PMP Practice Test 34 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Your project is running 15% over budget at the midpoint. The cost variance is due to higher-than-expected material costs. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Perform a variance analysis, update the cost forecast, and consider corrective actions such as finding cost savings. When a cost variance occurs, the project manager should first perform variance analysis to understand the root cause, update the cost forecast based on current performance, and then consider corrective actions such as finding cost savings. Option B is incorrect because reducing scope without analyzing the impact may compromise project objectives and should only be considered after analysis and with change control. Option C is incorrect because ignoring the variance could lead to further overruns and jeopardize project success. Option D is incorrect because requesting additional funding without understanding the root cause and exploring other options is not justified and may not be approved.

Answer

Reduce the project scope to bring costs back in line

Answer

Continue as planned since the project is only 15% over budget

Answer

Request additional funding from the sponsor immediately

Question 2

During a sprint review, the product owner rejects a user story because it does not meet the acceptance criteria. The developer who completed the story argues that the functionality is sufficient and that the criteria were too strict. Both parties escalate to you. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a meeting with both parties to review the acceptance criteria and discuss expectations. The acceptance criteria are part of the definition of done agreed upon with the product owner. The PM should clarify expectations and facilitate a conversation to reach a mutual understanding, potentially updating the criteria if needed.

Answer

Ask the team to redo the story to strictly meet the criteria without further discussion

Answer

Accept the story as is and move on to avoid delaying the sprint

Answer

Support the developer and ask the product owner to relax the criteria

Question 3

You are managing a software upgrade project. The team has identified a critical defect that requires immediate fixing, but the fix will delay the next release by one week. The product owner wants to release on time with the defect. Which THREE factors should you consider when advising the product owner?

Accepted Answer

Whether the defect violates the agreed definition of done. The definition of done includes quality criteria; releasing with a critical defect violates that agreement. Option B is correct because releasing with a known defect introduces risk of rework and negative impact on users. Option E is correct because the severity and user impact are primary factors in prioritizing the fix. Option C is incorrect: while cost of delay is relevant, the question focuses on quality and risk, not purely cost trade-offs. Option D is incorrect: the team's ability to fix without affecting other features is a technical consideration but not among the top three factors for this decision.

Answer

The cost of delaying the release versus the cost of fixing later

Answer

The team's ability to fix the defect without affecting other features

Question 4

During a project's execution phase, you receive a change request from a stakeholder that would improve the product's performance but is not required by the original specifications. The change is estimated to add 2 weeks to the schedule and $10,000 to the budget. The project is currently on schedule and under budget. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Perform an impact analysis and submit the change request to the CCB. The PM should first assess the impact of the change on the project constraints (scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk) and then present the analysis to the CCB for a decision. Proceeding without approval or rejecting outright are not appropriate.

Answer

Instruct the team to implement the change and adjust the project plan later

Answer

Approve the change since the project has contingency

Answer

Reject the change because it is out of scope

Question 5

During project execution, a team member reports that a deliverable may not meet the quality standards due to a shortcut taken earlier. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Review the quality management plan and perform a quality audit to identify process gaps. Quality assurance ensures processes are followed. The PM should investigate the issue and take corrective action to prevent nonconformance.

Answer

Accept the deliverable as is and document the deviation

Answer

Escalate to the sponsor for a decision on quality acceptance

Answer

Instruct the team member to redo the work to meet standards

Question 6

You are leading a virtual project team with members in four countries. A team member from one location complains that another team member from a different location is not responding to emails and messages promptly, causing delays. Upon investigation, you find that the second team member feels their work hours are not respected and they are expected to respond outside their working hours. The team charter does not address communication hours. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a team meeting to update the team charter with agreed communication protocols, including response time windows and respect for working hours. The PM should facilitate a team discussion to update the team charter with agreed communication norms, including response time expectations and respect for working hours. This fosters collaboration and prevents future conflicts.

Answer

Ask the second team member to respond to messages within 2 hours during their working hours

Answer

Transfer the second team member to a different project if they are unable to meet communication expectations

Answer

Establish a new policy that all team members must be available during a common overlapping time zone

Question 7

During a project, a new regulation is introduced that affects your project's compliance requirements. The team will need to complete additional documentation and training. What is the FIRST thing you should do?

Accepted Answer

Assess the impact of the regulation on the project and submit a change request. A new regulation is a change that could impact scope, schedule, and cost. The first step is to assess the impact and then submit a change request to follow the change control process.

Answer

Instruct the team to begin working on the new requirements immediately to ensure compliance

Answer

Inform the sponsor and ask for a budget increase

Answer

Update the risk register and continue with the current plan

Question 8

A change request that affects the critical path has been approved. What is the NEXT step for the project manager?

Accepted Answer

Communicate the change to stakeholders and update the project management plan and baselines. After approval, the PM must update the project management plan and baselines to reflect the change.

