PMP-Project Manager Interview Questions and Answers

These PMP Interview Questions have been designed specially to get you acquainted with the nature of questions you may encounter during your interview for the subject of PMP As per my experience good interviewers hardly plan to ask any particular question during your interview, normally questions start with some basic concept of the subject and later they continue based on further discussion and what you answer .we are going to cover top 100 PMP Interview questions along with their detailed answers.

We will be covering PMP scenario based interview questions PMP interview questions for fresher’s as well as interview PMP questions and answers for experienced.

1. What is your view on PMP?

Ans:

As a project manager, one has to face the uncertainties throughout the time. It is essential for the manager to identify risks and communicate appropriately.

This question will show you their priorities and how determined a project manager is. Besides this, you will know whether they are the perfect fit for your team.

2. Why did you choose PMP Certification?

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It demonstrates your knowledge and dedication to constantly and successfully be a project manager.

It’s worth probing the skills of applicants. Find out the last project they handled with creative thinking.

3. What do you spend most time carrying out every day?

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This will give you a hint of how a person does his/her job. If he/she spends all day at the pc can suit your environment or someone who visits clients most days of the week.

So, if you find something that fits with the post, you can consider it for further process.

4. What was the most difficult decision you have made?

Ans:

It will show their knowledge of PMI code and their approach towards work.

The interviewers want to know how they have handled the new challenges and stressful situations. Get this one right to score major points.

5. What criteria did you use to improve the project management process?

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This will demonstrate what is significant to you at work.

Everyone gets an opportunity to tender suggestions for improvements.  Look for someone who has superb ideas and exciting projects to put forward.

6. When did you run into serious conflict and how you dealt with it?

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This gives an idea of how well you do your job. Having a strong focus and finding a solution to each problem means a great leader. 

A project manager does this all the time, so make good relations with people and don’t rule them before knowing anything about them.

7. Which one skill does a project manager need to succeed?

Ans:

This question forces the candidates to decide one of the scores of skills needed by a project manager.

This explains the experience and focuses on a project manager. Your greatest strength as a project manager should be your answer to this question.

8. If you had to rate yourself on the scale from 1-10 as a project management professional, what would it be?

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This can show how they value their career and don’t forget to ask why they chose that rating. Having a clear focus and thought is essential for project managers.

9. Did you ever face any challenges while managing projects? How did you handle those challenges?

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With the responsibilities of a project manager, comes a lot of challenges. So pick out one which you have been successful in handling.

Give the various ways how you have handled and the strategy you came up with.

10. Which of the methodologies have you used in your projects? Why do you prefer it over others?

Ans:

There are various methodologies — Agile, Waterfall, etc. — which are used in project management.

Be well-prepared about the various pros and cons of each methodology that you have used. Never mention the ones that you haven’t used.

11. How do you ensure your team stays on track to meet project deadlines?

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A sample answer can be ‘I clearly communicate what the expectations are before the team starts to work on the task. I regularly take updates on the progress and if there is a lag anywhere I make myself approachable for the team members to discuss their problems.

Also, I appreciate and give feedback once the project is completed to keep them motivated’.

12. Do you know anything about Pareto principle/analysis?

Ans:

This is again a knowledge-based question. The Pareto principle states that 80% of the results come from 20% of the actions.

This is a statistical analysis that is used by project managers to prioritize work. If you have enough experience as a project manager, most likely you have used this principle or at least a variation of it. 

Apart from explaining what it is, talk about how you used it in your previous job (if you did).

13. Do you think integrity is an essential quality of a project manager?

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Of course, you have to say ‘yes’. Go on to describe why it is so. Any company wants an employee who shares the values and principles of the company.

If you are in a responsible position such as a project manager, you are expected to show the way for others to follow. Earning the respect of your team members and the trust of your bosses can only happen when you are ethically upright. 

14. If the customer is not happy with the result and does not accept the product. What would you as a project manager do?

Ans:

Keeping customers happy is important for the companies. Hence, your answer should showcase that you value customers as well.

