PMP Practice Test 6 — 10 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.

Answer

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.

Answer

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