PMP Practice Test 46 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Your project is 50% complete and 15% over budget. Earned value analysis shows CPI = 0.85 and SPI = 0.95. The team is demoralized due to recent layoffs in the company. An executive suggests reducing the project scope to cut costs. What should you do FIRST?

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

Accepted Answer

Perform an impact analysis of the proposed scope reduction and submit a change request. The correct first step is to perform an impact analysis of the proposed scope reduction and submit a change request. As a project manager, you must follow the formal change control process: any change to scope, even if suggested by an executive, requires an analysis of its impact on cost, schedule, quality, and risks before any decision is made. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's guidance that scope changes must be evaluated through a change request to ensure informed decision-making and maintain project baselines.

Answer

Update the project management plan to reflect the new budget constraints

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Decline the suggestion and implement cost reduction measures elsewhere

Answer

Agree to reduce scope to meet the budget, as suggested by the executive

Question 2

Your project is in execution phase, and a key vendor informs you that they will be unable to deliver a critical component on time due to a supply chain disruption. This risk was identified in the risk register and a contingency plan was developed. The project timeline is tight, and any delay will impact the critical path. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Implement the contingency plan as documented in the risk register and communicate with stakeholders. The risk was already identified and a contingency plan exists in the risk register. The first action should be to implement that plan, as it was pre-approved for this exact scenario. Communicating with stakeholders is also essential to manage expectations and coordinate next steps, especially since the delay impacts the critical path.

Answer

Immediately find an alternative vendor who can deliver on time

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Re-baseline the project schedule to accommodate the delay

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Alert the project sponsor about the delay and ask for additional time

Question 3

Your agile team is distributed across four countries. During the daily stand-up, some team members are not speaking, and others dominate the conversation. The project manager wants to improve collaboration. What is the BEST approach?

Accepted Answer

Implement a round-robin format where each team member takes turns speaking. In a distributed agile team with unbalanced participation, a round-robin format ensures each team member has a dedicated turn to speak, promoting equal contribution and collaboration. This structured approach addresses the root cause of silence and domination without singling out individuals. Option A (written reports) does not foster real-time interaction. Option B (cameras on) may not solve the participation imbalance. Option C (asking dominating members to speak less) can create tension and is less effective than a systemic solution.

Answer

Send a written report after each stand-up

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Require everyone to keep their cameras on during meetings

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Ask the dominating members to speak less

Question 4

During a daily standup, a team member mentions that a task is taking longer than expected and will likely miss the deadline. The task is on the critical path. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Discuss with the team member to understand the issue and explore options. The first step is to understand the situation by discussing with the team member to gather details about the delay and explore options. This aligns with PMI's approach of assessing the situation before taking corrective action. Only after understanding the issue can the project manager consider options such as fast-tracking or crashing.

Answer

Immediately escalate the issue to the sponsor

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Assign additional team members to the task without further analysis

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Reduce the quality of the task to save time

Question 5

A project manager is leading a cross-functional team that includes members from different departments. Two senior developers have a conflict about the technical approach for a critical component. The conflict is causing delays. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting between the developers to discuss the pros and cons of each approach and reach consensus. The project manager's first responsibility in a technical conflict is to facilitate collaboration and consensus-building among the team members, leveraging their expertise to resolve the disagreement. By guiding the developers to discuss pros and cons, the PM enables a data-driven decision that respects the team's autonomy and technical judgment, which is essential for maintaining ownership and commitment to the chosen approach.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the functional managers of the developers

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Make the decision for the team to move forward

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Ask the team to vote on the technical approach

Question 6

Your project is running 15% over budget at the midpoint. Earned value analysis shows CPI = 0.87 and SPI = 1.02. The project is ahead of schedule but over budget. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Inform the sponsor and stakeholders about the cost performance and planned actions.. The PMBOK Guide requires the project manager to proactively communicate cost performance and planned corrective actions to stakeholders and the sponsor, especially when the CPI is 0.87 (15% over budget). This transparency maintains trust and enables informed decision-making, such as approving a change request for additional funds or scope adjustments.

Answer

Reduce quality testing to cut costs.

Answer

Request additional budget immediately to cover the overrun.

Question 7

During a daily standup, a developer mentions that a critical integration task will take longer than expected because of a technical dependency on another team. The project is on a tight schedule. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Help the team remove the impediment by coordinating with the other team's manager. Removing impediments is a key responsibility of the project manager or Scrum Master; coordinating with the other team's manager addresses the dependency promptly. Option C is correct because the product owner should reprioritize the backlog if the delay impacts the sprint goal, ensuring the team works on the most valuable items. Option E is correct because updating the risk register with the potential delay and mitigation actions is a standard risk management practice to track and communicate risks. Option B is incorrect because adding tasks does not resolve the delay and may overwhelm the team. Option D is incorrect because informing the sponsor of a delay is premature; the team should first assess the impact and explore mitigation options.

Answer

Add more tasks to the sprint to keep the team busy

Answer

Immediately inform the sponsor that the project will be delayed

Question 8

A project manager observes that a team member is consistently missing deadlines and producing low-quality work. The project manager suspects it is due to personal issues but the team member is reluctant to discuss. What is the best course of action?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a private one-on-one meeting to discuss performance and offer support.. It aligns with the PMP's focus on servant leadership and emotional intelligence. Addressing performance issues privately respects the team member's dignity, opens a safe space to discuss potential personal issues, and allows the project manager to offer support or resources without public embarrassment, which is critical for maintaining trust and motivation.