You can start by explaining that during the course of the project you regularly interact with the customers so that they are on the same page as the project team.

Despite this, if the customers are unhappy with the result, say that you will try to clearly understand what modifications they want and try to incorporate them. In case the changes cannot be made, you will try to convince and explain to the customer that the project fits in with the agreed scope. 

15. How should a project manager communicate a failure to his team?

Ans:

A good project manager is optimistic. The way you handle failure reflects the true leader in you. If your team worked on a project and it ultimately failed, they are bound to be unhappy.

But as a manager, it is your duty to ensure that failures don’t affect the morale of the team. You can tell the interviewer that instead of blaming a particular person or a group, you make it a collective responsibility.

Also, mention that you communicate to the team members to learn from the mistakes they made in this project and not repeat them in the future.

16. What was the biggest challenge that you faced while working on a project?

Ans:

‘I didn’t have the right team’. ‘I don’t deal well with changes’. ‘My boss wasn’t very supportive’. These would be bad answers to give your future employer.

As a project manager, you are expected to manage people and handle risks. So, don’t tell your interviewer that you fall short in those two areas.

Give an example of a situation in which the challenge was due to the external factors. It can be about when the project was abruptly shelved or when the funding for it has been stopped.

Don’t forget to mention how you handled the situation and what you learned from it. 

17. What kinds of projects interest you the most? Why?

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The one word that you need to focus on for this pm interview question is ‘relevance’. Do your research about the company and the role you are applying for.

Your answer for this should be about the kind of projects that the company can offer.

18. What are different kinds of project management tools you worked with?

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When the interviewer asks this question, it is to know whether you can use Lean, Kanban, Agile etc. If the company uses particular project management software, read up on it.

Further, do mention how your knowledge of a specific project management tool can help their company. 

19. What kind of people do you find difficult to work with?

Ans:

This is a potential trap. ‘I get along with everyone’.

Say this and you will open a floodgate of questions. Focus on why you are being asked this question. They want to check your people management skills. You can talk about how you are strictly professional and do not let your emotions get the better of you while working with people.

Bring out your maturity, emotional quotient while answering this question.

20. Are there any projects that you do not want to work on?

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If you say you are fine with any project, it might imply that you do not know yourself enough to answer this question. Instead, it is better to be honest and communicate your preferences.

But, if you are applying for a software project manager position and say you hate software development, slight chance you will get the job. So, be a little smart. 

21. How do you keep your team members motivated?

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One of the important roles of a leader is to keep the morale of the team members high. Show the interviewer that you are team player and work collaboratively.

Tell the interviewer that you would like your team members to look up to you for advice. Also, they should feel free to share their ideas and suggestions with you.

Instead of imposing decisions, you allow the team members to contribute and make it a collective effort. 

22. How do you monitor and review the delegated responsibilities?

Ans:

This is an extension of the question on how you ensure that your team members meet deadlines.

Talk about clearly defining the responsibilities, arranging regular meetings, empowering the team members to approach if there is any concern and constant updates on the progress of the work. 

23. What motivates you to give your best to your projects?

Ans:

The answer varies from person to person. But responses can be ‘I like to be out of my comfort zone and hence love challenging projects’. ‘Projects which help me learn and evolve, pushing my potential’.

‘I am attracted to success and achievement. The thought of reaching the project goals within the stipulated time motivates me’.

Think about the answer that you want beforehand so as to justify your statements with real-life examples. 

24. How do you deal with changes to your project?

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Changes and modifications are a part and parcel of most projects. An employer wants a project manager who is flexible and adaptable to changes.

The best answer can be about how you actually put in place a change management process even before the changes occur.

At the same time, showcase that you are not a person shy to say ‘no’ when you feel that a certain change is not suitable for the project.  

25. How good are your communication skills?

Ans:

Project managers need to have good communication skills. So, don’t be too honest and say that communication skills are your weakest area.

The answer has to either ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. But, don’t sound overconfident while saying so. If they ask for examples, be ready with two or three examples in different settings to justify your point.

