Sample questions
Certified Associate in Project Management CAPM practice questions
Which THREE factors should a business analyst consider when selecting an elicitation technique for a project?
Trap 1: Project manager's preference
Selection should be based on project needs, not personal preference.
Trap 2: Cost of the technique
Cost is secondary to effectiveness; technique selection focuses on fit.
- A
Availability of stakeholders
Stakeholder availability influences technique choice (e.g., workshops vs surveys).
- B
Project manager's preference
Why wrong: Selection should be based on project needs, not personal preference.
- C
Type of information needed
Different techniques elicit different types of information (process, data, rules).
- D
Cost of the technique
Why wrong: Cost is secondary to effectiveness; technique selection focuses on fit.
- E
Level of detail required
Some techniques provide high-level overview, others detailed specifics.
Drag and drop the steps for conducting a procurement process in the correct order.
Drag steps to the numbered slots on the right, or tap a step then tap a slot.
Drag and drop the steps for controlling project changes according to the integrated change control process.
Drag steps to the numbered slots on the right, or tap a step then tap a slot.
Drag and drop the steps for managing project quality in the correct order.
Drag steps to the numbered slots on the right, or tap a step then tap a slot.
Drag and drop the steps for closing a project phase or project in the correct order.
Drag steps to the numbered slots on the right, or tap a step then tap a slot.
Drag and drop the steps for managing project communications in the correct order.
Drag steps to the numbered slots on the right, or tap a step then tap a slot.
A business analyst is selecting a business analysis framework for a small project with limited budget. Which framework characteristic is most important to consider?
Trap 1: Alignment with industry standards
Industry standards may not be cost-effective for small projects.
Trap 2: Comprehensiveness to cover all possible scenarios
Comprehensive frameworks may be too heavy for small projects.
Trap 3: Integration with existing project management tools
Tool integration is helpful but not the most important for framework selection.
- A
Scalability to fit the project size and complexity
Scalability allows the framework to be adapted without waste.
- B
Alignment with industry standards
Why wrong: Industry standards may not be cost-effective for small projects.
- C
Comprehensiveness to cover all possible scenarios
Why wrong: Comprehensive frameworks may be too heavy for small projects.
- D
Integration with existing project management tools
Why wrong: Tool integration is helpful but not the most important for framework selection.
A business analyst is facilitating a workshop to define the scope of a new customer relationship management (CRM) system. The project manager insists on including a feature that automates email campaigns, but the BA has identified that this feature is outside the agreed budget and timeline. The product owner supports the feature because it was requested by a key customer. What should the BA do first?
Trap 1: Reject the feature because it exceeds the budget.
The BA should not unilaterally reject a feature without stakeholder consensus.
Trap 2: Add the feature to the backlog but flag it as out of scope.
This does not resolve the conflict and may lead to scope creep.
Trap 3: Request a budget increase from the project sponsor.
The BA should first explore options and gain agreement before escalating.
- A
Facilitate a prioritization session with all stakeholders to discuss trade-offs.
Collaborative prioritization helps stakeholders make informed decisions about scope.
- B
Reject the feature because it exceeds the budget.
Why wrong: The BA should not unilaterally reject a feature without stakeholder consensus.
- C
Add the feature to the backlog but flag it as out of scope.
Why wrong: This does not resolve the conflict and may lead to scope creep.
- D
Request a budget increase from the project sponsor.
Why wrong: The BA should first explore options and gain agreement before escalating.
A project manager is leading a software development project. The sponsor has requested a new feature that was not part of the original scope. The project manager assesses that adding this feature will require additional resources and will extend the timeline by two weeks. What should the project manager do first?
Trap 1: Refuse the request because it is out of scope.
A project manager should not refuse without analysis; a change request process should be followed.
Trap 2: Instruct the team to implement the feature and track extra time as…
Implementing without approval violates change control processes.
Trap 3: Immediately update the project schedule and budget.
Changes should go through formal change control before updating baselines.
- A
Refuse the request because it is out of scope.
Why wrong: A project manager should not refuse without analysis; a change request process should be followed.
- B
Analyze the impact on the project constraints and submit a change request.
The PM should analyze impact and then submit a change request for approval.
- C
Instruct the team to implement the feature and track extra time as overtime.
Why wrong: Implementing without approval violates change control processes.
- D
Immediately update the project schedule and budget.
Why wrong: Changes should go through formal change control before updating baselines.
Which TWO of the following are characteristics of a predictive life cycle?
Trap 1: Changes are welcomed and incorporated at any time
Predictive life cycles discourage changes; they are managed through change control.
Trap 2: Requirements are gathered incrementally throughout the project
This is typical of adaptive life cycles.
Trap 3: Deliverables are developed through multiple iterations
Iterative development is characteristic of adaptive or iterative life cycles.
- A
Scope is defined at the beginning of the project
Predictive life cycles require detailed scope definition early.
- B
Changes are welcomed and incorporated at any time
Why wrong: Predictive life cycles discourage changes; they are managed through change control.
- C
Requirements are gathered incrementally throughout the project
Why wrong: This is typical of adaptive life cycles.
