As the new PMP Examination approaches, it is worth noting that the content has changed considerably. The previous five (5) domains have been replaced by three (3) new ones, which generally encompass the former. However, more emphasis is placed on team engagement; organizational structure and environment; and methodologies, such as waterfall and agile or a hybrid thereof.
Remember –
- December 31, 2020 – Last day to take the current version of the PMP Exam
- January 2, 2021 – First day to take the new version of the PMP Exam
The three new domains mentioned above, as well as their share of questions on the exam, are as follows:
- Domain I: People – 42%
- Domain II: Processes – 50%
- Domain III: Business Environment – 8%
Question 1: After your company experiences considerable profit losses, high employee turnover, and customer complaints, upper management decides to restructure the organization and have assigned you as the project manager for this endeavor. You are currently assessing and gauging the impact of the changes to the structural restructure on the organization. Which process is this?
- Change management
- Develop scope
- Qualitative risk analysis
- Organizational governance
Question 2: You have just been named the project manager for a team, which was recently formed and had another project manager leading it. As you assess the project scope, the organization’s goals and objectives, and the team members’ make-up, you determine how you will lead the team to achieve a successful project, which includes getting the job done most effectively and efficiently while meeting the team’s work needs. This is performed in the following process:
- Develop team
- Direct and manage project work
- Manage stakeholder engagement
- Manage resources
Question 3: Right before a client shows up for a meeting with you and your entire team, your two key team members inform you that a serious conflict arose between them, and they cannot resolve it on their own. Furthermore, the situation is grave enough to feel that corporate human resource (HR) staff members need to be involved. Since there is no time to delve into the issue in detail, nor can HR be scheduled on such short notice, what is the first thing you should do?
- Although a client is on her way, the “collaborative” method of conflict solving must be used for a long-term solution. Therefore, upon her arrival, you inform the client that they must return another day.
- Because the client is due to arrive soon, you utilize the “force” method and inform both team members that the client meeting is more important and that they need to get over their issue or else risk serious repercussions.
- You ask both team members to put aside their differences until they can all meet with the client and schedule a meeting as soon as possible. In other words, you use the “withdraw/avoid” method.
- None of the above.
Question 4: You have been asked by your supervisor to lead a project team to restructure the organization. Additionally, your supervisor informs you that he prefers you to skip the development of the “Project Charter” to reduce cost and time. What would be the appropriate response to such a request?
- Since the supervisor is your project sponsor, you follow their instructions and move directly into the “Planning” stage of the project without an approved project charter.
- You spend some of your own time, without reporting it on your timesheet, to prepare a simplified version of the project charter to get it approved and ensure that you and your sponsor understand the project’s intent.
- You fast track the project to accommodate the project charter’s development within the allocated timeline, while not increasing budget costs.
- You inform your supervisor that it will save time and money in the long run if you start with an approved project charter. If your supervisor still insists that the project charter I not needed, you document the instructions you have received and escalate it as appropriate.
Question 5: On a typical projectized organizational structure, which of the following would be considered key stakeholders directly involved in a project?
- Project sponsor, product buyers, project team, your company’s CFO
- Project sponsor, project manager, project product distributors, risk manager
- Project manager, team leader, quality manager, project team, project sponsor
- Client, project sponsor, permitting agencies, operations managers
Question 6: You have just been asked to take over a software development project, which is 50% completed. However, you find that there are already an excessive amount of change requests for various detailed items missing in the interim deliverables, which were not detailed in the original project scope. Upon reviewing the project plan, you notice that the basic boilerplate language in the work scope is complete, but the product details are not included. What should have been included in the project plan?
- A more detailed project scope
- A Requirements Management Plan
- A Change Management Plan to minimize the number of change requests
- None of the above
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of understanding and applying Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” whenever a project manager is working through the “Develop Team” process.”
- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs establishes the key requirements in any project and product to prioritize the client’s expectations better.
- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is used to determine team members’ personal and professional priorities, which can motivate them at work.
- Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs establishes the phases (Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning) a team requires to work more efficiently and harmoniously together.
- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is used to determine the best way to select team members working within a projectized organizational structure.
