PMP Practice Test 36 — 15 Questions

Question 1

During a project transition, a key team member resigns unexpectedly. The project manager needs to ensure knowledge transfer and minimize impact. Which THREE actions should the project manager take? (Choose three.)

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

Accepted Answer

Redistribute the departing member's tasks among the team based on capacity and skills, and update the work breakdown structure. Option A is correct because redistributing the departing member's tasks according to team capacity and skills ensures work continues efficiently, and updating the work breakdown structure keeps the project plan accurate and reflects the new task ownership. Option B is correct because having the departing member document key processes and create a handover document captures critical tacit knowledge before they leave, directly supporting knowledge transfer and reducing project disruption. Option E is correct because an exit interview documents the departing member's knowledge, insights, and lessons learned, which helps preserve institutional knowledge and informs future project decisions. Option C is not appropriate because simply asking remaining members to absorb tasks without assessing capacity or skills risks overload and quality issues. Option D is not appropriate because immediately hiring a replacement is not always feasible and does not by itself ensure knowledge transfer or minimize short-term impact.

Answer

Ask the remaining team members to absorb the departing member's tasks

Answer

Immediately hire a replacement with similar skills

Question 2

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. Option B is correct because the overrun has a human-performance root cause, and a private, supportive conversation is the appropriate first step to uncover whether the team member faces skill gaps, unclear expectations, or blockers, and to agree on corrective support without demotivating the team. Option C is correct because the testing-effort underestimation points to a flawed estimate basis, so reviewing the estimating assumptions and applying earned value management (for example, CPI = EV/AC and EAC = BAC/CPI) lets you re-forecast the final cost and decide on a data-driven corrective response. Option A is not appropriate as a primary action because contingency reserves are for identified risks that materialize, not for correcting estimating errors or performance issues, and using them here would mask the root cause. Option D is wrong because unilateral scope reduction is a change that requires stakeholder approval and would not address the underlying estimating and performance problems. Option E is wrong because immediately enrolling the member in advanced testing training presumes a training deficiency before the cause is diagnosed, and it adds cost rather than controlling it.

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 3

A project manager is leading a team that is newly formed and includes members from different functional areas. The team is experiencing low trust and reluctance to share ideas. The project manager wants to build a high-performing team. Which THREE actions should the project manager take? (Choose three.)

Accepted Answer

Set clear team goals and define success criteria together. Option C is correct because setting clear team goals and defining success criteria together gives the newly formed cross-functional team a shared direction and common purpose, which reduces ambiguity and aligns members from different functional areas. Option D is correct because a team charter workshop establishes shared values, norms, and operating agreements, directly addressing the low trust and reluctance to share ideas by creating psychological safety and clear behavioral expectations. Option E is correct because team-building activities focused on collaboration and trust help break down functional silos and build interpersonal relationships, which is essential during the forming/storming stages of team development. Option A is not appropriate because individual rewards for top performers foster internal competition and undermine the collaboration and trust the project manager is trying to build. Option B is not the best choice because an external mentor may offer guidance but does not directly build shared norms, goals, or trust among the team members themselves.

Answer

Provide individual rewards for top performers to motivate competition

Answer

Assign a mentor from outside the team to guide team members

Question 4

Your agile team has been struggling with low morale and lack of motivation. As a project manager using servant leadership, which THREE actions would be most effective in improving the situation?

Accepted Answer

Identify and remove obstacles that are hindering the team's progress. Servant leadership prioritizes the growth, well-being, and autonomy of the team, so option A is correct because identifying and removing impediments (a core Scrum Master/project manager duty) directly addresses the demotivating friction that slows progress and frustrates team members. Option D is correct because empowering the team to decide their own work processes builds intrinsic motivation, ownership, and self-organization, which are central to agile servant leadership. Option E is correct because regularly acknowledging and celebrating achievements satisfies the need for recognition and reinforces positive behavior, lifting morale without coercion. Option B does not belong because monetary incentives tied to sprint goals are an extrinsic, transactional motivator that can undermine intrinsic motivation and is not characteristic of servant leadership. Option C does not belong because imposing stricter performance metrics is a command-and-control, directive approach that increases pressure and erodes trust rather than serving the team's needs.

Answer

Offer monetary incentives for meeting sprint goals

Answer

Set stricter performance metrics to push the team to improve

Question 5

You are a project manager for a software development project using Scrum. The product owner has been pressuring the team to increase velocity and deliver more features per sprint. The team feels overwhelmed and quality has started to suffer. Which TWO actions should the project manager take to address this situation?

