PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Test 16 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Your agile team is distributed across four countries. During the daily stand-up, some team members are not speaking, and others dominate the conversation. The project manager wants to improve collaboration. What is the BEST approach?

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

Accepted Answer

Implement a round-robin format where each team member takes turns speaking. The round-robin format ensures every team member has a dedicated turn to speak, which directly addresses both the silence of some members and the dominance of others. In a distributed agile team, this structured approach promotes equal participation and psychological safety, key to effective collaboration. It aligns with PMP's emphasis on servant leadership and fostering an inclusive environment. Unlike the other options, it actively engages all members without singling out individuals or adding unnecessary overhead.

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Send a written report after each stand-up

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Require everyone to keep their cameras on during meetings

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Ask the dominating members to speak less

Question 2

You are leading a project to develop a new product. The marketing department requests a last-minute change that would increase the project's scope significantly. The project is on track and within budget. Which TWO actions should the project manager take?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to the change control board. Any change that significantly increases scope must go through the formal change control process, even if the project is on track. The project manager must submit a change request to the Change Control Board (CCB) for evaluation and approval, ensuring proper governance and alignment with project objectives.

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Reject the change because the project is on track

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Escalate the issue to the project sponsor

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Incorporate the change to satisfy the marketing department

Question 3

Your project team is experiencing low morale due to unclear roles and responsibilities. As a project manager using a servant leadership approach, which THREE actions would BEST address this issue?

Accepted Answer

Organize team-building activities to improve trust and communication. Option B is correct because servant leadership prioritizes team well-being and relationships, and team-building activities directly improve trust and communication, which are root causes of low morale from unclear roles. Option D is correct because servant leadership emphasizes empowering team members; letting them define roles based on strengths increases ownership, engagement, and clarity while aligning with servant leadership principles. Option E is correct because facilitating a team charter workshop collaboratively clarifies roles and responsibilities, a core servant leadership practice of enabling the team to establish shared norms and expectations. Option A is not correct because assigning roles unilaterally is directive and contradicts servant leadership's empowerment and collaboration. Option C is not correct because increasing supervision and daily status meetings adds control and micromanagement, which can worsen morale and does not align with servant leadership.

Answer

Assign roles and responsibilities yourself to avoid confusion

Answer

Increase supervision and hold daily status meetings

Question 4

Your project is using a hybrid approach. The development team has completed the deliverables, but the testing team is overwhelmed and behind schedule. The project manager needs to address this resource constraint. Which THREE actions are most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Negotiate with the functional manager to prioritize testing resources. Option A is correct because negotiating with the functional manager to prioritize testing resources directly addresses the resource constraint by reallocating or prioritizing existing testing capacity, which is a standard resource-leveling and negotiation technique in a hybrid environment. Option D is correct because training developers in testing cross-trains the team, building additional testing capability and reducing the bottleneck without violating labor practices or bypassing proper authority. Option E is correct because temporarily reassigning developers to assist with testing is a valid resource reallocation approach that leverages available (developer) capacity to relieve the overwhelmed testing team. Option B is not appropriate because requiring overtime without additional compensation is unethical and typically violates labor laws and organizational policy. Option C is not the best choice because immediately escalating to the sponsor should be a last resort after attempting to resolve the constraint through negotiation and resource reallocation.

Answer

Ask the testing team to work overtime without additional compensation

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor immediately

Question 5

You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. Two senior developers have a recurring conflict about coding standards, which is causing delays in code reviews and affecting team morale. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting with both developers to discuss the conflict and agree on coding standards.. In a hybrid project environment, the project manager should first facilitate a collaborative discussion between the conflicting parties to resolve the issue at the lowest level. This approach aligns with the PMP's emphasis on conflict resolution techniques, specifically 'collaborating/problem-solving,' which seeks a win-win outcome. By directly addressing the coding standards conflict, you preserve team autonomy and ownership, which is critical for maintaining morale and productivity in a hybrid approach where Agile principles like self-organization are valued.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the functional managers of both developers.

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Reassign the developers to different modules to minimize interaction.

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Decide on a set of coding standards yourself and mandate them.

Question 6

Your project team is distributed across three time zones. You notice that the daily stand-up meetings are poorly attended, and team members complain about meeting fatigue. What is the BEST way to address this situation?

Accepted Answer

Rotate the meeting time so no time zone is always inconvenienced.. Rotating meeting times distributes the inconvenience fairly and shows servant leadership. Option A ignores the issue; Option B may not be sufficient; Option D discourages communication.

Answer

Reduce the stand-up to twice per week.

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Record the stand-up for later viewing by those who can't attend.

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Mandate attendance by linking it to performance reviews.

Question 7

A junior team member consistently misses deadlines, affecting the project schedule. You have spoken to them twice about the issue, but performance has not improved. What should you do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Meet with the team member privately to explore any obstacles or personal challenges.. The PM should first seek to understand the root cause of the performance issue through a private, supportive conversation. This aligns with the PMP's 'People' domain, emphasizing servant leadership and emotional intelligence. Exploring obstacles or personal challenges addresses potential underlying factors (e.g., unclear requirements, resource constraints, or personal stress) before escalating or reassigning work.

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Reassign the tasks to another team member.

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Escalate the matter to the team member's functional manager.

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Ignore the issue to avoid conflict.

