I85PREP
⌘ K
GAQM CPD study materials
GAQM CPD study resources

GAQM CPD practice questions

One question at a time. Build your GAQM CPD understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager is preparing the document that formally authorizes the project and names the project manager. Which document is this?

  1. Stakeholder register
  2. Resource calendar
  3. Project charter Correct answer.
  4. Work breakdown structure

Explanation

The project charter formally authorizes the existence of a project and gives the project manager authority to apply organizational resources to project activities. It is issued by the sponsor or initiating body before detailed planning begins.

Question 2Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project team is estimating duration for a task that has never been done before and no historical data exists. Which estimating technique is most appropriate?

  1. Three-point estimating Correct answer.
  2. Parametric estimating
  3. Bottom-up estimating
  4. Analogous estimating

Explanation

Three-point estimating uses optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic values to account for uncertainty, which suits novel tasks with no historical reference. It also produces an expected duration with a measure of risk exposure.

Question 3Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

In earned value management, a project reports CPI of 0.85 and SPI of 1.10. What does this indicate?

  1. The project is over budget and behind schedule
  2. The project is under budget and ahead of schedule
  3. The project is over budget and ahead of schedule Correct answer.
  4. The project is under budget and behind schedule

Explanation

CPI below 1.0 means cost performance is worse than planned, so the project is over budget. SPI above 1.0 means more work has been earned than planned for the time elapsed, so the project is ahead of schedule.

Question 4Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

Which process group contains the processes performed to complete the work defined in the project management plan?

  1. Planning
  2. Executing Correct answer.
  3. Initiating
  4. Closing

Explanation

The Executing process group consists of processes used to complete the work defined in the project management plan to satisfy project requirements. It coordinates people and resources and manages stakeholder engagement during delivery.

Question 5Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager wants to reduce the probability and impact of identified risks before they occur. Which risk response strategy is being applied?

  1. Acceptance
  2. Exploitation
  3. Transfer
  4. Mitigation Correct answer.

Explanation

Mitigation is a response strategy for threats that reduces the probability of occurrence or the impact of the risk. It acts before the risk eventuates rather than after.

Question 6Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A quality tool plots data points on a chart with time on the horizontal axis to reveal trends and shifts in a process. Which tool is described?

  1. Control chart Correct answer.
  2. Affinity diagram
  3. Scatter diagram
  4. Pareto diagram

Explanation

A control chart displays process data over time against control limits, helping distinguish common-cause from special-cause variation. Trends, runs, and points outside limits signal that the process may be out of control.

Question 7Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A stakeholder has high power and high interest in the project. According to a power/interest grid, how should the project manager engage this stakeholder?

  1. Monitor with minimal effort
  2. Ignore unless they raise concerns
  3. Manage closely and engage actively Correct answer.
  4. Keep informed with general updates

Explanation

Stakeholders with high power and high interest must be managed closely because they can strongly influence the project and care deeply about outcomes. They require active engagement, regular communication, and involvement in key decisions.

Question 8Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

Which document defines how the project team will acquire, develop, manage, and release project resources?

  1. Scope management plan
  2. Communications management plan
  3. Procurement management plan
  4. Resource management plan Correct answer.

Explanation

The resource management plan describes how project resources will be estimated, acquired, developed, managed, controlled, and released. It is a subsidiary component of the project management plan.

Question 9Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager is calculating the critical path. Activity A takes 3 days, B takes 4 days, and C takes 2 days, and they are performed sequentially. What is the path duration?

  1. 12 days
  2. 7 days
  3. 9 days Correct answer.
  4. 4 days

Explanation

For activities performed in sequence, durations are summed along the path. Adding 3 plus 4 plus 2 gives 9 days, which is the total path duration.

Question 10Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

During monitoring, a project manager notices that a deliverable was accepted by the customer but the acceptance was never formally documented. Which action best addresses this gap?

  1. Record acceptance in the validated deliverables and update the issue log if needed Correct answer.
  2. Re-baseline the schedule
  3. Revise the project charter
  4. Update the risk register only

Explanation

Control Quality and Validate Scope require formal documentation of acceptance for completed deliverables. Recording the acceptance produces the verified and accepted deliverables and keeps records aligned with contractual and quality requirements.

Question 11Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

Which conflict resolution technique results in a permanent solution where both parties reach a consensus?