Accepted Answer

Involve the team in sprint planning to ensure they commit to a realistic amount of work.. Option A is correct because in Scrum the team must self-manage and collectively commit to a realistic Sprint Backlog during Sprint Planning; involving them in planning ensures the forecast reflects their true capacity rather than an imposed target, which protects quality and prevents overcommitment. Option E is correct because the Scrum Master/PM should facilitate transparency and collaboration between the Product Owner and the Development Team, discussing velocity as an empirical measure and reinforcing the Agile principle of a sustainable pace so expectations are aligned without burnout. Option B is wrong because overtime is not a sustainable velocity strategy and degrades quality and morale. Option C is wrong because cutting testing increases technical debt and defects rather than improving real delivery. Option D is wrong because adding members mid-project increases coordination overhead and typically reduces short-term velocity (Brooks's Law) rather than solving the root cause.

Answer

Ask the team to work overtime to meet the product owner's expectations.

Answer

Encourage the team to reduce testing to save time.

Answer

Add more team members to the project to increase capacity.

Question 6

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.. Option D is correct because adjusting task dependencies to sequence the two tasks resolves the conflict by ensuring the shared specialized resource is used on one task at a time, eliminating the concurrent demand without changing the resource pool. Option E is correct because resource leveling is the standard PMBOK technique for resolving resource overallocation or resource conflicts; it delays tasks (potentially extending the schedule) so that demand for the constrained resource never exceeds its availability. Option A is not appropriate because crashing adds resources to compress the schedule, but the constraint is a specialized resource that cannot simply be duplicated, so adding generic resources would not resolve the conflict and could increase cost. Option B is not appropriate because hiring contractors for a specialized resource is often infeasible or impractical, and it does not guarantee the same specialized skill set is available. Option C is not appropriate because removing a task from the schedule is a drastic scope reduction that is not a standard resource-conflict resolution technique and would likely harm project objectives.

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 7

As an agile project manager, you want to empower the development team to self-organize. Which TWO practices would BEST support self-organization?

Accepted Answer

Protect the team from external interruptions and scope changes during the sprint. Options B and C are correct. Protecting the team from external interruptions and scope changes during the sprint (B) allows the team to maintain focus on their committed work, preserving their autonomy and enabling self-organization. Allowing the team to estimate their own work and plan the sprint backlog (C) empowers the team to take ownership of their commitments and encourages collective decision-making, which is fundamental to self-organization. Option A (assigning tasks based on expertise) undermines self-organization by imposing external control and reducing team ownership. Option D (monitoring hours) is micromanagement that hinders self-organization. Option E (defining technical solution in detail) restricts the team's creativity and ownership over the technical approach.

Answer

Assign specific tasks to team members based on their expertise

Answer

Monitor each team member's hours to ensure productivity

Answer

Define the technical solution in detail for the team to implement

Question 8

In a large-scale digital transformation project, the executive sponsor has been bypassing you and giving direct instructions to the development team. The team is confused about priorities and feels caught between the sponsor's requests and the project plan. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a private meeting with the sponsor to discuss the issue and agree on a proper communication channel. The first step in resolving a conflict with a powerful stakeholder like an executive sponsor is to address the issue privately and collaboratively. By scheduling a private meeting, the project manager can discuss the impact of the bypassing behavior, clarify the confusion it causes, and agree on a proper communication channel that respects both the sponsor's authority and the project's governance. This aligns with PMI's principle of engaging stakeholders proactively and using conflict resolution techniques like 'confronting' or 'collaborating' to find a mutually acceptable solution.

Answer

Update the stakeholder engagement plan to include a communication protocol and ask the sponsor to review it

Answer

Send an email to the sponsor and the team clarifying that all instructions must go through you

Answer

Advise the team to ignore the sponsor's instructions and follow the project plan

Question 9

During a daily standup, a developer mentions she is blocked by a dependency from another team. The issue was not previously identified. As the project manager, what is the BEST action?

Accepted Answer

Add the blocker to the issue log and work with the other team to resolve it.. The correct action is to document the blocker in the issue log and collaborate with the other team to resolve it. This ensures the issue is tracked and addressed appropriately. Option A is wrong because reassigning work does not resolve the dependency; Option B delays resolution without proper documentation; Option C bypasses the project manager's role in facilitating cross-team coordination.

Answer

Remove the dependency by reassigning the work to a different developer.

Answer

Ask the developer to find a workaround and report back tomorrow.

Answer

Tell the developer to escalate the issue to the other team's manager directly.

