Practice Free PMP Exam Online Questions
A project manager Is working on the initial phases of a highly technical project that employs the "first of its kind" technology. Many of the key project stakeholders are unaware of the project objectives and their participation levels are poor. At every meeting, there are a lot of objections and queries raised that are taking the discussions to a different level, and a great deal of time is wasted.
What should the project manager do?
- A . Request stakeholders who understand the technology.
- B . Recommend a change in technology to senior management.
- C . Plan to conduct informal sessions with the stakeholders.
- D . Include the issue in the Issue log and escalate to senior management.
C
Explanation:
The project manager should plan to conduct informal sessions with the stakeholders to educate them about the project objectives, scope, and technology, and to address their concerns and queries. This will help to improve the stakeholders’ awareness, engagement, and buy-in, and to reduce the objections and queries that are wasting time in the meetings. This is part of the Manage Stakeholder Engagement process, which involves communicating and working with stakeholders to meet their needs and expectations, address issues, and foster appropriate stakeholder involvement1. Requesting stakeholders who understand the technology, recommending a change in technology, or including the issue in the issue log and escalating it are not the best options, as they may alienate the existing stakeholders, compromise the project vision, or escalate a problem that can be resolved at a lower level.
Reference: 1 PMBOK® Guide, 6th edition, page 518.
A project for Company A was successfully delivered within scope schedule, and budget by the end of the last iteration However during the project celebration ceremony, one of the business stakeholders says they perceive the project as a failure as it did not add any business value.
What should the project manager have done to avoid this perception?
- A . Involved the business stakeholders in the sprint review
- B . Defined product backlog priorities with the sponsor and key stakeholders to deliver business benefits
- C . Implemented a closing survey for key stakeholders
- D . Confirmed that there is a communications management plan in place to make business stakeholders aware of the success
B
Explanation:
According to the PMBOK Guide, a product backlog is an ordered list of requirements that a project team maintains for a product. It consists of features, functions, requirements, enhancements, and fixes that need to be delivered by the project. The product backlog is the single source of truth for what the project team will work on.
The PMI Guide to Business Analysis states that one of the key competencies of a business analyst is to elicit, analyze, and manage requirements that deliver value to stakeholders. The business analyst is also responsible for ensuring that the requirements are aligned with the business needs and objectives, and that they are prioritized and validated.
Therefore, to avoid the perception that the project did not add any business value, the project manager should have defined the product backlog priorities with the sponsor and key stakeholders to deliver business benefits. The project manager should have:
Engaged the sponsor and key stakeholders in the project initiation and planning phases, and clarified the project scope, objectives, and expected outcomes
Collaborated with the business analyst and the product owner to elicit, analyze, and manage the requirements that address the stakeholder needs and expectations
Established a clear and transparent prioritization criteria for the product backlog items, based on the business value, urgency, risk, dependency, and complexity
Involved the sponsor and key stakeholders in the prioritization and validation process, and obtained their agreement and approval on the product backlog
Communicated the product backlog priorities and changes to the project team and other stakeholders, and ensured their understanding and alignment
Reviewed and refined the product backlog regularly, and adapted to changing business needs and feedback
By defining the product backlog priorities with the sponsor and key stakeholders to deliver business benefits, the project manager can:
Ensure that the project delivers the most valuable and relevant features and functions to the customer
Increase the stakeholder satisfaction and engagement, and build trust and rapport Reduce the waste and rework, and optimize the project resources and time
Enhance the quality and usability of the product, and increase the customer loyalty and retention
Demonstrate the business value and impact of the project, and celebrate the success and
achievements
Reference: PMBOK Guide. (2017). Sixth edition. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.
PMI Guide to Business Analysis. (2017). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.
How to Prioritize Your Product Backlog. (2023). Scrum Alliance.
How to Deliver Business Value with Agile Projects. (2023). ProjectManager.com.
