PMP PMBOK Study Guide!

PMP Exam
Prep! Practice Questions Edition!
Crash Course & Master Test Prep To
Help You Pass The Exam

Ralph Cybulski 

 
 
 
   

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Introduction 4
What Is a Project? 6 
About This Study Guide 8 
What Are the Benefits of Becoming a Project Management Professional (PMP)? 10 
Enhances Professional Marketability 10 
Raises Client Confidence 11 
Shows Professional Achievement 12 
Offers Opportunity for Professional Growth13 

PROJECT MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 14

PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCESSES AND THE ROLE OF PROJECT MANAGER

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 31

PROJECT MANAGEMENT INTEGRATION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 46

PROJECT SCOPE MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 82

PROJECT TIME MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 104

PROJECT COST MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 128

PROJECT QUALITY MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 154

PROJECT HUMAN RESOURCE AND STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS

AND ANSWERS 179

PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

207

PROJECT RISK MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 232

PROJECT PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 252

PROJECT MANAGEMENT CODE OF ETHICS AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 272
Conclusion 289 
 
   

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Introduction  
 
Project management is not a modern concept. Ancient civilizations have been built, thanks to 
the first infrastructure managers who had to source materials, enlist (or enslave) workers, and 
invent equipment just to meet the demands of kings or emperors.  
 
In fact, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World have been completed and lasted for centuries 
because of the ingenuity of noble project managers, many of whom are unnamed. Even without 
the aid of modern technology, those project managers successfully coordinated different groups 
and managed resources to achieve results.  
 
Today, project managers can be considered the backbone of many industries - from large 
construction projects to billion-dollar software products. In every corner of the world, there’s a 
professional who works hard to make sure that his project stays on budget and on time without 
compromising quality.  
 
As required by the position, project managers need to work with different teams and people. Not 
all of these stakeholders are easy to deal with. Therefore, project managers are expected to never 
stop learning. As a project manager, you need to develop your skills that are important to 
balance the demands and expectations of everyone involved in the project, while still managing 
your deliverables. 
 
While traditionally, the role is known as the project manager, many professionals act as a 
project leader because they see the profession not only as a managerial role but a leadership 
role. With the business world fast-changing, organizational leaders are now more aware of the 
value of project leadership. That is why companies are now involving project managers in 
strategic planning.  
 
Today, project management is no longer confined in the walls of large companies or government 
organizations. Even small businesses are now using project management methodologies to 
continuously improve their operations and achieve their goals.  
 
In huge organizations, you can usually find a well-defined project management office that has 
the main responsibility of overseeing the company projects and processes. In smaller 
companies, project management is usually delegated to senior personnel, while in some 
startups, the owner or the founder would often wear many hats, including project management.   
 
Research suggests that following project management processes usually results in considerably 
higher levels of performance compared to organizations that are not following established 
project management standards.  
 
Because project management is often ingrained into the workplace culture, the results of project 
management are often realized faster. These include better metrics to evaluate success, early 

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detection of project risks, problems, and issues, improved product quality, higher efficiency in 
resource allocation, and even higher sales. With business competition becoming more stringent, 
it is evident that well-established project management has become a considerable competitive 
edge.  
 
Project management is definitely a factor to achieve organizational objectives. However, it is 
crucial to really understanding the nature of a project.  
 

What Is a Project?  
 
By definition, a project refers to any non-permanent effort with specific beginning and end 
dates. These are usually initiated to generate a specific product or service.  
 
On the other hand, project management refers to the application of knowledge, tools, and 
techniques to project efforts to meet organizational goals. Successful project management can 
be accomplished via the coordination of five most important processes in management:  
 
● Initiation 
● Planning 
● Implementation 
● Monitoring or evaluation 
● Control 
● Closing 
 
When it comes to control, projects are basically categorized into different phases, in which each 
phase can also be managed using the above mentioned processes. With projects initiated by a 
business executive, the company hires or assigns a project manager who is responsible for 
delivering results not only through the application of effective project management strategies, 
but also through leadership.   
 
The project manager must ensure proper coordination between different teams within the 
organizations as well as integrate external resources. He or she should have the capacity to use 
the appropriate amount of support and guidance to attain success as the project is 
implemented.  
 
Project management is also considered a profession or a discipline, which follows a code of 
ethics and professional conduct that encompasses honesty, fairness, respect, and integrity. 
Project managers are also expected to abide by well-established business ethics as they are 
essentially managing important business processes.  
 

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About This Study Guide  
 
This study guide is intended for anyone who is preparing to take the Project Management 
Professional (PMP) exam under the Project Management Institute (PMI). Becoming a certified 
project manager by PMI is now becoming a popular and in-demand credential. More and more 
business professionals are now signing up as members as organizations now recognize the 
importance of getting this certification.   
 
While this study guide is mainly written for those who need to take the PMP exam, this can also 
be used by those who are studying to take the Certified Associate in Project Management 
(CAPM). The questions are quite the same and the topics covered in this study guide can help 
you with both exams.  
 
The author of this book assumes that you have basic understanding of project management 
principles, even though not necessarily specific to the study guide. This is designed so that you 
can browse through areas that you are already familiar with, and choose certain terminologies 
that you need to be familiar with.   
 
Basically, the project management questions and answers included in this study guide are 
written in simple language. However, some questions are intended to be tricky, wordy, and 
contain unnecessary information. These are written that way because the actual PMP exam 
contains such questions.  
 
It is highly recommended that you learn all the project management processes - their 
fundamental principles, tools, and strategies. Allocate enough time to familiarize yourself with 
the important terms explained in the PMBOK. There are times that understanding a specific 
term’s definition can help you in answering a question.  
 
Sometimes you are already familiar with something that you have always performed that 
certain task or used the methodology described, but you are using a different term in your 
organization. It is crucial to know the name of every process and its main purpose.   
 

What Are the Benefits of Becoming a Project Management 

Professional (PMP)?  
Becoming a Certified Project Management Professional will provide you with the following 
benefits:  

Enhances Professional Marketability  

 
Many organizations are now aware of the importance of project management and its role in 
achieving business objectives. They also see that randomly calling someone a project manager 

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within the organization who manages a project is not enough. Just like information technology, 
engineering, and other professions, project management has its own particular skills and 
qualifications.  
 
Becoming certified will improve your marketability as an important business asset because it 
tells a potential employer that you definitely have the knowledge, skills, and experience to 
manage important projects, and of course help the company achieve its goals. 
 
Earning a prestigious certificate can help you be highly competitive in the job marketplace. If 
you are a certified project manager and you are competing against a candidate who doesn’t 
hold any certification, there’s a high chance that you will be hired.  
 
Hiring managers would often choose candidates who are duly certified over applicants who 
don't have any certification at all. Certification will demonstrate to your possible employers 
that you have performed the required work and you have the skills needed to become a highly 
effective project manager. It is also an indicator that you are committed to your growth as a 
professional and you value standards.   

Raises Client Confidence  

 
Similar to the fact that becoming certified will assure potential employers that you have the 
background and experience to manage projects, it also brings confidence to your clients that 
you are a competent and experienced project manager. 
 
Earning your certificate will help your employer sell customers on your capacity to manage 
important projects. Clients, similar to possible employers, are usually looking for assurance 
that those they deal with are professional and have the knowledge and skills to perform the 
duties involved. Project managers who are duly certified will translate their professionalism 
and ethics to their work. This improves the trust clients will have in you that, in turn, will 
provide you with the capacity to influence them on pressing project concerns.   
 

Shows Professional Achievement  

 
Becoming a certified project management professional is not easy. It involves an intensive 
process, which requires documentation of your achievements in managing projects. The 
certification exam will test your knowledge of project management principles as described in 
the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK).  
 
Not everyone can take the exam as you need several years of project management experience 
before you can even sit to take the test. On top of professional experience, you also need to 
undergo 35 hours of formal project management education.  
 

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Getting a certificate will assure your employers and clients that you have an advanced 
understanding of project management principles and processes. This demonstrates that you 
have actual experience and mastery of project management as a professional discipline.  
 

Offers Opportunity for Professional Growth  

 
Earning your PMP certification shows that you value professional growth, and demonstrates 
that you are not afraid to go the extra mile to really achieve what you want.  
 
For potential employers, a certificate is an indicator that you are a can-do professional who is 
driven by success. They will have the assumption that you are likely to show the same 
characteristics on the job, which is important for employers.  
 
Certified PMPs are often seen as success-driven, high-energy professionals, which are usually 
offered with highly rewarding opportunities.  
 
   

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS  
 
1. What is the BEST way to improve project performance and establish historical records of 
previous projects?  
 
a. Create status reports 
b. Create network diagrams 
c. Create lessons learned 
d. Create project management plans 
 
Answer: c 
 
Lessons learned can help in preventing project errors in the future and will allow an 
organization to use good ideas from previous projects. This practice could lead to future 
project improvement. 
 
2. Robert has been assigned as the project manager despite his little background in project 
management. Since he needs to work in a matrix organization to be successful in managing 
the project, the expectation for communication will be:  
 
a. Difficult to automate 
b. Simple 
c. Complex 
d. Open and accurate 
 
Answer: c 
 
In a matrix organization, communication can be complex because the project involves 
people from different organizations.  
 
3. Ben and Anna are both project managers in a weak matrix organization. They both realized 
that their powers are quite limited because Ben is working as an expediter, while Anna is 
more likely a coordinator. What is the difference between an expediter and a coordinator?   
 
a. An expediter has some form of authority 
b. An expediter is reporting to a manager 
c. An expediter are allowed to decide about the project 
d. An expediter is not allowed to decide about the project  
 
Answer: d 
 

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 The role of the expediter is only to fast track project activities. He or she has no power to 
make any decisions. On the other hand, the project coordinator has some form of authority 
in decision making, but this is specified by his supervisor or functional manager.  
 
4. Adam, Bryan, Chris, and Dave (all project managers) are passing time on a coffee shop while 
discussing their work. Generally, they are experiencing some difficulty managing their 
projects. Bryan complains about the piling c he receives from stakeholders. Adam talks 
about how challenging it is to encourage people to deliver on time. Chris likes to concentrate 
on the benefits of the matrix organization. If Dave wants to agree about the matrix 
organization, which idea should he add to the conversation?  
 
a. Easier reporting 
b. Easier communication 
c. Several bosses in the project 
d. Better project manager control in resource allocation  
 
Answer: d 
 
Bear in mind that if any question in the PMP exam doesn’t mention what it is compared to, 
then it is by default the point of comparison is an organization that is functional.  
 
5. In a projectized company, the project team:  
 
a. Will not always have a home base 
b. Has no loyalty to the project 
c. Reports to many supervisors or managers 
d. Reports to the functional manager  
 
Answer: a 
 
The primary downside of the projectized company is that when the project is completed, the 
team will be dispersed and they will not have a functional department or home base to which 
they can return.   
 
6. The head of production and a department manager argued about a change to an important 
work package. The production head approached you and asked you to create the 
appropriate paperwork to enable the required changes. The scenario is an example of:  
 
a. A change control process 
b. A project expediter position process 
c. Scope management process 
d. Management planning process 
 
Answer: b 
 

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 This is a good demonstration of the role of a project expediter because there’s no need to 
assess the change. 
 
7. Debbie is a team member who feels overwhelmed by a lot of tasks coming from different 
stakeholders. If she is working in a functional organization, who has the authority to assign 
tasks to her? 
 
a. Tight matrix 
b. Functional manager 
c. Project manager 
d. Any team member 
 
Answer: b 
 
In a functional organization, the functional manager (often the boss of the project manager) 
has the power to assign tasks.  
 
8. A software development project is currently in the planning phase when five stakeholders 
approached the project manager to ask for details on the new project management approach 
that the organization will use. The stakeholders would like to know the origin of the 
methodology and the reason why the approach is better than the current methodology. In 
addition, the stakeholders are close associates with the project manager and the whole group 
has been working together for more than five years. With the new methodology, the group 
needs to use some new terminology such as “corrective response” that makes some people 
anxious because they are not sure how the methodology will affect their work. As a project 
manager, what should you do?  
 
a. Notify the project management office (PMO) about the concerns of the three 
stakeholders 
b. Tell the stakeholders you will send them updates about important project changes 
c. Provide a list of new project management terms and what they mean 
d. Ensure that you maintain your power as the manager although you are friends with the 
stakeholders  
 
Answer: a 
 
Have you thought that this item has several correct answers? You are not alone. But this one 
only has one correct answer. As a project manager, there are a lot of things that you can do. 
But you should only focus on the current capacity of your team and your organization. 
Remember, the organizational policies are handled by the PMO and as the manager, you 
must make certain that the stakeholders understand the changes in project methodology by 
directing them to the PMO, which serves as the policy-centric entity in the organization.  
 
9. Which of the following is not part of a stakeholder management effort of the team?  
 

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 a. Determining the needs of the stakeholders 
b. Providing stakeholders extras 
c. Managing the expectations of stakeholders 
d. Identifying stakeholders 
 
Answer: b 
 
Providing stakeholders extras is also known as gold plating. This is not a good practice in 
standard stakeholder management.  
 
10. __________________ has highest authority in a projectized organization.  
 
a. Team lead 
b. Supervising manager 
c. Project manager 
d. They all have equal authority  
 
Answer: c 
 
Remember that in a projectized organization, the whole company is structured based on 
projects, so the project manager has the highest authority.  
 
 
11. The past project manager for the project you are currently managing failed to follow any 
project management methodology. There are no clearly defined project deliverables and 
there was no control. As the new project manager, which of the following is the best option 
for you to better manage the project?  
 
a. Develop a product description of the project 
b. Develop lessons learned for every phase 
c. Adopt a life cycle approach to the project 
d. Develop certain work plans for every work package 
 
Answer: C 
 
Letter B can help you improve the next phases of the project but will not help you in 
establishing control and deliverables. Letter D can help control every phase, but will not help 
you in managing the integration of the phases into the whole project. Letter A can help but 
not for deliverables and control for every phase. Bear in mind that successful project 
management requires a life cycle approach to run the project. Only letter c suggests the 
option of the project manager to use both control and deliverables.  
 
12. Adam is taking care of a new project for the organization. It began five months after his first 
project and both are now under his responsibility. While the old project is small, it seems to 
be expanding every day. He starts to feel more and more overwhelmed by the task. Today, he 

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 discovered that another project is available in the company with almost similar specifics to 
his new project. What advice would you give to Adam?  
 
a. Ensure that the project scope is agreed by all stakeholders 
b. Get historical documents and consult the management  
c. Find the other project manager and ask for help 
d. Wait for a few days to confirm if the project will be impacted by the scope growth  
 
Answer: b 
 
As a project manager, there are a lot of things that Adam can do. Letter C is not a good thing 
to do because the other project manager may not have the expertise or experience that Adam 
needs. Hence, his advice may not be enough to help in the management of the project. Letter 
D is not a good option because a project manager should avoid being reactive. Letter A is 
also not appropriate. It will help Adam but it doesn’t particularly address the concerns in the 
project. If Adam gets in touch with the PMP, he can receive the collective knowledge of 
project managers in the organizations including historical data from past and on-going 
projects and can even receive help from people in the organization who are in the right 
position to provide assistance to project managers.   
 
13. A project team that is currently working on a new product line finds it difficult to develop a 
project charter. Which of the following best describes the actual scenario?  
 
a. The end date has not been set  
b. The team has not identified the project goals 
c. The team has not identified the project’s product 
d. The team is working on a process and not a project  
 
 
Answer: d 
 
The work is generally now into the manufacturing phase, which is basically considered a 
process and not a project because it is not temporary. Therefore, a project charter is not 
needed in this phase.  
 
14. Management by objectives can work only if:  
 
a. The rules are written down 
b. The project involves the objectives of the project charter 
c. The project objectives are supported by the management  
d. The project does not affect the objectives  
 
Answer: c 
 
The best option here is the obligation of the management to support the project objectives  

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15. The project life cycle is different from the product life cycle because the former:  
 
a. Describes the activities of project management  
b. Can be different for every industry  
c. Does not involve a methodology  
d. Can spawn many projects  
 
Answer: b 
 
Take note that the project life cycle normally involves a methodology for completing the 
work. Therefore, Letter C is not the best option. It is also the product life cycle that initiates 
many projects so Letter D is not correct. The activities for project management are described 
in the project management process, so Letter A is not correct. The project life cycle is 
different for each industry, so Letter B is the right answer.  
 
16. Your organization has mandated that all orders starting today will be considered as 
“projects” and as a project manager, you will be tasked to update daily orders, resolve 
concerns, and to make certain that the customer will accept the orders within 25 days of 
fulfillment. The revenue from each order ranges between $100 and $150,000. You no longer 
needed to conduct planning or document processes except the daily status of orders. Which 
of the following best describes the situation?  
 
a. This is an example of program management because there are several projects involved  
b. Orders that are incurring revenue beyond $100,000 will be treated as projects and will 
require project management  
c. Since every order is temporary, then every order is a project 
d. This is a repeating process 
 
Answer: c 
 
Since orders are of short term and numerous, the situation is not a project but a process 
 
 
17. Lessons learned should be fulfilled by:  
 
a. The stakeholders 
b. The project manager 
c. The sponsor 
d. The team  
 
Answer: a 
 

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 The best choice is the stakeholders because this input is important for collecting all the 
lessons learned on every project. Take note that the term ‘stakeholders’ involves all the other 
groups.  
 
18. One team member told you that she is confused about which project to take care of first. In 
an organization, who must determine the priorities among projects? 
 
a. The team 
b. Management team 
c. The project manager 
d. The project management office  
 
Answer: d 
 
Since the scenario involves the priorities of different projects, this should not be the 
responsibility of the team (letter A), the project management team (letter B), and the project 
manager (letter C).  
 
19. What is a program?  
 
a. Government regulation 
b. An initiative set up by management  
c. A group of unconnected projects managed in a coordinated way 
d. A means to gain benefits and control of related projects 
 
Answer: d 
 
Have you selected letter c? Then, you might have missed the term ‘unrelated’. Take note that 
programs refer to groups of related projects.  
 
20. Legal requirement, a business need, and/or market demand are all examples of:  
 
a. Reasons to sponsor a project 
b. Reasons projects are initiated 
c. Reasons to hire a project manager 
d. Reasons people or organizations become stakeholders 
 
Answer: b 
 
These are all examples of why a project can be initiated.  
 
21. Consideration of current operations & maintenance is quite crucial to the project’s products. 
Ongoing operations & maintenance must:  
 
a. Be considered as a separate project 

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 b. Be included as activities that should be achieved during the closure of the project 
c. Have a separate phase in the project life cycle since a big part of life cycle cost is allocated 
to maintenance and operations  
d. Not be considered as part of a project (a project is not permanent with a definite 
beginning and end )  
 
Answer: d 
 
Do not forget the definition of a project - unique and temporary. Operations & maintenance 
are regarded as recurring activities and permanent. As such, the work cannot be categorized 
as a project or at least part of a project.  
 
22. Company processes require the establishment of a lessons learned document. Which of the 
following is the best application of lessons learned?  
 
a. Informing the project team members about the management plan of the project 
b. Planning record for the ongoing project 
c. Informing the team about what the project manager has achieved 
d. Historical records for future projects  
 
Answer: d 
 
Take note that this question is asking about the best use of a project management tool. You 
can easily learn the use of a lessons learned document from any project management guide, 
but you can easily answer this question if you have experienced using the tool. Can you 
identify other project management tools? How can they help in managing the project? 
Among the choices above, the best application of lessons learned documents is letter D. 
There are other project management tools that you can use to accomplish the things 
mentioned in other options.  
 
23. Operational work is different than project work because the former is: 
 
a. A part of every project activity 
b. Temporary 
c. Unique 
d. On-going and recurring  
 
Answer: d 
 
Operational work refers to activities that are recurring mainly to sustain the organization.  
 
24. Darren is managing a mobile application project. He is having difficulty in completing the 
project because of lack of attention from the project sponsor. He has minimal power to 
allocate resources and in fact, the available resources are already allocated on fulfilling 
activities that are process oriented. What type of company must Darren with? 

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a. Coordinating 
b. Matrix 
c. Functional 
d. Expediter 
 
Answer: c 
 
Darren is working in a functional organization, wherein he can only expect minimal support 
from the management but he has limited powers for resource allocations. Choices A and D 
refers to examples of roles of project managers working in a weak matrix.  
 
25. Which of the following is not a trait of a project?  
 
a. Interrelated activities 
b. Temporary 
c. Repeats itself each month 
d. Definite commencement and completion 
 
Answer: c 
 
Letter C implies that the entire project repeats each month. In general, the entire project 
does not repeat, and the only tasks that could repeat in a project are selected activities.  
 
   

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCESSES AND THE 
ROLE OF PROJECT MANAGER QUESTIONS AND 
ANSWERS  
 
26. After signing the project charter, what should the project sponsor do next?  
 
a. Begin integrated change control 
b. Start completing work packages 
c. Begin creating management plans 
d. Verify scope  
 
Answer: c 
 
The project charter is established within the process group initiation. Hence, this one needs 
the next step in either the planning process group or the initiating process group. In this 
case, you must look for the option that happens closest to the process group. Letter B is 
performed during the execution process group while Letter A and D are performed during 
the monitoring and control process. Letter C is the correct answer because it is part of the 
planning process group.  
 
27. In what project management process group is the comprehensive project budget 
established?  
 
a. Executing 
b. Planning 
c. Prior to project management process 
d. Initiating 
 
Answer: b 
 
Take note that this question uses the word ‘comprehensive’. This kind of budget is 
established in the planning process group.   
 
28. What project management process group are you currently in if your team has already 
determined the high-level project schedule constraints. 
 
a. Monitoring & controlling 
b. Executing 
c. Planning 
d. Initiating 
 
Answer: d 

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During the initiating process group, the team is expected to determine the high-level project 
constraints.  
 
29. Your team has just finished the initial project schedule and budget. What should be next?  
 
a. Create a Gantt chart 
b. Identify requirements for communication 
c. Start iterations 
d. Identify risks 
 
Answer: b 
 
Quality standards and communication requirements are required prior to risks (particularly 
risks that are related to quality and communications (Letter A). You cannot start iterations 
(letter C) until you are done identifying, qualifying, and quantifying the risks and developing 
proper responses. Therefore, you need to review the WBS and other areas of the project 
management plan. The Gantt chart (letter A) would have been performed during the 
schedule creation, so this cannot be the next step. Among the options given, Letter B is the 
right answer.  
 
30. Which of the following is not considered as an input during the initiating process group? 
 
a. Project scope statement  
b. Company culture 
c. Company processes 
d. Historical WBSs 
 
Answer: a 
 
Take note that this question is asking which is NOT an input during the initiating process 
group. You should always read the question carefully before you answer. Letter a (project 
scope statement) is an OUTPUT of the planning process group and NOT an input.  
 
31. In which project management process group is the project charter established?  
 
a. Initiating 
b. Closing 
c. Planning  
d. Executing 
 
Answer: a 
 
Before planning and execution work can start, your team should first establish the project 
charter.  

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32. The personnel who must be in control of the project during the planning phase is the:  
 
a. Sponsor 
b. Functional manager 
c. Team member 
d. Project manager 
 
Answer: d 
 
As much as possible, the project manager must be identified early in the project.  
 
33. A comprehensive project schedule can be established only after working on the:  
 
a. Comprehensive risk assessment 
b. Project management plan  
c. Work breakdown structure 
d. Project budget 
 
Answer: c 
 
The correct answer is letter c or work breakdown structure (WBS) because the 
comprehensive risk assessment (letter a), project management plan (letter b) and project 
budget (letter d) can be completed after creating the schedule.  
 
34. Shane is part of your team. She notified you that the activities involved in a work package are 
no longer suitable. As a project manager, which part of the management best describes the 
situation?  
 
a. Project closing 
b. Monitoring & controlling 
c. Integrated change control 
d. Corrective action 
 
Answer: b 
 
If you have selected another phase of the management process, you are possibly not aware 
that the situation should be first evaluated before you recommend any change or transition 
into an integrated change control process.  
 
35. Your team has completed the work breakdown structure and the work breakdown structure 
dictionary. You have started identifying the risks. You are called by the sponsor to request a 
responsibility assignment matrix. The budget is $100,000 and involves 14 people located in 

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 three countries. There’s minimal risk expected in the project and as a project manager, you 
have several years of experience in managing similar projects. What should you do next? 
 
a. Finish risk management and release the responsibility assignment matrix as requested 
by the sponsor 
b. Ensure the project scope is defined 
c. Make an activity list 
d. Know the experience of the sponsor on similar projects 
 
Answer: c 
 
Take a look at the order of planning that your team has agreed on. While knowing the 
experience of the sponsor (letter d) seems a good option, do not forget that the sponsor is a 
stakeholder and understanding the stakeholder is assigned during the stakeholder analysis. 
This should have been completed prior to the creation of a work breakdown structure. The 
project scope is defined during the project planning phase. Therefore, letter b is another way 
of completing the project scope statement, which comes before creating the work breakdown 
structure. Letter a is not the best answer because this task does not come next in the process. 
Other activities such as developing the network diagram must be finished prior to risk 
management can be successfully implemented. The only option that makes sense is letter c 
or the activity list.  
 
36. Sue is part of your project team. During a meeting, she requested clarification about the 
metrics that the project will use to gauge your team performance. Sue thinks that several of 
the metrics related to tasks delegated to her are not good metrics. The situation is occurring 
in which part of the management process?  
 
a. Initiating 
b. Executing 
c. Monitoring & controlling 
d. Closing 
 
Answer: b  
 
This scenario doesn’t describe an actual metric, which is an activity under monitoring & 
controlling. Instead, this situation is a meeting that is happening during the project 
execution phase. 
 
37. You are managing a project and you feel that you don’t have enough time to spend planning 
prior to the mandatory commencement date. So you want to move through planning as fast 
as possible. Which of the following is best recommended in this situation?  
 
a. Complete the quality management plan before you identify quality measurements 
b. Record all the identified risks prior to documenting the high-level assumptions 
c. Develop an activity list before you create a network diagram 

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 d. Ensure that you have a signed project charter and then begin working on the work 
budget structure 
 
Answer: c 
 
In this question, you need to select the most suitable way to transition to the planning phase. 
Letter d ignores the essential steps of identifying the scope and other tasks. Take note that 
high-level assumptions are identified before risk identification in the planning process, 
which makes letter b incorrect. Metrics are included in the quality management plan, so 
letter a is not right. Letter c is the most suitable answer because the activity list is developed 
immediately prior to the network diagram.  
 
38. You received an urgent email from your teammate informing you about variance between 
the project’s system speed and the expected planned speed. You are surprised by this 
information because this metric was unknown during the planning phase. If you evaluate 
whether you need to respond to the reported variance, then in what project management 
process you are in?  
 
a. Closing 
b. Monitoring & controlling 
c. Executing  
d. Initiating 
 
Answer: b 
 
While this specific metric was unknown during the planning phase, you should still need to 
assess the variance and figure out its importance. Hence, you are in the project monitoring & 
controlling process group.  
 