Question 8

During a sprint retrospective, the team expresses frustration that they are frequently interrupted by unplanned support requests from the operations department. The product owner agrees this is impacting velocity. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Work with the product owner to prioritize support requests and allocate a dedicated buffer for them.. The immediate priority is to manage the unplanned work that is disrupting the sprint. By working with the product owner to prioritize support requests and allocate a dedicated buffer (e.g., a fixed capacity within the sprint backlog), the project manager ensures that the team can handle operational interruptions without derailing planned work. This aligns with the Agile principle of protecting the team's focus and using empirical data to adjust the process, rather than escalating or deferring action.

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Escalate the issue to the project sponsor to negotiate with operations.

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Ask the team to track the time spent on support requests and report it at the next retrospective.

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Instruct the team to handle support requests as they come to maintain stakeholder satisfaction.

Question 9

You are leading a virtual team that includes members from different cultural backgrounds. Several team members have expressed that they feel left out of decision-making because most discussions happen in the project manager's time zone. What is the BEST action to foster inclusion?

Accepted Answer

Implement an asynchronous collaboration tool for decision-making and rotate meeting times.. It directly addresses the core issue of time zone exclusion by using asynchronous collaboration tools (e.g., shared documents, discussion boards) to allow all members to contribute to decisions at their convenience, and rotating meeting times ensures no single time zone is consistently disadvantaged. This approach aligns with the PMP's emphasis on inclusive leadership and adapting communication methods to foster team cohesion in a virtual, multicultural environment.

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Tell the team that decisions will be made by you and communicated via email.

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Schedule all meetings during your own working hours to maximize your availability.

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Hold separate meetings for each time zone and compile the results.

Question 10

A key stakeholder has been bypassing the project manager and giving direct instructions to team members, causing confusion about priorities. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a meeting with the stakeholder to discuss the importance of following the communication plan.. The first step in resolving stakeholder interference is to address the issue directly with the stakeholder through a meeting, reinforcing the communication plan established during project planning. This aligns with PMI's principle of proactive stakeholder engagement and conflict resolution at the lowest appropriate level, ensuring clarity on roles and reporting structures without escalating prematurely.

Answer

Update the stakeholder management plan to include this stakeholder.

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Report the stakeholder's behavior to the project sponsor.

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Instruct the team to ignore any instructions from the stakeholder.

Question 11

During a project, you notice that a team member with specialized skills is becoming demotivated because their work is not being recognized. What is the BEST way to address this?

Accepted Answer

Publicly acknowledge the team member's contributions during team meetings.. Publicly acknowledging the team member's contributions directly addresses the root cause of demotivation—lack of recognition—by leveraging positive reinforcement and team visibility. This aligns with the PMP's focus on servant leadership and motivational theories like Herzberg's hygiene factors, where recognition is a key motivator. It fosters a supportive team culture without bypassing the project manager's direct relationship with the team member.

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Discuss the issue with the team member's supervisor.

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Give the team member a monetary bonus.

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Assign the team member more challenging tasks.

Question 12

A team member has informed you that they are feeling burnt out due to the high pace of the project. The project is on schedule and within budget. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Discuss workload distribution with the team and consider adjusting assignments.. The project manager should first assess and address the workload imbalance that is causing burnout, which is a key responsibility under the 'Manage Team' process. By discussing workload distribution with the team and considering adjustments, the PM uses a collaborative approach to optimize resource utilization without compromising the project's schedule or budget. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on servant leadership and proactive team management.

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Tell the team member to take a short vacation and return refreshed.

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Remove the team member from the project to protect their health.

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Reduce the project scope to lower the pace.

Question 13

In a Scrum team, the product owner frequently changes priorities during the sprint, causing the team to lose focus. The team has raised this concern in the retrospective. What should the scrum master do?

Accepted Answer

Coach the product owner on the importance of stable sprint goals.. The Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring the Scrum framework is followed. Changing priorities mid-sprint violates the principle of a stable Sprint Goal, which protects the team from disruption and allows them to deliver a potentially releasable increment. Coaching the Product Owner on this principle directly addresses the root cause without bypassing Scrum rules or escalating prematurely.

Answer

Allow the changes if they add value, and adjust the sprint backlog.

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Update the definition of done to accommodate changes.

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Escalate the issue to the project sponsor.

Question 14

Your project is in the execution phase when a new regulation is passed that affects the project's deliverables. The team is already working at full capacity. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the impact of the regulation on scope, schedule, and cost.. D is correct because the PMBOK Guide requires the project manager to first analyze the impact of a change on the triple constraint (scope, schedule, cost) before taking any action. Since the team is at full capacity, immediate incorporation (A) or stopping work (B) would be premature without understanding the regulation's effect. Updating the risk register (C) without analysis skips the necessary impact assessment step.

Answer

Instruct the team to incorporate the regulation into current work immediately.

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Stop all work until the regulation is fully understood.

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Update the risk register and continue as planned.

Question 15

A project team has low trust and poor collaboration. The project manager wants to build a high-performing team. Which of the following is the MOST effective first step?

Accepted Answer

Develop a team charter that defines values, communication norms, and conflict resolution processes.. Developing a team charter is the most effective first step because it establishes a shared foundation of values, communication norms, and conflict resolution processes, which directly addresses low trust and poor collaboration by creating psychological safety and clear expectations. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on team charter as a key tool for forming a high-performing team, as it proactively prevents conflicts rather than reactively resolving them.

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Conduct a team-building event, such as a social gathering.

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Identify and resolve the biggest conflict in the team.

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Introduce daily stand-up meetings.