PMP Practice Test 47 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A project manager is leading a large-scale agile transformation. The organization has a history of failed change initiatives, and there is resistance from middle management. The project sponsor is fully committed but wants to see quick results. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Review the lessons learned repository from previous change initiatives.. Understanding the organizational process assets, especially lessons learned from past failures, is critical to avoid repeating mistakes. This aligns with OPM and change management. Option A may be necessary but first understanding past obstacles is more proactive. Option C could increase resistance. Option D is premature without analysis.

Answer

Develop a detailed communication plan to address resistance.

Answer

Immediately implement agile practices in a pilot team to demonstrate quick wins.

Answer

Conduct a training session for middle managers on agile principles.

Question 2

A project is running 15% over budget at its midpoint. The project manager determines that the variance is due to unexpected price increases in raw materials. The project sponsor asks the project manager to reduce the project scope to bring costs back in line. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to reduce scope and assess the impact on the project.. The correct answer is to submit a change request to formally propose the scope reduction. This follows the change control process. Option A is reactive and may affect quality. Option B is speculative without analysis. Option D is not the first step.

Answer

Instruct the team to reduce scope immediately.

Answer

Update the risk register and continue as planned.

Answer

Ask the sponsor for additional budget.

Question 3

In a Scrum project, the development team consistently misses deadlines. The project manager (who also serves as the Scrum Master) discovers that the team is overcommitting during sprint planning due to pressure from the product owner. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Coach the product owner on the importance of sustainable pace and realistic commitments.. The Scrum Master's role is to coach the product owner on agile principles, including respecting the team's capacity. This addresses the root cause. Option A is a short-term fix. Option C escalates prematurely. Option D is reactive and does not prevent recurrence.

Answer

Reduce the sprint backlog to a manageable size without consulting the product owner.

Answer

Add more team members to increase capacity.

Answer

Escalate to senior management about the product owner's behavior.

Question 4

A project manager discovers that a key vendor will be unable to deliver a critical component on time, which will delay the project. The contract includes penalties for late delivery. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Assess the impact on the project schedule and explore alternative solutions.. The first step is to assess the impact and explore alternatives, then formally communicate with the vendor. This aligns with risk management and procurement. Option A is premature without analysis. Option C is reactive. Option D is extreme and may damage the relationship.

Answer

Inform the sponsor and wait for instructions.

Answer

Immediately invoke the penalty clause to incentivize the vendor.

Answer

Terminate the contract and find a new vendor.

Question 5

You are the project manager for a marketing campaign project using a hybrid approach. Mid-sprint, the product owner asks the team to add a new feature that increases customer engagement. The team has capacity, but the new feature was not in the approved business case. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to evaluate the impact on the business case and obtain approval. Option C is correct because any change that impacts the business case must go through the change control process. Option A bypasses approval, option B is premature without analysis, option D escalates without proper documentation.

Answer

Ask the sponsor for permission to proceed

Answer

Allow the team to add the feature since they have capacity

Answer

Refuse to add the feature because it was not in the business case

Question 6

During a project, a risk event that was identified in the risk register occurs. The risk response plan had a mitigation strategy, but it is not fully effective. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Implement the contingency plan or develop a workaround and update the risk register. The project manager should implement the contingency plan or develop a workaround, then update the risk register and communicate with stakeholders.

Answer

Notify the sponsor and request additional time and budget

Answer

Ignore the risk because the mitigation strategy was already implemented

Answer

Escalate the risk to the steering committee for resolution

Question 7

Your organization is implementing a new project portfolio management (PPM) system. The PMO director wants to ensure that projects are aligned with strategic objectives. Which THREE techniques would be most effective for achieving strategic alignment?

Accepted Answer

Score and prioritize projects based on strategic value. Strategic alignment is achieved by evaluating projects against strategic criteria, scoring and prioritizing them, and regularly reviewing the portfolio. These three actions ensure ongoing alignment.

Answer

Require all projects to use the same project management methodology

Answer

Assign the most experienced project managers to all projects

Question 8

An executive stakeholder bypasses the project manager and directly assigns work to a team member. The team member is now overloaded and missing sprint commitments. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Meet with the executive stakeholder to explain the impact and request that all work requests go through the project manager.. The correct first step is to discuss the issue with the executive stakeholder privately to reinforce the project governance and communication protocols. This is proactive and respectful. Option A escalates prematurely. Option C ignores the root cause. Option D is reactive and does not address the bypassing behavior.