39. When is the BEST time to identify a project manager?  
 
a. Planning 
b. Initiating 
c. Closing 
d. Executing 
 
Answer: b  
 
The organization should assign a project manager as early as possible, specifically during the 
initiating phase.  
 
 
40. Which process groups should be added in each project? 
 
a. Planning, executing, and monitoring & controlling 

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 b. Initiating, planning, executing, monitoring & controlling, and closing 
c. Initiating, planning, and executing 
d. Planning, executing, and closing 
 
Answer: b  
 
The five process groups are included in every project. As a project manager, you are 
responsible for determining the level of attention to provide for every process group.  
 
41. Which of the following activities would be MOST SUITABLE thing to do during the initiating 
phase?  
 
a. Make sure that all project management processes are fulfilled 
b. Identify the root cause of problems 
c. Be familiar with the company structure and culture as related to the project 
d. Develop a comprehensive description of the project deliverables  
 
Answer: c  
 
Letter a happens during the closing process group. Because you should already have 
problems before you can identify the root cause, letter b should happen during the 
monitoring & controlling process group, not during the initiating phase. Letter d happens 
during the planning process group as part of establishing the project scope statement.  
 
42. In which process group does the team measure and evaluate the work being performed on 
the project?  
 
a. Closing 
b. Monitoring & controlling 
c. Executing 
d. Initiating 
 
Answer: b  
 
In the monitoring & controlling process group, the project performance is measured and the 
required changes are identified and approved.  
 
43. Which of the following is a trait of project management processes? 
 
a. Standardized 
b. Unnecessary 
c. Unique 
d. Iterative 
 
Answer: d 

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As you work in the project, you will learn more information that will allow you to manage 
the project in a more effective manner.  
 
44. The first part of your project is near end. As a project manager, what should you do before 
starting the next stage? 
 
a. Suggest corrective measures to bring the project results in line with project expectations 
b. Verify that the phase has achieved its goals and have its deliverables formally fulfilled 
c. Confirm the project progress compared to the baselines 
d. Check that the resources are available for the next stage 
 
Answer: b  
 
A project phase should be formally closed and accepted.  
 
45. Which of the following project management process groups usually takes the most resources 
and time?  
 
a. Executing 
b. Integration 
c. Design 
d. Planning 
 
Answer: a  
 
Performing the actual work will usually take the most project resources and time 
 
46. The following activities are included in the project closure except:  
 
a. Updating the organization’s process assets 
b. Recording the degree to which every project phase was formally closed after the 
completion 
c. Endorsing the project’s product 
d. Identifying performance metrics 
 
Answer: d 
 
Performance metrics are identified early in the project so the team can use them to keep 
track of progress during the project making letter a the only right answer to this question.  
 
47. Which activity is not included in the project initiating process groups?  
 
a. Gather and assess historical data 
b. Divide large projects into phases 

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 c. Develop a project scope statement 
d. Identify and record business needs  
 
Answer: c 
 
The project scope statement (letter c) is usually developed during the project planning 
process group.  
 
48. Which activity is not included in the planning process group?  
 
a. Sequence activities 
b. Estimate costs 
c. Create work budget structure 
d. Develop project charter 
 
Answer: d 
 
Develop project charter (letter d) happens during the initiating process group.  
 
49. Administer Procurements, Report Performance, and Control Schedule are parts of which 
process groups?  
 
a. Monitoring & controlling 
b. Executing 
c. Planning 
d. Initiating 
 
Answer: a 
 
These processes are part of monitoring & controlling 
 
50. Which process group concentrates on finishing the project requirements?  
 
a. Closing 
b. Executing 
c. Planning 
d. Initiating 
 
Answer: b 
 
The executing process is where the work is performed to generate the project’s product.  
 
   

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT INTEGRATION 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
1. John is a project manager who has managed several projects for the organization and is 
being eyed to join the PMO. But during the evaluation, there were some issues discovered 
concerning his performance. During his first project, he had an ending cost variance of -400 
and he used two important resources required to rework the project charter during project 
execution and was ranked 13th in priority within the organization. In another project, he 
completed with a schedule variance of +150, was finished with a considerably compressed 
schedule and even received a recommendation from the project sponsor. However, the 
product of the project was never used by the company. Finally, he recorded 24% more 
changes in another project, 0.90 SPI, and 27 open items in the issue log when the project 
was closed.  
 
The budget for each of John's projects was $1,000 and logged 20 to 30% higher changes 
compared to other projects in the same category and size. The PMO Head decided John is 
not fit to join the team. What do you think happened?  
 
a. John had two important resources on his team and still required to rework the project 
charter, which shows that he lacks the discipline to work in the PMO.  
b. John did not efficiently involve the stakeholders, which demonstrates he lacks the 
knowledge to work in the PMO.  
c. The issue logs must not be used on John’s projects, which shows that John does not have 
the knowledge to be part of the PMO.  
d. John has only managed low-critical projects and he had to compress the schedule, which 
shows that he does not have the required skill to work in the PMO.  
 
Answer: b  
 
This is a tricky question. Have you noticed some distracting elements that offer no 
importance to this item? Because project managers compress project schedules during 
project planning, letter d is not correct. Meanwhile, issue logs cannot be employed on 
smaller projects, which means letter c is also not correct. The number of important resources 
noted in letter a has no significance on the requirement to revise the project charter. Because 
it doesn’t make sense, this is not a good answer. If you take a closer look at John’s projects, 
you will notice that the product of his second project was never utilized. This has many 
implications on John’s performance including the probabilities that either he failed to 
identify the requirements of all the stakeholders or that the organization's need for the 
project significantly changed and John failed to notice. This shows a huge flaw in his 
abilities. In another project, he had 27 stakeholder concerns that were not properly 
addressed prior to project closure. This again demonstrates a major lack of knowledge as a 
project manager. Remember that in all projects, the need of the stakeholders (not only the 
sponsor) should be addressed. Hence, letter b is the answer.  

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2. Successful project integration normally requires focus on:  
 
a. Product control 
b. Efficient communication at important interface points 
c. Timely updates to the project management plan 
d. The personal careers of the team members 
 
Answer: b 
 
Have you noticed that this question requires the most important among the options? In this 
case, you need to consider what is involved in the integration project management plan 
development, integration change control, and project management plan. Before you can 
integrate the project components into a unified whole, effective communication is important 
if one activity requires integration with other elements. One team member needs to be 
integrated with another, and other forms of interface should be allowed. Letter a and letter c 
are parts of the monitoring & controlling phase while the integration requires more control. 
Letter d is within the domain of project management plan execution.  
 
3. In project changes, your attention should be focused more on:  
 
a. Avoiding unnecessary changes 
b. Informing the sponsor about the changes 
c. Monitoring and documenting changes 
d. Implementing changes 
 
Answer: a 
 
As a project manager, you should be proactive in your approach. The only proactive option 
in this item is avoiding unnecessary changes.  
 
4. Which of the following is one of the primary driving elements for project communication?  
 
a. Differentiation 
b. Integration 
c. Integrity 
d. Optimization 
 
Answer: b 
 
As a project manager, you should see yourself as an integrator. This item focuses on your 
role not only as an integrator but also as a communicator.  
 
5. Which of the following is the MOST SUITABLE use of historical records from past projects?  
 

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 a. Estimating, risk management, and project planning 
b. Project planning, estimating, and creating a status report 
c. Risk management, estimating, and creating lessons learned 
d. Estimating, life cycle costing, and project planning 
 
Answer: a 
 
Historical records are not to be used for creating status reports (letter b), lessons learned 
(letter c) or life cycle costing (letter d).  
 
6. Which of the following is the best application for work authorization system:  
 
a. Manage who performs an activity and when it is done 
b. Manage when each activity is completed 
c. Manage what time and in what sequence work is completed 
d. Manage who performs an activity  
 
Answer: c 
 
Who performs each activity (letter a and d) is managed using the schedule and responsibility 
assignment matrix. The project schedule is used to manage when each activity is completed 
(letter b). A work authorization system is mainly used to integrate when and in what order 
the activity is done so that the activities and personnel may effectively communicate with 
other activities and other team members.  
 
7. Which of the following is not part of an effective change management plan:  
 
a. Lessons learned 
b. Meetings 
c. Standards for reports  
d. Procedures 
 
Answer: a 
 
A change management plan involves the procedures and processes, which allow smooth 
evaluation and change monitoring. Lessons learned (letter a) are not part of the system but 
can provide you an overview of the procedures and processes to improve them.  
 
8. Elijah is a new project manager who has no experience in managing a project. He has been 
asked to come up with a project plan. Which of the following can he rely on to work on a 
plan to increase the project’s success rate?  
 
a. Configuration management 
b. Historical information 
c. Stakeholder analysis 

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 d. His intuition and training 
 
Answer: b 
 
Since Elijah has zero project management experience, he needs to rely on the experience of 
others. He can learn about this by reviewing historical records from past projects.  
 
9. Your project has a lot of project charter changes. Who has the main responsibility to 
determine necessary changes?  
 
a. The stakeholders 
b. The sponsor 
c. The project team 
d. The project manager 
 
Answer: b 
 
Take note that the sponsor issues the project charter, so he or she must help you control the 
charter changes. In this case, the sponsor has the main responsibility for charter changes.  
 
10. Double declining balance is a type of? 
 
a. Life project estimate 
b. Accelerated depreciation 
c. Straight-line depreciation 
d. Decelerated depreciation 
 
Answer: b 
 
Remember, double declining balance is a type of depreciation, so letter a is not the correct 
answer. Double declining balance is a type of accelerated depreciation, so letter c and d are 
not correct. Hence, letter b is the correct answer.  
 
11. Who performs the project integration? 
 
a. The stakeholders 
b. The sponsor 
c. The team 
d. The project manager 
 
Answer: d 
 
As a project manager, your main responsibility is to integrate all elements of the project, so 
letter d is the correct answer.  
 

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12. Approved corrective action is an input for:  
 
a. Develop Schedule 
b. Develop Project Charter 
c. Direct and Manage Project Execution 
d. Verify Scope 
 
Answer: c 
 
Letter b is the only correct answer 
 
 
13. Which of the following is the most suitable description of your role as an integrator of a 
project?  
 
a. Gather all team members united into the same objectives 
b. Place all the elements of a project into the program 
c. Place all the elements of a project into one cohesive whole 
d. Assist team members to understand the project 
 
Answer: c 
   
Remember, project integration refers to the unification of activities and not team members, 
so letter a is not correct.  
 
14. Which of the following is NOT part of Direct and Manage Execution:  
 
a. Setting up a project control system 
b. Implementing corrective actions 
c. Using a work breakdown structure 
d. Identifying changes 
 
Answer: a 
 
A project control system (letter a) is established in the planning process group and not in the 
project execution phase. Hopefully you were not confused by letter c. Remember, a WBS is 
established during the project planning, but can still be used to assist in managing the 
project during the execution phase. Take note that the question did not use the term 
‘establishing WBS’ but USING the WBS.  
 
15. Which of the following is the best description of a project management plan?  
 
a. The project scope 
b. Risk, staffing, improving the process, and other management plans 
c. A Gantt chart 

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 d. A document from project management software 
 
Answer: b 
 
Take note that a project management plan is composed more than just a Gantt or bar chart 
and the plan for fulfilling the work. It also involves all the management plan for the whole 
project.  
 
16. You are a newly assigned project manager wherein the project charter was already approved 
for the planning phase. Considering that the planning process is continuous through the 
whole project, which processes are you most likely to integrate?  
 
a. Determine Budget and Estimate Costs 
b. Estimate Costs and Develop Human Resource Plan 
c. Develop Schedule and Estimate Activity Duration 
d. Define Activities and Create WBS 
 
Answer: d 
 
The creation of the WBS process is composed of subdividing the project scope or primary 
project deliverables into smaller work packages to make them more manageable. Defining 
the activities will help you identify activities that should happen to complete the 
deliverables.  
 
17. You are assigned to take over a project and you have identified the following:  
 
Activity C - early start of day 2, late finish of day 6 and early finish of day 3 
Activity M - is currently fulfilled by a critical resource with cost performance 
index of 1.1 and schedule performance index of 0.8 
 
With this information available, what area will you devote your focus in your first week? 
 
a. Schedule 
b. Cost 
c. Resources 
d. Float 
 
Answer: a 
 
You may find it hard to answer this question if you have not fully understood PMBOK. So if 
you got this wrong, you need to review Integration Management. In this question, we need 
to understand the integration of different data, which tests your capacity to assess what 
information is crucial to find the answer. While some information is provided to help you 
compute the float (letter d), there are no given data to say that there’s an issue with the float. 
Most projects are in need of critical resources (letter c), but the question doesn’t imply that 

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 the resource is a concern. CPI (letter b) is higher than 1, therefore the cost is something that 
you should pay attention to. The SPI is lower than 1 so the correct answer is letter a.  
 
18. You are assigned to take over an important project that is currently in the planning process 
group. Later on, you discovered that five members have signed the project charter. Which of 
the following should you pay attention to?  
 
a. Determining the reporting process 
b. Finding one project sponsor 
c. Allocating more time on management configuration 
d. Identifying the members who will assume the change control board 
 
Answer: c 
 
This scenario suggests that there are five areas concerned with the project. Aside from the 
communications requirements, you should also focus on finishing the requirements 
affecting your efforts to manage the configurations.  
 
19. In order to be an effective tool, a project management plan should be realistic. Which of the 
following is the best way to ensure that a project management plan is based on reality?  
 
a. Create the project management plan according to the team input 
b. Create the project management plan according to the senior management input 
c. Ask the functional manager to create the project management plan according to the 
project manager input 
d. Ask the sponsor to create the project management plan according to the project manager 
input  
 
Answer: a 
 
As a project manager, it is your responsibility to create the project management plan but 
with the input from your team.  
 
20. Your organization just closed a huge deal for a new project. It will start in four months and 
has a budget of $2 Million. You are the project manager for another project. What should 
you do?  
 
a. Ask the PMO about the impact of the new project to your current project 
b. Crash your project 
c. Resource level your project 
d. Ask the PMO how the new project will affect current resources 
 
Answer: a 
 

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 As you manage a project, you should constantly re-assess the project goals and how the 
project will affect other projects in the organization. Therefore, you need to ask the PMO if 
your current project is still in line with the objectives of the organization. If the new project 
will affect your project, then you should be proactive and find out your available options.  
 
21. Cathy is assigned to head a highly-technical project despite her limited background. She 
delegates the processes of Estimate Activity Resources, Define Activities, Estimate Costs, 
and Develop Schedule to different team members and basically assumes the role of a 
mediator or coordinator of activities. What is the possible result of this approach? 
 
a. Her team will perform poorly, will have low morale, high turnover, and high levels of 
conflict 
b. Her team will not be productive, but will be united because of the relaxed work 
environment that she tolerates 
c. Her team will be confused but will eventually be united and productive 
d. Her team will function will through the whole project at a high level and will show 
commitment and creativity 
 
Answer: a 
 
The primary role of a project manager is to manage the project. If all important activities are 
delegates, chaos is more likely to happen and your members may waste more time than 
fulfilling project activities.  
 
22. You have received a request for change that does not have any significant impact on the 
project schedule and will only take several hours to complete. What will you do? 
 
a. Assess the effects on other project constraints 
b. Consult with the change control board 
c. Ask the permission from the project sponsor 
d. Respond to the change request as fast as you can  
 
Answer: a 
 
You should first evaluate the other effects of the project. Such effects include customer 
satisfaction, resources, risk, quality, cost, and scope. After evaluating this, you can send the 
request to the control board for approval or denial.  
 
23. What will you do if you are in the middle of implementing a primary configuration to an 
on-going project and you just learned that the resources allocated for you at the start of the 
project are not available? 
 
a. Close the project 
b. Discuss the effects on the project if the allocated resources will not be provided 
c. Change the project plan without the resources 

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 d. Show to the PMO how the resources were originally allocated to your project 
 
Answer: b 
 
Letter c and a are basically delaying the situation. Rather, you can try to fix the problem by 
discussing with the PMO the effects of the non-availability of the resources (letter b). This is 
a more proactive approach than simply pointing out that the management approved the 
resource allocation (letter d).  
 
24. David has been named as a project manager for the development of your company’s website. 
The site is expected to be interactive and comes with some complex features. No one in the 
company has the experience with such complex website development.  
 
The given timeline is quite aggressive and any delay in the project will incur some cost for 
the company. There’s a project sponsor and you have already achieved agreement and 
completed the project charter and the project management plan.  
 
The stakeholders are regularly updated through status reports and regular meetings. The 
project is on schedule, within the budget, and you have already scheduled a final perfunctory 
review.  
 
Today, you have learned that the whole project may be discontinued because the website was 
deemed unacceptable. Which do you think is the most likely cause of the cancellation?  
 
a. The project sponsor failed to give enough support for the project 
b. Communication arrangements were not enough and did not provide the needed 
information to stakeholders 
c. The project charter and project management plan were not comprehensively discussed 
with the sponsor 
d. An important stakeholder was not involved in the project  
 
Answer: d 
 
Always bear in mind that a high-level executive can easily cancel a whole project if he or she 
thinks it is not useful for the organization. This usually happens even if the person has been 
also involved in the project. It is important to make sure that you identify all the final 
decision-makers early on in the project to make sure that you can address their concerns.  
 
25. During project execution, the project manager should identify the required changes to 
materials purchased for the project. He calls for a meeting to plan how to initiate the 
changes. This is an example of:  
 
a. Lack of a clear work breakdown structure 
b. No team unity 
c. Inadequate change management plan 

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 d. Management by objectives 
 
Answer: c 
 
In this scenario, the project manager wants to know how to make a change. The process, 
sign offs, and forms and other similar requirements for managing changes must have 
already been established in the change management plan (letter c). Because the change 
management plan is clearly inadequate, the project manager is wasting valuable work time 
in trying to figure out the process.  
 
26. Fahad is a project manager who was just named to take over a project from another project 
manager who tendered his resignation five days ago. The previous project manager tells 
Fahad that the project is on schedule, thanks to his constant reminder for the team to work 
on time. As the new project manager, what should Fahad do? 
 
a. Discuss the project objectives with the team 
b. Identify a management strategy 
c. Review cost performance 
d. Review risk status 
 
Answer: b 
 
First thing first, you should know what you need to do as a project manager. Coming up with 
a management strategy will provide you the framework for all the rest of the options listed 
above and the other activities you need to work on.  
 
27. Your client is requesting for some changes to the product configuration, which will increase 
14 days to the critical path. As a project manager, which of the following should you do? 
 
a. Inform the client of the possible effects of the change 
b. Get advice from the sponsor about available options 
c. Reduce the scope so you can accommodate 14 days 
d. Compress the schedule so you can accommodate the 14 days 
 
Answer: b 
 
Always remember the process when you need to act on a requested change. You should 
assess your options first. You should not take any action before you get approval, so 
compressing the schedule (letter d) and reducing the scope (letter c) will only happen after 
letter b and or a. You must not communicate with the customer without informing your 
internal management, so letter a is not right. The best thing to do in this situation is to 
discuss the available options with the project sponsor (letter b).  
 

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28. Greg is assigned as the project manager in the middle of the project. He discovered that the 
project is within baseline, but the client is not satisfied with the progress of the project. What 
advice can you give to Greg? 
 
a. Meet with the client 
b. Renegotiate the deal 
c. Recompute the baselines 
d. Discuss the client concerns with the project team 
 
Answer: d 
 
Greg should first find out the details from the client. Why is he or she not happy? Then he 
can meet with the team to figure out available options.  
 
29. Peter is a project manager for a software development company. In the middle of the project, 
his scheduler notified him that the project control limits are secure. That same day, he 
receives a message from a team member about a concern he is experiencing. The message 
reads: “This task is impossible to complete, and accounting doesn't want to help me until the 
float is compromised.”  
 
Moreover, Peter also received emails from a minor stakeholder and 25 emails from team 
members. While he is reading the surge of messages, another member walks into his office 
to notify him a corrective action was executed by a team member from the PMO but was not 
recorded. What should Peter do next?  
 
a. Know who caused the problem with accounting, reply to the minor stakeholder before 
replying to other emails and check the process enumerated in the communications plan 
for reporting process with the member with the documentation issue 
b. Enter the executed corrective action to the historical records, explain the value of 
documentation at the next staff meeting, and help the team member who was having 
problems with accounting 
c. Seek clarification to know more about the documentation being a major concern, call the 
accounting to seek assistance, and reply to the minor stakeholder 
d. File a report about the violation of the documentation protocol to the PMO, assess the 
security of the control limits, and check the rules for emails in the communications plan 
 
Answer: b 
 
Hopefully, you are not overwhelmed by the different scenarios in this question. You must 
read through the question so you can learn what is relevant and what is just background 
information. In this case, the only important information was the corrective action 
implemented.  
 

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 After pinpointing the issue, you should look at the options to determine which the most 
suitable action to address the issue is. So what is the issue in this scenario? Have you noticed 
that the member’s note is about non-critical path activity?  
 
The fact that there’s a float means it is not on the critical path. Therefore, the issue is not an 
important part of the critical path. You may disagree with the rationale, but in this situation, 
the right thing to do is to address the documentation issue.  
 
In actual project management, problems could repeat. Without documenting what was 
performed, there’s no way you can consider the same solution if the same problem arises in 
the future.  
 
Bear in mind that documentation is crucial in project management. Since documentation 
becomes integrated into the historical records database, letter b is the right answer.  
 
30. The following projects have the following Internal Rate of Return (IRR): 
Project W - 21% 
Project X - 7% 
Project Y - 31% 
Project Z - 19% 
 
Based on your assessment, which of these projects can be considered the best? 
 
a. Project W 
b. Project X 
c. Project Y 
d. Project Z 
 
Answer: c 
 
Take note that IRR is similar to the interest rate that you need to pay when you have a bank 
loan. The higher the rate, the better the return for the company. So Project Y is the best 
because it has the highest IRR.  
 
31. Your project is running smoothly when suddenly, several stakeholders are requesting for 
different changes. After evaluating the requested changes, you spent some time with the 
stakeholders to discuss why they need to changes.  
 
You are back on the game when a team member notified you about an additional features to 
the project’s product. He said casually that you should not worry because there’s no effect in 
the quality, cost, or time. What should you do?  
 
a. Ask the team member how he is certain that the added features have no impact on the 
quality, cost or time 
b. Look for other added features 

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 c. Call for a meeting to assess the completed work of team members 
d. Ask the team member how the need for the added features was determined 
 
Answer: a 
 
Hopefully, you have noticed that the first paragraph is not relevant in this question and it is 
given that the change has been made. As a project manager, your action should be different 
when the change had not been executed. It is your jobn to assess the effects because you 
need to determine how a specific change can affect the entirety of the project. You can all do 
the steps mentioned in letters b, c, and d but they will not help you in addressing the 
immediate concern. Letter a is the correct answer because it starts with your analysis of the 
effects to the project as a whole by determining what evaluation has already been 
implemented. You can figure out how you should finalize the analysis as it related to the 
whole project.  
 
32. You are named project manager for a project that aims to expand the shelf life of your 
company’s product. You are from the engineering department and your team members are 
from marketing and product management departments. You have completed the project 
scope statement and project planning when a major stakeholder inform you that he thinks 
there’s a better way to complete a work package. He even sent you a technical review 
document from a department to support the new method of completing the work suggesting 
it is faster compared to the traditional method. You have similar experiences with the 
department on other projects, and you are expecting this to occur with your existing project. 
What is the first thing that you should do? 
 
a. Ask the department if they want to implement more changes 
b. Check if there’s a way to adjust the matrix environment to a functional organization so 
you can get rid of all the interventions from other departments 
c. Review how the schedule change will affect the cost to fulfill the work package and the 
product quality of the work package 
d. Call the department and inform them about the missed deadline for submitting the 
project scope 
 
Answer: c 
 
You can do letter d but it is not a proactive approach. It is helpful if you can understand the 
motive behind why the department is always trying to intervene with projects that are 
on-going. But take note that this is not an urgent concern. The immediate issue is the change 
and so letter d is not the best choice. In this situation, the type of project organization is a 
matrix organization. As a project manager, you will often encounter matrix organizations, 
and it is part of the job world, so letter b is not the best answer. The history of the 
department makes letter a something that you should certainly work on, but the proposed 
change should take your attention first. Only letter b starts integrated change control by 
taking a closer look at the effect of one change on another project scope.  
 

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33. You need to prepare the budget for closing a project that commenced last year and then was 
shelved for 6 months. Which of the following should not be included in the budget? 
 
a. Variable costs 
b. Direct costs 
c. Sunk costs 
d. Fixed costs 
 
Answer: c 
 
Sunk costs (letter c) are known as expended costs, wherein you should not consider them 
when you need to decide to continue with a shelved project.  
 
34. Which of the following cost sequences show straight line depreciation? 
 
a. $160, $140, $120 
b. $100, $100, $100 
c. $100, $120, $160 
d. $100, $120, $140 
 
Answer: b 
 
Take note that straight-line depreciation uses the same amount for every time period.  
 
35. You still can’t get approval despite completing the project charter. Your boss asked you to 
start the project as soon as possible. Which should you do next? 
 
a. Begin working on activities in the critical path 
b. Set up an integrated change control process 
c. Concentrate on working on projects with signed project charters 
d. Discuss with your boss the effect of working on unapproved project  
 
Answer: d 
 
The best thing to do in this situation is to show the effect or consequence of working on an 
unapproved project. This will help you avoid problems in the future. The other options just 
pretend that there’s no issue with the project.  
 
36. Which of the following is the output of Close Project or Phase process:  
 
a. Creation of a risk analysis plan 
b. Creation of a project management plan 

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 c. Creation of a project charter 
d. Creation of project archives 
 
Answer: d 
 
We have not discussed a risk analysis plan (letter a) so this is not the best answer. Project 
management plan (letter b) is the output of the planning process group. Project charter 
(letter c) is created during the initiating phase.  
 
37. What type of project selection criteria is linear programming? 
 
a. Impact assessment 
b. Benefit measurement 
c. Comparative approach 
d. Constrained optimization 
 
Answer: d 
 
Linear programming uses mathematical models, which is also true with constrained 
optimization.  
 
38. The following are all parts of Close Project Process EXCEPT? 
 
a. Working on benefits cost analysis 
b. Lowering resource spending 
c. Formal acceptance 
d. Creation of lessons learned 
 
Answer: a 
 
Letter a (benefit cost analysis) is performed during the early phase of the project to help you 
choose between alternatives. The other options in this question are performed in the closing. 
So, letter a is the correct answer.  
 
39. Hector is trying to persuade the management to employ more formal procedures in 
managing projects and has even started some initiatives to improve project management in 
the organization by creating project charters. Which of the following is the most suitable 
description why using a project charter can help Hector? 
 
a. It provides a description of the project background 
b. It provides authority to the project manager 
c. It shows the names of all project team members 
d. It provides a description of what should be accomplished 
 
Answer: b 

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The PMP exam usually includes questions about this to ensure that you understand the 
advantages you can get from the procedures and tools of project management. The specifics 
of what should be accomplished (letter d) are included in the WBS dictionary. The team 
member names (letter c) are added into the responsibility assignment matrix and other 
documentations. Project history (letter a) is included in the lessons learned and other related 
project records.  
 