  1. Forcing
  2. Smoothing
  3. Collaborating Correct answer.
  4. Withdrawing

Explanation

Collaborating seeks a win-win outcome by incorporating multiple viewpoints and reaching consensus. Because it addresses the underlying interests of both parties, it tends to produce lasting solutions.

Question 12Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager needs to communicate a complex technical design to a distributed team with varying levels of expertise. Which approach is most appropriate?

  1. Send a brief email summary only
  2. Use interactive sessions with visual models and allow questions Correct answer.
  3. Rely on informal corridor conversations
  4. Post a single message on the project portal

Explanation

Complex technical content for an audience with mixed expertise requires interactive communication with visual aids and opportunity for clarification. This reduces misunderstanding and accommodates different knowledge levels.

Question 13Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

Which contract type places the greatest cost risk on the buyer?

  1. Time and materials
  2. Cost plus fixed fee Correct answer.
  3. Firm fixed price
  4. Fixed price incentive fee

Explanation

In a cost-reimbursable contract such as cost plus fixed fee, the buyer pays allowable costs regardless of how high they rise, so the buyer bears the greatest cost risk. The seller's fee is fixed, but total cost is not.

Question 14Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager is developing the schedule and must account for the fact that a tester cannot start until the developer finishes. What type of dependency is this?

  1. Finish-to-start Correct answer.
  2. Start-to-finish
  3. Start-to-start
  4. Finish-to-finish

Explanation

A finish-to-start dependency means the successor activity cannot begin until the predecessor activity finishes. This is the most common dependency type in project schedules.

Question 15Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project is running late and the sponsor asks the manager to add resources to compress the schedule. This may increase cost and risk. Which technique is being requested?

  1. Fast tracking
  2. Crashing Correct answer.
  3. Schedule baseline change
  4. Resource leveling

Explanation

Crashing shortens duration by adding resources to activities, usually at increased cost and sometimes with added risk. It is applied to activities on the critical path to be effective.

Question 16Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

Which of the following best describes the purpose of a lessons learned register during a project?

  1. To list contractual penalties for the seller
  2. To replace the risk register
  3. To record only final project results at closure
  4. To capture knowledge gained that can improve current and future project performance Correct answer.

Explanation

The lessons learned register captures knowledge gained during the project so it can be applied to improve performance in the current project and in future work. It is updated throughout the project, not only at closure.

Question 17Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager uses a technique where each team member estimates work individually and then the estimates are discussed until consensus is reached. Which technique is this?

  1. Delphi technique
  2. Analogous estimating
  3. Planning poker Correct answer.
  4. Monte Carlo simulation

Explanation

Planning poker is a consensus-based estimating technique in which team members privately make estimates and then discuss differences until agreement is reached. It reduces anchoring bias and draws on team expertise.

Question 18Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

Which process involves comparing actual project performance against the project management plan to identify variances?

  1. Control Quality
  2. Manage Project Knowledge
  3. Monitor and Control Project Work Correct answer.
  4. Perform Integrated Change Control

Explanation

Monitor and Control Project Work tracks, reviews, and reports progress against the plan and identifies variances requiring corrective action. It provides the performance information that feeds other control processes.

Question 19Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager identifies that a key supplier may fail to deliver on time. The manager purchases insurance against the loss. Which risk response has been used?

  1. Transfer Correct answer.
  2. Avoid
  3. Mitigate
  4. Accept

Explanation

Transferring a risk shifts the financial impact to a third party, commonly through insurance or warranties. The risk still occurs, but the buyer is compensated for the consequence.

Question 20Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

Which component of the project management plan describes how changes to project scope will be managed?

  1. Configuration management plan
  2. Change control plan
  3. Requirements management plan
  4. Scope management plan Correct answer.

Explanation

The scope management plan documents how scope will be defined, developed, monitored, controlled, and validated, including how scope changes are handled. It is a subsidiary plan of the project management plan.

Question 21Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager is leading a team through a stage where members have differing opinions and compete for influence. According to Tuckman's model, which stage is this?

  1. Forming
  2. Storming Correct answer.
  3. Norming
  4. Adjourning

Explanation

In Tuckman's model, storming is the stage where conflict and competition emerge as team members assert their views and roles are negotiated. The project manager should facilitate resolution to help the team progress.