26. What is your work style?

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1. 1. It is another question to check if you fit in with the company’s culture.
2. 2. It also indicates whether you are self-aware to communicate your work style.
3. 3. Though it sounds vague, this question provides an opportunity to show how you can be an asset to the company.
4. 4. You could talk about your emphasis on speed and efficiency, how you like to work collaboratively, your way of communication etc.
5. 5. Further, you can mention about how you organize your day and how many hours you work. 

27. How do you improve your knowledge regarding project management?

Ans:

• Companies want their employees to be fully invested in the jobs that they are applying for.
• There are many software tools coming up and many processes being invented regularly in the project management landscape.
• Hence, project managers need to continually upgrade their skills to be relevant.
• Basically, tell your interviewer about what you are doing to grow in your field.
• It could be certification courses you are taking or workshops/courses you are attending.
• Also, you can talk about your interactions with project managers and people in the field to stay up-to-date with the latest. 

28. Why do you want to work with this company?

Ans:

You need to go prepared for this interview question. If their working style suits yours, you can discuss it. If the job you are applying for is the next logical step for your current job, tell them that. Or, even something like you being attracted to their work culture or vision, can be a good response.

Better yet, you can say how the job and the company align with your personal growth.

This shows that you are looking for a long-term collaboration with the company. 

29. Did you face any problems with your co-workers in your previous company?

Ans:

You might or you might not have faced issues with your former colleagues. But, if you mention that you did, don’t be too negative. You can discuss the problem.

However, put your emphasis on what you did to resolve the problem. Give it a happy ending. You can also talk about what has been the learning and how you would handle similar kind of people in the future. It shows your leadership skills.

30. An Effective Quality Audit Should Be?

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To provide the best results, a quality audit should be a structured process performed by an independent entity.

31. What Is The Traditional Way To Display A Reporting Structure Among Project Team Members?

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A hierarchical-type organizational chart can clearly show roles and reporting relationships within a team.

32. In An Ongoing Project, The Project Sponsor And A Manager Of The Performing Organization Are Having Conflicts. What Would Be Your Comment On This Situation?

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The project manager needs to recognize that the stakeholders may have conflicting interests and objectives. It is the responsibility of the project manager to manage the stakeholders’ expectations successfully.

33. Project Risks Should Be Identified By?

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While it is not possible to invite everyone to the risk identification meetings, everyone should be encouraged to identify risks as they encounter them.

34. A Control Chart Should Always Contain?

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Upper and lower control limits allow the control chart to serve its purpose of indicating when a process is in or out of control.

35. Which Of The Following Is An Input To The Develop Project Team Process?

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Resource calendars are inputs to the Develop Project Team process.

36. Successful Conflict Management Results In?

Ans:

Successful conflict management results in greater productivity and positive working relationships.

37. Which of The Following Is An Enterprise Environmental Factor?

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Commercial databases are considered enterprise environmental factors. The other choices are organizational process assets.

38. Which Of The Following Is A Classical Organizational Structure?

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A functional organization is a classical organizational structure.

39. Which Of The Following Is Not A Project Competing Constraint?

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• Six competing project constraints are scope, quality, schedule, budget, resources and risk.
• Procurement is not a project competing constraint.

40. Which Of These Tools Is Not A Part Of The Seven Basic Tools Of Quality?

Ans:

The seven basic tools of quality are:

1. 1. Cause and effect diagrams
2. 2. Control charts
3. 3. Flowcharting
4. 4. Histograms,
5. 5. Pareto charts
6. 6. Check sheets
7. 7. Scatter diagrams

41. Which Quality Control Technique Or Tool Should Be Used When Trying To Determine The Cause Of A Major Defect?

Ans:

A fishbone diagram, also called a cause-and-effect diagram, helps identify potential causes of an issue or problem.

42. Why Is It Important To Have A Staff Release Plan For People Within The Project Team?

Ans:

A staff release plan provides a clean break point for an individual and saves the project money in the process.

