Top 20 Project Management Interview Questions and Answers

Hello guys, if you are preparing for project manager interview and looking for frequently asked Project Management interview questions with Answers then you have come to the right place. In the past, I have shared best books and courses to learn Project Management, including best PMP courses to prepare for popular Project Management Professional Certification and in this article, I am going to share 20 common Project Management related questions from Interviews. But, before we get to some of the most important and frequently asked Project Management interview questions, let me tell you a little bit about what Project Management is.
Project Management is an indispensable part of business success. People who are skilled in project management are valuable assets to a company. That is why there is always a huge demand in the market for experienced project managers.

According to a survey that was conducted in the US, more than $100 million gets wasted every year because of poor project management. That is where you come in. The interview questions in this article will help you get started in the industry and soon you will be an expert.

20 Project Management Interview Questions with Answers

But before you are able to land your dream job, you will need to clear an interview first. And this can be tricky. Because the domain of project management is so vast, most people don't know where to start or what to cover. Most people give up before even starting.

But this article will help you land your dream job. Using the interview questions in this article, you will be able to prepare yourself thoroughly. You will be able to focus on the important areas and find the correct answers to all the questions that you may face in an interview.

For your easy understanding, I have divided the questions in this article into four sections. The first section focuses on domain knowledge. In this section, you will see some skills-based interview questions. The second and third section focuses on precise communication and consistency respectively. The fourth and final section deals with customer orientation.

1. Skills-based Project Management Interview Questions

1. What do you know about the Pareto principle analysis?

The Pareto principle is also known as the 80/20 principle. This principle basically translates to the fact that 20% of the people in a company produce 80% of the results. The Pareto principle can be used for the prioritization of activities based on their significance.

2. What type of motivational techniques can you use to keep a team motivated?

There are many formal theories and techniques that can be used by a project manager to keep a team motivated. Some of these techniques are:

Maslow's Theory of Motivation
Vroom's Prediction Theory
Theory of Hertzberg
McGregor's Hypothesis
McClelland's Hypothesis

3. What can you tell us about the three-point estimating method?

The three-point estimating method can be calculated in two different methods:

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

The P stand for a pessimist, O is optimist, and M denotes Most Likely.

4. Explain about Work Breakdown Structure.

The Work Breakdown Structure, or WBD, can be used for identifying the core activities of a project as well as all the different activities that may be needed for completing an activity. The Work Breakdown Structure follows a hierarchical pattern. What this means is that activities are divided into different sub-activities.

5. Explain the difference between Program, Project, and Portfolio.

A program is made up of a sequence of initiatives that are interconnected. It is similar to a project but lasts longer.

A project is actually an attempt to create a unique solution or a product. It has a defined start and endpoint.

A portfolio is basically a collection of different projects that are handled by a single project. Unlike projects and programs, portfolios are permanent.

Bonus Questions

1. What is your strategy for prioritizing different tasks?

Prioritization is a very crucial concept that can determine the timely completion as well as the overall success of a project. Regardless of size and scope, you need to be able to clearly distinguish between urgency and importance. You have to determine what is crucial and leave behind what is unnecessary. You need to be flexible and adaptable while you are managing a project.

2. What are some of the steps you have taken to execute challenging projects?

As a project manager, you need to be able to respond to critical challenges and deal with conflicting situations in a project. You should be able to manage tough team members as well as manage support from management.

What this means is that you should be really smart to handle such situations. You should focus on situations with external factors, like where a project was unexpectedly cut off or funding was reduced in the middle of a complex project. You should be able to manage tough situations and tackle your team members during these situations.

3. What, according to you, is the most important skill for a successful project manager?

As you may know already, there is no single specific skill that is enough for a successful career as a project manager. To be a really successful project manager, you should focus on multiple project management skills like leadership skills, negotiation skills, communication skills, and management skills, among others.

4. What was one of your biggest mistakes in past projects? How did it change your approach to work?

Mistakes can happen to everyone. You need to remember that to err is human, after all. What matters more is how you deal with your mistakes and enhance your skills. You need to be honest and take responsibility for the mistakes that you may have made in your past projects. You also have to make sure that you show that you take responsibility for your mistakes. This shows that you are really mature and willing to learn from your mistakes.

5. What can you tell us about a failed project? What did you learn from such an experience?

As a project manager, success and failure are actually two sides of the same coin. You can learn from both. Failure is only failure if you fail to learn from it. It is your responsibility as a project manager to manage risk while executing a project.

6. What is the concept of RAID in project management?

The concept of RAID is actually a critical tool for any project manager. RAID stands for Risks, Actions, Issues, and Decisions. It is basically a tool used by project managers that allows them to track risks, actions, issues, and decisions in an organized way.

