PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Test 17 — 15 Questions

Question 1

You are managing a project that is behind schedule. The project sponsor has asked you to explore schedule compression techniques. Which TWO options are valid schedule compression techniques that can be applied without changing scope? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Crashing: adding resources to critical path activities.. Option A (crashing) and Option C (fast tracking) are the two main schedule compression techniques. Crashing adds resources to critical path activities, and fast tracking performs activities in parallel. Option B (reducing scope) changes scope. Option D (resource leveling) often lengthens the schedule. Option E (adding contingency) increases time.

Answer

Reducing scope: eliminating non-essential deliverables.

Answer

Resource leveling: adjusting start and finish dates to address resource constraints.

Answer

Adding contingency time to activities.

Question 2

You are the project manager for a software development project. During a risk review meeting, the team identifies several new risks. Which THREE actions should you take to update the risk register? (Choose three.)

Accepted Answer

Identify root causes of each risk.. The risk register should include identified risks, root causes, potential responses, and risk owners. Probability and impact assessment is part of qualitative analysis. Prioritization occurs after assessment. Options A, B, and C are standard entries. Option D is incorrect because the response plan comes later. Option E is incorrect as it's part of quantitative analysis.

Answer

Perform a quantitative analysis using Monte Carlo simulation.

Answer

Develop detailed response plans for high-priority risks.

Question 3

You are managing a complex IT project with multiple vendors. A key vendor is failing to meet contractual milestones, which is impacting the critical path. Which THREE actions should you take to address this situation? (Choose three.)

Accepted Answer

Escalate the issue to the vendor's management and your project sponsor.. Option A is a proactive step to enforce contract terms. Option C involves working with the vendor to resolve issues. Option E is a typical response to escalate if vendor performance does not improve. Option B is incorrect because accepting failure without action is passive. Option D is incorrect because terminating the contract may cause further delays; it should be a last resort.

Answer

Immediately terminate the contract and find a new vendor.

Answer

Accept the delay and adjust the project schedule accordingly.

Question 4

You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During sprint planning, the product owner insists on adding a feature that was not in the approved product backlog. The team estimates it will take 3 additional days. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Ask the product owner to submit a change request for formal evaluation. In a hybrid project management approach, changes to the approved product backlog must follow a formal change control process to maintain baseline integrity and avoid scope creep. Asking the product owner to submit a change request ensures the proposed feature is evaluated for impact on schedule, cost, and quality before any work begins, aligning with both agile principles of prioritization and traditional project governance.

Answer

Add the feature to the sprint backlog and accept the change

Answer

Reject the feature outright because it is not in scope

Answer

Tell the team to work overtime to accommodate the feature

Question 5

Your project is behind schedule due to an unexpected delay from a key supplier. The critical path analysis shows that the total float is now negative. What is the BEST course of action?

Accepted Answer

Crash the schedule by adding resources to critical path activities. Crashing the schedule involves adding resources to critical path activities to compress the schedule, which is appropriate when float is negative.

Answer

Reduce project scope by eliminating non-essential deliverables

Answer

Update the risk register and inform stakeholders of the delay without taking action

Answer

Immediately apply fast tracking to overlap activities on the critical path

Question 6

During a daily standup, a developer mentions they found a way to improve the code's performance but it will add two extra days of work. What should the scrum master do?

Accepted Answer

Advise the developer to discuss the improvement with the product owner after the standup. Adding extra work without stakeholder approval is gold-plating. The scrum master should remind the team to focus on the sprint goal and discuss the idea with the product owner.

Answer

Record the idea in the project documentation and move on

Answer

Allow the developer to proceed because the improvement is valuable

Answer

Add the improvement to the sprint backlog immediately

Question 7

Your project's CPI is 0.85 and SPI is 0.90 at the midpoint. The project sponsor asks for a status update. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Inform the sponsor of the cost and schedule variances and present a recovery plan. PMI emphasizes clear communication of project status to stakeholders, including variances and corrective actions.

