PMI-RMP Practice Questions

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a common risk identification technique?

Accepted Answer

Risk response planning. Risk response planning is part of the Plan Risk Responses process, which occurs after risk identification is complete — it is not an identification technique. Identification techniques generate the list of risks, while response planning determines what to do about them. SWOT analysis, brainstorming, and checklist analysis are all standard identification tools listed in PMBOK.

Answer

SWOT analysis

Answer

Brainstorming

Answer

Checklist analysis

Question 2

You are the risk manager on a multi-year pharmaceutical construction program. The program sponsor has approved a risk management plan, but during the first monthly risk review you notice the team is documenting risks without linking them to the program's strategic objectives. The program director asks you to make the risk process more strategically aligned. Which action best ensures the risk management effort directly supports the program's strategic objectives?

Accepted Answer

Update the Risk Breakdown Structure to reflect the program's strategic objectives and use it to guide risk identification and reporting.. Strategic alignment is achieved when the risk taxonomy mirrors the program's objectives, making traceability explicit. The Risk Breakdown Structure, when tailored to strategic goals, becomes the mechanism that guides identification, assessment, and reporting so every risk can be linked to a business outcome. Simulation, escalation, and quantitative modeling address different problems and do not create the missing strategic linkage.

Answer

Perform a Monte Carlo simulation on the program schedule to quantify strategic exposure.

Answer

Escalate all unresolved risks to the program steering committee for prioritization.

Answer

Replace the qualitative risk assessment with a quantitative cost-risk analysis.

Question 3

A project manager is updating the risk register. Which of the following is the most important element to include for a newly identified risk?

Accepted Answer

The risk description and its potential impact. When a risk is first identified and added to the risk register, the foundational entries are a clear description of the risk event and its potential impact on project objectives. Without these, the risk cannot be analyzed, prioritized, or assigned. Other elements like cost of mitigation, risk score, and owner are populated later during qualitative/quantitative analysis and response planning. Thus, the description and impact are the most critical initial elements.

Answer

The cost of mitigation

Answer

The risk score

Answer

The name of the risk owner

Question 4

Which THREE criteria are commonly used to prioritize risks for reporting in a dashboard?

Accepted Answer

Probability of occurrence. Option C (Probability of occurrence) is correct because risk prioritization typically begins with assessing how likely a risk is to happen, often expressed as a likelihood rating or percentage, so that more probable risks receive higher reporting priority. Option D (Impact on project objectives) is correct because the severity of consequences on scope, schedule, cost, or quality determines how damaging a risk would be, and high-impact risks warrant prominent dashboard visibility. Option E (Urgency of the risk event) is correct because the time frame in which a risk must be addressed affects prioritization; near-term risks require immediate attention and are ranked higher than those with longer horizons. Option A (The name of the software used for tracking) is not a prioritization criterion because the tracking tool is merely an administrative detail and does not reflect risk severity or likelihood. Option B (The birth date of the risk owner) is irrelevant personal information and has no bearing on how a risk should be ranked for reporting.

Answer

The name of the software used for tracking

Answer

The birth date of the risk owner

Question 5

When a risk response is found to be ineffective during an audit, what is the next step?

Accepted Answer

Revise the risk response plan and update the register. When an audit reveals that a risk response is ineffective, the correct action is to revise the risk response plan and update the risk register to reflect the new approach, reassessed probability/impact, and revised ownership. This closes the loop on the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle for risk management. Simply changing the owner or continuing an ineffective plan leaves the risk unaddressed.

Answer

Close the risk to avoid future audits

Answer

Assign a different owner to the same ineffective plan

Answer

Continue with the plan until the project ends

Question 6

Two project stakeholders disagree on the severity of a risk, leading to an impasse. What is the best way to resolve this?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a structured assessment session using established qualitative or quantitative criteria.. When stakeholders disagree on risk severity, the best resolution is to facilitate a structured assessment session using established qualitative or quantitative criteria (e.g., probability-impact matrix, risk scoring rubrics). This ensures objectivity, transparency, and repeatability, aligning with PMI's emphasis on data-driven risk analysis.

Answer

Assign the highest severity level to be safe.

Answer

Flip a coin to determine which severity level to use.

Answer

Agree with the stakeholder who has more seniority.

Question 7

During a project, a risk occurs that was identified and planned for. The assigned risk owner is not taking action. What is your next step?

Accepted Answer

Discuss with the risk owner the reasons for the delay and provide any necessary support.. When a risk owner is not acting, the project manager should first engage the owner directly to understand the delay and offer support, because the owner may lack resources, authority, or clarity. This collaborative approach aligns with PMI's emphasis on servant leadership and stakeholder engagement. Escalation or reassignment should only follow if the discussion fails to resolve the issue.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor.

Answer

Formally document the inaction in the project performance report.

Answer

Assign the task to a different team member.

Question 8

Which THREE factors should be considered when assessing the impact of a risk?

