PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Test 10 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Your project team is distributed across three time zones. You notice that team members from one location often dominate discussions during daily stand-ups, while others remain silent. As a result, collaboration is suffering. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a session to create a team charter that includes agreed-upon communication practices and meeting etiquette. The correct first step is to facilitate a team charter session because it establishes agreed-upon communication practices and meeting etiquette, addressing the root cause of unequal participation by creating a shared framework for collaboration. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on team charter development as a proactive, collaborative tool to define norms and expectations, rather than imposing top-down solutions or avoiding the issue.

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Ask the quieter team members to speak up more during meetings

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Assign a rotating facilitator for each stand-up to ensure equal participation

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Switch to asynchronous communication tools to avoid time zone conflicts

Question 2

A team member has been consistently missing deadlines, causing delays in dependent tasks. During a one-on-one meeting, you discover they are struggling with a new technology. What is the best course of action?

Accepted Answer

Arrange for training or mentoring to help them acquire the necessary skills. Option D is correct because the root cause of the missed deadlines is a skill gap with the new technology, not a lack of effort or willful non-compliance. As a servant leader, the project manager should first support the team member by providing training or mentoring to close the competency gap, which directly addresses the cause and enables the team member to meet future deadlines. This approach aligns with the PMI People domain, which emphasizes developing the team and removing obstacles.

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Escalate the performance issue to the functional manager

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Reassign the tasks to another team member who is more experienced

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Issue a formal warning about the missed deadlines

Question 3

In the middle of a project, a new regulation is introduced that impacts your project's deliverables. The team needs to make adjustments, but the change will affect the critical path. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to formally assess the impact on scope, schedule, and cost. Option B is correct because when a new regulation impacts project deliverables and the critical path, the first step is to submit a formal change request. This initiates the integrated change control process, ensuring that the impact on scope, schedule, and cost is assessed through a structured review before any action is taken. Bypassing this formal process risks uncontrolled changes and non-compliance with project governance.

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Update the risk register and assess the impact on the critical path

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Direct the team to immediately implement the changes to ensure compliance

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Inform the team to continue working as planned since the regulation may not be enforced

Question 4

Your agile team has a high turnover rate. New members are joining frequently, and the team's performance is declining. What should you do as a servant leader?

Accepted Answer

Implement a structured onboarding process and assign mentors to new members. Option B is correct because onboarding and mentoring help integrate new members and rebuild team performance. Option A is wrong as it avoids the root cause. Option C is wrong because it's reactive and doesn't address turnover. Option D is wrong because hiring more won't solve integration issues.

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Ask HR to hire more experienced contractors to stabilize the team

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Conduct a retrospective to identify why people are leaving

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Reduce the team's workload until the new members are up to speed

Question 5

Your project team includes members from diverse cultural backgrounds. You notice that some team members are reluctant to share their ideas in group settings due to cultural norms. What is the best approach to foster inclusion?

Accepted Answer

Offer multiple ways to contribute, such as anonymous feedback tools or smaller group discussions. Option C is correct because it respects cultural diversity by providing alternative channels for participation, such as anonymous feedback or smaller groups, which can reduce the social pressure that inhibits contribution in larger, hierarchical settings. This approach aligns with the PMI Talent Triangle's emphasis on emotional intelligence and inclusive leadership, recognizing that a one-size-fits-all communication style may exclude team members from collectivist or high-power-distance cultures.

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Assign a team member to represent the quieter members and speak on their behalf

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Encourage everyone to speak up and emphasize that all opinions are valued

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Conduct a training session on assertiveness for the reluctant team members

Question 6

During a sprint review, the product owner rejects a completed user story because it does not meet their expectations, even though it meets the acceptance criteria defined in the sprint planning. The team is frustrated. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting between the team and product owner to clarify expectations and update the acceptance criteria for the next sprint. Option C is correct because the Product Owner's rejection indicates a misalignment between the acceptance criteria and their actual expectations. As a servant leader, the Scrum Master should facilitate a meeting to clarify these expectations and update the acceptance criteria for future sprints, ensuring the Definition of Done reflects true business value. This approach maintains team morale while improving the process, rather than forcing rework or escalating unnecessarily.

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Ask the team to redo the story to meet the product owner's expectations without changing the acceptance criteria

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Escalate to the project sponsor to mediate the disagreement

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Support the team and insist that the story is complete according to the agreed criteria

Question 7

Your project is running 15% over budget at the midpoint. The sponsor asks you to cut costs by reducing the testing phase. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the budget variance and propose alternative cost-saving measures that minimize impact on quality. Option A is correct because as a project manager, your primary responsibility is to manage the project constraints while protecting the project's value. Reducing the testing phase without analysis could introduce significant quality risks, leading to rework or failure. Instead, you should analyze the budget variance to identify root causes and propose alternative cost-saving measures that minimize impact on quality, such as optimizing resource allocation or renegotiating vendor contracts.