Question 10

During a sprint review, the product owner rejects a user story because it does not meet the acceptance criteria. The developer who worked on it becomes defensive and argues that the implementation is technically superior to what was requested. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Support the product owner's decision and remind the developer to adhere to the agreed acceptance criteria in the future. The product owner is the ultimate authority on acceptance criteria. The developer's role is to deliver what was agreed upon, not to add unrequested features (gold-plating). Option B incorrectly escalates a project-level decision unnecessarily. Option C undermines the product owner's authority by letting the team override their decision. Option D is wrong because it still includes the unrequested technical implementation, which deviates from the acceptance criteria.

Answer

Escalate to the project sponsor to resolve the disagreement between the developer and the product owner

Answer

Allow the developer to present the technical benefits and let the team vote on whether to keep the implementation

Answer

Suggest that the team rework the story to match the acceptance criteria while still incorporating the superior implementation

Question 11

During project execution, a key vendor notifies you that they cannot deliver a critical component on time due to a raw material shortage. This component is on the critical path. The vendor suggests using a substitute material that is not yet approved by your quality team. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Implement the risk response defined in the risk register. The risk (vendor delay) was previously identified and documented in the risk register, along with a planned response. The project manager should first implement that planned response rather than taking other actions. Option B is incorrect because accepting the delay without trying the planned response is premature and may not be the best course of action. Option C is incorrect because escalation is not necessary if a pre-planned risk response exists. Option D is incorrect because immediately terminating the contract is an extreme reaction that ignores the agreed-upon risk response.

Answer

Accept the delay and update the project schedule

Answer

Escalate to the project sponsor and request additional time

Answer

Immediately terminate the vendor contract and find a new supplier

Question 12

Your project is using a hybrid approach. At the end of the first iteration, the customer provides feedback that significantly changes the priority of features. The team has already started work on the next iteration's backlog. As the project manager, which THREE actions should you take? (Select exactly three.)

Accepted Answer

Communicate the changes and their impact to all relevant stakeholders. The correct actions are to communicate the changes to stakeholders (A), assess the impact on schedule and budget (B), and update the risk register (C). Communicating ensures transparency and alignment; assessing impact is necessary for informed decision-making; updating the risk register captures the new uncertainty. Option D (proceeding without adjustment) ignores stakeholder feedback, and option E (immediate adjustment without analysis) bypasses proper change management.

Answer

Proceed with the current iteration backlog to avoid disrupting the team

Answer

Immediately adjust the iteration backlog to reflect the new priorities

Question 13

During a sprint retrospective, the team identifies that unclear requirements from the product owner are causing rework. The team suggests improvements. Which THREE actions should the project manager (Scrum Master) take?

Accepted Answer

Introduce a requirements clarification step before each sprint planning. Options C, D, and E are correct because they address the root cause of unclear requirements: adding a clarification step before sprint planning, implementing one of the team's suggested improvements per sprint, and ensuring the product owner attends all planning and grooming sessions to clarify requirements in real time. Option A is incorrect because adding buffer time does not prevent rework; it only accommodates it. Option B is incorrect because proceeding with best interpretation invites further rework and violates the principle of transparency.

Answer

Add buffer time to the sprint plan to accommodate potential rework

Answer

Instruct the team to proceed with their best interpretation of requirements

Question 14

You are leading a project with a diverse team including members from different cultures and backgrounds. Which THREE actions should you take to promote an inclusive team environment?

Accepted Answer

Establish a team charter that includes norms for respectful communication and conflict resolution. Options A, B, and C are correct because establishing a team charter with norms for respectful communication (A), celebrating cultural holidays and encouraging sharing of traditions (B), and using inclusive language while avoiding assumptions (C) all foster an inclusive team environment. Option D is incorrect because conducting meetings only in English may exclude non-native speakers, reducing inclusivity. Option E is incorrect because encouraging adoption of a dominant culture undermines diversity and inclusion.

Answer

Conduct all meetings in English only to avoid misunderstandings

Answer

Encourage team members to adopt the dominant culture's practices to ensure consistency

Question 15

During project execution, you discover that a key vendor will not be able to deliver a critical component on time, which will delay the project by two weeks. The vendor was selected based on the procurement plan. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Contact the vendor to understand the reason for the delay and explore options to expedite delivery.. The first step in addressing a vendor delay is to gather information directly from the vendor to understand the root cause and explore mitigation options, such as expedited shipping or partial deliveries. This aligns with the PMI's principle of 'manage communications' and the iterative nature of risk response, where immediate escalation or schedule changes without data would be premature. The procurement plan guides vendor selection, but execution issues require collaborative problem-solving before any formal change request.

Answer

Initiate a change request to replace the vendor with a new one.

Answer

Immediately escalate the issue to senior management and request intervention.

Answer

Update the project schedule and continue working on other tasks.