50+ PMP Exam Questions and Answers to Ace Your Preparation

PMP Exam Question Types

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50+ Examples of PMP Questions and Answers

1. A project has a 60% chance of a $100,000 profit and a 40 percent of a US $100,000 loss. The Expected Monetary Value for the project is:

1. $100,000 profit
2. $60,000 loss
3. $ 20,000 profit
4. $40,000 loss

Expected Monitory Value (EMV) is computed by EMV = Probability × Impact.

Compute both positive and negative values and then add them:

0.6 × $100,000 = $60,000 0.4 × $100,000 = $40,000 EMV = $60,000 - $40,000 = $20,000 profit

2. Assuming that the ends of a range of estimates are +/- 3 sigma from the mean, which of the following range estimates involves the LEAST risk?

1. 30 days, plus or minus 5 days
2. 22 – 30 days
3. Optimistic = 26 days, most likely = 30 days, pessimistic = 33 days
4. Mean of 28 days

The estimate with the smallest range is less risky.

3. If a risk has a 20 percent chance of happening in a given month, and the project is expected to last five months, what is the probability that the risk event will occur during the fourth month of the project?

1. Less than 1 percent
2. 20 percent
3. 60 percent
4. 80 percent

4. An accepted deadline for project approaches. However, the project manager realizes only 75% percent of the work has been completed. The project manager then issues a change request. What should the change request authorize? 

1. Additional resources using the contingency fund
2. Escalation approval to use contingency funding
3. Team overtime to meet the schedule
4. Corrective action based on causes

5. The risk will be identified during which risk management process(es)?

1. Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis and Identify Risks
2. Identify Risks and Monitor and Control Risks
3. Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis and Monitor and Control Risks
4. Identify Risks

6. What is meant by RACI?

1. Responsible, Accountable, Confirm, Inform
2. Recommended, Accountable, Consulted, Inform
3. Responsible, Accountant, Consulted, Inform
4. Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Inform

The RACI chart is an example of the Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM), which shows the relationship between activities and the team members.

7. Which of the following statement is true about a Program?

1. A Program is a group of related projects
2. A Program is a group of unrelated projects
3. A Program is a part of a big project
4. None of the above

8. The project manager meets with the project team to review lessons learned from previous projects. In what activity is the team involved?

1. Performance management
2. Scope identification
3. Risk identification
4. Project team status meeting

9. During a bidder conference, you see that one bidder is your close friend. What should your next step be?

1. You will pass some confidential info to him
2. You will disclose this relationship to your management
3. You will resign immediately from the bidding process
4. You will try not to give the contract to him to prove your integrity

There is a conflict of interest in this situation. You must inform your boss about this relationship.

Did You Know? 🔍

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 'The median pay for US-based project management specialists is $94,500 per year.'

10. If a risk event has a 90 percent chance of occurring, and the consequences will be the US $ 10,000, what does the US $9,000 represent?

1. Risk value
2. Present value
3. Expected monetary value
4. Contingency budget

EMV = .9 X $ 10,000 = $ 9,000

11. An earthquake damaged your construction project. Your contractor says that he cannot fulfill the terms of the contract due to a specific clause you both had signed the contract. He is referring to the:

1. Force majeure clause
2. Fixed price clause
3. Contract obligation terms
4. None of the above

12. All of the following are ALWAYS inputs to the risk management process EXCEPT:

1. Historical information
2. Lessons learned
3. Work breakdown structure
4. Project status reports

Project Status report can be an input to risk management. However, when completing risk management for the first time, you wouldn’t have the project status report yet. Therefore, the project status report is not always an input to risk management.

13. When estimating time for activities, a Project Manager should:

1. Use the best guess and estimate all activities since there will be changes as the project progresses and more information becomes available
2. Involve people who will be doing the work to get estimates
3. Estimate for what the cost will allow and include buffers
4. None of the above

14. Risk tolerance is determined in order to help:

1. The team ranks the project risks.
2. The project manager estimates the project.
3. The team schedules the project.
4. Management knows how other managers will act on the project.