Answer

Address the issue in the next team meeting to set expectations.

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Reassign the team member to less critical tasks.

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Report the team member to HR for performance improvement plan.

Question 9

Your project is in the planning phase, and you are developing the team charter. Which THREE elements should be included in the team charter to promote high performance?

Accepted Answer

Decision-making process and conflict resolution approach. The team charter is a foundational document that establishes how the team will operate, not what they will deliver. Including the decision-making process and conflict resolution approach ensures the team has clear protocols for collaboration and dispute resolution, which directly supports high performance by reducing ambiguity and fostering trust.

Answer

The project schedule and key milestones

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Individual performance metrics and goals

Question 10

You are managing a large-scale project with multiple vendors. One vendor is consistently late in delivering critical components, jeopardizing the project schedule. The vendor blames the delays on your team's incomplete specifications. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a root cause analysis with the vendor and your team to identify underlying issues and develop a corrective action plan. As a project manager, your first step should be to investigate the root cause of the conflict before taking corrective action. Conducting a root cause analysis with both the vendor and your team aligns with the PMI's 'Manage Stakeholder Engagement' and 'Manage Team' processes, ensuring you address the underlying issue (incomplete specifications vs. vendor performance) rather than symptoms. This collaborative approach preserves the relationship and prevents recurrence, which is critical for a large-scale project with multiple vendors.

Answer

Request that your team rework the specifications to be more detailed and clear

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Replace the vendor with a new one that can meet the deadlines

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Formally notify the vendor of the delays and threaten legal action if performance does not improve

Question 11

During a project status meeting, a sponsor mentions that they have been directly assigning tasks to a team member without going through you. The team member is now confused about priorities. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a meeting with the sponsor to review the communication management plan and roles. The first step in resolving a communication breakdown is to address the root cause: the sponsor is bypassing the project manager's authority and the established communication management plan. By scheduling a meeting with the sponsor to review the plan and their roles, you reaffirm the agreed-upon escalation and task assignment processes, which is a proactive, professional approach aligned with PMBOK's principles of managing stakeholder expectations and enforcing the project's governance framework.

Answer

Report the sponsor's behavior to the PMO or senior management

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Tell the team member to ignore the sponsor's requests

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Update the team member's task list to include the sponsor's assignments

Question 12

Your project is in the execution phase. A team member reports that a supplier delivered a batch of raw materials that do not meet the quality specifications. The supplier insists the materials are acceptable and offers a discount. The project sponsor wants to accept the discount to save costs. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Reject the materials and require the supplier to provide conforming materials. The project manager must adhere to the quality plan and ensure that materials meet specified requirements. Accepting non-conforming materials, even with a discount, risks rework, customer dissatisfaction, and project failure. The sponsor's cost concern does not override quality standards. Option A is wrong because reducing testing does not mitigate the risk of using substandard materials. Option B is wrong because the decision should be based on the quality plan, not left to the team. Option D is wrong because cost savings do not justify compromising quality.

Answer

Accept the materials and reduce testing to offset the cost risk

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Let the team decide whether to use the materials

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Accept the discount and use the materials to save project costs

Question 13

You are leading a globally distributed agile team. During the daily stand-up, you notice that the team member in India consistently speaks little compared to others, while the US-based members dominate the conversation. What should you do to foster inclusion?

Accepted Answer

Implement a round-robin format where each team member shares updates in turn. Implementing a round-robin format ensures equitable participation by structurally requiring each team member to speak in turn, directly addressing the imbalance caused by time zone and cultural differences. This technique fosters inclusion by removing the dominance of louder voices and giving the quieter team member a dedicated, safe opportunity to contribute, which aligns with the agile principle of self-organizing teams and the PMI Talent Triangle's emphasis on leadership and team management.

Answer

Let the team continue as is, as it is a natural dynamic

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Ask the quiet team member directly why they are not speaking

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Reduce the frequency of the daily stand-up to once a week

Question 14

A project manager discovers that a team member has been taking credit for another teammate's work during stakeholder meetings. This has created tension within the team. What should the PM do?

Accepted Answer

Speak privately with the team member about the importance of recognizing others' contributions. The project manager should address the issue privately and directly with the team member, focusing on coaching and reinforcing the importance of recognizing others' contributions. This aligns with the PMP's emphasis on servant leadership and conflict resolution, where private feedback preserves trust and encourages behavioral change without public embarrassment or escalation.

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Publicly acknowledge the correct contributor in the next stakeholder meeting

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Ignore the situation as it may resolve on its own

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Report the behavior to HR for disciplinary action

Question 15

Sequence the steps for performing a qualitative risk analysis.

Accepted Answer

Identify risks, then assess probability and impact, then prioritize risks, then categorize risks, then update the risk register.. Qualitative analysis involves identifying risks, assessing probability and impact, prioritizing, categorizing, and updating the register.

Answer

Assess probability and impact, then identify risks, then prioritize risks, then categorize risks, then update the risk register.

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Identify risks, then prioritize risks, then assess probability and impact, then categorize risks, then update the risk register.

Answer

Identify risks, then assess probability and impact, then categorize risks, then prioritize risks, then update the risk register.