Wrong PMP Questions
A key stakeholder is upset about the new features in the current iteration for the product. The key stakeholder was unavailable during the last review and did not have the opportunity to provide input. What should the project manager have done to prevent the stakeholder from being upset? Waited until all stakeholders approved the change before implementing Ensured that updated project information is always accessible to all stakeholders Met individually with every stakeholder to avoid disagreement Scheduled meetings only when all stakeholders could be present
B. Ensured that updated project information is always accessible to all stakeholders It is imperative that stakeholders have updated project information that is accessible. This transparency is necessary to ensure all involved are well aligned about the product outcome.
A project manager is concerned about the outcome of a hybrid project. Due to a change in a competitor's products and services, project deliverables may be obsolete by the time the project is completed. The project manager is not permitted by senior management to either reduce the project scope or alter the quality of the outcome. What should the project manager do to deliver this project successfully? Conduct a business impact analysis, use less standard materials, and hire fewer skilled resources to manage the cost. Assess the impact of the change on the project schedule and seek approval from the change control board (CCB). Proceed with the existing project schedule, seek management approval for more funds, and avoid altering the project scope. Close the project and initiate a new project since the scope and quality cannot be changed.
Solution: B. Assess the impact of the change on the project schedule and seek approval from the change control board (CCB). Assessing the impact of the change on the project schedule and seeking approval from the CCB is what the project manager should do to deliver this project successfully. There should be a contingency plan in place.
A project is nearing completion and a stakeholder wants to know how the project outcomes will impact the organization. What should the project manager review with the stakeholder? Business case Benefits management plan Project charter Assumption log
Solution: B. Benefits management plan The project manager should review the benefits management plan with the stakeholder as it is the best document to describe how and when the benefits will be delivered and the outcome's impact on the organization.
A project manager in a quickly growing hybrid organization is becoming increasingly frustrated at the rapid amount of change in daily operations. Several newer team members have already left the team or have been promoted to other roles in the organization. What should the project manager do to ensure the project governance remains stable? Work with senior leadership to update the organizational process assets (OPAs). Develop a new social contract to empower the team. Update the team charter with new team members. Update the project management plan on a regular basis.
Solution: B. Develop a new social contract to empower the team. The project manager should develop a social contract and empower the team to decide how they will work together. The other answer choices are incorrect. Working with senior management to update OPAs will not help project governance to be stable. Simply updating the team charter or project management plan will also not help to ensure project governance remains stable.
As part of project scheduling, how should a project manager determine how long a project will take? Ask the project sponsor when they would like the project delivered. Estimate the duration by the stories in the project. Confirm that resources are 100% dedicated to the project. Work with the team to create a detailed release plan.
Solution: B. Estimate the duration by the stories in the project. In an agile project, the project manager can estimate the duration of the project based on the number of stories and the weights assigned to each story in the project. The other answer choices are incorrect. Agile assumes that project team members are 100% dedicated to the project; asking the project sponsor leaves unrealistic demands; and the release plan comes at the end of the project.
A team member is unable to work for one week because of sick leave. The team member is currently assigned to a task on the critical path. What is the next step the project manager should take? Choose another team member to take over the task immediately. Evaluate the possible impacts of a project delay. Refer to the risk response plan to mitigate this issue. Convince the team member to proceed with completing the task.
Solution: B. Evaluate the possible impacts of a project delay. Evaluating the possible impacts of this change on the project should be the first action the project manager takes to determine its effect on cost, time, and other constraints. Choosing another team member to take over or proceed with the task could be detrimental if no proper handover is provided. The issue cannot be mitigated before it is evaluated.
A geographically distributed project team has development issues between the colocated and virtual teams, causing productivity to decrease. What should the project manager do to address these issues? Force the team members to work from one location. Obtain special expertise to advise the team members. Develop protocols for resolving conflicts between team members. Set up face-to-face meetings with project team members.
Solution: C. Develop protocols for resolving conflicts between team members. When a project team is made up of colocated and virtual team members, communication management is critical. The Project manager should first understand the reasons for the issues between the teams and then set up protocols for effective team communication and conflict resolution. The other options are incorrect. Due to the distributed nature of the team, it might not be possible to force anyone to work in one location nor have face-to-face meetings. Having a special expertise could add value only after having the basic protocols in place.
A project manager working with a culturally diverse team discovers major intra-team conflicts during project execution. What should the project manager do? Schedule a project team meeting to understand the conflicts. Advise the team members to work harmoniously. Update the resource management plan. Engage members in team-building activities.
