1. PMP Sample Questions

You are managing a health project to distribute medical supplies in remote areas of Afghanistan. During the planning phase, you identify a risk of transportation delays due to poor road conditions. What should be your next step to manage this risk?

• Ignore the risk and hope for the best

• Develop a risk response plan and include buffer time in the schedule

• Avoid distributing supplies to remote areas to eliminate the risk

• Increase the budget to cover potential delays

Answer explanation

The best approach is to develop a risk response plan and include buffer time in the schedule. This proactive step ensures that the project can handle potential transportation delays without significant disruptions. Ignoring the risk or avoiding remote areas are not viable options, and increasing the budget alone does not address the underlying issue.

In a construction project to build a new school in Kabul, you discover that the project is over budget due to rising costs of construction materials. What should you do first to address this issue?

• Request additional funds from the sponsor

• Use the management reserve to cover the increased costs

• Inform the stakeholders about the budget overrun

• Reassess the project scope to identify potential cost savings

Answer explanation

The first step should be to reassess the project scope to identify potential cost savings. This approach can help mitigate the budget overrun without immediately requesting additional funds or using reserves. Informing stakeholders is important but should follow after reassessing the scope and potential solutions.

While monitoring the progress of an agricultural project aimed at improving irrigation systems in Herat, you notice that the project is behind schedule. What is the best course of action?

• Extend the project timeline to accommodate the delays

• Increase the resources to expedite the remaining work

• Conduct a root cause analysis to determine the reasons for the delay

• Inform stakeholders about the delay and provide a revised schedule

Answer explanation

Conducting a root cause analysis to determine the reasons for the delay is the most effective approach. Understanding the root cause allows for targeted corrective actions. Extending the timeline or increasing resources should only be considered after understanding the underlying issues. Informing stakeholders is important but should include proposed corrective actions.

In a software development project for an NGO in Kandahar, a key stakeholder requests a significant change to the user interface. What is the first step you should take as the project manager?

• Implement the change immediately to satisfy the stakeholder

• Assess the impact of the change on the project's scope, schedule, and cost

• Reject the change to avoid project disruptions

• Inform the project team about the requested change

Answer explanation

The first step is to assess the impact of the change on the project's scope, schedule, and cost. This assessment ensures that any decisions regarding the change are informed and consider the project's constraints and objectives. Implementing the change immediately or rejecting it without analysis could lead to unforeseen consequences.

During a WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) project in Nangarhar, you need to procure water purification equipment from an external vendor. What should be your first step in the procurement process?

• Develop a procurement management plan outlining the procurement process

• Identify potential vendors and request proposals

• Negotiate the contract terms with the selected vendor

• Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine the procurement needs

Answer explanation

The first step in the procurement process is to develop a procurement management plan. This plan outlines the procurement process, including how vendors will be identified, how proposals will be evaluated, and how contracts will be managed. This ensures a structured and efficient procurement process.

In an education project to develop new curriculum materials for schools in Balkh, you notice that the quality of the materials produced does not meet the specified standards. What should you do to address this issue?

• Accept the materials and proceed with the project

• Request a corrective action plan from the vendor to address quality issues

• Increase the budget to enhance the quality of the materials

• Extend the project timeline to allow for quality improvements

Answer explanation

Requesting a corrective action plan from the vendor is the appropriate response to address quality issues. This ensures that the vendor takes responsibility for improving the quality of the materials. Accepting substandard materials, increasing the budget, or extending the timeline without addressing the root cause are not effective solutions.

In a humanitarian project to build temporary shelters in Badakhshan, some team members feel they are not receiving enough information about project progress. What should you do to improve communication?

• Schedule regular status meetings and distribute meeting minutes

• Increase the frequency of project status reports

• Delegate the communication responsibility to a team member

• Create a detailed communication management plan to ensure timely information flow

Answer explanation

Creating a detailed communication management plan is the best approach to ensure timely and effective information flow. This plan will outline how information will be communicated, the frequency of updates, and the responsibilities of team members. Regular status meetings and reports are part of this plan but addressing the overall communication strategy is key.