Practice Free PMP Exam Online Questions
During a network upgrade for a company, the client informs the project manager that a government representative notified the client about a separate project that will affect the network upgrade. Any change in the upgrade will impact the project’s cost and schedule.
What should the project manager do first?
- A . Perform an impact analysis with subject matter experts (SMEs).
- B . Inform the government representative about the impact of the separate project.
- C . Implement a change request to increase the budget and schedule.
- D . Consult and update the risk register with the project stakeholders.
A
Explanation:
The project manager should first perform an impact analysis with SMEs to assess the potential effects of the separate project on the network upgrade. This will help the project manager to determine the magnitude and probability of the risks, as well as the possible responses and contingency plans. The impact analysis is part of the Monitor Risks process, which involves tracking the identified risks, monitoring residual risks, identifying new risks, and evaluating risk process effectiveness1. Informing the government representative, implementing a change request, and updating the risk register are all possible actions that may follow the impact analysis, but they are not the first thing to do.
Reference: 1 PMBOK® Guide, 6th edition, page 452.
DRAG DROP
A project manager is working on a complex project and is unsure about planning, executing, monitoring and controlling the project.
Match the phrase on the left with the correct statement on the right.
Explanation:
Risks and costs are controlled as requirements and constraints emerge.
Requirements are incorporated in real-time during delivery.
Changes are elaborated frequently during delivery.
Key stakeholders are continuously engaged throughout delivery.
In project management, particularly within the agile framework, it is essential to match the correct practices with the project’s needs. The phrases and statements provided align with the principles of agile project management, where:
Risks and costs must be controlled as they emerge, which is part of the monitoring and controlling process groups.
Requirements should be incorporated in real-time, reflecting the iterative nature of agile projects. Changes need to be elaborated frequently, allowing for continuous improvement and adaptation during project execution.
Key stakeholders engagement is crucial throughout the project delivery to ensure alignment and satisfaction with the project outcomes.
Reference: The PMBOK® Guide1 and the Agile Practice Guide, which are part of the PMI’s foundational standards, provide detailed explanations on these agile practices. Additionally, the PMP Examination Content Outline2 offers insights into the process groups and knowledge areas relevant to these practices. These Reference emphasize the importance of flexibility, stakeholder engagement, and iterative development in project management.
A company is working on a project to develop an integration of their existing systems. There are known issues in production.
What should the project manager do?
- A . Identify and remove impediments and mitigate the risks.
- B . Ensure the product owner reviews requirements with the team.
- C . Include acceptance criteria in the definition of done (DoD).
- D . Review the quality control processes and procedures.
A
Explanation:
When a project involves integration of existing systems, especially when there are known issues in production, it is crucial for the project manager to identify and remove impediments and mitigate the risks. This approach is aligned with the principles of project management which emphasize the importance of addressing and managing risks proactively. The project manager should work on identifying the root causes of the issues and take corrective actions to ensure that the project objectives are met without significant delays or quality problems.
Reference: The answer is verified and explained using the principles found in the PMBOK® Guide and the standards for project management by PMI, which include risk identification and mitigation as key responsibilities of a project manager12. Additionally, the Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials also support the importance of addressing risks and impediments in project management practices3.
A project manager noticed that the functional manager is not cooperating with staff assignment schedules and is always finding excuses not fo release the requested staff.
What should the project manager do first?
- A . Ask the leadership team for help obtaining the needed staff.
- B . Check with human resources (HR) regarding the availability of staff.
- C . Have a direct talk with the functional manager to understand the reasons behind their attitude.
- D . Evaluate the impact caused by the delay of forming the team and confront the functional manager.
C
Explanation:
According to the PMBOK® Guide, conflict resolution is an essential skill for project managers. The guide suggests that conflicts should be addressed early and in a private setting using an open and collaborative approach1. Direct communication with the functional manager to understand their perspective is aligned with these principles. It allows the project manager to identify the root cause of the conflict and work towards a resolution before escalating the issue or considering alternative options.
Reference: PMBOK® Guide – Conflict Resolution Strategies1; PMBOK® Guide – Create a collaborative project team environment2.
A newly commissioned project has had trouble recruiting team members because the turnover rate is high. The human resource (HR) manager has conducted several exit interviews. Many team members have expressed that the project manager has inadequate relationship management competencies. The project manager explains that the exiting team members were lazy.
What should the project manager do to prevent this high turnover rate from continuing?
- A . Be more involved in the team member recruitment process to ensure qualified team members are chosen.
- B . Develop relationship skills as a leader and also develop the teams’ emotional intelligence skills.
- C . Avoid micromanaging the team, enforce stricter rules, and monitor employees.
- D . Explain to the recruiting manager that a project is temporary in nature, making it different than an operational environment.
B
Explanation:
According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide, a project manager’s interpersonal and team management skills are crucial for project success. If team members are leaving due to inadequate relationship management competencies, it indicates a need for the project manager to improve their leadership skills. Developing relationship skills and emotional intelligence can help create a more positive work environment, leading to lower turnover rates. Emotional intelligence involves recognizing and understanding emotions in oneself and others, and using this awareness to manage behavior and relationships. By improving these skills, the project manager can better motivate the team, manage conflict, and retain team members.
Reference: Project Management Professional (PMP) Reference Materials, PMBOK Guide, Chapter 3: Role of the Project Manager.
A project manager receives a request for proposal (RFP) from a client. The client is very clear about the requirements. A requirements analysis must be done in the first month of the project, and the client wants to see a demo of the work completed every two weeks.
