Answer

Increase the project budget to improve the business case

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Stop the project immediately to prevent further losses

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Continue the project as planned to avoid wasting invested resources

Question 11

Your project is in the middle of execution when a key vendor informs you that they will be unable to deliver a critical component on time due to a raw material shortage. The component is on the critical path. The risk was identified and logged in the risk register with a mitigation plan. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Implement the contingency plan documented in the risk register. The risk was already identified and logged in the risk register with a documented mitigation plan. Since the component is on the critical path and the risk has materialized, the first action is to implement the pre-approved contingency plan to minimize schedule impact. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's guidance on executing risk responses as the immediate step when a risk occurs.

Answer

Ask the vendor to expedite the delivery at no extra cost

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Immediately source an alternative vendor without formal approval

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Notify the sponsor and request a schedule extension

Question 12

A project manager is informed that a new government regulation will affect the project deliverables. The regulation is mandatory and must be implemented before the project can close. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Assess the impact on scope, schedule, and cost, then submit a change request. When a new mandatory regulation impacts project deliverables, the project manager must first assess the impact on scope, schedule, and cost, and then submit a change request to address the regulation. Option A is incorrect because the PM should not escalate without first analyzing the impact. Option B is incorrect because lessons learned are captured after the change is implemented, not as a first step. Option D is incorrect because ignoring a mandatory regulation is non-compliant and could lead to legal issues.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision

Answer

Update the lessons learned document to capture this experience

Answer

Continue with the current plan as the regulation may not be enforced

Question 13

In an agile project, the team's velocity has dropped for three consecutive sprints. The daily standup meetings are rushed, and team members often work in silos. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a retrospective to identify impediments and propose improvements. In agile, the retrospective is the appropriate forum for the team to identify and address process issues, such as the drop in velocity and siloed work. Option A is wrong because increasing standup frequency does not address root causes and may add more pressure. Option B is wrong because adding team members can disrupt team dynamics and does not address the underlying issues. Option C is wrong because assigning a senior developer to monitor individual productivity is micromanaging and contrary to agile principles.

Answer

Increase the frequency of daily standups to twice per day

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Add more team members to increase capacity

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Assign a senior developer to monitor individual productivity

Question 14

Your project is using a hybrid approach with a fixed-price contract for the predictive portion and a time-and-materials contract for the agile portion. A change request from a stakeholder would affect both portions. The change control board (CCB) has approved the change for the predictive portion but deferred the agile portion to the product owner. How should you proceed?

Accepted Answer

Update the predictive baseline as approved, and coordinate with the product owner to prioritize the agile portion in the product backlog. The correct approach is option A. The CCB approved the change for the predictive portion, so you should update the predictive baseline accordingly. For the agile portion, the CCB deferred to the product owner, so you should coordinate with the product owner to prioritize the change in the product backlog. This aligns with the hybrid approach where the CCB oversees the predictive part and the product owner manages the agile part.

Answer

Implement the change for both portions since the CCB approved the overall change

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Request the CCB to also approve the agile portion before taking any action

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Reject the change entirely because it was not fully approved

Question 15

A project using a predictive approach is 40% complete. The earned value (EV) is $200,000, the planned value (PV) is $250,000, and the actual cost (AC) is $230,000. What should the project manager do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the variances to determine root causes and implement corrective actions. The project is behind schedule (SPI < 1) and over budget (CPI < 1). Option B is correct: analyze root causes and take corrective action. Option A is wrong because EAC may change; Option C is wrong because you communicate after analysis; Option D is a possible technique but not the next step.

Answer

Report the variances to stakeholders immediately and ask for more budget

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Calculate the estimate at completion (EAC) and rebaseline the project

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Apply schedule compression techniques such as crashing