Project Management Professional Sample Questions for PMP Exam Prep
- CertiMaan
- Oct 11
- 8 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Get fully prepared for the PMP certification exam with this curated collection of Project Management Professional (PMP) sample questions. These practice materials are aligned with PMI’s exam structure and cover all key domains—People, Process, and Business Environment. Whether you're looking for free PMP practice exams, realistic scenario-based questions, or updated exam dumps, this resource helps you strengthen your skills and improve performance. Designed for aspiring and working project managers, the questions reflect real-world challenges and test your understanding of agile, hybrid, and predictive project management. Practice confidently, assess your readiness, and take a step closer to PMP certification success with these expert-level questions.
Project Management Professional Sample Questions List :
1. At a project meeting, a stakeholder challenges a critical deliverable and milestone outlined in the approved charter. What could the project manager have done to avoid this conflict?
Involved the stakeholder from the outset
Mapped stakeholders with a power/interest grid
Held regular check-ins with the stakeholder
Performed an in-depth stakeholder analysis
2. Select two ways servant leadership empowers teams.
Boosts team accountability
Offers mentoring and support
Relies on one clear leader
Uses autocratic decisions
3. Who developed the model outlining the phases of team development?
Abraham Maslow
Dr. Bruce Tuckman
Victor Vroom
David McClelland
4. Syd negotiates with another team needing a development environment for quality control. They’ll maintain it if Syd’s team consults an hour weekly. What negotiation stage is this?
Acceptance
Terms negotiation
Exploration
Closure
5. You’re leading a project for Community Trends, a nonprofit addressing social needs. After calculating performance metrics, you get: BAC = 900, ETC = 65, PV = 500, EV = 475, AC = 425. What’s true about this project?
It’s ahead of schedule with higher-than-expected costs
It’s lagging behind schedule but under budget
It’s behind schedule with elevated costs
It’s on track schedule-wise and under budget
6. George, scrum master for Project X (ninth iteration, $150,000 budget, 96 velocity), sees a junior developer struggling. What’s his best action?
Let the team self-manage
Send them to training
Pair them with a senior developer
Report to their manager
7. While drafting the project scope with the sponsor, they raise safety worries about electrical requirements. How should these concerns be categorized?
Assumption
Product requirement
Pure risk
Cost of quality
8. You’re managing a high-stakes project needing full resource control. What organizational structure fits best?
Strong matrix
Projectized
Project coordinator
Weak matrix
9. At what project stage is success most likely?
Execution
Closure
Initiation
Planning
10. Samah pushes to hire contractors to aid her team, but it doesn’t always work due to training needs. A stakeholder suggests executive training. What should it focus on?
Quality management
Stakeholder management
Cost management
Risk management
11. Hank, scrum master for Project E, is five sprints in with a 64-point velocity. During a sprint review, two stakeholder groups clash over deliverable priority. What should Hank do?
Convene both groups to decide delivery order
Prioritize the more influential stakeholder
Favor the stakeholder with greater authority
Let the team vote on it
12. Holly, PM for the UIM Project, gets a change request approved by the CCB. What’s not a result of this change?
WBS updates
Scope updates
WBS dictionary updates
Charter updates
13. In a status meeting, a team member flags a sudden price hike for a vital component. What’s the project manager’s next move?
Assess the price surge’s project impact
Check the procurement management plan
Adjust the risk plan for this change
Add the cost to the budget
14. Which isn’t a quality management process?
Quality definition
Quality control
Quality assurance
Quality planning
15. A project, on budget and on time at week 10 of 20, faces a sponsor request via senior management to finish two weeks early. What’s the best first step?
