Free PMI CAPM practice questions

10 free PMI CAPM practice questions with the correct answer and a full explanation for each, taken from the CertStash pack of 517 questions. Work through them, then open each answer to check your reasoning.

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Question 1

Once the make-or-buy analysis is completed, which document defines the project delivery method?

  1. Procurement statement of work (SOW)
  2. Procurement strategy
  3. Terms of reference
  4. Change request
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Procurement strategy

The procurement strategy document defines the project delivery method after make-or-buy analysis is completed. It outlines the overall approach to procuring goods and services needed for the project, including whether to make or buy, and how to execute that decision.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. The procurement statement of work describes what will be procured, not the overall delivery method strategy.
  • C. Terms of reference define the scope and authority of a project or function, not the procurement delivery method.
  • D. Change requests are used to modify existing project elements, not to define initial delivery methods.

Question 2

A project is just beginning, and management creates a long list of potential stakeholders.

Which statement about identifying and engaging stakeholder, is correct?

  1. The project manager should identify and deal with stakeholders only during the execution phase.
  2. Stakeholder satisfaction should be identified immediately and managed as a project objective.
  3. The project manager should focus on project objectives and deal with stakeholders as a secondary priority.
  4. Stakeholder satisfaction is the most important goal, and project objectives should be considered a secondary priority.
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Stakeholder satisfaction should be identified immediately and managed as a project objective.

Stakeholder satisfaction should be identified as a project objective immediately and managed throughout the project lifecycle. This ensures alignment between stakeholder expectations and project delivery from the outset.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Stakeholders must be identified and engaged from project initiation, not only during execution.
  • C. Stakeholders are not secondary; managing stakeholder expectations is integral to project success.
  • D. While stakeholder satisfaction is important, project objectives remain the primary goals that define project success.

Question 3

Which is an example of leveraging evolving trends and emerging practices in Project Integration Management?

  1. Hybrid methodologies
  2. Risk register updates
  3. Outsourced project resources
  4. Reliance on lessons learned documents
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Hybrid methodologies

Hybrid methodologies represent evolving trends in project management that combine elements of different approaches (such as waterfall and agile) to suit modern project needs. This is a current emerging practice in integration management.

Why the other options are wrong

  • B. Risk register updates are ongoing management activities, not examples of leveraging emerging trends.
  • C. Outsourced project resources reflect resourcing decisions, not emerging integration management practices.
  • D. Lessons learned documents are traditional project management tools, not evolving trends or emerging practices.

Question 4

What should a project manager use to determine how much money is needed to complete a project?

  1. Earned value management (EVM)
  2. Estimate at completion (EAC)
  3. Earned value analysis (EVA)
  4. Budget at completion (BAC)
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Estimate at completion (EAC)

Estimate at completion (EAC) projects how much total budget will be required to complete a project based on current performance and remaining work. It answers the question of how much money is needed in total to finish the project.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Earned value management is a technique for measuring project performance, not for determining completion cost.
  • C. Earned value analysis measures performance against the baseline but does not calculate the total money needed to completion.
  • D. Budget at completion is the original approved budget total, not an estimate of what is actually needed to complete the project.

Question 5

The project manager is creating the communications management plan.

Which group of inputs is required to begin?

  1. Work performance reports, change requests, and risk register
  2. Work performance data, project documents, and stakeholder engagement plan
  3. Project charter, project management plan, and project documents
  4. Work performance data, stakeholder register, and team management plan
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Project charter, project management plan, and project documents

Creating the communications management plan requires inputs from the project charter (which establishes authority and context), the project management plan (which defines how the project will be executed), and project documents that provide relevant details about the project scope and stakeholders.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Work performance reports and change requests are outputs or results of execution, not inputs to initial communications planning.
  • B. While stakeholder engagement is relevant, work performance data is generated during execution, not used as an input to create the initial plan.
  • D. Work performance data is a result of project work, not an input to creating the communications management plan initially.

Question 6

A project is in progress and about to move to a different phase, according to the plan. This will be a good opportunity for the project manager to:

  1. create the project management plan.
  2. identify the project objectives.
  3. review and update stakeholder engagement.
  4. create the schedule baseline.
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. review and update stakeholder engagement.