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Implement a 10% across-the-board cost reduction on all activities

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Submit a change request to increase the budget

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Agree to reduce testing as requested to stay within budget

Question 8

A key vendor informs you that they cannot deliver a critical component on time due to a supply chain disruption. This risk was identified and included in the risk register. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Implement the contingency plan that was defined for this risk. Since the risk was identified and included in the risk register, a contingency plan should have been defined. The correct first action is to implement that pre-planned contingency plan to address the supply chain disruption, as it is the most efficient and proactive response to a known risk.

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Escalate the issue to the steering committee for guidance

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Brainstorm new solutions with the team since the risk was not anticipated

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Wait to see if the vendor can resolve the issue before taking action

Question 9

You are managing a project using a hybrid approach. A team member has been underperforming for several weeks. You have had informal conversations and provided coaching, but there has been no improvement. What should you do next?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a formal meeting to discuss the performance gap, set clear expectations, and agree on a performance improvement plan. Option C is correct because, after informal coaching has failed, the next step in progressive performance management is to hold a formal meeting to document the performance gap, set clear expectations, and create a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on addressing issues through a structured, documented process before escalating or removing a team member, especially in a hybrid approach where the project manager retains team leadership responsibilities.

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Escalate to the functional manager to handle the situation

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Reassign the team member to less critical tasks to minimize impact

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Remove the team member from the project and request a replacement

Question 10

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 clear communication norms, meeting times, and collaboration tools, which directly addresses the root cause of disconnection in a virtual team. By defining these expectations upfront, the charter reduces ambiguity and ensures all members are aligned on how and when to communicate, fostering cohesion. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on creating a team charter to set ground rules and improve team performance.

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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 11

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 directly addresses the root cause of the conflict by seeking a win-win solution that satisfies both senior members' technical concerns. This approach aligns with the PMP's emphasis on conflict resolution techniques that preserve team relationships and leverage diverse expertise to improve the technical approach. By focusing on mutual gains, you avoid the morale damage of a win-lose outcome and foster a culture of shared ownership.

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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 12

You are building a new project team for a complex initiative. To set the team up for success, you want to establish a high-performing team environment from the start. Which TWO actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Clearly define roles, responsibilities, and decision-making authority. Options A and D are correct because involving the team in creating a team charter and defining clear roles and responsibilities are foundational for team performance. Option B is wrong as it's not a starting action. Option C is premature. Option E is not a typical PM action.

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Assign team members to specific tasks immediately to ensure quick progress

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Conduct a team-building retreat after the first project milestone

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Provide each team member with a copy of the project management plan

Question 13

You are the project manager for a software development project using Scrum. During the daily standup, two senior developers engage in a heated argument about the technical approach for a user story. The argument is consuming valuable time and escalating. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a private meeting with both developers after the standup to facilitate a resolution. Option B is correct because the project manager's role in a self-managing Scrum team is to facilitate conflict resolution without imposing decisions. By scheduling a private meeting after the standup, you allow the developers to resolve the technical disagreement collaboratively, preserving team autonomy and avoiding disruption to the daily Scrum's timebox. This approach aligns with the PMP's emphasis on servant leadership and conflict management techniques like 'collaborating' or 'problem-solving'.

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Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for immediate intervention

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Decide on the technical approach yourself to resolve the conflict quickly

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Ignore the argument and move on to other team members' updates

Question 14

Your project team is distributed across three time zones. A team member from the India office has been consistently delivering tasks late, impacting the critical path. When you discuss this, they mention feeling isolated and unmotivated due to lack of interaction with the rest of the team. What is the BEST action to take?

Accepted Answer

Schedule regular one-on-one virtual meetings to mentor and understand their challenges. Option C is correct because mentoring and providing support addresses the root cause of underperformance while building team cohesion. Option A is wrong because it punishes without understanding the cause. Option B is wrong because it doesn't address the isolation issue. Option D is wrong because ignoring the problem will likely worsen it.

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Formally warn the team member and put them on a performance improvement plan

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Reassign the tasks to another team member in a different time zone

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Ask the team member to work extra hours to catch up on missed deadlines

Question 15

During a hybrid project, the project sponsor asks you to skip the testing phase in the next release to save time and meet an aggressive market deadline. The team is concerned about quality risks. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Discuss the risks of skipping testing with the sponsor and propose a compromise, such as risk-based testing. Option A is correct because, as a project manager, your first responsibility is to address the sponsor's request directly by communicating the quality risks and negotiating a balanced solution. Risk-based testing allows you to prioritize critical test cases, reducing overall testing time while still mitigating the highest-priority quality risks, which aligns with the hybrid project's need for both agility and governance.

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Tell the team to add extra testing in the next sprint to compensate

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Escalate the issue to the PMO or steering committee for a decision

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Refuse the sponsor's request and insist on following the original plan