PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Test 6 — 15 Questions

Question 1

During a project execution phase, two senior team members have a conflict over the technical approach. The conflict is causing delays. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Meet with each team member separately to understand their perspectives. Option A is correct because the PM should first understand the issue through direct conversation with the individuals. Option B is wrong because it may escalate the issue unnecessarily. Option C is wrong because it avoids finding a solution. Option D is wrong because it does not address the root cause.

Answer

Escalate the conflict to the functional manager

Answer

Decide on the technical approach yourself and direct the team to implement it

Answer

Bring the team members together in a meeting and mediate a discussion

Question 2

A new regulatory requirement has been introduced that affects your project's deliverables. The requirement must be implemented within the current timeline. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Assess the impact on the project and submit a change request through change control. Option C is correct because the PM must analyze the impact on scope, schedule, and cost, then submit a change request. Option A is wrong because it ignores the requirement. Option B is wrong because it may not be necessary to change the entire plan. Option D is wrong because the PM should not implement changes without approval.

Answer

Direct the team to incorporate the requirement immediately to avoid non-compliance

Answer

Ignore the requirement since the project is already underway

Answer

Update the project management plan to include the new requirement

Question 3

In an agile project, the product owner frequently changes priorities within a sprint, causing the team to lose focus and velocity to drop. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a retrospective where the team can discuss the impact of changing priorities and agree on a process. Option B is correct because the retrospective is the appropriate forum for the team to raise process issues. Option A is wrong because the PM should not unilaterally restrict the product owner. Option C is wrong because involving the sponsor may be premature. Option D is wrong because it violates the sprint commitment concept.

Answer

Ask the team to accommodate the changes and work overtime to meet the original commitment

Answer

Escalate to the project sponsor that the product owner is interfering with the team

Answer

Tell the product owner that scope changes are not allowed during a sprint

Question 4

Your project is executing a major software upgrade. A key stakeholder requests a significant scope change that would require additional funding and extend the timeline. Which TWO actions should you take first?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to the change control board. Options A and D are correct. According to PMI, any scope change must go through the change control process (A) and the impact must be documented and analyzed (D). Option B is wrong because the PM should not refuse outright without analysis. Option C is wrong because the PM should not implement without approval. Option E is wrong because it bypasses the change control board.

Answer

Add the change to the product backlog without formal approval

Answer

Instruct the team to begin work on the change immediately

Answer

Politely decline the request because the project is already underway

Question 5

In a hybrid project, the team is experiencing frequent interruptions from support requests that are not part of the project scope. The project manager wants to protect the team's focus. Which THREE actions should the project manager take?

Accepted Answer

Update the risk register to reflect the ongoing risk of interruptions. Options A, C, and E are correct. Documenting and escalating support requests (A) ensures they are addressed properly. Updating the risk register (C) captures the ongoing risk. Rebasing the schedule (E) accounts for the impact. Option B is wrong because ignoring interruptions does not solve the problem. Option D is wrong because the PM should not reassign team members without considering project priorities.

Answer

Reassign a team member to handle all support requests full-time

Answer

Ask the team to continue handling support requests as they come

Question 6

During project closure, the project manager is conducting lessons learned. The team identifies that poor communication with a remote team caused rework. Which THREE actions should the project manager take to ensure continuous improvement?

Accepted Answer

Update the organizational process assets with the lessons learned. Options B, C, and E are correct. Documenting lessons learned (B) is a standard closure activity. Updating the organizational process assets (C) ensures future projects benefit. Revising the communications management plan (E) for future projects addresses the root cause. Option A is wrong because the project is closing, so modifying the current plan is not appropriate. Option D is wrong because the conflict has already occurred; the team should focus on documentation.

Answer

Update the current project's communications management plan to prevent further issues

Answer

Facilitate a conflict resolution session between the remote and local teams

Question 7

You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the customer is delighted with the progress but requests a new feature that would require significant rework of the current sprint's deliverable. The feature is not in the backlog. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request, assess the impact on schedule and cost, and seek approval from the change control board. Per PMI, any change to scope must go through the formal change control process. The project manager must assess the impact and obtain approval before proceeding. Ignoring the request or implementing it without approval violates the change management plan.

