PMP Practice Exam 52 — 20 Questions

Question 1

During project execution, a key stakeholder requests a change that will increase the scope. The project manager follows the formal change control process. What is the first step the project manager should take?

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

Accepted Answer

Document the change request in the change log.. The first step in the formal change control process, as defined by the PMBOK Guide, is to document the change request in the change log. This ensures that all proposed changes are formally recorded and tracked before any analysis or approval activities occur. Without this initial documentation, there is no official record of the request, which undermines the integrity of the change control system.

Answer

Communicate the change to the project team.

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Submit the change request to the change control board (CCB).

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Analyze the impact on the project constraints.

Question 2

Your agile project has experienced a drop in sprint velocity for three consecutive sprints. The team cites increasing technical debt and unclear requirements. As the project manager, what is the most effective first step?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a root cause analysis in a retrospective with the team. The most effective first step when velocity drops due to technical debt and unclear requirements is to conduct a root cause analysis in a retrospective with the team. This allows the team to identify underlying issues and collaboratively decide on corrective actions.

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Reduce the sprint backlog to a manageable size

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Increase the sprint duration to give the team more time

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Replace the underperforming team members

Question 3

A project manager discovers that a key supplier is delivering materials that do not meet quality standards. The project is at risk of delays and rework. Which THREE actions should the project manager take?

Accepted Answer

Escalate the issue to the procurement department if the supplier does not respond. Option A is correct because when a supplier fails to respond to the project manager's direct attempts to resolve nonconformance, the issue exceeds the PM's authority and must be escalated to procurement, which owns the supplier contract and can invoke contractual remedies. Option B is correct because the PM should first engage the supplier collaboratively to develop a corrective action plan (root cause analysis, containment, and preventive measures) so the materials can be brought into conformance and the schedule protected. Option D is correct because the quality issues must be recorded in the issue log and communicated to relevant stakeholders so the risk of delays and rework is transparently tracked and managed. Option C is wrong because immediately terminating the contract is a drastic contractual action that should only follow escalation and failed corrective action, not be the PM's first step. Option E is wrong because accepting nonconforming materials and adjusting the plan violates quality requirements and would transfer the defect into the final deliverable.

Answer

Immediately terminate the contract with the supplier

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Accept the nonconforming materials and adjust the project plan

Question 4

Your project team includes members from diverse cultural backgrounds. You notice that some team members are hesitant to speak up during meetings due to cultural norms about hierarchy. Which TWO approaches would best promote inclusive participation?

Accepted Answer

Use anonymous polling or chat-based feedback tools during meetings to gather input from everyone. Anonymous polling or chat-based feedback tools create a safe, low-pressure channel for team members who may be hesitant to speak up due to cultural norms about hierarchy. This approach bypasses the social dynamics of face-to-face meetings, allowing everyone to contribute equally without fear of contradicting senior members or violating cultural protocols. It directly addresses the root cause—hesitation due to hierarchy—by removing the need for verbal participation in a hierarchical setting.

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Assign speaking order based on seniority to respect cultural norms

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Ask only the most vocal team members to provide input to keep meetings efficient

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Hold meetings at times that are convenient for the majority of the team

Question 5

You are the project manager for a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the product owner requests a change that would add a new feature to the current release. The team estimates it will take two additional sprints. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request through the Integrated Change Control process to assess the impact on scope, schedule, cost, and quality. In a hybrid project management approach, changes that affect scope, schedule, cost, or quality must go through Integrated Change Control (ICC) per PMBOK. Even in an agile/hybrid context, a change adding two sprints of work is a significant scope change that requires formal impact analysis and approval before commitment. Submitting a change request first ensures the product owner, sponsor, and team understand the trade-offs before any work begins.

Answer

Ask the team to start working on the new feature immediately to meet the stakeholder's needs

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Explain that no changes can be made after the sprint review to maintain the schedule

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Add the feature to the backlog and prioritize it for the next release without further analysis

Question 6

During a sprint retrospective, the team identifies that the daily standups are taking too long and are not productive. Several team members suggest canceling them to save time. As the scrum master, what is the best course of action?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a discussion to identify the root cause of the unproductive standups and agree on improvements.. As a scrum master, the best action is to facilitate a discussion to identify the root cause of the unproductive standups and agree on improvements. This aligns with the scrum principle of servant leadership and continuous improvement. The team should own the solution, and the scrum master should guide them through introspection rather than imposing changes or canceling a valuable ceremony.