40. Which of the following can be found on the project charter? 
 
a. The business need for the project 
b. Comprehensive resource estimates 
c. Work package estimates 
d. Risk management strategy 
 
Answer: a 
 
You may find this question quite simple, but this actually tests your knowledge of the project 
charter. Letter d and c do not come until you are in the planning phase, so this comes after 
the project charter. The project charter may list down the names of some resources 
(including the name of the project manager) but definitely not the comprehensive resources 
(letter b).  
 
41. Your company asked you to analyze the following Net Present Value (NPV) of three projects 
and choose only one project to pursue:  
 
Project Q: $30,000 (6 years to complete) 
Project R: $60,000 (3 years to complete) 
Project S: $90,000 (4 years to complete)  
 
Based on the information above, which project would you recommend to accept? 
 
a. Project Q 
b. Project R 
c. Project S 
d. The three projects have the same value 
 
Answer: c 
 
Take note that the length of a project is integrated into calculating the NPV. Project S 
provides the most value because it has the highest NPV among the three.  
 
42. The engineering department of UGB Inc has discovered an error with the cost accounting 
system and has notified the systems department to assess what is wrong and take action. Lee 
is the project manager responsible for the cost accounting programs on a different project. 

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 The PMO has requested a change to the control board to include the new assignment to 
Lee’s project.  
 
The Cost Performance Index (CPI) of Lee’s project is 1.2 and his schedule performance index 
(SPI) is 1.3, so clearly he has some space to add more work without causing delay to his 
current project or going beyond his budget. But honestly, Lee cannot see how the added 
assignment fits within the project charter for his current project. After some evaluation, Lee 
figured out that the new task and existing tasks don’t overlap and can actually be performed 
simultaneously. They also need different skill sets. Which advice will you give to Lee? 
 
a. Determine particular changes to the current work 
b. Review the scope of the new work with the assistance of stakeholders 
c. Review the project schedule with input from engineering 
d. Create a project charter 
 
Answer: d 
 
The PMP exam includes questions that are long-winded and can be confusing. Hopefully, 
you have noticed that all the choices happen during a different part of the project 
management process.  
 
If you take a closer look, you will realize that this question is basically asking if the new task 
must be integrated into Lee’s ongoing project. There are numerous business reasons in 
doing this, but always use the project management lens in which important addition to a 
project should not be allowed as much as possible.  
 
In this scenario, the question suggests that the new task is a self-contained work unit, 
doesn’t overlap with the current task, and requires different skill sets. Hence, it is basically 
recommended to make it a new project.  
 
The first step you need to take in this question is to understand that the work must not be 
integrated into Lee’s current project. Then, you need to look at the options and check which 
one is relevant in initiating a new project. Letter c seems correct but only if you have failed to 
realize that the new task must be a separate project. Letter b is performed during project 
monitoring & controlling. Meanwhile, letter a is performed during project execution. You 
can develop the project charter (letter d) during the initiating phase.  
 
43. You are managing a project in which you have all completed the technical work. What will 
you do next? 
 
a. Accomplish lessons learned 
b. Develop a staffing management plan 
c. Plan Risk Responses 
d. Verify Scope 
 

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 Answer: a 
 
Have you selected letter d? Then probably you have missed the fact that the Verify Scope 
process is performed during the monitoring & controlling phase and not during closing. The 
other plans (b and c) are performed earlier in the project. Letter d (the accomplishment of 
lessons learned) can only be started when the work is done.  
 
   

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PROJECT SCOPE MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS 
AND ANSWERS 
 
1. You are working as a project manager in which your program was planned 12 months ago 
before a new innovation was introduced. While you are planning for the next project, you 
have expanded the scope management plan because as a project becomes more complicated, 
the uncertainty level in the scope _______________.  
 
a. Increases 
b. Decreases before it increases 
c. Decreases 
d. Remains the same 
 
Answer: a 
 
Take note that the scope uncertainty level increases according to the effort scale needed to 
determine all the scope. For bigger projects, it can be challenging to capture everything. 
 
2. A numbering system for a work breakdown structure will allow your members to: 
 
a. Use it in a project management software 
b. Determine the level at which certain elements are placed 
c. Justify the project 
d. Efficiently estimate costs of the WBS elements 
 
Answer: b  
 
The numbering system for a WBS will allow you to easily identify the level in WBS where 
certain elements are found. It will also help you in locating the element within the WBS 
dictionary.  
 
3. The project scope statement is created during what part of the project management process? 
 
a. Monitoring & controlling 
b. Executing 
c. Planning 
d. Initiating 
 
Answer: c 
 
Remember, the project scope statement is an output of the process for Defining Scope that 
happens within project planning.   
 

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4. Work Breakdown Structure is an effective tool for______ communication.  
 
a. Stakeholder 
b. Customer 
c. Project Manager 
d. Team 
 
Answer: a 
 
Letters b, c, and d are all stakeholders. So in this question, the best answer is letter a because 
the WBS can be used as a tool to communicate with all stakeholders so they can see what 
elements are included in the project.  
 
5. During the execution phase, a team member comes to your office to ask for clarification on 
specific activities he needs to complete related to the project. Which document should you 
check to clarify the member’s concern?  
 
a. Scope management plan 
b. Project scope statement 
c. Activity list 
d. WBS dictionary 
 
Answer: d  
 
The scope management plan (letter a) provides a description of how you plan, manage, and 
control the scope. It does not cover any description of work packages. The project scope 
statement (letter b) defines the project scope, but it doesn’t have the description that a 
member is assigned. The activity list (letter c) may list the work packages but they don’t 
contain a comprehensive description of the work packages. To clarify the member’s concern, 
you can refer to the WBS dictionary, which contains the description of work packages.  
 
6. ____________ is an important output for the Verify Scope process.  
 
a. An improved project management information system 
b. Improved schedule estimates 
c. Customer acceptance of project deliverables 
d. A more complex scope management plan 
 
Answer: c 
 
Customer acceptance of project deliverables is a key output for the Verify Scope process. All 
other options occur during the project planning process way before the time that the Verify 
Scope process can happen.  
 

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7. Your project is almost complete. It has a cost variance of -900 and a schedule variance of 
300. Quality control inspections have been completed except for one and you have met all 
quality requirements. You have also resolved all items in the issue log and most of the 
resources have been released. The project sponsor requests for a meeting to review the 
product verification when the client notifies you that they like a major change in the scope. 
What is the best thing to do? 
 
a. Inform the PMO 
b. Explain to the client that such significant change cannot be made at this point in the 
project phase 
c. Request for a more comprehensive description of the requested change 
d. Meet with the project team to figure out if the change can be acted on 
 
Answer: c 
 
You should not jump right into the problem without evaluating things. Remember, the client 
only informed you that they like a change in the project but without a detailed description. 
As a project manager, you need to understand the nature of the change and have time to 
assess the effect of the change before you take the next steps. Of the listed choices, the first 
thing you need to understand is the change (letter c) and then meet your team (letter d), but 
only if their feedback is needed. Never say no outright (letter b) until you assess the change 
request. Also, avoid going to the PMO (letter a) without the specifics.  
 
8. During a meeting with some project stakeholders, you were asked to include additional work 
to the project scope. You had access to the correspondence about the project prior to the 
signing of the project charter and you are sure that the project sponsor denied funding for 
the scope requested by the stakeholders. What is the best thing to do? 
 
a. Include the work if there’s available time in the project schedule 
b. Inform the stakeholders that the scope cannot be included 
c. Assess the effect of adding the work  
d. Inform the project sponsor on the request of the stakeholders 
 
Answer: b 
 
Based on the given information, there’s no reason to persuade the project sponsor to include 
the work (letter c and a). While you can inform the project sponsor (letter d) the 
recommended step is to say no. The best approach is to determine the root cause of the 
project sponsor’s disapproval but that step is not listed as an option.  
 
9. The Verify Scope process should be performed _____________.  
 
a. During the planning process 
b. At the end of every project phase 
c. At the start of the project 

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 d. At the end of the project 
 
Answer: b 
 
The Verify Scope process happens during the monitoring & controlling process group, so 
letters a, c, and d are not correct. Verify Scope is performed at the end of every phase, so 
letter b is the correct answer.  
 
 
10. During a meeting, a project member, Charlie, recommends some improvement in the project 
scope, which is not included in the project charter. You reminded the team that you need to 
focus on finishing all the work specified in the plan. This scenario describes what type of 
process?  
 
a. Scope decomposition 
b. Quality analysis 
c. Scope management 
d. Change management process 
 
Answer: c 
 
Charlie is recommending an improvement that is beyond the project charter. Take note that 
you need to manage the scope of the project by concentrating on fulfilling the approved 
work. As a project manager, you need to ensure that the scope is well planned, managed, and 
controlled. 
 
11. You are a project manager for a new inventory system that is about to end its construction 
phase. The next phase is testing and implementation. You are 15 days ahead of schedule. 
What should you be most concerned about before you move on to the final phase? 
 
a. Control Costs 
b. Create Performance Reports 
c. Quality Control 
d. Verify Scope 
 
Answer: d 
 
Customer acceptance deals with the Verify Scope process. You can’t transition into the next 
phase if the customer does not accept the scope.  
 
12. After six years of managing projects for the company, you have been invited to join the 
project management office. Your key suggestion is for your organization to create and use 
the work breakdown structure. Some senior project managers don’t like the idea because 
they think it is just additional work. How would you convince the senior project managers 
about the value of your recommendation? 

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a. WBS is the only way to determine risks 
b. WBS is needed only if the project includes agreements 
c. WBS is not needed 
d. WBS will help the managers to avoid work slipping through cracks 
 
Answer: d 
 
Letter b is not entirely true. Project managers should know how to use WBS. You can 
identify risks using different methods. So, letter a is not right. Letter d, avoiding details to be 
missed is one of the primary reasons why WBS is important in project management.  
 
13. You received a project charter for a project that you have just been assigned. What should be 
the first point on your agenda? 
 
a. Start working on a project management plan 
b. Evaluate project risk 
c. Verify that all stakeholders have had input into the scope 
d. Develop a project scope statement 
 
Answer: c 
 
This is a trick question, especially if you are not aware of best practices in project 
management. In the books, yes you should start working on the project management plan. 
But before that, you should first ensure that the project charter is clear and approved by 
stakeholders before you begin the next phase. That’s why letter c is the correct answer.  
 
14. Gary is a new project manager who asked your opinion on developing the WBS. After 
explaining the process to him, he inquired about the best software that he can use to develop 
the WBS and what is the next step after he completed it. You replied that it is not the fancy 
graphs that is most important in developing the WBS, but rather:  
 
a. The list of risks 
b. Activities 
c. Team buy-in 
d. A Gantt chart 
 
Answer: c 
 
The work breakdown structure is an input for all the listed options. But getting the buy-in 
from the team (letter c) is a direct outcome of creating the WBS. Other options use the WBS 
to help in their development. So, the correct answer is letter c.  
 
15. What is the best tool to use if you want to ensure that the team members are clear on the 
scope of their work in every work package? 

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a. A schedule 
b. A WBS dictionary 
c. The scope of the product 
d. The project scope statement 
 
Answer: b 
 
Team members should have a copy of the schedule (letter a) but this is not enough to know 
the work details in all project activities. The product scope (letter c) is not the right tool to 
inform the team members what work is assigned to them. The project scope statement 
(letter d) will show you the high-level picture of the project activities. Work packages should 
be detailed to help team members fulfill their work with less gold plating. Work packages are 
discussed in the WBS dictionary (letter b).  
 
16. Breaking down work into manageable sizes can help in effective work management. Which 
of the following does NOT describe how far to break down work? 
 
a. Until it can be estimated realistically 
b. Until it can be performed by one team member 
c. Until it cannot be logically decomposed further 
d. Until it has a meaningful conclusion 
 
Answer: b 
 
The lowest level of the work breakdown structure is the work package that can be done by 
more than one team member.  
 
17. _____________ is a Collect Requirements process output.  
 
a. Change requests 
b. Work breakdown structure 
c. Project scope statement 
d. Requirements traceability matrix 
 
Answer: letter d 
 
Change requests (letter a) are an output of the Verify Scope and Control Scope processes. 
The work breakdown structure (letter b) is an output of the Create WBS process. The project 
scope statement (letter c) is an output of the Define Scope process.  
 
18. Rachel is managing an eight-month project and has held regular meetings with project 
stakeholders. At the end of Month 6, her project is on budget and on schedule. However, the 
majority of stakeholders are unhappy with the product. The situation could delay the 

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 completion of the project by 45 days. What important process do you think is missing that 
could have avoided the dissatisfaction of the stakeholders? 
 
a. Control Scope 
b. Monitor & Control Risks 
c. Define Scope 
d. Project Plan Schedule 
 
Answer: c 
 
Letters a, b, and d are processes in the monitoring & controlling process group. This 
question requires the tool that could have prevented the situation, which could have been 
done during the planning process. The project deliverables are established in the Define 
Scope process (letter c) that is included in the project planning. Doing great in planning 
could reduce the probability of dissatisfaction among stakeholders by involving the right 
people and spending enough time in clarifying the project scope.  
 
19. Which of the following is the best description of the scope baseline? 
 
a. The project expediter 
b. All the stakeholders 
c. The project team 
d. The functional managers 
 
Answer: c 
 
After getting the input from the customer, the project team of the performing organization 
should start preparing the scope baseline. This involves the project scope statement, WBS 
dictionary, and WBS.  
 
20. Which of the following is not part of the scope baseline? 
 
a. WBS dictionary 
b. Work breakdown structure 
c. Project scope statement 
d. Scope management plan 
 
Answer: d 
 
The scope baseline doesn’t include the scope management plan.  
 
21. In the middle of completing project work, the sponsor asks you to send a progress report. To 
fulfill the request, you ask all the team members what percent of the work is completed. 
There’s one member that is not always easy to deal with. In his reply to your question, he 
was sarcastic and wasn’t willing to provide a clear answer. Being fed up with his sarcasm, 

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 you decided to report his attitude to his boss. Which of the following best describes the root 
cause of the situations? 
 
a. You don’t have work packages 
b. You should have had an immediate discussion the first time the team member acted 
rudely 
c. You failed to create enough reward system for team members to improve their 
cooperation 
d. You failed to get the members buy-in for the project 
 
Answer: a 
 
Is this a confusing situation? The entire scenario about the team member being rude was 
just a distraction. The actual issue is not the rude team member. He was just asking a 
question that is a common trend in the actual project management. How can the member 
tell you how things are going if he is not sure what work are you referring to? The actual 
concern is the lack of work packages and WBS. If these are well-established, the member 
would not have to ask.  
 
Letter b cannot be the best answer because it doesn’t fix the problem presented. Instead, it 
will solve another problem. While a reward system (letter c) would help in member 
motivation, the actual issue is not motivation or cooperation. Letter d is not correct because 
you are not losing your resources.  
 
If you have selected letter b, then you should study well. You may answer incorrectly around 
10 to 20 questions merely because you can’t see the actual problem.  
 
22. A stakeholder of a project that you are managing called you to discuss added scope that he 
would like to be included in the project. You asked for specifics in written form and said you 
still need to check the Control Scope process. What should you do next if the evaluation of 
the additional scope is finished? 
 
a. Determine the root cause of why the scope was not included in the planning phase 
b. Ensure the effects of the change is understood by the stakeholder 
c. Fulfill integrated change control 
d. Ask the stakeholder if he wants to add more changes 
 
Answer: c 
 
Have you noticed that there are a lot of things that you could do as the project manager in 
this situation? In this question, you need to choose the answer that describes the best thing 
that you should do next. While they are good things to implement, letters a, b, and d are not 
the next steps. Change management is not complete if the Control Scope process is fulfilled. 
You should look at the effect of the change on other parts of the project like cost and time. 
So, letter B is the correct answer.  

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23. Choose the best description of product analysis.  
 
a. Verifying if the quality standard on the project can be achieved 
b. Understanding the product so you can develop the project scope statement 
c. Mathematically analyze the quality desired for the project 
d. Working with the client to identify product description 
 
Answer: b 
 
 
Letter a is related to Perform Quality Assurance. Letter c is related to Plan Quality. Letter d 
is not correct because you must have a product description before you can perform product 
analysis.  
 
24. A stakeholder of a project that you are managing suggested a scope change. After evaluation 
and discussion, the change control board disapproved the change. What should you do? 
 
a. Recommend to the change control board to ensure that they establish approval processes 
before the next change is proposed 
b. Document the change request and the result 
c. Inform the stakeholder that his next change request will be approved 
d. Stand behind the stakeholder and ask the change control board to explain its decision 
 
Answer: b 
 
There’s no reason to think that the approval processes are not already established (letter a). 
Recommending a change process, which circumvents the change control board (letter c) is 
unprofessional. You can do letter d, but there’s a possibility that the board’s disapproval 
already comes with an explanation because this is a common practice. All change requests, 
even disapproved ones, must be documented for historical purposes if in case the idea is 
revived again.  
 
25. Choose the best description of a Verify Scope process.  
 
a. It is an output of the Perform Quality Control, which happens before the Define Scope 
process and ensures client acceptance.  
b. It confirms client acceptance, demonstrates that the deliverable meets the particulars 
and offers a chance for varying opinions to be raised 
c. It confirms that the deliverable has been fulfilled on time, and makes certain that the 
client accepts the deliverables, and demonstrates that the deliverables meet the 
particulars  
d. It offers a guarantee that the deliverables meet the particulars. It is also the output of 
Perform Quality Control process and the input of the project management plan 
 

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 Answer: b 
 
Because the Verify Scope process can’t happen before the Define Scope process, letter a is 
not correct. Because Verify Scope doesn’t deal with time but instead acceptance, letter c is 
not correct. Because the project management plan should be completed before the Verify 
Scope process, letter d is not the right answer. Only the statements in letter b are completely 
true, so it is the correct answer.  
 
26. Your scope management efforts are under evaluation. The benefit cost ratio (BCR) is 1.2 and 
the cost performance index (CPI) is 1.13. The project scope was developed by the 
stakeholders and the team. Project requirements have been shifting throughout the project. 
Regardless of what you have tried to achieve in project management, which of the following 
outcome will be most likely to happen?  
 
a. You may need to add resources to the project 
b. You may not be able to measure completion of the project’s product 
c. Ensuring that the client will approve the project scope 
d. You may need to increase the benefits and cut down costs 
 
Answer: b 
 
This question contains a lot of information that serves to distract you from the actual issue. 
While it is common to reduce costs (letter d) and add resources to the project (letter a), 
nothing in this question must convince you that they are needed in this situation. Clients 
don’t need to approve the project scope. Instead, you just need to manage the project so ou 
can fulfill their requirements. They will approve the product scope and not the project scope. 
Therefore, letter c is not correct. Because the requirements are a measure of the product 
completion (letter b), without the completed requirements, measurement is not possible. So, 
letter b is the correct answer.  
 
27. Which of the following STATEMENTS are true when it comes to the Control Scope process? 
 
a. Controlling the schedule is the most efficient approach for scope control.  
b. The Scope Control process should be integrated with other processes for control 
c. The Control Scope process should happen prior to scope planning 
d. Effective scope definition could result in a more detailed project scope statement 
 
Answer: b 
 
Because schedule control is not the best approach for scope control, letter a is not correct. 
The control processes don’t happen as separate processes. Because scope planning happens 
before the Control Scope process, letter c cannot be the best answer. While it is a correct 
statement, letter d is not the best answer because it doesn’t deal with control. Changing one 
control process could affect the other processes. So, letter b is the correct answer.  
 

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28. The Verify Scope process is closely related with: 
 
a. Time Management 
b. Perform Quality Assurance 
c. Sequence Activities 
d. Perform Quality Control  
 
Answer: d 
 
Perform Quality Control can check for the correctness of the deliverables while the Verify 
Scope confirms client acceptance.  
 
29. Which of the following may result in misunderstanding the project scope statement? 
 
a. Too many details 
b. Minor variations in the size of work packages or work details 
c. Poor structure, patterns, and chronological sequence 
d. Imprecise language 
 
Answer:  
 
Remember, the project scope statement dictates much of the work on a project. Any form of 
imprecision in this important document could result in various interpretations.  
 
30. You are being trained by a senior project manager. You find it challenging to manage your 
project since the product and project scope is being elaborated as you progress with the 
work. Your mentor told you that the fundamental tools like a WBS can be used in executing 
the project. What is the primary purpose of a WBS? 
 
a. Presenting the project’s business need 
b. Presenting the managers for every team member 
c. Presenting calendar dates for every work package 
d. Communicating with the client 
 
Answer: d 
 
Remember, a WBS cannot show you responsibility assignments or dates (letters b and c). 
You can find these on the Gantt chart and probably in the communications management 
plan. The business need (letter a) can be found on the charter. The WBS can be used to 
communicate with the client. In this case, the product and project scope are being polished. 
It can save you time to successfully manage iterations if you use WBS. This also helps in 
making certain that everyone is on the same page on the project scope.  

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PROJECT TIME MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS 
AND ANSWERS 
 
1. ______________ is the best tool to use to figure out the longest time the project will take.  
 
a. Project charter 
b. Bar chart 
c. Network diagram 
d. WBS 
 
Answer: c 
 
The project charter (letter a) may show you the needed end dates, but it is not a logical 
determination of the project duration. The bar chart (letter b) may help you find an end date, 
but this is not used to figure out the dates and show progress. The network diagram (letter c) 
uses the work packages from the work breakdown structure (letter d) and adds 
dependencies, which allows project managers to look at different paths through the diagram. 
Remember, the longest duration path is the critical path. Letter c is the best answer.  
 
2. Sam is reanalyzing his project to forecast the duration of the project and to control the 
schedule. He is doing it by evaluating the activity sequences with the least amount of 
schedule adjustments. What project management technique is Sam using? 
 
a. Work breakdown structure 
b. Precedence diagramming 
c. Flowchart 
d. Critical path method 
 
Answer: d 
 
In this question, letters d and b are the two options related to project schedule. However, 
letter b is a technique for diagramming, which deals with the connection between activities 
and not flexibility. In this case, Sam assesses the project’s critical path.  
 
3. What is the meaning of lag? 
 
a. The product of a forward and backward pass.  
b. Waiting time 
c. The allowable time that a project activity can be late  
d. The rate of delay in a project 
 
Answer: b 
 

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 The critical path method (letter a) is a network analysis technique and not waiting time. 
Letters c and d are not standard definitions in project management discipline. Letter b is the 
right answer.  
 
4. A dependency, which requires that design should be approved prior to manufacturing is an 
example of a: 
 
a. Scope dependency 
b. Mandatory dependency 
c. External dependency 
d. Discretionary dependency 
 
Answer: b 
 
Because the dependency is needed, it cannot be letter d or discretionary dependency. The 
question doesn’t mention anything about a dependency that is coming from a source that is 
external to the project, so external dependency (letter c) is not right. Scope dependency 
(letter a) is not a definitive term in the discipline. Note that the keyword here is “requires”, 
so the answer is letter b or mandatory dependency.  
 
5. Which of the following is the BEST description of a heuristic? 
 
a. Rule of thumb 
b. Planning tool 
c. Scheduling method 
d. Control tool  
 
Answer: a 
 
A heuristic is a rule of thumb such as cost per square foot of floor space, cost per line of code, 
etc.  
 
6. Choose the best output that is basically better illustrated using Gantt charts instead of 
network diagrams.  
 
a. Progress or status 
b. Resource trade offs 
c. Critical paths 
d. Logical relationships 
 
Answer: a 
 
The Gantt chart is used in project management to demonstrate time connections. This is 
ideal to use if you need to show the status or progress as time’s progress.  
 

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7. What is the standard deviation of activity with a pessimistic estimate of 18 days and 
optimistic estimate of 12 days?  
 
a. 3 
b. 6 
c. 1.3 
d. 1 
 
Answer: d 
 
To calculate the standard deviation, you have to use this formula: (P - O)/6. So the answer in 
this question is letter d.  
 
8. After working on a project management plan, you have realized that the project schedule is 
too long. You have extra personnel resources but the project network diagram cannot be 
changed. What will you do? 
 
a. Monte Carlo analysis 
b. Crash the project 
c. Level the resources 
d. Fast track the project 
 
Answer: b 
 
Monte Carlo analysis (letter a) will not allow you to address the constraints of the situation. 
Levelling the resources (letter b) will just extend the project schedule. If you want to 
compress the schedule, you need to either fast track or crash the project. But the question is 
clear on the limits on the network diagram. This leaves you with letter b as the best option.  
 
9. Which statement is TRUE? 
 
a. A project can never have negative float 
b. Changes in the end date will affect the network diagram 
c. There can only be a single critical path 
d. You can use the critical path to determine the project duration 
 
Answer: d 
 
While this question is short, it really tests your know-how on different topics. A project can 
have a negative float (letter a) if you are already behind schedule. Letter b uses the word 
“will”. The network diagram might change or not based on the schedule on reserve as well as 
the rationale for the changes. There can be several critical paths (letter c) but you may need 
to adjust to reduce the risk and have only one critical path. Therefore, the correct answer is 
letter a.  
 

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10. What is the basic timeline for a project milestone? 
 
a. Same length as the activity it represents 
b. There’s no duration 
c. Shorter than the activity it represents 
d. Shorter than the duration of the longest activity 
 
Answer: b 
 
Remember, a milestone will help you see the fulfillment of work activities or packages. So, it 
doesn’t have its own duration. Letter b is the correct answer.  
 
11. When is the milestone chart ideal to use than a bar chart? 
 
a. Risk analysis 
b. Reporting to management 
c. Reporting to team members 
d. Project planning 
 
Answer: b 
 
Risk analysis (letter a) COULD make use of both charts. Team members (letter c) should see 
the details and so you should provide a bar chart instead of a milestone chart. You can use 
both types of charts for project planning (letter d). A milestone chart is ideal to use instead 
of a bar chart for any situation where you need to report without the need to provide a lot of 
details (letter b). Bar charts may scare a lot of people because they look complex and usually 
show a lot of details. On the other hand, milestone charts are more effective if you need to 
present a high-level report to the management.  
 
12. What is the relationship between a risk and standard deviation? 
 
a. Standard deviation will inform you if the estimate includes a pad 
b. Standard deviation will inform you how unsure the estimate is 
c. Standard deviation will inform you if the estimate is accurate 
d. Nothing 
 
Answer: b 
 
Letter a cannot be the best answer because a pad in project management is non-standard. 
There are inflated estimates, but this is often due to risks and not padding. An activity can 
have a wide range (letter c) and still accurate if the estimated items include the risks. Letter 
d is not correct because the standard deviation will tell you the amount of uncertainty or risk 
involved in activity estimates.  
 

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13. Which of the following is the BEST thing to do if the project cost and time are not as crucial 
to the amount of resources used every month? 
 
a. Assess the life cycle costs 
b. Level your resources 
c. Expedite the project 
d. Do the Monte Carlo analysis 
 
Answer: b 
 
 
Life cycle costs and Monte Carlo Analysis (letters a and d) don’t have any impact with the 
resources. Expediting (letter c) will certainly affect the cost and time. Resource levelling 
(letter b) is the only option that can certainly affect your resources.  
 