Answer

Implement cost reduction measures without informing the sponsor

Answer

Report that the project is on track and the variances are temporary

Answer

Request additional budget to cover the cost overrun without changing scope

Question 8

A critical risk identified in the risk register has occurred. The planned response was to mitigate, but the impact is higher than anticipated. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Implement the planned mitigation response and then reassess the situation. The risk response plan should be executed first, then reassess and update the risk register. PMI recommends implementing the planned response and evaluating its effectiveness.

Answer

Develop a new response from scratch because the impact changed

Answer

Update the risk register and ignore the planned response

Answer

Escalate the risk to the project sponsor immediately

Question 9

Two senior developers on your agile team have a conflict about the technical approach for a user story. This conflict is causing delays. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting between the developers to discuss and resolve the conflict collaboratively. PMI recommends conflict resolution through collaboration. The PM should facilitate a discussion to reach a consensus that aligns with project goals.

Answer

Ask the product owner to prioritize the story and bypass the developers' discussion

Answer

Decide the technical approach yourself and assign it to the developers

Answer

Separate the developers onto different teams to avoid further conflict

Question 10

During project execution, a team member reports that a deliverable may not meet the quality standards due to a shortcut taken earlier. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Review the quality management plan and perform a quality audit to identify process gaps. Quality assurance ensures processes are followed. The PM should investigate the issue and take corrective action to prevent nonconformance.

Answer

Accept the deliverable as is and document the deviation

Answer

Escalate to the sponsor for a decision on quality acceptance

Answer

Instruct the team member to redo the work to meet standards

Question 11

An executive stakeholder bypasses you and directly gives instructions to the development team to add a new report. The team starts working on it. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Discuss with the executive the importance of following the change control process and update the communications management plan. PMI recommends addressing the stakeholder's behavior professionally and reinforcing the change control process.

Answer

Immediately stop the team's work on the new report without discussing with the executive

Answer

Allow the team to continue to avoid conflict with the executive

Answer

Confront the executive and demand they stop contacting the team

Question 12

Your hybrid project uses a fixed-price contract with a vendor. The vendor notifies you that they cannot deliver a critical component on time due to a labor shortage. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Review the procurement contract to understand terms, penalties, and remedies. The contract is the governing document; the PM should review it to understand remedies and obligations.

Answer

Escalate to the project sponsor for a decision

Answer

Immediately find a replacement vendor

Answer

Accept the delay and adjust the project schedule

Question 13

During a sprint retrospective, the team identifies that their velocity has dropped significantly in the last two sprints. What should the scrum master do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a discussion to identify root causes and create an action plan. The correct first action is to facilitate a root cause analysis and create an action plan because the sprint retrospective is the prescribed Agile ceremony for continuous improvement. The Scrum Master's role is to coach the team to self-organize and address impediments, not to impose solutions. Jumping to staffing or scope changes without understanding the underlying technical or process issues violates the empirical process control principle of transparency.

Answer

Add more team members to increase velocity

Answer

Reduce the sprint backlog to improve velocity metrics

Answer

Encourage the team to work faster in the next sprint

Question 14

A change request that affects the critical path has been approved. What is the NEXT step for the project manager?

Accepted Answer

Communicate the change to stakeholders and update the project management plan and baselines. After approval, the PM must update the project management plan and baselines to reflect the change.

Answer

Implement the change immediately without updating documents

Answer

Instruct the team to ignore the change until next sprint

Answer

File the change request in the project archives

Question 15

Your project is running 15% over budget at the midpoint. The cost variance is due to higher-than-expected material costs. What is the BEST action?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the variance and implement corrective actions such as reducing scope or using cheaper materials. The PM should analyze the variance, determine root cause, and develop corrective actions, then communicate to stakeholders.

Answer

Reduce the quality of deliverables to cut costs

Answer

Request additional budget from the sponsor

Answer

Inform the sponsor of the overrun and wait for instructions