Answer

Shorten the standup time to 5 minutes without discussion.

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Cancel the daily standups as suggested and replace them with a weekly meeting.

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Keep the standups as they are; the team will adapt over time.

Question 7

You are managing a project where a team member consistently misses deadlines. This has caused frustration among other team members and is affecting the project schedule. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Speak with the team member privately to understand the root cause and offer support. The first step when a team member consistently misses deadlines is to speak with them privately to understand the root cause and offer support. This aligns with PMP principles of servant leadership and team development, addressing the issue directly and empathetically before taking more drastic actions. It allows the project manager to identify if the problem is due to lack of skills, resources, personal issues, or unclear expectations, and then take appropriate corrective action.

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Reassign the team member's tasks to other team members

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Remove the team member from the project and request a replacement

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Document the issue in the issue log and escalate to the functional manager

Question 8

Your project team is struggling with low morale due to a heavy workload and unclear priorities. As a project manager, which TWO actions would BEST help improve team motivation? (Choose two)

Accepted Answer

Recognize and celebrate team achievements publicly. Option B is correct because public recognition and celebration of achievements directly addresses low morale by satisfying the team's need for appreciation and visibility, which is a well-established intrinsic motivator in project management practice. Option E is correct because the scenario explicitly cites unclear priorities as a root cause of the morale problem, so clarifying priorities and removing non-essential tasks reduces the heavy workload and gives the team focus and a sense of control. Option A is not the best choice because monetary bonuses for deadlines can create short-term compliance rather than genuine motivation and may even increase pressure and unhealthy competition. Option C, while generally good for agile teams, does not directly resolve the stated issues of heavy workload and unclear priorities. Option D is inappropriate because mandating overtime worsens burnout and low morale rather than improving motivation.

Answer

Offer monetary bonuses for meeting deadlines

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Empower the team to self-organize and make decisions

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Ask the team to work overtime to reduce the backlog

Question 9

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.

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Escalate the issue to the functional managers to enforce collaboration.

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

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

Question 10

In a Scrum project, the team's velocity has been declining over the last three sprints. The project manager (also the Scrum Master) notices that team morale seems low. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a retrospective to identify the root causes of the decline. In Scrum, the retrospective is the dedicated ceremony for the team to inspect its process and identify improvements. When velocity declines and morale is low, the Scrum Master should first facilitate a retrospective to uncover root causes collaboratively, rather than imposing solutions. This aligns with servant-leadership and empirical process control.

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Replace the underperforming team members

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Add more tasks to the backlog to increase the team's focus

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Assign a senior developer to monitor the team's work

Question 11

Your project is in the execution phase. An executive stakeholder has been directly assigning tasks to team members without going through you. Several team members are confused about priorities. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Speak with the stakeholder privately to explain the impact of bypassing the PM and reinforce the communication plan. The correct first step is to speak privately with the stakeholder to explain the impact of bypassing the project manager and reinforce the established communication plan. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's principle of managing stakeholder engagement through direct, respectful communication to resolve issues at the lowest appropriate level before escalating. By addressing the root cause—the stakeholder's lack of awareness or disregard for the communication protocol—you can restore clarity on priorities without prematurely escalating or undermining the stakeholder's relationship.

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Update the stakeholder engagement plan to reduce the stakeholder's influence

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Ignore the issue and try to align the team's priorities yourself

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Inform the sponsor about the stakeholder's behavior

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. Option C is correct because a sustained velocity decline often stems from an inflated or poorly refined product backlog, so analyzing it for scope creep or ambiguous requirements lets the project manager remove or clarify work before it distorts estimates and throughput. Option E is correct because a sprint retrospective is the agile ceremony specifically designed to surface the root causes of a velocity drop (impediments, technical debt, process friction, team morale) and produce actionable improvements owned by the team. Option A is wrong because escalating and mandating overtime is a command-and-control response that worsens demotivation and does not address the systemic cause of declining velocity. Option B is wrong because unilaterally cutting release scope to hit a date is a premature scope decision that should follow, not precede, root-cause analysis and stakeholder collaboration. Option D is wrong because adding members mid-sprint violates the sprint's fixed scope and typically reduces short-term output due to onboarding and communication overhead (Brooks's Law).

