Who does what
- Project sponsor
- Provides the funding and executive backing, owns the business case, and takes the decisions and escalations that sit above the project manager’s authority.
- Project manager
- Leads the team to the project’s objectives: plans, coordinates, communicates and keeps the work inside its agreed limits.
- Project team
- Does the work and holds the technical knowledge about how long and how hard it really is.
- Functional manager
- Runs a department and owns its people’s day-to-day priorities. How much the project manager can ask of that department depends on the organizational structure.
- The PM roles in the outline
- Initiator, negotiator, listener, coach, working member and facilitator. A stem describes the behavior and expects you to name the role.
- Leadership
- Setting direction and influencing people: vision, motivation, trust.
- Management
- Directing the work through process: plans, schedules, controls. The outline asks you to compare the two, and a good project manager does both.
- Emotional intelligence
- Recognizing and handling emotions in yourself and others. PM texts usually split it into self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management.
Styles, stages and ethics
Leadership styles
Expect names more than theory. Servant leaders work for the team. Transformational leaders change how people see the goal. Transactional leaders trade rewards for results. Autocratic leaders decide alone; democratic ones decide with the group. Laissez-faire leaders step back, and situational leaders adjust to the person and the task. A stem that describes behavior over time is usually asking which of these fits.
Team stages
The stage shows in the behavior: polite uncertainty, open friction, agreed ways of working, steady output, or wrapping up.
The Code of Ethics
The PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct rests on four values: responsibility, respect, fairness and honesty. Honesty, for example, covers reporting a status as it is, including amber on a week when green would be more comfortable. PMI does not publish what share of the exam ethics takes; it is one enabler of Task 1.1 in Domain I, which carries 36% (2023 CAPM Examination Content Outline, checked October 30, 2026).
Conflict between people often surfaces in meetings, and the facilitation side is on meetings and problem solving.
People, styles and judgment calls
Some cards name a role or a style; others put you in an awkward spot and ask what a project manager should do about it. Several cards on this page use a RACI chart. The notes explain each choice, including the tempting ones.
Practice cards here are written for study, not taken from PMI. The real CAPM mixes multiple choice with drag-and-drop, hot spot, comic-strip and video items.
Card 01 of 23 · 0 done · 0 right
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Doing
Card 01 of 23
While a procurement decision is pending, a supplier offers two expensive sports tickets to the project manager. What should the project manager do?
Note on A
Accepting a valuable gift while a procurement decision is pending creates a conflict of interest, and reporting it afterward does not cure that.
Note on B
A personal belief that judgment is unaffected does not remove the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Note on C
Correct: Declining the gift and disclosing the offer under organizational policy protects the fairness of the procurement and keeps the situation transparent.
Note on D
Declining is right, but staying silent misses the duty to be transparent about an attempt to influence the decision.
Card 02 of 23
During the procurement phase, a team lead tells the project manager that their spouse’s firm is one of the subcontractors being evaluated for award on the same project. The team lead offers to ‘keep it quiet’ to avoid disruption. Which sequence of actions should the project manager take?
Note on A
Correct: A conflict of interest must be disclosed promptly, then the facts are verified, documented, and handled according to organizational policy.
Note on B
Quietly reassigning the lead hides the conflict instead of disclosing it to the people responsible for the procurement.
Note on C
Waiting for verification before disclosing delays transparency; a potential conflict should be raised right away.
Note on D
Leaving disclosure to the conflicted person’s choice fails the project manager’s own duty to make the conflict known.
Card 03 of 23
A project manager learns that one team member has repeatedly disrespected another team member during meetings. Which action best aligns with the PMI Code of Ethics respect principle?
Note on A
Correct: Respect means dealing directly and constructively with disrespectful behavior, starting with a private conversation with the team member.
Note on B
Ignoring repeated disrespect lets it continue and fails to protect the affected team member.
Note on C
Reassigning the person avoids the conversation and does not address the behavior itself.
Note on D
Going straight to human resources skips the direct conversation that respect and good conflict practice call for first.
Card 04 of 23
A project manager discovers that a defect in a released module may breach a mandatory regulatory reporting threshold. The sponsor suggests documenting the defect internally and deciding on disclosure after the remediation plan is approved. The regulation requires notification within five business days of discovery. What should the project manager do?
Note on A
Correct: The regulation requires notification within five business days, so honesty and legal compliance require disclosing the defect to the compliance authority.
Note on B
Following the sponsor would breach a legal notification requirement, and logging it as a lesson learned does not change that.
Note on C
Holding the defect inside the team until the plan is approved could miss the five-day deadline and conceals a compliance problem.
Note on D
The defect has already happened, so it is an issue that triggers notification rather than a risk to be monitored.
Card 05 of 23
During the final testing phase, a critical project deliverable fails quality inspection. The client issues a severe escalation and demands a meeting with the specific team member who holds final decision-making authority over the deliverable’s rework strategy. The project manager reviews the RACI matrix to arrange the meeting. Based on standard RACI matrix definitions, who should the project manager identify?
Note on A
Responsible and Consulted describe doing the work and giving input, not holding the final decision.
