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

Question 1

You are managing a project that is experiencing scope creep. Several stakeholders have been requesting additional features informally. You want to bring the project under control. Which TWO actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Remind stakeholders that all changes must go through the formal change control process. To control scope creep, the PM should reinforce the change control process and ensure all requests are documented as change requests. Communicating with stakeholders about the impacts also helps.

Answer

Ignore minor requests to avoid conflict

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Add the requests to the project backlog without approval

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Update the project management plan to reflect all informal requests

Question 2

Your project is using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the customer is unhappy with the progress and requests a major change in direction. This change will require significant rework and affect the project's critical path. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Assess the impact of the change on scope, schedule, cost, and quality. When a major change is requested, the PM should document it as a change request, assess the impact on the project constraints, and communicate with stakeholders to manage expectations.

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Instruct the team to start implementing the change immediately to satisfy the customer

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Reject the change because it was not part of the original scope

Question 3

Your project team is encountering conflict between two senior developers over the technical approach. The conflict is causing delays. As the project manager, which TWO actions should you take to resolve the situation?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting where both developers can present their approaches and work towards a consensus. PMI recommends addressing conflict early through collaboration and using techniques like problem-solving. The PM should facilitate a discussion and help the team reach a consensus.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the functional managers

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Ignore the conflict as it may resolve on its own

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Decide the technical approach yourself and impose it on the developers

Question 4

You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During sprint planning, the product owner requests adding a new feature that was not in the project scope. The team estimates it will take two additional sprints. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Initiate a change request and assess the impact on schedule, cost, and scope before seeking approval. Option B is correct because PMI requires all scope changes to go through the Integrated Change Control process to evaluate impacts before approval. Option A bypasses formal change control. Option C is reactive after the fact. Option D ignores the product owner's request without assessment.

Answer

Tell the product owner that no new features can be added mid-project

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Ask the team to include the feature in the current sprint if possible

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Add the feature to the backlog and inform the product owner it will be addressed in a later phase

Question 5

Your construction project is 60% complete. Due to a material shortage, the critical path extended by 10 days. You have float on some non-critical tasks. The sponsor is concerned about the project finishing on time. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the schedule for opportunities to crash or fast-track the remaining activities. Option D is correct as per PMI's proactive approach: assess the schedule and determine if compression techniques can recover the delay before escalating. Option A is reactive without analysis. Option B is premature; you haven't yet determined if compression is possible. Option C ignores the sponsor's concern and the delay.

Answer

Increase the budget to procure materials faster

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Immediately notify the sponsor that the project will be delayed

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Fast-track the remaining critical path activities

Question 6

In a daily standup, a developer mentions that a task is taking longer than expected due to an unfamiliar technology. The sprint goal may be at risk. As a Scrum Master, what should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Work with the developer and team to find a solution or pair with an expert. Option B is correct: the Scrum Master should help the team remove impediments. Option A is reactive and does not address the issue. Option C assumes the team cannot handle it without first trying to unblock. Option D undermines self-organization.

Answer

Assign the task to a more experienced developer

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Escalate to the product owner to descope the task

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Add the issue to the risk register for future sprints

Question 7

Midway through your project, a key vendor informs you that they cannot deliver a critical component on time, which will impact the critical path. The risk was identified in the risk register with a 'mitigate' response. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Implement the contingency plan that was developed for this risk. Option A is correct: when a risk event occurs, the first step is to implement the agreed-upon risk response. Option B may be needed later but is not the immediate action. Option C bypasses the plan. Option D is reactive and unnecessary if the response is already planned.

Answer

Inform the sponsor of the delay and request additional budget

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Issue a change request to update the project schedule

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Meet with the vendor to negotiate an expedited delivery

Question 8

During a sprint review, the product owner is dissatisfied with the increment and wants to revert to a previous version of a feature. The development team believes the current version meets the acceptance criteria. As Scrum Master, what should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a discussion to clarify the acceptance criteria and expectations. Option A is correct: facilitate a conversation between the product owner and team to clarify expectations. Option B is reactive and may not be needed after discussion. Option C escalates prematurely. Option D bypasses collaboration.