- D
Deliverables are developed through multiple iterations
Why wrong: Iterative development is characteristic of adaptive or iterative life cycles.
- E
Detailed planning is performed for the entire project
Predictive life cycles involve comprehensive upfront planning.
A project manager is reviewing the project's cost performance. The actual cost (AC) is $50,000, the earned value (EV) is $45,000, and the planned value (PV) is $60,000. What is the cost variance (CV)?
Trap 1: $5,000
Positive $5,000 would indicate under budget, but EV < AC.
Trap 2: -$15,000
This would be PV - AC, not CV.
Trap 3: $10,000
This is the schedule variance (SV = EV - PV).
- A
$5,000
Why wrong: Positive $5,000 would indicate under budget, but EV < AC.
- B
-$15,000
Why wrong: This would be PV - AC, not CV.
- C
-$5,000
CV = EV - AC = -$5,000.
- D
$10,000
Why wrong: This is the schedule variance (SV = EV - PV).
A project team is experiencing frequent changes in requirements. The project manager wants to minimize disruptions. Which approach is best to manage changes effectively?
Trap 1: Freeze requirements after initial sign-off.
Freezing is unrealistic in many projects and may not satisfy stakeholders.
Trap 2: Let the team implement changes as they come.
This leads to scope creep and loss of control.
Trap 3: Communicate changes to stakeholders after implementation.
Changes should be approved before implementation, not just communicated after.
- A
Freeze requirements after initial sign-off.
Why wrong: Freezing is unrealistic in many projects and may not satisfy stakeholders.
- B
Establish a change control board and process.
A formal process ensures changes are reviewed and approved before implementation.
- C
Let the team implement changes as they come.
Why wrong: This leads to scope creep and loss of control.
- D
Communicate changes to stakeholders after implementation.
Why wrong: Changes should be approved before implementation, not just communicated after.
A project manager is estimating activity durations for a software development project. The team has historical data from similar projects, but the current project involves new technology that could cause delays. Which estimating technique should the project manager use to account for uncertainty?
Trap 1: Parametric estimating
Uses statistical relationships, not uncertainty ranges.
Trap 2: Analogous estimating
Uses similar projects, less accurate.
Trap 3: Bottom-up estimating
Detailed but does not handle uncertainty explicitly.
- A
Parametric estimating
Why wrong: Uses statistical relationships, not uncertainty ranges.
- B
Analogous estimating
Why wrong: Uses similar projects, less accurate.
- C
Three-point estimating
Incorporates uncertainty via three values.
- D
Bottom-up estimating
Why wrong: Detailed but does not handle uncertainty explicitly.
A project manager is creating the project schedule. The team estimates that the optimistic time for an activity is 10 days, the pessimistic time is 30 days, and the most likely time is 15 days. Using PERT three-point estimation, what is the expected duration?
Trap 1: 18.33 days
This might result from using a different formula.
Trap 2: 20.00 days
This is the average of optimistic and pessimistic.
Trap 3: 15.00 days
This is just the most likely time.
- A
16.67 days
Correct calculation using PERT formula.
- B
18.33 days
Why wrong: This might result from using a different formula.
- C
20.00 days
Why wrong: This is the average of optimistic and pessimistic.
- D
15.00 days
Why wrong: This is just the most likely time.
In Kanban, the team is experiencing frequent bottlenecks at the testing stage. Which practice should they adopt to improve flow?
Trap 1: Increase the batch size of work items.
Larger batches increase variability and delay feedback.
Trap 2: Conduct daily stand-up meetings.
Stand-ups are not a direct remedy for bottlenecks.
Trap 3: Add more testers to the testing phase.
Adding capacity may mask the underlying process issue.
- A
Increase the batch size of work items.
Why wrong: Larger batches increase variability and delay feedback.
- B
Conduct daily stand-up meetings.
Why wrong: Stand-ups are not a direct remedy for bottlenecks.
- C
Add more testers to the testing phase.
Why wrong: Adding capacity may mask the underlying process issue.
- D
Limit the WIP at each stage, especially testing.
WIP limits expose bottlenecks and encourage flow.
During the requirements elicitation for a new software system, the business analyst (BA) conducts a series of interviews with stakeholders. After the first interview, the BA realizes that the questions are too technical and the stakeholders are struggling to provide clear requirements. What should the BA do to improve the elicitation process?
Trap 1: Continue with the same questions but provide a glossary of…
A glossary may help but does not address the root cause of overly technical questions.
Trap 2: Replace interviews with a review of existing documentation.
Documentation may not capture current or future needs and misses stakeholder interaction.
Trap 3: Reduce the number of stakeholders to only those with technical…
This may exclude key business stakeholders and lead to incomplete requirements.
- A
Continue with the same questions but provide a glossary of technical terms.
Why wrong: A glossary may help but does not address the root cause of overly technical questions.
- B
Revise the interview questions to be more open-ended and focus on business outcomes.
Open-ended questions encourage stakeholders to share needs in their own words, improving clarity.
- C
Replace interviews with a review of existing documentation.
