PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Test 24 — 15 Questions

Question 1

You are a project manager for a software development project using Scrum. The product owner has been pressuring the team to increase velocity and deliver more features per sprint. The team feels overwhelmed and quality has started to suffer. Which TWO actions should the project manager take to address this situation?

Accepted Answer

Involve the team in sprint planning to ensure they commit to a realistic amount of work.. The correct actions are to facilitate a discussion between the product owner and the team about sustainable pace and to involve the team in estimating and planning. These empower the team and ensure realistic commitments.

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Ask the team to work overtime to meet the product owner's expectations.

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Encourage the team to reduce testing to save time.

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Add more team members to the project to increase capacity.

Question 2

A project is in the execution phase and the project manager notices that the project's cost performance index (CPI) is 0.85 and the schedule performance index (SPI) is 0.90. The project sponsor is concerned and wants to get back on track. Which THREE actions should the project manager consider to improve performance?

Accepted Answer

Apply resource leveling to optimize the use of resources and reduce overallocation.. To improve cost and schedule performance, the PM can implement fast tracking, analyze root causes, and use resource leveling to optimize resource usage. These are proactive and align with PMI best practices.

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Immediately reduce the project scope to cut costs.

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Ask the team to work overtime at no additional cost.

Question 3

During a project, the team identifies a risk that could cause a significant delay. The risk is not in the risk register. Which THREE actions should the project manager take to respond appropriately?

Accepted Answer

Assess the probability and impact of the risk.. Option A is correct because when a new risk is identified, the project manager must first assess its probability and impact to understand the potential effect on project objectives. This assessment provides the data needed to prioritize the risk and determine an appropriate response. Without this evaluation, any subsequent actions would be uninformed and could misallocate resources.

Answer

Ignore the risk because it was not identified during planning.

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Immediately implement a risk response without assessment.

Question 4

You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the customer is delighted with the product but requests several enhancements that were not in the original backlog. The team estimates these would add two sprints to the schedule. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Document the request and submit a change request through the change control process. The correct approach is to log the request and follow the change control process. Option A is correct. Option B bypasses change control; Option C ignores the request and may cause dissatisfaction; Option D assumes approval without assessment.

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Add the enhancements to the product backlog and prioritize them for the next sprint

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Instruct the team to begin work on the enhancements immediately to maintain customer satisfaction

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Thank the customer for the feedback and explain that the project scope is frozen

Question 5

During a daily standup, a team member mentions that a task is taking longer than expected and will likely miss the deadline. The task is on the critical path. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Discuss with the team member to understand the issue and explore options. The first step is to understand the situation by discussing with the team member. Then the PM can consider options like fast-tracking or crashing. Option B is proactive and follows PMI's communication approach.

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Immediately escalate the issue to the sponsor

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Assign additional team members to the task without further analysis

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Reduce the quality of the task to save time

Question 6

You are the project manager for a large construction project. Midway through, a key supplier informs you that a critical component will be delayed by 6 weeks due to raw material shortages. The component is on the critical path and has zero float. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a schedule impact analysis and evaluate options such as fast-tracking or crashing. Option B is correct because the first step is to assess the impact on the project schedule and explore options like fast-tracking or crashing. Option A is premature; Option C skips analysis; Option D is reactive and may not be optimal.

Answer

Terminate the contract with the supplier and find a new one

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Ask the team to work overtime to compress the schedule

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Notify the sponsor and stakeholders that the project will be delayed by 6 weeks

Question 7

A project using a predictive approach is 40% complete. The earned value (EV) is $200,000, the planned value (PV) is $250,000, and the actual cost (AC) is $230,000. What should the project manager do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the variances to determine root causes and implement corrective actions. The project is behind schedule (SPI < 1) and over budget (CPI < 1). Option B is correct: analyze root causes and take corrective action. Option A is wrong because EAC may change; Option C is wrong because you communicate after analysis; Option D is a possible technique but not the next step.

Answer

Report the variances to stakeholders immediately and ask for more budget

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Calculate the estimate at completion (EAC) and rebaseline the project

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Apply schedule compression techniques such as crashing

Question 8

During a sprint retrospective, the team identifies that they are consistently overcommitting during sprint planning, leading to incomplete work. Which action should the project manager take to address this issue?

