Practice Free PMP Exam Online Questions
A project manager is leading an automation project. The project team is colocated and includes people from both the technical and business units. The project manager discovers that personal differences and work styles are affecting the project negatively.
How should the project manager address this?
- A . Develop a schedule that ensures people with personal differences work separately.
- B . Use an approach to the project that does not involve colocation.
- C . Meet with the team and agree on expectations from team members.
- D . Invite the functional managers of the different units to address their personal differences.
C
Explanation:
The project manager should address the personal differences and work styles of the team members by meeting with them and agreeing on expectations from each other. This is a proactive way of managing conflict and fostering collaboration among the team members. It also helps to establish a common vision and goals for the project and clarify the roles and responsibilities of each team member. This approach is consistent with the PMI-PBA Domain 5: Solution Evaluation, Task 5.2: Communicate Solution Status, and the PMP Domain 3: People, Task 3.4: Lead a Team.
Reference: (Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials source and documents)
PMI-PBA Exam Content Outline, Domain 5: Solution Evaluation, Task 5.2: Communicate Solution Status1
PMP Exam Content Outline, Domain 3: People, Task 3.4: Lead a Team2
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) C Sixth Edition, Chapter 9:
Project Resource Management, Section 9.4: Develop Team
A member of the board of directors is the sponsor of a project that is important to the organization This stakeholder has many other priorities and is not currently engaged in the project activities
How should the stakeholder be engaged in the project?
- A . Keep the stakeholder informed and consult with them based on their needs
- B . Involve the stakeholder in governance and decision making
- C . Consult with the stakeholder and increase their level of interest
- D . The stakeholder needs to be made aware of the project progress
A
Explanation:
According to the PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, one of the principles of project management is to collaborate with stakeholders. This means that the project manager should identify, analyze, and engage the project stakeholders throughout the project life cycle, using various communication methods and tools. The level and frequency of stakeholder engagement may vary depending on the stakeholder’s interest, influence, expectations, and needs. A member of the board of directors who is the sponsor of a project that is important to the organization but has many other priorities and is not currently engaged in the project activities should be kept informed and consulted with based on their needs. This will help to ensure that the sponsor is aware of the project status, issues, risks, and changes, and can provide support and guidance when needed. The project manager should also consult with the sponsor to understand their expectations, pReference, and feedback, and to involve them in governance and decision making as appropriate. Keeping the stakeholder informed and consulted with based on their needs will help to maintain a positive and trusting relationship with the sponsor and increase the likelihood of project success.
Reference: PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, page 9, Principle 2: Collaborate with Stakeholders; page 31, Section 2.3.1, Project Stakeholders; page 41, Section 2.5.1.1, Stakeholder Analysis; page 42, Section 2.5.2.2, Stakeholder Engagement Plan.
A project team member informs the project manager that a stakeholder is contacting the team member to request status updates. The team member is being distracted by these repeated requests, which are interfering with the completion of assigned tasks.
What should the project manager do?
- A . Increase the frequency of updates given to this stakeholder.
- B . Inform the team member to stop sending any further updates to the stakeholder.
- C . Raise this issue to the project sponsor in the next project status review meeting.
- D . Review this stakeholder’s communication requirements.
D
Explanation:
The best course of action for the project manager in this situation is to review the stakeholder’s communication requirements. This aligns with the principles of stakeholder engagement and communication management in project management. By reviewing the communication requirements, the project manager can ensure that the information needs of the stakeholder are being met without causing undue disruption to the team’s work. This may involve adjusting the communication plan to provide the stakeholder with the necessary updates in a manner that is less intrusive to the team member’s workflow.
Reference: The answer is verified by the principles found in the PMBOK® Guide, which emphasizes the importance of managing stakeholder expectations through effective communication strategies1. Additionally, the Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials supports the approach of tailoring communication to meet the needs of stakeholders2.
During a project, the project manager finds an opportunity to reduce the project cost by completing a deliverable ahead of schedule with a minimal
impact on project resources. However, the client has only been focused on the next milestone.
How should the project manager approach this situation?
- A . Apply additional resources to realize the early deliverable and ensure the next milestone is achieved.
- B . Focus on the deliverable of the next project milestone as per the client’s strict instructions.
- C . Review the change management plan to discuss early benefits realization with the client.
- D . Evaluate whether the client’s request will add extra features to the project deliverable.
C
Explanation:
In this scenario, the project manager should review the change management plan to discuss the potential early benefits realization with the client. This involves evaluating the impact of the change, considering the client’s focus on the next milestone, and discussing how the early completion of a deliverable could bring value to the project without significantly affecting resources. The goal is to align the project’s progress with the client’s expectations and the project’s objectives, ensuring that any changes are beneficial and agreed upon by all stakeholders.
Reference: The answer is based on the principles of engaging stakeholders and managing changes effectively as per the PMP and PMI-PBA guidelines1234.
A company is running a project to eliminate a sales channel that has been unprofitable for the past 3 years. A key stakeholder from another area, who has legacy ties to that sales channel, objects to the project.
What should the project manager do in this situation?
- A . Assess the impact of the stakeholder and engage properly.
- B . Escalate the stakeholder issue to the project sponsor.
- C . Develop a specific communications strategy for this stakeholder.
- D . Use interpersonal skills to gain stakeholder engagement.
A
Explanation:
In situations where a stakeholder objects to a project, it is crucial for the project manager to assess the impact of the stakeholder’s concerns and engage with them properly. This involves understanding the stakeholder’s perspective, the reasons behind their objections, and the potential influence they have on the project. By doing so, the project manager can address the concerns in a manner that respects the stakeholder’s legacy ties while also guiding the project towards its objectives. Effective stakeholder engagement is a key aspect of project management and business analysis, as it helps in managing expectations, resolving conflicts, and ensuring that all parties are aligned with the project’s goals.
