Practice Free PMP Exam Online Questions
A project manager notices that the project team is encountering product issues while coding client-specific developments. The project manager foresees delays to the project’s timeline because of these product issues.
Which methods should the project manager use to communicate project delays and other difficult messages to stakeholders?
- A . Oral feedback, project meetings, and reporting
- B . Project meetings and reporting
- C . Project meetings and oral feedback
- D . Written feedback, project meetings, and reporting
A company is interested in reducing production costs in one of its production lines. When the project charter was about to be approved, one of the key stakeholders questioned the project’s value and caused a delay in the approval.
What should the project manager have done to avoid this setback?
- A . Assessed feasibility and impacts
- B . Developed benchmarking
- C . Analyzed stakeholders
- D . Detailed the project charter
C
Explanation:
To avoid such setbacks, the project manager should have conducted a thorough stakeholder analysis as part of the initial project planning. This involves identifying all stakeholders, understanding their interests and influence, and anticipating their reactions to the project. By doing so, the project manager can engage with key stakeholders early on, address their concerns, and gain their support, which is crucial for the smooth approval of the project charter123.
Reference: PMBOK® Guide4.
Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials5.
Project Stakeholder Management According to the PMBOK2.
Project Charter: Example, Template, Definition, & Purpose6.
A project lead has asked a project team to update a 200-page project report and send it to the project sponsor. The team mentioned that nobody reads the report and it takes time away from higher priority work. The project lead responded that they have to show all the work that they performed in every iteration.
What should the project lead do first?
- A . Summarize the project report so it can be more efficient to read and send it to the project sponsor.
- B . Ensure the communications methods, channels, frequency, and level of detail for the stakeholders are what is needed.
- C . Reinforce the need to document and provide updated information to make the process transparent.
- D . Include a task in every iteration to allocate time for the project team to complete the documentation updates.
A project to construct an electricity generation plant is on site near a nature reserve. An environmental activist group is questioning the need for the project. The customer has informed the project manager to disregard the group as they are not in support of the project.
What should the project manager do next?
- A . Ask the customer to contact the activist group and let them know the project status and completion date.
- B . Add the activist group to the list of stakeholders and analyze the impact they may have on project delivery.
- C . Obey the directive from the customer since they are funding the project and are the most important stakeholder.
- D . Request the project team disregard all communication from the activist group and continue with their project work.
B
Explanation:
The PMBOK® Guide emphasizes the importance of identifying all stakeholders and understanding their influence and impact on the project. In this scenario, the environmental activist group, being concerned with the project’s proximity to a nature reserve, qualifies as a stakeholder. Their concerns could impact project delivery, public perception, and regulatory compliance. Therefore, the project manager should add the group to the stakeholder list and analyze their potential impact as part of the stakeholder engagement process12. This aligns with the principles of stakeholder management and engagement, which are crucial for project success and are also reflected in the Professional in Business Analysis (PBA) reference materials, where managing stakeholder expectations and engagement is a key aspect of business analysis34.
: = This response is informed by the PMBOK® Guide’s approach to stakeholder management12, as well as the practices outlined in the Professional in Business Analysis reference materials regarding stakeholder engagement and management34.
A project manager is working on a software development project for an oil and gas client using an agile approach. The project manager is having difficulty preparing the schedule because the project has various unknowns.
Which scheduling method should the project manager use to develop the schedule?
- A . Iterative scheduling
- B . Three-point scheduling
- C . Parametric scheduling
- D . Analogous scheduling
A
Explanation:
In an agile software development project, especially one with many unknowns, iterative scheduling is the most appropriate method. This approach allows the project to be broken down into smaller sections, often referred to as sprints, which can be planned, executed, and reviewed in a cyclical manner. It accommodates changes and unknowns by allowing for adjustments after each iteration, ensuring that the project remains flexible and responsive to the client’s needs123.
Reference: “An Agile Approach to Scheduling” article1
Atlassian’s guide on "Creating Project Schedules: Steps & Techniques"2 “Agile Project Scheduling and Monitoring” from Open Colleges3
A steering committee member is complaining about the weekly report. They stated that the report is too long and has unnecessary details. As a result, they are unable to obtain the main message and take action.
What should the project manager do to avoid similar complaints?
- A . Present the status at a weekly meeting with the steering committee.
- B . Verify the information needed for steering committee members.
- C . Send a shorter daily report to this steering committee member.
- D . Demonstrate the weekly reports in a presentation for the steering committee member.
B
Explanation:
The project manager should engage with the steering committee member to understand their information needs and preferences. This involves confirming what details are necessary for them to make informed decisions and taking action. By tailoring the report content to the committee’s requirements, the project manager can ensure that reports are concise, focused, and actionable, thus avoiding the issue of reports being too lengthy or filled with superfluous details12.
Reference: The Top Management Project Steering Committee | PMI1
Steering Committee: Definition, Roles & Meeting Tips – ProjectManager2
After sending an on-site meeting invitation to seven people for the kick-off meeting of a project, a key stakeholder declines because they will be at another location for the rest of the month.