14. How can you determine the float of an activity? 
 
a. Figuring out the amount of time the activity could be delayed before it delays the critical 
path 
b. Figuring out the lag 
c. Figuring out the waiting time between activities 
d. Monte Carlo analysis 
 
Answer: a 
 
This question doesn’t specify what type of float. Take note that total float refers to the 
amount of time an activity could be delayed without affecting the end date of the project. 
Free float refers to the amount of time activity that could be delayed without affecting the 
early start of the next activity. Letter d is the only option that matches either these 
definitions.  
 
15. Which of the following best describes the effect of three critical paths on a project? 
 
a. It makes it more expensive 
b. It requires more people 
c. It increases the risk 
d. Easier project management 
 
Answer: c 
 
While a project with three critical paths requires more money (letter a) or more people 
(letter b), the correct answer is letter c because you must manage three critical paths. This 
means there’s a higher risk of delay.  
 

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16. Charlie is managing a $5 Million database storage project. While he is working with his 
members to establish the network diagram, he noticed a sequence of work activities that 
could be performed in parallel but should be completed in a specific sequence. What form of 
sequencing technique should Charlie use in this situation? 
 
a. Operational diagramming method 
b. Critical path method 
c. Arrow diagramming method 
d. Precedence diagramming method 
 
Answer: d 
 
This item suggests a finish-to-finish connection between work activities. Letter a is a 
made-up term, while letter b is not a known method to use for diagramming. Meanwhile, the 
arrow diagramming method (letter c) does not support these relationships.  
 
17. Which of the following should you do if you want to finish a project two days earlier? 
 
a. Work hard and check the project status after 30 days 
b. Call a team meeting so you can together look for ways to fast track or crash the project’s 
critical path 
c. Tell your boss 
d. Inform the PMO that the critical path of the project limits early completion 
 
Answer: b 
 
This question tests your problem-solving skills. Only letter b relates in the project 
evaluation. Letters a and c are not solutions. Letter d is just not true.   
 
18. In the project management phase, Victor estimated the time required for every activity and 
then added the estimates to develop the project estimate. He committed to finishing the 
project on schedule. However, there’s something wrong in this situation. What’s your guess? 
 
a. The project estimate must be the same as the client’s required finish date 
b. The estimate is too long and must be developed by the management 
c. The team failed to create the estimate and a network diagram was not utilized 
d. The team failed to create the estimate and estimating takes too look using that method 
 
Answer: c 
 
The team should create time estimates for the activities and must not be added. Some 
activities may happen simultaneously. So, letter c is the correct answer.  
 

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19. What is the best thing to do if you are in the middle of executing an important 
manufacturing project and you have discovered that the time required to complete the 
project is longer than the available time?  
 
a. Assess your options for schedule compression and notify the PMO about your 
recommendations 
b. Work overtime 
c. Meet with the PMO so you can tell them that the expected date is impossible to meet 
d. Adjust product scope 
 
Answer: a 
 
This question tests your problem-solving skills. In a real-world setting, you will often 
encounter projects with unrealistic schedules. Letter a is the best answer because it has the 
least negative impact on your project. Working overtime is usually expensive and not 
necessary if there are so many other options that you can try first. Letter c is not correct 
because as a project manager, you need to identify options for meeting any end date or time. 
Because adjusting the product scope will affect the client, letter d will negatively affect your 
company’s reputation and so not the best thing to do.  
 
20. In trying to expedite your project, you have reviewed the cost associated with crashing every 
activity. The ideal way to crash also involves checking the:  
 
a. Project life cycle phase in which the activity is due to happen 
b. The opinion of your boss on what activities you can crash and in which sequence 
c. The opinion of your client on what activities you can crash 
d. Risk impact of crashing any activity 
 
Answer: d 
 
Letter d is a broader option than letter a so it is a better approach. You may not always need 
the opinion of your boss or your client but you’ll certainly need to involve risk analysis.  
 
21. Which process involves asking your teammates about the time estimates for the assigned 
activities and getting their buy-in for the agreed date for every activity?  
 
a. Develop Project Charter 
b. Define Scope 
c. Develop Schedule 
d. Sequence Activities 
 
Answer: c 
 
When the time that this process is happening, Develop Project Charter (letter a), Define 
Scope (letter b) and Sequence Activities (letter d) are all completed.  

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22. You have received the activity duration estimates for your members. What is the reference 
you need to check so you can work on the Develop Schedule process? 
 
a. Reserves 
b. Recommended corrective actions 
c. Schedule control system change 
d. Change requests 
 
Answer: a 
 
The Develop Schedule process involves all the activities and requires all inputs to develop a 
realistic schedule. A project manager requires reserves (letter a) so he can complete a 
schedule. All other choices are included in the Control Schedule process and happen when 
the Develop Schedule process is completed.  
 
23. Uriel is managing an inventory system project that is worth $5 Million. A data architect 
called him to relay important recommendations that could improve the data quality. The 
recommendation involves the approval of the data model prior to transitioning into the 
design phase. He even sent you a copy of an article published by a reputable industry 
journal. The data architect’s input is called ______________.  
 
a. Heuristic 
b. External dependency 
c. Discretionary dependency 
d. Mandatory dependency 
 
Answer: c 
 
This scenario is neither mandatory (letter d) nor driven by an external source (letter b). A 
rule of thumb (letter a) is something that you can use constantly. This scenario is unique and 
the suggestion is only preference, so letter c is the correct answer.  
 
24. A member from the Design Department informs you that his work is too creative to provide 
you with a certain estimate. You suggested to use the labor hours per installation from 
previous projects so you can make a prediction. This situation is an example of _________.  
 
a. Monte Carlo analysis 
b. Analogous estimating 
c. Three-point estimating 
d. Parametric estimating 
 
Answer: d 
 

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 Previous history is used to compute an estimate. Monte Carlo analysis (letter a) is related to 
what-if analysis. Letter c uses three time estimates for every activity. You can use previous 
projects to come up with the estimate (letter b) but the best answer is letter d because an 
estimate such as hours per installation is a primary trait of parametric estimates.  
 
25. You need to take over a project that is in the middle of the planning process group. If you 
want to read the last project manager completed in managing the changes, which plan 
should you check?  
 
a. Schedule  
b. Staffing  
c. Update  
d. Communications  
 
Answer: a 
 
Letter a is the correct answer because the schedule management plan contains all the plans 
for schedule changes. If you have selected letter c, then you should review again as it is just a 
made-up plan. It doesn’t exist.  
 
26. Sheryl is handling a software development deal that has five WBS levels. Her team 
completed a network diagram, compressed the duration estimates, and developed a 
schedule. What should Sheryl do next in the time management activity perspective? 
 
a. Gain approval 
b. Work on schedule estimates using the analogous method 
c. Estimate activity resources 
d. Start control schedule 
 
Answer: a 
 
Letter b and c should already be completed. The scenarios described in this question are 
contained in the Develop Schedule process. Letter d (Start Control schedule) is the process 
that comes after the Develop Schedule process. Final stakeholder approval (letter a) of the 
schedule is required before Sheryl can finalize the project schedule.  
 
27. Which form of mathematical analysis is being used if you are using weighted average 
duration estimates to complete the schedule network analysis?  
 
a. Resource leveling 
b. Monte Carlo 
c. PERT 
d. Critical part method 
 
Answer: c 

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PERT utilizes a weighted average to calculate activity durations.  
 
28. A new software development project has four levels in the WBS. The team used the 
precedence diagramming method to complete the sequencing. What will you do next if you 
have already received the activity duration estimates? 
 
a. Compress the schedule 
b. Finalize the schedule 
c. Start the WBS 
d. Develop an activity list 
 
Answer: a 
 
In this case, we need to look for the next activity after the Estimate Activity Duration 
process. Letters d and c should be completed prior to the Estimate Activity Durations 
process. Compressing the schedule (letter a) happens prior to completing the schedule 
(letter b), and thus the correct answer.  
 
29. Which of the following should you do next if the network diagram, estimates for each work 
package, and the WBS are all completed?  
 
a. Finalize risk management 
b. Develop preliminary schedule and seek approval from the team 
c. Confirm that they have the correct scope 
d. Start sequencing the activities 
 
Answer: b 
 
Letter d is similar to creating the network diagram. Letter c is another name for the Verify 
Scope process. Because a schedule is an input to the risk management process, letter a 
comes after letter b and so it is not the next step in the process. The only remaining option is 
letter b.  
 
30. What should you do if there are a lot of changes are made to the project during the execution 
phase? 
 
a. Discuss the changes with the management  
b. Respond only to changes that are approved by the management 
c. Respond on the approved changes as needed but stick to the schedule baseline 
d. Hold off until you know all the changes and create a new schedule 
 
Answer: b 
 

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 As a project manager, you should be more in control of the project than letters b and a 
reflect. Letter d is a typical mistake in project management. Rather, you should control the 
project through the entire duration until completion.  
 
31. Which of the following best describes an activity that has the following records: 
 
Early Start (ES) on Day 3 
Late Start (LS) on Day 13 
Early Finish (EF) on Day 9 
Late Finish (LF) on Day 19 
 
a. The activity is not on the critical path 
b. The activity is progressing well 
c. The activity has a lag 
d. The activity is on the critical path 
 
Answer: a 
 
The activity has a float since there’s a difference between the ES and the LS. Take note that 
an activity that has float is possibly not on the critical path. There’s no information given 
about the lag (letter c) or progress (letter b) so letter a is the best answer.  
  
32. Project managers often use an analogous project estimate because: 
 
a. It aids the project manager in figuring out if the project can meet the schedule 
b. It provides the project team an understanding of management expectation 
c. It is based on a comprehensive understanding of what the work needs 
d. The estimate will be close to what the work will really need 
 
Answer: b 
 
The analogous estimates are regarded as the high-level, top-down estimates while a 
high-level or even a specific estimate could be analogously estimated. So, letter c and d can’t 
be right. You need more than a high-level estimate to determine if the project can meet the 
schedule (letter a). It will be an advantage if you can understand the expectations of the 
management of how much the project will cost so. This will help you reconcile the detailed 
bottom-up estimate during the planning process. Therefore, the correct answer is letter b.  
 
33. _____________ refers to rearranging resources to come up with a constant level of 
resources.  
 
a. Fast tracking 
b. Leveling 
c. Floating 
d. Crashing 

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Answer: b 
 
Take note that this statement involves the key phrase ‘constant level of resources’. Only 
letter b has such an impact on the project schedule.  
 
34. Your low-risk project has the following details: 
● Estimated time of completion: 4 days after schedule 
● You don’t have access to extra resources 
● Preferential dependencies 
● Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) is 1.6 
As a project manager, which of the following is the best thing to do given the information 
above?  
 
a. Eliminate an activity from the project 
b. Adjust resources from the preferential dependencies to the external dependencies 
c. Transform some activities to be concurrent 
d. Reduce resources from an activity 
 
Answer: c 
 
Reducing resources from an activity (letter d) will not save you time nor would adjusting 
resources (letter b). Eliminating an activity from the project (letter a) is possible but because 
the project has preferential dependencies and the risk is not high, the best thing to do is to 
transform more activities to be concurrent (letter c) because this will have less effect on the 
project.  
 
35. The management noted that it is difficult to figure out the status of any ongoing project in 
the company. Which of the following types of reports would help in preparing a summary 
that you can submit to the management? 
 
a. Milestone reports 
b. Gantt charts 
c. Project management plans 
d. Comprehensive cost estimates 
 
Answer: a 
 
Comprehensive cost estimates (letter a) have nothing to do with this question. Project 
management plan (letter c) will have more details than needed for the scenario discussed 
and may even distract from the discussion if used in this setting. Gantt charts (letter b) are 
ideal for the team. The best option here is letter a because milestone reports present the 
correct level of information for the management.  
 

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PROJECT COST MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS AND 
ANSWERS 
 
1. What is the primary focus of life cycle costing? 
 
a. Consider maintenance and operations cost for project decisions 
b. Consider cost of installation in planning cost of the project 
c. Estimate the cost of maintenance and operations 
d. Estimate cost of installation 
 
Answer: a 
 
In life cycle costing, you need to take a look at maintenance and operations costs and 
balance them with the project costs. This will help you reduce the cost across the entire 
duration of the project.  
 
2. What is the correct formula to obtain the Estimate at Completion (EAC)?  
 
a. BAC/CPI 
b. BAC x CPI 
c. BAC X SPI 
d. BAC/SPI 
 
Answer: a 
 
Be sure to memorize this formula because this usually comes up in the PMP Exam.  
 
3. Which of the following is not an output of the Estimate Costs process?  
 
a. Documentation of any assumptions made during the Estimate Costs process 
b. An indication of the range of possible project costs 
c. The prevention of unnecessary changes from being added in the cost baseline 
d. An understanding of the cost risk in the estimated work 
 
Answer: c 
 
This question requires you to provide the next step once you are done estimating costs. Most 
project managers who don’t realize that the estimates must be in the range usually choose 
letter b. Letter c is the right answer because it reduces the cost across the whole project life.  
 
4. _________________ refers to the regular evaluation of Estimate at Completion (EAC).  
 
a. The cost to finish the job 

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 b. The expected total cost once the project is completed 
c. The project value 
d. The completed work’s cost 
 
Answer: b 
 
If you assess the earned value, most of the words have the same definition. This could be 
problematic because the EAC refers to the estimate at completion, letter b is the correct 
answer. Letter A defines Estimate to Complete or ETC.  
 
5. Which of the following best describes analogous estimating? 
 
a. It uses actual comprehensive historical costs 
b. It uses top-down estimating techniques 
c. It is often used during the execution phase 
d. It uses bottom-up estimating techniques 
 
Answer: b 
 
Analogous estimating is often used during the planning phase and not during the execution 
phase (letter c). There is no need to use historical costs (letter a) for an analogous estimate. 
So, letter b is the right answer.  
 
6. The client representative who is authorized to oversee your project is requesting a formal 
cost estimate, which is 30% higher than the project estimate cost. He explained that the 
budget procedure allows managers to provide pessimistic estimates to make certain that 
there is enough funding for the project. What should you do? 
 
a. Request for more information on the risks that will cause the estimate to hit below the 
ideal number 
b. Make a single cost baseline intended for budget allocation 
c. Include the 30% to your cost estimate  
d. Include the 30% as a lump sum contingency fund to manage the risk 
 
Answer: a 
 
Creating something that is beyond the original project estimate such as assigning more to 
the allowed budget is not accurate and could even put your integrity and competence in 
question. The best approach in this situation is to ask the client representative to list 
possible changes and risks to the estimate. You can increase the budget allocation only if the 
costs and risks are justified.  
 
7. In which project management process you are in if you are creating budget forecasts? 
 
a. Executing 

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 b. Initiating 
c. Planning 
d. Monitoring & Controlling 
 
Answer: d 
 
The Monitoring & Controlling process group covers budget forecasts, which is an output of 
Control Costs.  
 
8. Choose the BEST approach for measuring cost performance? 
 
a. Focus on the amount expended last month and what will be expended in the following 
month 
b. Use the rule of 50-50 and ensure that cost of life cycle is lower compared to the cost of 
the project 
c. Compute the EV and use the indeces and other computations to report previous 
performance and projected performance 
d. Request for a percent complete from members and record this in the monthly progress 
report 
 
Answer: c 
 
Letter a is usually done by new project managers who have limited experience. Not only does 
it provide limited information, but it is also not a good indicator to forecast the future. It 
could be a good idea to use the rule of 50-50 (letter b) but this rule is not relevant in the 
progress report and take note that the second part of the sentence is not correct. Remember, 
the life cycle cost cannot be lower than the project cost, as the life cycle cost involves the 
project cost. Asking for a percentage progress (letter d) is not the best approach because it is 
often a guess. Usually, the fastest work is completed on a project, throwing off any percent 
computations of remaining work. Letter c is the best answer because it looks at the past and 
uses the information to predict future costs.  
 
9. Which of the following cost management processes is an output of cost baseline? 
 
a. Control Costs 
b. Determine Budget 
c. Estimate Costs 
d. Estimate Activity Resources 
 
Answer: b 
 
Cost baseline is the output of the Determine Budget process.  
 
10. What does it mean if your CPI is 0.89? 
 

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 a. Your project is only getting 89 cents out of every dollar invested 
b. The progress of your project is only at 89% of the planned rate 
c. Once your project is finished you will have used 89% more budget than planned 
d. At this point, you expect the total project to cost 89% more than planned 
 
Answer: a 
 
Take note that CPI refers to the cost performance index. In this case, the CPI in this situation 
is lower than 1, so your project is in bad shape. Letter a is the correct answer.  
 
11. During which project management process group is a rough order of magnitude estimate 
should be made?  
 
a. Initiating 
b. Executing 
c. Closing 
d. Planning 
 
Answer: a 
 
The magnitude estimate has a wide range. You need to complete this during the initiating 
phase, wherein there’s limited information about the project.  
 
12. What does it mean if your SPI is 0.76? 
 
a. Your project’s progress is only at 24% of the original planned rate 
b. Your project’s progress is only at 76% of the original planned rate 
c. Your project’s progress is ahead of the schedule 
d. Your project is over budget 
 
Answer: b 
 
Take note that SPI refers to Schedule Performance Index. In this question, you need to 
compute the earned value. The correct answer is letter b.   
 
13. ____________ is an example of a parametric estimate.  
 
a. CPM 
b. Bottom-up 
c. Learning bend 
d. Dollars per module 
 
Answer: d 
 
In order to predict the project time or cost, parametric estimates use a mathematical model.  

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14. All the items listed below are required to develop the project estimate EXCEPT: 
 
a. A change control system 
b. Risks 
c. A diagram 
d. A WBS 
 
Answer: a 
 
You don’t need a change control system to get estimates. However, without the other three 
options, you’ll find it impossible to develop the estimates. You must have the WBS before 
you can start defining the activities, the risks to determine contingencies, and the network 
diagram to access the work dependencies. Remember, these are all big picture risks and not 
detailed risks.  
 
15. You are managing a project that is not very well-defined and has medium level of risk. 
Today, the project sponsor sent you a project charter and asked you to check if you can 
complete the project within the budget. What is the best approach in this situation? 
 
a. Provide the sponsor an analogous estimate that is based on past history 
b. Compute a parametric estimate based on the data you have 
c. Call for a team meeting so you can work on the estimate based on the project charter 
d. Create the estimate in the form a range of potential outcomes 
 
Answer: d 
 
As much as possible, you need to be accurate. But since you just received the project charter, 
you still don’t have a plan for this project. Thus, while some of the options seem good 
methods to deal with the situation, it is still best to create the estimate in range.  
 
16. Team training should be categorized as what type of cost? 
 
a. Fixed 
b. Indirect 
c. NPV 
d. Direct 
 
Answer: d 
 
The purpose of training is to improve the skills of your team needed for the project. The cost 
is directly related to the project, so the correct answer is letter d.  
 
17. The following are parts of the cost management plan EXCEPT:  
 

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 a. Policy to measure cost performance, the level of risk required for estimates, details on 
how the estimates must be presented 
b. Details on how the estimates must be presented, the accuracy level needed for the 
estimates, policy for team performance measurement 
c. The accuracy level needed for the estimates, policy for cost performance measurement, 
details on how the estimates must be presented 
d. Details for how duration estimates must be presented, policy for cost performance 
measurements, the level of accuracy required for the estimates.  
 
Answer: c 
 
All items in letter c accurately describe a part of the cost management plan. But take note 
how one word in each of the other choices makes the entire choice incorrect. Letter a 
includes risk, letter b involves measuring team performance, which is part of the human 
resource management, and letter d refers to the duration estimates that are created during 
the time management process.  
 
18. ___________________ refers to the estimated value of the work actually accomplished.  
 
a. Cost Variance (CV) 
b. Actual Cost (AC) 
c. Planned Value (PV) 
d. Earned Value (EV) 
 
Answer: d 
 
Many project managers are confused about identifying the difference between EV and other 
options. Take note that the definition in the sentence above is for earned value or EV, so 
letter d is the correct answer.  
 
19. Project setup cost is an example of:  
 
a. Opportunity costs 
b. Overhead costs 
c. Fixed costs 
d. Variable costs 
 
Answer: c 
 
Project setup costs are fixed costs (letter c) because they do not change as production on the 
project changes.  
 
 
20. ______________ has the cost risk in a fixed price (FP) contract.  
 

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 a. Management 
b. The seller 
c. The buyer 
d. The team 
 
Answer: b 
 
The seller should pay for the costs if the costs are higher under a fixed price contract. 
Remember, the cost risk refers to the person who needs to pay for the added cost if the costs 
escalate. Because the price is fixed, the seller can pay any increased costs out of their 
revenue. This naturally does not involve increased price due to order changes, in which the 
price and the fixed price contract could be changed.  
 
21. Why do you need to perform value analysis? 
 
a. In order to get a less expensive method of doing the same work 
b. In order for the project team to buy into the project 
c. In order for the management to buy into the project 
d. To gain more value from the cost analysis 
 
Answer: a 
 
You should know the definition of value analysis to answer this question. Letter a is the 
correct answer because this defines value analysis.  
 
22. Which process involves allocating the overall cost estimates to individual activities to come 
up with a baseline for measuring project performance? 
 
a. Control Costs 
b. Determine Budget 
c. Estimate Costs 
d. Cost Management 
 
Answer: b 
 
The answer is not Control Costs (letter a) because the baseline has not yet been developed. 
The estimates are already created in this situation, so the answer is definitely not letter c. 
Letter d is too general. The correct answer is letter b.  
 
23. Which of the following statements is true about cost contingency reserve? 
 
a. It should be added to the base costs of the project to account for risks 
b. It should be maintained by management to cover cost overruns 
c. It should be added to each activity to provide the client with a shorter critical path 
d. It should be hidden to prevent the management from disallowing the reserve 

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Answer: a 
 
Letter b refers to management reserves. Letter c is incorrect. Letter d is not an appropriate 
step. In the risk management process, you should determine proper cost contingency 
reserves for risk events. The total of these reserves must be added to the total project 
estimate to cover the cost of risk of an event occurring.  
 
24. You are done working on the initiating procedure for a minor project and you are now 
shifting into the planning phase. A stakeholder comes into your office to request for the 
budget and cost baseline. What is the best response? 
 
a. It is not possible to finish an estimate prior if there is no project management plan 
b. The project management plan does not include the project’s budget and baseline because 
this is a minor project 
c. The budget and cost baseline cannot be be completed and ready for submission until you 
are done with all the processes in the planning phase 
d. The project budget is included in the project charter which you already finished 
 
Answer: c 
 
No, it is not impossible to work on a project budget prior to the creation of a project 
management plan. But this is not a recommended step because the budget may not be 
accurate. Even minor projects (letter b) must have a schedule and budget. The overall 
budget (letter d) may be included in the project charter but it is not detailed enough.  
 
25. What will you do if the seller informs you that your project activities resulted in an increase 
in the costs? 
 
a. Deny any problem in your project activities 
b. Request more information from the seller 
c. Request a meeting with the management to know what to do  
d. Suggest a change to the project costs 
 
Answer: b 
 
This situation tests not only your professional competence but also with the procurement 
process. This question involves a claim, so the best move is to request more information 
from the seller so any decision you make is backed up by data. After letter b and negotiation, 
letter d would probably happen. Letter a is unprofessional. Letter c should not happen until 
you have enough information about the claim.  
 
26. Terry is managing a project that is still in its early stages. She is having a discussion with the 
sponsor about the ideal estimating techniques for the project. She is keen on using a form of 

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 expert judgment, but the sponsor is leaning for analogous estimating. What should Terry 
do? 
 
a. Terry should persuade the sponsor to permit expert judgment because it is more 
accurate  
b. Ask the sponsor his reason why he is pushing for such an accurate estimate technique 
c. Recommend life cycle costing as a compromise 
d. Use the analogous estimating because it is really a type of expert judgment 
 
Answer: d 
 
To choose the best answer in this question, you must be aware that analogous estimating is 
actually a type of expert judgment. Letter b seems like a good answer but you should take a 
look at the whole sentence. Remember, analogous estimates are not accurate. Be sure to read 
every word in each option so you can find the best answer.  
 
27. Which of the following should you do if the cost forecast of your project reveals that you are 
most likely to have cost overrun?  
 
a. Reduce scope 
b. Cut quality 
c. Call the project sponsor to determine the work that you can complete faster 
d. Prevent risks in estimates and re-estimate 
 
Answer: d 
 
You should look for the option that will have the least negative effect in the scenario. 
Meeting with the project sponsor is unnecessary (letter c). Letters b and a always have a 
negative impact. The choice with the least negative effect is letter d.  
 
28. Bob is managing a construction project that requires the purchase of different equipment. 
His company recently centralized its purchasing processes and implemented a new order 
system. Which document should Bob check to find the new purchasing procedures? 
 
a. Organizational policies 
b. Staffing management plan 
c. WBS 
d. Project scope statement 
 
Answer: a 
 
Organizational policies, which is part of organizational process assets, contains the 
procedures for rental and purchase of supplies and equipment needed for a project.  
 

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29. What types of costs should you look into if you want to assess the project costs and find ways 
to reduce costs? 
 
a. Indirect costs and direct costs 
b. Direct costs and variable costs 
c. Fixed costs and indirect costs 
d. Variable costs and fixed costs 
 
Answer: b 
 
Letter b describes costs that are directly associated with the project or that vary with the 
level of work completed.  
 
30. Monitoring the expended costs to identify variances from the plan happens 
during___________. 
 
a. Product performance reviews 
b. Updating the cost baseline 
c. Recommending corrective actions 
d. The creation of the cost change management plan 
 
Answer: a 
 
While possible updates to the cost baseline (letter b) and suggesting corrective actions (letter 
c) are outcomes of the activity described, they are not concurrent. Monitoring the costs are 
part of the change control, but not part of creating the change control system (letter d).  
 
31. What is the definition of cost risk? 
 
a. The risk of the project cost going lower as planned 
b. The risk of the project going higher than planned 
c. The project is too risky from a cost aspect 
d. Risks that will cost project money 
 
Answer: b 
 
The opposite of letter a is correct. Letter c refers to the total cost risk on the project and 
assumes that the risk is high to pursue the project. Letter d is true but it is not the definition 
of cost risk.  
 
32. Which of the following best describes the difference between the cost budget and the cost 
baseline? 
 
a. The cost account 
b. The project cost estimate 

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 c. The contingency reserve 
d. The management reserve 
 
Answer: d 
 
Cost accounts are contained in the project cost estimate, while the contingency reserve is 
included to this to calculate the cost baseline. After this, the management reserve is added to 
determine the cost budget. Thus, only letter d is the right answer.  
 
33. Which description can you find in the cost management plan? 
 
a. The WBS level at which the earned value will be computed 
b. The budget and how they were computed 
c. Resource allocation 
d. Project costs 
 
Answer: a 
 
The PMP exam will ask you what certain project management tools contain so it will test if 
you really understand their purpose. It is almost impossible to get the right answer to this 
question if you don’t have fundamental know-how of project management tools.  
 