Record the change request
Fast-track the schedule
Discuss with the sponsor
Crash the project
16. Select two items a PM includes in a team charter.
Team values
Decision-making criteria
Team responsibilities
Team assignments
17. What’s an input to the Close Project or Phase process?
Accepted deliverables
Final products or services
Document updates
Work performance info
18. What’s an input to Identify Stakeholders?
Project management plan
Stakeholder register
Procurement documents
Stakeholder analysis
19. Company A hires a PM for Company B’s project. What document from Company B is essential for the charter?
Scope statement
Statement of work (SOW)
Work breakdown structure (WBS)
Project management plan
20. A PM arranges quality training for the team about the final product. What COQ category is this?
Internal failure
Prevention
External failure
Appraisal
21. Wally manages Project Verify, a security software rollout, eight weeks in. A triggered risk delays it by three weeks and adds $15,000 in costs by pausing tasks for fixes. What risk response is this?
Transference
Escalation
Mitigation
Fast-tracking
22. On a control chart, three points are below the mean within limits, four are above and outside. How’s the process?
Out of control
Under the seven-point rule
Within spec limits
In control
23. As HR manager at a phone company with a flawed feedback system, you aim to reward customer service reps with KPIs. What’s the best goal?
Improve the feedback system
Gain more customers for profit
Reduce connectivity issues
Boost phone sales
24. You’re kicking off a project with stakeholders, team, and management. What’s this meeting called?
Requirements gathering
Risk identification
Team development
Kick-off
25. Samantha, scrum master for Project Y in planning, is asked how to budget an agile project. What’s her likely reply?
You can’t—it’s pay-as-you-go
Switch to a predictive model
Estimate initially, tweak later
Ask the product owner
26. An IT manager confirms no quality control failures for a new system. What’s the PM’s next step?
Begin closure
Hand off to the client
Share the final report
Validate scope with sponsor
27. What’s a tool/technique in Manage Project Team?
Org charts
Ground rules
Org theory
Conflict management
28. A developer transitioning to PM manages a security feature project. By resolving issues actively, what’s her goal?
Enhance skills
Allocate resources
Optimize performance
Boost team interaction
29. Jason, a PM, aims to boost EI and reward his team to meet a tight deadline. What’s the best reward?
Promise a $500 bonus
Thank each member personally
Praise them to supervisors
Give top two early leave
30. A construction PM builds a WBS for a large project. What aids its creation?
Gantt chart
Activity list
Subcontractor pricing
Requirements docs
31. An SPI below 1.0 means what?
Project lags planned value
EV is fully achieved
Time loss is permanent
No concern despite delay
32. Alice’s project, ahead of schedule, gets extra quality testing approved. What’s this an example of?
Quality assurance
Scope creep
Integrated change control
Change control
33. Ben, PM at ABC Corp, faces a team argument during a meeting. What’s his best resolution?
Address privately post-meeting
Escalate to their manager
Ignore if timeline’s safe
Stop meeting to resolve
34. Select three costs of quality.
Quality staff
Rework
Time on quality tasks
Quality tools
35. A project, three weeks behind with two months left, can’t use overtime. How does the PM recover?
Over-allocate resources
Request scope change
Crash the schedule
Fast-track it
36. An IT hardware PM finds failing component batches. What tool reduces failure rates?
Control chart
Tornado diagram
Probability/impact matrix
Fishbone diagram
37. Judy shares with her project coach that her mother’s health issues may pull her away occasionally, stressing her need for work-life balance. How should the coach respond?
Suggest she keep it private
Demand extra hours to cover absences
Ignore her concerns
Encourage sharing with the team for support
38. A PM delivers completed project deliverables to the client’s PM while the client is away. Later, approval is rejected. What should’ve been done?
Ensured quality deliverables
Escalated client absence
Got sign-off from a rep
Specified payment terms
39. Sean’s team finds a missing requirement in a user story. A developer discusses it with a key contact, but the tracking tool isn’t updated. What should Sean do?
Update the tool immediately
Limit talks without testers
Discuss at the next standup
Block changes outside backlog
40. Thomas, team lead, is asked if a release is doable in three sprints. Past sprints hit 20, 25, and 30 points; 90 points remain. What’s his answer?
No, average is 25 points
Yes, velocity will rise
Add team members
Team decides, not me
41. You’re managing a smartphone app project at SubZero Delights, plotting uncertainty vs. requirement uncertainty. What model is this?