Answer

Escalate to the program manager to resolve the conflict

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Instruct the team to revert the feature as requested

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Update the issue log with the product owner's concern

Question 9

Your project's Earned Value (EV) is $45,000, Planned Value (PV) is $50,000, and Actual Cost (AC) is $55,000. The project is at the midpoint. What is the most accurate assessment of the project's status?

Accepted Answer

The project is behind schedule and over budget. Option C is correct: SPI = EV/PV = 0.9 (behind schedule), CPI = EV/AC = 0.82 (over budget). Option A incorrectly states on schedule. Option B incorrectly states on budget. Option D misstates CPI.

Answer

The project is ahead of schedule and under budget

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The project is behind schedule and under budget

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The project is on schedule and over budget

Question 10

A team member has been consistently late completing tasks. When you discuss this, they mention personal issues affecting their work. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Offer support, such as adjusting workload or providing resources. Option C is correct: show empathy and explore solutions together. Option A ignores the human aspect. Option B is punitive. Option D escalates prematurely without trying to resolve at the team level.

Answer

Escalate to human resources for disciplinary action

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Reassign the tasks to another team member

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Document the issue in the performance report

Question 11

During a project audit, you discover that the quality assurance (QA) team has not been conducting planned inspections, but the quality control (QC) logs show no major defects. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Investigate why QA inspections were skipped and reinforce the importance of preventive activities. Option A is correct: QA inspections are preventive and process-oriented; skipping them increases risk even if QC passes now. Option B is reactive. Option C is premature. Option D ignores the root cause.

Answer

Accept the situation since QC shows no defects

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Update the risk register to document this as a low-priority risk

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Ask the team to double-check the QC logs for accuracy

Question 12

Your project uses a hybrid methodology. An executive stakeholder emails the development team directly requesting a new feature without going through the product owner. The team starts working on it. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Tell the team to stop work on the feature and meet with the stakeholder to explain the proper process. Option D is correct: protect the team from unauthorized work and engage the stakeholder to follow the proper process. Option A is disciplinary but does not correct the process. Option B ignores the stakeholder. Option C undermines the product owner role.

Answer

Ask the product owner to include the feature in the backlog

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Reprimand the team for working on unauthorized work

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Inform the stakeholder that all requests must go through the product owner

Question 13

In a project closure phase, you are preparing the lessons learned report. The project performed well, but some stakeholders were dissatisfied with the communication frequency. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Document the communication issue and recommend a more frequent communication plan for future projects. Option B is correct: lessons learned should capture both successes and areas for improvement to benefit future projects. Option A ignores the issue. Option C is defensive. Option D is irrelevant.

Answer

Add the feedback to the issue log for resolution

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Focus only on technical successes and omit the communication issue

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Explain to stakeholders that communication was adequate and disregard their feedback

Question 14

During a sprint retrospective, the team identifies that velocity has dropped due to too many interruptions. What agile technique should the Scrum Master recommend to address this?

Accepted Answer

Implement a Work in Progress (WIP) limit to reduce multitasking. Option A is correct: limiting Work in Progress (WIP) reduces multitasking and interruptions. Option B does not address interruptions. Option C is about schedule, not interruptions. Option D is a ceremony, not a countermeasure.

Answer

Add buffer time to each task estimate

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Conduct more frequent retrospectives

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Increase the sprint duration to accommodate interruptions

Question 15

Your project's sponsor requests that you skip user acceptance testing (UAT) to recover schedule delays. The team has already performed thorough internal testing. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose a compressed UAT schedule. Option D is correct: UAT is a quality gate; skipping it increases risk of undetected issues. The PM should explain the risks and suggest alternatives. Option A is reactive without exploring solutions. Option B bypasses the sponsor. Option C is unethical.

Answer

Skip UAT and add a warranty period to address any issues after release

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Proceed with UAT as planned without informing the sponsor

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Agree to skip UAT to accommodate the sponsor's request