Solution: A. Schedule a project team meeting to understand the conflicts. The project manager needs to understand the conflicts and should engage the team in identifying them and developing solutions. The other answer choices are incorrect. Advising the team to work harmoniously, updating the resource management plan, and team building activities does not get to the root of the conflicts nor do they address the issue.
Production of a specific machine in a factory was contracted through a foreign supplier. Prior to delivery of the final two components, the supplier informs the project manager that they need to renegotiate prices or the components will not be delivered. What should the project manager do first? Raise a legal case with the company for breaching the contract. Approach alternative suppliers for the remaining two components. Initiate the response plan for this risk entry based upon the trigger. Work with the supplier to agree on new prices to minimize cost impact.
Solution: C. Initiate the response plan for this risk entry based upon the trigger. The first thing the project manager should do is consult the response plan and implement the response plan for the risk of not receiving the final two components. The other answer choices are incorrect. The situation has not reached the need to raise a legal case; approaching alternative suppliers and working with the supplier to agree on a new price might be a risk response plan and not something the project manager does immediately after being made aware of the issue.
A company has been using predictive methods for a very long time and is trying to implement a few iterative initiatives within their project framework. A project manager has been appointed to lead the first project in this hybrid environment. How should the project manager build awareness of the hybrid approach within the organization? Meet with the project team in order to define roles and responsibilities. Build the project schedule with iterative sessions and communicate this to stakeholders. Invite key stakeholders to the daily stand-ups and project review meetings. Recommend iterative methodology training for senior managers.
Solution: C. Invite key stakeholders to the daily stand-ups and project review meetings. Hybrid is a combination of predictive and adaptive project lifecycles, thus a team transitioning to the agile approach from predictive needs regular daily stand-ups, retrospectives, and short iterations. By inviting key stakeholders, the project manager can build awareness of the hybrid approach within the organization.
A client's interactions with the project team have been somewhat negative and adversarial. Project team members no longer want to be part of the project. What should the project manager do? Schedule a meeting with the client to discuss the team's concerns. Follow the client's expectations and feelings continuously. Keep negotiating with the client and the project team to settle differences. Involve all team members in stakeholder engagement.
Solution: C. Keep negotiating with the client and the project team to settle differences. There is a conflict situation between client and project team. The favored technique for resolving conflict and setting differences is negotiation. The project manager should balance the team's concerns with those of the client. In this scenario, the project manager's role is to understand the client's priorities while also mitigating team dissatisfaction.
A project is challenged by a multitude of problems resulting in defects and stakeholder complaints. The project manager has been contemplating a quick and effective approach to address the problems. Which two actions should the project manager take? (Choose two) Gather the project team members and have a brainstorming session. Refer to the organizational process assets (OPAs) to assess lessons learned. Use a trend analysis to engage some of the project team members. Use an Ishikawa diagram to help identify the problems. Use a Pareto chart to identify how the challenges of the project should be addressed.
Solution: D and E. Use an Ishikawa diagram to help identify the problems. and Use a Pareto chart to identify how the challenges of the project should be addressed. The Ishikawa/fish-bone diagram can be used in a systematic identification of problems as well as their origins. The output of this exercise could be used to develop the Pareto chart to indicate the 20% of the cause problems which when addressed would eliminate 80% of current challenges.
A project is close to completion when an unidentified and influential stakeholder appears and threatens to put the project in jeopardy by not approving the closing documents. Which two actions should the project manager have done to avoid this? (Choose two) The project manager should have carried out stakeholder identification during the initiation stage of the project. The project owner should have informed the project manager about the stakeholders of the project. Identifying and analyzing stakeholders should have been performed as an ongoing task throughout the project duration. The stakeholder should have come forward for proper identification at the beginning of the project. Creating awareness of the stakeholders' concerns should have been continuously occurring throughout the project.
Solution: A and C. The project manager should have carried out stakeholder identification during the initiation stage of the project. and Identifying and analyzing stakeholders should have been performed as an ongoing task throughout the project duration. The project is put in jeopardy by this unidentified stakeholder where 'unidentified' is the keyword. To avoid this, the project manager should have identified and analyzed stakeholders at the initiation stage as well as throughout the length of the project.