34. Hami manages a project for a software development company. His project sponsor is not 
happy with the estimate citing it should be lower. The sponsor asked Hami to cut 15% of the 
project estimate. What should Hami do? 
 
a. Add more resources with low hourly rates 
b. Inform the project sponsor of the activities to be eliminated 
c. Inform all team members to reduce 15% from their estimates 
d. Begin the project and consistently look for cost savings 
 
Answer: b 
 
First, you should understand that it is never proper for a project manager to just reduce 
estimates across the board (letter c). Hami should have developed an estimate with realistic 
work package estimates that do not involve padding. If there is a need to decrease costs, he 
can look to reduce quality, reduce risk, adjust the scope, or use affordable resources while 
monitoring the effect of changes on the project schedule.  
 
One of the biggest mistakes that a project manager can commit is to begin a project while 
knowing that the cost or time for the project is not realistic. Hence, letter d is not the answer. 
Take note that letter d suggests adding resources, which would cost more. Letter b involves 
assessing, looking for alternatives and then consulting the sponsor to tell him the effect of 
the cost-cutting.  
 

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35. Jack is about to take charge of a project from another manager and discovered the following 
details:  
 
● Activity A has an early start (ES) of day 15 and a late start (LS) of day 20.  
● Activity A is a difficult activity 
● The cost performance index (CPI) is 1.1 
● The schedule performance index (SPI) is 0.8 
● There are 10 stakeholders in the project 
 
Based on these details, which of the following should Jack be concerned about? 
 
a. The number of available resources 
b. Cost 
c. Float 
d. Schedule 
 
Answer: d 
 
This question integrates topics from different knowledge areas. Have you started calculating 
the float for Activity A? The level of float for one activity and the number of stakeholders 
can’t tell you anything in this scenario, so letter a and b cannot be the best answers. The CPI 
is higher than 1 and the SPI is less than 1. So, the area that Jack should be worried about 
should be the schedule.  
 
36. A construction project recorded a cost performance index (CPI) of 0.91 and a schedule 
performance index (SPI) of 0.89. Which of the following is the most likely explanation why 
this happened? 
 
a. A critical path activity took longer and required more labor hours to finish 
b. More equipment required to be purchased 
c. The need for a new supplier 
d. There was a likely change in the project scope 
 
Answer: a 
 
In order to answer this question, you should look for the option that will take longer and cost 
more. If you have selected letter d, you should read it again. It says the scope was changed, 
and not necessarily added to. If the change was to reduce the scope, then it may also be true 
that the cost was reduced. While it will take time to manage the activity described in letter c, 
the affected activity may not be on the critical path and so may not affect time. Letter b will 
certainly add cost, but not necessarily time. Only letter a will negatively affect both cost and 
time.  
 
37. Earned value analysis is an example of what activity? 
 

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 a. Integrating the project components into a whole 
b. Ishikawa diagrams 
c. Planning control 
d. Performance reporting 
 
Answer: d 
 
Earned value analysis is an important project reporting tool. With this, you can show where 
you stand on budget and schedule as well as create forecasts for the rest of the project.  
 
38. Halfway through your project, the CPI is 0.69 despite the stakeholders believing that there 
was sufficient money in the budget. To figure out the source of the problem, some 
stakeholders assessed the project. They found out that the budget estimate was calculated 
using the analogous technique. While the estimates for work activities are adding up, the 
stakeholders believe that there’s a missing part in calculating the estimate. Which do you 
think is the missing part in the calculation? 
 
a. Past history was not considered 
b. The bottom-up technique should be used for project estimates 
c. SPI should have been used instead of CPI 
d. Estimated costs must be used to measure CPI 
 
Answer: b 
 
In measuring CPI, actual costs are used and there’s no reason to use SPI in this situation. 
Therefore, letters c and d are not correct. Using past history (letter a) is another way of 
saying analogous. The most recommended approach to estimate is bottom-up (letter b). This 
estimating technique could have improved the overall quality of the estimate.  
 
   

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PROJECT QUALITY MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS 
AND ANSWERS 
 
1. What are the quality attributes from the project perspective? 
 
a. Are objective criteria that must be met 
b. Are specific attributes for which a product is designed and tested 
c. Provide the guidelines for assessing the success or failure of a project 
d. Determine how effectively the organization is supporting the project 
 
Answer: b 
 
Quality attributes refer to the measurements, which determine if the product is acceptable. 
These attributes are based on the product characteristics of the product design.  
 
2. Which of the following is the likely outcome if a product or service completely meets the 
requirements of the client? 
 
a. The client pays the minimum price 
b. The cost of quality is low 
c. The cost of quality is high 
d. Quality is achieved 
 
Answer: d 
 
In general, you can’t say that quality (as described in this situation) is either low or high 
(letters b and c) or that it outlines the minimum price (letter a). It does give the client what 
he wanted that may not be the highest or lowest cost. So, the correct answer is letter a.  
 
3. Dan recently learned that a project manager called for an unscheduled “chat” with the team 
members and stakeholders mainly to talk about the project quality. This project has a CPI of 
1.1 and the timeline was compressed. The team worked hard for the project and they have 
been properly rewarded based on a system that your organization established. In general, 
there’s teamwork for the project. Dan called the project manager to share his insights about 
not having enough time for project quality meetings considering the compressed schedule. 
Dan is wrong, but why? 
 
a. Higher quality results in increased productivity, reduced cost effectiveness and reduced 
cost risk 
b. Higher quality results in increased productivity, increased cost effectiveness and higher 
cost risk 
c. Higher quality results in higher productivity, reduced cost effectiveness, and higher cost 
risk 

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 d. Higher quality results in higher productivity, higher cost effectiveness, and reduced cost 
risk 
 
Answer: d 
 
Hopefully, you have noticed that this question presents a lot of unnecessary data. There are a 
lot of similar questions in the PMP Exam. Take note that quality must generate a reduction 
and not an increase in cost risk because of less rework. Therefore, letters C and B are not 
correct. Quality must also provide higher cost effectiveness because of less rework. So, letter 
a is not right, which leaves us with letter d.  
 
4. ___________ analysis refers to the item where the revenue or benefits to be received from 
increasing quality is equivalent to the incremental cost to reach the desired quality.  
 
a. Conformance  
b. Standard quality 
c. Marginal 
d. Quality control 
 
Answer: c 
 
It is impossible to answer this question if you don't have fundamental knowledge of project 
management terminologies. Letters a, b, and d may sound good, but they are not standard 
project management terms.  
 
5. Your project is currently suffering from quality concerns. The PMO called you and reminded 
you about the importance of quality. What should you do if another quality issue happens? 
 
a. Allow an increase of risk through cost cutting 
b. Allow an increase of cost by resolving the root cause of the problem 
c. Allow the schedule to slip through cost cutting 
d. Resolve the problem right away 
 
Answer: b 
 
Most project managers would select letter d, which can be considered proactive, but letter b 
mentions root cause and the possible outcome of dealing with the problem. Whenever 
quality issues happen, you should take a look if there are other project constraints. Letter c is 
somehow correct but not necessary because you may be able to compress the schedule in 
other areas. Moreover, cost cutting does not necessarily lead to a slip schedule. Letter a is 
not the best answer because a quality issue is most likely to result in added cost instead of 
cost-cutting.  
 
6. Who is mainly responsible for managing quality in a project? 
 

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 a. The team members 
b. The quality manager 
c. The project manager 
d. The project engineer 
 
Answer: c 
 
Even though each person who is part of a project must check their own deliverables, the 
project manager is the overall person in charge who is responsible for project quality.  
 
7. Which of the following is NOT a result of a quality audit? 
 
a. Confirmation of the execution of approved change requests 
b. Establishment of quality metrics 
c. Improved processes to improve productivity 
d. Identification of whether project activities are in compliance with company policies 
 
Answer: b 
 
The Quality metrics are the output of the Plan Quality process. These are also the input to 
the Perform Quality Assurance process, which refers to the process that quality audits occur.  
 
 
 
8. Which of the following BEST describes quality? 
 
a. Conformance to the goals of the management 
b. The level to which the project meets requirements 
c. Throwing in extras to make the client happy 
d. Meeting and exceeding the expectations of the client 
 
Answer: b 
 
Letters c and d can’t be the correct answers because the cost might be affected (or 
risk, time, etc). Because a project must meet requirements, letter b is the right answer.  
 
9. What percent of the overall distribution is 3 sigma from the mean equivalent to? 
 
a. 99.73% 
b. 95.46% 
c. 99.99% 
d. 68.26% 
 
Answer: a 
 

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 You should memorize the numbers for 1, 2, 3, and 6 sigma.  
 
10. Which of the following is NOT an example of Perform Quality Control? 
 
a. Fishbone diagram 
b. Pareto chart 
c. Cost of quality 
d. Inspection 
 
Answer: c 
 
Letters a, b, and d are performed as part of the Perform Quality Control and Perform Quality 
Assurance depending on how they are employed. Letter c is the best answer because the cost 
of quality is part of the Plan Quality process.  
 
11. You are asked by a stakeholder to measure standard deviation. What exactly do you need to 
measure? 
 
a. How much time remains in the project 
b. How correct the sample is 
c. How far the measurement is from the mean 
d. How far the estimate from the highest estimate 
 
Answer: c 
 
Standard deviation measures the range around the mean. So, letter c is the best answer.  
 
12. Why are Pareto charts valuable in project management? 
 
a. It helps you to determine if a process is out of control.  
b. It helps you explore the desired future outcome 
c. It helps you focus on stimulating thinking 
d. It helps you to focus on the most important issues to improve project quality 
 
Answer: d 
 
Letter a is related to control charts, while letters b and c are more related to fishbone 
diagrams. Only letter a relates to Pareto charts.   
 
13. Which of the following is NOT an example of the cost of non-conformance? 
 
a. Warranty costs 
b. Scrap 
c. Quality training 
d. Rework 

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Answer: c 
 
Only quality training (letter c) is related to the cost of non-conformance. All the other 
options are costs related to non-conformance to quality.  
 
14. Why are control charts valuable in project management? 
 
a. It helps in determining whether a process is working within the set boundaries 
b. It helps in exploring a desired future outcome 
c. It helps you to focus on stimulating thinking 
d. It helps you to focus on most important issues to improve project quality 
 
Answer: a 
 
Letters b and c are true for fishbone diagrams, while letter a is true for Pareto charts. Only 
letter a relates to control charts.  
 
15. What will happen if you test the whole population? 
 
a. You will detect many defects 
b. It will be mutually exclusive 
c. It will provide more information than necessary 
d. It will take a lot of time 
 
Answer: d 
 
Testing only a sample is recommended because it will take too long to test a whole 
population.  
 
16. Your team completed a plan for how you will execute the quality policy. It addresses the 
team structure, responsibilities, processes, and other information about quality plans. Which 
of the following plans will also change if this primary plan changes during the project? 
 
a. Quality control 
b. Project management 
c. Quality management 
d. Quality assurance 
 
Answer: b 
 
The plan described in this question is the quality management plan. Because the quality 
management plan is contained in the project management plan, changing this plan will also 
change the project management plan.  
 

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17. What will you do if your project’s control chart shows 7 data points in a row on a single side 
of the mean? 
 
a. Nothing. You can ignore the 7 data points.  
b. Look for an assignable cause 
c. Make changes to the chart to show the new mean 
d. Work on design of experiments 
 
Answer: b 
 
You need to know the rule of 7 in order to answer this question. When you have 7 data points 
in a single row on the same side of the mean, it suggests that the mean has shifted. This calls 
for action so you can correct the problem. 
 
18. During your weekly meeting, a team member suggests adding a specific area of additional 
work to the project because he believes it will benefit the client. Is the team member right or 
wrong?  
 
a. The team member is right and you should agree to show that you are still in control of 
the project.  
b. The team member is right because the project should exceed the client expectations 
c. The team member is wrong because these efforts must not be raised in a weekly meeting 
d. The team member is wrong because this is a form of gold plating 
 
Answer: d 
 
The team member’s suggestion is an example of god plating. Your project should only 
provide what the client requested for. The team member is not in the position to know if the 
recommended change will provide benefit to the client. Just focus on efforts on fulfilling the 
client’s needs.  
 
19. Celine is managing a project within a just-in-time environment. She needs more focus on the 
project because the level of inventory in this environment is basically: 
 
a. 0% 
b. 12% 
c. 10% 
d. 45% 
 
Answer: a 
 
In working in a just-in-time environment, the supplies are delivered when there is a need 
and not prior. So, Celine needs to manage the project with zero or minimal inventory.  
 

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20. Richard is a project manager for a company that designs construction equipment. His team 
is tasked to design an equipment to load cement onto the road. The project allows for a 2% 
spillage amounting to 2 tons of spilled cement per day. In which of the following should 
Richard document quality improvements, quality assurance, and quality control for the 
project? 
 
a. Project management plan 
b. Control charts 
c. Quality policy 
d. Quality management plan 
 
Answer: d 
 
Letters b and c are parts of a quality management plan, which is part of the project 
management plan. So the best answer is the quality management plan.  
 
21. In project planning, which would basically have the highest level of priority - schedule, cost, 
or quality? 
 
a. It must be decided for every project 
b. Schedule is the most important, next is quality, then cost 
c. Quality is more important than the schedule 
d. Cost is most important, next is quality, then schedule 
 
Answer: a 
 
Many project managers ignore the importance of focusing on quality. Quality, cost, and 
schedule must be considered of equal importance unless certain project goals make any one 
of them be the priority. Risk, scope, schedule, cost, quality, and other factors may be 
prioritized differently on every project.  
 
22. Troy is a program level manager with five project activities underway. During the execution 
phase, you start noticing some concerns about the accuracy of progress reports. Which 
document should you check to verify your concern? 
 
a. Monte Carlo analysis 
b. Regression analysis 
c. Risk quantification reports 
d. Quality audits 
 
Answer: d 
 
Quality audits are important part of the Perform Quality Assurance process to improve the 
quality of project performance.  
 

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23. Xi has just taken over a project from Donald during the execution phase. Donald created the 
project budget, identified communication requirements, and completed work packages. 
What should Xi do next? 
 
a. Implement the project management plan 
b. Start the Identify Risk process 
c. Determine quality standards 
d. Coordinate work packages completion 
 
Answer: c 
 
Performance of work packages (letter d) should happen after planning the project. Because 
Donald did not finish planning, letter a can’t be the next step. Identify Risks (letter b) seems 
like a good choice but identifying the quality standards (letter c) happens prior to the 
Identify Risks process. Therefore, the answer is letter c.  
 
24. Mike is a project manager for a major database security project. A manager from the quality 
department called you about initiating a quality audit for your project. Mike’s team 
expressed objection to the audit because it is currently under pressure to finish the project as 
planned. He knows that the quality audit is important. What reason should Mike tell his 
team? 
 
a. The quality audit is important to check the accuracy costs submitted by the team 
b. The quality audit is important to identify inefficiencies and ineffective policies 
c. The quality audit is important to check if the client is following its quality process 
d. The quality audit is part of an ISO 9000 investigation 
 
Answer: b 
 
The Perform Quality Assurance process, in which the audit is included, concentrates on 
standards, procedures, and processes. While ISO can be considered a standard, this is not 
the only reason why an audit should be performed for a project, and so letter d is not the 
best answer. Basically, the seller cannot control or review the client process, so letter c is not 
correct. Letter a is more representative of a cost audit than a quality audit so it is not correct.  
 
25. What is the most likely reason if your project has recorded high productivity, high-cost 
effectiveness, and high morale?  
 
a. Rewards given for member efforts 
b. The focus of the management on cost containment 
c. Increased quality 
d. Project goals are in line with those of the performing organization 
 
Answer: c 
 

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 As you improve quality there will be related benefits for the project. Some of the positive 
benefits include improved productivity, higher cost effectiveness, reduced cost risk, and 
higher morale.  
 
26. Tom is in the middle of a major software development project. The programmers are 
halfway through the codes and the systems are in place when someone from PMO informs 
you about the management’s concern over the quality of the project. What should Tom do in 
this situation?  
 
a. Check the results from the last quality management plan 
b. Create a quality assurance team 
c. Analogously estimate future results 
d. Assure the PMO that during the Plan Quality process, you have determined that the 
project is in the position to meet quality standards 
 
Answer: b 
 
Letter d is not productive because it is not a solution to the problem. An analogous estimate 
(letter c) will allow you to look at past history of previous projects. This is not the right step 
because the projects may not be related to Tom’s project at all. The quality management plan 
(letter a) does not provide results. Perform Quality Assurance (letter b) can help Tom to 
figure out if his project will satisfy the appropriate quality standards.  
 
27. Rose is managing a new manufacturing project that is in progress. She is working with the 
quality assurance department to increase everyone’s confidence that the project will satisfy 
the quality standards. Which of the following should Rose have before she can start the 
process? 
 
a. Rework 
b. Quality control measurements 
c. Quality improvement 
d. Quality problems 
 
Answer: b 
 
Rework (letter a) can be an output of Perform Quality Control. Quality improvement (letter 
c) is an outcome of Perform Quality Assurance and not an input. While quality problems 
(letter d) could result in quality assurance efforts, they are not mandatory. This leaves only 
quality control metrics (letter c), which are inputs to Perform Quality Assurance.  
 
28. The PMO is asking you to choose techniques and tools you can use to execute a quality 
assurance activity to supplement current quality control activities. Which of the following 
should not be included in your list?  
 
a. Focus groups 

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 b. Pareto charts 
c. Statistical sampling 
d. Quality audits 
 
Answer: a 
 
Pareto charts (letter b) Statistical sampling (letter c), and Quality audits (letter d), are all 
tools and techniques used in the Perform Quality Control and Perform Quality Assurance 
processes. Focus groups (letter a) are a tool in the Collect Requirement process and is not an 
ideal tool in any quality processes.  
 
29. You have overheard two members arguing over what a set of instructions mean. You looked 
over the matter and learned that the instructions for the fabrication of metal parts were 
poorly translated between different languages. What should you do first? 
 
a. Include the issue in your next project report to be submitted to the sponsor 
b. Raise the issue to your entire team and ask them to look for other translation problems 
c. Assess the effect on the quality of your product  
d. Ask a more experienced party to translate the instructions 
 
Answer: c 
 
While the options are all correct, you need to choose the first step. What is the most pressing 
problem? It seems that the most urgent concern is to determine whether the metal parts 
meet your project requirements. Letter a doesn’t take action to resolve the problem. Letter b 
seems great and something proactive managers will do, but it does not address the urgent 
problem. You can do letter d but it does not address the urgent problem. Only letter c will 
help you respond to the urgent matter.  
 
 
30. Your project is under a major change in the project deliverables. If you are involved in 
identifying which quality standards are appropriate to the change, you must be involved in: 
 
a. Perform Quality Control 
b. Plan Quality 
c. Perform Quality Assurance 
d. Quality Management 
 
Answer: b 
 
While quality planning often happens during project planning, there are instances that you 
must return to planning fro other processes so you can make the right decision.  
 
31. Effective project management requires quality as a planned activity and not part of the 
inspection. Why? 

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a. Planned quality improves product quality and reduces the cost  
b. Planned quality reduces quality and increases the cost 
c. Planned quality improves quality and increases the cost 
d. Planned quality reduces quality and reduces the cost 
 
Answer: a 
 
An effective project manager always look for a proactive approach. If you plan for quality, 
you can improve the outcome, which will reduce the project cost.  
 
32. At the completion of his project, Andy learned that the project has three functionality areas 
and four performance areas. The client confirmed his satisfaction. What does this mean in 
terms of Andy’s project? 
 
a. Andy’s project was successful because his team had the opportunity to learn new 
functionality areas and the client was satisfied 
b. Andy’s project was not successful because the client being satisfied mean they would 
have paid more for the work 
c. Andy’s project was not successful because it was gold plated 
d. Andy’s project was an unqualified success 
 
Answer: c 
 
Andy’s project is not successful because it is an example of gold plating, in which the project 
used extra time and money to produce extra features not in the original plan.  
 
33. As the project manager, Ross is preparing methods for quality management. He is looking 
for a method that can show the connection between events and their outcomes. He wants to 
use a method to depict the events that result in low quality. Which of the following tools 
should Ross use to achieve his goal? 
 
a. Control chart 
b. Ishikawa diagram 
c. Pareto chart 
d. Histogram 
 
Answer: b  
 
Remember, reports and diagrams are all tools to communicate information. In this question, 
you need to choose the best tool to help in project communications. An Ishikawa diagram 
(letter b), also known as a cause-effect diagram is better than Pareto chart (letter c) because 
Ross is trying to determine the causes. If causes are known and Ross has the data on 
occurrences, the data can be shown in a Pareto chart.  
 

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34. In the middle of project implementation, a team member informs you that a work package 
has failed to meet the quality standards, and that he believes it will be difficult to meet it. 
You decided to call all parties to assess the situation. Which part of the quality management 
process are you involved in? 
 
a. Plan Quality 
b. Perform Quality Control 
c. Project Control 
d. Perform Quality Assurance 
 
Answer: b 
 
Measurement is part of the Perform Quality Control process. Have you picked letter c? 
Notice that this question is asking for what part of the quality process are you in and not 
what part of the project management process you are in.  
 
35. Monica notices that the work activities being performed by a department are all taking 
longer as planned. None of the activities have been affected by the critical chain planning 
that happened; neither have they been on the critical path. Monica is bothered by the issue, 
because 4 out of the next 5 critical path activities are assigned to this department.  
 
After making a few calls, Monica is finally able to talk to the department supervisor to know 
what is going on. The discussion takes a while because Monica is Spanish and the supervisor 
is Japanese. To make things easier, Monica asks the supervisor to repeat back what has been 
said.  
 
The supervisor shared that his members are following an organizational policy requiring two 
levels of testing. During the meeting, the supervisor also expressed an opinion that leads 
Monica to believe that the policy adds more work. She heard such opinion countless times 
during the project duration. What should Monica do? 
 
a. Find a way to increase the effectiveness of the organization by suggesting continuous 
improvement of the particular policy 
b. Determine if the activities on the pipeline should be re-evaluated 
c. Call someone in the department who is both fluent in Japanese and Spanish to verify the 
supervisor’s opinion 
d. Develop a better communications management plan, which requires only one language 
to be the standard language on the project and make sure there are translators available 
when needed on site  
 
Answer: a 
 
Letter a is the best answer. Why? Let’s take a closer look.  
 

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Letter b is a reactive response. Letter c is not the best answer because Monica is already aware of 
the opinion and so it is already confirmed. Letter d seems a good idea but has two major flaws. It 
may not be necessary for the project and it is not a proactive approach in dealing with the 
problem, which is the policy that causes the delay.  
 
If Monica wants to be a good project manager, she should find the root cause and resolve it even 
if it means trying to improve the organization’s policies and processes. This is continuous 
improvement. Since there are different activities on the line, it will serve the project better to 
evaluate the problem and implement proactive solutions.  
 
   

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PROJECT HUMAN RESOURCE AND 
STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS 
AND ANSWERS 
 
1. Which of the following information is accessible in resource histogram but not in the 
responsibility assignment matrix? 
 
a. The person in charge of each activity 
b. Interrelationships 
c. Activity 
d. Time 
 
Answer: d 
 
You can see time on the bar chart or project schedule. Meanwhile, the responsibility 
assignment matrix maps certain resources against the work packages in the WBS. In a 
resource histogram, the usage of resources can be shown individually or by groups over time.  
 
2. Which of the following is not a form of power derived from the project manager’s role? 
 
a. Expert 
b. Penalty 
c. Reward 
d. Formal 
 
Answer: a 
 
When you become a project manager, you will have a penalty, reward, and formal power. 
However, just assuming the role doesn’t make you either an expert in technical know-how 
and even in project management.  
 
3. Phoebe has been dealing with a lot of project management issues lately. She was under 
pressure when a member asked if she can help in resolving a problem in the 
communications management plan. Phoebe apologized to the member and replied that she 
can’t deal with the issue today. What type of conflict resolution technique did she use? 
 
a. Compromising 
b. Withdrawal 
c. Forcing 
d. Problem Solving 
 
Answer: b 

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Phoebe is delaying the issue, which is a conflict resolution technique known as withdrawal.  
 
4. Which among the following is the highest point in Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? 
 
a. Esteem 
b. Need for association 
c. Attainment of survival 
d. Physiological satisfaction 
 
Answer: a 
 
The highest point in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is self-actualization. But this is not 
included in the options, so esteem (letter a) is the correct answer.  
 
5. Project priorities, schedules, and __________ are the most common causes of conflict on a 
project.  
 
a. Management 
b. Cost  
c. Resources 
d. Personality 
 
Answer: c 
 
The top four sources of conflict are schedule, priorities, resources, and technical opinions. 
Personality is also a cause of conflict but it is last on the list.  
 
6. Which of the following best describes the halo effect? 
 
a. The decision to move people into project management because they have had project 
management training 
b. The decision to move people into project management because they are good in their 
technical areas 
c. The management’s preference to hire the best people 
d. The management’s preference to promote people from within 
 
Answer: b 
 
Being an expert or skilled in a technical area doesn’t qualify a person to become an effective 
project manager.  
 
7. Which of the following techniques in conflict resolution could result in MOST lasting 
solution? 
 

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 a. Problem solving 
b. Compromise 
c. Smoothing 
d. Forcing 
 
Answer: a 
 
Problem solving usually takes more time, but it will allow you to earn buy-in from all people 
involved, which typically results in a more lasting solution.  
 
8. Which of the following BEST describes the sponsor’s role in a project? 
 
a. The person who helps in putting the project management plan together 
b. The person responsible for identifying unimportant project constraints 
c. The person who helps in preventing unneeded changes to project goals 
d. The person who helps in planning project activities 
 
Answer: c 
 
The project management plan (letter a) is created by the team and approved by the sponsor 
and the PMO. While the sponsor could lend a hand in planning some of the project activities 
(letter d), it is not his or her primary duty. Some project constraints (letter c) are coming 
from the sponsor, but they must be considered important. Because the project goals are 
already stated in the project charter and it is the sponsor who issues the charter, letter c is 
the right answer.  
 
9. One member has low performance on his assigned task because he has no background 
technical know-how. No one else in the team is better qualified to complete the task. What is 
the BEST solution in this scenario? 
 
a. Allocate some of the project schedule reserve 
b. Require the member to undergo training 
c. Find a more skilled resource 
d. Ask the functional manager to identify the project completion rewards for the team 
member  
 
Answer: b 
 
The role of the project manager involves providing or getting projects-specific training for 
team members. This type of training is a direct project cost.  
 
10. You have been named as project manager for an important marketing project. This 
12-months project is around 50% completed. The team is composed of five sellers and 15 of 
your organization’s employees. You need to know who is responsible for doing what on the 
project. Which document should you check first? 