What project approach should the project manager use?
- A . Iterative for the requirements analysis and delivery phases of the project
- B . Agile for all of the phases of the project, including the requirements analysis and delivery
- C . Predictive for the requirements analysis and agile for delivery of the project
- D . Predictive for the requirements analysis and delivery phases of the project
A
Explanation:
The project manager should use an iterative approach for both the requirements analysis and delivery phases of the project. An iterative approach involves breaking down the project scope into smaller increments and delivering them in cycles, with feedback and validation from the client at each cycle. This approach is suitable for projects with clear requirements, but also allows for flexibility and adaptation to changing needs and expectations. The client’s request to see a demo of the work completed every two weeks indicates that they value frequent and incremental delivery of value, which is consistent with an iterative approach. Agile is not the best option for this project, as agile is more suitable for projects with high uncertainty and complexity, where the requirements are not clear or stable, and the client is actively involved in the project collaboration. Predictive is not the best option for this project, as predictive is more suitable for projects with low uncertainty and complexity, where the requirements are well-defined and fixed, and the client is not interested in frequent changes or feedback.
Reference: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) C Seventh Edition, Chapter
2: Value Delivery System, Section 2.2: Project Delivery Approaches, Section 2.3: Project Life Cycle Agile Practice Guide, Chapter 2: Life Cycle Selection, Section 2.1: Introduction, Section 2.2: Implementing Agile: Creating an Agile Environment
Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Handbook, Section 2.3: Domains and Tasks, Domain 2:
Planning, Task 1: Plan Business Analysis Approach
Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline, Domain 2: Planning, Task
1: Plan Business Analysis Approach
During project execution, a project manager is informed that most of the project team members have enrolled in the newly implemented work-from-home company policy.
How should the project manager reflect this change in the project?
- A . Update the communication styles for enrolled team members in the communications management plan.
- B . Update roles and responsibilities for enrolled team members in the responsibility assignment matrix (RAM)
- C . Update the stakeholder engagement plan to include the emergency contact information for enrolled team members.
- D . Update the resource calendar for enrolled team members in the resource management plan
D
Explanation:
According to the PMBOK Guide, the resource calendar is a component of the resource management plan that identifies the availability, capability, and skills of human resources, as well as the availability of physical resources. The resource calendar may be affected by various factors, such as organizational policies, holidays, vacations, and work shifts. If the project team members enroll in the work-from-home policy, the project manager should update the resource calendar to reflect their availability and working hours, as well as any potential impact on the project schedule, budget, quality, and risk. The project manager should not update the communication styles, roles and responsibilities, or stakeholder engagement plan, as these are not directly related to the change in the resource availability.
Reference: PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, pages 309-310, 313-314.
A company is starting a critical project with a strict deadline. During the first planning meeting, the team realizes that the list of requirements has too many items to allow on-time delivery.
What should the project manager do first?
- A . Increase the capacity of the team to finish the project on time.
- B . Update the risk register and present a contingency plan to meet the deadline.
- C . Ask the team to propose a minimum viable product (MVP) to meet the date.
- D . Suggest to the customer to reduce the backlog to meet the date.
C
Explanation:
When faced with a critical project that has too many requirements to be delivered on time, the project manager should prioritize the work. The first step is to identify the core functionalities that will deliver value to the customer and propose a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This approach allows the team to focus on delivering a product with enough features to satisfy early adopters, which is crucial for projects with strict deadlines. It also provides an opportunity for early feedback that can be used to improve the product in subsequent iterations1.
Reference: The concept of MVP is well-aligned with agile project management practices, which are part of the PMP certification content. The PMBOK Guide and Agile Practice Guide, which are foundational standards for the PMP exam, advocate for delivering value early and continuously improving based on stakeholder feedback
During the execution phase of a project, a new department has been created in the company. The manager of this department has requested to be involved in the regular project communications and reporting cycles.
What should the project manager do?
- A . Ask the project team members to include the manager in all of their communications regarding this project.
- B . Inform the manager that only stakeholders identified in the communications management plan should be involved.
- C . Perform a stakeholder analysis and update the communications management plan to reflect the new situation.
- D . Suggest the manager contact the steering committee and project management office (PMO) to be included.
C
Explanation:
The creation of a new department and the request from its manager to be involved in project communications necessitates a review and potential update of the communications management plan. According to best practices in project management, when there are changes in the organizational structure or new stakeholders emerge, it is important to perform a stakeholder analysis to understand their needs and expectations. This analysis will inform any necessary updates to the communications management plan to ensure that all relevant parties are included in the communication cycles, and that the information flow remains effective and aligned with the project’s objectives123.
Reference: (Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials source and documents)123.
A customer is meeting with an agile team at regular intervals and keeps changing priorities for the team members.
What should the project manager do to remove this impediment?
- A . Escalate the situation to the customer management team.
- B . Ask the customer to discuss these changes with the product owner.
- C . Request that the customer to meet with the team only at the weekly meeting.
- D . Ask the customer to discuss these changes with the management team.
B
Explanation:
In an agile environment, the product owner is the key stakeholder who represents the customer’s interests and has the authority to prioritize work for the team. If a customer is frequently changing priorities, it can disrupt the team’s workflow and progress. Therefore, the project manager should ask the customer to discuss these changes with the product owner. This way, the product owner can assess the impact of these changes on the project’s goals and the team’s workload, and then appropriately adjust the priorities.
Reference:
https://onlinepmcourses.com/impediments-obstacles-and-blockers-how-to-address-and-remove-them/
https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/scrum-master-impediment-remover