If you know the tolerance of the stakeholders, you can predict how they might react to different situations and risk events. This information can help assign levels of risk on each work package activity.

15. You are running a project to engineer and implement a set of business processes and a software solution for customer relationship management. The project involves a large number of organizations―a major corporation and many suppliers of different sizes. During the project, you observe the effects of the differences between the companies’ corporate cultures. This leads to different expectations on how the project should be handled—as well as to frequent misunderstandings between stakeholders. Another effect is a growing degree of distrust and skepticism. What should you try first to integrate the diverse stakeholder groups?

1. Focus on project work. As a project manager, you should not get distracted by big egos.
2. Let the problems grow further until they are obvious for all. Then escalate them.
3. Develop a joint quality policy for the project and seek a commitment by all organizations.
4. Analyze the probability and impact of the risks linked with the situation and plan how to respond to them. 

16. You are finding it difficult to evaluate the exact cost impact of risk. You should evaluate on a(n) :

1. Quantitative basis
2. Numerical basis
3. Qualitative basis
4. Economic basis

If you cannot determine an exact cost impact to the event, use qualitative estimates such as Low, Medium, and High.

17. A project manager is quantifying risk for her project. Several of her experts are offsite but wish to be included. How can this be done?

1. Do a Monte Carlo analysis using the Internet as a tool
2. Apply the critical path method
3. Determine options for recommended corrective action
4. Apply the Delphi Technique

The Delphi technique is commonly used to obtain expert opinions on technical issues, the necessary project, or product scope.

18. Being assigned as a project manager, you noticed during project execution that conflicts arise in the team on both technical and interpersonal levels. What is an appropriate way of handling conflicts?

1. Conflicts distract the team and disrupt the work rhythm. You should always smooth them when they surface.
2. A conflict should be handled in a meeting so that the entire team can participate in finding a solution.
3. Conflicts should be addressed early and usually in private, using a direct, collaborative approach.
4. You should use your coercive power to quickly resolve conflicts and then focus on goal achievement.

Relevant Read: PMP Certification Cost: Breaking Down The Cost 🔖

19. During which risk management process is a determination to transfer a risk made?

1. Identify Risks
2. Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis
3. Plan Risk Response
4. Monitor and Control Risks

Transference is a Risk Response Strategy.

20. When control charts are used, outliers are:

1. Singular measurements outside the bandwidth between an upper and lower control limit.
2. A typical result of a rare random cause which is difficult to replicate and to verify.
3. Insignificant results, often measurement errors, the causes of which should not be further investigated.
4. Measurements are inconsistent with a run of 7 results over or under a mean value.

21. Which of the following is not a process group?

1. Initiation
2. Planning
3. Execution
4. Closing

Closing is not a process group.

22. What is the output of the monitoring and controlling process?

1. The project schedule
2. The project charter
3. The project management plan
4. The project work

The output of the monitoring and controlling process is the project management plan.

23. Which of the following is not an input to the developing project management plan process?

1. The project charter
2. The stakeholder register
3. The enterprise environmental factors
4. The organization's processes and procedures

The input to the developing project management plan process is the stakeholder register.

24. Which of the following is not an input to the controlling process?

1. The project management plan
2. The project schedule
3. The project work
4. The approved changes

The input to the controlling process is the project management plan.

25. Which of the following is not an output of the closing process?

1. The final product, service, or result of the project
2. A lessons learned knowledge base
3. Organizational closure documents
4. The project management plan

The output of the closing process is the project management plan.

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26. Alpha and Beta are two projects considered by a company. $50 million net profit is expected of Alpha and $45 million from Beta. Both are lucrative and rewarding projects, but the company can only invest in one of the projects. If Alpha is chosen, calculate the opportunity cost? 

1. $45 million
2. $95 million
3.  $5 million
4. $50 million

$45 million. The value of the alternative not chosen is called opportunity cost. 

