Free CAPM examination Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the CAPM examination practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1Which undertaking fits PMI's definition of a project?

   1. A. Operating a help desk as an ongoing service
   2. B. Designing and launching a new help desk system
   3. C. Processing service requests through an existing system
   4. D. Maintaining a recurring service reporting routine

   Answer: B

   Explanation: The PMI definition describes a "temporary endeavor" producing a unique result. Designing and launching a system meets those characteristics; operating the established service and its recurring processes describes operations.

   Reference: Using PMI Standards Framework to Improve U.S. Federal Government Capital Investment Outcomes — Printed page 5, Table 1, Project—PMI Definition

2. 2Which conditions most strongly support choosing a predictive approach?

   1. A. Uncertain requirements needing frequent discovery through delivery
   2. B. Well-defined requirements expected to remain stable
   3. C. A need to revise the product direction after every short experiment
   4. D. A customer unable to identify an initial delivery objective

   Answer: B

   Explanation: PMI describes predictive requirements as "well-defined and stable". The other conditions emphasize uncertainty and discovery, which support adaptive work.

   Reference: What Is Project Management — Project Management Approaches—Predictive Project Management

3. 3A product depends on an unfamiliar technical capability whose feasibility is uncertain. How can an adaptive approach reduce exposure to this risk?

   1. A. Defer feasibility work until every feature has been specified.
   2. B. Build the whole product before seeking evidence of feasibility.
   3. C. Test the high-risk capability early and adapt using what is learned.
   4. D. Treat feasibility as established when the initial plan is approved.

   Answer: C

   Explanation: The CAPM reference sample describes addressing high-risk requirements' "viability first". Early experiments give evidence for revising the design before larger commitments, rather than assuming approval eliminates technical uncertainty.

   Reference: Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) Exam Official Cert Guide — Chapter 4, Risk, printed page 113

4. 4A stakeholder asks for a specific system feature. What business analysis responsibility helps establish whether that feature addresses the real problem?

   1. A. Approve the feature solely because a stakeholder requested it.
   2. B. Translate the request directly into code without further inquiry.
   3. C. Investigate the underlying need and clarify the expressed request.
   4. D. Assign the request's delivery date before understanding its purpose.

   Answer: C

   Explanation: IIBA emphasizes "actual needs" rather than only expressed desires. Investigating the problem helps align the proposed solution with what stakeholders need, rather than prematurely committing to a requested feature.

   Reference: IIBA Global Business Analysis Core Standard — Section 1.2, Who is a Business Analyst? printed page 2

5. 5Several related projects share dependencies. Coordinating them produces benefits that managing each separately would not provide. What does this arrangement describe?

   1. A. A program
   2. B. A project
   3. C. A portfolio
   4. D. An operation

   Answer: A

   Explanation: PMI defines a program through coordinated related projects that obtain "benefits not available from managing them individually". The shared dependency benefits therefore identify a program rather than a single project, ongoing operation, or strategic portfolio grouping.

   Reference: Using PMI Standards Framework to Improve U.S. Federal Government Capital Investment Outcomes — Printed page 5, Table 1, Program—PMI Definition

6. 6In a predictive life cycle, when does the team generally attempt to define the project's total scope?

   1. A. At the beginning of the project
   2. B. After the first product increment
   3. C. During final system acceptance testing
   4. D. During the handover to operations

   Answer: A

   Explanation: The predictive description defines total scope "at the beginning". Later information may still require controlled updates; the initial approach does not defer overall scope definition until completion.

   Reference: One Size Does Not Fit All: Choosing the Right Project Approach — Life-cycle approaches—predictive paragraph

7. 7Which product characteristic particularly supports delivering value through incremental releases?

   1. A. Separate usable capabilities can provide customer value as each is released.
   2. B. Detailed performance criteria can be specified confidently before development.
   3. C. Successive prototypes can refine a design before the first operational release.
   4. D. Operational use requires one integrated acceptance of the full capability.

   Answer: A

   Explanation: Incremental delivery releases useful deliverables "in pieces". Independently valuable capabilities support that cadence. Stable upfront criteria support prediction, prototype refinement supports iteration, and full-capability acceptance limits early operational value; these are different from independently useful releases.

   Reference: Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) Exam Official Cert Guide — Chapter 4, Delivery Options and Cadence, printed page 113

8. 8Which responsibility belongs to a process owner in the process model described by PMI's Project and Process Integration paper?

   1. A. Accountability for process design, performance, and improvement
   2. B. Responsibility for executing assigned business-process activities
   3. C. Responsibility for coordinating a temporary project's scope and schedule
   4. D. Responsibility for a product's market positioning and roadmap

   Answer: A

   Explanation: The process owner is responsible for "process design and performance" and identifying improvement opportunities. An operator executes activities, a project manager coordinates temporary delivery, and product management guides market direction. These are distinct responsibilities rather than universal authority claims.

   Reference: Project and Process Integration — Ownership (Who Cares?)

9. 9An organization manages projects, programs, and ongoing operations together to achieve strategic objectives. What is this collection called?

   1. A. A project: a temporary endeavor producing a unique outcome
   2. B. A program: related projects coordinated for shared benefits
   3. C. An operation: ongoing work sustaining products or services
   4. D. A portfolio: projects, programs, and operations grouped for strategy

   Answer: D

   Explanation: A portfolio includes "operations managed as a group to achieve strategic objectives" together with projects, programs and subportfolios. A single temporary endeavor is a project, coordinated related-project benefits define a program, and ongoing service work is operations. The question asks about the strategic grouping.

   Reference: Using PMI Standards Framework to Improve U.S. Federal Government Capital Investment Outcomes — Printed page 5, Table 1, Portfolio—PMI Definition

10. 10How are changes handled in a predictive project that uses formal change control?

    1. A. They are prohibited once a baseline has been approved
    2. B. They are implemented whenever a team member suggests them
    3. C. They are reviewed and accepted through the defined process
    4. D. They are excluded from documentation to preserve the original plan

    Answer: C

    Explanation: Predictive changes use a "formal review and acceptance process". A baseline supports control; it does not prohibit justified changes or authorize uncontrolled implementation.

    Reference: One Size Does Not Fit All: Choosing the Right Project Approach — Life-cycle approaches—predictive paragraph