PMP Practice Questions 2 — 50 Questions

Question 1

In a large-scale project using a predictive approach, you discover that a key team member, who is critical for the next deliverable, has been consistently missing deadlines and producing low-quality work. The project is already behind schedule. What should you do FIRST?

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

Accepted Answer

Schedule a private meeting with the team member to discuss performance issues and offer support. As a project manager, your first responsibility is to address performance issues directly with the team member through a private, supportive conversation. This aligns with the PMI People domain's emphasis on servant leadership and conflict resolution, allowing you to understand root causes (e.g., unclear requirements, personal challenges) before taking corrective action. In a predictive project, reassigning tasks or escalating prematurely can damage trust and team morale, while ignoring the issue risks further schedule slippage.

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Reassign the critical tasks to other team members to keep the project on schedule

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Immediately escalate to the team member's functional manager and request a replacement

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Document the missed deadlines in the performance log and ignore for now

Question 2

A new team member from a different cultural background joins your global project team. Some team members are struggling to adapt to his communication style, and misunderstandings are increasing. As the project manager, what should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Organize a team-building session focused on cross-cultural communication and establish a team charter that respects diverse styles. The first step in resolving cross-cultural communication issues is to foster understanding and collaboration within the team, not to escalate or impose changes. By organizing a team-building session focused on cross-cultural communication and establishing a team charter that respects diverse styles, you address the root cause—lack of awareness and shared norms—while empowering the team to adapt collectively. This aligns with the PMI People domain, emphasizing servant leadership and proactive conflict resolution.

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Escalate the issue to human resources for diversity training

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Remove the new member from the team and assign him to a less critical role

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Ask the new team member to adapt his communication style to match the team's norms

Question 3

During a daily standup meeting, a team member mentions that they are blocked because a dependency on another team's work is not yet complete. The Scrum Master is present. What should the Scrum Master do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Help remove the impediment by coordinating with the other team. In Scrum, the Scrum Master is responsible for removing impediments that hinder the team's progress. When a team member is blocked due to an incomplete dependency from another team, the Scrum Master's first action should be to help remove that impediment by coordinating with the other team. This aligns with the Scrum Guide's directive that the Scrum Master facilitates the resolution of blockers to ensure the Development Team can meet the Sprint Goal.

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Add the blocker to the risk register as a new risk

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Escalate the issue to the project sponsor

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Ask the team member to work on something else and ignore the blocker

Question 4

Your project is running 15% over budget at the midpoint. The team is working well, but the variance is due to inaccurate cost estimates. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Perform a root cause analysis to understand why estimates were inaccurate and develop a corrective action plan. The project manager should first perform a root cause analysis to understand why the cost estimates were inaccurate, as this addresses the fundamental issue rather than applying a superficial fix. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's principle of identifying the root cause of a variance before taking corrective action, ensuring that the corrective action plan targets the actual problem and prevents recurrence.

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Reduce the scope of remaining work to bring costs back in line

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Inform the team to cut costs wherever possible

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Request additional budget from the sponsor to cover the overrun

Question 5

During a sprint review, stakeholders express dissatisfaction with the functionality delivered. The product owner insists the team met the acceptance criteria defined in the sprint. The team feels demotivated. As the project manager, what should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting between the product owner and stakeholders to clarify expectations and document any gaps. The immediate priority is to resolve the disconnect between the stakeholders' expectations and the product owner's acceptance criteria. By facilitating a meeting, you enable a collaborative discussion to clarify requirements, identify gaps in the definition of done, and align on what constitutes acceptable functionality. This approach follows the Agile principle of stakeholder collaboration and prevents rework based on assumptions.

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Direct the team to rework the functionality until the stakeholders are satisfied

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Reassure the team that they did a good job and that stakeholder expectations were unrealistic

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Escalate to the project sponsor immediately

Question 6

Your project sponsor asks you to skip the testing phase of a software release to meet a tight deadline. What is the best response?

Accepted Answer

Explain the risks of skipping testing, including potential defects and rework, and propose alternatives such as reducing test scope. Skipping testing is a quality risk. The PM should explain the risks and follow the change control process if the decision is to proceed without testing.

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Refuse the sponsor's request outright because testing is mandatory

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Skip testing but add a buffer for post-release defect fixes

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Agree to skip testing to meet the deadline and document the decision

Question 7

You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. The project has a fixed price contract with a strict deadline. Midway through, the customer requests a significant change that would increase the scope by 20%. You have already used all management reserve. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to the change control board to assess the impact on cost, schedule, and contract terms. In a hybrid project with a fixed-price contract, any significant scope change must follow the formal change control process. Since the management reserve is exhausted, the change request must be submitted to the change control board (CCB) to evaluate the impact on cost, schedule, and contract terms before any decision is made. This ensures compliance with the contract and protects both parties from unauthorized scope creep.

