Pmp practice exam 1 set 2
A large transformation project that requires cross-functional effort from various business teams is in progress. Which two actions should the project manager take first to complete the stakeholder register? (Choose two) A.Hold a workshop with key project team members to brainstorm and identify potential stakeholders. B.Ask for referrals from the business sponsor or senior leadership. C.Analyze the interest, influence, and impact of potential stakeholders from each business team. D.Discuss the project with team members and put together the register at a team meeting. E.Contact each potential stakeholder directly and ask if they are interested in joining the project.
Solution: A and C. Hold a workshop with key project team members to brainstorm and identify potential stakeholders and Analyze the interest, influence, and impact of potential stakeholders from each business team. The project manager should engage key team members to leverage their knowledge and experiences in identifying stakeholders from various parts of the business. This inclusivity prevents oversights and leads to a more comprehensive register. Understanding each stakeholder's interest (awareness and concern), influence (power to affect the project), and impact (potential consequences of their involvement) is crucial for prioritizing engagement strategies and tailoring communication for different groups. The other answer choices are incorrect. While discussing with team members is valuable, finalizing the register directly in a meeting is inefficient and prone to oversights. Relying solely on referrals risks overlooking key stakeholders outside their immediate network and can introduce bias based on existing relationships. Directly contacting every individual at this early stage is inefficient and overwhelming. It doesn't allow for proper IAI assessment or ensure their actual interest in participating, potentially discouraging involvement. Breaking down the project by domain areas is valuable for categorization, it isn't an initial action for identifying stakeholders.
A project manager is working on a project that has been ongoing for some time and is currently at the 70% completion mark. The development team has been diligently following the project management plan and scope defined in the project charter. During a product review meeting, a stakeholder complains that additional features should be included. These features were not initially part of the project scope but have now become a pressing concern for the stakeholder. What should the project manager do next? A.Analyze changes with the team and go through the formal change control process. B.Inform the stakeholder that the changes will be applied later as product fixes. C.Update the project management plan with the requested changes and inform relevant stakeholders. D.Submit a change request to the change control board and inform the sponsor about the changes.
Solution: A. Analyze changes with the team and go through the formal change control process. When a stakeholder requests additional features during the project, especially when it's already 70% complete, it's crucial to analyze these changes with the project team. Analyzing changes with the team first allows for a more thorough understanding of the implications and feasibility of the requested features. Going through the formal change control process is essential because it helps ensure that any requested changes are evaluated for their impact on the project schedule, budget, and scope. This process also involves assessing risks and obtaining necessary approvals. The other answer choices are incorrect because they suggest the project manager take action without analysis. Informing the stakeholder that the changes will be applied later as product fixes is risky because it may not be possible to implement the changes later without impacting the project schedule or budget. Updating the project management plan and informing relevant stakeholders is also risky because it may not be possible to implement the changes without going through the formal change control process. Submitting a change request to the change control board should be done after a thorough assessment of the requested changes to provide the change control board with sufficient information for their decision-making.
A project is about to begin and a new regulation has imposed a deadline that will adversely impact the project. 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 should the project manager do first? A.Analyze the critical path and prioritize resources toward essential tasks. B. Delegate tasks associated with higher risk levels to a third party. C.Obtain additional funding to mitigate the need for outside services. D.Build prototypes and simulations to identify potential issues early.
Solution: A. Analyze the impact of not initiating the project and share the findings with stakeholders. The project manager should analyze the impact of not initiating the project and share the findings with stakeholders, who can identify the most time-sensitive activities, enabling focused resource allocation and potential schedule compression. The other answer choices are incorrect. Delegating tasks to third parties introduces new risks related to quality, communication, and control and doesn't guarantee faster completion within the deadline. Securing funds is time-consuming, potentially delaying progress, and doesn't directly address the core time constraint. Building prototypes and simulations consume time and resources upfront and may not be feasible within the tight deadline.
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 before production readiness. Which two solutions should the project manager use? (Choose two) A.Adjust velocity for the project team to address additional testing. B.Incorporate unit and integration test criteria as part of the validation. C.Modify the methodology of delivery to test-driven development. D.Review the working agreement for acceptance criteria with the project team. E.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). The other answer choices are incorrect because they do not meet the criteria for validation. They either suggest masking the problem without addressing the root cause or do not introduce specific testing measures.
