There are many situational questions on the PMP exam.

Situational questions ask one of the following:

1. What should the PM do next?

2. What is the next logical step?
3. What are you likely to do first?
4. What should the PM do?
5. What is the best course of action here?
6. What is the next best course of action?

To answer these questions, you must first always remember you are answering them as an experienced
project manager. Answer from the perspective of the PM, even though your project role may be as an
engineer, developer, tester, or some other role. To answer these types of questions, consider the basic
concepts, first, the ideal PM behavior and second, the Positive Bias Principle.

The Ideal PM behavior

Holds safety, quality, and governance non-negotiable during a project

Holds scope sacrosanct while driving a project

Never bypasses steps, processes, documentation to accelerate delivery or closure

Is always proactive rather than reactive and always has a Plan B

Owns issues and problems rather than delegates. Escalation is the last resort

Holds every Department accountable for its task

Questions and analyzes every change request critically

Puts the team before himself or herself and demonstrates servant leadership

Invests sufficient time to identify and engage stakeholders

Communicates at right time to the right people, the right information, the right way

Knows how to prioritize to meet the best interest of the project and the company

Knows and exercises his or her authority and credibility in the right way to ensure best interest of all

The positive bias principle

Analyze every option “word by word” with a positive bias of acceptance until you get a solid reason to
reject it.

There are two types of situational questions. The first focuses on PM behavior and the framework.
These are what is the best course of action here and what should the PM do?

The second category focuses on prioritization and sequencing. These are what is the next step, what
should the PM do next, what is the next logical step and what is the best course of action?
Situational Questions methods

First, do not forget the positive bias principle while answering any situational question. Second,
determine if the question is a PM behavior or prioritization / sequencing question. If the question is a
PM behavior question, then go back to the ideal project manager framework. Analyze and start
eliminating options and iterate with the positive bias principle in mind to arrive at the right answer. If
the question is a sequencing / prioritization question, identify the knowledge area or process group and
recall any sequence or necessary processes or change management ITTOs, etc. Then iterate with the
positive bias principle in mind to arrive at the right answer

Sample Situational question number one

You are a PM for an IT company and you have recently completed an application development for a
client. But the client is still calling you and your team members to solve technical issues, troubleshooting
and requests are still coming for small changes and upgrades. What should you do to ensure that this
application project now has ongoing operational support to handle day-to-day maintenance?

A. Obtain project acceptance from customer

B. Close the project, decommission the team and find a new project

C. Keep supporting the customer as the application is still under development

D. Perform a project handover

First, apply the positive bias principle. Second, categorize the question by type. This question asks what
you should do to ensure the application is ongoing. It is a behavior question. Third is to start eliminating
options by using the ideal project management framework. Read each option with a positive bias and if
you can reject it, do so. If not, it stays as a possible answer.

Based on this situation you know that you are not going to get acceptance from the customer so you can
eliminate answer A. Option B, which is to close the project, violates the third principle in the ideal
project management behavior which is never bypass steps or processes to accelerate delivery or
closure, so you can safely eliminate answer B. Option C, keep supporting the customer as the application
is still under development, is a viable option so let us keep it in consideration. Option D, perform a
project handover or move that project from the operational state into maintenance, is also viable
choice, so keep it in consideration.

Going back and analyzing answer C, keep supporting the customer as the application is still under
development can also be eliminated based on the question that states that the application has been
completed. This makes C a wrong answer. Answer D which is to perform a project handover is the only
logical answer based on a couple of things. First, your goal when you finish a project is to hand it over to
operations. Second, within the ideal manager framework holding every Department accountable for
their task is proof that this is the correct step. The final reason D is the most correct answer is because
we know that projects must end and our goal is to complete the project and hand it over to another
entity.
Situational question number 2

A construction project is nearing completion. As the PM you have inspected the deliverables for
completeness and correctness. What is your next logical step?

A. Start project closure process

B. Hand over the project to the customer

C. Have your customer inspect the deliverables for correctness

D. Perform cost reconciliation

First, analyze every option word by word with a positive bias until we get a solid reason to reject it.
Second, determine the type of question. This one asked what is the next logical step which makes it a
prioritization / sequencing question. Now you need to determine what process group you are in. Based
on the question, you determine you are in the validate scope process. Last, analyze the sequence of
events to see if that will help. In this case, it really does not help you a lot. So now you must analyze the
options and eliminate them one at a time.

Option A, start the project closure could be an answer. Option B which is hand over the project to the
customer could also be correct. Option C, have your customer inspect the deliverables for correctness
could also be correct. Option D perform cost reconciliation can probably be eliminated since it occurs
prior to validate scope.

Review answer A again. It states that only you have inspected the deliverables and they have not been
accepted by the customer therefore you cannot start the project closure process. This eliminates A.
Answer B, hand over the project to the customer, follows a similar logic to answer A. You cannot give
the product to the customer until it is accepted by the customer so you can eliminate answer B. The only
possible answer left is option C, which is to have the customer inspect the deliverables for correctness.