10 PMP Exam Questions and Their Answers

Project managers routinely take on highly visible roles in their organizations. They are often held responsible for the successes of major products, services and operations in their companies. PMP exam prep is now a popular option for those trying to gain the skills necessary for becoming a certified project manager.

What sets project managers apart from run-of-the-mill employees, is their expertise in both soft skills and technical skills. From foundational PMI to SixSigma, PMP training and certification impart a multitude of skills necessary for the modern workplace. Designed for professionals, these project management courses are also available online. So, there is no excuse for not building up your game and stepping up your current PM skills!

The Project Management Professional (PMP)® helps you excel in your career. However, significant time and effort is required to prepare for this exam. A list of questions and answers for Project Management Professional exams is given below to help you gauge the nature of studies.

Hopefully these questions and answers will help you pass the PMP exams in first attempt:

PMP Question #1

If you are asked by the engineering head to change an important work package in meeting and afterward also asked you to do the paperwork for the change. What it is?

A. A change control system

B. A project expediter position

C. Management planning

D. Management attention to scope management

Answer is B, a project expediter position.  As the project manager acts as project secretary in this scenario, it means that the project manager does not have any real authority. He only follows instruction and do the paperwork.

PMP Question #2

A team member asks about the parameters of measuring project’s performance. He doubts that some of the parameters are not accurate to measure the performance. In which phase the project management process is?

A. Monitoring & Controlling

B. Closing

C. Initiating

D. Executing

Answer is D as the process can be best considered in executing phase. Team member believe that the measures on his activities are not suitable.

PMP Question #3

You are working as a project manager of a project. Meanwhile you get a new project worth of 2m USD. What should be your first step?

A. Ask management how the new project will affect your project

B. Ask management how the new project will use resources

C. Resource level your project

D. Crash your project

The first thing he’ll do is A- Ask management how the new project will affect the existing project. As you are already working on a project, you need to know what and how this new project will impact your existing project.

PMP Question #4

This is the first time you are going to manage a project. To ensure success you must rely on …………………..as you plan the project management process.

A. Your intuition and training

B. Configuration management

C. Stakeholder analysis

D. Historical information

Answer is D. You will start with gathering Historical Information about such projects. You will find those projects from the process asset library of the firm.

PMP Question #5

When a team member is not sure of his tasks and comes to the project manager for clarity. He should be given the documents that have all details of work packages? Which documents contain that information?

A. Project scope statement

B. WBS Dictionary

C. Activity List

D. Scope management plan

It’s B. WBS Dictionary. Work Breakdown Structure Dictionary contains all information about responsibilities, chores, successors, deadlines and prerequisites etc.

PMP Question #6

The stakeholders of the project have asked project manager to add work in the scope. However, he remembers that the sponsors of the project are not going to fund the project scope. What should he do?

A. Add the work if there is time available in the project

B. Tell the stakeholders the scope cannot be added

C. Evaluate the impact of adding the scope

D. Let the sponsor know of the stakeholders’ request

He will choose option B. He’ll let the stakeholders know that project scope cannot be added. The scope cannot be changed without an approved changed request.

PMP Question #7

The schedule of the project seems too long. What can you do if you have some extra resources but you cannot change the project network diagram?

A. Crash the project

B. Fast track the project

C. Level the resources

D. Monte Carlo analysis

The best thing to do is C. Crash the project. If the schedule is too long you need to make a shorter schedule.

PMP Question #8

You are discussing the techniques of estimating to be used, with the sponsor, in the early life of the project. Sponsor wants analogous estimating, whereas, you are looking for expert judgment. What should be your strategy?

A. You’ll agree to analogous estimating

B. Try to persuade the sponsor to let you try expert judgment

C. Suggest life cycle costing

D. Ask the sponsor why he wants that accurate estimate

Answer is A. You will agree to analogous estimating as it is one of the forms of expert judgment.

PMP Question #9

What does it mean to have schedule performance index, SPI, of 0.75?

A. Project is over budget

B. Project is ahead of schedule.

C. Project is progressing at 25% of the rate originally planned

D. Project is progressing at 75% of the rate originally planned

It means project is progressing at 75% of the rate originally planned so the answer is C.

PMP Question #10

There is an activity in the project that begins early on day 3, start late on day 13, finish early on day 9 and finish late on day 19. What do you think is wrong with the activity?

A. It is on a critical path

B. It is not on a critical path

C. It has a lag

D. It is going well

It is not on critical path so the answer is B. If you subtract the early start from the late start; 3-13 the answer will be 10, no of days of float. You will get the same result by subtracting early finish and late finish. As the float of activity is more than zero, the path is not critical.

Remember that an online project management course can give you the skills necessary for effectively executing projects, and managing the inherent project risks in your field. You could be a government officer, finance professional, architect, IT expert, pharmacist or a real estate developer, a PMP course can help you learn how to streamline projects and gain maximum returns on investment.

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