PMP Realistic Exam Questions Based on PMBOK 5

Free PMP Exam Questions and Answers (PMBOK 5)

submitted by PM Prepcast (thank you Conrado and Cornelius)Assorted By Masilamani R(misilamani@gmail.com)

Question 1You are running a public library construction project in which two key stakeholders are in continuous conflict with each other over location and design of the building. As a project manager, you have spent many hours resolving their conflicts, but it isnt getting any better. What should you do next? A. Refer to the Project Charter for the escalation processB. Refer to the Communications Plan for the escalation processC. Involve the core project teamD. Involve the sponsor

Question 1-AnswerAnswer: BHint: The Communications Plan contains the information about the escalation process.Explanation: If a project manager cannot resolve the conflict between stakeholders, he/she should escalate the issue based on the escalation process listed in the Communications Plan.Reference: PMBOK Guide 5th Edition, page 406Knowledge Area: Stakeholder ManagementProcess Group: ExecutingPMBOK Section: Manage Stakeholder EngagementType: Concept

Question 2Your company provides specialized IT support services for firmware upgrades. Your countrys government has passed regulations stating that firmware of all telecommunication equipment must be upgraded to support IPv6. A government agency has approached your company to upgrade the firmware of all installed equipment at the major airports in the country. For your company, this project is a result of which of the following:A. Market demandStrategic opportunityCustomer requestLegal requirementQuestion 2 - AnswerAnswer: CHint: The government agency is asking your company to do a project.Explanation: This is a tricky scenario and the answer is at first a bit surprising. Lets look at this from the point of view of both the government and your company:The government agency approached your company to do this project because they are bound by their own regulations. So for the government, this project was initiated as a result of their own legal requirement.For your company, however, the project is initiated by a customer request.Remember that you dont own the airports nor the equipment installed there so you dont have a legal requirement to update the firmware. The government, on the other hand, owns the airports/equipment and is therefore asking you to perform this update. In this case, the government is a customer like any other customer and you are doing this project as result of their request.Reference: PMBOK Guide 5th Edition, page 69Knowledge Area: Integration ManagementProcess Group: Initiating PMBOK Section: IntroductionType: Scenario

Question 3Nancy is the project manager for a project that will be closing shortly. During a quality inspection, Nancy detects that the project team has added additional features to one of the project deliverables that was not authorized. However, Nancy believes that these new features will add to customer satisfaction. What is Nancys best alternative in this situation?A. Submit a change request to remove these additional featuresB. Accept these additional features and proudly present them to the customerC. Ask the project sponsor for his opinionD. Ask the customers for their opinionQuestion 3 - AnswerAnswer: AHint: Unauthorized feature additions are called gold-plating and this needs to be avoided.Explanation: Unauthorized feature additions are called gold-plating and this needs to be avoided. If such features have been included, they need to be removed using a change request, even if they add to customer satisfaction. Every project must conform to its approved requirements; nothing more, nothing less.Reference: PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_plating_(software_engineering)Knowledge Area: Scope ManagementProcess Group: Monitoring & ControllingPMBOK Section: Control ScopeType: New Ethics

Question 4Marilyns project is behind schedule. Marilyn opens her scheduling tool and adjusts some leads and lags in order to fast track the project. As a result, the project is aligned with the current time constraint. However, when Marilyn uses the Level Resources feature, the project finish date again goes past the time constraint. What is Marilyns best option?A. Marilyn must make sure that she did not make a mistake when using the Level Resources featureB. Marilyn must not use the Level Resources feature after fast tracking the projectC. Marilyn must crash the project after fast tracking itD. Marilyn must issue a change requestQuestion 4 - AnswerAnswer: DHint: When the Resource Leveling feature delays a project, it means that the resources were over-allocated.Explanation: When the Resource Leveling feature delays a project, it means that the resources were over-allocated. Completing the project on time at the cost of over-utilizing the resources, and especially human resources, is not ethical. If fast tracking followed by resource leveling does not help in reducing the project time requirements, Marilyn must consider issuing a change request to obtain additional resources or get the project deadline extended.Reference: PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, HonestyPMBOK Guide 5th Edition, page 179Knowledge Area: Time ManagementProcess Group: Monitoring & ControllingPMBOK Section: Control ScheduleType: New EthicsQuestion 5You are managing an automated security system design project. You now want to analyze the relationship between the consumption of project funds and the physical work being accomplished for these expenditures. Which of the following should you have completed before you can perform this activity?A: DeliverablesB: Reserve AnalysisC: Trend AnalysisD: Project Funding RequirementsQuestion 5- AnswerAnswer: DHint: The scenario describes an activity in the Control Costs process.Explanation: Did this question confuse you? If yes, then you first need to decipher it. The activity that you want to carry out is an example of which project management process? The Control Costs process. Once you realize this, you will see that Project Management Plan, Project Funding Requirements and Work Performance Data are important inputs to the Control Costs process.Reference: PMBOK Guide 5th Edition, page 215Knowledge Area: Cost ManagementProcess Group: Monitoring & ControllingPMBOK Section: Control CostsType: Concept