A project team is in the planning phase of a complex project. The project has an end-date constraint to launch a new product with which they have no previous experience. The project sponsor is requesting a detailed schedule, but the team is unable to predict when tasks will occur throughout the project lifecycle, especially because some of them are dependent on deliverables by other business units. What life cycle methodology should the project manager use in this situation? A hybrid life cycle including a prioritized product backlog approved by the sponsor A predictive life cycle including a schedule in agreement with all business units An agile life cycle including a detailed schedule in agreement with all business units An iterative life cycle including task durations and a budget approved by the sponsor
Solution: A. A hybrid life cycle including a prioritized product backlog approved by the sponsor A hybrid development approach is a combination of adaptive and predictive approaches. This means that some elements from a predictive approach are used and some from an adaptive approach are used. This development approach is useful when there is uncertainty or risk around the requirements. Considering that the project is complex and will need to go through multiple stages, the team is unable to predict when tasks will occur, or their duration, but the project needs to be completed by a fixed due date, the project manager would best be advised to choose a hybrid approach that would include working with the project sponsor to prioritize the functionalities or deliverables in the backlog.
A new regulation is imposing a deadline that will adversely impact a project that is about to start. Failing to comply with the regulation will result in hefty fines for the organization. The project is key to meeting the organization's annual goals. What mitigation strategy should the project manager use? Analyze the impact of not initiating the project and share the findings with stakeholders. Delegate any work associated with a higher risk level to a third party. Obtain additional funding to mitigate any required outside services. Build models, prototypes, and simulations.
Solution: A. Analyze the impact of not initiating the project and share the findings with stakeholders. "Analyze the impact of not initiating the project and share the findings with stakeholders" is the best choice as the project has not even started and its currently in "Preliminary Business Case Development" process where an external dependency related to "Regulatory Compliance" has been identified. The project manager now has to conduct Impact analysis" for not doing the initiative and share findings with internal stakeholders.
A project is in the execution phase when new team members are onboarded. Before onboarding the new team members, what should the project manager do to reduce the impact of this action on project performance? Conduct a session to update the existing social agreement on how the team will work collaboratively. Schedule a session to let the existing team members explain to the new ones about the current social contract. Organize a meeting with all of the team members to communicate the current social agreement. Plan a meeting with the new team members to explain the rules included in the social contract.
Solution: A. Conduct a session to update the existing social agreement on how the team will work collaboratively. When new team members join an existing team, a new team is created. The project manager should conduct a session to update the existing social agreement on how the new team will work collaboratively. Setting the ground rules of the new team is a key factor and the role of the project manger in facilitating the participation of everybody to reach an agreement.
A director is acting as the product owner for a government software project. The director is repeatedly unable to engage with the team and provide regular and important feedback on project artifacts. What should the project manager do to resolve this? Determine communication preferences and review responsibilities. Obtain alternative feedback from the customer. Recommend an open-door policy for the project. Adopt a collaborative approach.
Solution: A. Determine communication preferences and review responsibilities. Communication is the key success factor to predict effective project delivery. Engaging stakeholders and developing a communication channel is the responsibility of the project manager. The other answer choices are incorrect. Alternative feedback from the customer cannot replace input from the product owner; an open-door policy does not address specific communication issues with the product owner; it cannot be assumed is not already using a collaborative approach with the stakeholder.
A project manager works in an organization where the culture encourages virtual teams. New challenges arise periodically in this environment, and the project manager currently is in the early stages of a new agile project. What should the project manager do to help the team overcome these challenges? Perform a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis to quickly identify the team's status and take appropriate action. Place a hold on all activities and gather the team for a meeting to discuss the new challenges identified so they can be immediately addressed. Wait until the next daily scrum meeting to address the challenges so that the entire team knows what is going on and the issues can be discussed. Work with the product owner to determine the best course of action for the team to remove any impediments.
Solution: A. Perform a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis to quickly identify the team's status and take appropriate action. The project manager must first understand the team's problems and gaps, which a SWOT analysis enables them to do. The other answer choices are incorrect. There is no need to stop the project, and the project manager should conduct analysis before involving the team. The product owner does not need to be involved, as the challenges described here are internal to the project.
Organizations face different challenges within their operational areas due to external factors. This has required companies to develop formal engagement documents to guide their various operations. How should a project manager make their team members and stakeholders aware of the uniqueness of the organizational standards? The various external factors of the project will be an input to the project management plan and will form part of the briefing at the kick-off meeting. The various external factors should already be understood by team members and stakeholders and including them is optional. Anyone who is involved in the project must understand these various external factors and make an effort to research them. The team members and stakeholders will be informed about these various external factors through the official organizational communications channel.
Solution: A. The various external factors of the project will be an input to the project management plan and will form part of the briefing at the kick-off meeting. Project environment is one of the ground rules that needs to be communicated to all stakeholders at the beginning. It has to do with the organization, the government, and other external factors from the project itself. The other answer choices are incorrect. We cannot assume that the team has prior knowledge of the standards and the project has to explicitly ensure awareness.
