PMP Practice Exam 59 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A conflict has arisen between two functional managers whose teams are working on your project. They disagree on resource allocation and priorities, and the conflict is delaying progress. Which THREE actions should the project manager take to resolve the situation?

Accepted Answer

Review the project's resource management plan and priorities to align their work with project objectives. Option A is correct because the resource management plan and project priorities provide the objective framework for aligning the functional managers' conflicting demands. By reviewing these documents, the project manager can ground the discussion in the project's agreed-upon constraints and objectives, ensuring that resource allocation decisions support the project's goals rather than personal or departmental preferences.

Answer

Document the conflict in the lessons learned register for future projects

Answer

Make a unilateral decision on resource allocation to end the conflict quickly

Question 2

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. Option A is correct because 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.

Answer

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 3

You are leading a virtual team across three time zones. During a video conference, you notice that one team member from the Asia-Pacific region has not spoken for the entire meeting. After the meeting, they email you saying they felt unheard and that their ideas were dismissed by a dominant team member from the US. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Speak privately with the dominant team member to discuss the importance of equal participation and set expectations. Option C is correct because the immediate priority is to address the disruptive behavior directly with the dominant team member. As a project manager, you must first resolve the root cause of the imbalance—the dominant individual's behavior—before implementing broader process changes. This aligns with the PMP principle of addressing conflict at its source and setting clear expectations for team conduct.

Answer

Assign a rotating facilitator for each meeting to ensure everyone gets a chance to speak

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Schedule a one-on-one with the APAC team member to empathize and encourage them to speak up more

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Send an email to the entire team reminding them to be respectful during meetings

Question 4

Your project is halfway through its timeline and is running 15% over budget due to unexpected vendor price increases. The sponsor is concerned and asks you to cut costs by reducing the number of quality tests. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Conduct an impact analysis and submit a change request to the change control board. Option D is correct because as a project manager, you must follow the formal change control process when a sponsor requests a change that impacts the project baseline. Reducing quality tests is a change that could affect scope, schedule, and risk; therefore, you should analyze the impact on quality, cost, and schedule, then submit a change request to the change control board (CCB) for approval. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's guidance on managing changes through the integrated change control process, ensuring decisions are made with full awareness of trade-offs.

Answer

Increase testing in other areas to compensate for reduced quality risk

Answer

Inform the sponsor that quality cannot be compromised and continue as planned

Answer

Agree with the sponsor and reduce the number of tests to stay within budget

Question 5

A key vendor has informed you that they cannot deliver a critical component for another two weeks, which will delay your project. The component is on the critical path. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Update the risk register and review the response plan for this risk. Option D is correct because the first action when a known risk materializes is to consult the risk register and execute the pre-defined response plan. Since the vendor delay is a risk that was likely identified and documented, updating the register and reviewing the planned response ensures a structured, data-driven approach rather than a reactive one. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's guidance on implementing risk responses as the immediate next step after risk occurrence.

Answer

Ask the team to work overtime to make up for the delay

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Penalize the vendor as per the contract

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Immediately notify the sponsor and request a schedule extension

Question 6

A project manager is leading a virtual team across four time zones. The project has entered the execution phase, and the project manager notices that team members are not collaborating effectively, and communication is becoming fragmented. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Review and update the communication management plan and set up a shared collaboration platform with clear guidelines. Option C is correct because the first step in resolving fragmented communication in a virtual team is to review and update the Communication Management Plan, which defines how information is shared, stored, and accessed. Setting up a shared collaboration platform with clear guidelines directly addresses the root cause—lack of structured communication channels and protocols—rather than applying a superficial or disruptive fix. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's principle of tailoring communication to the team's distributed environment.

Answer

Send a team-wide email reminding everyone to communicate more effectively

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Require all team members to work during the same core hours

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Schedule a team-building retreat to improve relationships

Question 7

A project manager is leading a team that includes members from different departments. One team member frequently misses team meetings and fails to update task status. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a one-on-one meeting to discuss the issue and understand any challenges. Option B is correct because the PM should first address performance issues privately to understand root causes, such as personal challenges or workload conflicts, before taking any formal action. This aligns with the PMP's emphasis on servant leadership and proactive conflict resolution, ensuring the team member feels supported and can improve without public embarrassment.