A phase transition is a natural checkpoint for confirming who the stakeholders are and how they need to be engaged. Stakeholder power, interest, and information needs often shift as the work moves into a new phase, so the project manager reviews and updates the stakeholder register and the stakeholder engagement approach. This keeps engagement strategies aligned with the conditions of the upcoming phase.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. The project management plan is developed during planning through Develop Project Management Plan, and at a phase gate it would be updated rather than created.
  • B. Project objectives are defined at initiation and captured in the project charter, so they are not established when a phase changes.
  • D. The schedule baseline is produced by Develop Schedule during planning and is only rebaselined through approved change control, not as a routine phase transition activity.

Question 7

A new project has been set. Four main stakeholders besides the project manager and four other team members have been identified.

How many communication channels are available?

  1. 8
  2. 18
  3. 36
  4. 40
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. 36

Communication channels are calculated using the formula n(n-1)/2, where n is the total number of people. With 4 stakeholders + 1 project manager + 4 team members = 9 people total. Therefore: 9(8)/2 = 36 communication channels.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Eight channels would only account for a small subset of the total people involved.
  • B. Eighteen channels is insufficient for the number of participants involved.
  • D. Forty channels exceeds the mathematically correct calculation for 9 people.

Question 8

A project manager is preparing to meet with three crucial project stakeholders on a new project.

Which tools and techniques can the project manager use to capture stakeholder interest?

  1. Review stakeholder register and meeting
  2. Data analysis and communication skills
  3. Data gathering and data analysis
  4. Communication skills and cultural awareness
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. Communication skills and cultural awareness

Meeting face to face with key stakeholders is engagement work, so the project manager relies on communication skills and interpersonal skills such as cultural awareness. Communication skills, including feedback, confirm that messages and expectations are understood, while cultural awareness helps the project manager read differences in values, norms, and communication style. Together they draw out what each stakeholder actually cares about.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. The stakeholder register is an input that holds previously documented information, not a tool or technique for drawing out stakeholder interest in a meeting.
  • B. Data analysis evaluates information already collected, so pairing it with communication skills does not address the interpersonal side of meeting stakeholders directly.
  • C. Data gathering and data analysis support documenting and assessing stakeholder information, not the live interpersonal exchange used when meeting stakeholders.

Question 9

Select three processes that are associated with Project Schedule Management? (Choose three.)

  1. Define Activities
  2. Plan Resource Management
  3. Estimate Activity Durations
  4. Develop Schedule
  5. Acquire Resources
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A, C, D

A. Define Activities C. Estimate Activity Durations D. Develop Schedule Project Schedule Management contains six processes: Plan Schedule Management, Define Activities, Sequence Activities, Estimate Activity Durations, Develop Schedule, and Control Schedule. Of the choices listed, Define Activities, Estimate Activity Durations, and Develop Schedule belong to this knowledge area. They break work packages into activities, determine how long each activity takes, and produce the schedule model and baseline.

Why the other options are wrong

  • B. Plan Resource Management belongs to Project Resource Management, where it defines how resources are estimated, acquired, and managed.
  • E. Acquire Resources is an executing process in Project Resource Management that obtains team members, facilities, and equipment.

Question 10

What are the project management processes associated with project quality management?

  1. Plan Quality Management, Manage Quality, and Control Quality
  2. Plan Quality Management, Manage Quality, and Cost of Quality
  3. Manage Quality, Customer Satisfaction, and Control Quality
  4. Customer Satisfaction, Control Quality, and Continuous Improvement
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Plan Quality Management, Manage Quality, and Control Quality

Control Quality Quality Management in PMBOK consists of exactly three processes: Plan Quality Management (defining quality standards and how to meet them), Manage Quality (executing quality activities to satisfy requirements), and Control Quality (monitoring and measuring work results to ensure conformance). These are the formal, defined processes within the Quality Management knowledge area.

Why the other options are wrong

  • B. Cost of Quality is a concept within quality management but not a formal process name.
  • C. Customer Satisfaction and Continuous Improvement are outcomes or considerations, not formal Quality Management processes.
  • D. Customer Satisfaction and Continuous Improvement are not defined Quality Management processes in PMBOK.

That was 10 of 517.

The full PMI CAPM pack has all 517 questions, each with the answer, the explanation and why the other options are wrong, plus a questions-only copy for timed runs. US$39, paid once, with free monthly updates and a pass-or-your-money-back guarantee.

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