Question 22Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project has a budget at completion of 200,000 and earned value of 80,000 with actual cost of 100,000. What is the cost variance?

  1. -50,000
  2. 80,000
  3. 20,000
  4. -20,000 Correct answer.

Explanation

Cost variance equals earned value minus actual cost. Here 80,000 minus 100,000 equals negative 20,000, meaning the project has spent more than the value earned so far.

Question 23Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

Which technique is used to forecast the total cost of a project when the remaining work is expected to follow the current cost performance trend?

  1. EAC equals BAC minus EV
  2. EAC equals PV minus AC
  3. EAC equals EV divided by AC
  4. EAC equals AC plus (BAC minus EV) divided by CPI Correct answer.

Explanation

When current cost performance is expected to continue, the estimate at completion is actual cost plus the remaining budget adjusted by the cost performance index. This formula, AC plus (BAC minus EV) divided by CPI, reflects the assumption that the CPI trend persists.

Question 24Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager discovers that a team member has been recording hours on the wrong code. What is the most appropriate first step?

  1. Correct the records and investigate the root cause of the misallocation Correct answer.
  2. Immediately escalate to the sponsor
  3. Revise the cost baseline
  4. Ignore it because the totals match

Explanation

Correcting the records restores accurate data for cost and performance measurement, and investigating the root cause prevents recurrence. Escalation or baseline revision should follow only if the corrected figures show material variance.

Question 25Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

Which document is created during the Develop Project Charter process and provides the sponsor's formal approval for the project?

  1. Benefits management plan
  2. Project charter Correct answer.
  3. Project statement of work
  4. Business case

Explanation

The project charter is the output of Develop Project Charter and constitutes formal approval and authorization for the project. It is signed by the sponsor or initiating authority.

Question 26Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

Which document formally authorizes the existence of a project and gives the project manager authority to apply organizational resources to project activities?

  1. Business case
  2. Project management plan
  3. Project charter Correct answer.
  4. Benefits management plan

Explanation

The project charter is issued by the sponsor and formally authorizes the project, naming the project manager and granting authority to commit organizational resources. It is created before detailed planning begins and serves as the reference for the project's existence.

Question 27Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

Which knowledge area is primarily concerned with identifying, evaluating, and controlling risks that could affect the project?

  1. Project stakeholder management
  2. Project risk management Correct answer.
  3. Project quality management
  4. Project procurement management

Explanation

Project risk management covers the processes of planning risk management, identifying risks, performing qualitative and quantitative analysis, planning responses, and implementing responses. Its purpose is to increase the likelihood of positive events and decrease the likelihood of negative ones.

Question 28Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager is building a work breakdown structure. Which principle should guide the decomposition of the project scope?

  1. Work packages should be decomposed until they can be reliably estimated and managed Correct answer.
  2. Each work package should be assigned to every team member
  3. Decomposition should continue until each task is one hour in duration
  4. The WBS should list organizational departments rather than deliverables

Explanation

Decomposition continues until work packages are small enough to be estimated, scheduled, and controlled with reasonable confidence. The WBS is deliverable-oriented, and each work package typically has a single accountable owner.

Question 29Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

Which estimating technique uses historical data from similar past projects to estimate the duration or cost of the current project?

  1. Three-point estimating
  2. Parametric estimating
  3. Analogous estimating Correct answer.
  4. Bottom-up estimating

Explanation

Analogous estimating uses the actual values from a similar previous project as the basis for the estimate. It is generally faster and less costly but also less accurate than detailed techniques.

Question 30Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A team member repeatedly arrives late and misses commitments, and the project manager schedules a private conversation to address the behavior. Which interpersonal skill is being applied?

  1. Conflict management Correct answer.
  2. Negotiation
  3. Facilitation
  4. Team building

Explanation

Conflict management involves addressing disagreements and behavioral issues directly and constructively to maintain a productive team environment. A private, issue-focused conversation is a standard conflict-handling approach.

Question 31Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

Which type of organizational structure typically gives the project manager the greatest level of authority over project resources?

  1. Functional organization
  2. Balanced matrix organization
  3. Projectized organization Correct answer.
  4. Weak matrix organization

Explanation

In a projectized organization, team members report directly to the project manager, who controls resources and priorities. Authority is greatest there and weakest in a functional organization.

Question 32Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

Which document records identified stakeholders, their interests, and their potential impact on the project?