Question 6You have just been assigned as the project manager for a process improvement project. You have broken down your project work into a number of work packages including stakeholder interviews, surveys, statistical analysis, flow charting of the current processes, analysis of the processes, cost estimations, and recommendations. You are currently performing the Plan Quality Management process. Which quality technique should you use during your project and in your Quality Management Plan if you wish to analyze all the possible process points of failure and the potential impact they may have?A. Kaizen approachB. Total Quality Management (TQM)C. Failure mode and effects analysisD. Six SigmaQuestion 6 - AnswerAnswer: CHint: This technique was formally introduced in the late 1940s for military use by the U.S. Armed Forces. It was later used for aerospace/rocket development to avoid errors in small sample sizes of costly rocket technology. An example of this is the Apollo space program.Explanation: Failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) is a procedure in operations management for analysis of potential failure modes within a system for classification by severity or determination of the effect of failures on the system. Failure modes are any errors or defects in a process, design, or item, especially those that affect the customer, and can be potential or actual. Effects analysis refers to studying the consequences of those failures.Reference: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failure_mode_and_effects_analysis PMBOK Guide 5th Edition, page 540Knowledge Area: Quality ManagementProcess Group: PlanningPMBOK Section: Plan Quality ManagementType: Scenario

Question 7You are in the executing phase of your project. You have spent a lot of time negotiating for the best human resources but the people you have obtained do not have the expertise necessary to complete the project activities, according to the Project Management Plan. What is the first thing you should do to try to remedy this situation?A: Update the Human Resource Management PlanB: Issue a change requestC: Renegotiate for the required human resourcesD. Provide training to the under-skilled human resourcesQuestion 7 - AnswerAnswer: AHint: The scenario says that you were unable to acquire a project team according to your planExplanation: Renegotiating is not a good option as you have already acquired resources. You only issue a change request when there is a required change in the project baselines. You will also most likely need to provide training to your under-skilled staff. However, the first thing you need to do is to update the Human Resource Management Plan to reflect your current staffs expertise levels and training requirements.Reference: PMBOK Guide 5th Edition, page 272Knowledge Area: Human Resource ManagementProcess Group: ExecutingPMBOK Section: Acquire Project TeamType: Scenario

Question 8You are managing a telecom project. You have two teams reporting to you. One team is responsible for equipment installation and the other team is responsible for commissioning and testing the equipment. Both teams are working in parallel so that as soon as the installation team finishes equipment installation at one site, they move on to another site for installation. This allows the commissioning and testing team to start their activities on the newly installed site. The reporting structure is such that each of the teams has five engineers and a separate team lead. Each team member interacts with each other but only the team leads interact with you. Both team leads also interact with each other to synchronize their operations. How many communication channels do you have on your project?A: 33B: 23C: 42D: 78

Question 8 - AnswerAnswer: AHint: Calculate communication channels for each team and add them together.Explanation: This was a difficult question wasnt it? Lets analyze the scenario to calculate the answer. We have two independent teams. Each team has six members (five engineers and one team lead). Each team member is interacting with each other so communication channels for each team are (6)*(6-1)/2=15. And because we have two teams like this, the total is 2*15=30. Both team leads are communicating with you so there are two communication channels for this interaction. In addition, because both team leads are interacting with each other, there is one additional communication channel. Therefore, the total communication channels on your project is 30+2+1=33. Reference: PMBOK Guide 5th Edition, page 292Knowledge Area: Communications ManagementProcess Group: PlanningPMBOK Section: Plan Communications ManagementType: Calculation

Question 9Rhondas project is half-way complete. None of the project risks have occurred and none of the contingency reserves have been used. Rhonda finds a few new risks to the project that were not added to the risk register during the planning phase. Rhonda quickly calculates the expected values of these risks and requests management to increase the contingency reserve by the amount required to manage these new risks. Whats wrong with Rhondas approach to dealing with risks?A. Rhonda should not have requested the increaseB. New risks must be managed with the available management reservesC. Rhonda should have done a reserve analysis firstD. Rhonda should have first used the contingency amounts for those risks that did not occur