Answer

Bring up the issue in the next team meeting to encourage accountability

Answer

Remove the team member from the project

Answer

Report the issue to the team member's functional manager

Question 8

An executive stakeholder bypasses you and gives direct instructions to a team member to add a new feature immediately. The team member is confused and asks you what to do. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Speak privately with the executive to explain the change control process and request they route requests through you. Option B is correct because as the project manager, you are responsible for maintaining the change control process and protecting the team from scope creep. Speaking privately with the executive allows you to professionally reinforce the proper escalation path and ensure all changes are evaluated for impact on cost, schedule, and quality before implementation.

Answer

Tell the team member to follow the executive's instructions to avoid conflict

Answer

Ask the team member to ignore the executive's instructions

Answer

Submit a change request for the new feature without further discussion

Question 9

Your project is in the planning phase, and you are building a virtual team across five countries. Which THREE factors are most important to address to ensure high team performance? (Choose THREE)

Accepted Answer

Conducting virtual team-building activities to foster trust. Option A is correct because virtual team-building activities are essential for fostering trust and social cohesion among geographically dispersed team members. Without face-to-face interaction, trust must be intentionally built through structured activities that encourage open communication and relationship development, which directly impacts collaboration and performance.

Answer

Ensuring all team members have the same technical certifications

Answer

Creating a shared project calendar

Question 10

In a large-scale project, the project manager notices that sprint velocity has been declining over the last three sprints. The team is demotivated and blaming each other for missed commitments. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a retrospective to identify root causes and collaboratively develop improvement actions. Option B is correct because the first step in addressing declining sprint velocity and team demotivation is to facilitate a retrospective. This aligns with the PMP's focus on servant leadership and collaborative problem-solving, allowing the team to identify root causes (e.g., technical debt, unclear requirements) and co-create improvement actions, which restores ownership and morale.

Answer

Reassign tasks to the highest-performing team members

Answer

Replace the Scrum Master with a more experienced one

Answer

Meet with the product owner to reduce the scope of upcoming sprints

Question 11

A risk event that was identified and included in the risk register has occurred. The impact on the project schedule is moderate. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Implement the agreed-upon risk response from the risk register. When a risk event that was identified and included in the risk register occurs, the project manager should first implement the agreed-upon risk response that was already planned and documented. This is because the risk response plan was developed during risk planning and approved by stakeholders, making it the immediate and correct action to take. Implementing the pre-agreed response ensures a timely, consistent, and controlled reaction to the risk, minimizing disruption to the project schedule.

Answer

Ignore the event since the impact is only moderate

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for guidance

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Develop a new risk response immediately

Question 12

You are the project manager for a global, virtual team. Which TWO actions would be MOST effective in building trust and collaboration among team members?

Accepted Answer

Schedule regular video calls where team members can share personal updates and non-work-related topics. Option A is correct because regular video calls with personal updates foster psychological safety and interpersonal bonds, which are critical for trust in virtual teams. This aligns with the PMI Talent Triangle's emphasis on emotional intelligence and team building, as video calls provide richer non-verbal cues than audio-only communication, reducing the sense of isolation in distributed teams.

Answer

Organize a one-time team-building workshop at the start of the project

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Rotate meeting times so each time zone is inconvenienced equally

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Require all team members to participate in daily informal chat sessions

Question 13

You are managing a distributed team across three time zones. A team member from the Asia office reports that they feel excluded from decision-making because key meetings are held during their late evening hours. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Rotate meeting times so that no single region is always disadvantaged. Option A is correct because it directly addresses the root cause of exclusion by implementing a fair rotation of meeting times, ensuring no single time zone is consistently disadvantaged. This aligns with the PMP's emphasis on stakeholder engagement and team cohesion, particularly for distributed teams where time zone equity is critical to maintaining inclusion and collaboration.

Answer

Tell the team member that they can catch up by reading meeting minutes

Answer

Schedule all meetings at the same time regardless of time zones

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Record meetings and require the team member to watch them

Question 14

A project manager is leading an agile team that has been self-organizing for several sprints. Recently, the team's performance has declined, and the project manager suspects the team is not fully empowered to make decisions. The project manager wants to empower the team. Which TWO actions should the project manager take?

Accepted Answer

Trust the team to resolve their own conflicts without intervention. Option A is correct because empowering a self-organizing agile team requires trusting them to handle their own interpersonal dynamics, including conflict resolution. When the project manager intervenes in conflicts, it undermines the team's autonomy and can reduce their sense of ownership, which is critical for sustained high performance in agile frameworks like Scrum.