An entrepreneur has undertaken a software development project. The project charter was approved and a project manager was appointed. There is an urgent requirement to deliver the project because of an unforeseen political risk. The sponsor wants to see a report of any expected delays. Which tool should the project manager use to prepare the report? Trend analysis Root cause analysis Quality reports Milestone list
Solution: A. Trend analysis Trend analysis is a tool to forecast future performance based on past performance. Project manager can predict unexpected delays in the project with the trend analysis tool.
A project manager for a new project is tasked with applying agile practices to improve team performance. Which approach should the project manager take? Utilize active listening techniques to address the needs of the team. Request a budget from finance for training the team members. Assign a budget for team activities during the planning phase of the project. Ensure team retrospectives are done on a regular basis.
Solution: A. Utilize active listening techniques to address the needs of the team. The project manager should listen to the team and identify the needs to improve team performance. The other answer choices are incorrect. Requesting or assigning a budget is not helpful as the project manager may not know which performance area or activity to apply the budget. Ensuring regular retrospectives may also address some performance issues, but not certainly all, and is not the best option.
One of the project vendors is late in providing a related product solution, which is affecting the release due dates. What should the project manager do to help the agile team manage this impediment? Work with the vendor to understand the alternatives. Review and update the release date with the team. Have the technical lead escalate the issue to the functional manager. Have the team members and experts work together on a solution.
Solution: A. Work with the vendor to understand the alternatives. The project manager should take ownership of the impediment and work with the vendor to find solutions or alternatives. The project manager can work with the vendor to identify potential alternatives that could mitigate the delay. The project manager also needs to understand the full scope and impact of the delay.The other answer choices are incorrect because before taking action, the project manager should have a thorough understanding of the issue and possible paths forward. Reviewing and updating a release date without assessing the delay and having an accurate release date is not good practice. Escalation may be necessary, but the project manager should gain insight into the issue and potential resolutions beforehand. There is also not typically a functional manager in an agile environment. The team cannot make decisions or find a solution without involving the vendor.
One of the retrospective action items that has recurred for the past two iterations is related to the verification and validation of the delivered functionality prior to production readiness. Which two solutions should the project manager use? (Choose two) Adjust velocity for the project team to address additional testing. Incorporate unit and integration test criteria as part of the validation. Modify the methodology of delivery to test-driven development. Review the working agreement for acceptance criteria with the project team. Include a product backlog item to build an integration test suite.
Solution: B and D. Incorporate unit and integration test criteria as part of the validation. and Review the working agreement for acceptance criteria with the project team. The project manager should incorporate unit and integration test criteria as part of the validation and review the working agreement for acceptance criteria with the project team. Working agreements help define what "ready" means so the team can take in work and what "done" means so the team can judge completeness consistently; respecting the timebox; or the use of work-in-process limits
A project manager leads a project team on a project. This project's goal is to enhance a product's capability in the market. What should be the top consideration when defining the team's key performance indicators (KPIs)? Alignment with an individual's growth and development Alignment with the customer's needs Alignment with the project manager's goals Alignment with the sponsor's business goals
Solution: B. Alignment with the customer's needs Project teams must balance work in support of individual, sponsor, team, and customer goals to achieve project outcomes. Across the options, the highest goal or top consideration should be to satisfy the customer or client benefiting in its business by enhancing product range or capability. Alignment to the customer needs would be the most appropriate top consideration when developing the metrics to measure their performance.
An agile project is in its first of ten iterations. After the iteration review, the team receives stakeholder feedback that is not aligned with the project objectives. What should the project manager do? Ask the team to meet with stakeholders to understand their needs. Ask the product owner to review the product backlog and its priorities. Ask stakeholders to prioritize their needs. Ask the sponsor to define the stakeholders' priorities.
Solution: B. Ask the product owner to review the product backlog and its priorities. The product owner is responsible for the product vision that drives the project objectives. The project manager should ask the product owner to review the stakeholder feedback and product backlog to ensure the prioritized work is still aligned. The other answer choices are incorrect. Asking the stakeholders to explain or prioritize their needs, and asking the sponsor to define priorities on behalf of the stakeholders are not helpful if the product owner does not first review the backlog and clarify the project objectives.
During the final stage of a project, one of the key stakeholders asks the project manager to debrief the executive board about the return on investment (ROI) and any relevant new commercial value identified during project implementation. What should the project manager do next? Present the cost-benefit analysis. Present the achieved benefits. Present the cost management plan. Present the financial success factors.