43. Which Of These Is Not An Approved Estimate Activity Durations Technique?

Ans:

Analogous, parametric, and three-point estimating techniques are all accepted practices for determining the correct amount of time required for a portion of the project. The Critical Path Analysis techniques evaluate the whole project schedule.

44. Which Of The Following Is Incorrectly Represented By The Term Progressive Elaboration?

Ans:

1. 1. The distinction between progressive elaboration and scope creep needs to be understood since the two terms are different.
2. 2. The changes to scope (especially in an uncontrolled manner) are called scope creep.
3. 3. In contrast, progressive elaboration involves building on or elaborating the output of a previous phase.

45. Which Document Describes The Project’s Deliverables And The Work Required To Create Those Deliverables?

Ans:

The project scope statement is the correct response. This document describes the project’s deliverables in detail and the work that is required to create those deliverables.

It also forms the baseline for evaluating whether requests for changes are within or outside the project’s boundaries.

46. Which of These Items Are Important To Address When Determining Each Person’s Role In The Project Team?

Ans:

All four of these are important to consider when considering someone for a position within the project team:

• Role
• Authority
• Responsibility
• Competency

47. When Beginning A New Outsourcing Project, What Is The Best Way To Determine From Which Companies You Should Request A Bid?

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A qualified seller list is a list of sellers that have been pre-screened for their qualifications and experience, so that procurements are directed only to likely sellers who can work on the project.

48. Which of These Is Not A Risk Diagramming Technique?

Ans:

Risk diagramming techniques include:

• Cause-and-effect diagrams (also known as fishbone diagrams)
• Flowcharts
• Influence diagrams

49. What Does A Cost Performance Index (cpi) Of More Than 1.0 Indicate?

Ans:

The CPI is calculated as the earned value divided by the actual cost. An index of greater than one indicates that you have spent less than you forecasted to this point.

50. Which Of The Following Items Needs To Be Kept In Mind When Relying On Risk Identification Checklists?

Ans:

While the risk identification checklist is a useful tool, it should be used in combination with the other tools, since it is impossible to cover all scenarios in one checklist.

51. What Is The Advantage Of Preparing An Estimate Of Costs By An Outside Professional Estimator?

Ans:

An estimate of costs will serve as a benchmark on proposed responses.

Any significant differences in cost estimates can be an indication that the procurement statement of work was deficient or ambiguous, or that the prospective sellers failed to understand the work.

52. What is the difference between Project, Program, and Portfolio?

Ans:

An endeavor undertaken to produce a unique product or solution  a group of interrelated projects that are managed together a  collection of projects and operations managed under one group to achieve a strategic goal.

Temporary in nature with defined start and end point Temporary in nature but lasts longer than project Permanent in nature that keeps on changing and is aligned with the strategic planning.

53. What is your understanding of Project Management?

Ans:

Project management is the discipline that helps in implementing various processes, methods, knowledge, skills, and experience for achieving the objectives of a unique project.

Project management is nothing like the usual management. One key factor which differentiates these two is that project management has a final deliverable and a definite timeline whereas management is an ongoing process.

A project manager must always follow the 6P rule of project management which is Proper Planning Prevents Poor Project Performance.

54. Elaborate on the Project Management Life Cycle process?

Ans:

1. 1. The Project Management Life Cycle is a series of various activities/tasks that are crucial for accomplishing project objectives or targets.
2. 2. This helps in structuring the efforts and simplifying them into a series of logical and manageable steps.
3. 3. The Project Management Life Cycle consists of four simple phases which are listed below:

It’s the first and most vital step in the life-cycle of your project where the initial scope of the project gets defined and resources are committed. This process group ensures the success of your project.

Planning In this process group, an appropriate level of detail is jotted for the project to plan time, cost and resources. It estimates the work needed and manage risk effectively.

55. What are the most important skills that a Project Manager should possess?

Ans:

Most important skills that a Project manager must possess are:

1. 1. Communication
2. 2. Leadership
3. 3. Team Management
4. 4. Negotiation Power
5. 5. Personal Organization
6. 6. Risk Management

56. How will you start your job as a new project manager?

Ans:

When you start your job a project manager first few things that you need to take care of are:

• Understand your client’s needs and wants
• Know your team and their personalities
• Take the opportunity to learn some new skills
• Help out around the workplace
• Try to master the tools your company possesses

57. How will prioritize tasks in your project?

Ans:

1. 1. Prioritizing tasks in a project is very important and especially if it is an extensive one.
2. 2. It helps in ensuring successful and timely completion of your project
3. 3. In order to prioritize the tasks you should follow the below pointers:
4. • Project Management and Methodologies Training
   • List the tasks and responsibilities
   • Distinguish between urgent and important
   • Assess the value of each task
   • Order the tasks by estimated efforts

58. What is your leadership style?

Ans:

• Leadership is a quality that every project manager must possess.
• Every leader has his own leadership style to guide his team.
• The leadership style refers to a leader’s characteristic behavior while directing, motivating, guiding, and managing his team to bring the best out of them.
• In a project, they hold the responsibility to motivate others for better performance, creation, and innovation.
• • Delegate
  • Supportive
  • Directing
  • Coaching

59. What are the knowledge areas and how relevant are they in a project?

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Knowledge Areas are the core technical subject matter that are vital for effective project management. All the 49 processes are primarily part of these knowledge areas where they are grouped based on their commonalities.

60. How would you handle a difficult stakeholder involved in your project?

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Since stakeholders hold a high authority and are an integral part of a project having their consent is very important.

But sometimes they can be little difficult to handle, in such cases should:

1. 1. Accept their authority without fighting
2. 2. Remove all the negative emotions
3. 3. Understand their issue
4. 4. Ask for advice and listen to them
5. 5. Be tactful and honest with your decisions
6. 6. Praise them and try to establish the connection

61. What is RAID in Project Management?

Ans:

RAID in project management stands for Risk, Assumptions, Issue, and Dependencies. These are very important items that a project manager must have knowledge about.

Risks are the potential problems that can have either a positive or negative impact on the project resulting in a deviation of the final result from the original plan. Actions are the task that you perform throughout the project.

62. When you consider that your project is off track and what will be your steps to ensure that it finishes within the given timeline?

Ans:

To detect whether your project is on track or falling behind the agreed timeline, you must check the below pointers:

• Budget is under control or not
• Is it consuming too much time
• Does the project scope keeps changing
• Original goals are still present or not

63. Which project management methodology do you prefer following in your projects?

Ans:

Not a single methodology can be applied to all types of projects. The selection of project management methodology must be based on the following criteria:

1. 1. Strategic goals and core values of your organization
2. 2. Key business drivers of your project
3. 3. Constraints (if any) in the project
4. 4. Stakeholders involved in the project
5. 5. Risks that might occur
6. 6. Level of complexity of the project
7. 7. Estimated size and cost of the project

64. What are the tools mostly used for improving the process activities?

Ans:

Majorly used tools in the industry:

• Comparing and Baselining a Process
• Flow-charting
• Value-Stream Mapping
• Cause and Effect Analysis
• Hypothesis Testing

65. How will you manage the team members who are not working to their full potential?

Ans:

To bring the best out of your team members, you must:

Try to avoid any type of emotional confrontation with the team and stakeholders Encourage them to think and act in their own ways

Help your team members in developing their decision-making abilities Develop their performance tolerance threshold

Strengthen the potential of weak employees by surrounding them with those even stronger

66. Being a project manager how will you gain your team agreement for results?

Ans:

1. 1. Keep your expectations clear from the very beginning
2. 2. Build achievable milestones so that they don’t feel pressured
3. 3. Collaborate and maintain team trust throughout the project
4. 4. Agree on the terms with the team & ask for their opinions as well
5. 5. Schedule frequent accountability meetings
6. 6. Establish outcome results and consequences
7. 7. Clear out any conflicts among the team members as soon as it arises

67. Explain Ishikawa/ Fishbone diagrams.

Ans:

A fishbone diagram is also known as a cause and effect diagram or Ishikawa diagram. It is a visualization tool that is used for categorizing the potential causes of a problem in order to identify its root causes.