What should the project manager do?
- A . Make arrangements for the stakeholder to join the kick-off meeting virtually.
- B . Hold the kick-off meeting with the rest of the stakeholders to avoid a delay in the project.
- C . Change the kick-off meeting to a virtual meeting so all can attend at the same time.
- D . Reschedule the kick-off meeting for the following month so all can attend on-site.
A
Explanation:
The project manager should accommodate the key stakeholder by making arrangements for them to join the kick-off meeting virtually. This approach aligns with best practices in project management, which advocate for inclusivity and flexibility in communication to ensure all critical stakeholders are engaged from the outset of the project12. Virtual participation allows for the stakeholder’s input without delaying the project’s initiation, maintaining momentum and stakeholder engagement34. It is essential to use virtual meeting tools effectively to facilitate collaboration and ensure that remote participants are as involved as those on-site5.
Reference: PMI. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) C Seventh Edition.
ProjectManager.com. (2020). Virtual Project Management: Benefits, Challenges & Tools1.
PMI UK. (2024). Virtual Team Meetings: A Guide to Effective Project Management2.
Twproject. (2020). 5 ways to effectively manage a virtual meeting3.
LinkedIn. (2023).
How to Use Virtual Meetings for Project Collaboration4.
LinkedIn. (2023).
How to Ensure Quality Virtual Meetings for Project Management5.
A project manager has identified the key stakeholders for the project. The project manager wants to use their expertise to help the stakeholders understand and support the project objectives and benefits.
What should the project manager do?
- A . Update the stakeholders during project meetings, workshops, and reviews to solicit their input and feedback.
- B . Provide customized reports to each stakeholder regarding the project progress, upcoming risks, and issues.
- C . Provide the stakeholders with regular updates and reports on the project status, progress, and issues.
- D . Educate the stakeholders on the project scope, quality, and risks, and how their expectations will be affected.
D
Explanation:
To ensure stakeholder understanding and support, the project manager should educate them about project elements like scope, quality, and risk―and how these affect their expectations. This is part of effective stakeholder engagement and alignment.
The PMBOK® Guide C Seventh Edition outlines the importance of stakeholder awareness and engagement through education, especially when aiming to gain stakeholder support and alignment with project objectives.
Option A is useful but does not specifically focus on educating stakeholders.
Option B focuses on reporting, not understanding.
Option C is standard communication, not proactive education.
Reference: PMBOK® Guide C Seventh Edition, Stakeholder and Communication Performance Domains
PMI Stakeholder Engagement Guidelines
A project manager has identified the key stakeholders for the project. The project manager wants to use their expertise to help the stakeholders understand and support the project objectives and benefits.
What should the project manager do?
- A . Update the stakeholders during project meetings, workshops, and reviews to solicit their input and feedback.
- B . Provide customized reports to each stakeholder regarding the project progress, upcoming risks, and issues.
- C . Provide the stakeholders with regular updates and reports on the project status, progress, and issues.
- D . Educate the stakeholders on the project scope, quality, and risks, and how their expectations will be affected.
D
Explanation:
To ensure stakeholder understanding and support, the project manager should educate them about project elements like scope, quality, and risk―and how these affect their expectations. This is part of effective stakeholder engagement and alignment.
The PMBOK® Guide C Seventh Edition outlines the importance of stakeholder awareness and engagement through education, especially when aiming to gain stakeholder support and alignment with project objectives.
Option A is useful but does not specifically focus on educating stakeholders.
Option B focuses on reporting, not understanding.
Option C is standard communication, not proactive education.
Reference: PMBOK® Guide C Seventh Edition, Stakeholder and Communication Performance Domains
PMI Stakeholder Engagement Guidelines
A project manager has been assigned to lead a project with limited funding and resources. During the requirements brainstorming session, several stakeholders request a long list of requirements for a new project, which exceeds the budget.
What should the project manager do first?
- A . Host a requirements workshop and ask the stakeholders to prioritize the requirements based on critical needs.
- B . Review the requirements and determine which of them can be removed, then advise the stakeholders of the changes.
- C . Meet with the sponsor to obtain their feedback regarding critical requirements in the view of senior management.
- D . Reach out to the sponsor and request additional budget and capacity in order to complete the
project.
A
Explanation:
When resource constraints conflict with the full scope of stakeholder requirements, the project manager should first facilitate a requirements prioritization workshop. This allows stakeholders to collaboratively identify the most critical features and align scope with available resources.
The PMBOK® Guide C Seventh Edition emphasizes value delivery and stakeholder collaboration in prioritizing scope based on constraints. Requirements workshops are standard tools in scope planning and requirements elicitation.
Option B makes unilateral scope decisions, which could lead to stakeholder dissatisfaction.
Option C is valid, but only after the team jointly prioritizes based on business need.
Option D skips proper prioritization and assumes the budget can be increased, which may not be feasible.
Reference: PMBOK® Guide C Seventh Edition, Scope and Planning Performance Domains
PMI Business Analysis Practice Guide C Prioritization Techniques