Answer

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

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

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Add more team members to the current sprint to increase output

Question 13

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.. When a new regulation affects the project, the project manager must first perform an impact analysis to understand how it affects scope, schedule, cost, and risk before deciding on any response. This aligns with PMBOK's Perform Integrated Change Control and the principle of making decisions based on data. Only after analysis can the PM determine whether a change request, stakeholder engagement, or compliance action is needed.

Answer

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

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Immediately stop all waste disposal activities to ensure compliance.

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

Question 14

You are the project manager for a marketing campaign. A new regulation is announced that affects your project's deliverables. The regulation requires additional compliance steps that were not in the original scope. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Evaluate the impact on scope, schedule, and cost, and submit a change request.. In project management, when a change occurs that affects the project's scope, the project manager must first evaluate its impact on the triple constraints (scope, schedule, cost) and then follow the integrated change control process by submitting a change request. This ensures that the change is properly assessed, approved, and integrated into the project plan.

Answer

Ignore the regulation because it was not part of the original plan.

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Stop the project and reassess feasibility.

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Instruct the team to incorporate the compliance steps immediately.

Question 15

A project manager is leading a virtual team that has never worked together. To build a high-performing team, which TWO actions should the PM take? (Choose two)

Accepted Answer

Schedule a virtual kickoff meeting with icebreakers and team-building exercises. Option D is correct because a virtual kickoff meeting with icebreakers and team-building exercises establishes interpersonal trust and psychological safety among team members who have never met, which is essential for moving a virtual team through Tuckman's forming and storming stages toward high performance. Option E is correct because a team charter formally documents communication norms, decision-making processes, roles, and expectations, giving a newly formed virtual team the shared ground rules it needs to coordinate across time zones and reduce ambiguity. Option A is incorrect because closely monitoring interactions and escalating issues to senior management undermines trust and self-management rather than building team cohesion. Option B is incorrect because isolating members on individual tasks and preventing collaboration blocks the interaction and knowledge sharing that high-performing teams require. Option C is incorrect because allowing a brand-new team to self-organize with no initial guidance leaves it without direction or agreed norms, which typically leads to confusion and conflict rather than high performance.

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Monitor team interactions closely and report any issues to senior management

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Assign individual tasks and avoid collaboration to prevent conflict

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Allow the team to self-organize without any initial guidance

Question 16

Your project team is experiencing conflict between two senior members who have different opinions on the technical approach. The conflict is starting to affect the entire team's morale. Which THREE actions should you take to resolve the conflict effectively?

Accepted Answer

Use a collaborative problem-solving approach to find a win-win solution. Option A is correct because collaborative problem-solving (the 'collaborate/confront' conflict-resolution technique) directly addresses the root technical disagreement by having both senior members work toward a win-win solution, which preserves their expertise and reduces morale damage. Option B is correct because meeting individually with each team member first lets the project manager gather each party's perspective, underlying interests, and emotions privately, which is a prerequisite for an informed, unbiased intervention. Option D is correct because facilitating a joint meeting with open communication brings the two members together in a controlled setting to surface the issue, clarify positions, and agree on a path forward, directly repairing team morale. Option C is not appropriate because escalating to the project sponsor prematurely abdicates the project manager's responsibility to resolve interpersonal conflict and can worsen team dynamics. Option E is not appropriate because a unilateral decision (forcing/smoothing) suppresses the conflict rather than resolving it, ignores the senior members' technical input, and can further damage morale and commitment.

Answer

Escalate the conflict to the project sponsor for resolution

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Make a unilateral decision on the technical approach to end the conflict quickly

Question 17

A project manager is leading a complex software development project using a hybrid approach. A new regulatory requirement has been discovered that affects the project's scope. The requirement is mandatory and must be implemented before the project can close. Which THREE actions should the project manager take? (Choose three.)

