PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Test 4 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A project team member has been consistently missing deadlines for the past two weeks, causing delays for dependent tasks. When you speak with them, they mention personal issues but assure you they will catch up. What is the BEST approach?

Accepted Answer

Offer support such as flexible hours or counseling resources, and set clear expectations with a recovery plan. Option C is correct because it aligns with the PMP's emphasis on servant leadership and emotional intelligence. By offering support (flexible hours, counseling) and collaboratively setting a recovery plan, you address the root cause (personal issues) while maintaining accountability, which is more effective than punitive or escalatory measures for a temporary performance dip.

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Redistribute the team member's tasks to others to avoid delays

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Escalate the issue to the team member's functional manager

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Issue a formal warning to the team member about performance

Question 2

Your project team consists of members from different cultural backgrounds, and you notice that some team members are not voicing their opinions during meetings, while others dominate discussions. What is the BEST way to foster an inclusive environment?

Accepted Answer

Create a team charter that includes meeting norms encouraging respectful and balanced participation. Option D is correct because creating a team charter with agreed-upon meeting norms proactively establishes a framework for respectful and balanced participation, addressing cultural differences without singling out individuals. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on team charter development as a tool to define ground rules and foster a collaborative, inclusive environment from the start.

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Send meeting agendas in advance and collect written feedback

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Assign speaking turns to ensure everyone participates equally

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Ask dominant members to speak less during meetings

Question 3

During a hybrid project, the product owner frequently bypasses you and gives direct instructions to the development team. The team is confused about priorities, and scope creep is occurring. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Speak privately with the product owner to explain the impact on the team and request that instructions go through you. Option A is correct because the first step in resolving a conflict between the product owner and the development team is to have a private, respectful conversation with the product owner. This allows you to explain the negative impact of bypassing you—such as team confusion, priority misalignment, and scope creep—and request that all instructions be routed through you to maintain the agreed-upon workflow and protect the team's focus.

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Tell the team to ignore instructions from the product owner

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Escalate to the project sponsor for resolution

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Update the team charter to include a communication protocol

Question 4

Your project is running 15% over budget at the midpoint. The team is working hard, but you suspect the original estimates were too optimistic. What is the BEST action to take?

Accepted Answer

Review the cost performance index (CPI) and estimate at completion (EAC) to determine the extent of the overrun and decide on corrective actions. Option D is correct because the first step when facing a budget overrun is to analyze the cost performance index (CPI) and estimate at completion (EAC) to quantify the variance and forecast the final cost. This data-driven approach allows you to determine whether the overrun is a trend or an anomaly, and then decide on appropriate corrective actions such as rebaselining, scope reduction, or efficiency improvements. Without this analysis, any action (like requesting more budget or cutting scope) would be premature and could worsen the project's outcome.

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Immediately submit a change request for additional budget

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Ask the team to work overtime to get back on budget

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Reduce the project scope to meet the original budget

Question 5

A new regulatory requirement has been discovered that will affect your project's deliverables. The requirement is mandatory and must be implemented before the project can close. Your team has the skills to implement it, but it will add two months to the schedule. The sponsor is pushing for the original deadline. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the impact on scope, schedule, and cost, then submit a change request to the change control board (CCB). Option C is correct because the PMBOK Guide mandates that when a mandatory regulatory requirement emerges, the project manager must first analyze its impact on the triple constraint (scope, schedule, cost) and then follow the formal change control process. Submitting a change request to the CCB ensures that the decision is documented, approved, and communicated, protecting the project from unauthorized changes and scope creep. This aligns with the 'Perform Integrated Change Control' process and the 'People' domain's emphasis on stakeholder engagement and governance.

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Refuse to implement the requirement because it will delay the project

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Inform the sponsor that the deadline cannot be met and begin working on the requirement

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Ask the team to implement the requirement while working overtime to minimize schedule impact

Question 6

You are managing a virtual team across four time zones. Team members report feeling disconnected and communication is becoming fragmented. What is the BEST way to improve team cohesion?

Accepted Answer

Schedule weekly videoconference meetings with a clear agenda and time for informal discussion. Regular video calls with structured agendas foster connection and effective communication in virtual teams.

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Rotate meeting times to accommodate each time zone fairly

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Encourage team members to use email for all communication

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Assign a team member to act as a communication hub

Question 7

In a Scrum project, the development team consistently fails to meet the sprint goal. The product owner is frustrated, and the team is demotivated. During the retrospective, the team identifies that the sprint backlog is too ambitious. What is the BEST action for the Scrum Master?

Accepted Answer

Coach the team on how to estimate and commit to a realistic amount of work based on velocity. The Scrum Master's primary role is to coach the team in self-management and continuous improvement. Since the team identified that the sprint backlog is too ambitious, the best action is to coach them on estimating and committing to a realistic amount of work based on their historical velocity. This empowers the team to make accurate commitments, directly addressing the root cause of missed sprint goals and demotivation.

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Reduce the sprint backlog yourself to ensure the team can succeed

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Add more team members to increase capacity

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Extend the sprint duration to give the team more time

Question 8

Your project sponsor asks you to skip the testing phase to save time and meet the deadline, arguing that the team is experienced and the product is simple. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Explain the risks of skipping testing and suggest alternatives such as reducing test scope or increasing resources. Skipping testing violates quality management principles and introduces significant risk of defects reaching production, which can cause rework, cost overruns, and reputational damage. As a project manager, you must protect the project's quality baseline and stakeholder confidence. Option A correctly addresses this by explaining the risks and proposing viable alternatives like reducing test scope or adding resources, which aligns with the PMI's focus on proactive risk management and stakeholder negotiation.