A project manager has recently joined an organization and notices that the engineering manager shouts at the project manager during project meetings Also the procurement manager will not return calls and the accountant always insists the project manager clears approved budget line items with them personally before expensing
Which three corrective actions should the project manager perform? (Choose three)
- A . Confront the people causing the stress directly with the aim of finding amicable solutions
- B . Seek support from the project management office (PMO) on addressing issues affecting the project
- C . Discuss the possible actions with the project sponsor
- D . Avoid the people causing stress and request a transfer as soon as possible
- E . Talk to the human resources (HR) manager about these concerns
A B E
Explanation:
In a project management environment, it’s crucial to maintain a positive and collaborative atmosphere. When faced with challenges such as unprofessional behavior or communication issues, the project manager should take corrective actions to address these problems12.
To estimate the costs of a new project that is similar to a project that was implemented last year, the project manager meets with a group of experts from the previous project. The group uses a three-point estimating technique. The project manager submits the estimated budget to the project sponsor for approval. The project sponsor, who is new to the company, is concerned because the budget exceeded their expectations
What should the project manager do?
- A . Review the organizational process assessment to determine if a contingency reserve was considered in the budget estimate
- B . Review the historical information and lessons learned from last year’s project to justify the new budget estimate
- C . Change the budgeting technique to a more accurate, bottom-up cost estimation.
- D . Use soft skills to convince the project sponsor to approve the new budget estimate
B
Explanation:
The project manager should review the historical information and lessons learned from last year’s project to justify the new budget estimate. This is because the project manager used an analogous estimating technique, which is based on the costs of similar projects in the past. By reviewing the historical information and lessons learned, the project manager can explain to the project sponsor how the costs of the new project were derived, what assumptions and risks were considered, and how the three-point estimating technique was applied. This can help the project sponsor understand the rationale behind the budget estimate and increase their confidence in its accuracy and validity. The project manager can also use this opportunity to discuss the benefits and value of the new project and how it aligns with the organizational strategy and objectives.
Reference: PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, section 7.2.2.4, page 262, Free PMP® Exam Sample Question 04 (Earned Value)
The team lead on a project has left the organization and management wants to promote engineer A to this position. The project manager is confident that selecting engineer A will add problems to the project and believes that engineer B would better fit this role. The project manager discussed all of the arguments with management but their decision remains unchanged.
What should the project manager do?
- A . Help engineer A to become familiar with this new role and ensure engineer B stays motivated.
- B . Promote engineer B instead since the project manager has the authority to make this decision.
- C . Request management approval that engineer B will be promoted if engineer A fails in this role.
- D . Coach engineer B to be prepared to perform this role if and when engineer A fails.
A
Explanation:
The project manager should support the decision made by the management and assist engineer A in transitioning into the new role. This includes providing the necessary training and resources to ensure engineer A is successful. Additionally, it’s important to keep engineer B motivated and engaged, as their contributions are still valuable to the project. This approach aligns with the PMP objectives of promoting collaboration, supporting team development, and maintaining a productive team environment.
Reference: This answer is verified by the principles outlined in the PMBOK® Guide, which emphasizes the importance of team development and management’s role in project success1. Furthermore, the Professional in Business Analysis materials support the idea of fostering team skills and maintaining team morale2.
An agile team has completed an iteration and delivered the agreed features to the customer. In a surprise to the team, the features are not accepted by the customer. The project team conducts a root cause analysis.
What should the project manager do to avoid this situation in the future?
- A . Ensure that customer requirements do not change from the start of the project.
- B . Ensure that the definition of done (DoD) is well defined and complete for future iterations.
- C . Ensure that the development and quality assurance team members implement the feature correctly.
- D . Ensure that the team facilitator allocates tasks correctly to team members.
