PMI CAPM Practice Exam

• A. The order in which work packages are approved for funding
• B. The group of processes repeated within every phase
• C. The phases a project moves through from start to finish Correct answer
• D. The stages a product passes through from concept to retirement

Option C is correct because a project life cycle is the series of phases a project passes through from start to finish. Option A is about funding, not phases. Option B describes process groups, not phases. Option D is the product life cycle, which covers the product's whole life including operation and retirement, not just the project.

• A. Predictive Correct answer
• B. Iterative
• C. Incremental
• D. Adaptive

Option A is correct because a predictive (plan-driven) life cycle fixes scope, schedule and cost early and then delivers to that plan. Iterative, incremental and adaptive approaches all expect scope to be refined as work progresses, so they do not match this preference.

• A. Initiating Correct answer
• B. Executing
• C. Closing
• D. Planning

Option A is correct because the project charter is created in Initiating; it authorizes the project and names the project manager. Planning builds the management plan after authorization, Executing does the work, and Closing finishes the project.

• A. Lessons learned session
• B. Change control board meeting
• C. Baseline audit
• D. Phase gate Correct answer

Option D is correct because a phase gate (also called a phase review or kill point) is the end-of-phase decision to continue, change or stop. A lessons learned session captures knowledge, a change control board decides on change requests, and a baseline audit is not a standard phase decision.

• A. An adaptive approach with the backlog reprioritized each sprint
• B. A hybrid approach with fixed milestones and iterative build work Correct answer
• C. A predictive approach with the scope baselined at the start
• D. An incremental approach with a release after each completed phase

Option B is correct because the fixed date and budget call for predictive-style milestones, while the changing interface requirements call for iterative build work, which is a hybrid approach. A fully adaptive approach would not respect the fixed commitments, a purely predictive one cannot absorb changing requirements, and releasing after each phase is not what incremental delivery means.

• A. Scope, schedule and cost are planned up front Correct answer
• B. Requirements emerge from frequent customer demos
• C. Work items are pulled through a Kanban board
• D. Work is delivered in short timeboxed iterations

Option A is correct because a predictive approach defines scope, schedule and cost in detail at the start and then follows the plan. Options B and D describe agile ways of working (customer demos, short iterations), and option C describes Kanban, which pulls work continuously rather than planning it all up front.

• A. Waterfall Correct answer
• B. Incremental
• C. Iterative
• D. Adaptive

Option A is correct because a predictive life cycle is also called waterfall: phases run in sequence and the plan is set early. Incremental and iterative approaches deliver in pieces or repeat cycles, and adaptive is the term for agile-style approaches, so none of those is another name for predictive.

• A. Reprioritized in every iteration
• B. Expected to emerge during delivery
• C. Well understood and stable at the start Correct answer
• D. Shaped by user feedback after each release

Option C is correct because predictive approaches work best when requirements are well understood and stable at the start, so they can be planned in full. Options A, B and D all describe requirements that change or emerge, which is where agile approaches fit better.

• A. Short iterations reduce the need for documentation
• B. Phased approvals support regulatory compliance Correct answer
• C. Self-organizing teams decide scope during delivery
• D. Frequent customer reviews keep requirements flexible

Option B is correct because these industries are regulated, and phase-by-phase approvals and documentation help prove compliance. Options A, C and D describe agile traits (light documentation, self-organizing teams, flexible requirements) that do not suit strict regulatory control.

• A. Formal procedures and documented approvals Correct answer
• B. Teams that set priorities themselves each day
• C. Customers who are on site every day to give feedback
• D. Leaders who favor experiments over written plans

Option A is correct because formal procedures and documented approvals match the structured, plan-driven nature of a predictive approach. Options B, C and D describe self-directed teams, constant customer presence and experimentation, which suit agile settings.

• A. Scope is fully defined and approved upfront
• B. Requirements will evolve during delivery Correct answer
• C. Regulation requires sign-off at each phase gate
• D. The work repeats the same steps every time

Option B is correct because adaptive approaches are designed for work where requirements are expected to change during delivery, so the team can respond through short feedback cycles. Fully defined upfront scope and identical repeating steps point to a predictive approach, and phase-gate sign-offs are a predictive control.

• A. Plan-driven, with phase-gate approvals
• B. Predictive, with a fixed baseline
• C. Adaptive, with short feedback loops Correct answer
• D. Hybrid, with a locked design phase

Option C is correct because frequent customer feedback that reshapes features calls for an adaptive approach with short feedback loops. Plan-driven, predictive and hybrid-with-locked-design options (A, B, D) fix the plan up front and cannot absorb changes every few weeks.

• A. Fully predictive for the whole product
• B. Fully adaptive with no upfront documents
• C. Hybrid: fixed compliance, iterative interface Correct answer
• D. Predictive interface, adaptive compliance work

Option C is correct because a hybrid approach fits: the documented compliance requirements are stable and suit predictive control, while the unclear user interface benefits from iterative, feedback-driven work. Fully predictive or fully adaptive ignores one of the two needs, and option D reverses which part suits which approach.

• A. Early delivery of working increments Correct answer
• B. A fixed scope locked at the start
• C. A detailed full-scope estimate at kickoff
• D. Formal sign-off before each phase

Option A is correct because adaptive approaches deliver working increments early, so the team can learn and adjust when requirements are uncertain. Options B, C and D lock scope, estimates or approvals up front, which suits predictive work with stable requirements.

• A. Waterfall
• B. Phase-gate model
• C. Scrum Correct answer
• D. Critical path method

Option C, Scrum, is correct because it is an iterative, adaptive framework that delivers in short sprints. Waterfall and the phase-gate model are predictive, and the critical path method is a scheduling technique rather than a development approach.

• A. Identify needs and recommend solutions Correct answer
• B. Find defects in the delivered product
• C. Sequence activities and track milestones
• D. Approve funding for the project

Option A is correct because business analysis exists to identify business needs and recommend solutions that deliver value. Finding defects is quality work (B), sequencing activities and tracking milestones is schedule management (C), and approving funding is a sponsor or governance decision (D).

• A. Assigning team members to tasks
• B. Reporting schedule variance to the sponsor
• C. Managing the project budget
• D. Eliciting and documenting requirements Correct answer

Option D is correct because eliciting, analyzing and documenting requirements is the core business analysis responsibility. Assigning team members, reporting schedule variance and managing the budget (options A, B and C) are project management duties.

• A. Requirements traceability matrix
• B. Needs assessment Correct answer
• C. Stakeholder register
• D. Project charter

Option B is correct because a needs assessment documents the business problem or opportunity and the gap between the current and desired state. A traceability matrix (A) links requirements to deliverables, a stakeholder register (C) lists stakeholders, and a project charter (D) authorizes the project.

• A. Stakeholder register Correct answer
• B. RACI matrix
• C. Lessons learned register
• D. Issue log

Option A is correct because the stakeholder register records each stakeholder's interest, influence and expectations. A RACI matrix assigns roles, the lessons learned register captures experience, and the issue log tracks problems, so none of those profile stakeholders.

• A. Requirements management plan
• B. Stakeholder register
• C. Project charter
• D. Communications management plan Correct answer

Option D is correct because the communications management plan defines who receives which information, how often, and in what format. The requirements management plan (A) covers how requirements are handled, the stakeholder register (B) identifies stakeholders, and the charter (C) authorizes the project.