Question 8: You have been assigned to a project, which is already halfway through its lifecycle. Upon reviewing the budget, you find that 60% of the overall budget of $100,000 has already been spent. Additionally, your team members, who have been involved with the project from the start, inform you that approximately 54% of the project has been completed. After reviewing the contract, you learn that no revisions to the baselines are permitted. To maintain the integrity of the baselines, what should you do next?
- Determine the Estimate at Completion based on the current Cost Performance Index (CPI)
- Determine the To Complete Performance Index (TCPI) based on a new Estimate At Completion (EAC)
- Calculate the Schedule Performance Index (SPI) and Cost Performance Index (CPI) and adjust accordingly
- Determine the required TCPI to meet the contractual constraints
Question 9: A client has authorized a change request towards the end of the project, which authorizes you, as the Project Manager, to provide oversight services to her staff once the product is being manufactured at her plant. The assignment will last 100 days after to ensure that predetermined key performance indices (KPIs) are met. This work is considered:
- Operations
- Program
- Project
- An authorized change request
Question 10: A municipality has requested your services to develop a public park, including a community center and playgrounds for children over the next two (2) years, based on a master plan developed three (3) years ago. The current economic climate within the municipality is currently uncertain. Therefore, the client is unsure if they will have the funds to finish the entire project at the end of three years. One key stakeholder has suggested your firm use an agile methodology to carry out the project to allow for some flexibility. However, the municipality’s treasurer is concerned about cost and schedule deviating too much and would prefer a more traditional methodology, such as waterfall. As a project manager, what might you suggest?
- Since budget and schedule are two of the triple constraints in any project, you would recommend using the waterfall methodology to develop an accurate baseline for both cost and time.
- Because the current economic downturn is impossible to gage on a long term basis, your preference is to use an agile methodology that will provide the most flexibility to design and schedule, while at the same time ensuring that the budget stays under control.
- Although neither method is ideal, you would recommend using the waterfall method since it is the most commonly used framework used in architecture-engineering-construction (AEC) projects.
- Since the project appears to benefit from using parts of both agile and waterfall methodologies, you would recommend using a hybrid of both ensuring that waterfall covers the areas of construction that cannot be easily altered later on, while allowing for some flexibility through the agile method, such as more direct and constant participation by the client.
ANSWERS:
- Answer 3: Qualitative Risk Analysis assesses the impact of potential uncertainties that may arise in the future. Change Management and Organizational governance are not processes and Develop Scope is not being used in this situation.
- Answer 1: Develop team is the process in which the project manager coaches, mentors, and determines what the team needs to work best.
- Answer 3: although a “collaborative” conflict resolution process is the best for long-term success, the “withdrawal/avoid” method can be used here because of the time constraints. You are simply putting off the work needed to solve the issue until after the client meeting.
- Answer 4: PMI guidelines dictate that there cannot be a “project’ without a Project Charter since the charter is the first stage to determine whether the project is viable and worth pursuing.
- Answer 3: although all four options list stakeholders, only answer “3” lists stakeholders directly involved in the project. The others may be equally important, but they are not involved as hands-on as the ones listed in option “3”
- Answer 2: The Requirements Management Plan, which generates the Requirements Traceability Matrix as an output, would have covered all the product details as well as their priority, assigned responsible party, deadline, and other valuable information.
- Answer 2: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs lists what people seek based on their age, professional development, personal goals, etc. By knowing what each team member is looking for in their work and life, the project manager can offer that as a motivator. For example, a team member with children may be motivated by working from home one or two days a week rather than getting a 5% increase in pay.
- Answer 4: Since no changes to the baselines can be made, then the “Budget at Completion” must be adhered to. Therefore, the only thing you can do, as the PM, calculates what the TCPI has to be to not go over budget at the end of the project: TCPI = (BAC – EV)/(BAC – AC)
- Answer 3: Although the work will occur once the product has gone into the operation stage, it is still considered part of the project since 1) it will create a unique result established by the target KPIs, and 2) it is a temporary endeavor with an end date.
- Answer 4: Given the information provided in this question, as well your understanding of the potential risks in a volatile economic climate, using a hybrid form of both agile and waterfall will allow you to use the most effective qualities of both to ensure a successful project.