Why wrong: Documentation may not capture current or future needs and misses stakeholder interaction.
- D
Reduce the number of stakeholders to only those with technical backgrounds.
Why wrong: This may exclude key business stakeholders and lead to incomplete requirements.
A software development team is transitioning from a plan-driven approach to Scrum. The Product Owner is enthusiastic but struggles to break down the product backlog into small, independent items. The team frequently encounters dependencies between user stories, causing delays in sprints. What is the best course of action for the Scrum Master to address this issue?
Trap 1: Have the team self-organize to handle dependencies by assigning a…
Self-organization alone does not address the need for smaller, independent stories.
Trap 2: Increase the sprint duration to allow more time to resolve…
Longer sprints may hide the problem but do not eliminate dependencies.
Trap 3: Ask developers to manage dependencies during the sprint by…
This places the burden on the team without solving the underlying backlog decomposition issue.
- A
Coach the Product Owner on how to split user stories to minimize dependencies.
Proper story splitting reduces dependencies and improves sprint flow.
- B
Have the team self-organize to handle dependencies by assigning a dependency owner.
Why wrong: Self-organization alone does not address the need for smaller, independent stories.
- C
Increase the sprint duration to allow more time to resolve dependencies.
Why wrong: Longer sprints may hide the problem but do not eliminate dependencies.
- D
Ask developers to manage dependencies during the sprint by coordinating with other teams.
Why wrong: This places the burden on the team without solving the underlying backlog decomposition issue.
Which TWO are Scrum artifacts? (Choose two.)
Trap 1: Kanban Board
Kanban board is used in Kanban, not a Scrum artifact.
Trap 2: User Story
User stories are a format for describing requirements, not a Scrum artifact.
Trap 3: Gantt Chart
Gantt charts are used in traditional project management.
- A
Kanban Board
Why wrong: Kanban board is used in Kanban, not a Scrum artifact.
- B
User Story
Why wrong: User stories are a format for describing requirements, not a Scrum artifact.
- C
Product Backlog
The Product Backlog is an ordered list of work for the product.
- D
Sprint Backlog
The Sprint Backlog is the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint.
- E
Gantt Chart
Why wrong: Gantt charts are used in traditional project management.
During project execution, a key stakeholder requests a change that would add a new feature to the product. The project manager evaluates the impact on scope, schedule, and cost. According to the change management plan, which step should the project manager take first?
Trap 1: Submit the change request to the change control board (CCB) for…
The impact must be assessed before submitting to CCB.
Trap 2: Implement the change and document it later
Changes must follow the change control process and be approved before implementation.
Trap 3: Reject the change because it was not part of the original scope
Changes should be evaluated through the formal process, not automatically rejected.
- A
Analyze the impact of the change on the project constraints
Impact analysis is the first step to understand the effects of the change.
- B
Submit the change request to the change control board (CCB) for approval
Why wrong: The impact must be assessed before submitting to CCB.
- C
Implement the change and document it later
Why wrong: Changes must follow the change control process and be approved before implementation.
- D
Reject the change because it was not part of the original scope
Why wrong: Changes should be evaluated through the formal process, not automatically rejected.
A project manager is defining the business analysis approach for a new product development project. The stakeholders are distributed across different time zones and have varying levels of availability. The project manager needs to ensure that requirements are elicited efficiently and that all stakeholders have an opportunity to provide input. Which business analysis framework should the project manager recommend?
Trap 1: Lean framework
Lean focuses on waste reduction and value stream mapping, not specifically on stakeholder collaboration across time zones.
Trap 2: Six Sigma framework
Six Sigma is primarily for process improvement and quality control, not for requirements elicitation in distributed settings.
Trap 3: Waterfall framework
Waterfall requires sequential phases and heavy upfront documentation, making it less adaptable to scheduling challenges.
- A
Lean framework
Why wrong: Lean focuses on waste reduction and value stream mapping, not specifically on stakeholder collaboration across time zones.
- B
Six Sigma framework
Why wrong: Six Sigma is primarily for process improvement and quality control, not for requirements elicitation in distributed settings.
- C
Waterfall framework
Why wrong: Waterfall requires sequential phases and heavy upfront documentation, making it less adaptable to scheduling challenges.
- D
Agile framework
Agile emphasizes iterative collaboration, frequent feedback, and flexible stakeholder involvement, which suits distributed teams with varying availability.
Match each project management process group to its primary purpose.
Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.
Define a new project or phase
Establish scope and plan actions
Complete work defined in plan
Track progress and manage changes
Finalize activities and close project
Match each knowledge area to its primary process.
Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.
Collect Requirements
Develop Schedule
Estimate Costs
Identify Risks
Plan Communications
Match each project document to its description.
Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.
Authorizes the project and assigns PM
Comprehensive plan for execution
Hierarchical decomposition of work
List of identified risks and responses
Documents and tracks project issues
Match each project management methodology to its characteristic.
Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.
Sequential phases with little iteration
Iterative and incremental delivery
Time-boxed sprints with daily standups
Visual workflow with WIP limits
Process-based with defined roles
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