Answer

Step in to make decisions when the team is struggling with a difficult issue

Answer

Assign a senior team lead to oversee team decisions

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Provide additional training on agile practices

Question 15

You are leading a virtual team across three time zones. During a video conference, you notice that one team member from a remote location has not spoken for the entire meeting. In previous meetings, this team member has also been quiet. What should you do to ensure effective collaboration?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a one-on-one conversation to understand any barriers and encourage participation. Option D is correct because it aligns with the PMP principle of servant leadership and proactive stakeholder engagement. By scheduling a one-on-one conversation, you create a safe environment to identify potential barriers (e.g., time zone fatigue, cultural differences, or technical issues with the virtual platform) that may be inhibiting participation. This approach fosters trust and encourages collaboration without putting the team member on the spot in a group setting.

Answer

Ask the team member directly during the meeting why they are not contributing

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Assign the team member as the note-taker to ensure they are engaged

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Assume the team member has nothing to contribute and focus on others

Question 16

A key vendor informs you that they cannot deliver a critical component on time due to a raw material shortage. This component is on the critical path. The risk was identified and documented in the risk register. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Implement the contingency plan defined in the risk register. Since the risk was already identified and documented in the risk register, the project team should have prepared a contingency plan for this specific scenario. The PMBOK Guide states that when a risk occurs, the first action is to implement the pre-defined contingency plan to minimize impact. This is a proactive, planned response rather than a reactive scramble, and it aligns with the 'Plan Risk Responses' and 'Implement Risk Responses' processes.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor

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Contact the vendor to negotiate a new delivery date

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Immediately look for an alternative vendor

Question 17

You are the project manager for a software development project using a hybrid approach. Two senior developers have a heated disagreement about the best technical solution for a critical feature. The disagreement is causing delays and affecting team morale. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a meeting with both developers to listen to their perspectives and facilitate a resolution. Option D is correct because, as a project manager using a hybrid approach, your first responsibility is to facilitate conflict resolution among team members. By scheduling a meeting to listen to both developers' perspectives, you demonstrate servant leadership, encourage collaborative problem-solving, and leverage their technical expertise to reach a consensus, which aligns with the PMI Talent Triangle's leadership and team management skills.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a final decision

Answer

Ignore the conflict and hope it resolves on its own

Answer

Make a decision yourself and tell the developers to implement that solution

Question 18

You are the project manager on a large infrastructure project. During execution, a new government regulation is announced that will affect your project's compliance requirements. The change is mandatory and must be implemented within 60 days, or the project will be shut down. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the impact on the project and submit a change request to incorporate the new requirements. Option D is correct because the first step when a mandatory regulation arises is to analyze its impact on the project's scope, schedule, and budget, then submit a formal change request to integrate the new requirements. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's change control process, ensuring the change is evaluated and approved before implementation, even under urgent compliance deadlines.

Answer

Direct the team to immediately implement the changes required by the regulation to avoid shutdown

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Inform the sponsor that the project will need to be cancelled due to the new regulation

Answer

Ignore the regulation and continue as planned because it is not yet enforced

Question 19

A project manager is leading a hybrid project. The team has members in three countries, and communication has been challenging. The project manager wants to improve collaboration and build trust among remote team members. Which TWO actions should the project manager take?

Accepted Answer

Rotate meeting times so that no single region always has an inconvenient time. Option B is correct because rotating meeting times distributes the inconvenience of early or late meetings across all time zones, which demonstrates fairness and respect for team members' work-life balance. This action directly addresses the challenge of remote collaboration in a hybrid project by fostering trust and inclusivity, which are critical for team cohesion. Option E is correct because a virtual team charter establishes clear communication norms, availability windows, and expectations, reducing ambiguity and enabling more effective asynchronous and synchronous collaboration.

Answer

Implement a reward system for individual performance metrics

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Assign a single point of contact in each country to relay information

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Require all team members to relocate to a central office for the project duration

Question 20

You are managing a hybrid project using Scrum for development and a predictive approach for regulatory deliverables. During the daily standup, two senior developers disagree strongly on the technical approach to implement a user story. The disagreement is causing tension and slowing progress. As the project manager, what should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a discussion between the two developers to understand both perspectives and reach a consensus. In a hybrid project, the project manager must first facilitate conflict resolution among team members to maintain team cohesion and ensure progress. Option B aligns with the PMI's emphasis on servant leadership and collaborative problem-solving, as it addresses the root cause of the disagreement without bypassing the team's autonomy or escalating prematurely.

Answer

Assign the story to another developer who can work without conflict

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Make the technical decision yourself based on your experience

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision