PMP Practice Test 8 — 10 Questions

Question 1

A project manager notices that two senior developers are in constant disagreement about the technical approach for a critical feature. The conflict is causing delays and lowering team morale. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting with both developers to discuss their perspectives and find a compromise.. Option D is correct because the project manager's first responsibility in a conflict between team members is to facilitate a collaborative resolution. By bringing both developers together to discuss their perspectives, the PM demonstrates servant leadership and leverages the team's expertise to find a compromise, which aligns with the PMP's focus on leading people and managing conflict constructively. This approach directly addresses the root cause—disagreement on technical approach—without imposing a top-down decision or avoiding the issue.

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Decide on the technical approach yourself and instruct the team.

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Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision.

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Reassign the developers to different tasks to avoid further conflict.

Question 2

A project manager is developing a process improvement plan to reduce waste in a manufacturing project. The team has identified several non-value-added activities. Which technique should the project manager use to systematically analyze and improve the process?

Accepted Answer

Lean Six Sigma. Lean Six Sigma is the correct technique because it combines Lean's focus on eliminating waste (non-value-added activities) with Six Sigma's DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) methodology for systematic process improvement. This directly addresses the project manager's goal of reducing waste in a manufacturing project through data-driven analysis and continuous improvement.

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Pareto analysis

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Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

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Critical Path Method (CPM)

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.. Option A is correct because 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.

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Business case assumptions and constraints.

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Project charter approval signatures.

Question 4

A project manager notices that the team's velocity has decreased over the last two sprints. Retrospectives have not identified clear causes. The project manager suspects that team members are overworked and possibly experiencing burnout. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Schedule individual meetings to discuss workload and well-being.. Option A is correct because the first step when suspecting burnout is to engage directly with team members to understand their individual workloads and well-being. This aligns with the PMP's emphasis on servant leadership and proactive people management, as it addresses the root cause before taking further action. Individual meetings allow the project manager to gather specific data on overwork, which retrospectives failed to surface, enabling a targeted response.

Answer

Continue monitoring; the velocity may recover naturally.

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Reduce the project scope to lower pressure.

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Add more team members to distribute the workload.

Question 5

A project manager is building a new team from scratch. To maximize team performance, which THREE actions should the project manager take during the forming stage?

Accepted Answer

Plan team-building activities to build relationships.. Option A is correct because during the forming stage of Tuckman's model, team members are often polite and uncertain; planned team-building activities help establish trust and social bonds, which are essential for later stages. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on developing the team as a key process in the People domain.

Answer

Empower the team to make all project decisions.

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Encourage open conflict to surface issues.

Question 6

A project manager is assigned to a complex project with a team distributed across three time zones. The project requires high collaboration and frequent decision-making. The project manager wants to select a team structure that maximizes communication and efficiency. Which organizational structure is most suitable?

Accepted Answer

Establish a virtual team with core overlap hours and use collaboration tools.. Option B is correct because a virtual team with core overlap hours and collaboration tools directly addresses the challenge of a distributed team across three time zones. This structure maximizes communication by synchronizing work during overlapping hours and leverages technology (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Jira) for asynchronous collaboration, ensuring frequent decision-making without requiring physical co-location.

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Use a functional structure where each team works independently.

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Co-locate all team members in a single location.

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Implement a matrix structure with dual reporting.

Question 7

A project manager is leading a team with diverse cultural backgrounds. Some members are reluctant to speak up in meetings. What is the best strategy to promote inclusive participation?

Accepted Answer

Use anonymous polling tools to gather opinions before decisions.. Option C is correct because anonymous polling tools create a psychologically safe environment where team members from diverse cultural backgrounds can contribute without fear of judgment or loss of face. This aligns with the PMI Talent Triangle's emphasis on emotional intelligence and inclusive leadership, as it removes power dynamics and cultural barriers that inhibit verbal participation in meetings.

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Schedule one-on-one meetings with only the quiet members.

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Ask the most senior team member to represent others.

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Implement a round-robin where everyone must speak.

Question 8

A project manager observes that a team member is consistently missing deadlines and producing low-quality work. The project manager suspects it is due to personal issues but the team member is reluctant to discuss. What is the best course of action?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a private one-on-one meeting to discuss performance and offer support.. Option A is correct because it aligns with the PMP's focus on servant leadership and emotional intelligence. Addressing performance issues privately respects the team member's dignity, opens a safe space to discuss potential personal issues, and allows the project manager to offer support or resources without public embarrassment, which is critical for maintaining trust and motivation.

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Address the issue in the next team meeting to set expectations.

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Reassign the team member to less critical tasks.

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Report the team member to HR for performance improvement plan.

Question 9

A project manager is forming a new team for a complex software development project. The sponsor insists on using a co-located team for better communication. However, the best available resources are located in different countries. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Propose a hybrid model with core team co-located and remote members integrated via collaboration tools.. Option A is correct because it balances the sponsor's preference for co-location with the practical reality of distributed talent. A hybrid model allows a core team to be co-located for high-bandwidth collaboration while integrating remote members via collaboration tools (e.g., video conferencing, shared repositories, and agile boards). This approach aligns with PMI's emphasis on stakeholder negotiation and adaptive leadership, ensuring the project benefits from the best resources without sacrificing communication quality.

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Accept the sponsor's requirement and hire local contractors.

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Relocate the remote resources to the project location.

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Replace remote resources with local ones who have similar skills.

Question 10

During a project retrospective, the team identifies that many tasks were delayed because team members were unsure of their responsibilities. What is the most effective way for the project manager to prevent this in future projects?

Accepted Answer

Develop a responsibility assignment matrix (RACI) at the start of the project.. Option D is correct because a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RACI) formally defines roles and responsibilities for each task or deliverable at the start of the project, eliminating ambiguity. This proactive approach ensures every team member knows who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, directly preventing the confusion that caused delays in the retrospective.

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Conduct daily stand-up meetings to clarify tasks.

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Require team members to create their own task lists and share them.

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Assign tasks based on seniority and expertise.