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a. Project organization chart 
b. Bar chart 
c. Resource histogram 
d. Responsibility assignment matrix 
 
Answer: d 
 
The responsibility assignment matrix will help you know who will perform the task. An 
organizational chart (letter a) will show you who reports to whom. In its pure form, a bar 
chart (letter b) will show only the calendar date and activity. The resource histogram (letter 
c) shows the number of resources used in every time period.  
 
11. Chandler is working as a project manager of a cross-functional project team in a weak matrix 
environment. His team members don’t report to him and he has no power to directly reward 
good performance. The project is a bit difficult and involves challenging quality standards 
and tight date constraints. Which of the following forms of power should Chandler use in 
this scenario? 
 
a. Formal 
b. Penalty 
c. Expert 
d. Referent 
 
Answer: c 
 
Expert is a good source of power alongside reward, which is not listed in the options.  
 
12. You are a project manager in a matrix organization. From whom should you request 
resources if you found out that your project requires more human resources? 
 
a. Project sponsor 
b. Team 
c. Functional manager 
d. Project manager 
 
Answer: c 
 
Take note that in a matrix organization, the functional manager has the power to control the 
resources.  
 
13. During every weekly team chat, the project manager always asks for updates from every 
member and then assigns new tasks. The meetings would take more than an hour because 
there are various activities to delegate. Why do you think this is happening? 
 

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 a. The team was minimally involved in the planning phase 
b. The manager is not skilled in resource leveling 
c. The manager is not using any tool to manage responsibilities 
d. The team is not using a WBS 
 
Answer: b 
 
Resource leveling refers to maintaining a fixed number of resources on the project for every 
time period. This has nothing to do with assignments or management meetings.  
 
14. In managing a project, it is required to create and disseminate a project schedule. You have 
completed identifying resources, beginning/completion times, and activities. Which of the 
following should be your next step? 
 
a. Distribute copies of a bar chart to show the project timeline 
b. Polish the project management plan to make sure that the costing date is accurate 
c. Check the availability of resources 
d. Publish the project schedule based on the communications management plan 
 
Answer: c 
 
Only after you have verified the availability of resources that you can finalize the project 
schedule.  
 
15. You have just been hired to manage an early phase project with the following details: 
● Composed of people from 15 different departments 
● The project charter was signed by one person and involves 25 major requirements 
that should be met  
● The sponsor requires SPI to be between 0.95 and 1.1 
● Composed of 34 stakeholders  
● The schedule objectives on the project are constrained 
 
Considering the information given above, which form of power is BEST to help you gain the 
cooperation of all people involved? 
 
a. Expert 
b. Penalty 
c. Referent 
d. Formal  
 
Answer: d 
 
Basically, expert and rewards are the most ideal forms of power in project management. As a 
newbie, you don’t have enough time to become a recognized expert in the organization 

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 (letter a) and the options don't include reward. This leaves formal power (letter d) as the 
only possible answer.  
 
16. You recently discovered that an important subcontractor for your project is always late in 
delivering raw materials. Moreover, a project member expressed dissatisfaction over the 
professionalism of the subcontractor. In trying to resolve the problem, you called the 
subcontractor and the member and told them that they have to give up something in order 
to solve the issue. What conflict resolution technique are you using in this scenario? 
 
a. Communicating 
b. Smoothing  
c. Compromise 
d. Confrontation 
 
Answer: c 
 
Compromise refers to the act of two or more parties to give something.  
 
17. Joey has been promoted as a project manager for an important project. He goes along well 
with his team who believes that they can easily complete the work. There are 25 personnel 
working on the product description and the group is composed of 10 highly experienced and 
skilled technical experts. Halfway through the planning process, four members are debating 
about the scope of three critical work activities. A stakeholder is standing by the WBS draft 
and suggesting the addition of three more work packages. Two members agree that two work 
packages are unnecessary. The fourth member supports them. What should Joey do to 
handle this conflict? 
 
a. Direct the team to agreeable areas of their opinions and establish unity by using 
relaxation techniques and common focus team building 
b. Understand the merits of every member’s insights, allow logical discussion, and aim for 
agreement 
c. Delay any discussion, talk to each member and identify the most suitable approach 
d. Understand the merits of every member’s insights, identify the most suitable way and 
execute the selected approach 
 
Answer: b 
 
This question provides a lot of information and is a bit wordy. A lot of similar questions will 
appear in the PMP exam so you should be ready. In this question, you just need to find the 
best approach to handle the conflict so you can choose the best answer. Many of the 
information given here are only distractions. Compromising and problem solving are two 
most critical conflict resolution techniques. Conflict resolution management is an important 
project management skill.  
 
 

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18. A project is divided into several teams. Team A has constantly missed important deadlines, 
which has caused Team B to crash the critical path several times. As the manager for Team 
B, you must discuss the delays with the _____________.  
 
a. Project manager and the manager of team A 
b. Project manager and management 
c. Project manager alone 
d. Manager of Team B 
 
Answer: a 
 
Remember, in conflict management, those having the problem must resolve the problem. 
Because Team B experienced crashing the critical path several times, it means they have 
already managed the problem before. As such, the two managers should meet. The extent of 
this scenario requires the involvement of the project manager, too.  
 
19. You have been working as a project manager for a matrix environment. Your project has an 
SPI of 1.0 and CPI of 1.04. There are 15 members in the team and each shared valuable 
contributions to develop the management plan for the project. The client has accepted the 
major deliverables without any negative feedback. The responsibility assignment matrix has 
never been changed. While the project sponsor is satisfied with the project’s progress, one 
member is always complaining about the amount of time he is consuming to complete the 
tasks assigned to him. What should you do next?  
 
a. Obtain formal written acceptance from the client 
b. Call the client to request for project schedule extension 
c. Improve the project schedule performance 
d. Check the project reward system 
 
Answer: d 
 
Improving the performance schedule (letter c) is related to completing the project sooner. 
While it may seem a recommended step to improve schedule performance, this project is not 
doing badly. Also take note that the project schedule has received the green light. Ideally, 
you should allocate more time in project control to ensure that it will be completed based on 
your plan instead of improving the performance schedule.  
 
If you have selected letter b, you should ask yourself why because, in this project, there’s no 
problem with the performance schedule that requires an extension. Have you thought about 
giving more time to the member who complained? How sure are you that the member’s 
tasks are within the critical path?  
 
Obtaining the client’s formal approval is always important because it offers you a chance to 
verify if the project is doing fine. It is best to get such acceptance in writing. Letter a is 
possible, but there’s a more pressing issue that you should resolve.  

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The only concern in this scenario is the member’s complaint. If you have really understood 
the situation, you should have noticed that all members contributed and even approved the 
project management plan, which includes his own assigned activities. Because the 
responsibility assignment matrix was not revised, the member has not even been assigned 
any diverting duties since the project started.  
 
There might be another reason that causes the member to air dissatisfaction. As a project 
manager, you must assess and discover what part of the reward scheme is not working.  
 
20. You are trying to handle a conflict between two project members. One says the systems must 
be tested prior to integration, and the other maintains that the systems must be integrated 
before testing. This project involves 20 people and 15 systems require integration. The 
project sponsor sent clear instructions that the integration should happen as planned. What 
is the best statement you can use to manage this conflict? 
 
a. We need to perform limited testing prior to integration and complete testing after 
integration 
b. I can’t handle this right now. Let’s talk about this next week once we are all relaxed.  
c. Relax, we just need to work together and get things done.  
d. You two should do it my way.  
 
Answer: a 
 
Letter a is an example of compromising.  
 
21. The following are conflict resolution techniques that you can use in managing a project: 
forcing, smoothing, confronting and ____________.  
 
a. Controlling 
b. Organizing 
c. Directing 
d. Withdrawing 
 
Answer: d 
 
You can always delay handling conflict resolution, which is known as withdrawing.  
 
22. You are halfway through the implementation phase when a project stakeholder requests a 
major change, which will surely cause the third major project overhaul. Moreover, you have 
discovered that an important work package was not finished because a member’s supervisor 
transferred him to another project, which has a higher priority. Who is the best person to 
consult regarding this matter? 
 
a. The sponsor 

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 b. The client 
c. Senior management 
d. The team 
 
Answer: a 
 
If you want to avoid unnecessary changes in the middle of the project and you want to set 
priorities between projects, you should talk with the project sponsor. This scenario suggests 
that such an approach is nonexistent and as a project manager, you should find the root 
cause, which you can find out through the project sponsor.  
 
23. ________________ is a theory that states that rewarding accomplishments could lead to 
effective performance.  
 
a. Expectancy 
b. McGregor’s 
c. Maslow’s hierarchy 
d. Conditional reinforcement 
 
Answer: a 
 
This describes the expectancy theory. Project members who believe that their efforts will 
result in effective performance and who are expecting a reward for their achievements will 
stay productive as rewards meet their expectations.  
 
24. You just learned that an important subcontractor for your project has been late in fulfilling 
deliveries. He called you and requested you to accept delayed deliveries in exchange for a 
discount. This offer is an example of_____________.  
 
a. Forcing 
b. Smoothing 
c. Compromise 
d. Confronting 
 
Answer: c 
 
This is an example of compromising because both parties are giving up something.  
 
25. Mona’s project has been a real challenge. Her team has been edgy because of the pressure to 
finish the project on time. Sadly, the conflict has grown to the point where members shout at 
each other and very little work has been completed. One member even requested Mona not 
to attend the meetings because of her pregnancy and she finds it upsetting to hear the 
shouting matches. The project sponsor asked to attend the next meeting so he can better 
understand the progress of the project as well as the issues involved in finishing the project, 

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 and the client has begun discussions about adding scope to the project. What should Mona 
do in this situation? 
 
a. Arrange for a team building activity that involves all team members 
b. Establish new ground rules for the meetings and discuss them to the team 
c. Inform the team member who asked to not participate in the next meeting of the value of 
her input to the team 
d. Ask the project sponsor if the information he needed could just be sent to his email 
instead of having him attend the meeting 
 
Answer: b 
 
Team building (letter a) requires planning so you can’t do it immediately. Letter c just 
dismisses the concerns of the team member and may backfire. Letter d does not solve the 
root cause of the problem described. Take note that the project sponsor may be attending 
the next meeting and one member doesn’t want to attend the meeting. So the best thing to 
do here is to establish new ground rules for the team so you can control their actions in a 
professional environment (letter c) then you can plan a team-building activity (letter a).  
 
26. Jane’s project has a benefit cost ratio of 1.7 and CPI of 1.02. The latest round of performance 
reviews results in some important changes. Her team was co-located into new office space 
when the project began. Everyone expressed positive opinions about working on the project. 
The sponsor is very generous in supporting the project and there are very few unidentified 
risks. In its bid to improve performance, Jane spends part of the budget on comfortable 
office chairs and even formalized the member position titles to include “senior”. Which of 
the following best describes the situation? 
 
a. The project manager must use good judgment in identifying which variances are 
important 
b. The performance review must be managed better to find more changes 
c. The project is gradually spending more money than it should. Jane should start to 
monitor cost carefully 
d. Jane misunderstood Herbergg’s Theory 
 
Answer: d 
 
Letter c involves the concept of cost to divert you into choosing it if you are not sure of the 
correct answer. There’s no indication that the costs are trending in any direction. There’s no 
reason to think that performance reviews must turn up more changes (letter b). A project 
manager must always use good judgment (letter a) but nothing in this scenario mentions 
judgment about variances so this is not the right answer. In this scenario, Jane is building 
great working conditions for the team. Based on Herzberg's Theory, improving work 
conditions can help the management to motivate, but making good working conditions 
better may not cause the same effect. Project managers should concentrate on motivating 
agents and not on the hygiene factors.  

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27. Team performance assessments are different from project performance appraisals because 
the latter focus on ____________________ 
 
a. Reducing the staff turnover rate 
b. A team-building effort 
c. An evaluation of the project team’s effectiveness 
d. How a member is performing on the project 
 
Answer: d 
 
It is common for PMP exam takers to get confused over these questions. The best approach 
here is to look at the two terms used here (team performance assessment and project 
performance appraisals) and think about what each term means before you look at the 
available options. Letters a, b, and c are all aspects of team performance assessments. Only 
letter d is correct because project performance appraisals deal with how every team member 
performs work instead of how well members are working as a team. 
 
28. Three months ago, you had to resolve a complex problem that needed an immediate solution 
so you were able to make a decision on what should be done. Today, the same problem 
happened again. Which of the following should you avoid? 
 
a. Use an Ishikawa diagram 
b. Ask a project sponsor to validate the decision 
c. Verify if your decision three months ago really solved the problem 
d. Perform risk analysis 
 
Answer: c 
 
Remember the final steps in problem solving - execute a decision, review the decision, and 
check if that decision solved the problem.  
 
29. Ed is managing a project for a manufacturing company. Around 75% of work packages have 
been completed and the project sponsor sent him an email about some recommendations for 
improvements. The project is set to meet a tight deadline when the next activity to a critical 
path activity was delayed. The activity has 2 weeks of float and is being completed by five 
people. Two other members are on standby and ready to help if needed. Ed received a call 
that two members are requesting to be transferred to another project because they are not 
confident that the project will be successful. When Ed further investigated, he learned that 
these members have been unresolved issues. Which of the following should Ed do next? 
 
a. Develop an issue log 
b. Check who can replace the three team members 
c. Understand why the project schedule is tight 
d. Ask the skilled members to help in working in the pressing activity  

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Answer: a 
 
There are instances that complicated problems happen because project managers fail to 
perform basic project management tasks. All the information given in the early part of the 
question are fillers. The activity in question has float, so it doesn’t require any immediate 
response.  
 
Letter d may not be needed if the amount of float will not be exceeded by the problem. Is 
there something that Ed is doing wrong, or actually doing that he should not - one that could 
solve the problem without the need to lose important resources? It is ideal to find the root 
cause of the team members’ issues so that the problem will not surface again.  
 
Creating the issue log will allow the team members to know that their issues have been noted 
and will be resolved. This may be enough to discourage them from leaving the group and 
prevent project delays and retraining or orientation if new members join the team. This 
makes letter a the best answer.  
 
30. Ryan is a team member working on an important project for the company. He is tasked to 
regularly review the project status report and recently learned that the project is already 
running late. As he investigated further, he noticed that the delay will cause one of the 
activities assigned to him to be scheduled during a time that you are going to a holiday with 
the family. Ryan is on a dilemma because he is very dedicated to the project and he already 
made travel plans for his son’s birthday. What should Ryan do? 
 
a. Recommend preventive action 
b. File the issue on the issue log 
c. Add the information in his next report 
d. Send the schedule to the project manager  
 
Answer: a 
 
Take note that Ryan is a team member and not a project manager. It is crucial for project 
managers to understand the role of your members and if possible instruct members on how 
to work on projects and their expectations. Letters b, c, and d have one thing in common. 
They include the team member asking the manager to do something. In real workplace 
setting, it is actually the team member who can come up with possible solutions. So, letter a 
is the correct answer. 
 
31. ___________________ is a management theory, which states that all people are capable 
of directing their own efforts.  
 
a. Theory X 
b. Maslow’s Hierarchy 
c. Herzberg’s Theory 

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 d. Theory Y  
 
Answer: d 
 
Review the difference between Theory Y and Theory X.  
 
32. You are looking at your project’s resource needs and lessons learned from previous projects. 
This caused you a great concern about your company’s capacity to obtain sufficient amount 
of resources for the project in 8 months. Which of the following should be the last item in 
your list of preventive actions?  
 
a. Ask recommendations from the functional managers 
b. Identify metrics to use as an early warning indicator that resources will not be available 
c. Send the data to the project sponsor and explain why it is troubling you 
d. Ensure that functional managers are provided a copy of resource histogram 
 
Answer: d 
 
Sending the information without discussing the issue (letter d) doesn’t mean the 
communication will be completely understood by the recipient. The other options are more 
effective communication in this example.  
 
33. Which of the following leadership attributes is the MOST important for a project manager? 
 
a. Project control 
b. Technical expertise 
c. Team building 
d. Communication 
 
Answer: d 
 
Remember, project managers spend 90% of their time communicating so letter d is the 
correct answer.  
 
34. Belle is managing a project for a fashion magazine. During the first half of her project, three 
team members resigned and there are still no replacements provided by the company. 
Another member went on a vacation without informing her, and another member expressed 
candidly that she is sure the project will fail. In this scenario, it is MOST SUITABLE for Belle 
to create ___________ for the remaining life cycle of the project.  
 
a. Responsibility assignment matrix 
b. Staffing management plan 
c. Resource histogram 
d. Work breakdown structure 
 

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 Answer: b 
 
Belle needs a staffing management plan, which will help her monitor when resources will be 
added onto and taken from the project.  
 
   

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PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
1. The project status report is an example of what type of communication? 
 
a. Informal verbal communication 
b. Informal written communication 
c. Formal verbal communication 
d. Formal written communication 
 
Answer: d 
 
An important document such as a project status should be known by many people. Thus, it is 
ideal to make this form of communication in writing so that it can be sent to all people 
involved in the project. It is also formal because it is an official project document. So, letter d 
is the correct answer.  
 
2. Effective use of _________________ can help a project manager in solving complex 
problems.  
 
a. Non-verbal communication 
b. Formal communication 
c. Written communication 
d. Verbal communication 
 
Answer: c 
 
Written communication will allow the project manager’s ideas to be recorded, and they will 
also be transmitted to everyone in the same form. It is important for everyone in the team to 
receive the same information, especially if the project is facing complex challenges.  
 
3. Communication under a contract must tend towards the _________ communication.  
 
a. Informal verbal communication 
b. Informal written communication 
c. Formal verbal communication 
d. Formal written communication 
 
Answer: d 
 
Everything that involves the contract should be done formally. Records related to the 
contract are also important, therefore these should be in the form of formal written 
communication (letter d).  

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4. Which of the following communication can be the best application for a work breakdown 
structure? 
 
a. Internal and external to the project 
b. External with the client 
c. Internal inside the company 
d. Internal inside the team 
 
Answer: a 
 
WBS will allow communication horizontally and vertically inside the organization and also 
outside the project.  
 
5. You are having some problems with the performance of a team member. Which of the 
following forms of communication should you use to resolve the problem? 
 
a. Informal verbal communication 
b. Informal written communication 
c. Formal verbal communication 
d. Formal written communication 
 
Answer: a 
 
The correct answer is letter a. When informal verbal communication can’t help you solve the 
problem, then letter d is the next best choice. This doesn’t mean that you will not keep 
records of the problem, but in this case, you need to choose the best communication between 
two members of the project (the manager and the member).  
 
6. Which of the following is the MOST likely outcome of communication blockers? 
 
a. Senior management is dissatisfied 
b. Conflict happens 
c. Improved trust level 
d. Delayed project 
 
Answer: b 
 
Conflict is the usual outcome of miscommunication and communication blockers.  
 
 
7. When is the time that a formal written correspondence with a client is required? 
 
a. The project has cost overruns 
b. There’s a slippage in the project schedule, which involves changes to the critical path 

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 c. The client is requesting additional work that is not covered under the contract 
d. The project has major defects 
 
Answer: c 
 
Remember, everything you do is more formal in a procurement setting compared to other 
project activities. Since letter c involves contracts, it is the correct answer.  
 
8. Communication is most likely to be improved if the sender __________ the receiver.  
 
a. Demonstrates concern for the perspective of  
b. Talks slowly to 
c. Uses more body language while communicating with  
d. Speaks up to  
 
Answer: a 
 
Getting to know the perspective of the receiver will allow you to direct the communication 
that meets his needs.  
 
9. Omar is managing a project that is composed of people located in three different countries - 
Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Japan. The company placed the highest priority on the project, 
and everyone is concerned about its success. The project length is acceptable. What form of 
communication should Omar use? 
 
a. Informal written communication 
b. Formal verbal communication 
c. Formal written communication 
d. Informal verbal communication 
 
Answer: c 
 
Formal written communication is required in this scenario because of the distance and 
differences in culture between team members.  
 
10. You are a project manager and you are involved in major negotiations for the company. 
Considering this information, how important are nonverbal communication skills to you? 
 
a. Important only to make sure that you win negotiation deals 
b. Important only if the schedule and cost are involved 
c. Very important  
d. Not that important  
 
Answer: c 
 

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 Remember, nonverbal communication involves around 55% of the message you send. With 
this in mind, nonverbal communication skills are of primary importance, especially with 
negotiations.  
 
11. Two project members are discussing the limits of activities in order to complete a work 
package. Which of the following should you most pay attention to if you want to know what 
the discussion is all about? 
 
a. Physical mannerisms, tone of voices, pitch 
b. What is being said and physical mannerisms 
c. What is being said, who is saying it, the specific time of the day 
d. What is being said and when 
 
Answer: a 
 
Letters a and b both involve nonverbal communication that represents 55% of 
communication. Letter a involves paralingual communication (tone and pitch) and so it is 
the best choice.  
 
12. A huge design project is about 50% complete, when you take over from a project manager 
who had to resign immediately. The project involves a team of 28 people and five different 
sellers. You want to see the communications requirements of the project and what 
techniques are being used to help in communication. Which of the following should you 
check? 
 
a. The communications management plan 
b. The bar chart 
c. The information distribution plan 
d. The project management plan 
 
Answer: a 
 
Even though the information is contained in a sub-plan to the project management plan 
(letter d), the communication management plan (letter a) is the best answer because it 
directly answers the question.  
 
13. Your project involves three stakeholders with whom you must communicate regularly. 
Therefore, you have six channels of communication. Today, a new stakeholder has been 
added, which you also need to include in the communication plan. How many 
communications channels do you have now? 
 
a. 16 
b. 12 
c. 10 
d. 7 

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Answer: c 
 
Remember, as a project manager, you are also part of the communication channels. Thus, 
there are really four stakeholders to start with and six channels. In this question, you need to 
provide how many total channels you have with a team of 5. The answer is 10 (letter c).  
 
14. You have approved the distribution of project information based on the existing 
communications management plan. Some project deliverables have been changed based on 
the project management plan. Today, a stakeholder called you to let you know his surprise 
when he learned about a previously published adjustment to a project deliverable. Upon 
checking, you have confirmed that all stakeholders received formal notifications about the 
change. What should you do? 
 
a. Address the issue in the next meeting so others will not miss important communications 
b. Check the communications management plan and make adjustments if needed 
c. Request the functional manager to explain why the stakeholder failed to understand his 
responsibility  
d. Figure out why the stakeholder failed to receive the notification and update him when it 
was posted 
 
Answer: b 
 
Letter d is not correct because it is clear that all stakeholders received the communication. 
Letters a and c don’t really address the root cause of the problem. The scenario suggests that 
there’s something that is missing in the communications management plan. The correct 
answer is to check the communications management plan to avoid future problems and find 
any occurrences of similar problems.  
 
15. Things were doing well in the middle of your project. The work authorization system you 
have created allows team members to monitor when they can begin work and the issue log 
now helps in monitoring the stakeholder requirements. The sponsor hosted a party for all 
people involved in the project as a sign of appreciation for your efforts. Today, a team 
member informed you that the outcome from the fulfilment of the predecessors’ activity was 
already 72 hours late. Which of the following best describes the situation? 
 
a. The right people were not invited to the party 
b. The activities of the successor must have been monitored and not the activities of the 
predecessors  
c. Functional managers were not involved in the communications management plan 
d. The project manager was concentrating too much on the needs of the sponsor 
 
Answer: c 
 

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 Because there are no details about the sponsor or his needs in this scenario and nothing 
presented here is related to the sponsor, letter d is not the best answer. Letter b is also not 
correct because the statement is not true. Project managers should both monitor successor 
and predecessor activities. Letter a is not the best as the party attendance and the problem 
are not related. Usually neglected in communication management plans are the supervisors 
of team members (functional managers assuming this is in a matrix organization.) Involving 
the supervisors of team members in the communication plan, obtaining requirements, risk 
management, and other project management areas can help make the project better. 
Furthermore, it helps the supervisor manage the resource effectively. If the project manager 
included the functional manager of the team members assigned to the delayed activity, he 
would have known when the team member was required to do the work for the project and 
the effect, if any, of the delay. In addition, communication management plans should also 
include a way to communicate possible delays. Therefore, letter c is the best answer.  
 
16. You are presiding a project status meeting that is not doing well. Three members are talking 
loudly at the same time, and some are busy with their phones, and the topics are not 
discussed properly. Which of the following rules for team meetings is NOT being followed?  
 
a. List and post an agenda and set of rules for meeting control 
b. Determine the purpose of the meeting and invite the right people 
c. Schedule meetings ahead of time 
d. Show respect and courtesy of each other and preside over the meeting by choosing the 
one who will speak 
 
Answer: a 
 
Letter d is not a “rule” for team meetings. Because there’s no sign that the meeting was not 
scheduled in advance (letter c) or that there is no purpose (letter b), these cannot be the 
correct answers. “Not discussed properly” suggests that there’s no agenda (letter a). If the 
project manager published an agenda prior to the meeting, the members will follow the 
outline and must not require any random discussions.  
 
17. Who of the following are ALWAYS considered project stakeholders? 
 
a. An employee who may lose his or her job because of the project  
b. A functional manager from the operations department 
c. An assembly line worker who will use the project’s product  
d. An individual who doesn’t want the project to be finished 
 
Answer: c 
 
Any user of the product of the project will always be a stakeholder, while other people may 
or may not be depending on the project.  
 

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18. Adam has just been promoted as a project manager for an important fabrication project. The 
18-month project is about 50% complete and involves six different sellers and 25 members 
of the company on the project team. He likes to quickly review where the status of the 
project in general. Which of the following reports should Adam check? 
 
a. Communication Reports 
b. Forecast Reports 
c. Progress Reports 
d. Work Status Reports 
 
Answer: c 
 
The important term here is ‘quickly’. The Work Status Reports (letter d) contains a lot of 
details for a quick look. The Forecast Reports (letter b) will only provide information about 
the future prospect of the project. The Progress Reports (letter c) can provide Adam a 
summary of the project status.  
 
19. You overheard about a discussion between two project stakeholders who are talking about 
how unsatisfied they are with the effect of the project in their own divisions. One stakeholder 
is asking if the project is on schedule and the other one responded that the SPI is 1.05. The 
first stakeholder further asked if you are aware of this concern and the second one replied 
that he is not certain. What is the best way to handle this situation? 
 
a. Call for a meeting with both stakeholders to encourage them to express their concerns 
b. Send a copy of the issue log to both stakeholders and encourage them to add their 
comments 
c. Call for a meeting with all stakeholders so you can present the project status 
d. Ensure that the stakeholders see that you overheard their discussion and right then ask 
the two to voice their concerns in written form 
 
Answer: a 
 
Like many questions in the PMP exam, this one seems to have multiple correct answers. 
Written communication seems the best way to communicate, right? But in this particular 
situation, asking the stakeholders to write their concerns may alienate them further. So, 
letter d is not the best answer. The issue log (letter b) is where the issue must be listed, but in 
this situation, it doesn’t say if the project manager knows the concern of the stakeholders. 
So, letter b is not the right answer. Why not letter c? Take note that this question used “all 
stakeholders”. Why do you have to involve other stakeholders if you already have some idea 
about the concerns of the two stakeholders? Letter c is all about making a presentation, 
which is likely to be formal and verbal. This situation likely calls for informal verbal 
communication to figure out the root cause of the problem. Therefore, letter a is the correct 
answer.  
 