Reference: (Project Management Institute. (n.d.). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) C Sixth Edition; Project Management Institute. (n.d.). PMI’s Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)®.)
A team realizes that there is no access to data that the project depends on to complete the current
iteration. This dependency was known; however, the team is unsure of the available options to remove this obstacle.
What should the project manager do next?
- A . Guide the team to determine alternatives.
- B . Move the dependent task to the next iteration.
- C . Escalate the issue to the company’s IT manager.
- D . Escalate the issue to the project sponsor.
A
Explanation:
When a project team encounters a known dependency issue and lacks clarity on available options, the project manager should facilitate a collaborative problem-solving process to explore potential solutions. This approach aligns with the PMBOK® Guide’s emphasis on engaging the team in identifying alternatives and leveraging collective expertise to overcome project obstacles12.
Reference: Managing Project Dependencies and Conflicts2; PMBOK® Guide3.
A project manager led the implementation of an electronic invoicing project that has just been completed. The financial manager communicated that the team discovered three invoices with errors.
Which two documents should the project manager update as soon as possible? (Choose two)
- A . Issue log
- B . Risk register
- C . Stakeholder register
- D . Change log
- E . Backlog register
AD
Explanation:
According to the PMBOK® Guide, the issue log is a project document that records and tracks the issues that arise during a project and how they are resolved1. The change log is a project document that records all the changes that occur during a project, including their status, description, and impact2. The project manager should update these two documents as soon as possible to reflect the invoices with errors and the actions taken to correct them. The risk register is a project document that identifies and analyzes the project risks and their responses3, but it does not record the issues that have already occurred. The stakeholder register is a project document that identifies and classifies the project stakeholders and their requirements4, but it does not record the issues or changes that affect them. The backlog register is not a standard project document, but it may be used in agile projects to list the product features or user stories that need to be delivered, but it does not record the issues or changes that affect the product quality.
Reference: 1: PMBOK® Guide, page 123; 2: PMBOK® Guide, page 122; 3: PMBOK® Guide, page 436; 4: PMBOK® Guide, page 513;: Agile Practice Guide, page 77
A key import supply has suffered a delay of 6 months. The delay affects a functionality that is needed to complete the project on time. The project manager learns from the project te«… that another team is working on a product that could work as a solution, but it is still a prototype.
What should the project manager do to accelerate this solution?
- A . Contact the other project team and ask them to organize a demo of the prototype
- B . Perform iterative planning with the team to use the prototype
- C . Check the burnup charts to see what progress has been made to integrate the solution
- D . Prioritize the backlog with the customer to remove the feature
B
Explanation:
The project manager should perform iterative planning with the team to use the prototype, as this would allow them to adapt to the changing situation and deliver value incrementally. Iterative planning is a technique that involves breaking down the project scope into smaller iterations, each with its own plan, deliverables, and feedback loops. This technique enables the project team to respond to uncertainties, risks, and changes more effectively, and to incorporate lessons learned and stakeholder feedback into the next iteration. In this case, the project manager can use iterative planning to align the team with the new solution, define the requirements and acceptance criteria for the prototype, and monitor and control the integration and testing of the prototype.
Reference: (Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials source and documents) PMBOK Guide 7th Edition, page 67, section 3.2.2
PMI Agile Practice Guide, page 33, section 3.2.1
PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline, page 14, section 3.3.1.1
A project manager is assigned midway through a project. The team members are in different locations across the country and they are unable to meet in-person often. During a status review meeting, one of the stakeholders highlighted that they were unaware of the status for the project deliverables.
What should the project manager do first?
- A . Request the project team include the stakeholder’s details and make sure the project status reports are shared with the stakeholder.
- B . Schedule a meeting with the stakeholder and include the stakeholder’s needs in the project management plan.
- C . Review the stakeholder management plan and update the stakeholder register for incorporation in the project management plan.
- D . Review the communications management plan and verify whether the stakeholder’s needs are captured in the project management plan.
D
Explanation:
The first thing that the project manager should do is to review the communications management plan, which is the document that describes how the project information will be communicated to the stakeholders. The project manager should check if the stakeholder’s communication requirements, pReference, and expectations are identified and addressed in the plan. If not, the project manager should update the plan accordingly and ensure that the stakeholder receives the appropriate project status reports. The other options are not the best first actions, as they either do not address the root cause of the problem (lack of communication), or they are premature or unnecessary (updating the stakeholder register or the project management plan).
Reference: PMBOK Guide, page 377-378; PMP Sample Test Questions, question 43
A project stakeholder has expressed concern that the established success criteria for the project are not being met.
What should the project manager do next?
- A . Review the established project benefits tracking metrics.
- B . Update the project business case document.
- C . Document the agreed-upon ownership of benefits realization.
- D . Create a project benefits management plan.
A
Explanation:
According to the PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, section 4.5.3.1, the project manager is responsible for monitoring and controlling the project work and ensuring that the project is aligned with the business objectives and benefits. The project manager should also communicate the project performance and status to the relevant stakeholders and address any issues or concerns that arise from the project execution. In this scenario, the project manager should first review the established project benefits tracking metrics to assess the current state of the project and compare it with the expected outcomes and success criteria. This will help to identify any gaps or deviations and determine the appropriate actions to take. The other options are either premature or irrelevant, as they do not address the root cause of the problem or respect the authority and scope of the project manager.
Reference: PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, section 4.5.3.1, page 122.