The answer is to review and reinforce the team charter with the team, emphasizing agreed-upon behavioral norms, and to address the conflict directly with the involved parties. This is correct because the team charter is a foundational governance document that establishes ground rules for communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution, making it the first tool to reference when behavioral norms are violated. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the "Manage Team" process and the proactive use of team charters to prevent and resolve interpersonal conflicts, a common trap being the temptation to escalate or reassign before exhausting internal remedies. Remember, the charter is your first line of defense—think of it as the team’s constitution, not a decoration. Memory tip: "Charter first, escalate last."
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 with a co-located core team and remote subject matter experts. Two senior developers argue daily about the technical approach for a critical module. The conflict is delaying sprint planning and affecting team morale. Which TWO actions should you take 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
✓
Facilitate a private meeting between the two developers to understand their perspectives and guide them toward a resolution
Option A is correct because addressing the conflict directly is essential. Option D is correct because a team charter establishes ground rules for behavior. Option B is wrong because reassigning the senior developers may not address root cause. Option C is wrong as it avoids the issue. Option E is wrong because escalating without resolution attempts is premature. (Note: correct answers are A and D)
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.
✗
Reassign one developer to a different module to reduce interaction
Why it's wrong here
This avoids the underlying issue and may not be feasible.
✓
Facilitate a private meeting between the two developers to understand their perspectives and guide them toward a resolution
Why this is correct
Direct conflict resolution is a core PM responsibility and aligns with servant leadership.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Ignore the conflict and hope it resolves on its own
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring conflict typically worsens it.
✗
Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for a decision
Why it's wrong here
Escalating without trying to resolve first bypasses PM authority.
✓
Review and reinforce the team charter with the team, emphasizing agreed-upon behavioral norms
Why this is correct
The team charter sets expectations and can help prevent future conflicts.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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: Facilitate a private meeting between the two developers to understand their perspectives and guide them toward a resolution — Option A is correct because addressing the conflict directly is essential. Option D is correct because a team charter establishes ground rules for behavior. Option B is wrong because reassigning the senior developers may not address root cause. Option C is wrong as it avoids the issue. Option E is wrong because escalating without resolution attempts is premature. (Note: correct answers are A and D)
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 project with a critical deliverable due in two weeks. Two senior developers on your team have a strong disagreement over the technical approach. They have stopped speaking to each other, and the team's progress has stalled. What should you do FIRST?
medium
A.Enforce a team policy that all technical decisions must be approved by you
B.Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for resolution
C.Reassign the work to other team members to avoid further conflict
✓ D.Meet with each developer separately to understand their perspectives and facilitate a joint discussion
Why D: Option D is correct because, as a project manager, your first responsibility in a conflict is to understand each party's perspective individually and then facilitate a collaborative resolution. This approach aligns with the PMP's 'Manage Conflict' process, which emphasizes direct, respectful communication before escalating or imposing solutions. By meeting separately and then jointly, you address the root cause—the technical disagreement—while preserving team cohesion and ownership of the solution.
Variation 2. A project manager is leading a cross-functional team where two key members have conflicting priorities. One member insists on following a strict process, while the other wants to expedite delivery. The project manager needs to resolve the conflict to keep the project on track. Which approach is most effective?
medium
A.Enforce the strict process to ensure quality.
B.Suggest a compromise where both give up some requirements.
✓ C.Facilitate a meeting to discuss both perspectives and find a solution that meets core needs.
D.Ignore the conflict and hope it resolves itself.
Why C: Option C is correct because facilitating a meeting to discuss both perspectives aligns with the PMP's 'Manage Conflict' process under the 'People' domain. This collaborative approach, known as 'collaborating' or 'problem-solving,' seeks a win-win solution that addresses the core needs of both team members—ensuring quality while meeting delivery timelines—without forcing a compromise that dilutes value or ignoring the issue.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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This PMP practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PMP exam.
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