PMP Practice Test 49 — 15 Questions

Question 1

During a project, a key team member resigns unexpectedly. The project manager needs to fill the role quickly. What is the first action the project manager should take?

Accepted Answer

Review the project management plan to determine resource requirements and update the staffing plan.. The project manager must first refer to the project management plan to identify the documented resource requirements, roles, and responsibilities for the vacant position. This ensures that any replacement aligns with the approved staffing management plan and avoids ad-hoc decisions that could violate budget or skill specifications. Updating the staffing plan is the foundational step before initiating any recruitment or reassignment actions.

Answer

Contact the former employee to negotiate a return.

Answer

Ask the sponsor to reassign someone from another project.

Answer

Immediately post a job opening for the same role.

Question 2

You are the project manager for a large infrastructure project. The sponsor has requested that the team skip the quality assurance review for the next deliverable to save two weeks and meet an aggressive deadline. The deliverable is critical to the next phase. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Explain the consequences of skipping QA to the sponsor and propose schedule compression alternatives to meet the deadline without compromising quality. As the project manager, you have a fiduciary duty to protect the quality of deliverables, especially when they are critical to the next phase. Skipping quality assurance (QA) introduces technical debt and potential rework that could delay the project more than the two weeks saved. By explaining the consequences and proposing schedule compression alternatives (e.g., fast-tracking or crashing), you uphold quality standards while addressing the sponsor's deadline concern.

Answer

Comply with the sponsor's request since they have authority over the project

Answer

Skip the QA review but document the risk in the issue log

Answer

Ask the sponsor to put the request in writing to protect yourself

Question 3

A project manager is defining the benefits management plan. Which TWO of the following are key components of a benefits management plan?

Accepted Answer

Metrics for measuring benefits and the timing of measurement.. The benefits management plan must define how benefits will be measured (e.g., KPIs, metrics) and when those measurements will occur (e.g., post-implementation review milestones). This ensures objective verification that the expected benefits have been realized. Option C is correct because the plan must explicitly state the target benefits (e.g., cost savings, revenue increase) and demonstrate how they align with the organization's strategic objectives, ensuring the project delivers value beyond its deliverables.

Answer

Work breakdown structure (WBS) for benefit delivery.

Answer

Business case assumptions and constraints.

Answer

Project charter approval signatures.

Question 4

During a sprint retrospective, the team expresses frustration that they are frequently interrupted by unplanned work from other departments. The project manager wants to improve team focus. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Meet with other department managers to negotiate dedicated team time and establish a process for handling requests. It addresses the root cause of the team's frustration by negotiating dedicated team time with other departments and establishing a formal process for handling unplanned work requests. This aligns with the servant leadership approach in the People domain, where the project manager acts as a buffer and facilitator to protect the team's focus and productivity, rather than imposing a technical fix that ignores the systemic issue.

Answer

Increase the sprint duration to accommodate unplanned work

Answer

Tell the team to ignore unplanned work requests

Answer

Add a daily stand-up to discuss unplanned work

Question 5

A project manager is leading a cross-functional team that includes members from different departments with conflicting priorities. The project is at risk of delays due to team members not collaborating effectively. What is the best approach for the project manager to resolve this issue?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a team-building session to align on shared project goals and improve collaboration.. Facilitating a team-building session directly addresses the root cause of the conflict—misaligned priorities—by fostering shared understanding and commitment to project goals. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on conflict resolution through collaboration and team charter development, which improves cross-functional cooperation without bypassing the team's autonomy.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the functional managers to enforce collaboration.

Answer

Reassign tasks to individuals based on their department strengths to minimize conflict.

Answer

Request replacement of non-collaborative team members with more cooperative ones.

Question 6

Your project is in the execution phase, and a new regulatory requirement has been discovered that will affect the project scope. The change is mandatory and must be implemented within two weeks. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request for the new requirement and assess its impact. When a mandatory regulatory requirement is discovered during execution, the first step is to submit a change request and assess its impact. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's integrated change control process, which requires that all changes—even mandatory ones—be formally documented and evaluated for their effect on scope, schedule, cost, and quality before any action is taken. Directly updating the plan or stopping work bypasses this critical governance step.