A Scrum team noticed a trend of work spilling over for the last several sprints. The root cause of this has been identified as the code review task. This bottleneck appears to occur because the team is dependent on an external expert. What should the project manager do first? A.Assess the bottleneck, highlight it, and increase the sprint length. B.Assess the team's capability and identify the required internal training to remove the bottlenecks. C.Arrange an alternative option to have a backup expert to avoid spillover. D.Work with the team, start reviewing the code, and stop reviews from the expert to avoid spillover.
Solution: B. Assess the team's capability and identify the required internal training to remove the bottlenecks. The first thing the project manager should do is assess the team's capability and provide internal training to reduce the dependency on the external expert. By assessing the team's capability and identifying the required internal training, the project manager can effectively address the bottleneck, reduce the team's reliance on external resources, and improve the overall efficiency of the Scrum team. This proactive approach will contribute to the team's self-sufficiency and overall project success. When the team members are able to do the work, they won't need to wait for the expert, diminishing the bottleneck. The other answer choices are incorrect. Increasing the sprint length is not ideal in an agile environment and would allow more time for the issue to persist; having another external expert as a backup may pose the same bottleneck issue as the original external expert; and stopping the reviews from the expert may cause productivity delays if the project manager has to work to complete the tasks they had originally outsourced.
In order to determine a new hybrid approach for a project, the project manager decides that an assessment of the organizational culture is needed. The project manager should consider a balance between which two elements? A.Exploration and stability B.Speed and traditional models C.Flexibility and predictability D.Disruption and conformity
Solution: C. Flexibility and predictability Flexibility and predictability are the most important things in the organization's culture for the project manager to determine the appropriate hybrid approach. When assessing organizational culture to determine a new hybrid approach for a project, the project manager should consider balancing flexibility and predictability. The other answer choices are incorrect. Exploration and stability may be helpful, but it does not directly address the need for balancing flexibility and predictability. Speed and traditional models may be helpful, but it does not directly address the need for balancing flexibility and predictability. Disruption and conformity may be important factors to consider, but they do not directly address the need for balancing flexibility and predictability.
A project manager has just finished a project charter and received approval from the project sponsor. The project manager then presented the project charter to the stakeholders and noticed a lack of participation from some of them during this meeting. What should the project manager do? A.Include this in the risk register because the Project Manager is uncertain that the stakeholders understood their responsibilities in this project. B.Hold one-on-one meetings with these stakeholders to ensure their understanding of key deliverables and their responsibilities. C.Report the concerns about the stakeholders' lack of involvement to the project sponsor. D.Ask the project team to monitor these stakeholders and their involvement.
Solution: B. Hold one-on-one meetings with these stakeholders to ensure their understanding of key deliverables and their responsibilities. Every stakeholder needs to understand the deliverables and their responsibilities towards the project. The project manager should address this immediately. The other answer choices are incorrect. This is not a risk to be recorded in the risk register, but an issue for the project manager to resolve. It is the responsibility of the project manager to ensure that the stakeholders are involved in the project. Reporting the concern to the project sponsor will not resolve the problem of stakeholder engagement. It is not the responsibility of the project team to monitor the stakeholders. It needs to be done by the project manager.
An agile project is midway through its ten iteration cycles. During the last iteration, the team had to work overtime to accomplish the goal. In the iteration retrospective, the team agreed that they took more time than planned because they did not have the required experience when they executed the assigned tasks for the first time. What should the project manager do? A.Ask the project sponsor for additional team training. B.Ask the sponsor to approve a change request for more time in future iterations. C.Ask the team to re-assess their effort estimates in the iteration planning session. D.Ask the product owner to reprioritize the product backlog.
Solution: C. Ask the team to re-assess their effort estimates in the iteration planning session. The team learns from previous iterations how to do things better. The actions to address any shortcomings are taken as part of the next planning session. The next action should be to assess whether the team now has sufficient experience to perform the tasks within the planned timeframe for the next iteration. The other answer choices are incorrect. The options to seek additional training and reprioritize the product backlog may not affect the team's ability to complete in the next iteration. The option to ask the sponsor to approve delayed timelines is also unnecessary if the team assesses that it now has the necessary experience to complete the next iteration within schedule.
A project manager has been assigned to lead a cross-functional project team. During a brainstorming session, the project manager realizes that some team members do not see the need for a change, and this is affecting the team's output. What should the project manager do? A.Restate the objectives of the project to the team. B.Ask the project sponsor to review the project charter. C.Engage team members to understand their doubts and get their buy-in. D.End the brainstorming session and adopt interview methods.
