PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects — 40 Questions

Question 1

Which TWO are inputs to the Control Schedule process? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Schedule data. The Control Schedule process monitors the status of project activities and manages schedule changes. The project management plan (B) is a key input because it contains the schedule management plan, which defines how the schedule will be controlled, including thresholds for variance and reporting formats. Work performance data (C) provides the raw observations and measurements of actual start/finish dates and progress against the schedule baseline, which is essential for calculating schedule variance.

Answer

Schedule forecasts

Question 2

Which THREE are tools and techniques used in the Plan Risk Management process? (Choose three.)

Accepted Answer

Meetings. Meetings (B) are essential for bringing stakeholders together to define the risk management approach, establish risk categories, and agree on risk thresholds. Expert judgment (E) from individuals with specialized knowledge in risk management, the project area, or similar projects is crucial for tailoring the risk management process. Analytical techniques (D), such as stakeholder analysis, help in understanding the risk attitudes and tolerances of various stakeholders, which informs the risk management plan. These tools and techniques collectively contribute to producing the risk management plan, which outlines how risk activities will be structured and performed throughout the project.

Answer

Probability and impact matrix

Answer

Risk categorization

Question 3

Which THREE are common techniques used for quantitative risk analysis? (Choose three.)

Accepted Answer

Monte Carlo simulation. Monte Carlo simulation is a quantitative risk analysis technique that uses repeated random sampling to model the probability distribution of potential project outcomes. It allows the project manager to see the range of possible completion dates or costs and their associated probabilities, providing a data-driven basis for contingency reserves. Decision tree analysis is a quantitative technique used to evaluate decisions under uncertainty, often involving Expected Monetary Value (EMV) calculations. Sensitivity analysis helps determine which risks have the most potential impact on project objectives by examining the extent to which the uncertainty of each project element affects the objective when all other uncertain elements are held at their baseline values.

Answer

SWOT analysis

Answer

Checklist analysis

Question 4

Refer to the exhibit. What is the critical path duration?

Accepted Answer

11 days. The critical path is the longest path through the network diagram, determining the shortest possible project duration. By summing the durations along each path, Path A-C-D totals 11 days, which is longer than the other paths, making 11 days the correct critical path duration.

Answer

9 days

Answer

10 days

Answer

12 days

Question 5

Which ONE of the following is an output of the 'Plan Risk Management' process?

Accepted Answer

Risk management plan. The 'Plan Risk Management' process is the first step in risk management planning, and its primary output is the Risk Management Plan (Option C). This plan defines how risk management activities will be structured and performed throughout the project, including how risk budgeting will be approached. However, the actual Risk Budget (e.g., contingency and management reserves) is determined in subsequent processes such as 'Determine Budget' and 'Plan Risk Responses', not 'Plan Risk Management'. Therefore, Option A is incorrectly identified as an output.

Answer

Risk budget

Answer

Work breakdown structure

Answer

Probability and impact matrix

Answer

Risk register

Question 6

Refer to the exhibit. A project manager is reviewing the Git history of a project. Which statement accurately describes the state of the repository?

Accepted Answer

The 'feature/login' branch was merged into main via a merge commit.. The exhibit shows a merge commit (e.g., 'Merge branch feature/login into main') with two parent commits, one from main and one from the tip of 'feature/login'. This indicates that the 'feature/login' branch was integrated into main via a merge commit, not a fast-forward merge. Therefore, option B is correct.

Answer

The 'feature/login' branch is still active and contains unmerged commits.

Answer

The 'feature/login' branch has not been merged into main.

Answer

The 'feature/login' branch is behind main by one commit.

Question 7

Which TWO of the following are components of the project management plan?

Accepted Answer

Risk management plan. The project management plan is a comprehensive document that defines how the project will be executed, monitored, controlled, and closed. It integrates and consolidates all subsidiary management plans and baselines. The Risk Management Plan is a subsidiary plan that details how risk management activities will be performed. The Scope Baseline, comprising the project scope statement, WBS, and WBS dictionary, is a key performance measurement baseline and a formal component of the project management plan. Project documents like the Stakeholder Register and Issue Log, and the Project Charter (which authorizes the project), are distinct from the components of the project management plan.

Answer

Stakeholder register

Answer

Issue log

Answer

Project charter

Question 8

A project manager is developing the project schedule. Which TWO techniques can be used to compress the schedule without changing project scope?

Accepted Answer

Fast tracking. Fast tracking is a schedule compression technique that involves performing activities in parallel that would normally be done sequentially. Crashing is another schedule compression technique that involves adding or increasing resources to critical path activities to shorten their duration. Both techniques aim to shorten the project schedule without altering the project scope, though crashing typically increases cost and fast tracking can increase risk.

Answer

Critical chain method

Answer

Resource leveling

Answer

Monte Carlo simulation

Question 9

Your project is halfway through execution, and the earned value analysis shows CPI = 0.85 and SPI = 0.90. You have used 60% of the budget. What is the most likely interpretation of these metrics?

