PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Test 28 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Your agile project is experiencing a drop in velocity for the third consecutive sprint. The team reports that they are spending too much time in unplanned meetings and dealing with frequent requirement changes. Which TWO actions should you take to address this?

Accepted Answer

Implement a process to control scope changes during the sprint.. Limiting work-in-progress (WIP) can reduce context switching and improve focus. Implementing a change control process for scope changes during a sprint helps stabilize requirements. Both address root causes of velocity drop.

Answer

Encourage the team to work overtime to catch up.

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Add more team members to increase capacity.

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Increase the sprint duration to give the team more time.

Question 2

You are managing a large-scale construction project. A critical vendor has informed you that they will be delayed by two months due to a raw material shortage. This risk was identified and recorded in the risk register with a contingency plan to use an alternative vendor. However, the alternative vendor's materials are more expensive and will increase project costs by 10%. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Request a change request to update the cost baseline and budget.. First, implement the contingency plan as it was pre-approved. Then, assess the cost impact to update the cost baseline through change control. Finally, communicate the situation to stakeholders. These steps align with PMI's risk and communication management.

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Instruct the team to work overtime to recover the schedule.

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Reject the vendor's notice and demand they meet the original deadline.

Question 3

You are closing a project that has delivered all scope successfully. Which THREE activities are essential to complete during the project closure phase?

Accepted Answer

Obtain formal acceptance of the final deliverables from the customer.. Project closure involves formal acceptance, archiving, and releasing resources. Lessons learned are documented throughout the project but are also reviewed at closure. These are key closure activities per PMI.

Answer

Conduct a performance review for each team member.

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Update the project schedule with actual finish dates.

Question 4

You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the product owner requests a new feature that was not in the backlog. The team estimates it will take one week. The project is on schedule and budget. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to the change control board for evaluation and approval.. Following PMI's change control process, any new feature must go through integrated change control to assess impact and obtain approval before implementation.

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Refuse the request because the project is already on schedule and budget.

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Add the feature to the product backlog and prioritize it in the next sprint planning.

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Instruct the team to start working on the feature immediately to maintain stakeholder satisfaction.

Question 5

Your project is in the execution phase and you discover that a key vendor will not deliver a critical component on time due to production issues. This risk was identified and documented in the risk register with a response plan to mitigate by having a backup vendor. However, the backup vendor requires a contract amendment that will take two weeks to approve. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Initiate the contract amendment process with the backup vendor while assessing schedule impact.. The risk has occurred, and the first step is to execute the planned risk response. Initiating the backup vendor contract amendment is the proactive action aligned with the risk response plan.

Answer

Inform the sponsor and stakeholders immediately about the delay and its impact.

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Update the risk register and document the issue without taking action yet.

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Ask the original vendor to expedite production even if it costs more.

Question 6

You are managing a construction project. During a quality audit, you find that the concrete used in the foundation does not meet the specified strength requirements. The team has already poured the concrete. The project is on a tight schedule, and rework will delay the project by three weeks. What should you do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to perform rework and update the project management plan accordingly.. Since the non-conformance has been identified, the next step is to create a corrective action request and follow the change control process to address the issue properly.

Answer

Reinforce the concrete to meet strength requirements without removing it.

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Instruct the team to continue work and document the deviation as a lesson learned.

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Replace the project manager responsible for quality control.

Question 7

During a daily standup, a developer mentions that a third-party API integration is more complex than anticipated and will take an extra two days. The sprint ends in four days. The product owner is not in the meeting. What should the scrum master do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Help the team assess the impact and discuss options to adjust the sprint backlog, then inform the product owner.. The scrum master should facilitate the team in adjusting the sprint backlog and then communicate the impact to the product owner for reprioritization.

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Escalate the issue to the project manager immediately.

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Remove the task from the sprint and add it to the backlog.

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Tell the developer to work overtime to complete the task on time.

