- A
Conduct daily stand-up meetings to clarify tasks.
Why wrong: Helpful but does not replace a formal responsibility assignment.
- B
Require team members to create their own task lists and share them.
Why wrong: May lead to inconsistencies and overlaps.
- C
Assign tasks based on seniority and expertise.
Why wrong: Does not clarify responsibilities comprehensively.
- D
Develop a responsibility assignment matrix (RACI) at the start of the project.
Clearly defines who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed.
Question 513 of 892
PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
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.
During a project retrospective, the team identifies that many tasks were delayed because team members were unsure of their responsibilities. What is the most effective way for the project manager to prevent this in future projects?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Develop a responsibility assignment matrix (RACI) at the start of the project.
Option D is correct because a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RACI) formally defines roles and responsibilities for each task or deliverable at the start of the project, eliminating ambiguity. This proactive approach ensures every team member knows who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, directly preventing the confusion that caused delays in the retrospective.
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.
- ✗
Conduct daily stand-up meetings to clarify tasks.
Why it's wrong here
Helpful but does not replace a formal responsibility assignment.
- ✗
Require team members to create their own task lists and share them.
Why it's wrong here
May lead to inconsistencies and overlaps.
- ✗
Assign tasks based on seniority and expertise.
Why it's wrong here
Does not clarify responsibilities comprehensively.
- ✓
Develop a responsibility assignment matrix (RACI) at the start of the project.
Why this is correct
Clearly defines who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose Option A (daily stand-ups) because they are a familiar Agile practice, but the question asks for the most effective way to *prevent* the issue in *future projects*, which requires a proactive planning tool like RACI, not a reactive daily meeting.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The RACI matrix is a key tool in the Plan Resource Management process (PMBOK Guide) and is part of the project's resource management plan. Under the hood, it maps each work package to four roles: Responsible (the doer), Accountable (the approver, only one per task), Consulted (those providing input), and Informed (those kept in the loop). A real-world scenario where this matters is a cross-functional software release: without a RACI, a developer might assume a tester is responsible for validating a feature, while the tester thinks the developer is handling it, leading to missed defects and delays.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
People — Leading Projects — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PMP question test?
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: Develop a responsibility assignment matrix (RACI) at the start of the project. — Option D is correct because a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RACI) formally defines roles and responsibilities for each task or deliverable at the start of the project, eliminating ambiguity. This proactive approach ensures every team member knows who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, directly preventing the confusion that caused delays in the retrospective.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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