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PMI PMP Free Practice Questions — Page 3

Project Management Professional • 5 questions • Answers & explanations included

Question 11

A project team consisting of four team members will be rolling out a company-wide application to both staff and contractors in a country. To deliver within strict the time lines, a local company skilled in application deployment and change management will need to be contracted. What should the project manager do to empower the local company?

A. Manage expectations and agree on the requirements that the contractor will deliver under the supervision of the project manager
B. Begin to roll out the application by micromanaging the contractor
C. Set expectations and agree on the requirements that the contractor will deliver with periodic progress reports
D. Deploy the contractor's staff under the supervision of the project manager
Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: C. Set expectations and agree on the requirements that the contractor will deliver with periodic progress reports

To empower the local contractor, the PM should set clear expectations, agree on deliverable requirements, and use periodic progress reports to monitor — not micromanage. This gives the contractor autonomy while maintaining accountability. Option A requires "supervision of the PM," which limits empowerment. Option B explicitly says micromanaging, which is the opposite of empowerment. Option D (deploying staff under PM supervision) is also overly controlling. Empowerment means trusting the contractor to deliver within agreed parameters while maintaining visibility through reporting. This aligns with servant leadership and effective vendor management.

Question 12

A project manager is managing a construction project that is facing challenges. There is schedule overrun, cost overrun, and the client is unhappy with the specific scope progress. What should the project manager do first?

A. Review the scope and project objectives.
B. Enforce the penalty clause on the supplier.
C. Take action to reduce the cost overrun.
D. Work with the client on the scope completion.
Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: A. Review the scope and project objectives.

When facing schedule overrun, cost overrun, and scope dissatisfaction simultaneously, the first step is to review the scope and project objectives to understand the baseline and root cause. Scope drives both schedule and cost — you need to understand what was committed before you can address the overruns. Option B (penalty clause) is reactive and doesn't solve the project problems. Option C (reduce cost) addresses a symptom, not the cause. Option D (work with client on scope) may come next, but you first need to review and understand the situation internally. Always diagnose before treating — review scope and objectives first.

Question 13

In a geographically distributed project team, the project team members continue to email status reports and update schedules after their weekly meeting discussions. However, the team is having difficulty tracking the changes and progress made. What should the project manager do?

A. Facilitate training on version control and project artifacts.
B. Maintain separate document control via regions to avoid discrepancies.
C. Maintain a central repository of artifacts with a version control system.
D. Develop a document management software for version control.
Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: C. Maintain a central repository of artifacts with a version control system.

The problem is that a distributed team is emailing updates and schedules separately, making it hard to track changes and progress. The solution is to maintain a central repository with version control so everyone works from a single source of truth. Option A (training) helps but doesn't solve the structural problem of scattered documents. Option B (separate regional control) makes the problem worse by fragmenting information further. Option D (developing custom software) is unnecessary when existing tools and systems can be used. A centralized artifact repository with version control is a standard best practice for distributed teams.

Question 14

A project manager has been assigned to a project where collaboration with the business is a critical key factor. The project manager is not sure about which approach to use. A senior project manager has been assigned to help the project manager. What advice should the senior project manager provide?

A. Work with the project manager to develop a new approach that will bring benefits to the project
B. Suggest using an agile approach since customer and team collaboration is critical for project success
C. Establish a project management methodology that requires the customer to provide daily updates to the team
D. Provide a project management template for the project manager to follow as a guide
Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: B. Suggest using an agile approach since customer and team collaboration is critical for project success

The critical success factor is collaboration with the business. Agile approaches are specifically designed to maximize customer and team collaboration through frequent feedback, iterative delivery, and close stakeholder involvement. This is one of the four values in the Agile Manifesto: "Customer collaboration over contract negotiation." Option A (develop a new approach) is unnecessary when agile already fits the need. Option C (daily customer updates) is prescriptive and burdensome without being truly collaborative. Option D (providing a template) is a predictive/waterfall mindset that doesn't emphasize collaboration. When collaboration is the key factor, agile is the natural recommendation.

Question 15

A project manager is managing a large project. A stakeholder has just discovered a new risk that has not been identified in earlier stages. What should the project manager do?

A. Confirm to the stakeholder that the risk register has been completed and validated by all stakeholders
B. Perform a risk analysis directly with the stakeholder who raised the risk and update the risk register
C. Communicate the risk to the steering committee and request a mitigation plan from senior management
D. Add the risk to the risk register and reevaluate the register with help from the project team and stakeholders
Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: D. Add the risk to the risk register and reevaluate the register with help from the project team and stakeholders

Risk identification is an ongoing process throughout the project — new risks can emerge at any time. The correct action is to add the risk to the risk register and then reevaluate it with the project team and stakeholders to assess impact and plan a response. Option A dismisses the stakeholder's concern by claiming the register is already complete, which contradicts PMI's iterative risk management approach. Option B limits the analysis to only the raising stakeholder, missing broader team input. Option C escalates prematurely to the steering committee before the risk has even been analyzed. The proper sequence is: document → analyze → plan response → communicate as needed.

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