PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Test 23 — 15 Questions

Question 1

During a project closure phase, you realize that several deliverables were completed but not formally accepted by the customer. The contract requires signed acceptance for each deliverable. What should you do first?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

Schedule a meeting with the customer to obtain formal acceptance of the outstanding deliverables. The first and most critical step is to obtain formal acceptance of the outstanding deliverables from the customer. Without signed acceptance, the project cannot be considered closed per the contract. Option A is incorrect because informing the sponsor before resolving the acceptance issue would be premature. Option B is incorrect because lessons learned should be documented later, after acceptance, and closing without acceptance violates contractual requirements. Option C is incorrect because archiving records and closing without acceptance is not allowed.

Answer

Inform the sponsor that the project is complete and request closure approval

Answer

Document lessons learned and then close the project

Answer

Archive the project records and close the project as the work is complete

Question 2

You are the project manager for a hybrid project. Midway through, you discover that a key stakeholder has been giving direct instructions to the development team, causing confusion and rework. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Meet with the stakeholder privately to clarify their role and reinforce the communication channels defined in the project management plan. The first step is to address the issue directly with the stakeholder, clarifying their role and reinforcing the communication channels defined in the plan. Option A is wrong because updating the plan without addressing the behavior is reactive and may not resolve the underlying issue. Option B is wrong because involving the sponsor immediately may escalate unnecessarily; direct communication should be attempted first. Option C is wrong because instructing the team to ignore the stakeholder is confrontational and may damage relationships.

Answer

Update the communications management plan to restrict stakeholder access to the team

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for resolution

Answer

Instruct the team to ignore instructions from anyone other than you

Question 3

Your agile project has a stable velocity of 30 story points per sprint. In the last three sprints, velocity dropped to 25, 22, and 20. The team cites increased complexity in user stories. What should you do first as the Scrum Master?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a retrospective to identify root causes and potential improvements. The first step for a Scrum Master when facing a persistent drop in velocity is to facilitate a retrospective to identify root causes and potential improvements. Option B is incorrect because reducing sprint length does not address underlying complexity and may cause additional overhead. Option C is incorrect because asking the product owner to simplify stories without understanding the root cause is premature and could compromise value. Option D is incorrect because adding more developers does not necessarily reduce complexity and can increase communication overhead.

Answer

Reduce the sprint length to manage workload better

Answer

Ask the product owner to simplify user stories

Answer

Add more developers to the team to increase capacity

Question 4

During a project, a risk you identified in the risk register occurs. Your response plan was to mitigate by purchasing backup equipment. However, you discover the backup equipment is not available due to a supplier issue. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Implement the contingency plan or develop a new response given the change in circumstances. The correct first action is to implement the contingency plan if one exists, or develop a new response (Option C). When a risk occurs and the planned mitigation fails, the project manager should immediately apply the fallback plan or create an alternative response. Option A (escalating to sponsor) is premature because escalation should be considered only after response options are exhausted. Option B (adding a new risk) is not the immediate action; addressing the current risk takes priority. Option D (updating the risk register) is insufficient without taking proactive steps to handle the realized risk.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for guidance

Answer

Add a new risk to the risk register about supplier reliability

Answer

Update the risk register to reflect that the mitigation is ineffective

Question 5

You are managing a project that is 15% over budget at the midpoint. The earned value (EV) is $100,000, actual cost (AC) is $115,000, and planned value (PV) is $110,000. What is the most likely reason for the cost variance?

Accepted Answer

Costs are higher than planned for the work performed. The cost variance (CV = EV - AC) is -$15,000, indicating a cost overrun. This means the actual cost to complete the work performed ($115,000) exceeded the earned value ($100,000), so costs are higher than planned for the work performed. Option B is incorrect because SV = EV - PV = -$10,000, meaning the project is behind schedule, not ahead. Option C is incorrect because AC > EV and AC > PV, so the project is over budget. Option D is less likely because a scope increase would typically increase EV if the additional scope is being performed, and the budget might be adjusted accordingly; the given data does not support scope increase as the primary cause.

Answer

The project is ahead of schedule

Answer

The project is under budget

Answer

The scope was increased without adjusting the budget

Question 6

During a sprint planning meeting, the product owner wants to add a high-priority user story that the team believes is too large to complete in one sprint. What should the team do?

Accepted Answer

Work with the product owner to break the story down into smaller, manageable pieces. The team should collaborate with the product owner to decompose the large user story into smaller, manageable pieces that can be completed within a single sprint. Option A is wrong because accepting a story that is too large and working overtime leads to burnout and poor quality. Option B is wrong because having the product owner attend daily standups does not solve the sizing issue. Option D is wrong because outright refusal is not collaborative; the team should work with the product owner to find a solution.

Answer

Accept the story and work overtime to complete it

Answer

Ask the product owner to attend the daily standups for this sprint only

Answer

Refuse to accept the story because it is too large

Question 7

During a quality audit, it is discovered that a deliverable does not meet the specified quality standards. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Document the nonconformance, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective actions. The first step upon discovering a nonconformance is to document it, perform root cause analysis to identify the underlying cause, and then implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence. This aligns with the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle and quality management best practices. Option B is incorrect because escalation to the sponsor is premature before analysis and corrective action. Option C is incorrect because immediate rework without root cause analysis may address symptoms but not root causes, leading to recurrence. Option D is incorrect because accepting a nonconforming deliverable violates quality standards and could harm project objectives.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for resolution

Answer

Instruct the team to rework the deliverable immediately to meet standards

Answer

Accept the deliverable as is since the customer may not notice

Question 8

Your project is experiencing scope creep due to informal change requests from stakeholders. Which TWO actions should you take to address this?

