PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Test 13 — 15 Questions

Question 1

During a project's execution phase, you discover that a team member has been delivering work that does not meet the quality standards defined in the quality management plan. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Review the quality reports and perform a root cause analysis to prevent recurrence. The first step when quality standards are not met is to analyze the quality reports and perform root cause analysis to identify the underlying cause of the defect. This aligns with the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle and the principle of continuous improvement, ensuring the issue is corrected and prevented from recurring rather than just fixing the symptom.

Answer

Ask the team member to redo the work without further discussion

Answer

Escalate the issue to the human resources department

Answer

Update the quality management plan to lower the standards

Question 2

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 3

In a hybrid project, the team has been using both Kanban and traditional planning. The product owner requests that the team focus on completing all work in the current iteration before taking on new tasks. However, the team has been pulling new work as capacity allows. What is the BEST action for the project manager?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting between the product owner and the team to agree on the workflow and update the process accordingly. In a hybrid project, the project manager's role is to facilitate alignment between the product owner's request and the team's workflow. Option D is correct because it promotes collaboration and process improvement by having the product owner and team agree on how to handle work-in-progress limits and iteration boundaries, which is essential for maintaining both Kanban's pull-based flow and traditional iteration commitments.

Answer

Instruct the team to follow the product owner's request immediately

Answer

Allow the team to continue as they are, since they are productive

Answer

Escalate to the project sponsor for a decision

Question 4

A new government regulation is announced that will impact your project's deliverables. The regulation requires additional compliance testing that was not in the original scope. The project is currently on schedule and within budget. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to formally assess and incorporate the new requirements. The PMBOK Guide mandates that any new requirement, especially one imposed by an external regulation, must first be formally documented and assessed through a change request. This ensures the impact on scope, schedule, budget, and quality is evaluated before any action is taken, maintaining control over the project baseline. The regulation introduces additional compliance testing, which is a technical scope change that requires a formal integrated change control process to update the project management plan and technical specifications.

Answer

Add the testing tasks to the project schedule and continue

Answer

Immediately implement the necessary changes to comply with the regulation

Answer

Inform the sponsor and ask for more budget and time

Question 5

During a sprint retrospective, several team members express frustration that the daily stand-ups are too long and not focused. As the Scrum Master, what is the BEST action to take?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a discussion on how to improve the stand-up and agree on a time-box and focus. The Scrum Master's role is to facilitate the team's self-improvement, not impose solutions. By facilitating a discussion on how to improve the stand-up, the team collaboratively defines a time-box and focus, which directly addresses the root cause of frustration and aligns with the agile principle of continuous improvement. This approach ensures the team owns the solution, leading to better adherence and effectiveness.

Answer

Shorten the stand-up to 5 minutes regardless of the number of participants

Answer

Ask the product owner to attend the stand-up to enforce discipline

Answer

Cancel the stand-up and ask team members to send written updates

Question 6

Your project is using a predictive approach, and you are in the execution phase. A key stakeholder requests a minor change that you believe will improve the product but is not in the scope. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request and follow the Integrated Change Control process. In a predictive (waterfall) project, any change to the approved scope, even if minor and beneficial, must go through the formal Integrated Change Control (ICC) process. This ensures the change is evaluated for impacts on cost, schedule, quality, and risk before approval. Submitting a change request is the correct procedure to maintain control over the project baseline and avoid scope creep.

Answer

Implement the change and document it later

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Refuse the change because the project is already in execution

Answer

Approve the change yourself since it is minor and will improve the product

Question 7

During project execution, a risk event that was identified and listed in the risk register occurs. The risk response plan includes a mitigation strategy. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Implement the risk response as defined in the risk register. The risk response plan is the approved course of action for handling identified risks. When a risk event occurs, the project manager should first implement the predefined mitigation strategy as documented in the risk register, ensuring a timely and controlled response without unnecessary delay.

Answer

Re-evaluate the risk to see if the response is still valid

Answer

Update the risk register and lessons learned

Answer

Inform the sponsor immediately about the risk occurrence

Question 8

A project manager is leading a cross-functional team that includes members from different departments. Two senior developers have a conflict about the technical approach for a critical component. The conflict is causing delays. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting between the developers to discuss the pros and cons of each approach and reach consensus. The project manager's first responsibility in a technical conflict is to facilitate collaboration and consensus-building among the team members, leveraging their expertise to resolve the disagreement. By guiding the developers to discuss pros and cons, the PM enables a data-driven decision that respects the team's autonomy and technical judgment, which is essential for maintaining ownership and commitment to the chosen approach.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the functional managers of the developers

Answer

Make the decision for the team to move forward

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Ask the team to vote on the technical approach

Question 9

Your project is a software implementation using a hybrid approach. The team has been facing scope creep due to informal change requests from stakeholders. Which TWO actions should you take to address this issue?