B
Explanation:
According to the PMBOK guide, the definition of done (DoD) is a clear and concise list of requirements that a deliverable must adhere to for the team to consider it complete1. The DoD helps to ensure that the customer’s expectations are met and that the quality standards are maintained2. The PMI-PBA guide also states that the business analyst should collaborate with the customer and the team to define and validate the acceptance criteria for each feature3. Therefore, the best way for the project manager to avoid the situation of features being rejected by the customer is to ensure that the DoD is well defined and complete for future iterations, and that it aligns with the customer’s needs and pReference.
Reference:
1: PMBOK guide, page 207
2: PMBOK guide, page 286
3: PMI-PBA guide, page 131
A project manager is working toward a deadline to prepare a client report. The project manager prepared a meeting agenda but not a single meeting has gone according to plan True, meetings always end in arguments and no action items come out of it. The project manager is very frustrated and seeks help from the project sponsor
What should the project manager have created to prevent this situation1?
- A . Resource breakdown structure
- B . Work breakdown structure (WBS)
- C . Team charter
- D . Project charter
C
Explanation:
A team charter is a document that is developed in a group setting that clarifies team direction while establishing boundaries. It is developed early during the forming of the team. The charter should be developed in a group session to encourage understanding and buy-in. The team charter has two purposes. First, it serves as a source of information for people who are not part of the team. Second, it serves as a reference for team members. In this case, the project manager is having trouble with meetings not going according to plan and ending in arguments. A team charter could have helped prevent this situation by setting clear expectations for team behavior, roles and responsibilities, and decision-making processes.
Reference: Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials source and documents
A project manager is in a cross-functional agile team. The project manager has been assigned a software project with multiple features that will take the team about a year to complete. The CEO is insisting that the solution needs to meet business goals for the year end, which is due in 6 months.
What should the project manager do to align stakeholders’ needs and expectations?
- A . Work with the stakeholders to create a prioritized backlog and release a roadmap.
- B . Modify the requirements to those that can be completed in 6 months.
- C . Implement fast-tracking and crashing activities to complete the project in 6 months.
- D . Include all stakeholders in daily scrum meetings to keep them informed.
A
Explanation:
In an agile project management context, especially when time constraints are present, it is crucial to align stakeholders’ needs and expectations with the project’s deliverables. The project manager should work collaboratively with stakeholders to create a prioritized backlog and release a roadmap. This approach ensures that the most critical features are developed first and that there is a clear plan for delivering value incrementally. It allows for flexibility in responding to changes and ensures that the project delivers the most significant value within the given time frame. This strategy is supported by agile principles, which emphasize customer collaboration and responding to change12.
Reference: (Optimize alignment between stakeholder needs, expectations, and project objectives – LearnTheContent1; Stakeholder Analysis: Pivotal Practice to Project Success | PMI3;.
How to Align
Stakeholder Expectations with Project Goals – LinkedIn2)
A CEO of a general contracting company urgently asks the project manager to sign up two project team members to participate in a specific training course. Halfway through the training, both team members complain that the training is too difficult, above their experience level, and that the material does not align with their tasks.
What should the project manager have done to prevent this situation?
- A . Communicated with the two team members that the purpose of the training is to provide material that might be useful to them in the future
- B . Sent an immediate request to the human resources (HR) department to replace the current team members with higher skilled candidates
- C . Observed and assessed the competencies and skills of the team members and analyzed the training material beforehand
- D . Planned a training to follow the specific course to bring the two team members to the required experience level
C
Explanation:
The project manager should have conducted a thorough assessment of the team members’ competencies and skills in relation to the training content before enrolling them. This would involve analyzing the training material to ensure it aligns with the team members’ current skills and the tasks they are expected to perform. By doing so, the project manager could have ensured the training was appropriate and beneficial for the team members, thereby preventing the situation where the training felt too difficult and misaligned with their tasks2.
Reference: PMBOK® Guide – Seventh Edition, particularly chapters related to training and competency development1.
Project Management Institute’s resources on project team development and training needs assessment2.
DRAG DROP
Drag the items on left side to the matching term within the correct project.