Accepted Answer

Technical performance degradation. When assessing the impact of a risk, three key dimensions are technical performance degradation (A), financial cost (B), and schedule delay (D). Technical performance degradation (A) matters because a risk can reduce system functionality, reliability, or quality below required specifications, directly affecting whether the deliverable meets its technical objectives. Financial cost (B) is a core impact factor since risks can trigger budget overruns through rework, penalties, or additional resources, which must be quantified against the approved budget baseline. Schedule delay (D) is equally essential because risks can push critical-path activities past milestones, delaying delivery and potentially incurring contractual penalties or lost business value. By contrast, personnel vacation schedule (C) is a resource-planning or staffing consideration rather than a direct impact dimension, and office supply availability (E) is a trivial operational detail with no meaningful bearing on risk impact assessment.

Answer

Personnel vacation schedule

Answer

Office supply availability

Question 9

In a quantitative risk analysis, the cost contingency has been depleted, yet the risk remains. What is the next logical step in the risk process?

Accepted Answer

Escalate the risk to the project board or project sponsor. When the cost contingency is exhausted but the risk remains, the project manager no longer has authority to absorb it within the project budget, so the risk must be escalated to the project board or sponsor. Escalation is the correct risk-process step when the risk exceeds the project manager's tolerance or available reserves. This aligns with PMI's risk escalation and reserve analysis principles.

Answer

Accept the risk without further action

Answer

Update the risk register with a new probability estimate

Answer

Reduce the scope of the project

Question 10

When establishing the risk management methodology, which document should be used to provide the framework and authority for risk activities?

Accepted Answer

Risk Management Plan. The Risk Management Plan is the document produced during the Plan Risk Management process that defines the risk management methodology, including the approach, tools, techniques, roles, responsibilities, budgeting, timing, and reporting formats for risk activities. It provides both the framework and the formal authority for how risk management will be conducted on the project. The Project Charter authorizes the project itself but does not detail risk methodology.

Answer

Issue Log

Answer

Stakeholder Register

Answer

Project Charter

Question 11

Which THREE criteria are commonly used to score risks during qualitative analysis?

Accepted Answer

Probability of occurrence.. Qualitative risk analysis scores each identified risk by combining two core dimensions: the likelihood that the risk event will happen, which is option C, probability of occurrence, and the severity of its effect on scope, schedule, cost, or quality, which is option D, impact on project objectives. These two factors are typically multiplied on a probability-impact matrix to produce a relative risk score that drives prioritization. Option E, urgency of the response required, is also a common qualitative scoring criterion because risks needing near-term action (for example, those with short response windows or imminent triggers) are rated higher so they can be escalated and addressed first. Options A and B are not risk-scoring criteria: an office address is irrelevant to the likelihood or consequence of a project risk, and the project manager's age has no bearing on risk exposure or prioritization.

Answer

The office address.

Answer

The age of the project manager.

Question 12

When planning for risk, what does the term 'Tailoring' refer to?

Accepted Answer

Adjusting the risk management process to fit the project's complexity and needs.. Tailoring in risk management refers to adjusting the risk management processes, tools, and techniques to fit the specific project's size, complexity, industry, and organizational context. It ensures the risk approach is proportionate and relevant rather than applying a one-size-fits-all methodology.

Answer

Reducing the project team size.

Answer

Changing the project scope to avoid all risks.

Answer

Buying specialized software.

Question 13

A project is utilizing a 'Risk-Adjusted Schedule'. What does this imply about the project's risk planning?

Accepted Answer

The schedule accounts for identified risks via time buffers or logic changes.. A Risk-Adjusted Schedule is a project schedule that has been deliberately modified to reflect the impact of identified risks and agreed-upon risk responses. This is typically achieved by adding time buffers (such as contingency reserves or feeding buffers) or by altering the logical sequence of activities (e.g., adding lag, changing dependencies, or re-sequencing work) to reduce the probability or impact of risk events. In PMI's risk management framework, this schedule is an output of the Plan Risk Responses process and is used to establish a realistic baseline that accounts for uncertainty rather than assuming a risk-free environment.

Answer

The schedule was created by a software tool without human input.

Answer

The schedule has no risks involved.

Answer

The schedule is fixed and cannot be changed.

Question 14

Which document outlines how risk management activities will be communicated to stakeholders?

Accepted Answer

The Communications Management Plan.. The Communications Management Plan is the PMBOK document that defines how project information—including risk management activities, risk status reports, and risk escalation paths—will be distributed to stakeholders. It specifies who receives what information, in what format, at what frequency, and through which channel. Since the question asks specifically about how risk management activities will be communicated, this plan is the correct governing document.

Answer

The Project Charter.

Answer

The Risk Register.

Answer

The Resource Management Plan.

Question 15

You are reviewing a 'Risk Burndown' chart and see that it is flat. What does this mean?

Accepted Answer

No risk mitigation or closure has occurred. A Risk Burndown chart plots cumulative risk exposure (typically probability × impact) against time across the project lifecycle. A flat line means the total risk exposure is not decreasing, which indicates that no risk responses have been executed, no risks have been closed, and no new mitigation value has been realized. In other words, the project team is not actively reducing the risk profile over time.

Answer

The project is completed

Answer

The risk management process is highly effective

Answer

Risks are being identified faster than they are being closed

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