PMP Practice Test 36 — 15 Questions

Question 1

During project closure, the project manager is finalizing the lessons learned document. A key stakeholder requests that some of the lessons learned be omitted because they reflect poorly on their department. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Include the lessons learned as is, since they are factual. Lessons learned should be accurate and transparent to benefit future projects. The PM should explain the importance of honest lessons learned and include the information, but may anonymize or phrase it constructively.

Answer

Remove the stakeholder's name from the lessons learned and anonymize the information

Answer

Agree to omit the lessons learned to maintain a good relationship with the stakeholder

Answer

Ask the sponsor for guidance on whether to omit them

Question 2

You are managing a software upgrade project. A senior executive bypasses you and directly instructs a team member to include a new feature in the release. The team member is confused and asks for your direction. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Speak with the executive to explain the change control process and the impact of the request.. The PM should clarify the proper process and communicate with the executive. Option B is correct because it addresses the bypass and reinforces change control. Option A escalates without conversation; Option C ignores the issue; Option D violates process.

Answer

Submit a change request on behalf of the executive without assessment.

Answer

Advise the team member to follow the executive's instruction.

Answer

Escalate the situation to the executive's manager immediately.

Question 3

A project manager is planning stakeholder engagement for a complex project with many interested parties. Which THREE techniques are MOST effective for analyzing stakeholders?

Accepted Answer

Stakeholder engagement assessment matrix. Option A helps categorize based on power and interest. Option B visualizes relationships. Option D assesses current vs desired engagement. Option C is a communication tool, not analysis; Option E is a quality tool.

Answer

Communication requirements analysis

Answer

Affinity diagram

Question 4

Your project is a large infrastructure build. You have completed the planning phase, but the sponsor has put pressure on you to start construction before all approvals are obtained. The schedule is tight, and any delay could result in penalties. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Explain the risks to the sponsor and refuse to start until approvals are obtained. Option D is correct. The PM must not proceed without proper approvals due to compliance and risk. Proceeding could lead to legal issues. Option A is wrong because it bypasses approvals. Option B is wrong because the PM should not ignore the sponsor. Option C is wrong because documentation alone does not mitigate the risk.

Answer

Begin construction on non-critical activities while waiting for approvals

Answer

Document the sponsor's request and begin work

Answer

Proceed as requested by the sponsor

Question 5

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

Answer

Ignore the requirement until the CCB meets, then decide

Answer

Submit a change request immediately to the CCB without detailed analysis

Question 6

During the closure phase of a project, the customer is satisfied with the deliverables but refuses to sign the formal acceptance document, citing minor issues that were not part of the original scope. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Meet with the customer to understand the concerns and negotiate a path to acceptance. The PM should first attempt to resolve the minor issues through negotiation and follow the project's change control process if needed. Formal acceptance is crucial for project closure, so the PM should work with the customer to address concerns without gold-plating.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor immediately

Answer

Accept the refusal and close the project without formal sign-off

Answer

Instruct the team to fix the minor issues free of charge to obtain sign-off

Question 7

You are the project manager for a software development project using Scrum. During the daily standup, a developer mentions that they are blocked by a dependency on another team's API that is delayed. The developer has already tried contacting the other team but received no response. What should the scrum master do?

Accepted Answer

Escalate the issue to the other team's manager or the project sponsor to resolve the dependency.. The scrum master is responsible for removing impediments. Option B is correct because the scrum master should escalate the issue to remove the blocker for the team.

Answer

Add the issue to the risk register and monitor it.

Answer

Ask the team to work on other tasks until the API is available.

Answer

Advise the developer to keep trying to contact the other team.

Question 8

Your project is using a predictive approach to build a mobile app. During testing, the team discovers a critical security vulnerability that was not identified during planning. Fixing it will require two additional weeks and $50,000, which is within the contingency reserve. What should you do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to use the contingency reserve for the fix.. Option B is correct because the contingency reserve is intended for such risks; using it requires a change request. Option A is incorrect because the contingency reserve should be used through formal process. Option C is incorrect as approval is needed. Option D is incorrect; the PM cannot authorize use of contingency reserves without following the plan.

