Curious about Actual PMI PMP (PMP) Exam Questions?

Correct : C

According to the PMBOK Guide, the project manager should manage the stakeholder expectations and engagement throughout the project lifecycle. This includes identifying the stakeholder needs and requirements, communicating with them effectively, and resolving any issues or conflicts that may arise. In this case, the project manager has learned from previous experience that the client's turn-around times on documents sent for approval were very slow and well outside of the agreed timelines. This could affect the project schedule, scope, quality, and cost. Therefore, the project manager should work with the client on an acceptable amount of time for document approval, and establish clear and realistic expectations and criteria for the approval process. This way, the project manager can avoid or minimize the potential delays and ensure the project deliverables meet the customer satisfaction. Informing the client that extra resources will be added, updating the project risk register, or informing the client of their responsibility are not effective ways to approach this issue, as they do not address the root cause of the problem or foster a collaborative relationship with the client.Reference: PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, pages 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35.PMP Question 351.

Correct : B, E

According to the PMBOK Guide, a project manager should empower team members and stakeholders to enhance their engagement, commitment, and performance on the project1.Empowerment means giving team members and stakeholders the authority, autonomy, and resources to make decisions and take actions that are aligned with the project objectives and scope2.Empowerment also means supporting team members and stakeholders to develop their skills, knowledge, and confidence to perform their roles and responsibilities effectively3.

In this scenario, the project manager is managing a business transformation project that has a four-phase delivery plan. The project team has successfully delivered one phase of the project. To further enhance team performance and empower team members, the project manager should take the following two actions:

Support team members to make decisions in their areas of strength. This means encouraging team members to use their expertise, experience, and judgment to make informed and appropriate decisions that will benefit the project. This also means trusting team members to handle the consequences and risks of their decisions, and providing them with feedback and recognition for their achievements.Supporting team members to make decisions in their areas of strength can increase their motivation, ownership, and accountability for the project outcomes4.

Organize and assign team members to tasks where they have strengths. This means identifying and leveraging the strengths, talents, and preferences of each team member, and assigning them to tasks that match their capabilities and interests. This also means providing team members with opportunities to learn, grow, and excel in their areas of strength, and helping them overcome their weaknesses and challenges.Organizing and assigning team members to tasks where they have strengths can enhance their productivity, quality, and satisfaction on the project5.

The project manager should not encourage team members to cross-check decisions with the project manager, as this may undermine their empowerment and confidence. The project manager should not allow team members to make limited decisions, as this may restrict their creativity and innovation. The project manager should not vet all of the decisions before execution, as this may create bottlenecks and delays in the project.

Correct : C

According to the PMBOK Guide, the project manager should manage the project scope, including the planning, validation, and control of the scope. The project manager should also manage the project changes, including the initiation, evaluation, approval, and implementation of the changes. In this scenario, the project manager received a request to add additional changes 1 day before the planned change date. This is a potential change to the project scope that may also impact the project time, cost, quality, and other aspects. The best course of action is to review the additional changes and perform integrated change control. This can help the project manager to assess the feasibility and desirability of the change request, and to determine the appropriate response and approval. Reviewing the additional changes and performing integrated change control (option C) is the best solution to the issue, as it demonstrates proactive and effective project scope and change management. Rejecting the changes as the lead time is too short (option A) may not be feasible or ethical, as it may violate the customer's expectations and satisfaction, and may damage the trust and relationship with the customer. Determining whether the project team is capable of making the changes (option B) may not be sufficient or realistic, as it may ignore or overlook the impact and value of the change request, and may create a conflict or resentment among the project team. Checking if the changes are covered in the statement of work (SOW) (option D) may not be relevant or helpful, as it may not address the change request itself, nor does it account for the possible deviations or changes that may occur during the project execution.Reference: : Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) (6th ed.).Newtown Square, PA: Author1: Change Request - Project Management Knowledge2: Managing Change Requests in Project Management [Template]3: Which Project Documents Need A Change Request For Updates?4

Correct : B

The project manager should review the list of team members' skills and understand how they will work together to deliver the project outcomes to build a cohesive, high-performing team.According to the PMBOK Guide, a high-performing team is a team thatexhibits a high level of collaboration, trust, commitment, and performance1.To build a high-performing team, the project manager shouldapply team development techniquesthat enhance the team's ability to work effectively and efficiently1.One of the team development techniques isskill assessment, which involvesidentifying and evaluating the skills and competenciesof the team members, andaligning them with the project objectives and requirements1. By reviewing the list of team members' skills, the project manager canunderstand the strengths and weaknessesof the team, anddetermine the best way to assign roles and responsibilities. The project manager can alsoidentify any skill gaps or overlapsthat may affect the team performance, andplan for training or coachingto address them. Additionally, by understanding how the team members will work together, the project manager canfacilitate communication and collaborationamong the team members and other stakeholders, andfoster a positive team culturethat supports the project goals. This way, the project manager canbuild a cohesive, high-performing teamthat can deliver the project outcomes. The other options are not the best ways to build a cohesive, high-performing team, as they do not address the need to assess and align the team skills and competencies.

Organizing the team members into several kick-off sessions based on technology type is a possible action that the project manager can take, but it is not the main activity that the project manager should do to build a cohesive, high-performing team.Kick-off sessions are meetings thatintroduce the project and the teamto the team members and other stakeholders, andestablish the project vision, scope, and expectations1. While kick-off sessions can help the team members toget to know each other and the project, they do not necessarily help the project manager toreview and evaluate the team skills and competencies, andalign them with the project objectives and requirements. Moreover, organizing the team members into several kick-off sessions based on technology type maycreate silos and barriersamong the team members, andreduce the team cohesion and collaboration.

Asking the human resources (HR) department to arrange interview meetings to select the team is a wrong way to build a cohesive, high-performing team, as itdelegates the responsibilityof the project manager to the HR department, andignores the input and involvementof the team members and other stakeholders.The project manager is the person who isaccountable for the team performance and satisfaction, and who has thebest knowledge and understandingof the project objectives and requirements1. Therefore, the project manager shouldtake the leadin selecting and developing the team, andconsult and collaboratewith the team members and other stakeholders to ensure the team is aligned and engaged with the project goals.

Asking prospective team members to write a short biography explaining how they can contribute to the team's success is an unnecessary and ineffective activity that does not help the project manager to build a cohesive, high-performing team. Writing a short biography is aone-way and subjectiveway of presenting the team members' skills and competencies, and it does not provide the project manager with acomprehensive and objectiveassessment of the team skills and competencies. Furthermore, writing a short biography does not help the project manager tounderstand how the team members will work together, andfacilitate communication and collaborationamong the team members and other stakeholders.

Correct : C