Solution: B. Present the achieved benefits. The project manager should present the achieved project management benefits. The benefits management plan is a centralized and iterative document where the actual metrics and success factors are described. The project manager must first look at the plan to understand if the return on investment (ROI) is part of the benefits and identify elements that will add value to the project. ROI is a measure of the amount of financial return compared to the cost and is generally developed as an input to the decision to undertake a project. There may be estimates of ROI at different points in time across the project life cycle. By measuring ROI throughout the project, the project team can determine if it makes sense to continue the investment of organizational resources.
Close to the end of a large project, some of the technical reports related to the delivered service were not ready. The project manager asked the team members for the missing documents, but the team claimed they had already fulfilled their assigned tasks. How should the project manager address this concern? Review the hierarchical chart to confirm positions and relationships. Refer to the RACI chart to validate the assigned roles and responsibilities. Discuss the activity list and ensure that the team understands what work is required. Input all assumptions and constraints into the assumption log.
Solution: B. Refer to the RACI chart to validate the assigned roles and responsibilities. A RACI chart is a useful tool to validate assigned roles, documents, and to ensure clear assignment of roles and responsibilities. The project manager should refer to the RACI chart to address the concern of the missing documents and determine who is responsible.
In the middle of executing an IT project, two project team members discover a new feature that will change the appearance of the product and make it more aesthetically appealing. Excited about the opportunity to add this feature, they approach the project manager to approve this addition to the deliverables, which will increase client satisfaction and possibly increase the company's chances of receiving additional project contracts from the client. How should the project manager respond? Approve the idea in order to achieve the projected expectations of the team members. Remind team members that, without an approved change request, the focus should be on the agreed scope. Get the buy-in of the remaining team members and implement the feature once the team members give their consent. Implement the change as soon as possible to improve the possibility for future revenue.
Solution: B. Remind team members that, without an approved change request, the focus should be on the agreed scope. Any changes to already approved project plans must go through the change management process first. Gold plating is not acceptable by PMI standards.
A project manager has recently been assigned to an existing multinational project and is not familiar with the key stakeholders. What should the project manager do? Request a meeting with the resource manager. Review and update the stakeholder register. Ask for the opinion or expert judgment of the sponsor. Identify the communications tool and update the plan.
Solution: B. Review and update the stakeholder register. The stakeholder register contains details of the project's stakeholders and provides an overview of their project roles and their attitude toward risk on the project. The project manager should review and update the stakeholder register and begin to build rapport. The other answer choices are incorrect. The resource manager is an individual with management authority over one or more resources, and will not know all project stakeholders; asking for expert judgment of the sponsor will not help the project manager learn about the project stakeholders; updating the communication plan will not allow the project manager to familiarize themselves with the project stakeholders.
Due to market changes, a company decided to speed up its product release schedule, moving from yearly cycles to quarterly cycles. The project manager views this as an excellent opportunity to use an agile life cycle, but upper management is not sold on the idea. What should the project manager do to increase the chances of success by using this approach? Seek the project sponsor's approval for additional budget and resources. Review the product backlog to identify some quick wins to present to stakeholders. Invite upper management to attend a digital transformation workshop. Have the project team work virtually and use the cost savings to speed up delivery.
Solution: B. Review the product backlog to identify some quick wins. Reviewing the product backlog to identify some quick wins is the best choice as ensuring early benefit realization is one of the major benefits of an agile approach and a great way to address stakeholder concerns. Quick wins are the best way to sell agile as the methodology to use. Effective change management uses a motivational strategy rather than a forceful one. Project team members and project managers can work with relevant stakeholders to address resistance, fatigue, and change absorption to increase the probability that change will be adopted or assimilated successfully. This includes communicating the vision and goals associated with the change early in the project to achieve buy-in for the change. The benefits of the change and the impact on work processes should be communicated to all levels of the organization throughout the project. Other options are not going to get the buy-in from the upper management. The other options do not highlight the benefits of adopting an agile life cycle and do not provide proof of how it would be beneficial.
During the project closing, the project sponsor informs the project manager that one of the deliverables, developed by a contractor, must be transferred to a nonprofit organization at no cost. The procurement documentation states that ownership of this deliverable reverts to the contractor once the procurement contract is finished. What should the project manager do? Add "avoid out of scope agreements during the closure process" to the lessons learned register. Initiate a change request and execute the integrated change control process. Consider this transfer as an open issue for the contract department and continue closing the project. Review the contract agreement with the contractor in order to modify the property of the deliverable.
Solution: C. Consider this transfer as an open issue for the contract department and continue closing the project. Outside contracts are not in scope for this project. The project manager should continue with project closure activities and the transfer of the contract should be taken up by the contracts department.
Early in a project, the project manager realizes that one of the key team members is not prepared to perform the assigned task. How should the project manager address this issue? Ensure training is built into the resource management plan. Review the training requirements with the team member. Review each required task with the team member when it starts. Escalate the issue to the resource's functional manager for resolution.
