PMP Quick Quiz — 10 Questions

Question 1

Which THREE factors are most critical when selecting a conflict resolution technique for a project team? (Choose three.)

Accepted Answer

The personalities and relationship of the conflicting parties.. The personalities and relationship of the conflicting parties directly influence which conflict resolution technique (e.g., collaborating, compromising, avoiding) will be effective. A technique that works for a collaborative team may fail with highly competitive individuals, so understanding interpersonal dynamics is critical for selecting an approach that de-escalates rather than intensifies the conflict.

Answer

The cost of implementing the resolution technique.

Answer

The organizational hierarchy and reporting structure.

Question 2

You are the project manager for a software development project using a hybrid approach. Two senior developers have a disagreement about the technical approach for a critical feature. The conflict is causing delays and affecting team morale. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Meet with both developers individually to understand their perspectives, then facilitate a joint discussion. As a project manager using a hybrid approach, your first responsibility is to address the conflict through collaborative conflict resolution. Meeting individually with each developer to understand their perspectives, then facilitating a joint discussion, aligns with the PMI People domain's emphasis on emotional intelligence and servant leadership. This approach preserves team morale, leverages the expertise of both senior developers, and allows the team to reach a consensus on the technical approach, which is critical for a hybrid project where both agile and plan-driven elements require team buy-in.

Answer

Decide on the technical approach yourself and assign tasks accordingly

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision

Answer

Replace both developers with a single developer who agrees with the original plan

Question 3

You are managing a hybrid project to develop a new mobile app. During the daily stand-up, two senior developers get into a heated argument about the technical approach for integrating a third-party API. The disagreement is causing tension and delaying progress. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Schedule a meeting with both developers to listen to their perspectives and facilitate a resolution. It demonstrates effective conflict resolution by listening to both sides and facilitating a collaborative solution, aligning with the PM's role as a servant leader. Option A (ignore) avoids the conflict, which can worsen tension. Option B (escalate to functional managers) bypasses the team's ability to resolve their own conflict and may erode trust. Option D (decide yourself) is a forcing approach that ignores input and can damage team morale.

Answer

Ignore the argument and hope it resolves on its own

Answer

Escalate the issue to the functional managers of the developers

Answer

Decide on the technical approach yourself and assign tasks accordingly

Question 4

A project is running 15% over budget at its midpoint. The project manager determines that the variance is due to unexpected price increases in raw materials. The project sponsor asks the project manager to reduce the project scope to bring costs back in line. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request to reduce scope and assess the impact on the project.. The correct first step is to submit a change request to formally propose the scope reduction. This follows the change control process outlined in the PMBOK Guide, ensuring that scope changes are evaluated for impact on cost, schedule, quality, and risks before approval. Option B is incorrect because instructing the team to reduce scope without formal approval bypasses the change control board and may lead to unauthorized changes. Option C is incorrect because updating the risk register without addressing the cost variance does not resolve the issue. Option D is incorrect because asking for additional budget should only be considered after analyzing alternatives through a change request; the sponsor's request to reduce scope should be pursued first.

Answer

Instruct the team to reduce scope immediately.

Answer

Update the risk register and continue as planned.

Answer

Ask the sponsor for additional budget.

Question 5

You are managing a construction project using a traditional approach. The sponsor asks you to skip the quality inspection phase to save two weeks and meet an aggressive deadline. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Explain the risks of skipping quality inspections and discuss alternatives to meet the deadline. As a project manager, your first responsibility is to address the sponsor's request professionally by communicating the risks of skipping quality inspections—such as potential rework, safety failures, and cost overruns—and then collaboratively exploring alternatives (e.g., parallel testing, reduced sampling) to meet the deadline without compromising quality. This aligns with the PMP's emphasis on stakeholder engagement and proactive risk management, not blind compliance or refusal.

Answer

Agree to skip the inspections to satisfy the sponsor's request

Answer

Refuse outright because quality cannot be compromised

Answer

Proceed with inspections but report that they were completed

Question 6

A project manager is forming a new project team. The team includes members from diverse cultural backgrounds and different functional areas. Which team development model should the project manager use to guide the team through forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning?

Accepted Answer

Tuckman's stages of group development. Tuckman's stages of group development (forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning) is the correct model because it directly maps to the sequence described in the question. This model is specifically designed to guide project managers through the predictable phases a team goes through when forming, especially when members come from diverse cultural backgrounds and functional areas.

Answer

McClelland's theory of needs

Answer

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Answer

Herzberg's two-factor theory

Question 7

A stakeholder bypasses you and gives direct instructions to a team member to add a new report. The team member has already started working on it. What should the project manager do first?

Accepted Answer

Meet with the stakeholder to reinforce the change control process and request that all changes go through you. The correct first step is to meet with the stakeholder to reinforce the change control process and request that all changes go through you. This directly addresses the bypass while maintaining professional communication, and it aligns with the PMI's emphasis on managing stakeholder expectations and following the integrated change control process. The project manager must protect the team from unauthorized work and ensure any change is formally evaluated for impact on scope, schedule, and budget.

Answer

Ignore it to avoid conflict, but document the incident

Answer

Escalate to the sponsor that the stakeholder is interfering

Answer

Ask the team member to ignore the stakeholder's request and stop working

Question 8

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.

Answer

Probability and impact matrix for ranking risks.

Question 9

You are managing a large project with multiple stakeholders. One executive stakeholder has been bypassing you and giving direct instructions to the team, causing confusion. What should you do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Meet with the stakeholder privately to clarify the communication plan and request they go through you. The PM must first address the stakeholder directly to reinforce the established communication plan and authority structure. Bypassing the PM violates the project's governance and can lead to scope creep, conflicting priorities, and team confusion. A private meeting allows the PM to professionally assert their role as the single point of contact for the team, as defined in the communications management plan.

Answer

Tell the team to follow the stakeholder's instructions

Answer

Update the communication plan to include the stakeholder's direct involvement

Answer

Report the stakeholder to the project sponsor

Question 10

Your project is behind schedule, and you need to compress the schedule. The critical path has been identified. What is the BEST schedule compression technique to use if you have additional budget available?

Accepted Answer

Crashing. Crashing is the correct technique because it involves adding resources (e.g., overtime, additional staff, or expedited shipping) to critical path activities to compress the schedule, and the question explicitly states additional budget is available. Unlike fast tracking, crashing does not increase risk but does increase cost, making it the best choice when budget is not a constraint.

Answer

Fast tracking

Answer

Resource smoothing

Answer

Resource leveling