Note on B
Correct: The Accountable person owns the outcome and has final authority over how the deliverable is completed, including rework decisions.
Note on C
Consulted people provide expertise, but they do not make the final decision.
Note on D
Responsible people do the work; the final decision rests with the Accountable person.
Card 06 of 23
A project manager is leading a newly formed agile team. Which behavior BEST reflects servant leadership?
Note on A
Leaving the team to resolve every issue alone is closer to laissez-faire than to servant leadership.
Note on B
Making the key technical decisions takes ownership away from the team, the opposite of servant leadership.
Note on C
Assigning daily tasks is directive management, while agile teams self-organize around their work.
Note on D
Correct: Servant leaders support the team by removing impediments so the team can focus on delivering value.
Card 07 of 23
A newly formed project team openly argues about roles and working methods, and members challenge the project manager’s decisions. Which stage of the Tuckman model is the team in?
Note on A
In forming, members are polite and uncertain, not yet openly challenging roles or the project manager.
Note on B
A performing team works smoothly and independently, without open arguments over roles and methods.
Note on C
Correct: Open conflict about roles and working methods, and challenges to the leader, are the hallmarks of the storming stage.
Note on D
In norming, the team has started to agree on ways of working, so arguments like these are fading.
Card 08 of 23
A project manager balances leadership and management duties. Which activity is primarily LEADERSHIP?
Note on A
Correct: Inspiring people with a shared vision is a leadership activity focused on motivating and aligning the team.
Note on B
Tracking costs against the budget is a management control activity.
Note on C
Enforcing the change control process is about applying procedures, which is management.
Note on D
Preparing the schedule is planning and administration, a management activity.
Card 09 of 23
While building a RACI chart, the project manager marks two department heads as Accountable for approving the test results. What is the problem?
Note on A
Responsible marks those who do the work; it does not resolve the issue of two people holding final accountability.
Note on B
Accountability can sit with anyone suitable, not only the sponsor.
Note on C
Correct: Each task should have exactly one Accountable person so ownership of the decision is clear.
Note on D
Consulted is for people whose input is sought, not those who approve.
Card 10 of 23
A project manager notices she becomes defensive when stakeholders criticize the schedule. To keep it from affecting the meeting, she pauses and responds calmly. Which emotional intelligence component is she using?
Note on A
Social awareness is reading other people’s emotions, while here she is handling her own reaction.
Note on B
Relationship management uses emotional skills to influence and work with others, a step beyond controlling her own response.
Note on C
Noticing that she becomes defensive is self-awareness, but the question focuses on what she does next to control it.
Note on D
Correct: Pausing and responding calmly instead of reacting defensively is self-management, which means regulating one’s own emotions.
Card 11 of 23
A project manager gives step-by-step direction to a new team member but delegates the same kind of task freely to an experienced colleague. Which leadership model does this reflect?
Note on A
Laissez-faire leadership gives little direction to anyone, not detailed steps to a new team member.
Note on B
Transactional leadership focuses on rewards and corrections for performance, not on adjusting direction to each person’s experience.
Note on C
Charismatic leadership relies on personal energy and inspiration, not on matching direction to readiness.
Note on D
Correct: Adjusting the amount of direction to each person’s competence and experience is situational leadership.
Card 12 of 23
A project manager meets a vendor to agree on delivery dates and penalty terms that both sides can accept. Which project manager role is she primarily performing?
Note on A
A coach develops people’s skills and performance, which is not what agreeing delivery dates with a vendor involves.
Note on B
An initiator starts new efforts or ideas, while this meeting is about reaching terms with a vendor.
Note on C
A facilitator guides a group’s process as a neutral party, whereas here the project manager represents one side of the deal.
Note on D
Correct: Working out delivery dates and penalty terms that both sides accept is negotiation.
Card 13 of 23
On a RACI chart, a senior engineer must be asked for input before a design decision is made. Which letter should the engineer have for this task?
Note on A
R is for the person who does the work, not someone who gives input.
Note on B
I is for people kept informed after decisions, not those asked for input beforehand.
Note on C
A is for the person who owns the decision, not someone who provides input.
Note on D
Correct: C (Consulted) is for people whose input is sought before a decision is made.
Card 14 of 23
Which activity is primarily the responsibility of the project team rather than the project sponsor or project manager?
Note on A
Authorizing additional funding belongs to the sponsor, who controls the project’s money.
Note on B
Correct: The people who do the technical work are best placed to estimate it, so detailed work estimates come from the project team.
Note on C
Approving the project charter is the sponsor’s act that formally authorizes the project.
Note on D
Success criteria are set by the sponsor and key stakeholders with the project manager, not left to the team.
Card 15 of 23
A high-performing team receives two new members and a changed project goal. According to the Tuckman ladder, what is MOST likely to happen?
Note on A
Correct: New members and a changed goal disrupt established norms, so the team will often slip back to an earlier stage such as forming or storming.
Note on B
Adjourning happens when the work ends and the team disbands, not when the team grows or its goal changes.
Note on C
Significant changes in membership and goals usually unsettle a performing team rather than leave it unaffected.
