PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Test 19 — 15 Questions

Question 1

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

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Reduce the sprint backlog to improve velocity metrics

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Encourage the team to work faster in the next sprint

Question 2

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

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Instruct the team to ignore the change until next sprint

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File the change request in the project archives

Question 3

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

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Request additional budget from the sponsor

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Inform the sponsor of the overrun and wait for instructions

Question 4

Your agile team is working on a mobile app. The product owner wants to add a new feature that was not in the original backlog. Which TWO actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Ask the product owner to submit a change request for formal evaluation. Following change control and prioritizing the new feature against existing work are appropriate. Directly adding or ignoring are not.

Answer

Tell the team to work overtime to include the feature

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Add the feature to the current sprint backlog because the product owner requested it

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Ignore the request because it was not in the original scope

Question 5

Your project is using a hybrid approach. A new regulatory requirement has been discovered that will affect the project scope. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to the change control board. The PM must assess impact, submit a change request, and communicate with stakeholders. Ignoring or bypassing change control is incorrect.

Answer

Update the team's backlog immediately to include the requirement

Answer

Inform the team and continue with the current plan

Question 6

You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the product owner requests a new feature that would add significant value but was not in the product backlog. The team estimates it will take two additional sprints. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request through the Integrated Change Control process. To submit a change request through the Integrated Change Control process to formally evaluate the impact on scope, schedule, and cost before any work begins.

Answer

Add the feature to the product backlog and prioritize it for a future sprint

Answer

Ask the team to add the feature to the current sprint backlog to satisfy the product owner

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Tell the product owner that no changes are allowed after the sprint starts

Question 7

Your construction project is 40% complete. The Earned Value Analysis shows CPI = 0.85 and SPI = 0.90. The project budget is $5M. A key vendor just informed you they cannot deliver a critical component on time, causing a 3-week delay. The component is on the critical path. What is the BEST action?

Accepted Answer

Evaluate schedule compression options (crashing or fast-tracking) and submit a change request to the CCB. Since the project is already over budget and behind schedule, and the vendor issue affects the critical path, the best action is to evaluate options such as schedule compression techniques and then submit a change request to address the delay.

Answer

Meet with the vendor to negotiate a new delivery date and update the schedule baseline accordingly

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Immediately authorize overtime for the team to make up the delay

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Consult the risk register to see if this risk was identified and if a response plan exists

Question 8

You are managing a hybrid project. The team is reporting that sprint velocity has been decreasing for the last three sprints. During the retrospective, the team attributes this to technical debt and unclear requirements. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Collaborate with the team to identify root causes and create an action plan to improve velocity. The best first step is to work with the team to identify root causes and implement improvements, such as clearer requirements and addressing technical debt. This aligns with agile principles of continuous improvement.

Answer

Add more team members to increase capacity

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Increase the sprint duration to give the team more time

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Escalate the issue to the sponsor

Question 9

Your project is executing a fixed-price contract with a vendor to develop a key module. The vendor has delivered a module that does not meet the agreed-upon quality standards. The contract includes penalty clauses for non-compliance. What is the BEST action?

Accepted Answer

Document the non-compliance, notify the vendor, and request a corrective action plan. The best action is to document the non-compliance and initiate a formal corrective action, referencing the contract terms. This follows proper procurement management and change control.

Answer

Accept the module and plan to fix it internally to avoid conflict

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Terminate the contract and find a new vendor

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Immediately invoke the penalty clause and withhold payment

Question 10

During a project, the sponsor asks you to skip the user acceptance testing (UAT) phase to save two weeks and meet an accelerated deadline. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Explain the risks of skipping UAT and suggest reducing scope or adding resources instead. Skipping UAT compromises quality and may lead to higher costs later. The PM should explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose alternatives that maintain quality while addressing the schedule.

Answer

Agree to skip UAT to meet the sponsor's deadline

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Escalate the issue to the PMO without discussing with the sponsor

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Skip UAT as requested but document the decision

Question 11

Two senior developers on your Scrum team have a disagreement about the technical approach for a user story. The disagreement is causing delays in sprint execution. As the Scrum Master, what should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting between the developers to discuss and resolve the issue. The Scrum Master should facilitate a discussion to help the developers resolve the conflict constructively and reach a consensus.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the product owner

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Remove both developers from the story and assign it to someone else

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Decide on the approach yourself to end the conflict quickly

Question 12

Your project is 60% complete. The cost performance index (CPI) is 1.1, and the schedule performance index (SPI) is 0.85. The project sponsor is concerned about the schedule delay. Which of the following is the BEST action to take?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the schedule and evaluate options such as fast-tracking or crashing with the cost savings. Since the project is under budget but behind schedule, the best action is to analyze the schedule to determine if schedule compression techniques can be applied, using the cost savings to fund crashing or fast-tracking.

Answer

Reduce scope to meet the schedule deadline

Answer

Immediately add more resources to the critical path to speed up work

Answer

Update the schedule baseline to reflect the current actuals

Question 13

You are managing a project that involves a high-risk activity that was identified in the risk register. A risk response plan was created to mitigate the risk. During execution, a risk event occurs that was not fully mitigated. The risk impact is now threatening the project schedule. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Implement the contingency plan if one exists, or document the issue and initiate a change request. The first step is to implement the contingency plan if one exists, or else perform a new risk assessment and develop a response. This aligns with the risk management process.

Answer

Immediately update the risk register and move on

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for guidance

Answer

Stop work on the affected activity until the risk is resolved

Question 14

In an agile project, the team has been working on the same product backlog for several sprints. During sprint planning, the product owner introduces a new high-priority user story that will require the team to reprioritize existing work. What is the BEST approach?

Accepted Answer

Discuss the new story with the team and the product owner, and if accepted, remove a lower-priority story of equivalent size. In agile, the product owner can change priorities, but the team should assess the impact on the sprint goal and capacity. The best approach is to discuss the new story and its priority, and then adjust the sprint backlog accordingly, possibly removing lower-priority items.

Answer

Reject the new story because the sprint has already started

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Put the new story in the product backlog for a future sprint

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Add the new story to the sprint backlog and ask the team to work overtime to complete everything

Question 15

A team member consistently misses deadlines, causing delays for the rest of the team. You have already spoken to the team member informally, but the behavior continues. What is the BEST next step?

Accepted Answer

Have a formal meeting with the team member to discuss expectations and consequences. The PM should address performance issues formally by documenting the issue and discussing it with the team member, setting clear expectations and consequences. This follows a progressive discipline approach.

Answer

Remove the team member from the project

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Escalate the issue to the team member's functional manager

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Reassign the team member to less critical tasks