Answer

Escalate to the sponsor about the executive's interference.

Answer

Update the risk register and monitor for further occurrences.

Answer

Assign the extra work to another team member to balance the load.

Question 9

A project manager is implementing a project in a highly regulated industry. A new regulatory requirement is discovered that will affect the project's deliverables. The project is already in execution. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Assess the impact of the requirement on the project and submit a change request if needed.. The correct first step is to analyze the impact of the new requirement on the project's scope, schedule, and budget. This is in line with regulatory compliance and change management. Option A is reactive. Option C bypasses change control. Option D is extreme without understanding the impact.

Answer

Stop the project until legal clarifies the requirement.

Answer

Immediately update the project plan to incorporate the new requirement.

Answer

Continue the project as planned and address the requirement in a follow-up project.

Question 10

In a SAFe environment, a project manager (release train engineer) notices that multiple teams are working on features that do not align with the strategic themes defined by the portfolio. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Escalate the misalignment to the portfolio management team for guidance.. The correct action is to escalate the misalignment to the portfolio management team so they can reassess priorities. This ensures strategic alignment. Option A is reactive. Option B may not be within the PM's authority. Option D is contrary to agile principles.

Answer

Let the teams continue as they have already started work.

Answer

Redirect the teams to work on features that align with the strategic themes.

Answer

Update the strategic themes to match the current work.

Question 11

During a project, the team encounters a risk event that was identified in the risk register. The project manager needs to implement a response. Which THREE actions should the project manager take?

Accepted Answer

Implement the response plan defined in the risk register.. When a risk event occurs, the PM should follow the planned response (B), document the outcome (D), and update the lessons learned (E) for future projects. Option A is reactive and incorrect because the response was already planned. Option C is incorrect because the contingency reserve is for funding the response, not a first action.

Answer

Immediately convene the team to brainstorm new responses.

Answer

Request additional contingency reserve from the sponsor.

Question 12

A project manager is leading a hybrid project. The sponsor requests a significant scope change that will alter the project's business case. Which THREE actions should the project manager take?

Accepted Answer

Assess the impact of the change on the project's schedule, cost, and quality.. The correct actions are to assess the impact (A), submit a change request (B), and update the business case (D) to reflect the new scope. Option C is incorrect because the project should not proceed until approved. Option E is premature without approval.

Answer

Instruct the team to start working on the change immediately.

Answer

Communicate the change to all stakeholders before approval.

Question 13

A project manager is managing a construction project that is currently 15% over budget at the midpoint. The sponsor asks the PM to reduce quality testing to save costs. What should the PM do first?

Accepted Answer

Explain the risks of reducing quality and recommend submitting a change request if cost reduction is necessary. Option A is correct because reducing quality without change control and impact analysis is risky and violates PMI principles. Option B is reactive, option C bypasses analysis, option D ignores the issue.

Answer

Ignore the sponsor's request and continue with the current plan

Answer

Agree with the sponsor and reduce testing immediately

Answer

Review the budget and identify other areas to cut costs without affecting quality

Question 14

In an agile project, the team's velocity has dropped across three consecutive sprints. The project manager suspects that technical debt is causing slowdowns. What should the PM do?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a retrospective to identify impediments and create an action plan. Option D is correct because the PM should facilitate a root cause analysis with the team. Option A blames without understanding, option B may not address root cause, option C escalates without team input.

Answer

Replace the underperforming team members

Answer

Increase the sprint duration to give the team more time

Answer

Report the velocity drop to the sponsor immediately

Question 15

You are the project manager for a portfolio of projects. One project is consistently underperforming and missing milestones. The steering committee asks you to recommend whether to continue or cancel the project. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a benefits review and assess if the project still aligns with organizational strategy. Option B is correct because the PM should evaluate the project's performance against the business case and benefits. Option A is reactive, option C is premature without data, option D is an escalation without analysis.

Answer

Recommend cancelling the project to free up resources for other projects

Answer

Escalate to the sponsor for decision

Answer

Ask the project team to create a recovery plan