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Skip testing but document the decision in the lessons learned

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Agree to skip testing to maintain a good relationship with the sponsor

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Escalate the issue to the PMO or steering committee

Question 9

You are managing a project using a hybrid approach. The team has a mix of senior and junior members. A senior developer is consistently dominating pair programming sessions, leaving the junior developer passive. The junior's performance is declining. What is the BEST action?

Accepted Answer

Coach the senior developer on effective mentoring techniques and the importance of allowing the junior to contribute. Option C is correct because the root cause is the senior developer's behavior, not the junior's ability. Coaching the senior on effective mentoring techniques addresses the imbalance directly, fostering a collaborative environment where the junior can actively participate and learn. This aligns with the PMP's focus on servant leadership and team development in a hybrid approach, where pair programming relies on balanced contribution for knowledge transfer and code quality.

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Ask the junior developer to speak up more during pairing

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Reassign the junior developer to work independently on simpler tasks

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Pair the junior developer with a different senior developer

Question 10

A project manager is leading a distributed team where members are in different time zones and have varying levels of experience. The team is struggling with knowledge sharing and collaboration. Which TWO tools or techniques should the project manager consider to improve the situation? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Use virtual pair programming sessions for complex tasks. Virtual pair programming sessions are correct because they enable real-time, collaborative problem-solving on complex tasks, directly addressing knowledge sharing and collaboration gaps in a distributed team. This technique fosters active learning and mentorship, which is especially valuable when team members have varying levels of experience and work across different time zones.

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Reduce the number of team meetings to minimize disruption

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Schedule daily 30-minute stand-up meetings at a fixed time

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Assign a single point of contact for all communication

Question 11

During a project transition, a key team member resigns unexpectedly. The project manager needs to ensure knowledge transfer and minimize impact. Which THREE actions should the project manager take? (Choose three.)

Accepted Answer

Redistribute the departing member's tasks among the team based on capacity and skills, and update the work breakdown structure. Option A is correct because redistributing the departing member's tasks based on team capacity and skills is a proactive resource management action that maintains project continuity. Updating the work breakdown structure (WBS) ensures the project scope and task assignments are accurately reflected, preventing scope creep and confusion. This approach leverages existing team knowledge and avoids the delays associated with external hiring.

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Ask the remaining team members to absorb the departing member's tasks

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Immediately hire a replacement with similar skills

Question 12

An agile project team is in the middle of a sprint when the product owner introduces a high-priority change that was not part of the sprint backlog. The team is concerned about their ability to deliver the sprint goal. Which TWO options align with the Scrum framework? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

The product owner cancels the current sprint and starts a new sprint with the revised backlog. Option A is correct because the Scrum framework explicitly allows the Product Owner to cancel a sprint if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete, such as when a high-priority change emerges that invalidates the current goal. Cancelling the sprint and starting a new one with the revised backlog ensures the team focuses on the highest-value work without disrupting the sprint's time-box or overloading the team. Option E is correct because the Product Owner can add the new work to the Product Backlog and prioritize it for the next sprint, which respects the current Sprint's commitment and allows the team to complete the Sprint Goal without interruption.

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Replace the least important sprint backlog item with the new work and adjust the sprint goal accordingly

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Instruct the team to include the new work in the current sprint and extend the sprint duration

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Add the new work to the sprint backlog and ask the team to work overtime

Question 13

You are managing a hybrid project. During the last two sprints, velocity has dropped significantly. The team members complain about unclear priorities and frequent context switching. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Hold a retrospective with the team to identify root causes and improve processes. Option C is correct because the first step in addressing a velocity drop caused by unclear priorities and context switching is to hold a retrospective. This aligns with the hybrid project management principle of continuous improvement and servant leadership, where the team collaboratively identifies root causes and adapts their processes. Reassigning the product owner or escalating prematurely bypasses the team's self-organization and fails to address the underlying issues.

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Reassign the product owner and replace with a more decisive person

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Escalate the velocity drop to the steering committee

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Ask the team to work extra hours to catch up on the velocity

Question 14

A project manager is leading a global virtual team. A conflict arises between two senior developers from different cultures. One feels the other is not respecting their time zone, while the other accuses the first of micromanaging. What is the best approach to resolve this conflict?

Accepted Answer

Mediate a meeting between the two developers to openly discuss their concerns. Option A is correct because, as a project manager leading a global virtual team, the best approach to resolve a conflict between two senior developers from different cultures is to mediate a meeting where they can openly discuss their concerns. This aligns with the PMP's focus on collaborative problem-solving and emotional intelligence, allowing both parties to express their perspectives on time zone respect and micromanagement, leading to a mutually agreed solution. Mediation fosters trust and understanding, which is critical for virtual team cohesion and productivity.

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Escalate the issue to human resources for a formal resolution

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Assign each developer to separate tasks to minimize interaction

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Decide on a compromise and inform both parties of the new rules

Question 15

A project team member, who is a key technical expert, has been consistently missing deadlines. The project manager has already discussed the issue informally, but performance has not improved. What should the project manager do next?

Accepted Answer

Have a formal meeting to discuss the issue and create a performance improvement plan. Option D is correct because after informal discussions have failed, the project manager should follow a structured performance management process. Having a formal meeting to discuss the issue and create a performance improvement plan (PIP) documents the problem, sets clear expectations, and provides a timeline for improvement, which aligns with the PMI's emphasis on addressing performance issues systematically before considering escalation or replacement.

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Escalate the issue to the team member's functional manager

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Replace the team member with a more reliable resource

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Assign a mentor to help the team member catch up on missed deadlines