PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Test 9 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Your project is using a hybrid approach. An executive stakeholder has been bypassing you and giving direct instructions to the development team. The team is confused about priorities. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Speak privately with the executive stakeholder to remind them of the communication protocols and the impact of their actions on the team. The PM should address the issue directly with the stakeholder, reinforcing the communication plan and project governance.

Answer

Instruct the team to ignore any instructions that do not come through you

Answer

Update the communications management plan to include the stakeholder's preferred communication channels

Answer

Escalate the issue to the sponsor and request intervention

Question 2

During project closure, what is the most important activity the project manager should perform?

Accepted Answer

Conduct a lessons learned session and document findings for future projects. Lessons learned are a key part of project closure to improve future projects. PMI emphasizes capturing and sharing lessons learned.

Answer

Archive all project documents without review

Answer

Release all project resources immediately

Answer

Celebrate the team's success with a party

Question 3

Your construction project is experiencing resource levelling issues because a key piece of equipment is shared between two critical path activities. What is the best approach to resolve this?

Accepted Answer

Rent additional equipment to run both activities in parallel. Resource levelling can be resolved by adjusting the schedule or adding resources. The PM should evaluate options and communicate with stakeholders.

Answer

Ask the team to work overtime to complete one activity faster

Answer

Remove one activity from the critical path by re-sequencing

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Delay one of the activities until the equipment is available, which may extend the project schedule

Question 4

You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. Midway through, the customer requests a new feature that was not in the original scope. The team estimates it will add two weeks to the schedule. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request and conduct an impact analysis. Following PMI's guidelines, any change to scope must go through the change control process. The PM should assess the impact and submit a formal change request before any work begins.

Answer

Refuse the request, as the scope was already finalized

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Ask the team to start working on the feature to keep the customer happy

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

Question 5

During a construction project, a key vendor informs you that a critical component will be delayed by three weeks due to a raw material shortage. The component is on the project's critical path. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Check the risk register for the pre-planned risk response and implement it. The correct first action is to check the risk register for a pre-planned risk response. Since the component is on the critical path, any delay directly impacts the project completion date. A well-managed project would have identified this risk (raw material shortage) during planning and documented a response strategy (e.g., alternative sourcing, buffer stock). Implementing that pre-planned response is the most efficient and proactive step, aligning with the PMBOK Guide's guidance on executing risk responses.

Answer

Immediately inform the sponsor and ask for more budget to expedite the component

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Negotiate with the vendor to shorten the delay without additional cost

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Update the project schedule and inform stakeholders of the delay

Question 6

In a Scrum project, the development team consistently fails to complete all committed stories in each sprint. The daily stand-up meetings are running long and often devolve into problem-solving sessions. As the Scrum Master, what should you do?

Accepted Answer

Coach the team to keep the stand-up focused and time-boxed, and facilitate separate sessions for detailed discussions. The daily stand-up should be time-boxed and focused on coordination, not problem-solving. The Scrum Master should coach the team on the purpose and enforce time-boxing.

Answer

Add more stories to the sprint backlog to increase velocity

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Cancel the daily stand-up and replace it with email updates

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Allow the stand-up to run longer to ensure issues are resolved

Question 7

You are the project manager for a large IT infrastructure upgrade. An executive stakeholder has been bypassing you and directly assigning tasks to team members. This has caused confusion and rework. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a meeting with the executive stakeholder to discuss the impact of bypassing the PM and reinforce the communication plan. PMI emphasizes communication and stakeholder management. The PM should address the issue directly with the stakeholder, clarifying roles and the impact of bypassing the PM.

Answer

Update the stakeholder engagement plan and communicate the escalation path

Answer

Instruct the team members to ignore any requests from the executive

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor and request intervention

Question 8

During a project's execution phase, you discover that a team member has been delivering work that does not meet the quality standards defined in the quality management plan. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Review the quality reports and perform a root cause analysis to prevent recurrence. Quality issues should be addressed through the quality control process. The PM should investigate and implement corrective actions as per the plan.

Answer

Ask the team member to redo the work without further discussion

Answer

Escalate the issue to the human resources department

Answer

Update the quality management plan to lower the standards

Question 9

Your project is 40% complete, and the earned value analysis shows CPI = 0.85 and SPI = 0.90. The project budget is $500,000. What is the Estimate at Completion (EAC) assuming the current cost performance is expected to continue?

Accepted Answer

$588,235. When current cost performance is expected to continue, EAC = BAC/CPI. BAC = $500,000, CPI = 0.85, so EAC = $500,000 / 0.85 ≈ $588,235.

Answer

$625,000

Answer

$555,555

Answer

$500,000

Question 10

In a hybrid project, the team has been using both Kanban and traditional planning. The product owner requests that the team focus on completing all work in the current iteration before taking on new tasks. However, the team has been pulling new work as capacity allows. What is the BEST action for the project manager?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting between the product owner and the team to agree on the workflow and update the process accordingly. The hybrid approach should respect the agreed-upon framework. The PM should facilitate a discussion to align on the process and document the decision.

Answer

Instruct the team to follow the product owner's request immediately

Answer

Allow the team to continue as they are, since they are productive

Answer

Escalate to the project sponsor for a decision

Question 11

A new government regulation is announced that will impact your project's deliverables. The regulation requires additional compliance testing that was not in the original scope. The project is currently on schedule and within budget. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to formally assess and incorporate the new requirements. The PM should assess the impact of the regulation on the project and submit a change request to address it through the formal change control process.

Answer

Add the testing tasks to the project schedule and continue

Answer

Immediately implement the necessary changes to comply with the regulation

Answer

Inform the sponsor and ask for more budget and time

Question 12

During a sprint retrospective, several team members express frustration that the daily stand-ups are too long and not focused. As the Scrum Master, what is the BEST action to take?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a discussion on how to improve the stand-up and agree on a time-box and focus. The Scrum Master should coach the team on the purpose of the daily stand-up and help them improve its effectiveness.

Answer

Shorten the stand-up to 5 minutes regardless of the number of participants

Answer

Ask the product owner to attend the stand-up to enforce discipline

Answer

Cancel the stand-up and ask team members to send written updates

Question 13

Your project is using a predictive approach, and you are in the execution phase. A key stakeholder requests a minor change that you believe will improve the product but is not in the scope. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request and follow the Integrated Change Control process. Even minor changes must go through the change control process to maintain baseline integrity.

Answer

Implement the change and document it later

Answer

Refuse the change because the project is already in execution

Answer

Approve the change yourself since it is minor and will improve the product

Question 14

During project execution, a risk event that was identified and listed in the risk register occurs. The risk response plan includes a mitigation strategy. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Implement the risk response as defined in the risk register. When a risk occurs, the PM should implement the planned response and then update the project documents accordingly.

Answer

Re-evaluate the risk to see if the response is still valid

Answer

Update the risk register and lessons learned

Answer

Inform the sponsor immediately about the risk occurrence

Question 15

A project manager is leading a cross-functional team that includes members from different departments. Two senior developers have a conflict about the technical approach for a critical component. The conflict is causing delays. What should the project manager do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a meeting between the developers to discuss the pros and cons of each approach and reach consensus. The PM should facilitate a resolution by addressing the conflict directly and collaboratively.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the functional managers of the developers

Answer

Make the decision for the team to move forward

Answer

Ask the team to vote on the technical approach