Changed PMP Exam Questions

The project manager should handle the situation by having a discussion with the sponsor and recommending the project business value be reassessed. This is because the project manager is not authorized to cancel the project, but should communicate the new information to the sponsor and suggest a reevaluation of the project benefitsand alignment with the organizational strategy. This approach is consistent with the principles of stakeholder engagement, communication management, and business environment in project management. References:

• PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, pages 33-34, 51-52, 513-514.
• PMP Exam Content Outline, June 2019, pages 6-7, 10-11, 16-17.

The project manager should ask the Scrum team members to share retrospectives because they can provide valuable insights and feedback on the project performance,processes, and practices. Retrospectives are an agile technique that helps teams to identify what went well, what can be improved, and what actions can be taken to enhance future performance. By asking the Scrum team members to share retrospectives, the project manager can facilitate a collaborative and constructive learning environment, and capture the lessons learned from both the agile and traditional aspects of the hybrid project. This can also help to increase the stakeholder’s appreciation and understanding of the Scrum team’s contribution and value to the project. References:

• A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition, Chapter 3.2.4, page 57
• Agile Practice Guide, Chapter 3.3.2, page 48
• PMP Exam Content Outline, Domain III: Executing, Task 9

According to the Agile Alliance1, the definition of done (DoD) is a set of criteria that a product increment must meet for the team to consider it complete and ready for customers. It is a shared understanding among the team members of when a product increment is ready for release, even when the increment is large and consists of many items. By clearly defining what “done” means to the project, an agile team can focus on delivering value with every sprint and minimizing rework. It is important to note that one person does not create the Definition of Done.Instead, it is agreed upon by the entire project team, including developers, testers, product owners, and other stakeholders. This ensures a smoother process during sprints since everyone is using the DoD as a guide alongside any checklists before marking an item as complete.

The PMBOK® Guide – Seventh Edition2 also mentions the DoD as a key concept in agile development. It states that the DoD helps to ensure that tasks are thoroughly planned and thought through and that the final product meets the required standards of quality. The PMBOK® Guide – Seventh Edition will now be a reference to inform the development of the exam items. However, before any validated exam item is added to the exam, there is a very rigorous and thorough review and field test cycle3.

Therefore, the best option for the project manager to do in this scenario is to help the team create the DoD to improve delivery quality. This will help the team to identify and address the issues that are affecting the code quality and prevent future rework. Comparing the cost of improving quality against the cost of failure and adjusting the budget (option A) may not be feasible or effective in an agile environment, where changes are frequent and unpredictable. Adding testing items to the backlog to assess quality periodically (option C) may not solve the root cause of the problem and may delay the delivery of value to the customers. Expanding the team in order to improve the quality of the project (option D) may not be a viable solution either, as it may introduce communication and coordination challenges and increase the complexity of the project.

References: 1: What is the Definition of Done? Understanding DOD in Agile - Atlassian 2: PMBOK® Guide – Seventh Edition | Project Management Institute 3: PMP Exam Prep | PMI - Project Management Institute

According to the PMBOK Guide, a change management process is the mechanism used to initiate, record, assess, approve, and resolve project changes1. Project changes are needed when it is deemed necessary to change the scope, time, or cost of one or more previously approved project deliverables. Most changes will affect the budget and/or schedule of the project. A change management process should include the following steps2:

• First, identify opportunities for improvement and secure approval from stakeholders.
• Then, make a plan and evaluate your processes.
• Communicate the changes, monitor progress, and continue to assess any risks.

In this scenario, the project manager received a request to add features and functions to the project after the scope had already been established. This means that the request is a proposed change to the project scope statement, which is a formally controlled document that describes the project’s deliverables and the work required to create them3. The project manager should follow the change management process to handle the request, which involves:

• Documenting the request by completing a change request form, which contains the description, justification, and impact analysis of the change.
• Submitting the request to the change control board (CCB), which is a formal group that reviews, evaluates, and approves or rejects changes.
• Implementing the approved changes and updating the project management plan, the project documents, and the project baselines accordingly.
• Communicating the status and outcome of the change request to the relevant stakeholders.

The project manager should not follow the stakeholder engagement process, as this is not directly related to the change request. The stakeholder engagement process is the process of identifying, analyzing, planning, and managing the expectations and involvement of the project stakeholders4. The project manager should not follow the risk management process, as this is not sufficient to deal with the change request. The risk management process is the process of identifying, analyzing, planning, and controllingthe uncertainties that may affect the project objectives. The project manager should not follow the requirements management process, as this is not applicable to the change request. The requirements management process is the process of eliciting, documenting, analyzing, validating, and managing the needs and expectations of the project stakeholders.

References: 1: PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, page 115. 2: 8 Steps for an Effective Change Management Process 3: PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, page 154. 4: PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, page 513. : PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, page 397. : PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, page 139.