Question 9 - AnswerAnswer: CHint: If new and unidentified risks occur, they are managed using management reserves (after management approval to use the funds). However in this case, the new risks have not occurred, they have only just been identified.Explanation: In this scenario, new risks have been identified. Rhonda can request an increase in the contingency reserves after she carries out a reserve analysis to determine if the additional funds are indeed required.Reference: PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, ResponsibilityPMBOK Guide 5th Edition, page 352Knowledge Area: Risk ManagementProcess Group: Monitoring & ControllingPMBOK Section: Control RisksType: New Ethics

Question 10You are managing a construction project. You have outsourced the labor workforce to a contractor using a Time and Materials contract. As per the contract, your contractor is claiming $10 per hour for labor and an average of 10 hours a day per each labor resource provided. You know that on average only 8 of these 10 hours per day were actually productive time spent on the project. However, your contract doesnt state anything specifically about charging for unproductive time. You now have a hold on all of the contractors invoices until you reach a resolution. Which of the following might be a factor contributing to this situation?A. Your contractor is being unreasonableB. You are being unreasonable towards the contractorC. You have not drafted the contract properlyD. You have not negotiated the contract properly

Question 10 - AnswerAnswer: CHint: Why doesnt your contract say anything about this?Explanation: Dont get distracted by the scenario. The scenario may put you in the shoes of the project manger, but it does not mean that you are always right! Assume that you are not the project manager for a moment. In that case you cannot resolve this dispute in any partys favor just with the information given. However, you can easily spot the weakness in the contract since it should have clauses regarding issues such as these.Reference: PMBOK Guide 5th Edition, page 364Knowledge Area: Procurement ManagementProcess Group: PlanningPMBOK Section: Plan ProcurementsType: Scenario

Question 11You are running a public library construction project in which two key stakeholders are in continuous conflict with each other over location and design of the building. As a project manager, you have spent many hours resolving their conflicts, but it isnt getting any better. What should you do next?A. Refer to the Project Charter for the escalation processB. Refer to the Communications Plan for the escalation processC. Involve the core project teamD. Involve the sponsorQuestion 11 - AnswerAnswer: BHint: The Communications Plan contains the information about the escalation process.Explanation: If a project manager cannot resolve the conflict between stakeholders, he/she should escalate the issue based on the escalation process listed in the Communications Plan.Reference: PMBOK Guide 5th Edition, page 406Knowledge Area: Stakeholder ManagementProcess Group: ExecutingPMBOK Section: Manage Stakeholder EngagementType: Concept

Question 12Each time you perform the Validate Scope process with your customer he points out changes to the design that are nice and often useful but which he hadnt really asked for. You are annoyed by all of this undetected gold plating. Which process are you not performing that would have detected it earlier?A. Collect RequirementsB. Define ScopeC. Control ScopeD. Perform Integrated Change Control

Answer Question 12Answer: CHint:Explanation: Collect Requirements and Define Scope are processes that are performed early on in the project, usually a long time before the deliverables are worked on. These processes were performed and completed as a basis for your scope. They wont help you detect gold plating.Perform Integrated Change Control is the process of reviewing and approving change requests. Gold plating is applied without formally filling in a change request and asking for approval. This process wont help you either.The Control Scope process on the other hand might help you detect gold plating before you show the deliverables to the customer. In this process we monitor the status of the project scope. In particular we compare the original requirements with the work performance information. Gold plating will show up as a variance between the planned and actually produced features of a deliverable.Reference: Question provided by The PM Exam Simulator:www.pm-exam-simulator.comPMBOK Section: PMBOK Guide 5th Edition, page 137

Question 13Your company provides specialized IT support services for firmware upgrades.Your countrys government has passed regulations stating that firmware ofall telecommunication equipment must be upgraded to support IPv6. Thegovernment has approached your company to upgrade the firmware of allinstalled equipment at the major airports in the country. For your company, thisproject is a result of which of the following:A. Market demandB. Strategic opportunityC. Customer requestD. Legal requirement

Question 13 - AnswerAnswer: CExplanation: This is a tricky scenario and the answer is at first a bit surprising. Lets look at thisfrom the point of view of both the government and your company:The government approached your company to do this project because they arebound by their own regulations. So for the government, this project was initiatedas a result of their own legal requirementFor your company, however, the project is initiated by a customer request.Remember that you dont own the airports nor the equipment installed there soyou dont have a legal requirement to update the firmware. The government,on the other hand, owns the airports/equipment and is therefore asking you toperform this update. In this case, the government is a customer like any othercustomer and you are doing