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20. One important team member is visiting the main factory of one of your suppliers. Which of 
the following is the MOST critical thing that you should do as a project manager when you 
call the member? 
 
a. Review the upcoming meeting schedule 
b. Ask the team member to find change requests 
c. Check the list of contact details for all project stakeholders 
d. Ask the member to repeat back what you say  
 
Answer: d 
 
While this question is asking for the MOST critical thing. There are a lot of possible choices. 
In this case, you should look for the most pressing need. The team member is in a factory so 
there’s a possibility that calls will be blocked by noise. So it is ideal if you use letter d when it 
comes to communication. Remember, clarity is important.  
 
21. You are expecting a deliverable to be sent to you today from a team member. Before the day 
ends, you call the member to follow up on the deliverable. He apologizes and says he will 
send the deliverable tomorrow and explains that he told you about the delay during your 
phone call yesterday when you were traveling. You remember the reception was so bad and 
so there’s a possibility that you have missed that part. What could have prevented the 
problem? 
 
a. Feedback during communication 
b. Better attention to determine communication needs 
c. Including the issue log after the phone call 
d. Paralingual communication 
 
Answer: a 
 
The pitch and tone of voice (letter d) is not necessary here as you couldn’t even hear what 
was being said. There were no concerns determined after the phone call, so nothing could be 
added to the issue log (letter c). This concern is not associated with communication 
requirements, so letter b is not the best answer. Asking for the message to be repeated or 
even sent through a text message would have avoided the problem. This makes letter a the 
best option.  
 
22. You are just assigned as a project manager with a team coming from different countries like 
Spain, Australia, and Canada. What is the best tool to succeed in the project? 
 
a. Communication and well-developed people skills 
b. Team communication with the WBS 
c. The teleconference 
d. The responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) 
 

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Answer: a 
 
Managing a project with people from various locations and cultures requires an 
understanding of both fundamental definitions and areas of cultural impact. To become an 
effective project manager, you need to have great communication skills and flexibility to 
adapt to other cultures.  
 
23. You are having a hard time receiving formal approval for your project management plan 
because the requirements of several stakeholders were not approved to be included in your 
project. The stakeholders held up the project as they met several times to discuss their 
requirements. Finally, your project was approved and work started five months ago. Which 
of the following is not an ideal preventive action? 
 
a. Call a meeting with the stakeholders to review the work that will not be included in the 
project  
b. Keep an issue log 
c. Ensure that the change control process is not used as a way to add all the denied 
requirements back into the project 
d. Keep records of what requirements were not included in the project  
 
Answer: a 
 
Why letter a should not be included in your list of preventive actions? Is it not somehow 
related to letter d? Well, yes and no. While the issue should be over, you should remember 
that there were so many meetings and arguments about the requirements not added in the 
project. So there’s a possibility that the issue will still be raised by the stakeholders. But 
because it has not been raised again and the project began five months ago, spending so 
much time in meetings is unnecessary. The other options are easier and have less effect on 
the project, and so they are preventive actions that you can do.  
 
24. What is the purpose of status meetings? 
 
a. To check the accuracy of the costs sent by the team 
b. To issue work authorization 
c. To allow team members to report on what they are doing 
d. Exchange information about the project  
 
Answer: d 
 
Many people choose letter c but if you take a closer look at the question, it is really asking for 
the purpose of status meetings. Reporting on their tasks are best done outside meetings, so 
the best answer is letter d.  
 

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25. Michael’s project has 15 teams and could impact more than 10 departments in the company. 
Since the project is 30% complete to date and the team has had successful performance, 
Michael hosted a party to celebrate the project milestones. He invites important 
stakeholders from all the departments and also provides those giving important feedback on 
an informal channel to relay good things about other departments.  
 
During the party, Michael roams around to learn any important details that could help the 
project become more successful. He overheard William, a department manager, saying 
about setting up more regular meetings for the project. What should Michael do? 
 
a. Ensure that William has a copy of the communication management plan so he is 
reminded that such concerns must be sent to the project manager  
b. Call a meeting with the stakeholders to discuss their concerns 
c. Check the information distribution systems on the project 
d. Document the effectiveness of the party in the lessons learned 
 
Answer: c 
 
The party could result in documenting lessons learned (letter d) but the question is really 
asking what Michael should do first. In this case, William has a more immediate concern. 
Letter b could also be useful but it may require some time to call all stakeholders when 
there’s only one who has an issue. And take note that an effective project manager would 
hold regular meetings with all stakeholders. Letter a may be a good idea because William is 
apparently not communicating enough with Michael. But this will not certainly ensure that 
William will start to communicate.  
 
William is actually saying that he’s not obtaining the information he requires. The lack of 
updates on his end results in his suggestion for more meetings. Excessive meetings are 
actually detrimental to projects. The idea of information distribution (letter c) is to identify 
who needs what kind of information and plan how to send it to them.  
 
If Michael wants to be an effective project manager, he will not just add meetings, but will 
actually solve the real problem. This may take the form of adjusting a report or sending 
current reports to various people instead of adding meetings. As such, letter c is the correct 
answer.  
 
26. Anna is a project stakeholder who is known for requesting many changes on company 
projects. What’s the best approach to manage Anna? 
 
a. Request that Anna should not be included in your project stakeholder 
b. Talk to Anna’s boss to find ways to direct her activities to other projects 
c. Get Anna to be involved in the project as early as possible 
d. Just say no to Anna’s requests 
 
Answer: c 

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You can’t avoid stakeholders from getting involved in your projects (letters a and b) because 
she has a stake in the project. You can also say no to Anna’s requests (letter d) but this 
doesn’t solve the root cause of the problem. Besides, there may be some good ideas from 
Anna’s requests. Remember, changes are not necessarily bad. They usually come from a lack 
of input at the start of a project. If you start effective communication with Anna early on 
(letter c) you can stand a much better chance of discovering her changes during the planning 
process.  
 
27. Stakeholders have the MOST influence ___________.  
 
a. Throughout the project 
b. At the end of the project 
c. In the middle of the project 
d. At the start of the project 
 
Answer: d 
 
You need to identify and involve stakeholders at the start of the project so you can determine 
their needs and expectations. If you fail to do this early on, it could result in expensive 
changes or dissatisfaction.  
 
28. Which of the following should you use if you want to report on the actual results in 
comparison with the planned results of your project? 
 
a. Variance report 
b. Status report 
c. Forecast report 
d. Trend report 
 
Answer: a 
 
The term “comparison” is the keyword in this question. A status report (letter b) is basically 
static (related to a moment in time). A forecasting report (letter c) looks only to the future. A 
trend report (letter d) shows performance over time. The only choice, which compares the 
project results in a variance analysis (letter a).  
 
29. Your project has been going well except for several changes being made. The project is being 
installed into 10 different departments inside the organization and expected to significantly 
improve performance once started. There are eight primary project management processes 
chosen for use on this project. As the project manager, you have technical expertise 
alongside communications and people management. Which of the following is the most 
likely cause of problems in the project? 
 
a. Some stakeholders not identified 

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 b. The project must have used more project management processes 
c. The project must have more management oversight because it will lead to significant 
advantages for the company 
d. The project manager is not trained to understand the organizational setting 
 
Answer: a 
 
It is crucial here to find the choice that will really solve the actual problem. There’s no 
reason to think that the need for more processes (letter b), management oversight (letter c), 
and training (letter d) are factors that could lead to project changes. The root cause is for the 
stakeholders to be missed and so their requirements are not addressed. The stakeholders are 
now causing changes to accommodate their needs. Therefore, the best choice is letter a.  
 
30. Which of the following project management groups should stakeholders be identified? 
 
a. Monitoring & controlling, closing 
b. Planning and monitoring & controlling 
c. Initiating and planning 
d. Initiating, planning, executing, monitoring & controlling and closing 
 
Answer: d 
 
It is true that stakeholders could be identified throughout the entire project management. 
But it is ideal to identify stakeholders early on. Fewer changes will be required later in the 
project if all the stakeholders are taken into account before plans are finalized and project 
work started.  
 
   

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PROJECT RISK MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS AND 
ANSWERS 
 
1. In which risk management process can you identify risks? 
 
a. Identify risks 
b. Perform qualitative risk analysis and monitor and control risks 
c. Identify risks and monitor and control risks 
d. Perform quantitative risk analysis and identify risks 
 
Answer: c 
 
Remember, you can identify risks during the Identify Risk process, but you can also identify 
risks during the Monitor and Control Risks process.  
 
2. Which of the following is not a factor in the assessment of project risk? 
 
a. Insurance premiums 
b. Amount at stake 
c. Risk probability 
d. Risk event 
 
Answer: a  
 
Insurance premiums are involved if you determine which risk response strategy you can use.  
 
3. Your project has a risk event with a 90% probability of happening and the consequences will 
be $20,000. With this data, what does $18,000 represent? 
 
a. Contingency budget 
b. Expected monetary value 
c. Present value 
d. Risk value 
 
Answer: b 
 
Expected monetary value is computed by multiplying the probability times the impact (EMV 
= 0.9 x $20,000). In this case, it is $18,000.  
 
 
4. What is the chance that a risk will happen during the 4th month if a risk has a 20% 
probability of occurring in a given month and the project is expected to last for 5 months?  
 

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 a. 80% 
b. 60% 
c. 20% 
d. Less than 1% 
 
Answer: c 
 
There’s no need to compute the figures just to get the correct answer for this question. If 
there's a 20% chance of the risk to happen in any month, then it is also true for the 4th 
month.  
 
5. Which type of risk event can MOST likely intervene with achieving the objectives of a project 
schedule? 
 
a. Slippage of the planned post-implementation review meeting 
b. Contract disagreements that result in claims for increased payments 
c. Sudden price increase of raw materials 
d. Delays in getting required approvals 
 
Answer: d 
 
An increase in cost (letter c) and contract disagreements (letter b) will not necessarily 
intervene with the schedule. Take note of the word post-implementation in letter a. It will 
certainly not affect the project schedule. Letter di is the only one that can deal with any 
delay.  
 
6. Which of the following risk management processes involves the determination to transfer 
risk? 
 
a. Monitor and Control risks 
b. Plan Risk Responses 
c. Work on Quantitative Risk Analysis 
d. Identify Risks 
 
Answer: b 
 
Risk response strategy includes transference.  
 
 
7. What should you do with risks on your monitor list? 
 
a. Record them and give them to the client 
b. Record keep them because they are now part of your contingency 
c. Record them and check during project monitoring & controlling 
d. Record them for historical use on other projects 

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Answer: c 
 
Take note that risks are always changing, so you need to monitor the risk intervals in 
handling the projects. Be sure that non-important risks don't become critical.  
 
8. During which risk management process do you determine workarounds?  
 
a. Monitor and Control Risks 
b. Plan Risk Responses 
c. Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis 
d. Identify Risks 
 
Answer: a 
 
Workaround refers to identifying how to manage a risk that happens but is not part of the 
risk register. The project should be in the Monitor and Control Risks process if the risks have 
happened.  
 
9. Which of the following are outputs of the Plan Risk Responses process? 
 
a. Contingency plans, project management plan updates, and change requests 
b. Secondary risks, process updates, and risk owners 
c. Risk triggers, contracts, and a risk list 
d. Residual risks, fallback plans, and contingency reserves 
 
Answer: d 
 
Change requests (letter a), process updates (letter b), and a risk list (letter c) are not outputs 
of the Plan Risk Responses process. The items in letter d are all outputs of the Plan Risk 
Responses process, which makes letter d the right answer.  
 
10. Why should risk tolerances be determined? 
 
a. To help the management understand how other managers will behave on the project 
b. To help the team schedule work activities 
c. To help the project manager estimate the costs 
d. To help the team rank the project risks 
 
Answer: d 
 
You can easily identify how stakeholders may react to different risk events and situations if 
you know their tolerances. You can use this insight in assigning the levels of risk on every 
project activity or work package.  
 

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11. Which should be the basis of your evaluation if you find it difficult to assess the exact cost 
impact of risks? 
 
a. Econometric basis 
b. Qualitative basis 
c. Numerical basis 
d. Quantitative basis 
 
Answer: b 
 
You can use qualitative estimates such as High, Medium, or Low if you are not able to 
determine the exact cost impacts of an event.  
 
12. Which of the following is not a common result of risk management? 
 
a. Revised project charter 
b. Revised communication management plan 
c. Revised project management plan 
d. Contract terms and conditions are created 
 
Answer: a 
 
It is not always necessary to initiate change in the project charter. As a matter of fact, a 
change to the charter is a critical change to the project and may cause significant 
adjustments to all elements of the project management plan. There are numerous reasons 
the other options may happen as an outcome of risk. Because a contract may only be created 
after knowing the risks, it is a basic skill that letter d cannot be exempted. The project 
management plan (letter c) may change to add a revised work breakdown structure and new 
work packages related to mitigating risk. The communications management plan (letter c) 
may be adjusted to manage risk. Letter a is the best answer.  
 
13. Buying insurance is an example of risk _____________.  
 
a. Avoidance 
b. Acceptance 
c. Transfer 
d. Mitigation 
 
Answer: c 
 
Risk avoidance (letter a) means you adjust the way you implement the project, which 
immaterializes the risk. Acceptance of risk (letter b) does not always involve such action like 
buying insurance. In risk mitigation (letter d), you either decrease the chance of the event 
occurring or decrease its effect. A lot of people think insurance can reduce the impact. 

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 However, risk mitigation is taking action before a risk event happens. Purchasing insurance 
is not such an action.  
 
14. You need to quantify risk for your project. Some of your experts are not onsite but prefer to 
be involved. How can you make it happen? 
 
a. Use the Delphi technique 
b. Identify the options recommended for corrective action 
c. Use the critical path method 
d. Apply the Monte Carlo analysis using the Internet as a tool 
 
Answer: a 
 
The Delphi Technique is often used to gain expert insights on technical aspects, the risks, or 
product scope.  
 
15. You have just completed planning the risk response for a $478,000 manufacturing project. 
What is the next step? 
 
a. Assess the project risk 
b. Include work packages to the project work breakdown structure 
c. Start assessing the risks that are beginning to appear in the project board 
d. Identify the general risk rate of the project 
 
Answer: b 
 
This scenario usually happens in the planning phase, which should be finished before going 
to the next phase. Project risk reassessment (letter a) happens during Monitor and Control 
Risks. Letter c is work that is performed during project execution. Identifying the project’s 
risk rate (letter d) is performed during the Perform Qualitative Analysis process, and must 
be completed first. Take note that the question is only asking the next step after completing 
the risk response plan and not really asking for the next item in the risk management 
process. Only letter b, as included in the iterations, comes after risk in project planning. Be 
sure to review the order of planning.  
 
16. Your project is currently on the Plan Risk Management process and your team has identified 
343 risks and 23 major causes of these risks. This is the last project of a series that the team 
has completed. Your sponsor is quite supportive and generous to your team to make sure 
that the work will be completed with all stakeholders signing off. This time, your team can’t 
identify an effective approach to mitigate or insure against a risk. The work cannot be 
deleted or outsourced. What is the possible solution? 
 
a. Find ways to transfer risk 
b. Find ways to avoid the risk 
c. Continue to investigate methods for risk mitigation 

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 d. Accept the risk 
 
Answer: d 
 
This question is related to actual situations for different forms of risks. Hopefully, you have 
noticed that the early part of the question contains unnecessary information. According to 
the scenario, it is not possible to delete the work so you can’t basically avoid it, neither can 
you insure or outsource to take care of the risk. Therefore, letter d is the correct answer, 
which means you just need to accept the risk.  
 
17. Charles asked different stakeholders to identify the probability and effect of several risks. He 
then assessed assumptions. He is about to go to the next step of risk management. 
Considering these details, what has Charles forgotten to perform? 
 
a. Establish a fallback plan 
b. Provide a standardized risk rating matrix 
c. Determine triggers 
d. Assess trends in risk analysis 
 
Answer: b 
 
The activities within the Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis process are probability and 
impact matrix development, assumption testing, and probability and impact definition.  
 
18. Liz manages the development of a new mega factory that has never been handled before by 
her organization. The project is around $60 Million and has three sellers. Once started, the 
project can’t be canceled because of the huge expenditures on equipment and plant. What 
should Liz carefully do? 
 
a. Identify risks 
b. Finish the project charter 
c. Assess the budget reserves 
d. Check all proposals sent by the sellers  
 
Answer: a 
 
It is critical to carefully finish a project charter (letter b) but there are other concerns that 
need careful attention in this project, so letter b cannot be the best answer. Letter c can also 
possible but not until Liz completed the risk planning. Letter d is possible but it is not a 
critical concern based on the information provided. Because the company never experienced 
managing such a huge project, and considering the huge upfront expenses, it is best for Liz 
to focus more on risk management. Identifying risk is the most logical approach and 
potentially has the highest positive effect.  
 

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19. George has assembled the best people in the company, determined 65 project risks, 
identified what would cause the risks, used the risk rating matrix to rate each risk, verified 
the assumptions and evaluated the quality of the data set. His team is continuing to move 
through the process for risk management. But George forgot one important factor in the 
project. What do you think it is? 
 
a. Stakeholder involvement 
b. Complete project risk ranking 
c. Risk mitigation 
d. Simulation 
 
Answer: a 
 
The process used by George is good, except the input from other stakeholders is required in 
order to determine more risks.  
 
20. What should you do if you have identified additional risks while preparing your risk 
responses? 
 
a. Add a 10% contingency to the project budget and inform the client 
b. Identify the risk events and the related cost, then add the cost to the budget as a reserve 
c. Record the risk items and compute the expected monetary value based on probability 
and effect that result from occurrences 
d. Include reserves to the project so you can accommodate the new risks and inform the 
management 
 
Answer: c 
 
If you have identified a new risk, it must go through the risk management process. Letter a 
can’t be the best answer because it is better to identify reserves based on a comprehensive 
analysis of risk. Letter b only addresses the cost when the impact on the schedule should also 
be assessed. Letter d is also not a good answer because you first need to identify the chance 
and effect of the risk and then try to reduce the impact via the Plan Risk Response process. 
So the correct answer is letter c.  
 
21. You have just started your role as a project manager for a major tech company. Your 
manager sent you an unapproved copy of the project charter. He then quickly asked you to 
analyze the project risks. What should you do to perform this task effectively? 
 
a. Find a team member within a company who handled or has been part of a similar project 
regardless if the project has failed or succeeded 
b. Check the resource plan from the project mapping 
c. Check the project scope statement from the project mapping 
d. An interesting article from a Project Management Blog 
 

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 Answer: a 
 
Have you noticed that the scenario is still within the initiating process group? Letters b and 
are normally created in the project planning process and so these are still non-existent. So, 
we only have letters a or d as possible answers. Because the information obtained in letter a 
is more applicable to the company, it is the correct answer.  
 
22. The schedule performance index (SPI) of your project is 0.72 and the cost performance 
index (CPI) is 0.6. This project has 714 work packages and it will last for four years. Your 
team members have minimal technical background and you have received minimal support 
for proper planning. What is the best thing to do?  
 
a. Rework the responsibility assignment matrix 
b. Eliminate as many work packages as needed 
c. Focus more on improving the cost estimates 
d. Update the risk identification and analysis 
 
Answer: d 
 
This project has deviated so far from the baseline so the priority should be identifying and 
analyzing risks.  
 
23. A software development project that you are managing is near completion when you have 
discovered a previously unknown risk. This may possibly affect the overall ability of the 
project to deliver. What should you do? 
 
a. Develop a workaround 
b. Mitigate the risk by developing a risk response plan 
c. Qualify the risk 
d. Inform the project sponsor of the possible effects to the schedule, scope, and cost 
 
Answer: c 
 
You should first assess the problem before you inform the sponsor (letter d). It is not 
possible to mitigate the risk (letter b) until you are done qualifying the risk. A workaround 
(letter a) is an unplanned response to a risk that is happening. You have already identified 
the risk, which is not yet happening, so there’s no need to take action by developing a 
workaround. Qualifying the risk (letter c) can provide you an insight on the possible impact 
of the risk. This insight will help you determine the next steps.  
 
24. Miranda has been assigned as the manager of an important, complex project. Since this 
project is very visible and business-critical, the management has told her to assess the risks 
of the project and submit appropriate strategies. The company has established risk 
management processes that are not usually followed and has had a record of managing risks 

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 poorly. The first milestone of the project is in 14 days. In working on the risk response plan, 
which input should Miranda obtain last? 
 
a. Key stakeholders 
b. People responsible for risk management templates and policies 
c. Project sponsor 
d. Project team members 
 
Answer: c 
 
Key stakeholders (letter a) will know more about the technical working of the project to 
assist in the plan, so this option is not the best answer. The people who are responsible for 
risk templates (letter b) can help Miranda in reviewing past projects and so they are critical 
in the plan. Team members (letter a) will have a working knowledge of the project and so 
they will have a significant contribution in identifying and analyzing risks. The project 
sponsor (letter c) may have the least knowledge of what will work in order to resolve 
problems in the project. It is not necessary to involve them in the project and help in 
identifying risks. Sure they can approve the response plans developed by Miranda, but they 
are not basically major contributors to response plans. This makes letter c the best answer.  
 
25. Adrian is in the middle of a 3-year project to use new technology to field officers across 
Singapore. Heavy rains caused power outages just when the upgrade was near completion. 
Upon power restoration, all the project reports and historical data were lost with no possible 
way for retrieval. What should have been done by Adrian to prevent the problem? 
 
a. Schedule the installation outside the stormy season 
b. Track the weather and have a contingency plan 
c. Plan for a reserve fund 
d. Buy insurance 
 
Answer: b  
 
In this situation, the risk is data loss because of a power outage. Avoiding the stormy 
weather by scheduling the installation at a different time (letter a) mitigates the risk but 
could have a huge negative effect on the project schedule and so it is not the best answer. A 
reserve fund (letter c) is a type of acceptance and would help in addressing the cost factors 
after the risk but will not decrease the chance or effect of the risk. Letter d is not related to 
problem mitigation, but a form of risk transfer. The better choice for mitigating the problem 
is to monitor the weather and know when to implement the contingency plan.  
 
26. Bryan’s project has had some problems but now everything looks under control. In the last 
five months, almost all the reserve has been accessed and many of the negative effects of 
events that he had been projected had happened. There are only five activities left, and three 
of them are within the critical path. The PMO now informs Bryan that it would be in the 
company’s best interest to complete the project 14 days earlier ahead of time so it can make 

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 more profit. In his response, Bryan sends out a request for proposal for some work, which 
the team was going to work on another company may be able to work quickly. Bryan can be 
BEST said to be trying to work with:  
 
a. Threats 
b. Scope verification 
c. Opportunities 
d. Reserve 
 
Answer: c 
 
Yes, the wording of this question can easily confuse readers. Letter a cannot be the correct 
answer because Bryan is trying to make something good happen and not dealing with an 
adverse effect or threats that may not even happen. He is working to make a positive impact 
on the project more likely to happen. Letter b involves meeting with the client to obtain 
formal acceptance, so it can’t be the best choice. Reserve (letter d) is  
mentioned in the scenario but Bryan is not dealing with reserves in the actions he is taking. 
So, the correct answer is letter c.  
 
27. Hammad has just been promoted to manage a project for a new design company, which is 
entering its second phase. It seems to have numerous risks on the project, but no one has 
assessed them to evaluate the range of potential project results. What should Hammad do? 
 
a. Monitor and Control Risks 
b. Plan Risk Responses 
c. Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis 
d. Plan Risk Management  
 
Answer: d 
 
Have you noticed that this project has already started? Risk management is needed for 
effective project management. You should finish the risk management process, beginning 
with the Plan Risk Management process, which makes letter d the best answer.  
 
 
   

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PROJECT PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 
 
1. What is the primary objective of contract negotiations? 
 
a. Define objectives and stick to them 
b. Obtain the highest monetary return 
c. Protect the relationship 
d. Obtain the most from the other side 
 
Answer: c 
 
To become an effective project manager, you should try building a relationship during 
negotiations that will last the entire project and even beyond.  
 
2. A signed contract is legally binding, except:  
 
a. It is declared null and void by the legal counsel of either party 
b. It violates any applicable law 
c. One party is not able to finance its part of the project 
d. One party is not able to deliver 
 
Answer: b 
 
A signed contract is binding. In general, the incapacity to perform, obtain financing, or even 
the legal opinion of one party that the contract is null and void doesn’t change the fact that 
the contract is binding. But if both sides agree to cancel the contract, it can be shifted into 
closure, in which the project is considered completed.  
 
3. Overcharges were discovered during an audit of a cost reimbursable (CR). What should the 
buyer do if the contract does not include any corrective action? 
 
a. Adjust the contract to allow more frequent audits 
b. Void the contract and begin legal action to recover overcharges 
c. Stop payments until the problem has been resolved 
d. Continue paying due charges 
 
Answer: d 
 
Letter a does not resolve the issue. Letter b is too severe and not recommended to be a 
unilateral action. Letter c is really saying stop ALL payments. Stopping all payments will be a 
breach of contract on the part of the buyer. The best approach in this situation is to stop 

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 payments on the particular amount but it is not mentioned here so letter d is the best 
answer.  
 
4. A seller has completed a specific work with a clear contract statement of work. However, the 
buyer is not happy with the outcome. In this case, the contract is considered: 
 
a. Waived 
b. Complete 
c. Incomplete 
d. Null and Void 
 
Answer: b  
 
The contract is considered complete when the seller completes the work that is specified in 
the procurement state of work. But this doesn’t mean that the contract is already closed. The 
Close Procurement process should still happen. But in this case, the contract work is 
completed.  
 
5. Which of the following statements is true about change control?  
 
a. More detailed specifications eliminate the change causes 
b. Contracts must involve processes to make room for changes 
c. Changes seldom offer actual benefits for the project 
d. A fixed price contract will reduce the need for change control 
 
Answer: b  
 
Because there will always be changes in any type of contract, letter d is not the correct 
answer. There are always changes that will benefit the project, so letter c is not the answer. 
In letter a, the word ‘eliminate’ suggests that the changes will not happen. Because that is 
not true, it cannot be the best answer.  
 
6. Which of the following statements are TRUE about procurement records? 
 
a. Well-designed procurement records don’t involve a procurement statement of work 
b. Bid records must not involve evaluation criteria 
c. Procurement records should be rigorous with no flexibility to allow any consideration of 
seller inputs 
d. Well-designed procurements records can easily compare responses 
 
Answer: d 
 
Basically, the seller should inform the buyer of any element that is unclear or missing in the 
procurement records (letter c). It is also in the best interest of the buyer to find lacking items 
because it will save him money and effort to rectify the issue early on. Procurement records 

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 should contain terms and conditions as well as evaluation criteria (letter b) including all the 
work that should be done including the procurement statement of work (letter a). With this, 
the seller could price the project and understand what is the priority for the buyer. Letter d is 
a critical point in the actual project setting and it is the correct answer.  
 