A Japanese quality control expert named Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa invented this fishbone diagram in order to help employees to avoid solutions that will merely address the symptoms of a much larger problem.

68. Explain the entire team forming process you follow for your team.

Ans:

Developmental stages of the team generally consist of:

• Forming: In this stage, the entire group unites for the first time where the focus is to build relationships within the team and clarify the mission or vision of the project.
• Storming: In this stage, team members get more comfortable in sharing their opinions with the team and with a possibility of internal conflict within the group.
• Norming: In this stage, the project team receives the clarity and support on the tasks to proceed with the project.

69. What is the process of calculating the three-point estimating method?

Ans:

There are two ways in which you can calculate the three-point estimation:

1. 1. Triangular Distribution E = (P+M+O)/3
2. 2. Beta or PERT Distribution
3. 3. E = (P+4M+O)/6

where P = pessimist, O = Optimist, M = most likely.

70. Explain the Work Breakdown Structure (WBD) and its effect on the work estimates of tasks/activities?

Ans:

Work breakdown structure defines the work activities that are required for the project completion and the sub-activities of each of those work requirement.

It has a hierarchical structure in which concrete/ main activities are segregated into logical sub-activities.

71. Differentiate between risk and issues.

Ans:

• Issues are more of present focused.
• Risks are more of future focused.
• These always tend to be negative in nature.
• They can be either, positive or negative Issues are generally documented in “Issue Register ”Risks are generally documented in “Risk Register”.

72. Why does a Project Manager need to be proactive?

Ans:

Proactive Managers have higher chances of finding out the risks and implementing solutions in order to minimize them. Being proactive, lets them have more control over their project tasks and resources.

They can keep a better track of all tasks and issues to work towards implementing small changes and improvements for higher productivity and efficiency. Organizes frequent meetings for developers to talk about their problems, brainstorm solutions, share best practices etc.

Compares the actual costs and time spent on tasks on a weekly basis with the planned numbers.

73. What is the difference between Risk Impact and Risk Probability?

Ans:

Risk Probability is the chance that a risk will occur whereas Risk Impact is the cost when a risk does occur.

74. Which communication style do you prefer using in your projects?

Ans:

Type of communication you use in your project will completely depend on the type of project you are working on and the type of team you have.

75. What do you understand by time & material contract?

Ans:

It is a type of contract that is a hybrid contractual arrangement containing aspects of both cost-reimbursable and fixed-price contracts.

Time and material contracts resemble the cost-reimbursable type arrangements where they have no definitive end.

This contract is generally used in projects whose accurate project size can’t be estimated or when it is expected that the project requirements would most likely change.

76. What will you do if any of the customers are not happy with the quality or results of the product by the end of the project?

Ans:

To handle an unhappy customer, you must:

• Show the customers that you value them
• Understand why they are not happy
• Figure out what modifications they want

77. What is the Pareto principle analysis?

Ans:

Pareto Analysis is a statistical technique in decision-making. It is basically used for the selection of a limited number of tasks which can bring a significant overall effect.

This principle follows the Pareto Principle (also known as the 80/20 rule) and states that 80% of the results come from 20% of the actions.

It helps in prioritizing the work especially in large projects with a number of small tasks.

78. Explain the triple constraint triangle in project management.

Ans:

Triple Constraint Triangle is a combination of three key components which acts as the most significant restrictions on any project.