7. What are some of the techniques that you can use to define the scope of a project?

You should be familiar with the various concepts that can be used for defining the scope of a project. Some of the techniques that you can use are Requirement Analysis, Product Breakdown, Systems Analysis, Systems Engineering, Value Analysis, Value Engineering, and Alternative Analysis.

8. How can you avoid gold plating?

You can prevent gold plating by making the management stay away from anything that is above the requirements or the scope of the project. You also need to look at the scope of the project from the outside. You can enlist the help of an independent auditor to quickly detect gold plating by verifying the deliverables to the project's scope baseline.

2. Communication Project Manager Interview Questions

6. What are the uses of stakeholder analysis and Power-Interest Grid?

Stakeholder analysis is the process of compiling a list of all the potential who are involved in some capacity with the project. The Power-Interest Grid is a type of classification of stakeholders based on their influence and power. This is important for developing stakeholder engagement strategies.

7. What do you know about Fishbone Diagrams?

A Fishbone Diagram is used for performing a root cause analysis of some unique problem. It is very useful for studying and breaking down complex issues. It is also effective in allowing project managers to identify root problems.

8. What can you tell us about the difference between project monitoring and project controlling?

Project monitoring is the process of identifying discrepancies between the project baseline and actual project results. Project controlling involves the process of recommending corrective actions and identifying repair options.

9. What can you tell us about your leadership style?

Your leadership style is very important when it comes to project management. As a project manager, you have to choose how to lead your team. You have to look at a lot of factors, including the project and the type of your team members.

10. How can you implement Earned Value Management?

Earned Value Management, or EVM, is the process of determining project deficiencies and planning preventive steps for dealing with deviations. It helps in the development of cost estimates and project performances.

3. Consistency and Integrity Project Manager Interview Questions

11. Let us imagine that your project has gone off-track. What steps will you take to get it back on track?

As a project manager, once you realize that a project is not going according to plan, you should take proactive steps to get it back on track. You should focus on being efficient and taking the necessary steps. You should also look at re-adjusting resource management.

12. How can you handle the situation when a client is unhappy with the project?

As a project manager, you have to value your customer and accept their authority without hesitation. You will have to try and make the necessary modifications to satisfy the customer. You also have to ensure that you regularly communicate with the client throughout the project.

13. What is your strategy for dealing with conflicts among team members?

In case a conflict arises, as a project manager, you have to listen to both parties and look at both perspectives. You should be able to convince both parties and come to an ideal conclusion that works for the project.

14. What are the major types of risks that may come up during a project?

Some of the most common forms of project risk are Schedule Risk, Resource Risk, Market Risk, Technology Risk, Performance Risk, External Risk, Legal Risk, Operational Risk, Cost Risk, Strategic Risk, and Governance Risk.

15. What are process groups in project management?

Process groups refer to a collection of processes that can be carried out at various stages of a project. The five process groups are Planning, Initiation, Monitoring and Control, Execution, and Closing.

4. Customer Orientation Project Manager Interview Questions

16. What are some of the best practices that can be used for developing good customer relations?

It is essential to maintain excellent relations with the current customer as they are the best repeat customers. It is very important to always have a happy customer.

17. How do you plan to set goals for your team?

Setting goals for your team is an important responsibility of a project manager. Setting goals motivates team members and helps keep everything on track. You have to regularly check in with your team members to see if they are facing any obstacles.

18. How can you control changes to your project?

As a project manager, you have to adapt to changes quickly. Some form of change is always inevitable. You also have to keep your team on track whenever any unexcepted change happens.

19. What tools can you use for managing the activities of your team?

As a project manager, you have to use an endless amount of tools to stay organized. You have to demonstrate your knowledge of project management software and other tools.

20. What is the triple constraint triangle of project management?

As a project manager, you should know that time, scope, and money, are the three critical restraints that any project faces. These are also known as the project management triangle or the three restrictions.

Conclusion

As you can see, these are some of the most important and frequently asked questions related to project management. The interview questions in this article will help you easily land a job as a project manager.

If you liked this list of the Top 20 Project Management Interview Questions, feel free to share it with your friends and family. You can also drop a comment if you have any doubts or questions regarding project management and we will get back to you in an instant.

Other Interview Questions you may like

Thanks for reading this article so far. If you find these Project Manager interview questions useful for your preparation and learning then please share it with your friends and colleagues, online and offline, on social media, and on emails.

If you have any suggestions or feedback, please drop a note. If you also struggle to find an answer to any of the questions, drop a note too.

Java67