Note on D
Team development stages apply to the whole team, so the existing members are affected by the change too.
Card 16 of 23
Two team members each assumed the other would test an interface, so the testing was never done. Which tool would have BEST prevented this problem?
Note on A
Correct: A RACI matrix assigns clear responsibility for each task, which would have shown who was to test the interface.
Note on B
A team charter sets team values and working agreements, not who does each specific task.
Note on C
The WBS lists deliverables but does not assign who performs each piece of work.
Note on D
A resource histogram shows resource use over time, not task ownership.
Card 17 of 23
A project manager has drafted the charter for a new software deployment. Who should sign and issue it so that the project is formally authorized?
Note on A
Correct: The sponsor, or another initiator outside the project, issues the charter, which formally authorizes the project and the project manager.
Note on B
A business analyst contributes requirements and analysis but has no authority to authorize the project.
Note on C
A change control board reviews changes to approved baselines; it does not authorize new projects.
Note on D
The project manager may draft the charter but cannot authorize their own project.
Card 18 of 23
A project manager of an experienced, self-motivated team sets the objectives and then largely steps back, letting the team decide how and when to work with little guidance. Which leadership style is this?
Note on A
Correct: Setting goals and then stepping back so an experienced team decides how and when to work is the laissez-faire style.
Note on B
Interactional leadership blends transactional, transformational, and charismatic traits; it does not mean largely stepping back.
Note on C
Servant leadership actively supports the team by removing obstacles and developing people, rather than withdrawing.
Note on D
Transactional leadership relies on rewards and corrections tied to performance, which is more hands-on than described here.
Card 19 of 23
A project manager resolves a minor dispute between two team members regarding the unfair allocation of highly desirable project tasks. The project manager facilitated a discussion, the team members agreed on a revised schedule, and work has smoothly resumed. To fully comply with professional standards for accountability, what must the project manager do next?
Note on A
Correct: Recording the issue and its resolution in the issue log provides accountability and a clear record if the conflict comes back.
Note on B
A verbal agreement settles the dispute, but leaving no record weakens accountability and loses the history of the issue.
Note on C
The dispute was about task allocation, not communication preferences, so the stakeholder engagement plan is not the right place.
Note on D
The conflict is already resolved, so escalating it for disciplinary records would be out of proportion and could damage trust.
Card 20 of 23
A department head marked only ‘Informed’ in the RACI matrix insists on approving a requirement for which the product owner is ‘Accountable’. What should the business analyst do FIRST?
Note on A
Letting the department head approve overrides the agreed accountability and causes confusion.
Note on B
Escalation may be needed later, but first the analyst should clarify roles and listen to the concerns.
Note on C
Two Accountable roles for one item create unclear ownership.
Note on D
Correct: The analyst should first explain the agreed decision rights and capture the department head’s concerns so they can be considered by the product owner.
Card 21 of 23
A project manager must document how internal staff will be acquired from departments, trained, recognized, and released when their work is done. Which plan should contain this?
Note on A
Correct: The resource management plan covers how team members are acquired, developed, recognized, and released.
Note on B
The communications management plan deals with information flows, not with staffing the team.
Note on C
The procurement management plan covers buying goods and services from outside sellers, not acquiring internal staff.
Note on D
The stakeholder engagement plan sets strategies for involving stakeholders, not how team members are managed.
Card 22 of 23
A project manager is operating in a balanced matrix organization. A critical path activity requires a specialized database engineer for two weeks. The functional manager states the engineer is currently busy with departmental work. What is the appropriate approach to secure the resource?
Note on A
Asking the sponsor to overrule the functional manager is an escalation that should come only after negotiation fails.
Note on B
Hiring an external consultant adds cost and onboarding time when an internal specialist exists and may be available part-time.
Note on C
Correct: In a balanced matrix, authority over resources is shared, so the project manager negotiates directly with the functional manager for the engineer’s time.
Note on D
In a balanced matrix the project manager does not have unilateral authority to assign the functional manager’s staff.
Card 23 of 23
Early in a project, team members disagree about meeting etiquette, such as phone use and arriving on time. What should the team create to settle this?
Note on A
The communications management plan addresses information flows with stakeholders, not team behavior rules such as phone use.
Note on B
Correct: A team charter records the team’s agreed values and ground rules, including meeting etiquette.
Note on C
A RACI chart assigns responsibilities for deliverables; it does not set behavioral norms.
Note on D
The resource management plan covers acquiring and managing resources, not the team’s day-to-day etiquette.
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Short answers
Is servant leadership only for agile teams?
It is most associated with agile work and is emphasized in the Agile Practice Guide (2017), one of the references listed in the 2023 CAPM outline (2023 CAPM Examination Content Outline, checked October 30, 2026). The behavior itself works on any team.
What comes after performing in the Tuckman model?
Adjourning, when the work is done and the team disbands. Some sources leave it out; PM material usually includes it.
Does the CAPM rank leadership above management?
No. The outline asks you to compare and contrast the two, and the project manager is expected to do both. How either shows up when a group has to decide something is on meetings and problem solving; how a risk becomes an issue is on risks, issues and planned responses.