Solution: B. Review the training requirements with the team member. It's important to plan for specific tasks and ensure team members will be able to carry them out effectively. The project manager should review the training requirements with the team member, identify the knowledge gaps and skills and evaluate strategies to address those gaps. Ensuring that training is built into the resource management plan is incorrect because it does not directly address the issue and training may already be built into the resource management plan. The other team members have not been identified as being unprepared in this case, we know that it is one member of the team that is experiencing this disconnect. The first thing to do would be to review the training requirements with that team member. There are many reasons that this team member may be unprepared, they may have misunderstood the training, there may be changes, they may have decided not to pursue training, and they may have not been trained at all. Reviewing required tasks is incorrect because the project is already in the early stages, the team member is already assigned the task and has been identified as unprepared for the task. Escalating the issue is incorrect because it is not appropriate because there is no indication that this issue is beyond the authority of the project manager.
A company that has traditionally used predictive approaches has been experimenting with the use of agile in portions of a project. Because the company has been pleased with the results, the project sponsor now requests that the entire project be converted to agile. What should the project manager do? Propose that the approach change to agile take effect for new projects. Submit a change request to the change control board (CCB). Consult the product owner as they may have reasons to continue using a predictive approach. Convert the project deliverables to user stories and inform the team.
Solution: B. Submit a change request to the change control board (CCB). As the project is changed from predictive approach to agile, it needs to be submitted as a change request to the CCB. The project manager has to get approval from the CCB before changes are incorporated into the project. Consulting the product owner will not be necessary in this situation.
A company is expanding, and the project manager is contemplating whether to hire new resources or outsource resources from an approved vendor team. What should the project manager focus on regarding this decision? The cost of internal resources versus vendor resources. The organization's resource strengths and skills versus those of the vendor. The cost of outsourcing to a local vendor versus a global vendor. The procurement strategy of the company and procurement standards.
Solution: B. The organization's resource strengths and skills versus those of the vendor. The project manager should consider the organization's current resource allocation and their skills and abilities compared to the vendor's. This will help them make the decision between hiring a new resource or outsource resources from an approved vendor team.
In a company that recently adopted hybrid practices, a project is struggling to perform as expected. Neither the project manager nor the team members have previous experience with this new approach to project management. To ensure the transition to hybrid practices is producing the desired results, what should the project manager do? Take an active role in assigning tasks to team members and follow up with their results. Train team members in basic hybrid practices and ensure the team performs coordination meetings. Issue performance reports to all team members so they can review and act on them. Build a WBS and RACI chart to ensure all aspects of the project are owned and tasks are clear.
Solution: B. Train team members in basic hybrid practices and ensure the team performs coordination meetings. In order for the hybrid transition to be successful, the project manager should ensure team members receive basic training in the hybrid methods being used to strengthen commitment and improve the flow of work. This leads to sound planning and execution in order to deliver features that add value to the customer.
A project manager is managing a long-term project that is behind schedule. The client is concerned that the project will be delayed. Which two actions should the project manager take to address the client's concerns? (Choose two) Create a new baseline schedule. Review the change control process. Add more resources to critical path tasks. Perform a risk reserve analysis. Run some activities concurrently.
Solution: C and E. Add more resources to critical path tasks. and Run some activities concurrently. The project manager should add more resources to critical path tasks (crashing) and run some activities concurrently (fast tracking). The other answer choices are incorrect. Creating a new baseline schedule hides the problem or changes the timeline; reviewing the change control process and performing a risk reserve analysis do not address the client's concerns immediately.
As an agile project is starting, one of the senior team members proposes using a new tool to store the project documentation. She used the tool very effectively in other jobs previously before joining this group. What should the project manager do? Ask the team for feedback regarding the tool, and if the team agrees, update the project governance guidelines. Ask the sponsor for approval and update the project governance guidelines. Check to see if the OPAs allow it and update the project governance guidelines, if this new tool is used. Ask the team to use the new tool for a trial period and then evaluate whether to continue using it.
Solution: C. Check to see if the OPAs allow it and update the project governance guidelines, if this new tool is used. The first thing that the project manager should do is to check the OPAs to see if a tool is allowed. Processes, policies, and procedures are usually established by the project management office (PMO) or another function outside of the project. They can be updated only by following the appropriate organizational policies associated with updating them. The other options should not be the next step. Getting the team to use a new tool and ask for feedback can be done after determining that it is allowed. Project sponsor is not involved with approval of project tools.