  1. Stakeholder register Correct answer.
  2. Issue log
  3. Communications management plan
  4. Resource management plan

Explanation

The stakeholder register identifies stakeholders and captures information such as their interests, influence, expectations, and potential impact. It is created during stakeholder identification and updated as the project progresses.

Question 33Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager wants to verify that a completed deliverable meets the specified quality requirements before handover to the customer. Which activity is being performed?

  1. Plan quality management
  2. Manage quality
  3. Control quality Correct answer.
  4. Validate scope

Explanation

Control quality involves monitoring and recording the results of quality activities to assess performance and verify that deliverables meet requirements. It results in verified deliverables, which are then presented to the customer for formal acceptance during Validate Scope.

Question 34Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager needs to determine the total project duration when activity durations and dependencies are known. Which technique should be used?

  1. Resource leveling
  2. Precedence diagramming only
  3. Monte Carlo simulation
  4. Critical path method Correct answer.

Explanation

The critical path method performs a forward and backward pass over the network to determine early and late dates and the longest path through the project. That longest path defines the shortest possible project duration.

Question 35Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager is preparing a cost baseline. Which components are typically aggregated to form it?

  1. Work package estimates plus management reserve
  2. Work package estimates plus contingency reserve Correct answer.
  3. Activity estimates plus profit margin
  4. Activity cost estimates plus management reserve

Explanation

The cost baseline is the approved time-phased budget that includes work package estimates and contingency reserves for identified risks. Management reserve is held outside the baseline and released only through change control.

Question 36Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

During execution, a requested scope change is approved by the change control board. What must the project manager do next?

  1. Implement the change without updating any project documents
  2. Escalate the approved change to the sponsor for a second approval
  3. Update the affected baselines and plans and communicate the change Correct answer.
  4. Reject the change because the baseline is already approved

Explanation

After approval, the change is implemented and the affected baselines, plans, and documents are updated through Perform Integrated Change Control. Approved changes must also be communicated to affected stakeholders.

Question 37Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager wants to reduce the probability and impact of a negative risk by taking early action before it occurs. Which risk response strategy is being used?

  1. Exploit
  2. Transfer
  3. Accept
  4. Mitigate Correct answer.

Explanation

Mitigation reduces the probability or impact of a threat by acting in advance of the risk event. It differs from avoidance, which changes the plan to eliminate the threat entirely.

Question 38Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager must select a communication method for a message that requires immediate feedback and clarification. Which method is most appropriate?

  1. Formal written report
  2. Intranet posting
  3. Interactive conversation Correct answer.
  4. Email notification

Explanation

Interactive communication, such as a conversation or meeting, allows immediate feedback and clarification and is best for complex or sensitive messages. Written methods are better suited to broad distribution of routine information.

Question 39Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager is negotiating the acquisition of a specialized service and wants a single fixed price for a well-defined scope. Which contract type fits best?

  1. Cost plus incentive fee
  2. Time and materials
  3. Firm fixed price Correct answer.
  4. Cost plus fixed fee

Explanation

A firm fixed price contract sets a single price for a well-defined scope and places the greatest cost risk on the seller. It is appropriate when requirements are clear and stable.

Question 40Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager notices that a team member's performance has declined and the team is missing milestones. Which action best demonstrates servant leadership?

  1. Discuss the obstacles with the team member and remove barriers to performance Correct answer.
  2. Escalate the team member to the functional manager immediately
  3. Remove the team member from the project without discussion
  4. Increase monitoring and reporting frequency for the whole team

Explanation

Servant leadership focuses on understanding and addressing team members' needs and removing impediments so they can perform. A direct conversation aimed at identifying and removing obstacles reflects that principle.

Question 41Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager is assessing whether a project should continue. Which analysis compares the present value of expected future cash flows with the initial investment?

  1. Net present value Correct answer.
  2. Internal rate of return
  3. Benefit-cost ratio
  4. Payback period

Explanation

Net present value discounts expected future cash flows to present value and subtracts the initial investment. A positive NPV indicates the project is expected to add value at the given discount rate.

Question 42Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager is leading a globally distributed team with members in different time zones. Which approach best supports effective team development?