Answer

Directly update the project management plan to reflect the new requirement

Answer

Stop all project work until the change is resolved

Answer

Inform the sponsor and ask for immediate approval

Question 7

During a project to implement a new CRM system, the team discovers a new regulatory requirement that affects data privacy. The requirement was not identified during planning. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Document the new requirement as a risk in the risk register and plan a response. The project manager's first action upon discovering an unidentified regulatory requirement is to document it as a risk in the risk register and plan a response. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's iterative risk management process, where new threats are captured and analyzed before any project changes are made. The requirement is a potential threat to data privacy compliance, and documenting it as a risk allows the team to assess its impact and determine the appropriate response, such as a change request to the scope or a mitigation plan.

Answer

Immediately stop the project until the requirement is fully understood

Answer

Ask the legal department to handle the requirement separately

Answer

Continue with the project as planned because the requirement was not in the initial scope

Question 8

A project manager discovers that a team member has been working on a feature that was not approved. The feature is not in the scope statement. What should the PM do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Stop the work immediately and assess the impact on the project. The correct first action is to stop the unauthorized work immediately to prevent further scope creep and resource waste. The project manager must then assess the impact on the project's schedule, budget, and quality before deciding on any corrective actions. This aligns with the PMBOK's guidance on managing scope changes and preventing gold plating.

Answer

Allow the team member to finish the feature since it adds value

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Report the team member to HR for disciplinary action

Answer

Add the feature to the project scope and update the scope statement

Question 9

During a construction project, you discover that a critical supplier will not be able to deliver steel beams on time due to a labor strike. This risk was identified and listed in the risk register with a planned response of 'accept.' However, the delay will cause a 2-week slip in the critical path. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Inform stakeholders of the delay and implement the risk response plan of acceptance while monitoring for secondary risks. When a risk occurs, the project manager must implement the planned risk response. Since the response was 'accept,' the team accepts the consequences, but this does not mean doing nothing. The PM must communicate the impact to stakeholders and monitor for secondary risks that may arise from the accepted risk. Therefore, informing stakeholders and continuing to monitor is the appropriate action. Option A (activating fallback plan) is incorrect because there is no fallback plan; the response was acceptance. Option B (doing nothing) is wrong because even with acceptance, communication and monitoring are required. Option C (escalating) is not necessary as the risk response plan already addressed acceptance, and escalation is not automatically required.

Answer

Activate the fallback plan to mitigate the delay by fast-tracking subsequent activities

Answer

Do nothing since the risk was accepted, and proceed with the current plan

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor immediately to request additional resources

Question 10

Your agile team has been using Scrum for six months, but the product owner is not consistently available for sprint planning and reviews. The team is frustrated and the last two sprints did not meet the definition of done. Which THREE actions should you take to address this?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a retrospective to discuss the challenges and agree on improvements. Options A, D, and E are correct. A: Facilitating a retrospective provides a safe environment for the team to discuss challenges and agree on improvements collaboratively. D: Reviewing and revising the definition of done with both the team and product owner ensures it is realistic and achievable given the current constraints. E: Coaching the product owner on their role emphasizes the importance of their availability for sprint planning and reviews, which is critical to Scrum success. Option B is incorrect because implementing a new project management tool does not address the root cause of the product owner's unavailability. Option C is incorrect because assigning a proxy product owner from the development team avoids the real issue and is not a sustainable long-term solution.