Accepted Answer

Encourage the team to use historical velocity data to set sprint goals. Option A is correct: the team should use historical velocity to plan more realistically. Option B is wrong because reducing scope without analysis is arbitrary. Option C is wrong because adding hours doesn't address the root cause. Option D is wrong because the team should self-organize; the PM facilitates.

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Assign the project manager to set sprint goals for the team

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Increase the number of working hours per day for the team

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Reduce the sprint length to force the team to be more focused

Question 9

A project manager is informed that a new government regulation will affect the project deliverables. The regulation is mandatory and must be implemented before the project can close. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Assess the impact on scope, schedule, and cost, then submit a change request. Option B is correct: the PM must assess the impact and submit a change request. Option A is wrong because ignoring the regulation is not compliant. Option C is wrong because the PM should evaluate impact before escalating. Option D is wrong because lessons learned come after the change is implemented.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision

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Update the lessons learned document to capture this experience

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Continue with the current plan as the regulation may not be enforced

Question 10

You are managing a project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint, the development team discovers a critical security vulnerability that was not identified during risk planning. The fix will require significant rework and will cause the sprint goal to be missed. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Perform an impact analysis and submit a change request to address the vulnerability. Option C is correct: the PM should assess the impact and then submit a change request. Option A is wrong because proceeding without addressing the vulnerability is risky. Option B is wrong because the PM should not bypass change control. Option D is wrong because the team should not act without approval.

Answer

Instruct the team to fix the vulnerability immediately without formal change control

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Ask the team to work overtime to fix the vulnerability while still achieving the sprint goal

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Allow the team to continue with the sprint and address the vulnerability in a future sprint

Question 11

During project execution, a key stakeholder requests that the project manager bypass the formal change control process to expedite a change. The stakeholder argues that the change is minor and will not affect the budget or schedule. What should the project manager do?

Accepted Answer

Explain that all changes must follow the change control process and proceed accordingly. Option B is correct: all changes should go through change control, regardless of size. Option A violates PMI standards. Option C is wrong because the stakeholder should not override process. Option D is wrong because explaining the process is part of stakeholder management.

Answer

Agree to bypass the process since the change is minor

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Escalate the request to the project sponsor for approval

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Implement the change and document it later

Question 12

A project manager is closing a project. Which of the following should be done during project closure?

Accepted Answer

All of the above. Option D is correct: project closure includes obtaining formal acceptance, archiving documents, and releasing resources. Options A, B, C are all part of closure.

Answer

Obtain formal sign-off from the customer

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Hold a lessons learned session

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Release project resources

Question 13

In a Scrum project, the team's velocity has been declining over the last three sprints. The project manager (also the Scrum Master) notices that team morale seems low. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a retrospective to identify the root causes of the decline. Option A is correct: the Scrum Master should facilitate a retrospective to identify root causes. Option B is wrong because adding tasks doesn't address morale. Option C is wrong because the PM should not impose solutions without team input. Option D is wrong because the team should self-organize.

Answer

Replace the underperforming team members

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Add more tasks to the backlog to increase the team's focus

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Assign a senior developer to monitor the team's work

Question 14

You are managing a project where a risk identified in the risk register has occurred. The risk response plan calls for mitigation, but the mitigation action will delay the critical path by 2 weeks. The project has no schedule reserve. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Implement the risk response as planned and then submit a change request for the schedule delay. Option C is correct: the PM should implement the risk response as planned, then assess the impact and submit a change request for any schedule changes. Option A is wrong because the response should be implemented. Option B is wrong because escalation is not needed yet. Option D is wrong because schedule compression should be considered after the impact is known.

Answer

Avoid implementing the risk response to protect the schedule

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Use schedule compression techniques to offset the delay before implementing the response

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Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision

Question 15

The project team is in the process of identifying risks. Which tool or technique should the project manager use to identify risks?

Accepted Answer

Brainstorming. Option A is correct: brainstorming is a common technique for risk identification. Options B, C, D are used in other processes.

Answer

Quality audits

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Earned value management

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Critical path method