PM Test Center

Danielle is the project manager for a public water organization. During the testing phase, she learns that there are contaminants in the water left from her construction project. Danielle consults her environmental experts and they claim that there is very little risk of any sickness. What is the best thing for Danielle to do?

A. Inform the public that the water is safe but they should boil the water before drinking.
B. Inform the public and perform a more detailed examination to locate the root of the problem.
C. Inform the public of the water treatment process and your organization’s safety record.
D. Do nothing because there is low risk for sickness.

Answer: B. Inform the public and perform a more detailed examination to locate the root of the problem.
Managing expectations, even for the public, is key to any project or organization. In this case, the problem also requires remediation to ensure that the problem can be solved to prevent continued issues with the water.

As a PMP, you are responsible for all of the following except:

A. Ensuring that the PMBOK® Guide is strictly enforced
B. Meeting the scope of the project
C. Providing accurate estimates to superiors
D. Keeping confidential information from leaking

Answer: A. Ensuring that the PMBOK® Guide is strictly enforced
The PMBOK® Guide is simply a recommended standard and not meant for project managers to follow strictly.

Your company secured a contract with a client overseas and you are expected to bring your entire team with you for six weeks. The culture of your client’s country is very different from yours. What is the best way to prepare your team?

A. Arrive a few days early to get acclimated
B. Hold as many teleconference meetings as possible with the client leading up to the trip
C. Provide culture awareness training
D. Do nothing since your team will adapt as they live and work there

Answer: C. Provide culture awareness training
Training is usually the best way to prepare anyone heading into an unfamiliar situation.

Your company secured a contract with a client overseas and you are expected to bring your entire team with you for six weeks. The culture of your client’s country is very different from yours. What is the term that describes their anxiety of potential difficulties in assimilating in a new locale?

A. Culture shock
B. Adjustment phase
C. Disorientation
D. Known unknowns

Answer: A. Culture shock
Culture shock refers to feelings felt when people have to function in an unfamiliar social environment. Much of it has to do with not knowing what is generally accepted or appropriate.

Your mentor informs you that as a PMP®, you are responsible for improving capabilities of colleagues. You should respond with:

A. You agree but it only applies after you have achieved your PMP®.
B. You agree and all project managers should strive to improve the capabilities of their colleagues.
C. You disagree since improving capabilities of colleagues have nothing to do with professional responsibility.
D. You disagree because project managers should focus only on improving their own competencies.

Answer: B. You agree and all project managers should strive to improve the capabilities of their colleagues.
All project managers are expected to improve the capabilities of their colleagues, regardless of whether or not they have achieved their PMP®.

Your mentor informs you that as a PMP®, you are responsible for improving your own project management competencies. You should respond with:

A. You agree but it only applies after you have achieved your PMP®.
B. You agree and all project managers should strive to improve themselves.
C. You disagree since personal project management competencies have nothing to do with professional responsibility.
D. You disagree because project managers should focus only on competencies of their team members.

Answer: B. You agree and all project managers should strive to improve themselves.
All project managers are expected to improve their own project management competencies, regardless of whether or not they have achieved their PMP®.

With only a week remaining, your $500,000 project is $2,000 over budget and you expect to lose your team’s bonus for not completing the project under budget. You know that your sponsor will determine the team’s bonus based on your report. What is the best thing for you to do?

A. Stress to your team that they must be more efficient during the last week to receive their bonus
B. Find a way to decrease the amount of testing so the project will complete under budget
C. Submit the report with accurate results and notify your team that the bonus will not be awarded
D. Submit the report stating you are under budget and find a way to borrow at least $2,000 from another project’s budget

Answer: C. Submit the report with accurate results and notify your team that the bonus will not be awarded
Providing accurate project reports is part of professional responsibility. Under no reasonable circumstances will you be excused for the intentional submission of deceptive reports. In addition, the bonus should have no bearing on completing the project in the best possible manner.

You distributed your RFP to your list of qualified vendors and with only a few days before the deadline, one of them reaches out to you with some questions. However, you are extremely busy finishing up another project and your time is limited. The vendor offers to take you out to a lunch meeting to discuss their concerns on the RFP since you will have to eat at some point anyway. What is the best thing for you to do in this situation?

A. Accept since this really the best way to work them into your busy schedule
B. Accept but offer to pay for your own meal
C. Decline and propose another time for the meeting that is not during lunch
D. Ask your manager what your company policy is on outside meetings with vendors

Answer: C. Decline and propose another time for the meeting that is not during lunch
Having lunch with a potential vendor is a conflict of interest. There are no exceptions to this.

George, one of your co-workers, is applying to take the PMP® exam. When you ask him about the process, he tells you that although he does not have enough experience to qualify, he is simply increasing his actual project hours to fill any gaps. You know this is wrong and the best thing for you to do is:

A. Tell his manager that he is being unethical
B. Confront him and recommend that he apply for the CAPM® exam instead
C. Notify PMI® directly
D. Do nothing

Answer: C. Notify PMI® directly
Although confronting him or telling his manager seem appropriate, the best thing for you to do is to contact PMI®. As a general rule, the safest bet is to report unethical behavior directly to the governing body, and in this case, it happens to be PMI®.

While working as a project manager for your company, you travel to another country to meet with the client. During that visit, the client gives you a package and tells you that it is customary in their country to offer gifts. However, your company policy does not allow you to accept gifts. Therefore, you should:

A. Refuse the gift
B. Accept the gift anyway
C. Refuse the gift at first but accept it if the client insists
D. Accept the gift and notify your manager

Answer: D. Accept the gift and notify your manager
Although you should refuse gifts as a general rule, if it is customary for someone in another country to offer a gift, simply accept it and notify your manager. This is the only exception to the rule of not accepting any gifts since it could potentially be a conflict of interest.