Conflict Management PMP Practice Questions

Question 1 of 18

Two functional managers are competing for the same specialized resource on your project. Both claim the resource is critical to their work stream. The resource cannot be shared simultaneously. What is the BEST approach to resolve this conflict?

1. A.Facilitate a problem-solving session with both managers, using project priorities and schedule impacts to objectively evaluate how the resource should be sequenced.
2. B.Let the two functional managers resolve the resource conflict between themselves — as PM you lack formal authority over either functional department, and escalating above them would damage those working relationships.
3. C.Escalate to the project sponsor and ask them to decide which workstream takes priority — executive-level resource conflicts require a decision from someone with authority over both competing departments.
4. D.Split the resource's time equally between both workstreams to prevent either manager from feeling their project is deprioritized, maintaining stakeholder relationships at the cost of some efficiency.

Question 2 of 18

Two team members have an ongoing interpersonal conflict. One team member approaches you and says they would like you to simply make a decision about the disputed work allocation so they can move on. The other team member has not come to you. What is the BEST approach?

1. A.Make the allocation decision yourself as the PM — the team member came to you for a resolution, and decisiveness from the PM provides the clarity both parties need to move forward.
2. B.Clarify to both team members that work allocation is the product owner's responsibility and refer them to the backlog for prioritization guidance rather than involving the PM.
3. C.Escalate the allocation conflict to the functional manager, who has direct authority to direct the team member's time and resolve competing workstream demands.
4. D.Bring both team members together to discuss the allocation openly, so both parties can be heard and jointly agree on a solution.

Question 3 of 18

A long-running conflict between two team leads has escalated to the point where they refuse to communicate with each other. The project is being impacted. You have already facilitated two joint sessions without resolution. What should you do NEXT?

1. A.Continue facilitating joint problem-solving sessions between the two leads — conflict resolution is an iterative process that requires repeated structured attempts before entrenched interpersonal issues can be resolved.
2. B.Restructure the work to minimize direct interaction between the two leads — separating responsibilities eliminates the trigger points for friction without requiring them to resolve the underlying relationship.
3. C.Escalate the conflict to senior management, documenting your previous resolution attempts and the impact on the project.
4. D.Replace both team leads to start fresh with team members who do not have existing interpersonal conflicts that are undermining project performance and team morale.

Question 4 of 18

During a project status meeting, two subject matter experts disagree sharply about the correct technical solution. The debate is respectful but consuming significant meeting time and the rest of the team is disengaged. What is the BEST action for the project manager to take?

1. A.Acknowledge the value of the discussion, table it for a focused working session with the right participants, and continue the meeting agenda.
2. B.Allow the technical debate to continue until one expert concedes — rushing past unresolved technical disagreements creates implementation risk, and the time invested in reaching consensus is worthwhile.
3. C.Make the technical decision yourself and direct the team to proceed — as PM you are accountable for schedule, and unresolved technical debates are a blocker that requires you to exercise authority.
4. D.Assign the decision to the project sponsor since it is a high-stakes technical choice — executive-level technical risk should not be resolved at the team level without leadership awareness.

Question 5 of 18

An agile team member complains to you privately that another team member is 'not pulling their weight' during the sprint. They want you to address it for them. What is the MOST appropriate response?

1. A.Confront the underperforming team member on behalf of the complaining team member
2. B.Coach the team member to raise the concern directly with their colleague, and offer to facilitate if needed
3. C.Note the complaint in the team member's performance file
4. D.Raise the topic at the next retrospective without identifying who raised the concern

Question 6 of 18

A project manager observes that whenever a difficult topic arises in team meetings, the team always quickly agrees with the first suggestion to avoid extended discussion. Decisions are made fast but often need to be revisited later. What conflict management issue BEST describes this pattern?

1. A.Forcing — one team member imposes their view on others
2. B.Confronting — the team addresses issues directly and reaches quick resolution
3. C.Smoothing — the team avoids surfacing disagreements to maintain harmony
4. D.Withdrawing — the team avoids engaging with conflict by delaying all decisions

Question 7 of 18

A project manager is navigating a conflict between two senior stakeholders with competing priorities. Which TWO approaches are MOST aligned with effective conflict resolution at the stakeholder level?

Select all that apply.

1. A.Bring both stakeholders together to discuss the conflict and work toward a solution based on project objectives
2. B.Support whichever stakeholder has higher organizational authority to avoid political risk
3. C.Present objective project data — schedule impact, cost, risk — to help both stakeholders make an evidence-based decision.
4. D.Keep each stakeholder's position private from the other to prevent further conflict
5. E.Document the conflict in the issue log and flag it for steering committee review if direct resolution is unsuccessful.

Question 8 of 18

Two team members have a conflict about coding standards. One argues for strict adherence to the agreed conventions; the other frequently deviates, claiming the standards slow them down. This has been causing friction for weeks. What conflict resolution technique would produce the MOST durable outcome?