79. What are the major types of risks you might encounter in a project?

Ans:

Majorly encountered risks in a project are:

1. 1. Cost Risk
2. 2. Schedule Risk
3. 3. Performance Risk
4. 4. Resource Risk
5. 5. Technology Risk
6. 6. Market Risk
7. 7. Legal Risk
8. 8. Strategic Risk
9. 9. Governance Risk
10. 10. Operational Risk
11. 11. External Risk

80. What are the three key challenges for our industry today, and how can these be tackled effectively?

Ans:

• This question will test your knowledge about the project management industry.
• Not only should you describe three relevant challenges, but possible solutions as well.
• Good examples can include challenges you’ve had personal experience with, along with effective solutions that you’ve used.

81. What were the communication challenges on your last project?

Ans:

As a project manager, you’ll need to communicate with your team for all projects effectively. Communication challenges will arise; nobody expects that this won’t happen.

What the interviewer wants to see, however, is how you’ve handled these challenges in the past. It needs to be evident that even with communication issues, you were still able to work with your team effectively.

For example, perhaps instead of being able to have face-to-face meetings when necessary, you were able to put together webchat meetings.

Think of a time when something like this happened and how you dealt with the communication challenges efficiently to ensure that the project outcome was still a good one.

82. What is your communication style with your team?

Ans:

If your interviewer asks this, you’ll want to assure him or her that you are an effective communicator who motivates others on your team. Not only should good project managers be encouraging when delegating to their team, but they should also be clear in their expectations.

Make sure you point out that you understand the significance of being an effective communicator as a project manager.

While the first question helps the interviewer assess how effectively you can handle communication in challenging situations, the second question helps understand how you engage with others, whether you demonstrate good sense and judgment and are able to use language effectively.

83. How do you communicate bad news?

Ans:

It’s likely you’ve had to deliver bad news in the past as a project manager, and your interviewer wants to see how, exactly, you go about doing so.

They want to see that you’re considerate and upfront with everyone, that you have all of the facts first, and that you’ve thought about how this news will impact all of your team members—not just the person you’re delivering the bad news to directly.

84. How have you handled disgruntled employees?

Ans:

The interviewer wants to see that you’re a critical thinker and effective problem solver. Even if you don’t have a specific example to talk about, explain that you always care about your team members and would want to uncover the root of the problem, and find out why, exactly, they’re unhappy.

While it may not be possible to please every disgruntled employee, the interviewer just wants to see that you would make an effort to rectify the situation and be professional about everything.

85. What are some examples of times you’ve kept your promise even when that might have been difficult?

Ans:

Think about a time when you reluctantly agreed to a challenging request, because as a project manager, you’re expected to make things happen. Explain to the interviewer how you managed to juggle your tasks and effectively manage your time to ensure that you would be able to follow through with an ambiguous promise.

Even though you may have had a lot on your plate, interviewers want to hear specific examples that show you were still successful in accommodating additional requests.

86. How do you ensure you and your team deliver or exceed customer expectations?

Ans:

In a nutshell, the interviewer wants to see how, in detail, you’re able to succeed as a project manager. After all, meeting (or exceeding) customer expectations when it comes to project delivery is your ultimate goal.

It’s important not to be vague and give a generalized answer; you’ll want to give precise examples and details about your process.

87. What are some best practices you’ve used to develop excellent customer relationships?

Ans:

Current clients make the best repeat customers, and it’s important to maintain excellent relationships, beyond just delivering them what they paid for.

The person interviewing you wants to know you feel this way also, so as you explain the ways you’ve maintained excellent customer relationships, be sure to stress the importance of always having a very happy customer.

88. How do you go about managing the performance of your team?

Ans:

It’s important to show that you have leadership skills when you answer this question. Be thorough about your daily tasks when it comes to managing your team’s performance—for example, perhaps you hold weekly strategy discussions and meetings.

You’ll also want to provide specific examples of how your management style has resulted in positive team performance.

89. How do you motivate team members?

Ans:

It’s crucial as a leader to not only ensure your team stays on the right track but also gets motivated about the projects they’re working on. Maybe you give praise for a job well done as a form of motivation.

As long as you can demonstrate past examples of how you’ve motivated team members, there’s not a right or wrong answer here.

90. What are some of the tools and resources you’ve used to develop your team?

Ans:

This is your chance to show your knowledge on some of the many different technologies that project managers use these days.