Accepted Answer

Communicate the new requirement to the project team and relevant stakeholders. Option B is correct because when a mandatory regulatory requirement changes scope, the project manager must transparently communicate it to the team and relevant stakeholders so everyone understands the new compliance obligation and its implications. Option D is correct because before any change is approved, the project manager must perform an impact analysis covering schedule, budget, resources, risk, and quality to give the change control board accurate data for a decision. Option E is correct because in a hybrid environment any scope change, including a mandatory regulatory one, must flow through Integrated Change Control (Perform Integrated Change Control) via a formal change request so it is evaluated, approved or rejected, and baselined. Option A is not correct because adjusting budget and schedule immediately bypasses the required impact analysis and change control approval, and the change may be implemented through other means such as scope trade-offs. Option C is not correct because assigning development work before the change request is approved and the impact is understood would create unauthorized scope and potential rework.

Answer

Immediately adjust the project budget and schedule to accommodate the requirement

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Assign the new requirement to the development team to start work immediately

Question 18

During a project retrospective, the team identifies that unclear roles and responsibilities have caused confusion and rework. Which TWO documents or tools would BEST help address this issue? (Choose two)

Accepted Answer

Team charter. The team charter (A) is correct because it formally documents the team's purpose, roles, responsibilities, and operating agreements, directly resolving the ambiguity about who does what. The responsibility assignment matrix (RACI) (D) is correct because it maps each task or deliverable to specific people as Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, or Informed, eliminating confusion and rework over ownership. The work breakdown structure (B) only decomposes scope into deliverables and work packages; it does not assign roles or clarify accountability. The risk register (C) tracks identified risks, their analysis, and responses, not role clarity. The project schedule (E) sequences activities and dates but does not define who is responsible for each task.

Answer

Work breakdown structure (WBS)

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Risk register

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Project schedule

Question 19

You are leading a virtual team across multiple time zones. Team members report feeling disconnected and communication is becoming less effective. Which TWO actions should you take to improve team cohesion and collaboration?

Accepted Answer

Create a team charter that defines communication norms, meeting times, and preferred collaboration tools. Option A is correct because a team charter establishes explicit communication norms, agreed meeting times that respect time zones, and a common set of collaboration tools, which directly reduces ambiguity and disconnection in a distributed team. Option B is correct because regular virtual team-building activities and informal coffee chats create social bonds and trust, counteracting the isolation and weakened interpersonal ties that plague cross-time-zone teams. Option C is not appropriate because mandating instant messaging for all communication ignores asynchronous needs and can worsen time-zone friction for complex or detailed topics. Option D is not appropriate because simply increasing status reports adds administrative overhead without addressing the relational and normative gaps causing disconnection. Option E is not appropriate because forcing identical working hours disregards time-zone realities and harms flexibility, morale, and work-life balance.

Answer

Encourage team members to use instant messaging for all communication

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Increase the frequency of status reports to ensure everyone is updated

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Require all team members to work the same hours regardless of time zone

Question 20

Your project is in the execution phase when a new regulatory requirement is discovered that impacts the project scope. The change is mandatory and must be implemented immediately. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Update the project management plan and other relevant documents after approval. Option E is correct because the first step in handling any discovered change, even a mandatory regulatory one, is to perform an impact analysis on the project's scope, schedule, and cost so the CCB and stakeholders can make an informed decision. Option C is correct because all changes must flow through the Perform Integrated Change Control process, meaning a formal change request must be submitted to the change control board for review and approval before any work begins. Option A is correct because once the change is approved, the project management plan and any affected subsidiary documents (such as the scope baseline, schedule baseline, and cost baseline) must be updated to reflect the approved change. Option B is not correct because implementing a change before it has been approved through the CCB bypasses the integrated change control process, even when the change is mandatory. Option D is not correct because ignoring a mandatory regulatory requirement is never acceptable; it would expose the project to legal, compliance, and quality risks.

Answer

Instruct the team to start implementing the change immediately

Answer

Ignore the regulation because the project is already underway