| 1. | The answer is D. You don't have to write a guide to be helpful. A wide variety of resources is available for getting ready for the exam, including websites, books, magazines, and papers. Part of your responsibility after you pass the exam is to give help and guidance to those who are taking it after you. This is the way that a profession becomes stronger, and by this type of conduct, you can give back to the profession, which professionals can and should do. |
| 2. | The answer is B. This is not an easy situation to be in. This is also a time when asking other PMPs for input will be extremely useful. As with anything where you will be accusing someone of infractions of the rules, make sure you have your facts straight before going to anyone. There is always the possibility that you do not have an understanding of the actual situation. This is a good time to be professional and circumspect in how you handle the problem. Gather up all the information you can to make sure of what you are saying about another person. There may be nothing worse in business life than to accuse someone or be accused of wrongdoing. Great care and sensitivity is needed in this case. |
| 3. | The answer is C. The more information you have, the more you can plan for dealing with the problem, if there is one. This is a constant and natural theme when you are gathering information concerning potential conflicts. Get as much information as you can. When you think you have enough, get some more. |
| 4. | The answer is A. The more written information you have, the better off you are. If you only have verbal information, you probably shouldn't proceed. There is nothing quite as awkward as confronting someone and then having to go through an "I said, you said" type of meeting. Make sure that everything you are going to discuss is available in written form and shows dates of the activities about which you are going to talk. |
| 5. | The answer is D. By working with this PMP, you may be able to avoid a serious conflict. If he or she refuses to change the WBS, you have a responsibility to go to stakeholders and voice your concerns. How you do that depends in great part on your personality and your relationship with the other project manager. In any case you should construct a WBS that more fully shows all the tasks involved in the project in question and make sure of their accuracy before going to any stakeholders. |
| 6. | The answer is C. This is another example where there is more than one correct answer. It would be good if you did self-study about the topics that you missed, but it would not give you permission to put it in your resume. Only show the classes you have taken and your actual experience. |
| 7. | The answer is D. When there are conflicts between one culture and another, it is a good idea to get your own management involved. Do not try to resolve problems like this without telling your management. Although it may be acceptable in the country in which you worked to accept gifts, it may not be acceptable in your own country. Because your management already has some relationship with the sponsors, get them involved so that no one will be offended by the actions you take. |
| 8. | The answer is C. No matter how well known the materials are, if they are someone else's, then you have the responsibility to cite the source. It is not only a conduct violation to fail to cite another person's work; it is a professional discourtesy. If they worked hard to prepare the research, give them the credit. |
| 9. | The answer is D. It is both bad and unprofessional to knowingly offer an estimate that is incorrect. It is bad for both the buyer and seller because the budget will be affected immediately by the changes. This makes it almost impossible to have good budget and schedule. |
| 10. | The answer is C. Estimates are just that, estimates. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines estimate as, "to judge tentatively or approximately the value, worth, or significance of." Unless the numbers used to make an estimate are known completely, you are getting an approximate value, not a concrete one. |
| 11. | The answer is B. Given that estimates are roughly the correct number, your task as a PMP is to get as close as you can to the actual costs. This can often be very difficult. You owe it to the project sponsor to make a concerted effort to get close to correct every time you do an estimate. |
| 12. | The correct answer is C. Most of the questions on the exam that are concerned with the code of ethics are like this. They have several sentences in the explanation, basically a short case study, and then ask you to choose the correct answer. The best way to study for this is to go to the PMI Certification Handbook and completely familiarize yourself with the code of professionalism. |
| 13. | The answer is D. The customer has the final say over any service scope change. Without the signoff of the customer, do not make any changes. |
| 14. | The answer is A. Even if you have talked with the customer about the possibility of making a service scope change, when it occurs, you must go through a written trail to include in your project records. No changes should occur without having a permanent record of their occurrence. |
| 15. | The answer is B. The customer and the project manager should be in agreement concerning the project objectives before executing the project plan. Thus, one of the first tasks of the project manager is to meet with the customer and make sure that there is agreement on the project objectives. |
| 16. | The answer is C. This is another example of a question where there are two possible correct answers. The customer is also a stakeholder, but the correct answer is C, not B. The customer has the final say over any objective changes, and without buy-in from the customer, no changes should be allowed. |
| 17. | The answer is C. If you were invited to the meeting in the first place, it is highly likely that the president knows whom you are. Email him or her, explaining that your manager would like more information, and request a reply. Usually this can get done more quickly if you call the president's assistant and explain what you are trying to do. But do not in any case go against the express wishes of the president of a client company. |
| 18. | The answer is all of them, except perhaps D. (Running is an option in fight-or-flight response theory but not very often in corporate life.) There is no simple answer to this. The best is C. Check with your own manager. But there are situations where even that is not possible. So, this is one that you have to work out by yourself, considering the situation and the people. I wish it were easier than that. But real life in the project management lane is sometimes uncomfortable. We are not paid for doing the easy parts of the job, only the hard ones. Anyone who tells you differently has not been a project manager. |
| 19. | The answer is B. The tickets were not particularly expensive, cheaper than those of our football (U.S.) team. There was no intent to influence the man's actions, and in any case, the contract was already signed for the project. He later bought me a lunch, and we were even. I also believe it made him more comfortable with our city and the people in it, and that is good for both sides. (Yes, the U.S. national team did win.) |