An innovative project is using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify chemical compounds for the development of new products. The project must deliver at least one product specification within two months and has a fixed budget that cannot be increased. Given that the duration of the AI processing can last from three days to two weeks, and that the AI findings cannot be predicted, how should the project manager maximize the business value delivered with the remaining budget? Ensure that the specification iterations are limited to 50% of the overall project duration. Ensure that the AI processing is limited to 25% of the overall project budget. Plan an iteration directly after AI processing to analyze and prioritize the development goals. Plan the specification work as a predictive task with a fixed duration to guarantee value.
Solution: C. Plan an iteration directly after AI processing to analyze and prioritize the development goals. Incremental prioritization will ensure that business value can be fulfilled within the project and for future projects. The project manager should plan an iteration directly after AI processing to analyze and prioritize the development goals is the correct answer.
A project manager works at a construction company. The current project is a three year, multimillion-dollar initiative to rebuild a stadium. The first phase of the project has been completed within the three month timeframe and within budget. What should the project manager do next? Move on to the next phase. Secure approval from the program manager. Proceed with the contractual closure of the phase. Begin the administrative closure process.
Solution: C. Proceed with the contractual closure of the phase. The project manager should proceed with the contractual closure of the phase. The contractual closure of the phase is the process of finalizing all activities for the project, phase, or contract. Upon receiving closure, next phase can be started as per plan and budget.
A project team is completing backlog items within a four-week sprint. One of the key team members will be away for one week and will be unable to complete the tasks in progress. What should the project manager do? Support a knowledge transfer between the team member who will be away and the other project team members. Add a temporary resource to the team to help increase velocity and complete the items for this sprint. Remove a few items from the current sprint with agreement from the product owner. Increase the sprint duration so the team can complete all the planned items and present them to the product owner.
Solution: C. Remove a few items from the current sprint with agreement from the product owner. The project manager does not determine the length of the sprint; this is determined by the product owner. Product owner concurrence is required to modify sprint duration, thus the project manager should seek approval from the product owner to remove a few items from the current sprint. The other answer choices are incorrect. Adding a team member may slow down velocity; increasing the sprint duration may not be in the best interest of the product owner; and there is no indication that knowledge transfer is not already occurring.
A functional manager involved in a project complains about the latest quality metrics reports associated with all previous iterations. The team does not think this is a valid complaint. What should the project manager do first? Fix the reports to accommodate the functional manager's complaints. Speak to the functional manager's superior to check if this is a common complaint. Review the RACI matrix to identify who is responsible for quality metrics. Perform a quality audit to validate the applied quality metrics.
Solution: C. Review the RACI matrix to identify who is responsible for quality metrics. The project manager should first consult the RACI matrix to identify who is responsible for quality metrics. Responsibilities, including quality management activities, are identified within the RACI matrix. The other answer choices are incorrect because they deflect responsibility or are not the first best thing the project manager should do to find out the root cause of the complaints.
During a steering committee meeting, a senior executive raised a concern that although the key cost parameters are reported to be on track, the project might not be delivering the work that was originally scheduled. What measurement should the project manager use to address this concern? Cost Variance (CV) Earned Value (EV) Schedule Variance (SV) Planned Value (PV)
Solution: C. Schedule Variance (SV) The project manager should compare the earned value and planned value, resulting in the schedule variance. That will bring light to the difference between the project's expected results and the project possibly not delivering the results originally scheduled.
Due to budgetary constraints, the program manager requested that the project managers make the best use of the available resources within their projects and prioritize resources over schedule milestones. After visualizing the resource histogram, a project manager found evidence that 80% of their project's resources will be used during the last month of the project. How should the project manager proceed? Request that activities be fast tracked to make better use of available resources. Allow some of the current resources to be available for other projects. Suggest to the program manager that they perform an integrated resource leveling among the projects. Continue the project execution according to the original plan.
Solution: C. Suggest to the program manager that they perform an integrated resource leveling among the projects. The project manager must make a balance between project needs and business requirements. In this case, the best course of action according to the business and project needs is a resource leveling. Resources must be utilized across projects also to level up and maintain portfolios.
A project manager has been asked to manage an existing complex project. Some goals have already been delivered by the previous project manager. While reviewing the project management plan, the project manager realizes that one of the key deliverables is missing from the project goal. What should the project manager do next to ensure the expected project value is delivered? Escalate the issue about the deliverable to the project sponsor. Confirm the expected deliverables and rebaseline the project. Track the deliverable by reviewing the requirements traceability matrix. Use the contingency fund for more resources to complete the missing deliverable.