Accepted Answer

Review the change management plan with stakeholders and remind them of the formal change control process. Options A and B are correct. Option A reinforces the change control process by reminding stakeholders of the formal procedure. Option B ensures that informal requests are documented and assessed for potential change requests. Option C is incorrect because the project manager should not instruct the team to bypass the formal process. Option D is incorrect because ignoring requests is not proactive. Option E is incorrect because the sponsor should not be the first point of contact for managing scope creep.

Answer

Tell the project team to reject any work not approved by you

Answer

Ignore informal requests until a formal change request is submitted

Answer

Ask the project sponsor to intervene and stop stakeholders from making requests

Question 9

In a hybrid project, the team is struggling with unclear requirements. The project manager wants to improve the situation. Which THREE actions should the project manager take?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a requirements workshop with key stakeholders to clarify and prioritize. In a hybrid project with unclear requirements, the project manager should take actions that promote collaboration and iterative clarification. Option C (conducting a requirements workshop with key stakeholders) helps clarify and prioritize requirements through direct interaction. Option D (regular backlog refinement sessions) is an agile practice that allows the team to break down and clarify user stories consistently. Option E (increasing communication with the product owner) ensures the product owner provides well-defined requirements before each sprint. Option A is incorrect because assigning a business analyst does not directly address the team's struggle with unclear requirements and may bypass collaborative clarification. Option B is incorrect because creating a detailed requirements document and requiring sign-off adds process overhead and contradicts the hybrid approach which values iterative refinement over upfront detail.

Answer

Request the project sponsor to assign a business analyst to the project

Answer

Create a detailed requirements document and require sign-off before any work begins

Question 10

During a project, a risk event occurs that was not identified in the risk register. The project manager needs to respond. Which THREE actions should the project manager take?

Accepted Answer

Add the risk to the risk register and document the response taken. Options A, D, and E are correct. When an unidentified risk occurs, the project manager should first assess its impact (E), then conduct a brainstorming session to identify potential responses (D), and finally add the risk to the risk register along with the implemented response (A). Option B is incorrect because implementing a mitigation response without proper analysis and planning is not recommended. Option C is incorrect because simply accepting the risk without assessment and response planning is not appropriate.

Answer

Immediately implement a response to mitigate the risk

Answer

Accept the risk because it was not identified

Question 11

You are managing a hybrid project that uses both predictive and agile approaches. The team has been delivering consistently, but recently the customer requested a critical feature that was not in the original scope. The feature is high value but will require rework of a completed component. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to the change control board (CCB) to evaluate the impact on scope, schedule, and cost.. To submit a change request through the formal change control process. This ensures proper evaluation and approval before any work begins, aligning with PMI's emphasis on following the change control process.

Answer

Add the feature to the product backlog and prioritize it for the next sprint without formal approval.

Answer

Ask the team to implement the feature immediately to maintain customer satisfaction, and document it later.

Answer

Update the project management plan to include the new feature and communicate the change to the team.

Question 12

During a project's execution phase, a key vendor notifies you that they cannot deliver a critical component on time due to raw material shortages. The component is on the critical path, and any delay will impact the project completion date. The risk was identified and listed in the risk register with a planned response to accept. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Assess the impact on the project schedule and cost, and inform key stakeholders of the situation.. The risk has materialized, and the planned response was to accept, meaning no proactive action was pre-planned. However, the project manager must first assess the impact of the risk on the project schedule and cost, and inform key stakeholders of the situation. This aligns with the PMBOK process of 'Implement Risk Responses' and 'Communications Management'. Option C is the correct first step because it involves gathering information and engaging stakeholders before making decisions. Option B (updating the risk register and closing the risk) is premature without impact assessment. Option A (implementing the contingency plan) is not applicable since the plan was to accept. Option D (directing the team to find an alternative supplier) is a potential response, but it should follow assessment and stakeholder communication.

Answer

Implement the contingency plan as defined in the risk register.

Answer

Update the risk register to document the issue and close the risk.

Answer

Direct the team to find an alternative supplier and expedite the order.

Question 13

You are the project manager for a software development project using Scrum. During the daily standup, a developer mentions that they are blocked by a dependency on another team's API that is delayed. The developer has already tried contacting the other team but received no response. What should the scrum master do?

Accepted Answer

Escalate the issue to the other team's manager or the project sponsor to resolve the dependency.. The scrum master is responsible for removing impediments. Option B is correct because the scrum master should escalate the issue to remove the blocker for the team.

Answer

Add the issue to the risk register and monitor it.

Answer

Ask the team to work on other tasks until the API is available.

Answer

Advise the developer to keep trying to contact the other team.

Question 14

A project is halfway through its schedule. The earned value (EV) is $50,000, planned value (PV) is $60,000, and actual cost (AC) is $70,000. The project manager calculates the cost performance index (CPI) and schedule performance index (SPI). Based on these metrics, what is the most likely situation?

Accepted Answer

The project is over budget and behind schedule.. CPI = EV/AC = 50,000/70,000 = 0.71 (over budget), SPI = EV/PV = 50,000/60,000 = 0.83 (behind schedule). The project is both over budget and behind schedule.

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 15

You are the project manager for a large construction project. An executive stakeholder has been bypassing you and directly giving instructions to the site supervisor to add extra features. The supervisor complied, and now the project is experiencing scope creep. The changes have not been formally approved. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a meeting with the executive stakeholder to explain the impact of the unauthorized changes and request that all change requests go through the formal process.. The PM should address the root cause by communicating with the executive stakeholder and reinforcing the change control process. Option A is correct because it addresses the behavior directly and professionally, educating the stakeholder on the need for formal change requests to manage scope creep.

Answer

Update the project management plan to include the new features and adjust the budget and schedule accordingly.

Answer

Direct the site supervisor to stop all work and revert the changes.

Answer

Issue a change order retroactively to document the changes.