Answer

Document the vulnerability in the issue log and proceed without fixing it.

Answer

Inform the sponsor and ask for approval to use the contingency reserve.

Answer

Use the contingency reserve to fix the vulnerability immediately.

Question 9

During a daily standup, a developer mentions they found a way to improve the code's performance but it will add two extra days of work. What should the scrum master do?

Accepted Answer

Advise the developer to discuss the improvement with the product owner after the standup. Adding extra work without stakeholder approval is gold-plating. The scrum master should remind the team to focus on the sprint goal and discuss the idea with the product owner.

Answer

Record the idea in the project documentation and move on

Answer

Allow the developer to proceed because the improvement is valuable

Answer

Add the improvement to the sprint backlog immediately

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

Analyze the variance and implement corrective actions such as reducing scope or using cheaper materials. The PM should analyze the variance, determine root cause, and develop corrective actions, then communicate to stakeholders.

Answer

Reduce the quality of deliverables to cut costs

Answer

Request additional budget from the sponsor

Answer

Inform the sponsor of the overrun and wait for instructions

Question 11

During a project, the sponsor asks you to skip the user acceptance testing (UAT) phase to save two weeks and meet an accelerated deadline. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Explain the risks of skipping UAT and suggest reducing scope or adding resources instead. Skipping UAT compromises quality and may lead to higher costs later. The PM should explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose alternatives that maintain quality while addressing the schedule.

Answer

Agree to skip UAT to meet the sponsor's deadline

Answer

Escalate the issue to the PMO without discussing with the sponsor

Answer

Skip UAT as requested but document the decision

Question 12

During a sprint retrospective, the team identifies that the daily standup meetings are not effective because they are too long and lack focus. Which THREE actions should the Scrum Master take to improve the standup?

Accepted Answer

Time-box the standup to 15 minutes and enforce it. To improve daily standups, the Scrum Master should enforce time-boxing, encourage focused updates, and perhaps change the format or location to keep them concise. Assigning a rotating facilitator can also help.

Answer

Cancel the standup and replace it with written reports

Answer

Encourage team members to give detailed status reports

Question 13

In the middle of a project, new government regulations are introduced that affect your deliverables. Compliance is mandatory. The project is currently on schedule and on budget. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to assess the impact of the regulation on the project baselines.. The PM must assess the impact of the regulation and then follow change control. Option D is correct. Option A bypasses process; Option B is premature; Option C may be needed later but not first.

Answer

Incorporate the changes to comply with the regulation immediately.

Answer

Notify the sponsor that the project will be delayed and over budget.

Answer

Consult legal to determine the exact requirements.

Question 14

In an agile project, the team has missed their sprint commitment for the third consecutive sprint. During the retrospective, team members cite unclear requirements and frequent interruptions from stakeholders. As the project manager, what is the BEST action to take?

Accepted Answer

Work with the product owner to refine user stories and shield the team from external interruptions. Option C is correct because the root cause is unclear requirements and interruptions. The PM should help the product owner refine the backlog and manage stakeholder expectations. Option A is wrong because extending sprints doesn't address the root cause. Option B is wrong because it's a team decision, not a PM directive. Option D is wrong because this is a people/process issue, not a technical one.

Answer

Require the team to commit to fewer story points next sprint

Answer

Add more developers to the team to increase velocity

Answer

Increase the sprint duration to give the team more time

Question 15

Your project is a software development project using a hybrid approach. The team has completed the design phase, and you have received a change request from a key stakeholder to add a new feature. The team estimates this will add 3 months to the schedule and $50,000 to the budget. What is the BEST course of action?

Accepted Answer

Evaluate the impact on the project constraints and submit a change request to the CCB. Option B is correct. The PM should evaluate the impact on the project constraints and submit a change request to the CCB for approval. Option A is wrong because it bypasses change control. Option C is wrong because it's not the PM's decision alone. Option D is wrong because refusing without analysis is not proactive.

Answer

Refuse the change because it will impact the schedule and budget

Answer

Approve the change yourself since it is within your authority

Answer

Implement the change immediately to satisfy the stakeholder