Solution: C. Engage team members to understand their doubts and get their buy-in. By engaging team members to understand their doubts and get their buy-in, the project manager can address team members' concerns and get them on board with the project. This will help to improve the team's output and increase the chances of the project being successful. The other answer choices are not as effective. Restating the objectives of the project to the team may not be enough to convince team members who do not see the need for change. Asking the project sponsor to review the project charter may not be helpful, as the project charter may not address the specific reasons why some team members do not see the need for change. Ending the brainstorming session and adopting interview methods may be necessary in some cases, but it is not the best course of action in the first instance. It is important to try to engage team members and get their buy-in before moving on to other methods.
A project team is installing a fiscal metering system for a crude oil terminal. The project manager has requested a metering system, conducted a factory acceptance test, and delivered meters to the terminal for installation. While onsite, local regulators participated in the factory acceptance tests and declined approvals for the meters due to a breach of statutory procedures. This led to delays in completing testing and had an overall impact on the project cost and schedule. How could the project manager have prevented this situation? A.Referred to lessons learned from previous projects. B.Notified stakeholders of the factory acceptance tests for meters. C.Ensured compliance with the stakeholder requirements. D.Revised the stakeholder engagement plan.
Solution: C. Ensured compliance with the stakeholder requirements. Compliance with critical stakeholders' needs, the regulators in this case, would have prevented the declined approvals and project delay from occurring. The other answer choices are incorrect. Referring to lessons learned, notifying stakeholders, and ensuring implementation of stakeholders' engagement plan are valid but ensuring compliance to critical stakeholders' needs is the best option to prevent delays in this situation.
A project to develop a new software program has been delivered. The software has been put into production, but members of the project team are continuously contacted by users asking how to use or report problems, even though the project received administrative closure. What should the project manager have done to prevent this situation? A.Included an activity in the project scope that allows the project to support the tool after production release. B.Communicated the project's conclusion with the rest of the organization formally, as per the communications management plan. C.Ensured the final product is transitioned to a different group or organization to take care of the software during its life cycle. D.Asked the team members to stop answering or addressing questions from users and encouraged the users to read the documentation instead.
Solution: C. Ensured the final product is transitioned to a different group or organization to take care of the software during its life cycle. As the project received administrative closure, the project manager should have ensured that all deliverables, including the new software program, be handed over to a different group or organization that will operate, maintain, and support it throughout its life cycle. The other answer choices are incorrect. Asking the team members to stop answering or addressing questions or including the activity to support the tool after production release are not a part of the project closure activities. Communicating to the rest of the organization formally is done only after the project closure is obtained.
An agile project was scaled from the feasibility study phase to the implementation phase. Due to time constraints, the same team is assigned to the project, except for one team member who was replaced with a new team member. Many of the team members do not get along with the new team member and are unwilling to work in the next phase. How should the project manager ensure that the team is ready for the next phase? A.Perform an incremental delivery assessment. B.Force the team to stay together. C.Request a formal team commitment. D.Remove the new team member.
Solution: C. Request a formal team commitment. The most helpful option is for the project manager to request a formal team commitment. An intra-team commitment mechanism is useful to review team norms and refresh the team's commitment to the project and the new phase. Most of the projects fail to team fatigue and reluctance to change management during scale-up phases. The option to perform an incremental delivery assessment and forcing the team to stay together do not address the concerns that the members have where their inability to get along take priority over delivering the work. The other option to remove the new team member may not address the situation if the work is unable to be delivered effectively with the reduced team size.
A project manager has been assigned to a multimillion-dollar project already in execution. During a project status meeting, one of the team members mentions that there are some delays because a senior executive is not responding to communications. What should the project manager do? A.Establish a process to send daily reminders to the senior executive. B.Remove the task from the critical path so it will not affect the project schedule. C.Use networking to contact the senior executive to get a response. D.Escalate the concern to the senior executive's manager.
Solution: C. Use networking to contact the senior executive to get a response. The project manager should contact the senior executive directly to get a response. Stakeholder engagement is important in this scenario. The other answer choices are incorrect because they do not offer a direct solution for the communication issue. The senior executive may ignore the daily reminders; removing the task may impact the project as a whole; and escalating the concern to the senior executive's manager without first trying to contact the senior executive is not good for rapport.
r is planning the next release for the software development team. The team has completed two releases to date, and the product backlog for the next release has been confirmed. Which of the following tools should the project manager use to plan the duration for the next release? A.Product roadmap B.Resource calendar C.Work breakdown structure (WBS) D.Burndown chart
Solution: C. Work breakdown structure (WBS) The WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of the work to be done in a project. It is used to estimate the total effort required to complete the project. By breaking down the work into smaller tasks, the project manager can get a better understanding of the time and resources required to complete each task. This information can then be used to estimate the overall duration of the project. The other answer choices are incorrect. The product roadmap is a high-level plan for the development of the product but it does not provide any information about the time required to complete each release. The resource calendar shows the availability of resources, such as people and equipment but it does not provide any information about the tasks that need to be completed or the time required to complete each task. A burndown chart is used to track the progress of a project. It shows the amount of work remaining to be done over time but it is not used to estimate the duration of a project.