Answer

Implement a new project management tool to improve transparency

Answer

Assign a proxy product owner from the development team

Question 11

You are managing a software development project using Scrum. During the sprint review, the product owner praises the team's work but mentions that a key stakeholder is unhappy because an expected feature was delivered with limited functionality. The feature was completed according to the sprint backlog, but the stakeholder had not communicated their detailed expectations. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a meeting with the stakeholder to clarify expectations and discuss how to incorporate their feedback into the product backlog. The correct first step because the issue stems from a communication gap. Scheduling a meeting with the stakeholder allows the project manager to understand the detailed expectations that were not communicated, and to discuss how to incorporate the feedback into the product backlog for future sprints. This aligns with the Agile principle of continuous stakeholder involvement and iterative refinement. Option A is incorrect because adding features without formal approval bypasses the product owner's role and the backlog prioritization process. Option B is too passive; simply updating the issue log does not address the underlying expectation gap. Option C escalates prematurely before attempting direct communication with the stakeholder.

Answer

Add the missing features to the next sprint without formal approval to satisfy the stakeholder immediately

Answer

Update the issue log and move on, since the team delivered the scope as planned

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor as a risk that the stakeholder may reject the deliverable

Question 12

As a project manager in a hybrid project, you notice that the team's sprint velocity has dropped for three consecutive sprints. The team is demotivated, and stakeholders are becoming concerned about the delivery date. Which TWO actions should you take to address this situation?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the product backlog for signs of scope creep or unclear requirements. Analyzing the product backlog helps identify if scope creep or unclear requirements are causing velocity drops, allowing the team to address these issues. Option E is correct because facilitating a retrospective enables the team to inspect their process collaboratively and identify root causes of the velocity drop, leading to actionable improvements. Option A is incorrect because escalating to the sponsor and requesting overtime does not address the underlying problem and may increase burnout. Option B is incorrect because reducing scope without analysis may not solve the issue and could reduce business value. Option D is incorrect because adding team members mid-sprint often disrupts the team and does not address root causes; it may actually lower velocity further.

Answer

Escalate to the project sponsor and request the team to work overtime

Answer

Immediately reduce the scope of the current release to meet the deadline

Answer

Add more team members to the current sprint to increase output

Question 13

Your project is running 15% over budget at the midpoint. The sponsor asks you to cut costs by reducing the testing phase. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the budget variance and propose alternative cost-saving measures that minimize impact on quality. As a project manager, your primary responsibility is to manage the project constraints while protecting the project's value. Reducing the testing phase without analysis could introduce significant quality risks, leading to rework or failure. Instead, you should analyze the budget variance to identify root causes and propose alternative cost-saving measures that minimize impact on quality, such as optimizing resource allocation or renegotiating vendor contracts.

Answer

Implement a 10% across-the-board cost reduction on all activities

Answer

Submit a change request to increase the budget

Answer

Agree to reduce testing as requested to stay within budget

Question 14

A project manager is leading a construction project. During execution, a new environmental regulation is enacted that directly affects the project's waste disposal process. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the impact of the regulation on the project's scope, schedule, and budget.. The correct first step when a new regulation impacts the project is to analyze its effect on scope, schedule, budget, and quality. This aligns with the PMBOK's process of monitoring and controlling and also with regulatory compliance. After analysis, the appropriate change control process should be followed if changes are needed. Option A is premature because analysis should precede any changes. Option B may be too drastic without understanding the impact; compliance can often be achieved gradually. Option C is irresponsible as ignoring the regulation could lead to legal issues. Option D is the correct initial response.

Answer

Instruct the team to implement a new disposal method without formal approval.

Answer

Immediately stop all waste disposal activities to ensure compliance.

Answer

Continue as planned since the regulation is new and not yet enforced.

Question 15

A project manager is leading a multicultural team where some members are from high-context cultures (e.g., Japan) and others from low-context cultures (e.g., Germany). Misunderstandings have occurred due to differing communication styles. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Provide cross-cultural communication training and establish clear communication norms.. Cross-cultural communication training directly addresses the root cause of misunderstandings by educating team members on different communication styles (e.g., high-context vs. low-context), while establishing clear norms creates a shared framework that respects both styles without forcing one to dominate. This aligns with PMI's emphasis on cultural intelligence and proactive team management in the 'Manage Team' process.

Answer

Assign a liaison from each culture to mediate communications.

Answer

Standardize all communication to be direct and explicit.

Answer

Ask team members from low-context cultures to adapt to high-context styles.