Be sure to name any software programs, online tools, and other things that you’ve used to complete your daily tasks. Be sure also to explain that you are always open and eager to learn new tools or programs.

91. What is your delegation style?

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This is a question that is designed to ask about leadership skills. Explain what has been best for you and use examples of how your delegation style has worked well in the past.

Even if you’ve never technically led a team before, it’s important to find an example of how you might’ve delegated in the past.

92. How easily do you delegate responsibility?

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Easily delegating responsibility is an essential quality of any project manager. Be sure to discuss a relevant example that assures the interviewer that delegating responsibility comes naturally to you.

93. What are your career and project goals for the next six months?

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Be honest about any short-term project goals you have currently, as this shows the interviewer that you are enthusiastic about your projects and that you’re goal-oriented. When it comes to discussing your career goals, be sure to include the company you’re interviewing with as part of your goals.

If you’re interviewing with a recruiter for job placement, you may not have a specific company in mind, and that’s okay—just be sure to be clear about what type of role you see yourself working in.

94. How do you set goals for your team? And how do you track these goals?

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Whether it’s deadline goals or overall project goals, setting goals is an important part of being a project manager, as it motivates team members and helps to keep projects on track. Be sure to give specific examples that demonstrate how you’ve set goals for your team in the past and how you’ve tracked these goals.

For instance, you might have set a project completion goal for a specific project that required everyone to complete their part by a certain date.

Perhaps you regularly checked in with team members to see if any obstacles could stop them from meeting that deadline and if so, you offered possible solutions.

95. Describe two areas in your current project, where there is a high level of uncertainty. How do you tackle these uncertainties?

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No project goes without a hitch, and people expect that. What your interviewer wants to see is how you handle anything that can result in a potential setback.

An effective project manager should always have a few tricks up his or her sleeve.

96. How do you control changes to your project?

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Some level of change is inevitable, but as a project manager, it’s important to adapt to those changes quickly. Explain to your interviewer how you continue to keep your team on track whenever any project changes pop up.

• Prioritizing and Time Management
• A project manager must tackle multiple tasks and issues.
• To be a successful project manager, you have to choose your battles wisely.
• Since resources are always limited, they need to be prioritized.
• Time is a valuable resource for the project because once lost; it cannot be recovered easily.
• As a result, Project time management is one of the key skills for any project manager.

97. How do you ensure that your project is always on track?

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Your interviewer wants to understand your work process and see that you’re detail-oriented. Explain how you check in with your team throughout a project.

For example, you may want to point out that you believe effective and regular communication is key to ensuring that a project stays on track.

98. What tools do you use as a manager to plan your activities as well as that of your team?

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From meetings to project management programs and everything in between, there’s an endless list of tools and processes that project managers use to stay organized.

Be sure to list as many tools as you can think of that you’re familiar with to demonstrate your knowledge of project management software and other tools.

Proactive Decision Making

1. 1. A project manager needs to be able to identify and prevent issues from impacting the project adversely.
2. 2. It is important that the candidate demonstrates the ability to take proactive steps, avoid procrastination, and not shy away from making tough decisions.
3. 3. Thus, candidates are often asked to share examples and real-life scenarios from their projects and life where they made proactive decisions.

99. Give a few examples of proactive decision-making in your past projects and your life in general.

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It’s always important to take the initiative as a project manager, and your interviewer wants to see just how you do that.

Think of specific project examples that included a lot of proactive decision-making, but don’t also be afraid to include examples that don’t include the workplace.

100. Can you give me a few examples of a time when you made a tough decision, and it backfired?

Ans:

This question is a tough one for candidates to handle as it tells the interviewer how honest you are with yourself and compels you to talk about an instance when you failed.

Your interviewer wants to see how you handle setbacks because no matter how good you are at your job, they will happen.

Most importantly, they want to know that you learned from these experiences. When you give your examples, explain how you used those setbacks to improve as a project manager overall.