Answer

Add the feature to the product backlog and prioritize it for the next sprint

Answer

Inform the customer that no changes can be made at this stage

Answer

Work with the team to incorporate the feature immediately to maintain customer satisfaction

Question 8

A project manager is leading a construction project. The critical path has a total float of zero. A key supplier notifies you that a critical component will be delayed by two weeks, which will push the project beyond its deadline. The risk was identified and a mitigation plan exists. What should the PM do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Implement the mitigation plan from the risk register. Per PMI, when a risk occurs, the PM should implement the agreed-upon response plan. If that plan is not sufficient, then escalate. But the first step is to execute the mitigation.

Answer

Immediately escalate the issue to the project sponsor

Answer

Accept the delay and update the project schedule

Answer

Crash the schedule by adding resources to other tasks

Question 9

During a daily standup, a developer mentions a technical issue that will likely delay a user story by three days. What is the BEST action for the Scrum Master to take?

Accepted Answer

Record the impediment and work with the developer after the standup to resolve it. The daily standup is for identification, not problem-solving. The Scrum Master should facilitate a separate discussion after the standup to resolve the issue without holding up the team.

Answer

Tell the developer to escalate to the project manager

Answer

Ask the team to stay after the standup to solve the problem immediately

Answer

Assign the issue to the product owner for prioritization

Question 10

A project manager is reviewing the earned value report. The SPI is 0.85 and the CPI is 0.90. The project is behind schedule and over budget. Several team members are working overtime to catch up. What should the PM do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a root cause analysis of the cost and schedule variances. Before taking corrective action, the PM should analyze the root cause of the variances. Simply ordering more overtime or requesting more budget without understanding the cause is not effective.

Answer

Mandate mandatory overtime for all team members

Answer

Request additional budget from the sponsor

Answer

Rebaseline the project schedule and budget

Question 11

Your project is in the execution phase. An executive stakeholder has been directly assigning tasks to team members without going through you. Several team members are confused about priorities. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Speak with the stakeholder privately to explain the impact of bypassing the PM and reinforce the communication plan. PMI emphasizes communication and stakeholder engagement. The PM should address the issue directly with the stakeholder to clarify the communication protocol and the impact of bypassing the PM.

Answer

Update the stakeholder engagement plan to reduce the stakeholder's influence

Answer

Ignore the issue and try to align the team's priorities yourself

Answer

Inform the sponsor about the stakeholder's behavior

Question 12

A project manager is working on a predictive project. A team member identifies a risk that was not previously identified. The risk has a low probability but high impact. What should the PM do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Add the risk to the risk register and assess its impact. Per PMI, any new risk should be documented in the risk register, and then the PM should plan a response. The first step is to add it to the register.

Answer

Escalate the risk to the project sponsor

Answer

Accept the risk because it has low probability

Answer

Implement a contingency plan immediately

Question 13

During a sprint retrospective, a team member complains that the daily standups are too long and unproductive. Several others agree. What is the BEST action for the Scrum Master to take?

Accepted Answer

Ask the team to propose improvements to the standup format and agree on changes. The retrospective is the appropriate place to discuss process improvements. The Scrum Master should facilitate a discussion to modify the standup format based on the team's feedback.

Answer

Enforce a strict 15-minute timebox for future standups

Answer

Cancel the daily standups and replace them with written status reports

Answer

Move the standup to a later time when team members are more focused

Question 14

A project manager is managing a hybrid project. The team is two weeks into a four-week iteration when the product owner asks to reprioritize the backlog to include a critical regulatory requirement that was just announced. The change will impact the current iteration goal. What should the PM do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Assess the impact of the change on the iteration goal and discuss with the product owner and team to decide on the best course of action. In a hybrid project, scope changes should still follow a change control process. The PM must assess the impact on the iteration goal and schedule, then facilitate a decision with the product owner and team.

Answer

Tell the product owner that the current iteration commitment cannot be changed

Answer

Immediately add the requirement to the iteration backlog and adjust the sprint goal

Answer

Escalate to the project sponsor for a decision

Question 15

A project is 60% complete. The earned value (EV) is $120,000, the planned value (PV) is $150,000, and the actual cost (AC) is $130,000. What is the cost performance index (CPI) and what does it indicate?

Accepted Answer

CPI = 0.92; the project is over budget. CPI = EV/AC = $120,000/$130,000 = 0.92. A CPI less than 1 indicates the project is over budget.

Answer

CPI = 0.80; the project is under budget

Answer

CPI = 1.08; the project is under budget

Answer

CPI = 0.92; the project is behind schedule