Answer

Implement the change immediately without updating documents

Answer

Instruct the team to ignore the change until next sprint

Answer

File the change request in the project archives

Question 9

You are managing a project with a fixed-price contract. Midway, a new regulation requires additional compliance testing that was not in the original scope. The cost of this testing is significant. The project has no contingency reserve left. What is the best course of action?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to the customer to secure additional funding for the required testing. The new regulation introduces a change in the project scope that was not anticipated in the fixed-price contract. The correct action is to follow the formal change control process by submitting a change request to the customer, which may lead to a contract modification and additional funding. Option D is correct because it initiates the proper process. Option A (absorbing the cost) is not advisable as it impacts profitability without customer agreement. Option B (stopping work) is confrontational and not aligned with good stakeholder management. Option C (reducing costs elsewhere) may compromise other scope items and is premature before seeking customer approval.

Answer

Proceed with the testing and absorb the cost to ensure compliance, as it is mandatory

Answer

Stop work until the customer agrees to pay for the additional testing

Answer

Ask the team to find ways to reduce costs elsewhere to fund the testing

Question 10

Your project's cost performance index (CPI) is 0.8, and the schedule performance index (SPI) is 1.1. The project is in the execution phase. What is the most likely reason for these indices?

Accepted Answer

The project manager used crashing to meet a deadline, adding resources and increasing costs. A CPI of 0.8 indicates cost overrun (spending more than planned) while an SPI of 1.1 indicates the project is ahead of schedule (more work completed than planned). Crashing involves adding resources to critical path activities to compress the schedule, which increases costs (lower CPI) but can improve schedule performance (higher SPI). Option A is incorrect because rework due to quality issues would likely increase both cost and schedule, resulting in both CPI and SPI being less than 1. Option B is incorrect because scope creep typically increases both cost and schedule, not resulting in SPI > 1. Option C is incorrect because working more efficiently would likely improve both CPI and SPI, not lead to a cost overrun.

Answer

The team had to rework deliverables due to quality issues

Answer

The project is experiencing scope creep

Answer

The team is working more efficiently than planned

Question 11

Your project has a diverse team with members from different cultural backgrounds. A conflict arises because some team members feel their ideas are not being heard during meetings. Which THREE actions should you take to foster inclusion and collaboration?

Accepted Answer

Provide training on cultural diversity and inclusive communication. Providing training on cultural diversity and inclusive communication directly addresses the root cause of the conflict—team members feeling unheard due to differing communication styles. This action equips the team with the skills to adapt their interactions, fostering a psychologically safe environment where all ideas can be shared and respected, which is a core responsibility of a project manager under the People domain.

Answer

Require all team members to communicate in the same direct style

Answer

Tell the team that conflicts are normal and they should work it out themselves

Question 12

A project manager is forming a new virtual team with members from different countries. During the kick-off, the PM wants to build trust and establish norms. Which of the following actions should the PM take FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a session to create a team charter that defines communication protocols and values. Creating a team charter collaboratively during a facilitated session is the first step to build trust and establish norms. Option A is wrong because assigning roles without team input reduces buy-in and does not first establish norms. Option B is wrong because while informal bonding is valuable, the initial focus should be on formal team norms and expectations through the charter. Option C is wrong because sending a unilateral email with ground rules does not foster team ownership or collaboration.

Answer

Assign roles and responsibilities based on each member's functional expertise

Answer

Schedule weekly virtual coffee chats to encourage informal bonding

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Send a detailed email outlining the team's ground rules and expectations

Question 13

You are managing a large infrastructure project. At the midpoint, earned value analysis shows CPI = 0.85 and SPI = 0.90. The project budget is $10 million, and the schedule is tight. Several stakeholders are concerned about cost overruns. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the cost and schedule variances to identify root causes and develop corrective actions.. The first step when facing cost and schedule variances is to analyze the variances to understand their root causes before taking any corrective action. This aligns with the PMI's iterative process of monitoring and controlling. Option A is incorrect because immediately reducing scope without analysis may negatively impact project objectives. Option B is premature; a change request should only be submitted after analysis and determination of necessary actions. Option C is incorrect because reducing quality compromises the project's deliverables and is not a recommended corrective action.

Answer

Immediately reduce scope to bring costs back in line.

Answer

Submit a change request to increase the budget by 15% to cover the overrun.

Answer

Instruct the team to reduce quality to lower costs.

Question 14

An executive stakeholder bypasses you and directly gives instructions to the development team to add a new report. The team starts working on it. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Discuss with the executive the importance of following the change control process and update the communications management plan. PMI recommends addressing the stakeholder's behavior professionally and reinforcing the change control process.

Answer

Immediately stop the team's work on the new report without discussing with the executive

Answer

Allow the team to continue to avoid conflict with the executive

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Confront the executive and demand they stop contacting the team

Question 15

Your project is in the planning phase, and you are building a virtual team across five countries. Which THREE factors are most important to address to ensure high team performance? (Choose THREE)

Accepted Answer

Conducting virtual team-building activities to foster trust. Virtual team-building activities are essential for fostering trust and social cohesion among geographically dispersed team members. Without face-to-face interaction, trust must be intentionally built through structured activities that encourage open communication and relationship development, which directly impacts collaboration and performance.

Answer

Ensuring all team members have the same technical certifications

Answer

Creating a shared project calendar