27. You are the manager of a project which involves constructing five bridges. The project comprises five sequential phases with each phase completing one bridge. After the first phase of the project is complete, which process group of the second phase should follow?

1. Executing
2. Closing
3. Initiating
4. Planning

Initiating. A new project or new phase of an existing project is defined by the Initiating Process Group. 

28. The aim of a project is to investigate the technical, economic and social feasibility of constructing a hydroelectric dam. The project charter is approved by the project sponsor. What is the next step to be performed?

1.  Identify Risks
2.  Develop Project Management Plan
3.  Develop Project Charter
4.  Identify Stakeholders’

Identify Stakeholders

After developing and approving the project charter, Identifying the stakeholders process is done next. 

29. While managing a software upgrade project for your company you realize that your sponsor has high authority in decisions but low interest. What stakeholder management strategy should you employ to ensure the sponsor’s continued support?

1.  Manage the sponsor closely
2.  Keep the sponsor satisfied
3.  Keep the sponsor informed
4.  Monitor the sponsor's actions

Keep the sponsor satisfied

30. The project sponsor asks for a copy of the document that contains the description, owner, source, priority, and status of product requirements. Which project document is the question?

1.  The scope management plan
2.  The requirements management plan
3.  The requirements traceability matrix
4.  The work breakdown structure (WBS)

The requirements traceability matrix 

31. Development is a critical aspect in a project with large size and regulatory and environmental considerations. What is the first thing you should do as a starting point for initial project planning?

1. Start identifying stakeholders so that you can engage them as required for project planning
2. Hold a project kick-off meeting with the aim to inform and engage stakeholders and obtain commitment
3. Review the project charter to get high-level information about the project
4. Share project scope with the involved team to establish common understanding about project deliverables

Review the project charter to get high-level information about the project

32. While monitoring the baseline cost of a project, it is noted that the project expenses are higher than expected at this point. What is the most likely cause of this?

1. An incomplete milestone list
2. Overestimated material costs
3. Lack of stakeholder support
4. Excess inventory

Excess inventory - Failing to manage and control resources efficiently can be a source of increased costs in a project. 

Related read: Project Management Professional Exam Tips and Tricks 💻

33. Recently, you promoted your star programmer, Pam, to lead the agile development team. Pam was a fantastic software coder, and you thought the promotion would mean that she could now share her expertise with the other development team members. But, you observe that Pam’s performance in her new role is underwhelming and not at par with your expectations. Which empirical rule have you ignored or forgotten while considering Pam’s promotion?

1. Pareto concept
2. Murphy's law
3. Expectancy theory
4. Halo effect

Halo Effect

34. While reviewing a requirements management plan of a project, you notice that one of the components does not belong there. Which among these is the odd one?

1. A process that describes how the project requirements will be prioritized
2. How requirement activities will be planned, tracked, and reported
3. The metrics that will be used and the rationale for using them
4. A process that specifies how a project scope statement will be prepared   

A process that specifies how a project scope statement will be prepared

35. As part of a process improvement project for a factory operation, the project and team are performing the process of monitoring and controlling project work. Which of the following is done during this process?

1. Drawing an actual comparison of project performance against the project management plan
2. Gaining formal acceptance of the deliverables by the customer or sponsor 
3. Implementing approved change requests to achieve the project's objectives
4. Analyzing change requests and either approving or rejecting them

Drawing an actual comparison of project performance against the project management plan

36. A company sets up a change control board (CCB) dedicated to the purpose of reviewing and evaluating the changes submitted for all projects. Which of the following best describes an individual or group that can request a change on a project in a situation where the project sponsor is a member of the CCB?

1. Project sponsor
2. Project team
3. Project manager
4. Any stakeholder

Any stakeholder

37. You want to replace a contractor because they are not performing to the agreed-upon standards and engage another contractor for the same job. You need to determine the specific legal procedure for the early termination of the contract. What should you do?

