The correct first step is to schedule a meeting with both developers to listen to their perspectives and facilitate a resolution. This approach aligns with the PMP exam’s emphasis on servant leadership and emotional intelligence, where the project manager acts as a facilitator rather than a dictator. By first seeking to understand the root cause of the technical argument, you avoid escalating prematurely or imposing a solution without collaboration, which would damage team trust. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your ability to apply conflict resolution techniques, specifically the “collaborate/problem-solve” mode from Thomas-Kilmann, and it often appears in questions about managing stakeholder expectations and team dynamics. A common trap is choosing to escalate to a sponsor or impose your own technical decision, but the correct path is always to listen first. Memory tip: “Listen before you leap” — the first step to resolve any technical argument is always to gather data through active listening.
PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
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?
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
✓
Schedule a meeting with both developers to listen to their perspectives and facilitate a resolution
Option C is correct because the PM should first listen to both sides to understand the root cause of the conflict before intervening. This aligns with servant leadership and emotional intelligence. Option A escalates too quickly without understanding the issue. Option B imposes a decision without collaboration. Option D avoids addressing the conflict directly.
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.
✗
Ignore the argument and hope it resolves on its own
Why it's wrong here
Avoidance is not a recommended conflict resolution technique; it can lead to escalation.
✗
Escalate the issue to the functional managers of the developers
Why it's wrong here
Escalating without first understanding the conflict bypasses the PM's responsibility to manage the team.
✓
Schedule a meeting with both developers to listen to their perspectives and facilitate a resolution
Why this is correct
Active listening and facilitated discussion help resolve conflicts while empowering team members.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Decide on the technical approach yourself and assign tasks accordingly
Why it's wrong here
Imposing a solution without team input undermines collaboration and may not address the root cause.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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.
Identify which PMP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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: Schedule a meeting with both developers to listen to their perspectives and facilitate a resolution — Option C is correct because the PM should first listen to both sides to understand the root cause of the conflict before intervening. This aligns with servant leadership and emotional intelligence. Option A escalates too quickly without understanding the issue. Option B imposes a decision without collaboration. Option D avoids addressing the conflict directly.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which PMP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. You are managing a hybrid software development project. During the daily stand-up, two senior developers get into a heated argument about the best technical approach for a critical feature. The argument is delaying the meeting and causing tension. As the project manager, what should you do first?
medium
A.Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision
B.Let the team resolve the conflict on their own without intervention
C.Decide on the technical approach yourself to move forward quickly
✓ D.Intervene, acknowledge both perspectives, and schedule a separate meeting to resolve the conflict
Why D: Option B is correct because the PM should address conflict early and privately to avoid escalation and maintain team focus. Option A is wrong because ignoring conflict can worsen it. Option C is wrong because escalating to the sponsor bypasses the team's autonomy. Option D is wrong because making a unilateral decision may reduce team ownership.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
Question Discussion
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