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Refuse the change because the project is already over budget and behind schedule

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Ask the project sponsor for additional funding to cover the cost of the change

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Implement the change since the customer is requesting it and the project has a fixed deadline

Question 8

Two senior developers on your hybrid project have a conflict over the technical approach for a critical feature. The conflict is causing delays. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting where each developer presents their approach and the team evaluates pros and cons against project objectives. The PM should facilitate a collaborative resolution by encouraging the team to evaluate options based on objective criteria, such as impact on project goals.

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Escalate the issue to the sponsor for a final decision

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Make the decision yourself to save time and end the conflict

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Separate the developers to work on different features to avoid further conflict

Question 9

A project manager is leading a large construction project. The sponsor requests that the team skip a mandatory quality inspection to save two weeks on the schedule. The project manager knows that skipping the inspection could compromise safety and violate regulations. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Explain the regulatory and safety implications to the sponsor and recommend against skipping the inspection. The project manager has a fiduciary and ethical duty to prioritize safety and regulatory compliance over schedule pressure. Skipping a mandatory quality inspection violates regulations and could lead to legal liability, project shutdown, or harm. The PM must clearly communicate these risks to the sponsor and recommend against the action, as per the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.

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Document the sponsor's request and proceed with the inspection as planned without further discussion

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Comply with the sponsor's request to maintain a good relationship

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Propose reducing the inspection scope rather than skipping it entirely

Question 10

Your project is running 15% over budget at the midpoint. The earned value (EV) is $500,000, actual cost (AC) is $575,000, and planned value (PV) is $550,000. The project sponsor is concerned and asks for an estimate at completion (EAC). Assuming the cost performance index (CPI) will continue as is, what is the EAC?

Accepted Answer

$1,265,000. CPI = EV/AC = $500,000 / $575,000 ≈ 0.8696. BAC is derived from the midpoint: PV = $550,000 at 50% planned completion, so BAC = $550,000 × 2 = $1,100,000. EAC = BAC / CPI = $1,100,000 / 0.8696 ≈ $1,265,000. Option A is the BAC; Option B uses an incorrect formula; Option C would result from using AC + (BAC - EV) which assumes future work at planned rate, but the assumption is CPI continues.

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$1,100,000

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$1,200,000

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$1,175,000

Question 11

Your project is running 15% over budget at the midpoint. The project sponsor asks you to reduce costs by cutting the quality assurance phase. As a servant leader, what is the BEST response?

Accepted Answer

Explain the risks of skipping QA and propose other cost-saving options, such as reducing scope or using less expensive resources. As a servant leader, your primary responsibility is to protect the project's value and stakeholder interests. Cutting the quality assurance phase introduces significant technical debt and risk of defects, which could lead to rework, schedule delays, and higher costs later. By explaining these risks and proposing alternatives like scope reduction or resource optimization, you demonstrate ethical leadership and a focus on long-term project success.

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Agree to the sponsor's request to reduce costs, as the sponsor has authority over the budget

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Update the risk register to reflect the sponsor's request and proceed without QA

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Refuse to cut QA and continue with the current project plan

Question 12

Your project is using a hybrid approach. Mid-project, the sponsor asks you to skip the testing phase to save time and meet the deadline. The team is concerned about quality. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Consult with the team to identify the most critical tests that can be performed within the remaining time. Consulting with the team to identify the most critical tests aligns with the hybrid approach's principle of balancing agility with quality. By focusing on high-risk or high-value test cases, you can reduce testing time while still mitigating key defects, preserving the project's quality standards within the sponsor's deadline constraint.

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Escalate the issue to the PMO or steering committee without further discussion

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Agree to skip testing to meet the sponsor's request

Question 13

During project execution, a team member reports that a critical path activity is delayed by two days because a required component failed quality inspection. The project has no schedule contingency. What is the BEST course of action for the project manager?

Accepted Answer

Evaluate schedule compression techniques such as crashing or fast tracking to recover the two days. Delaying a critical path activity threatens the project end date. The project manager should first evaluate schedule compression techniques like crashing (adding resources) or fast tracking (performing activities in parallel) to recover the two-day delay without automatically changing scope, baseline, or escalating. Option A (reduce scope) requires a change request and may not be necessary if compression works. Option B (update baseline) is premature; baseline changes should only occur after recovery options are exhausted. Option C (escalate to sponsor and request budget) is an overreaction; escalating for budget before trying compression is not best practice.