  1. Establishing clear communication protocols and rotating meeting times Correct answer.
  2. Limiting communication to written reports only
  3. Requiring all meetings to occur in the headquarters time zone
  4. Assigning all decision-making to the colocated members

Explanation

Virtual teams benefit from agreed communication norms, clear protocols, and fair scheduling that shares the burden of time-zone differences. Rotating meeting times demonstrates inclusion and sustains engagement across locations.

Question 43Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager is developing the resource management plan. Which element addresses how team members will be assessed and rewarded for performance?

  1. Responsibility assignment matrix
  2. Team charter
  3. Resource calendar
  4. Recognition and rewards plan Correct answer.

Explanation

The recognition and rewards plan, part of the resource management plan, defines the criteria and approach for rewarding desired team behavior and performance. It should be clear, achievable, and tied to project objectives.

Question 44Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager is using a decision-making technique in which a group silently generates ideas, then ranks them, to reduce the influence of dominant personalities. Which technique is described?

  1. Delphi technique
  2. Focus group
  3. Nominal group technique Correct answer.
  4. Brainstorming

Explanation

The nominal group technique combines silent idea generation with structured ranking so that all participants contribute without being swayed by dominant voices. It is commonly used for requirements collection and prioritization.

Question 45Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager is planning how to manage changes to the product requirements. Which plan component should define the process for submitting, evaluating, and approving these changes?

  1. Requirements management plan Correct answer.
  2. Scope baseline
  3. Quality management plan
  4. Procurement management plan

Explanation

The requirements management plan describes how requirements will be elicited, analyzed, documented, and controlled, including the change process for requirements. It is a component of the project management plan.

Question 46Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project has a schedule variance of negative 15,000 and a cost performance index of 0.92. What does this indicate about the project?

  1. The project is ahead of schedule and over budget
  2. The project is behind schedule and under budget
  3. The project is ahead of schedule and under budget
  4. The project is behind schedule and over budget Correct answer.

Explanation

A negative schedule variance means less work was accomplished than planned, so the project is behind schedule. A cost performance index below 1.0 means costs are higher than the value earned, so the project is over budget.

Question 47Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager is planning to use a critical chain approach. Which practice is central to that method?

  1. Assigning each activity to multiple resources simultaneously
  2. Adding safety time to every individual activity
  3. Removing all dependencies from the schedule network
  4. Aggregating buffers at the end of the critical chain and feeding paths Correct answer.

Explanation

Critical chain method aggregates safety into project and feeding buffers rather than padding each activity, and it accounts for resource availability. Buffers are monitored to protect the critical chain.

Question 48Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager finds that earned value data show favorable cost performance, but the team has been reporting progress on work that has not actually been completed. What is the most significant implication?

  1. The project should be closed because the data are fraudulent
  2. The cost baseline is invalid and must be reissued immediately
  3. Reported performance indicators are unreliable and the measurement approach must be corrected Correct answer.
  4. The schedule variance should be ignored because cost is favorable

Explanation

Earned value analysis depends on accurate, objective measurement of work performed; overstated progress distorts both cost and schedule indicators. The project manager should correct the measurement method, such as using defined percent-complete rules, and revalidate the data before relying on forecasts.

Question 49Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager is applying Monte Carlo simulation to the schedule. Which input is essential for producing a meaningful probabilistic result?

  1. The total budget allocated to each work package
  2. A single deterministic duration for each activity
  3. Probability distributions for activity durations and their dependencies Correct answer.
  4. The functional manager's approval of each activity duration

Explanation

Monte Carlo simulation repeatedly samples activity durations from specified probability distributions and respects the network logic to produce a distribution of possible project outcomes. Without distributions and dependencies, the simulation adds no probabilistic insight.

Question 50Project Management (GAQM Project Management Certification Portfolio)

A project manager is deciding between two projects with similar strategic fit. Project A has an NPV of 120,000 and a payback period of four years; Project B has an NPV of 95,000 and a payback period of two years. The organization prioritizes long-term value creation. Which choice is best supported?

  1. Project B, because lower NPV always indicates lower risk
  2. Project B, because it recovers the investment sooner
  3. Project A, because it produces the greater net present value Correct answer.
  4. Project A, because a longer payback period reduces risk

Explanation

When long-term value creation is the stated priority, NPV is the preferred criterion because it reflects the discounted value added by the project. Project A's higher NPV indicates greater expected value even though its payback is slower.