| PMP Certification Sample Questions |
21. You are a project manager working in a
foreign country. You observe that some of your project team members are having
a difficult time adjusting to the new culture. You provided them training on
cultural differences and the customs of this country before arriving, but they
still seem uncomfortable and disoriented. Which of the following is true?
a) This is the result of working with teams of people from two different
countries
b) This condition is known as culture shock
c) This is the result of jet lag and travel fatigue
d) This condition is known as global culturalism |
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Answer
Correct Option B. Explaination:
When people work in unfamiliar environments, cultural shock can occur. Training
and researching information about the country you'll be working in can help
counteract this.
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22. The Project Management Knowledge Areas:
a) Include Initiation, Planning, Executing, Controlling and Closing
b) Consist of nine different areas that bring together processes that have
things in common
c) Consist of five different processes that bring together phases of projects
that have things in common
d) Include Planning, Executing and Controlling processes, as these three
processes are commonly interlinked. |
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Answer
Correct Option B. Explaination:
The Project Management Knowledge Areas bring processes together that have
commonalities. For example, Project Integration Management consists of the
Project Plan Development, Project Plan Execution and Integrated Change Control
processes.
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23. You are the project manager for a
construction Company that is building a new city and county office building in
your city. You recently looked over the construction site to determine if the
work to date was conforming to the requirements and quality standards. Which
tool and technique of Quality Control are you using?
a) Performance measurements
b) Inspection
c) Sampling
d) D. Prevention |
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Answer
Correct Option B. Explaination:
Inspection involves physically looking at, measuring, or testing results to
determine if they conform to your quality standards. Performance measurements
are not part of the Quality Control process, and prevention is not an
identified tool and technique of Quality Control.
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24. Which of the following is
true regarding Administrative Closure?
a) It occurs at the end of a project phase and at the end of the project
b) It occurs at the end of the project phase only
c) It occurs at the end of the project only
d) It is performed prior to Contract Closeout. |
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Answer
Correct Option A. Explaination:
Administrative Closure occurs at the end of the project phase and at the end of
the project itself. Administrative Closure is performed after Contract
Closeout. It is the last process performed on your project.
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25. You are the project manager
for Heart of Texas casual clothing company. Your project involves installing a
new human resources system. You've identified the risks associated with this
project and are ready for the next step. What is the next step?
a) You will evaluate the risks and assign probabilities and impacts using
Qualitative and/or Quantitative Risk Analysis
b) You will use the Delphi technique to confirm the risks you've detailed and
identify others you may have missed
c) You must evaluate the risks and assign probabilities and impacts using both
Qualitative Risk Analysis, which comes first, then Quantitative Risk Analysis.
d) You will define the steps to take to respond to the risks and detail them in
the risk response plan. |
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Answer
Correct Option A. Explaination:
Since you've identified the risks, you've completed the Risk (Identification
process. The Delphi technique is a tool and technique of the Risk
Identification process, so answer B is not correct. You will proceed to assign
probabilities and impacts using Qualitative or Quantitative Risk Analysis or
both. You can use either process or both processes. They are both required,
therefore answer C is incorrect
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26. The project sponsor has approached you
with a dilemma. The CEO announced at the annual stockholders meeting that the
project you're managing will be completed by (he end of this year. The problem
is that this is six months prior to the scheduled completion date. It's too
late to go back and correct her mistake, and stockholders are expecting
implementation by the announced date. You must speed up the delivery date of
this project. Your primary constraint before this occurred was the budget. What
actions can you take to help speed up the project?
a) Hire more resources to get the work completed faster. .
b) Ask for more money so that you can contract out one of the phases you had
planned to do with in-house resources.
c) Utilize negotiation and influencing skills to convince the project sponsor
to speak with the CEO and make a correction to her announcement.
d) Examine the project plan to see if there are any phases that can be fast
tracked, and then revise the project plan to reflect the compression of the
schedule. |
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Answer
Correct Option D. Explaination:
Fast tracking is the best answer in this scenario. Budget was the original
constraint on this project, so its highly unlikely the project manager would
get more resources to assist with the project. The next best thing is to
compress phases to shorten the project duration.
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27. During your project meeting, a problem was
discussed and a resolution to the problem was reached. During the meeting, the
participants started wondering why they thought the problem was such a big
issue. Sometime after the meeting, you received an e-mail form one of the
meeting members saying they've changed their mind about the solution reached in
the meeting and need to resurface the problem. The solution reached during the
initial project meeting is an example of which of the following conflict
resolution techniques?
a) Confrontation
b) Forcing
c) Smoothing
d) Storming |
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Answer
Correct Option C. The
smoothing technique does not usually result in a permanent solution. The
problem is downplayed to make it seem less important than it is, which makes
the problem tend to resurface later.
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28. You are the project manager for
Heartthrobs by the Numbers, Dating Services. You're working on an updated
Internet site that will display pictures as well as short bios of prospective
heartbreakers. You've just completed your project staff assignments and
published the project team directory. Which process are you in?
a) Resource Planning
b) Organizational Planning
c) Project Development Planning
d) Staff Acquisition |
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Answer
Correct Option D. Explaination:The
Staff Acquisition outputs are the assignment of project staff and project team
directory.
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29. Which of the following describes the
Executing process?
a) Project plans are put into action.
b) Project performance measurements are taken and analyzed.
c) Project plans are developed.
d) Project plans are published |
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Answer
Correct Option A. Explaination
The Executing process takes published project plans and turns them into actions
to accomplish the goals of the project.