Accepted Answer

The project is over budget and behind schedule. CPI = 0.85 (less than 1) indicates that for every dollar spent, only $0.85 of earned value has been received, meaning the project is over budget. SPI = 0.90 (less than 1) indicates that the project is progressing at 90% of the planned rate, meaning it is behind schedule.

Answer

The project is under budget and ahead of schedule

Answer

The project is under budget but behind schedule

Answer

The project is over budget but ahead of schedule

Question 10

Your agile project has experienced a drop in velocity for the past three sprints. The team is frustrated. Which TWO actions should the project manager take to address this?

Accepted Answer

Work with the team to remove any impediments they are facing. In an agile environment, a persistent drop in velocity and team frustration are clear signals for intervention. Facilitating a retrospective (Option B) is crucial to allow the team to collaboratively inspect the past sprints, identify the root causes of the velocity drop, and propose solutions. Once potential impediments are identified, working with the team to remove them (Option A) becomes a primary responsibility of the project manager (or Scrum Master). This direct action addresses the blockers (e.g., technical debt, dependency delays, or tooling issues), enabling the team to regain momentum and improve flow. Both actions are fundamental to agile principles of continuous improvement and servant leadership.

Answer

Set stricter deadlines to motivate the team

Answer

Replace underperforming team members with more experienced ones

Answer

Increase the sprint length to give the team more time

Question 11

Your project is 40% complete, but the Earned Value (EV) is $50,000, Planned Value (PV) is $60,000, and Actual Cost (AC) is $70,000. The cost performance index (CPI) is 0.71, and the schedule performance index (SPI) is 0.83. What is the most likely impact on the project?

Accepted Answer

The project is over budget and behind schedule. With a CPI of 0.71 (less than 1.0), the project is over budget because for every dollar spent, only $0.71 of earned value is received. With an SPI of 0.83 (less than 1.0), the project is behind schedule because only 83% of the planned work has been completed. Therefore, the project is both over budget and behind schedule, making option D correct.

Answer

The project is under budget but behind schedule

Answer

The project is under budget and ahead of schedule

Answer

The project is over budget but ahead of schedule

Question 12

During a project execution phase, two senior team members have a conflict over the technical approach. The conflict is causing delays. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Meet with each team member separately to understand their perspectives. The PM should first understand the issue through direct conversation with the individuals. Option B is wrong because it may escalate the issue unnecessarily. Option C is wrong because it uses a forcing approach which can lead to resentment and doesn't address the root cause of the conflict or leverage team expertise. Option D is wrong because, while a valid technique, it is generally more effective after the project manager has individually understood each team member's perspective, making it a less ideal first step.

Answer

Escalate the conflict to the functional manager

Answer

Decide on the technical approach yourself and direct the team to implement it

Answer

Bring the team members together in a meeting and mediate a discussion

Question 13

Your project is executing a major software upgrade. A key stakeholder requests a significant scope change that would require additional funding and extend the timeline. Which TWO actions should you take first?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to the change control board. When a significant change request is received, the project manager's first responsibility is to analyze its potential impact on all project baselines (scope, schedule, cost, and quality). This analysis (E) provides the necessary information to properly document the change. Once the impact is understood and documented, a formal change request (C) must be submitted to the Change Control Board (CCB) for review and approval. This structured approach ensures that changes are thoroughly evaluated, authorized, and controlled, preventing scope creep and maintaining project integrity.

Answer

Add the change to the product backlog without formal approval

Answer

Instruct the team to begin work on the change immediately

Answer

Politely decline the request because the project is already underway

Question 14

During project execution, the quality manager reports that a deliverable does not meet the quality requirements. The project manager needs to take corrective action. Which TWO actions should the PM take?

Accepted Answer

Issue a change request to correct the defect. Issuing a change request is the formal process to document and authorize corrective action for a defect that fails to meet quality requirements. This aligns with the Perform Integrated Change Control process, ensuring the defect is tracked, evaluated, and approved before any rework is performed. The change request triggers the necessary updates to the project management plan, scope, or schedule, maintaining control over project baselines.

Answer

Add the issue to the lessons learned for future projects

Answer

Escalate the issue to the sponsor

Answer

Update the quality management plan

Question 15

Your agile project is experiencing declining velocity, and the team is frustrated with frequent interruptions from stakeholders requesting ad-hoc features. Which TWO actions should you take to address this situation?

Accepted Answer

Add all ad-hoc requests to the product backlog for prioritization. Adding all ad-hoc requests to the product backlog for prioritization (Option A) is correct because it respects the agile principle of maintaining a single, prioritized backlog. The product owner can then evaluate each request against the sprint goal and overall product value, ensuring the team’s velocity is not disrupted by unplanned work. This approach preserves the team’s focus and allows for transparent stakeholder negotiation. Concurrently, asking the product owner to enforce a strict 'no changes during sprint' policy (Option E) is crucial. This protects the team from interruptions, allowing them to focus on the committed sprint backlog and achieve the sprint goal, thereby stabilizing velocity and reducing frustration.

