This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A project manager is leading a virtual team across four time zones. The project has entered the execution phase, and the project manager notices that team members are not collaborating effectively, and communication is becoming fragmented. What should the project manager do first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Review and update the communication management plan and set up a shared collaboration platform with clear guidelines
Option C is correct because the first step in resolving fragmented communication in a virtual team is to review and update the Communication Management Plan, which defines how information is shared, stored, and accessed. Setting up a shared collaboration platform with clear guidelines directly addresses the root cause—lack of structured communication channels and protocols—rather than applying a superficial or disruptive fix. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's principle of tailoring communication to the team's distributed environment.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Send a team-wide email reminding everyone to communicate more effectively
Why it's wrong here
A reminder alone does not address the process gap.
✗
Require all team members to work during the same core hours
Why it's wrong here
This may not be feasible across time zones and could reduce flexibility.
✓
Review and update the communication management plan and set up a shared collaboration platform with clear guidelines
Why this is correct
Proactive communication planning is key for virtual teams.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Schedule a team-building retreat to improve relationships
Why it's wrong here
While helpful, this is not the first step; process improvements should come first.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose Option B (core hours) because it seems practical, but the PMP exam emphasizes adapting to the team's constraints rather than forcing uniformity, and the first action should always be to review the plan before imposing changes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Communication Management Plan, as defined in PMBOK Guide 6th Edition (Section 10.1), includes escalation procedures, frequency of updates, and technology choices (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Jira). In a virtual team across four time zones, asynchronous communication tools like shared documents (Google Docs) and threaded messaging platforms reduce fragmentation by allowing team members to contribute at their own pace. A real-world scenario: a global software team using only email for updates faced delays; after implementing a Kanban board with daily stand-up summaries, collaboration improved by 40%.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the PMP exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PMP question in full detail.
People — Leading Projects — This question tests People — Leading Projects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Review and update the communication management plan and set up a shared collaboration platform with clear guidelines — Option C is correct because the first step in resolving fragmented communication in a virtual team is to review and update the Communication Management Plan, which defines how information is shared, stored, and accessed. Setting up a shared collaboration platform with clear guidelines directly addresses the root cause—lack of structured communication channels and protocols—rather than applying a superficial or disruptive fix. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's principle of tailoring communication to the team's distributed environment.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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