Question 8

Your project's earned value analysis shows CPI = 0.85 and SPI = 0.90. The project is behind schedule and over budget. Several stakeholders are concerned about the viability of the project. What is the BEST course of action?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a variance analysis, identify root causes, and present a recovery plan to stakeholders.. With negative cost and schedule variances, the project manager should analyze root causes, develop a recovery plan, and submit a change request if needed. Updating the project management plan and communicating transparently with stakeholders is key.

Answer

Request additional budget from the sponsor to cover the overrun.

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Reduce scope by removing lower-priority features to cut costs.

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Re-baseline the project schedule and cost to reflect current performance.

Question 9

You are managing a project to develop a new mobile application using an agile approach. During the third sprint, two senior developers have a disagreement about the technical architecture to use for a feature. The disagreement is slowing down progress. Which TWO actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Organize a meeting with the developers to discuss pros and cons of each architecture.. The best approach is to facilitate a discussion to resolve the technical disagreement and, if needed, escalate to the architecture board. Avoiding the issue or forcing a decision without consensus is not recommended.

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Let the developers resolve the issue on their own without intervention.

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Make the decision yourself to save time and move forward.

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Remove one developer from the team to eliminate the conflict.

Question 10

Your project is in the planning phase, and you are developing the risk management plan. Which THREE tools or techniques should you use to identify risks?

Accepted Answer

SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats).. SWOT analysis (B) is a key tool for identifying risks because it examines the project from four angles—Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats—to uncover both internal and external risks. This technique is specifically listed in the PMBOK Guide as a data analysis technique for the Identify Risks process during planning.

Answer

Creating a risk register to document identified risks.

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Probability and impact matrix for ranking risks.

Question 11

Your project is using a hybrid approach with both predictive and agile elements. Mid-project, a key stakeholder requests a significant scope change that would affect the critical path. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Assess the impact on the critical path, schedule, cost, and quality.. PMI requires following the change control process: formally submit a change request, evaluate the impact on the critical path and project constraints, and communicate the impact to stakeholders before approval.

Answer

Add the change to the product backlog to be addressed in a future iteration.

Answer

Implement the change immediately since the stakeholder is key to project success.

Question 12

During a sprint retrospective, the team identifies that the daily standup meetings are taking too long and not focusing on impediments. Which TWO actions would help improve the effectiveness of the daily standup?

Accepted Answer

Time-box the standup to 15 minutes and use a talking stick.. Effective daily standups are time-boxed (e.g., 15 minutes) and focus on progress, plans, and impediments. Using a visual board helps keep the discussion focused.

Answer

Hold the standup without the scrum master to save time.

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Extend the standup to 30 minutes to allow more detailed discussion.

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Replace the standup with a written status report.

Question 13

Your project is running 15% over budget at the midpoint. Earned value analysis shows CPI = 0.87 and SPI = 1.02. The project is ahead of schedule but over budget. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Inform the sponsor and stakeholders about the cost performance and planned actions.. Option A is correct because the PMBOK Guide requires the project manager to proactively communicate cost performance and planned corrective actions to stakeholders and the sponsor, especially when the CPI is 0.87 (15% over budget). This transparency maintains trust and enables informed decision-making, such as approving a change request for additional funds or scope adjustments.

Answer

Reduce quality testing to cut costs.

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Request additional budget immediately to cover the overrun.

Question 14

During project execution, you receive a change request from a key stakeholder to add a new deliverable. The change would require additional resources and extend the schedule by two months. The project is currently on track. Which THREE actions should you take?

Accepted Answer

Document the change request and its disposition in the change log.. Proper change control requires evaluating the impact on the project management plan, updating the plan if approved, and ensuring all changes are documented. Communicating to stakeholders is also part of the process.

Answer

Ask the team to start working on the new deliverable while the change request is being reviewed.

Answer

Add the deliverable to the project scope without formal approval to satisfy the stakeholder.

Question 15

You are closing a project phase. Which THREE activities should be performed during the project closure process?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a lessons learned session with the team.. Project closure includes obtaining formal acceptance, archiving documents, and conducting lessons learned. Updating the risk register is done throughout the project, and team performance appraisals may be done separately.

Answer

Evaluate team member performance and provide feedback.

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Update the risk register with residual risks.