7. You are informed by the management that you should make sure that the project releases 
incentives. The main purpose of the incentive clauses in a contract is to: 
 
a. Decrease the risk for the seller by shifting risk to the buyer 
b. Synchronize objectives 
c. Assist the seller to control costs 
d. Decrease costs for the buyer 
 
Answer: b  
 
The primary purpose of incentives is to bring the goals of the seller in line with the buyer. 
With this, both are working towards the same goal.  
 
8. Which of the following should you prioritize doing in the Conduct Procurements process? 
 
a. Answer questions from the sellers about bid documents 
b. Ensure that the project schedule is updated 
c. Choose a contract type 
d. Assess risks 
 
Answer: a 
 
In the Conduct Procurements process, you should answer any queries from the sellers. 
Changes to the project schedule (letter b) may be an output of the Administer Procurements 
process. Choosing a contract type (letter c) is part of Plan Procurements. (The risk analysis 
processes (letter d) are performed prior to the procurement process starts as procurement is 
a risk transfer and mitigation tool.  
 
9. Reed is a seller and she’s working on the cost reimbursable (CR) contract. The buyer 
informed her that the client wants to expand the scope of services and so would like to 
change the contract into a fixed price deal. Which of the following is not an option for Reed? 
 
a. Beginning over with a new contract 
b. Negotiate a fixed price contract which involves all the work 
c. Finishing the original work and declining the added work 
d. Finishing the original work on a CR basis and then negotiate a fixed price contract for 
the added work 
 
Answer: a 
 

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 Reed doesn’t have the option to begin over. The existing contract is binding. Both parties 
may agree to begin over but this is usually a last resort.  
 
10. Which of the following activities happens during the Plan Procurement process? 
 
a. Proposal evaluation 
b. Advertising 
c. Answering queries from sellers about bid records 
d. Make or Buy decisions 
 
Answer: d 
 
Proposal evaluation (letter a), advertising (letter b), and answering seller queries all happen 
during the Conduct Procurement process.  
 
11. Bidder conferences are part of which process? 
 
a. Communications Management 
b. Conduct Procurements 
c. Administer Procurements 
d. Plan Procurements 
 
Answer: b 
 
You should expect a lot of questions in the PMP exam that require you to identify in what 
part of the procurement process specific activities are performed.  
 
12. Which of the following is the KEY objective during contract negotiations? 
 
a. Make certain that an effective communications management plan is in place 
b. Make certain that all project risks are carefully delineated 
c. Negotiate a price under the estimate from the seller 
d. Get a fair and reasonable price 
 
Answer: d 
 
Letters a and b are great ideas but they are not the key objective. Take note that negotiations 
must be win/win, so letter c is not the best answer. A fair price (letter d) will create a positive 
working environment.  
 
13. Which of the following is not an important part of a contract? 
 
a. Buyer signatures 
b. Seller address 
c. Acceptance 

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 d. Procurement statement of work 
 
Answer: b 
 
A lot of people miss the fact that a contract involves a procurement statement of work (letter 
d). In order for the contract to be valid, it should have acceptance. Letter a is partially correct 
because one set of signatures is not enough. Both parties should sign the contract. The 
seller’s address (letter b) is not required, and so the correct answer.  
 
14. Which of the following BEST describes the role of a project manager during the procurement 
phase? 
 
a. He should tell the contract manager how the contracting process must be managed 
b. He should provide all parties with an understanding of the project risks  
c. He should negotiate 
d. He has a minor role  
 
Answer: b 
 
As the project manager, you are in the best position to know the risks of the project. So, you 
must make certain that provisions are in place in the contract to properly manage risks.  
 
15. Centralized contracting is a common practice in project management. What is its main 
advantage? 
 
a. More loyalty to the project 
b. No home 
c. Easier access 
d. Improved expertise 
 
Answer: d 
 
Centralized contracting often results in less loyalty and harder access. So, letters a and c are 
clearly not advantages. Moreover, procurement managers have no home if they are not 
working on a project (letter b) so it is also a disadvantage.  
 
16. Your project sponsor called you to express concern about the seller getting more profits from 
the cost plus fixed fee (CPFF) contract. He requires you to submit CPI computations every 
month alongside an analysis of the cost to complete the project. What reason can you tell the 
sponsor to allay his worry about the extra profits? 
 
a. The profit will only be paid to the seller if upon project completion 
b. The maximum increase in profit is capped at 10% when there’s an unexpected cost 
overrun 
c. Auditors are closely monitoring all costs invoices 

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 d. Your team is ensuring the seller doesn’t curtail the project scope 
 
Answer: c 
 
Letter a is not correct because the fee in a CPFF contract is normally paid out continuously 
during the project. Letter b is not correct because CPFF contracts basically do not limit fee 
increases. Letter d cannot be right because curtailing the scope will reduce profits on this 
kind of contract. One way to change the profit in a CPFF contract is to invoice for the items 
that are not chargeable to the project (letter c).  
 
17. You are negotiating the final price for a fixed price contract when the client says you only 
have one hour because he needs to leave for an important dinner. The client is using what 
type of negotiation strategy? 
 
a. Extreme demands 
b. Deadline 
c. Delay 
d. Bad guy, Good guy 
 
Answer: b 
 
Placing a due date on the negotiation is an example of a deadline strategy.  
 
18. The profit or fee in a fixed price contract is _______________.  
 
a. Discussed with the other party upon the completion of the project 
b. Included as a line item to each invoice 
c. Included in the negotiation in paying each invoice 
d. Unknown 
 
Answer: d 
 
In an FP contract, the price is known to the seller. However, this question is clearly from the 
buyer’s perspective.  
 
19. As a project manager, you are ensuring that all the documents from your procurement 
processes are stored and indexed. Which of the following is the LEAST of your concern in 
records management? 
 
a. Negotiation process 
b. Terms and conditions 
c. Procurement statement of work 
d. Proposal 
 
Answer: a 

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Answering this question requires know-how of a records management system, which is not 
mainly used for negotiations. There is no need to document and index the negotiation 
process, so letter a is the correct answer.  
 
20. You are discussing with your sponsor what type of contract you should use on an upcoming 
project. The buyer pointed out that the company spent a lot of money in the engineering 
team to come up with the technology for the project. You are concerned that the risk for the 
buyer will be as limited as possible. What is the advantage of a fixed price (FP) contract for 
the buyer? 
 
a. The risk will be distributed to all parties  
b. There is minimal risk 
c. Cost risk is higher 
d. Cost risk is lower 
 
Answer: d 
 
By default, the questions in the PMP exam are asked from the perspective of the buyer 
unless stated. In this situation, the seller has the highest cost risk and the risk for the buyer 
is lower.  
 
21. Your project, which is under a Cost Reimbursable (CR) contract, has now shifted into the 
Close Procurements process. What should you remember as a buyer in this project? 
 
a. Ensure that the seller will not add more resources 
b. Assess the fees that you need to pay 
c. Check the cost submittals from the seller 
d. Reduce the risk rating of the project 
 
Answer: c 
 
While a reserve should be reduced for the project total when one of the contracts transitions 
into closure, the project’s risk rating (letter d) may not be affected. Even though letter a may 
be a concern in the Administer Procurements process, it is common in this process. 
Checking the seller’s cost submittals (letter c) is an important part of the procurement audit 
and should be required in this phase.  
 
22. Daisy’s project has just been expedited and she’s looking to immediately outsource 
subcontractors to fulfill network requirements. She doesn’t have any time to issue a request 
for proposal (RPF), so she decided to use a vendor she has used several times before the 
project. What should be Daisy’s main concern in this scenario? 
 
a. Calling for a bidder conference 
b. The evaluation criteria of the subcontractor 

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 c. The qualifications of the subcontractor 
d. The collusion between subcontractors  
 
Answer: c 
 
Even though Daisy has used the contractor in the past, she still needs to be certain that the 
company is qualified to perform the new work because it is not precisely like the past 
project. This is the risk she needs to take.  
 
23. You are a seller of a project. Which contract type should you be MOST concerned about 
project scope? 
 
a. Purchase order 
b. Time and material 
c. Cost plus fixed fee 
d. Fixed price 
 
Answer: d 
 
In a fixed price contract, the seller has the cost risk and so likes to totally understand the 
procurement statement of work prior to bidding.  
 
24. The discussion in the negotiations table between two companies are starting to be 
complicated, so Company A wrote some notes that both companies signed. But when the 
work is actually performed, Company B claims that they are not obliged to deliver an item 
they both agreed during the negotiations process. Its representative says the particular item 
was not added in the subsequent contract. In this scenario, Company B is: 
 
a. Basically not correct because all agreements are binding 
b. Basically correct because both companies are only obliged to do what is included in the 
contract 
c. Correct because there was an offer 
d. Not correct because both companies should comply with the signed agreement 
 
Answer: b 
 
Company B is only obliged to work what is defined in the agreement.  
 
25. Drake’s company has an emergency and requires contracted work to be completed 
immediately. In this case, which of the following would be the MOST helpful to add to the 
agreement? 
 
a. A force majeure clause 
b. Incentives 
c. Requirements as to which subcontractors could be used 

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 d. Comprehensive procurement work statement 
 
Answer: b 
 
Under the proper project management process, Drake should always have clear project 
scope (letter d). In this case, Drake’s project is in a hurry. Both good scope definition as well 
as incentives are crucial to make it happen. So which one offers the better choice. Aside from 
good scope definition, Drake should make the seller feel the essence of time. Incentives 
could bring the objectives of the seller synchronized with the buyer and so would be most 
helpful. Clarifying project scope will not always ensure speed.  
 
26. A representative from the PMO called you to request assistance with a bid for an upcoming 
project. As a senior project manager, you are most concerned in protecting the organization 
from financial risk. You found out that the project has limited scope definition. What type of 
contract should you use in this situation? 
 
a. Cost plus fixed fee (CPFF) 
b. Time and material (T&M) 
c. Cost plus percent of cost (CPPC) 
d. Fixed price (FP) 
 
Answer: a 
 
Among the choices provided, the only type of contract that puts a cap on fees for big projects 
with limited scope definition is letter a.  
 
27. In which part of the procurement process does negotiation happen? 
 
a. Conduct Procurements 
b. Administer Procurements 
c. Close Procurements 
d. Plan Procurements 
 
Answer: a 
 
Negotiations typically happen during the Conduct Procurements process.  
 
 
28. You are halfway in completing a request for proposal (RFP). Which part of the procurement 
process are you in? 
 
a. Make or Buy Analysis 
b. Administer Procurements 
c. Plan Procurements 
d. Conduct Procurements 

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Answer: c 
 
During the Plan Procurements process, you need to work on the procurement records 
including the RFP.  
 
29. Your team is discussing the potential sellers who have sent you proposals. One member 
backs a specific seller while another member wants the project to be given to another seller. 
In which part of the procurement process is your team currently in? 
 
a. Conduct Procurements 
b. Negotiate Contract 
c. Supervise Procurements 
d. Procurement Planning 
 
Answer: a 
 
Chosen sellers are output of the Conduct Procurements process.  
 
30. The project sponsor and the project manager are talking about the costs and if it is ideal to 
have its own organization do part of the project or outsource another organization to do the 
job. The project manager says it will be better if the company can do the job only if 
___________.  
 
a. Your resources are limited 
b. You don’t need control over the work 
c. You have the technical know-how but you don’t have enough manpower 
d. There are a lot of proprietary information 
 
Answer: d 
 
You should do the job within the organization if outsourcing to another party could mean 
you need to share proprietary information.  
 
   

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT CODE OF ETHICS AND 
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT QUESTIONS AND 
ANSWERS 
 
1. You are managing a software development project for a publicly-traded company when you 
discovered that the project manager before you approved a $500,000 fee that was not 
properly processed under company policy. This project has a cost performance index (CPI) 
of 1.2. What should you do? 
 
a. Ignore the findings 
b. Hide the cost of the biggest cost center available 
c. Place the payment in an escrow account 
d. Inform the PMO 
 
Answer: d 
 
As a project manager, you should deal with possibly unethical situations by 
informing your manager. Letters b and c are concealing the problem and letter a ignores it. 
Only letter d is a proactive approach.  
 
2. Sarah is being eyed to manage a project, which involves a global online team. She only has 
experience managing an onsite team. The project sponsor called her to discuss the project. 
What should Sarah discuss in the meeting? 
 
a. Her hesitation to accept the project because of her lack of experience in managing virtual 
teams 
b. The reasons why she is a good fit to manage the project despite her lack of experience in 
managing virtual teams 
c. Avoid the topic on the types of teams involved in the project so the sponsor will not be 
aware of her lack of experience in the area 
d. No need to bring it up because she had background experience in project management 
 
Answer: b 
 
Letter a is not correct because the project manager may have various skills that can lead to 
successful management of the project. Letter c is not ethical and is blatantly lying about her 
qualifications. Letter d is not correct because there are different issues that could be 
different in this project compared to those that Sarah has experience with. You should make 
certain that the project sponsor is aware of any gaps in your qualifications in accepting 
assignments.  
 

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3. Raymond is working with a supplier on a project when he discovers that the supplier has 
bribed a subcontractor to be chosen for the project rather than fulfilling past deliverables to 
other projects. What should Ryan do?  
 
a. Resign from the project so he can be removed from the unethical activity but he should 
keep it to himself to avoid any problem 
b. Inform the other subcontractors so they will be aware that it is possible to get more 
money from the supplier 
c. Don’t take any action because this is the problem of the supplier. 
d. Report the offense to the management and the project managers of the affected projects 
 
Answer: d 
 
Letters b and c don’t communicate with the management and the other project managers 
that might have been affected. Therefore, these are not the best way to manage the situation. 
Failure to report this discovery (letter a) to the proper authorities is unethical. Letter d is the 
correct answer because it is the obligation of the project manager to report any unlawful 
behavior to the management as well as parties that are possibly affected.  
 
4. Christine collected data to calculate the earned value for her project. She used the results to 
inform the management that her project is on schedule and under budget. After presenting 
the report, she discovered that the base figures she used in the computations were not right 
as she used an outdated copy of the project file. What should Christine do? 
 
a. Inform the management that the data he received from her team was not right and so the 
report was not accurate 
b. Use the correct baseline to compute the earned value if it is time for the next report. She 
should just ignore the fact that she submitted an inaccurate report to the management 
c. Call the management immediately and give them heads up on some changes in the next 
reporting, and that things are beginning to look gloomy 
d. Call the management to let them know of the error, provide the correct data and explain 
how she made the error 
 
Answer: d 
 
Letter c is not true at all. Even though things may look bad, this is not a new development 
because the report was based on outdated data. Letter b is not correct because she is not 
admitting the error, which is the ethical step. Letter a is blaming someone else for her own 
mistake. Letter d is right because the ethical thing to do is to admit the error, take 
responsibility, and resolve it immediately.  
 
5. Your project requires local coordination in order to deliver important equipment through 
crowded streets. To protect the equipment during transit, your local coordinator informed 
you that you need to pay the local police to coordinate traffic. What should you do? 
 

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 a. Pay the fee if it is part of your budget 
b. Pay the fee  
c. Forget about the equipment 
d. Don’t pay the fee because it is bribery. Find another way.  
 
Answer: b  
 
The fee is paid to local police, which is not part of the project, so it is not a bribe.  
 
6. The management is in the process of selecting projects to prioritize for next year. All project 
managers in the matrix organization are asked about their insights. Most project managers 
have a personal interest in the selection because the project chosen will be given high 
priority and the person who will manage it will become an important figure in the company. 
If you are one of the project managers, how will you give your recommendation? 
 
a. I will not give my opinion because it will not be objective 
b. I will make a chart, which shows the advantages and disadvantages of every project  
c. I will recommend the project that will be good for the company in the long term no 
matter who will run it  
d. I will explain why the project I would manage is the best to choose and provide evidence 
to back up the claim 
 
Answer: c 
 
While letter a seems like a good choice, it is not the best because the project managers have 
been asked for their opinion. Letters b and d are not correct because project managers will 
just push their own interests instead of the organization. Letter c is best because it suggests 
being objective and making impartial insights in the best interest of the company.  
 
7. Jack is responsible for a project, which has earned the full support of a senior manager. 
From the start, he disagreed with the manager as to how the project must proceed and what 
the deliverables must be. He and the manager disagreed over different areas even outside 
the project. The PMO asked Jake to submit key work packages for the project. What should 
Jake do? 
 
a. Resign from the project 
b. Request a meeting with the manager at the start of the project and try to discuss why he 
objects to the project and find a way to resolve issues 
c. Inform the manager of his concerns to win his support 
d. Submit the needed report to the PMO 
 
Answer: d 
 

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 In this case, we assumed that proper project management was followed by Jake and his 
opinion was considered during the initiating process. So the correct answer is letter d. He 
needs to submit the work as approved by the management.  
 
8. You are a project manager for a publishing company. You checked the calendar of a team 
member and you discovered that he requested an appointment with a key stakeholder 
without informing you. What is the BEST approach in this scenario? 
 
a. Call the team member and asked why he failed to inform you about the appointment 
b. Call the team member’s supervisor and complain 
c. Notify the PMO about the problem 
d. Stand back at the moment and continue observing the member’s behavior  
 
Answer: a 
 
In situations, it is best to find the choice that will allow you to directly deal and solve the 
problem. Letter a is withdrawal. Letters b and c are not professional until you have enough 
knowledge to understand the root cause of the problem.  
 
9. One team member is late in submitting an important report. Ten minutes prior to the 
meeting where the report should be discussed, he handed you the document. While 
reviewing it, you discovered some obvious mistakes in it. What is the BEST thing to do? 
 
a. Cancel the meeting and rework the report yourself 
b. Assign the member to preside the meeting and stay silent while other members discover 
the errors 
c. Attend the meeting but inform the other members that there are serious mistakes in the 
report 
d. Cancel the meeting and tell the member to fix the errors 
 
Answer: d 
 
Letter b is punishing the member and placing him in an embarrassing situation. Letters a, b, 
and c involve negative impact on the member’s morale. So, the best choice and the one that 
does not waste time is to call off the meeting, talk to the member to find the root cause of the 
problem, and then resolve it and reschedule the meeting.  
 
10. The PMO has always been asking you to reduce your project estimate by 10% after you 
submit it to them. The project scope for your new assignment is not clear and there are more 
than 20 stakeholders. The PMO is expecting a 25% decrease in downtime as an outcome of 
the project. Which of the following is the best approach in this scenario? 
 
a. Call a team meeting to discuss the possible 10% savings  
b. Submit an accurate estimate of the actual costs and back it up by data 
c. Decrease the estimates and monitor the changes in the risk response plan 

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 d. Adjust the plan so you can achieve a 35% improvement in the downtime 
 
Answer: b 
 
This is a typical issue in projects that many new project managers handle by doing letter a or 
c. If the project estimates are correct, the project manager has the ethical responsibility to 
stand by them (letter b). The PMO’s suggestion to reduce cost is to support you in looking 
for options that are related to the other constraints in the project. Letter d doesn’t involve 
costs, which is a central issue in this situation.  
 
11. An important negotiation with a shortlisted subcontractor is scheduled tomorrow when you 
learned that there’s a high probability that the project will not push through. What is the 
best thing to do? 
 
a. Pause the negotiations 
b. Continue the negotiations but only on major items 
c. Cut the negotiations short 
d. Show up tomorrow but don’t spend too much time 
 
Answer: a 
 
Letter a is more professional and shows good faith.  
 
12. Grace is a project manager for one of the numerous projects in a huge and critical program. 
During an executive meeting, she noted that another project manager has reported that her 
project is on schedule. Grace is aware that the report is not true at all because there were a 
lot of deliverables that arrived late. What should Grace do? 
 
a. Talk with the other project manager and asked why he shared inaccurate information 
b. Talk with your boss to discuss the issue 
c. Create a risk control plan 
d. Meet with the program manager 
 
Answer: a 
 
Ethical responsibility compels project managers to directly confront the situation with the 
project manager (letter a) to learn if the project is really on schedule and so to deny or 
confirm the situation. Letters b and d would be the next step if letter a confirms Grace’s 
concern. Letter c would be a more likely option if it is in reference to an earlier step in risk 
management. However, letter a remains the correct answer.  
 
13. Priyanka has been assigned to take over a project that should be 50% complete based on the 
project schedule. After a careful investigation, she discovered that the project is already 
behind schedule and it will possibly take double the time originally planned by the past 

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 project manager. But the project sponsor has been informed that the project is on schedule. 
What should Priyanka do? 
 
a. Continue with the planned schedule by the past project manager and report at the first 
missed milestone 
b. Endorse the project back to the past project manager 
c. Report your findings to the project sponsor 
d. Restructure the schedule so you can meet the project deadline 
 
Answer: c 
 
Letter b is not possible because the past project manager might have left the company or he 
is already assigned to a new project. This is a form of withdrawal. Continuing the project 
(letter a) is also another form of withdrawal and it is not always the best approach in 
problem solving. Hopefully, you have realized that there are two problems in this situation, 
and the project sponsor is not aware of them. Letters c and d could be the possible correct 
answers. Which is the best thing to deal with? Of course, it would be to work to move the 
project on schedule, but you should look at what letter d says. It restricts the effort to 
restructure the project schedule and doesn’t make way for other possible options like cutting 
the project scope, which may be more effective in handling the situation. Letter a is too 
limiting. What if the sponsor agrees to adjust the deadline? The best approach, in this case, 
is to relay Priyanka’s findings to the sponsor and make a decision from there.  
 
14. Which of the following is not the responsibility of the project manager?  
 
a. Submit truthful and accurate data for cost estimates 
b. Make certain that a conflict of interest will not compromise the legitimate interest of the 
client 
c. Check the legality of organizational processes 
d. Protect the confidentiality of client information 
 
Answer: c 
 
The project manager is neither competent nor empowered to check the legality of 
organizational processes. Take note that there’s a crucial distinction between procedures and 
practices. All unprofessional practices must be reported For instance, a project manager 
should report any act of fraud, which is normally not a company procedure. But a project 
manager is not in a position to check whether company processes are in compliance with 
applicable laws.  
 
15. Which of the following is the BEST approach if you have just learned an irregularity in the 
project execution plan, which will block you from meeting an important milestone date? 
 
a. Discuss with your team members the importance of meeting milestone dates 
b. Eliminate any discussion about deadlines in the project status report 

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 c. Adjust the milestone date 
d. Find ways to meet milestone date 
 
Answer: d 
 
Only letter d solves the problem. Letter b violates the project manager’s responsibility to 
report truthfully. Letter c is unethical.  
 
16. Your project has a tight budget when you start negotiating with a supplier for raw material. 
The supplier has informed you that the price for the material is fixed. The PMO has 
encouraged you to negotiate the price with the supplier. What should you do? 
 
a. Call off the negotiations 
b. Pause the negotiations but only negotiate the main areas of the project 
c. Hold the negotiations until you can persuade the PMP to change its suggestion 
d. Find a good faith approach to negotiate the price 
 
Answer: d 
 
There’s always a way to get a discount. How about offering a non-cash value to the supplier 
such as free advertisement in your newsletter? The best choice is letter d.  
 
17. Renee is finalizing the monthly project status report that is due today when she learned that 
some team members are not properly logging in their actual hours for the project. This 
caused errors in the project report. What should Renee do? 
 
a. Submit accurate and truthful report 
b. Continue reporting information as presented by the team members 
c. File a report about the actions of the team members to their supervisors 
d. Discuss the effects of these actions with team members 
 
Answer: a 
 
Renee has an obligation to provide accurate project reports. Then, she should discuss the 
effects of such actions with members. If nothing changes, then the next step is to inform 
their functional managers.  
 
18. While testing the quality of steel sheets produced from your project, you learned that more 
than 25% of units don’t meet with the quality standards. You are certain that the steel sheets 
are strong enough for its intended purpose and you think this part should meet the quality 
level defined in the project. What should you do? 
 
a. Report about the sub-standard units and find a solution  
b. Make certain that the rest of the steel sheets will meet the standard 
c. Include in your report that the steel sheets simply meet your standards 

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 d. Adjust the quality standards so you can meet them 
 
Answer: a 
 
Why do you think letters c and d are unethical? Letter b basically withdraws from the 
problem and so it is not the best approach. The only possible answer is letter a because it 
involves quality and other options to resolve the issue.  
 
19. To fulfill deliverables for your project, you have been given confidential information from 
your customers. A friend who works in a university called you to ask help for his research. By 
helping this friend, you will need to divulge some of the customer information from your 
records. What should you do? 
 
a. Send the information to your friend 
b. Call your customers and ask permission to share the information 
c. Send high-level data only 
d. Share the information but erase all references to your clients 
 
Answer: b 
 
Confidential data must always be protected (not shared to external parties without the prior 
approval of the client. If you selected letter d, remember that the customer owns the 
confidential data.  
 
20. The PMO has directed you to outsource several work packages to a company that the 
company has worked with several times. Which of the following should you be most 
concerned with? 
 
a. The terms and conditions of the contract 
b. The cost of the outsourced work 
c. Meeting the expectations of the PMO 
d. Ensuring that the company has the eligibility to fulfill the work packages 
 
Answer: d 
 
First, you need to assess if this is an ethical situation and if it is against the company policy 
or any applicable law. If there are no violations, then you need to check eligibility (letter d).  
   

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Conclusion  
 
That’s it! You just finished with the PMP Study Guide. Now, review the questions and answers 
again and be sure that you get the answers this time. Read carefully the questions and review the 
rationale behind each correct answer as well as why other options are not right for the scenario 
described.  
 
Remember, this study guide is a supplement to the PMBOK guide. Even though it will help you a 
lot to learn project management principles through the PMBOK, it is not enough to pass the 
PMP Exam.  
 
PMBOK will provide you the facts or theories behind project management processes but it 
doesn’t tell you how the processes are connected to each other and how you can apply them in 
the actual project management setting.  
 
Hopefully, you have noticed that the questions in this study guide are scenario-based. Therefore, 
just learning project management through the PMBOK will help you absorb the fundamentals of 
the discipline, but it is not enough to pass the test.  
 
It is also not enough to answer the questions in this study guide once. Ideally, you should try the 
simulation tests several times until you memorize all the answers and become ingrained into 
your mind.  
 
But beyond memorization, you need to improve your problem-solving skills. By now, you should 
have noticed that project management is not an administrative role but a problem solving one. 
Yes, you need a strong memory to store all the theories, procedures, and facts about project 
management. However, you need to know how you can apply these principles so you can 
become an effective problem solver.  
 
As such, you will most likely fail if you treat the PMP exam only as a memory test. You need to 
approach the exam as a test of your problem-solving skills.  
 
Finally, you should develop a strategy for studying that will work for you. Not all project 
managers are created equal. What works for one may not work for you. For example, some 
people learn easily using memory aids. Others like solving problems using a whiteboard. There 
are people who can study well while in a group discussion, while some like to be alone.  
 
Understand your strong points and areas of improvement so you can effectively study for the 
PMP Exam. Use the questions here as your springboard and discover what works best for you.  
 
Thank you very much for choosing this PMP study guide and I hope you pass the exam! 
 

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