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30. Each of the following describes an element of the
Scope Definition process except:
a) Breaking down the major deliverables of the project into smaller, manageable
components;
b) Supporting detail
c) Decomposition
d) Improving the accuracy of time and cost estimates |
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Answer
Correct Option B. Explaination:
Supporting detail is an output of the Scope Planning process.
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31. Which of the following are tools and techniques of the
Initiation process?
a) Project selection methods and expert judgment
b) Project selection criteria and expert judgment
c) Constraints and assumptions and expect judgment
d) Expert judgment and project charter |
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Answer
Correct Option A. Explaination:
Project Initiation has two tools and techniques: project selection methods and
expert judgment.
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32. Your project involves the research and development of
a new food additive. You're ready to release the product to your customer when
you discover that a minor reaction^ might occur in people with certain
conditions. The reactions to date have been very minor, and no known
long-lasting side effects have been noted. As project manager you should:
a) Do nothing because the reactions are so minor that very few people will be
affected.
b) Inform the customer that you've discovered this condition and tell them
you'll research it further to determine the impacts.
c) Inform your customer that there is no problem with the additive except for
an extremely small percentage of the population and release the product to
them.
d) Tell the customer you'll correct the reaction problems in the next batch but
you'll release the first batch of product to them now to begin using. |
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Answer
Correct Option B. Explaination:
Honesty and truthful reporting are required of PMPs. In this situation, you
would inform the customer of everything you know regarding the problem and work
to find alternative solutions.
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33. According to the Guide to the PMBOK, the project
manager is identified and assigned during which process?
a) As an input to the Initiation process
b) As an input to the Planning process
c) As an output of the Initiation process
d) As an output of the Scope Planning process |
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Answer
Correct Option C. Explaination:
According to the Guide to the PMBOK, the project manager is identified and
assigned as an output of the Initiation process. In practice, project managers?
re very often assigned at the beginning of this process.
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34. All of the following are true regarding the ADM method
except:
a) It's a tool and technique of Activity Sequencing.
b) It uses one time estimate to determine durations.
c) It's also called AOA.
d) It's rarely used today |
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Answer
Correct Option B. Explaination:
The arrow diagramming method (ADM), also called activity on arrow (AOA), uses
more than one time estimate to determine project duration
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35. You have been assigned to a project that will allow
job seekers to fill out applications and submit them via the company website.
You report to the VP of human resources. You are also responsible for screening
applications for the information technology division and setting up interviews.
The project coordinator has asked for the latest versions of your changes to
the online application page for his review. Which organizational structure do
you work in?
a) Functional organization
b) Weak matrix organization
c) Projectized organization
d) Balanced matrix organization |
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Answer
Correct Option B. Explaination:
Functional managers who have lots of authority and power working with project
coordinators who have minimal authority and power characterizes a weak matrix
organization. Project managers in weak matrix organizations are sometimes
called project coordinators, project leaders or project expediters
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36 .What type of organization experiences the least amount
of stress during project closeout?
a) Projectized
b) Functional
c) Weak matrix
d) Strong matrix |
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Answer
Correct Option C. Explaination:
Weak matrix organizational structures tend to experience the least amount of
stress during the project closeout processes
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37. You work for a company that writes billing software
programs for the communication industry. You've just been assigned a new
project. The customer is located in a distant country that limits the number of
foreigners allowed into the country. You identify this risk in your risk
management plan. The critical point during the project is installation and
setup. You might do which of the following given these circumstances?
a) Use a design of experiments technique to develop a contingency plan.
b) Develop a cause-and-effect diagram that identifies the contract type you
should use for a project like this.
c) Use sensitivity analysis to assist you in developing the appropriate risk
response for this situation.
d) Develop a contingency plan for installation. |
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Answer
Correct Option D. Explaination:
You will develop a contingency plan that might, include contracting with a
vendor in the customer's country to perform the installation and setup should
your team be unable to enter the country. Cause-and-effect diagrams are used
during the Quality Planning process to map out problems an their causes
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38. You are working on a project that will upgrade the
phone system in your customer service center. You have used bottom-up
estimating techniques to assign costs to the project activities and have
determined the cost baseline. Which, of the following is true?
a) You have completed the Cost Estimation process and now need to complete the
Cost Budgeting process to determine the project's baseline.
b) You have completed the Project Plan Development process and established a
project baseline to measure future project performance against.
c) You have completed the Cost Estimating process and now need to complete the
Project Plan Development process to establish a project baseline to measure
future project performance against.
d) You have completed the Cost Budgeting process, and the cost baseline will be
used to measure future project performance |
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Answer
Correct Option D. Explaination
: The Cost Estimating and Cost Budgeting process include bottom- up estimating
techniques as well as analogous estimating, parametric modeling and
computerized tools. However, answer D is correct because the cost baseline is
an output of the Cost Budgeting process and is used to measure and track the
project throughout the remaining process groups.
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You know that PV = 470, AC = 430, EV = 480, EAC = 500, and
BAC = 525. What is VAC?
a) 70
b) 20
c) 25
d) 30 |
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Answer
Correct Option C. Explaination:
VAC is calculated this way: BAC-EAC. Therefore, 525 - 500 = 25.
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40. All of the following are characteristics of the
project Closing processes except:
a) Probability for success is greatest here
b) The project manager's influence is the greatest here
c) The stakeholders' influence is the least here
d) Risk is greater here |
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Answer
Correct Option D. Explaination:
Risk is lowest during the Closing processes, as you've completed the work of
the project at this point.
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