Agile Model
Stacey Complexity Model
Release Model
Shu-Ha-Ri Model
42. You’re creating a unique TV series for November sweeps. What’s true here?
It’s a project—unique with set dates
It’s operations—series creation is routine
It’s ongoing—series lasts years
It’s not unique—firm makes series
43. A client verbally okays a scope change, but it’s not recorded. What’s the PM’s next step?
Request a formal change from the client
Consult senior management
Update the project plan
Proceed while awaiting approval
44. A developer suggests a cost-free performance boost during execution. What’s the PM’s first step?
Check performance data
Implement without delay
Have a tech lead review
Document for change control
45. At Fun Days Vacation Packages, you align projects with strategic goals for resource efficiency. What’s this?
Project management
Program management
Portfolio management
Project and program management
46. You’re deciding to buy or build software for a late project. In what process is make-or-buy analysis used?
Initiating
Procurement planning
Contract closeout
Source selection
47. Which diagram shows project activities and their logical links?
Gantt chart
Project schedule network diagram
Milestone list
Activity list
48. Bevan’s elevator project has phased milestones. What term describes these work segments?
Phase gate
Project governance
Project phase
Project life cycle
49. The charter is ready, but the sponsor, leaving in two weeks, delays approval for the new sponsor. Stakeholders resist waiting. The sponsor reschedules the meeting. What technique is this?
Prevention
Smoothing
Withdrawal
Forcing
50. Amanda, scrum master for Project DBA, has final deliverables approved. After lessons learned and product handoff, what’s next?
Release the team
Plan support
Monitor operations
Close remaining tasks
FAQs
1. What is the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification?
The PMP is a globally recognized PMI certification that validates advanced knowledge and skills in managing projects across predictive, agile, and hybrid methods.
2. How do I become PMP certified?
You must meet PMI’s eligibility requirements, apply through PMI.org, and pass the PMP exam.
3. What are the eligibility requirements for the PMP exam?
Four-year degree + 36 months project management experience + 35 hours training, OR
Secondary degree + 60 months project management experience + 35 hours training.
4. How much does the PMP certification cost?
PMI members: $405 USD
Non-members: $555 USD
5. How many questions are on the PMP exam?
The PMP exam has 180 questions (175 scored + 5 unscored).
6. What is the passing score for the PMP exam?
PMI does not disclose an exact score; results are reported by proficiency levels.
7. What topics are covered in the PMP exam?
The exam is based on three domains: People, Process, and Business Environment.
8. How long is the PMP certification exam and what is the format?
The exam duration is 230 minutes with scheduled breaks. It is computer-based.
9. How difficult is the PMP certification exam?
It is considered challenging, requiring deep knowledge of project management practices and real-world experience.
10. How long does it take to prepare for the PMP exam?
Most candidates prepare for 2–4 months depending on prior experience.
11. Are there any PMP sample questions or practice tests available?
Yes, PMI provides sample questions, and CertiMaan offers practice tests and dumps.
12. What is the validity period of the PMP certification?
The PMP is valid for 3 years.
13. How many PDUs are required to maintain the PMP certification?
You must earn 60 PDUs every 3 years.
14. Can I retake the PMP exam if I fail?
Yes, you can retake the exam up to 3 times within your one-year eligibility period.
15. What jobs can I get with a PMP certification?
You can work as a Project Manager, Program Manager, PMO Lead, Delivery Manager, or Portfolio Manager.
16. How much salary can I earn with a PMP certification?
On average, PMP-certified professionals earn 20–25% higher salaries compared to non-certified peers.
17. Is the PMP certification worth it?
Yes, PMP is one of the most valuable certifications in project management, improving career growth and global recognition.
18. What is the difference between PMP and CAPM certifications?
CAPM: Entry-level, for beginners.
PMP: Advanced, requires extensive project management experience.
19. What are the best study materials for the PMP exam?
Use PMI’s exam content outline, PMBOK® Guide, Agile Practice Guide, and CertiMaan practice tests.
20. Where can I register for the Project Management Professional exam?
You can apply and register directly on the PMI website (pmi.org).