Accepted Answer

Implement a formal change control process and require all changes to go through it. Implementing a formal change control process ensures that all scope changes are evaluated, approved, and documented before being integrated into the project. This directly addresses the root cause of scope creep—informal requests—by enforcing a structured workflow that includes impact analysis, approval gates, and baseline updates. In a hybrid software implementation, this process aligns with both predictive and agile practices, preventing unauthorized changes from disrupting the development cycle.

Answer

Reject all scope changes for the remainder of the project

Answer

Add a contingency buffer to the schedule to absorb future changes

Answer

Stop all work until the scope is re-baselined

Question 10

During project execution, you notice that the project's cost performance index (CPI) is 0.9 and schedule performance index (SPI) is 0.95. The project is currently 50% complete. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Communicate the current performance and planned corrections to stakeholders. The PMBOK Guide requires the project manager to communicate performance data and planned corrective actions to stakeholders as part of the Monitor and Control Project Work process. With a CPI of 0.9 (10% cost overrun) and SPI of 0.95 (5% schedule delay) at 50% completion, transparency is essential to maintain trust and enable informed decision-making. This aligns with the Manage Communications process, which ensures timely and appropriate collection, creation, distribution, storage, retrieval, and disposition of project information.

Answer

Request additional budget from the sponsor to cover the cost overrun

Answer

Crash the project schedule without considering cost impact

Question 11

A project manager is closing a project. Which THREE activities are essential to perform during project closure?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a lessons learned session and document findings. Conducting a lessons learned session and documenting findings (Option A) is essential during project closure because it captures knowledge about what went well and what could be improved, which is a key output of the Close Project or Phase process. This documentation becomes part of the organizational process assets and helps future projects avoid past mistakes and replicate successes. Without this step, the organization loses valuable experiential learning that could improve project management maturity.

Answer

Update the project management plan for future projects

Answer

Hold a sprint review to demonstrate the final product

Question 12

You are the project manager for a software development project using a hybrid approach. During the sprint review, the product owner is satisfied with the deliverables, but one key stakeholder requests a significant change that would add a new feature. The team has already started planning the next sprint. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to the change control board for evaluation and approval.. In a hybrid project, changes are managed through a formal change control process. The stakeholder's request for a new feature is a significant change that must be evaluated for impact on scope, schedule, and budget before any action is taken. Submitting a change request to the change control board (CCB) ensures proper governance and prevents unauthorized scope creep, which is critical when the team has already begun planning the next sprint.

Answer

Refuse the change because the scope was already agreed upon during sprint planning.

Answer

Ask the team to include the new feature in the next sprint since it's a high priority for the stakeholder.

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Advise the stakeholder to wait until the project is complete and then submit an enhancement request.

Question 13

Your project is 40% complete, and the earned value analysis shows CPI = 0.85 and SPI = 0.90. The project sponsor is concerned about the cost overrun. The original budget at completion (BAC) is $1,000,000. What is the Estimate at Completion (EAC) using the typical cost performance index (CPI) assumption?

Accepted Answer

$1,176,471. The typical CPI assumption means the cost performance to date will continue for the remainder of the project. The formula is EAC = BAC / CPI = $1,000,000 / 0.85 = $1,176,470.59, which rounds to $1,176,471. This assumes the same efficiency (CPI) for the remaining work, reflecting the current cost overrun trend.

Answer

$850,000

Answer

$1,000,000

Answer

$1,111,111

Question 14

During a construction project, you discover that a subcontractor has delivered materials that do not meet the quality specifications outlined in the contract. The project is already behind schedule, and replacing the materials will cause further delays. You have a good relationship with the subcontractor, who offers a discount on future work if you accept the materials as-is. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Reject the materials and request that the subcontractor replace them according to the contract specifications.. Quality requirements are part of the contract and must be met. Accepting non-conforming materials would violate quality standards and could lead to future failures. The PM should follow the contract terms and require the subcontractor to remediate the issue. Negotiating a discount is not acceptable as it compromises quality.

Answer

Issue a change order to modify the quality specifications to match the delivered materials.

Answer

Accept the materials and the discount to maintain the relationship and avoid further delays.

Answer

Inspect the materials yourself and if they appear safe, accept them to save time.

Question 15

Your agile team has been experiencing a decrease in velocity over the last three sprints. During the daily standup, team members seem disengaged and mention they are unsure of the sprint goals. As the scrum master, what should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting with the team to review and clarify the sprint goal and ensure alignment.. The Scrum Master's first responsibility is to ensure the team understands and aligns on the sprint goal. The disengagement and confusion about sprint goals directly indicate a breakdown in shared understanding, which must be resolved through facilitation before any other action. Addressing this immediately restores focus and can prevent further velocity degradation.

Answer

Add more user stories to the backlog to increase team motivation.

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Ask the product owner to speak with the team about the importance of the sprint goals.

Answer

Report the velocity drop to senior management and ask for intervention.