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? A.Restart the procurement process and select a new vendor. B.Review the contract type that will be awarded to the vendor. C.Proceed with the best offer as per the procurement process. D.Engage the steering committee and escalate the issue.
Solution: D. Engage the steering committee and escalate the issue. The project manager should engage the steering committee and escalate the issue. This is the best way to ensure that the project can proceed without being delayed or derailed by the increased cost of the services. The steering committee may be able to provide additional funding for the project or may be able to help the project manager find ways to reduce the cost of the services. The other answer choices are not as effective. Restarting the procurement process and selecting a new vendor is a drastic measure that should only be taken as a last resort. It is likely to delay the project and may not result in a lower cost. Reviewing the contract type that will be awarded to the vendor is not enough to address the issue of the increased cost of the services. Proceeding with the best offer as per the procurement process is not a good idea, as it will likely result in the project exceeding its budget.
A project manager for a new project is tasked with applying agile practices to improve team performance. Which approach should the project manager take? A.Utilize active listening techniques to address the needs of the team. B.Request a budget from finance for training the team members. C.Assign a budget for team activities during the planning phase of the project. D.Ensure team retrospectives are done regularly.
Solution: D. Ensure team retrospectives are done regularly. Retrospectives are a key component of agile practices and involve the team reflecting on their performance and identifying areas for improvement. The project manager should ensure that team retrospectives are done regularly to improve team performance using agile practices. Other approaches may be beneficial, but retrospectives are a key component of agile practices. The other answer choices are incorrect. While active listening is an important skill for a project manager, it may not directly improve team performance in an agile environment. Training may be beneficial, but it may not directly improve team performance in an agile environment. Team activities may be beneficial, but they may not directly improve team performance in an agile environment.
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? A.Discuss the benefits with the client. B.Ensure there is a product backlog. C.Provide examples of other similar projects. D.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.
Before a project evaluation meeting, a key stakeholder complains that the project does not deliver the expected business benefits. The project manager needs to prepare for the meeting to effectively address the complaint. What should the project manager do first? A.Review the change control log for approved variances in the project deliverable. B.Review the communications management plan and stakeholder engagement plan. C.Review the project performance metrics and acceptance test results. D.Review the project objectives and success criteria.
Solution: D. Review the project objectives and success criteria. Project success is measured by the achievement of project objectives and success criteria. The project manager should review these two to understand the key stakeholder's complaints before taking action. The other answer choices are incorrect while the change control log may provide insights into changes that have been made to the project deliverables, it does not directly address the issue of whether the project has delivered the expected business benefits. The communications management plan and stakeholder engagement plan may provide information on how stakeholders have been engaged throughout the project, but it does not directly address the issue of whether the project has delivered the expected business benefits. The project performance metrics and acceptance test results may provide information on how well the project has met its technical requirements, but they do not directly address the issue of whether the project has delivered the expected business benefits
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? A.Gather feedback using surveys of the end user experience and analyze the results. B.Review the actual costs incurred to ensure that the project remains on budget. C.Validate the scope to ensure that the required quality of outputs is being met. D.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.
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? A.Raise a legal case with the company for breaching the contract. B.Approach alternative suppliers for the remaining two components. C.Initiate the response plan for this risk entry based upon the trigger. D.Work with the supplier to agree on new prices to minimize cost impact.
Solution: D. Work with the supplier to agree on new prices to minimize cost impact. The project manager should first work with the supplier to agree on new prices to minimize cost impact. This is the most pragmatic and likely solution to the problem. It is important to maintain a good relationship with the supplier, as they will be responsible for delivering the final two components. The other answer choices are not as relevant or effective. Raising a legal case with the company for breaching the contract should be a last resort, as it could damage the relationship with the supplier and delay the project even further. Approaching alternative suppliers for the remaining two components may take time and be expensive, and there is no guarantee that the new suppliers will be able to deliver the components on time and to the required specifications. Initiating the response plan for this risk entry based on the trigger. This is a good step to take, but it is not the first thing that the project manager should do. The project manager should first try to resolve the issue directly with the supplier.