1. Check the procurement management plan
2. Review the risk register
3. Consult the contract
4. Look at the scope statement

Consult the contract

38. In a project divided into four phases in sequence, what should the project manager do when the second phase is over and the third one is about to begin?

1. Begin the process of directing and managing the project work
2. Start the process of monitoring and controlling the project work
3. Perform the process of identifying the project stakeholders
4. Begin the process of developing the project management plan

Perform the process of identifying the project stakeholders

39. The project management office (PMO) of an organization ensures all project management processes and all relevant project documents conform to the established best practices. What is the first thing that the project manager should review to identify stakeholders for a new project?

1. The stakeholder engagement plan to identify what management strategies and actions can work best to effectively engage the stakeholders 
2. The business documents to obtain information about the stakeholders
3. The requirements documentation to know more about potential stakeholders
4. The communications management plan to learn about the project's stakeholders

The business documents to obtain information about the stakeholders

40. Using an agile framework, you are to lead a product development project. You want to bring together stakeholders and SMEs to discuss risk, success criteria and other topics. What is the best way for you to accomplish this objective?

1. Facilitate an iteration retrospective
2. Conduct interviews with the identified individuals
3. Schedule a focus group
4. Invite the relevant participants to the daily scrum meetings

Schedule a focus group

41. As part of preparing the communications management plan for a project in construction, you want to determine the needs of the project stakeholders with respect to information. Your focus is on the type and format of information required to pass on to them. What is your best course of action?

1. Conduct a communication requirements analysis
2. Consult the stakeholder engagement plan
3. Develop the stakeholder register
4. Review the requirements documentation

Conduct a communication requirements analysis.

Did You Know? 🕵️

According to PMI’s Earning Power Salary Survey, 'PMP-certified project managers earn 25% more on average than their non-certified peers.'

42. To reduce the defect rate of a manufacturing process, a project is carried out. The project team is carrying out QA activities to analyze and improve the process. Which of the following would be the most beneficial for this project?

1. Utilizing rolling wave planning for the project
2. Introducing the use of a kanban board into the manufacturing process
3. Adopting a just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing process
4. Consulting with a certified Six Sigma Black Belt expert

Consulting with a certified Six Sigma Black Belt expert.

43. You are the head of a software development project where the developers involved are working within a rented office space. It’s taking longer than anticipated to write the code. You have requested the landlord to rent the office for another week. Unfortunately, the landlord informs you that the office is booked for that period. You capture the problem in the project documents. What should you do next?

1. Makes updates in the risk register
2. Request more funds
3. Enter the issue in the issue log for record
4. Make revisions in the resource management plan

Make revisions in the resource management plan

44. You are part of a project team that’s designing a new type of vehicle. You are on the brink of getting started with working on a set of tasks (work package) for the braking system of the vehicle. You would like to assess the acceptance criteria before beginning the work. Where should you look in order to find this information?

1. Requirements documentation
2. The WBS dictionary
3. Project management plan
4. Activity attributes

The WBS dictionary

45. A project to construct an assembly line is nearly complete. The project manager has closed procurements, submitted the final project report, updated the lessons learned register, and acquired feedback from the relevant stakeholders. What should be the next step of the project manager?

1. Send a summary of how the final product fulfilled the business needs 
2. Transfer the completed assembly line to operations
3. Send formal writing to the vendors notifying them that the contracts have been completed
4. Make the final payment to the suppliers

Transfer the completed assembly line to operations

46. A project team is weighing two risk responses to include in the risk register. The first risk response must meet two criteria and costs $5,000. The second risk response must meet four criteria, but only costs $2,000. Which action is least likely to be taken by the project team to select the best risk response?

1.  Conduct a cost-benefit analysis
2.  Use multicriteria decision analysis
3.  Run a Monte Carlo simulation
4.  Perform an alternatives analysis

Run a Monte Carlo simulation

47. Your project team members are writing code in pairs and assessing each other's work to review and determine if the code follows the requirements documentation. Which of the following results will be obtained from this process?