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Reduce the scope of the next deliverable to compensate for the lost time

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Update the schedule baseline to reflect the delay and inform stakeholders

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Escalate the issue to the sponsor and request additional budget for overtime

Question 14

A new regulatory requirement has been introduced that affects your project's deliverables. The requirement must be implemented within the current timeline. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Assess the impact on the project and submit a change request through change control. When a new regulatory requirement emerges mid-project, the project manager must first assess its impact on scope, schedule, cost, and quality before any action. Submitting a change request through the formal change control process ensures that the change is evaluated, approved, and documented, maintaining alignment with the project management plan and avoiding unauthorized scope creep. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's 'Perform Integrated Change Control' process, which mandates that all changes be reviewed and approved before implementation.

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Direct the team to incorporate the requirement immediately to avoid non-compliance

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Ignore the requirement since the project is already underway

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Update the project management plan to include the new requirement

Question 15

In a daily standup, a developer mentions that a task is taking longer than expected due to an unfamiliar technology. The sprint goal may be at risk. As a Scrum Master, what should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Work with the developer and team to find a solution or pair with an expert. The Scrum Master's first responsibility is to facilitate the team in self-organizing to remove impediments. In this scenario, the developer is blocked due to unfamiliar technology; the Scrum Master should coach the team to collaborate, such as through pair programming or knowledge sharing, to keep the sprint goal on track. Option A is incorrect as it undermines the team's self-organization and imposes a command-and-control approach. Option B is premature; descoping should only be considered after the team has attempted to resolve the issue internally and determined it's not feasible. Option D delays the issue unnecessarily; the Scrum Master should address impediments immediately, not defer them to a risk register.

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Assign the task to a more experienced developer

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Escalate to the product owner to descope the task

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Add the issue to the risk register for future sprints

Question 16

Your agile project has seen a consistent drop in velocity over the last three sprints. The team is demotivated and blaming external dependencies. Retrospectives have not yielded actionable improvements. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a root cause analysis with the team to identify underlying issues and create an action plan.. The first step when facing a consistent drop in velocity and team demotivation is to facilitate a root cause analysis with the team. This aligns with the PMP's focus on servant leadership and empowering the team to identify and solve their own problems, rather than imposing external solutions. The retrospective has failed to produce actionable improvements, so a deeper, facilitated analysis is needed to uncover the true underlying issues, which may include but are not limited to external dependencies.

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Remove the team's external dependencies by negotiating with stakeholders.

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Replace the scrum master with a more experienced one.

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Increase the sprint duration to give the team more time.

Question 17

During a project's execution phase, the sponsor asks you to skip the user acceptance testing (UAT) phase to expedite delivery, stating that the client is eager to use the system. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Explain the risks of skipping UAT and recommend proceeding with the planned testing.. Skipping UAT poses significant quality and acceptance risks. The PM should communicate the risks to the sponsor and recommend following the quality plan. PMI emphasizes the importance of quality assurance and control processes.

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Skip UAT but add a note in the lessons learned about the decision.

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Compromise by reducing UAT to only critical test cases.

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Agree to skip UAT to meet the sponsor's request and expedite delivery.

Question 18

Your project team is using a hybrid approach. During a sprint, an executive stakeholder contacts a developer directly and asks them to add a new feature without going through the product owner. The developer is confused about what to do. What should you, as the project manager, do to address this?

Accepted Answer

Speak with the executive stakeholder privately and remind them that all scope changes must go through the product owner and change control process. The stakeholder is bypassing the agreed process. The PM should communicate the importance of following the change control process and reinforce the roles and responsibilities.

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Submit a change request on behalf of the executive stakeholder to formalize the request

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Allow the developer to add the feature since it comes from an executive

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Tell the developer to ignore the executive's request and continue with the sprint backlog

Question 19

You are managing a virtual team where members are in different time zones. Some team members feel left out of decision-making because meetings are scheduled at times convenient for the majority. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Rotate meeting times to accommodate different time zones periodically. Rotating meeting times periodically ensures equitable access to synchronous decision-making for all team members, directly addressing the core issue of inclusion in a virtual team with diverse time zones. This approach aligns with the PMP's emphasis on servant leadership and stakeholder engagement by proactively mitigating the negative impact of time zone differences on team cohesion and participation.

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Schedule all meetings during the time zone of the project manager

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Record meetings and ask those who cannot attend to comment later

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Use asynchronous communication tools for all decisions

Question 20

You are managing a hybrid project that uses both predictive and agile approaches. The team has been delivering consistently, but recently the customer requested a critical feature that was not in the original scope. The feature is high value but will require rework of a completed component. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to the change control board (CCB) to evaluate the impact on scope, schedule, and cost.. To submit a change request through the formal change control process. This ensures proper evaluation and approval before any work begins, aligning with PMI's emphasis on following the change control process.

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Add the feature to the product backlog and prioritize it for the next sprint without formal approval.

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Ask the team to implement the feature immediately to maintain customer satisfaction, and document it later.

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Update the project management plan to include the new feature and communicate the change to the team.