Solution: C. Track the deliverable by reviewing the requirements traceability matrix. The project manager should use the requirements traceability matrix to ensure that the expected project value is delivered. A requirement is a condition or capability that is necessary to be present in a product, service, or result to satisfy a business need. A requirements traceability matrix links product requirements from their origin to the deliverables that satisfy them. Requirements can evolve over time, so to ensure the expected project value is delivered, the project manager should track the requirement by reviewing the requirements traceability matrix.
A project manager is managing a construction project that is 40% through the execution phase. The project sponsor has asked the project manager to ensure that all key stakeholders are still committed to the project. How should the project manager assess the stakeholders' current engagement levels? By reviewing and updating the communications management plan By analyzing the most updated issue log By asking key stakeholders to submit a signed declaration By reviewing the stakeholder engagement assessment matrix
Solution: D. By reviewing the stakeholder engagement assessment matrix Stakeholder engagement assessment matrix supports comparison between the current engagement levels of stakeholders and the desired engagement levels required for successful project delivery and will be the best tool to assess the stakeholders' current engagement levels. The other answer choices are incorrect. Communications management plan establishes how, when and by whom information of about the project will be administered and disseminated, and doesn't help in assessing the stakeholder engagement level. Issue log is where all the issues are recorded and tracked. It doesn't have stakeholder engagement details. Getting key stakeholders to submit a signed declaration doesn't help in assessing the stakeholders' engagement level.
At project initiation, a quote for the required services was requested from a vendor, and the work was estimated at US$100,000. As the project progressed, requirements were updated following the company's procurement process, and a modified quote was received for more than US$250,000. The allocated contingency funds are not sufficient to cover the difference. What should the project manager do? Restart the procurement process and select a new vendor. Review the contract type that will be awarded to the vendor. Proceed with the best offer as per the procurement process. Engage the steering committee and escalate the issue.
Solution: D. Engage the steering committee and escalate the issue. The steering committee has to determine a way forward, in accordance with the company's available funds and priorities, because the cost has gone beyond what the project manager has budgeted. The other answer choices are incorrect because they do not suggest escalating the issue to the steering committee, who can offer guidance on how to handle the budget change.
There are concerns that a scheduled-for-release product may not meet the agreed-upon end user requirements. How should a project manager avoid this situation in the future? Discuss the benefits with the client. Ensure there is a product backlog. Provide examples of other similar projects. Hold a session to review the deliverable in detail.
Solution: D. Hold a session to review the deliverable in detail. In order to prevent this situation in the future, the project manager should hold a session to review the deliverable in detail. It is important to clarify the scope and have stakeholder buy-in. The other answer choices are incorrect. Discussing the benefits with the client occurs in the initial stages; ensuring there is a product backlog does not address the misalignment in requirements; and providing examples of other similar projects does not prevent an issue because each project's deliverables are unique.
A company is developing a new product that needs to implement nonfunctional security requirements. The product owner is concerned about how the team can ensure the implementation of these nonfunctional requirements. What does the project manager need to do to ensure that the product is compliant with security requirements? Appoint a security expert as part of the team to review the acceptance criteria. Send the security requirements to the security department to be implemented. Discuss the security requirements at the next sprint meeting. Include the security requirements in the Definition of Done (DoD).
Solution: D. Include the security requirements in the Definition of Done (DoD). In order to ensure that the security requirements are completed and the product is compliant, the project manager should ensure that requirements are part of the Definition of Done (DoD) checklist prior to product release.
Before the project evaluation meeting, a key stakeholder complains that the project does not deliver the expected business benefits. How should the project manager plan for the evaluation meeting to deal with this situation? Review the change control log for approved variances in the project deliverable. Review the communications management plan and stakeholder engagement plan. Review the project performance metrics and acceptance test results. Review the project objectives and success criteria.
Solution: D. Review the project objectives and success criteria. Project success is measured by achievement of project objective and success criteria. The project manager should review these two to understand the key stakeholder's complaints before taking action.
A lengthy upgrade project is being delivered in a series of phased outputs. The end users will face some level of disruption during each phase prior to the outputs being achieved. What should the project manager do to ensure that the intended value is being delivered at each phase? Gather feedback using surveys of the end user experience and analyze the results. Review the actual costs incurred to ensure that the project remains on budget. Validate the scope to ensure that the required quality of outputs is being met. Track progress toward each benefit, based on the benefits management plan.
Solution: D. Track progress toward each benefit, based on the benefits management plan. In order to ensure that the intended value is being delivered or on track to be delivered, the project manager should track progress toward each benefit, based on the benefits management plan. The other answer choices are incorrect because they do not mention the benefits management plan. The benefits must be identified and measurements put in place to track progress towards the benefits.
