PMP Practice Test 38 — 15 Questions

Question 1

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?

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

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 2

You are managing a project that is using a hybrid approach. An executive stakeholder has requested a significant change to the project scope. The change has been approved by the change control board (CCB). Which THREE actions should you take next?

Accepted Answer

Communicate the approved change and its impact to all relevant stakeholders. The correct actions after a CCB-approved scope change are: A) Communicate the approved change and its impact to all relevant stakeholders to ensure awareness and buy-in; B) Update the project management plan (including any affected subsidiary plans) to reflect the change; and E) Update the project baselines (scope, schedule, cost) to incorporate the change so future performance is measured against the revised plan. Instructing the team to start work immediately (C) bypasses proper planning and baseline updates. Rejecting the change (D) is inappropriate because it has already been approved.

Answer

Instruct the team to begin working on the change immediately to avoid delays

Answer

Reject the change if it will delay the project beyond the original deadline

Question 3

You are managing a project where the team is experiencing conflict between two senior developers over technical approach. The conflict is affecting team morale and productivity. Which TWO actions should you take? (Select exactly two.)

Accepted Answer

Escalate the conflict to the functional managers of the developers. The PM should first address the conflict directly by facilitating a meeting between the developers to discuss and resolve the technical disagreement (C). If the conflict cannot be resolved within the team, the PM may escalate it to the functional managers (A) as a next step. Publicly reprimanding (D) is not constructive; ignoring (B) is not proactive; reassigning (E) should be a last resort after other efforts fail.

Answer

Ignore the conflict and hope it resolves on its own

Answer

Reprimand both developers publicly for causing disruption

Answer

Reassign one of the developers to another project

Question 4

You are the project manager for a software development project using Scrum. During the sprint, the product owner requests a change that would significantly increase the value of the product but also expands scope. Which TWO actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Work with the product owner to prioritize the change for a future sprint. In Scrum, the product owner can change the backlog, but the project manager should first assess the impact on the current sprint and, if accepted, ensure the change is added after the current sprint unless it is an emergency. The correct actions are to assess impact and work with the product owner to prioritize the change for a future sprint.

Answer

Add the change to the current sprint immediately to maximize value

Answer

Reject the change because it was not in the original plan

Answer

Escalate to the project sponsor for approval

Question 5

Your project is using a hybrid approach with both predictive and agile elements. The team is struggling with the daily standup because some members treat it as a status report for management. Which THREE actions should you take to improve the standup?

Accepted Answer

Enforce the 15-minute timebox to keep the meeting efficient. Timeboxing the standup to 15 minutes maintains efficiency and prevents the meeting from becoming a lengthy status report. Option C is correct because coaching the team to emphasize impediments and collaboration aligns the standup with its true purpose: team coordination and problem-solving. Option D is correct because clearly communicating that the standup is for the team, not for management reporting, helps reset expectations. Option A is incorrect because canceling the daily standup removes a key communication cadence, and a weekly meeting is insufficient for timely coordination. Option E is incorrect because the standup should be facilitated by the team (often a rotating role), not by the product owner, whose presence is as an attendee to hear updates.

Answer

Cancel the standup and replace it with a weekly status meeting

Answer

Ask the product owner to run the standup to keep it focused

Question 6

In a hybrid project, the team is experiencing frequent interruptions from support requests that are not part of the project scope. The project manager wants to protect the team's focus. Which THREE actions should the project manager take?

Accepted Answer

Update the risk register to reflect the ongoing risk of interruptions. Options C, D, and E are correct. Updating the risk register (C) captures the ongoing risk of interruptions, making it visible and manageable. Working with the product owner to rebase the schedule (D) adjusts the plan to account for the time lost and communicates impact transparently. Documenting and escalating support requests (E) ensures they are handled by the appropriate team, freeing the project team. Option A is incorrect because reassigning a team member full-time may not be efficient and does not solve the root cause. Option B is incorrect because ignoring interruptions will continue to impact focus and productivity.

Answer

Reassign a team member to handle all support requests full-time

Answer

Ask the team to continue handling support requests as they come

Question 7

Your construction project is halfway through the schedule. The earned value analysis shows: EV = $500,000, PV = $600,000, AC = $550,000. The sponsor is concerned about the schedule delay. You need to present recovery options. Which THREE actions should you recommend?

Accepted Answer

Fast-track remaining tasks by performing some activities in parallel. Options B, C, and E are correct. Fast-tracking (B) involves performing activities in parallel to shorten the schedule. Evaluating cost impact (C) is essential before applying schedule compression techniques like crashing or fast-tracking, as they often increase costs. Crashing (E) adds resources to critical path tasks to compress the schedule. Option A is incorrect because reducing scope requires formal change control and stakeholder approval, not a direct recovery action. Option D is incorrect because revising the cost performance baseline does not address schedule delay; it only updates budget expectations.