Answer

Allow the team to accept some ad-hoc requests to keep stakeholders happy

Answer

Increase the sprint length to accommodate more work

Answer

Reduce the team size to minimize communication overhead

Question 16

Your project is using a hybrid approach. During a mid-project review, you discover that the team has been gold-plating deliverables—adding extra features not requested by the customer. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Investigate why the team felt the need to add extra features. Gold-plating, while sometimes well-intentioned, adds unapproved scope, consumes resources unnecessarily, and can delay the project. Therefore, it's crucial to address it directly and prevent recurrence. Investigating why the team gold-plated (B) is essential for root cause analysis, helping to identify issues like unclear requirements or lack of scope control, which supports continuous improvement in a hybrid approach. Reviewing the work completed and removing any unapproved features (C) is a critical immediate action to control scope, prevent resource waste, and ensure the project delivers only what was agreed upon. Finally, reminding the team to only work on approved requirements (E) reinforces scope management principles and clarifies expectations for future work, aligning team behavior with the approved project scope and backlog.

Answer

Praise the team for their initiative and innovation

Answer

Update the scope baseline to include the extra features

Question 17

Your project is 40% complete, and the earned value analysis shows CPI = 0.85 and SPI = 0.90. The project budget is $500,000. What is the Estimate at Completion (EAC) assuming the current cost performance is expected to continue?

Accepted Answer

$588,235. The Estimate at Completion (EAC) when current cost performance is expected to continue is calculated using the formula EAC = BAC / CPI. Given BAC = $500,000 and CPI = 0.85, EAC = $500,000 / 0.85 = $588,235.29, which rounds to $588,235. This assumes the same cost efficiency (CPI) will persist for the remainder of the project, making option B correct.

Answer

$625,000

Answer

$555,555

Answer

$500,000

Question 18

Your project is in the executing phase, and a new regulation is announced that will affect the project's deliverables. The required changes will impact scope, schedule, and budget. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Update the project management plan and other project documents after the change is approved.. When a significant change like a new regulation impacts the project, the first step is to **analyze the impact** (D) on scope, schedule, and cost to understand the full implications. Based on this analysis, a formal **change request must be submitted to the change control board** (B) for review and approval of the necessary modifications to the project baselines. Only **after the change is approved** by the CCB should the project management plan and other relevant project documents be **updated** (A) to reflect the new baselines. This ensures all stakeholders are working from the approved plan and maintains control over project changes. Immediately stopping work (C) without analysis and approval is generally not the correct first step, and escalating for a decision (E) bypasses the formal change control process.

Answer

Immediately inform the project team to stop work on affected deliverables.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision on how to proceed.

Question 19

During a project retrospective, the team identifies that communication breakdowns between developers and testers caused rework. Which THREE techniques could the team adopt to improve communication and quality?

Accepted Answer

Hold daily standup meetings to discuss progress and issues.. Daily standup meetings (B) are a core Scrum event that fosters real-time communication among team members, including developers and testers. By discussing progress and issues daily, the team can identify and resolve misunderstandings early, reducing rework caused by communication breakdowns.

Pair programming (D) involves two team members working together on the same task at one workstation. This highly collaborative technique forces continuous communication, discussion, and immediate feedback between the pair, directly addressing communication breakdowns and ensuring a shared understanding of the code and requirements. It also significantly improves code quality by catching defects early.

Implementing a Definition of Done (E) establishes a clear, shared understanding of what "complete" means for a user story or increment. This explicit agreement between developers, testers, and product owners eliminates ambiguity, reduces misinterpretations, and ensures that all necessary quality criteria are met before a task is considered finished, thereby improving communication and reducing rework.

Answer

Increase automated test coverage.

Answer

Adopt a kanban board to visualize workflow.

Question 20

You are managing a construction project using a predictive approach. The project is currently in the execution phase. A key vendor notifies you that due to a raw material shortage, the delivery of critical steel beams will be delayed by 4 weeks. This will impact the critical path. The risk register had identified a 'material shortage' risk with a response of 'accept'. What should the project manager do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to update the project schedule and baseline due to the delay.. When an accepted risk materializes, it becomes an issue that must be managed. Since this issue impacts the critical path and causes a 4-week delay, it necessitates an update to the project schedule and potentially the schedule baseline. Any change to a project baseline requires a formal change request to be submitted and approved, ensuring proper documentation and stakeholder awareness. The 'accept' response means no proactive action was taken to alter the risk's probability or impact, but once it occurs, its consequences must be addressed as an issue.

Answer

Ask the team to compress the schedule by overlapping activities to recover the delay.

Answer

Invoke the 'accept' response and do nothing further, as it was planned.

Answer

Immediately escalate to the sponsor for additional budget to expedite delivery.