1. A.Forcing — enforce the standards consistently and document any non-compliance, making clear that the standards are non-negotiable regardless of individual team members' preferred approaches.
2. B.Problem-solving — bring both team members together to examine the purpose of the standards, identify which constraints are causing friction.
3. C.Smoothing — ask both team members to be more tolerant of each other's working style and acknowledge the positive intentions behind their different approaches to the standards.
4. D.Compromising — allow selective deviation from the standards in exchange for the resistant team member's agreement to comply with the most critical requirements.

Question 9 of 18

Two experienced team members have a recurring disagreement about prioritizing defect fixes versus new features. The conflict is beginning to affect sprint planning quality. What should the project manager do FIRST?

1. A.Escalate the disagreement to the sponsor so leadership can decide quickly
2. B.Separate the team members by assigning them to different workstreams now
3. C.Facilitate a direct conversation to understand each person's interests and work toward a workable solution
4. D.Wait to see if the conflict resolves itself after the current iteration ends

Question 10 of 18

Two experienced team members have a recurring disagreement about who owns integration testing. The conflict is beginning to affect handoff speed between developers and testers. What should the project manager do FIRST?

1. A.Escalate the disagreement to the sponsor so leadership can decide quickly
2. B.Separate the team members by assigning them to different workstreams now
3. C.Wait to see if the conflict resolves itself after the current iteration ends
4. D.Facilitate a direct conversation to understand each person's interests and work toward a workable solution

Question 11 of 18

Two experienced team members have a recurring disagreement about how much detail belongs in requirements workshops. The conflict is beginning to affect stakeholder confidence. What should the project manager do FIRST?

1. A.Facilitate a direct conversation to understand each person's interests and work toward a workable solution
2. B.Escalate the disagreement to the sponsor so leadership can decide quickly
3. C.Separate the team members by assigning them to different workstreams now
4. D.Wait to see if the conflict resolves itself after the current iteration ends

Question 12 of 18

Two experienced team members have a recurring disagreement about whether pair programming should be mandatory. The conflict is beginning to affect team cohesion. What should the project manager do FIRST?

1. A.Escalate the disagreement to the sponsor so leadership can decide quickly
2. B.Facilitate a direct conversation to understand each person's interests and work toward a workable solution
3. C.Separate the team members by assigning them to different workstreams now
4. D.Wait to see if the conflict resolves itself after the current iteration ends

Question 13 of 18

Two experienced team members have a recurring disagreement about how to split on-call responsibilities. The conflict is beginning to affect response times for production issues. What should the project manager do FIRST?

1. A.Escalate the disagreement to the sponsor so leadership can decide quickly
2. B.Separate the team members by assigning them to different workstreams now
3. C.Facilitate a direct conversation to understand each person's interests and work toward a workable solution
4. D.Wait to see if the conflict resolves itself after the current iteration ends

Question 14 of 18

Two experienced team members have a recurring disagreement about which coding framework should become the standard. The conflict is beginning to affect delivery consistency. What should the project manager do FIRST?

1. A.Escalate the disagreement to the sponsor so leadership can decide quickly
2. B.Separate the team members by assigning them to different workstreams now
3. C.Wait to see if the conflict resolves itself after the current iteration ends
4. D.Facilitate a direct conversation to understand each person's interests and work toward a workable solution

Question 15 of 18

Two experienced team members have a recurring disagreement about how much documentation is necessary before development starts. The conflict is beginning to affect cross-team coordination. What should the project manager do FIRST?

1. A.Facilitate a direct conversation to understand each person's interests and work toward a workable solution
2. B.Escalate the disagreement to the sponsor so leadership can decide quickly
3. C.Separate the team members by assigning them to different workstreams now
4. D.Wait to see if the conflict resolves itself after the current iteration ends

Question 16 of 18

Two experienced team members have a recurring disagreement about whether to optimize for speed or maintainability on a critical module. The conflict is beginning to affect future rework risk. What should the project manager do FIRST?

1. A.Escalate the disagreement to the sponsor so leadership can decide quickly
2. B.Facilitate a direct conversation to understand each person's interests and work toward a workable solution
3. C.Separate the team members by assigning them to different workstreams now
4. D.Wait to see if the conflict resolves itself after the current iteration ends

Question 17 of 18

Two experienced team members have a recurring disagreement about how estimates should be produced for upcoming work. The conflict is beginning to affect planning reliability. What should the project manager do FIRST?

1. A.Escalate the disagreement to the sponsor so leadership can decide quickly
2. B.Separate the team members by assigning them to different workstreams now
3. C.Facilitate a direct conversation to understand each person's interests and work toward a workable solution
4. D.Wait to see if the conflict resolves itself after the current iteration ends

Question 18 of 18

Two experienced team members have a recurring disagreement about who should present completed work during reviews. The conflict is beginning to affect team morale. What should the project manager do FIRST?

1. A.Escalate the disagreement to the sponsor so leadership can decide quickly
2. B.Separate the team members by assigning them to different workstreams now
3. C.Wait to see if the conflict resolves itself after the current iteration ends
4. D.Facilitate a direct conversation to understand each person's interests and work toward a workable solution