Answer

Reduce the project scope to meet the original schedule

Answer

Revise the cost performance baseline to reflect current efficiency

Question 8

During a project audit, it is discovered that the quality management plan has not been followed, leading to defects. The project manager needs to address this issue. Which THREE actions should the project manager take?

Accepted Answer

Review and update the quality management plan as necessary. The correct actions are B, C, and D. The project manager should first review and update the quality management plan to ensure it addresses current issues (B). Then, implement corrective actions to fix identified defects (C). Finally, conduct quality audits to verify compliance and prevent recurrence (D). Option A (retrain entire team) may be necessary after the plan update but is not one of the three best immediate actions. Option E (blame team) is unprofessional and ineffective.

Answer

Retrain the entire team on quality processes

Answer

Blame the team for not following the plan

Question 9

Your project is facing significant schedule delays due to unforeseen regulatory changes. You need to compress the schedule. Which TWO techniques are appropriate for schedule compression?

Accepted Answer

Fast-tracking: performing activities in parallel that were originally sequential. Crashing and fast-tracking are the two main schedule compression techniques. Crashing adds resources to critical path activities, while fast-tracking performs activities in parallel. Resource leveling is for resource optimization, and scope reduction is a scope change.

Answer

Adding buffers to the schedule

Answer

Resource leveling: smoothing resource demand to avoid peaks

Answer

Reducing scope: removing non-critical deliverables

Question 10

During project execution, you receive a change request from a key stakeholder to add a new deliverable. The change would require additional resources and extend the schedule by two months. The project is currently on track. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Document the change request and its disposition in the change log.. Proper change control requires evaluating the impact on the project management plan, updating the plan if approved, and ensuring all changes are documented. Communicating to stakeholders is also part of the process.

Answer

Ask the team to start working on the new deliverable while the change request is being reviewed.

Answer

Add the deliverable to the project scope without formal approval to satisfy the stakeholder.

Question 11

Your project's business case is being reviewed by the portfolio review board. Which THREE components must be included in a well-developed business case?

Accepted Answer

Alignment with organizational strategy. Options A, C, and E are correct. A: Strategic alignment justifies the project. C: Cost-benefit analysis shows financial viability. E: Risk assessment is required. Option B is wrong because detailed schedule belongs to the project management plan. Option D is wrong because resource assignments are part of project planning.

Answer

Detailed project schedule with milestones

Answer

Resource assignment matrix

Question 12

You are closing a project phase. Which THREE activities should be performed during the project closure process?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a lessons learned session with the team.. Project closure includes obtaining formal acceptance, archiving documents, and conducting lessons learned. Updating the risk register is done throughout the project, and team performance appraisals may be done separately.

Answer

Evaluate team member performance and provide feedback.

Answer

Update the risk register with residual risks.

Question 13

You are managing a project to develop a new mobile app. During a sprint, the team encounters a technical challenge that will delay the delivery of a key feature. The product owner is concerned about the impact on the release date. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Communicate the delay and its impact to stakeholders transparently. Options B, C, and D are correct. B: Transparent communication of the delay and its impact to stakeholders is essential to manage expectations and maintain trust. C: Encouraging the team to collaborate on a workaround or alternative solution can help overcome the technical challenge without compromising quality. D: Working with the product owner to reprioritize the remaining backlog ensures that the most valuable features are delivered first, minimizing the impact on the release date. Option A is incorrect because adding more developers may not resolve the challenge faster and can introduce communication overhead and coordination issues (Brooks' Law). Option E is incorrect because reducing testing criteria increases the risk of defects and compromises product quality, which is not acceptable in project management.

Answer

Add more developers to the team to resolve the challenge faster

Answer

Reduce the testing criteria to save time

Question 14

Your project is using a hybrid approach. A new regulatory requirement has been discovered that will affect the project scope. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to the change control board. The PM must assess impact, submit a change request, and communicate with stakeholders. Ignoring or bypassing change control is incorrect.

Answer

Update the team's backlog immediately to include the requirement

Answer

Inform the team and continue with the current plan

Question 15

A project manager is planning a hybrid project. The team is new to agile and there is resistance to adopting agile ceremonies. Which TWO actions should the PM take to address this?

Accepted Answer

Start with a subset of ceremonies and introduce others gradually. Training helps the team understand the value of agile ceremonies. Starting with a few ceremonies and gradually introducing others eases the transition.

Answer

Mandate participation in all ceremonies without exception

Answer

Replace ceremonies with written status reports

Answer

Eliminate ceremonies that the team dislikes