1. Work performance data
2. Verified deliverable
3. Accepted deliverable
4. Acceptance criteria

Verified Deliverable 

48. The construction project has many people and specialized teams at the work site every day. Frequent and seamless communication between the team leads is vital to ensure safe and efficient progress. Which agile ceremony can be incorporated in this project to boost timely cross-functional communication?

1. Retrospectives
2. Daily standups 
3. Iteration reviews
4. Risk-based spikes

Daily standups. Daily standups refer to time-boxed meetings of short duration that the project team and relevant stakeholders attend.

49. The organization’s leadership wants to include more agile methodologies in their projects. Before starting to take any agile approaches in a project, what is the first thing to be done?

1. Evaluate the organizational culture and transformation readiness
2. Conduct a survey of employees to find those willing to participate in agile projects
3. Conduct agile training for those in the team assembled for the pilot project 
4. Put current projects on hold to readjust them to the new agile cadence

Evaluate the organizational culture and transformation readiness

50. You need to establish the relative priorities of risks recognized in a project. Which of the following tasks is the most likely to not affect this prioritization?

1. Researching the stakeholder register
2. Making a review of the assumption log
3. Generating the risk report
4. Examining the risk register

Generating the risk report

51. The following table is an activity list that includes the duration and predecessor for a series of project activities. What is the duration of the critical path?

1. 14
2. 11
3. 13
4.  9

14

52. A project manager, while developing the stakeholder register, lists down the potential stakeholders and chooses to use a data gathering method known as brain writing. What is the first thing to do when using this method?

1.  Share a set of questions with participating members ahead of the the creativity session
2.  Convene a data gathering meeting with the participants
3.  Develop your own template for a stakeholder register
4.  Refer to the stakeholder engagement plan to get an understanding of how to identify stakeholders

Send a list of questions to participants ahead of the the creativity session

53. A project manager communicates primarily through email with her team members, internal and external project stakeholders. Certain techniques are incorporated to ensure there are no misunderstandings. Which of the following is not considered one of these techniques?

1.  Controlled flow of words and ideas
2.  Concise expression
3.  Clear purpose directed at meeting the needs of the reader
4.  Communications register

Communication register 

Strategies to Choose the Best Answer on PMP Exam Questions

Here are some strategies to choose the best answer on PMP exam questions:

1. Read the question carefully and identify the key information.
2. Eliminate obviously incorrect options.
3. Look for clues in the question stem or other options that may help you narrow down the correct answer.
4. Use the process of elimination to narrow down the choices.
5. Consider the context of the question and the project management principles involved.
6. If the question involves calculations, double-check your work and ensure that the answer makes sense.
7. Don't spend too much time on any one question; move on if you're unsure and come back to it later.
8. Trust your instincts and make your best educated guess if you're unsure of the answer. Remember, you don't lose points for wrong answers, so it's better to answer every question than leave any blank.

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Conclusion

If you are considering working toward your PMP exam, Simplilearn offers a variety of project management courses that will help you pass, including the PMP Certification training course. Our PMP training courses are conducted by certified, highly experienced professionals with at least 10 years of experience.

PMI, PMP, and PMBOK have registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

Upskill yourself with our trending Project management courses and certifications

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FAQs

1. How can I prepare for PMP in 30 days?

Create a daily study plan for the next 30 days. You should study at least 2-3 hours per day, with more time on weekends. Stick to the plan.

2. Is PMP exam very difficult?

Yes, the PMP exam is particularly challenging because it calls for the use of knowledge and analytical abilities rather than just memorization. Situational questions ask the project manager what to do in particular circumstances. The PMP examination is challenging for people who are new to the field because it demands substantial project management experience.

3. What type of questions are on the PMP exam?

The PMP exam is composed of various types of questions like multiple-choice questions (MCQs), multiple Responses, fill in the blank, matching questions, drag and drop, hotspot.