PMP Case Study Questions 2026: How the New Format Works, Plus a Practice Case
Gulab Chand Tejwani
PMP · PL-300 · Microsoft Certified Trainer
· 11 min read
A PMP case-study question gives you one longer project scenario, sometimes with charts or documents, and then asks a series of questions about it. Case/scenario items are new in the PMP exam that started on 9 July 2026, and PMI places the first optional break after the case-study section. The skill being tested is the same project judgement as the rest of the exam, applied to a situation you have to hold in your head across several questions.
I'm Gulab Chand Tejwani, PMP and Microsoft Certified Trainer. Since the new outline went live, the question I get most from students is "what does a case study actually look like?". PMI doesn't publish real items, so below I explain what the outline says, how I'd pace the section, and then give you a full practice case I wrote in the same spirit, with six questions.
What is a PMP case study question?
PMI's July 2026 Examination Content Outline lists "Case/Scenario" as a new item type: a detailed situation followed by a series of questions about it. The outline also adds graphic-based items, where you read a chart or diagram. A case can combine the two, for example a project brief plus a burndown chart.
What changes for you is memory and pacing. In a normal item, everything you need sits in three or four sentences. In a case, the fact that decides question five might have been in the second paragraph of the brief. People who skim lose marks here, not because the questions are harder but because they missed a detail.
How should you pace the case-study section?
The exam is 180 questions in 240 minutes, which averages about 80 seconds per question. With a case, I treat reading time as part of the budget:
- Read the full case once, properly. Don't skim. Note the approach (predictive, agile or hybrid), who has authority, and what's going wrong.
- Jot a three-line summary on your whiteboard or scratch area: approach, key people, main problem.
- Read each question's last line first, then go back to the case for the specific fact it needs.
- Don't re-read the whole case for every question. Go back to the paragraph you need. Re-reading everything is where the minutes disappear.
The 240 minutes cover the whole exam, so time you save here carries over to the later questions. What you lose at the break is the chance to come back: once you start the break, the case-study section is locked. Do any reviewing of flagged case questions before you take it.
Practice case: The clinic booking app
Read the case once before you open any question.
Background. You are the project manager for MediBook, a patient booking app for a chain of 14 clinics. The project uses a hybrid approach: hardware and clinic rollout follow a predictive plan, and the app itself is built in two-week sprints by a team of seven. The sponsor is the Chief Operating Officer. The product owner is the head of patient services.
Stakeholders. The clinic managers will train front-desk staff. The IT security lead must approve anything that stores patient data. A new data protection rule takes effect in four months and requires explicit, recorded consent before patient data is used for reminders.
Current status. Sprint 6 of 10 has just ended. Velocity has averaged 30 points. The remaining backlog is 150 points. Two clinic managers have told you they will not roll out the app until front-desk staff have had hands-on practice. The vendor supplying the waiting-room kiosks has warned that a component shortage may delay delivery by five weeks. The team has started using an AI assistant to generate test cases, and one developer pasted real patient records into it to "get realistic data".
Questions on the clinic booking app case
Which issue in the case needs your attention first?
- AThe remaining backlog relative to velocity
- BReal patient records pasted into an AI tool
- CThe possible kiosk delay
- DClinic managers asking for hands-on training
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Patient data shared with an AI tool is a live privacy and compliance breach. It needs immediate action: stop the practice, involve the IT security lead, and follow the organization's incident process. The other three are real issues, but none is an active harm happening right now.
Based on the current velocity and backlog, what is the most accurate statement about the remaining sprints?
- AThe team will finish the backlog with a sprint to spare
- BThe team will finish exactly on time
- CThe team needs one more sprint than planned unless scope or velocity changes
- DThere isn't enough information to forecast
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
There are 4 sprints left (sprints 7 to 10). At 30 points per sprint the team completes about 120 points, but 150 remain. That's 30 points short, roughly one sprint. Raise it now with the product owner: reprioritise so the most valuable items land first, or agree a change to scope or date.
The kiosk vendor has warned of a possible five-week delay. What should you do?
- AAnalyse the risk's impact on the clinic rollout and plan a response with the vendor and sponsor
- BCancel the kiosk order and find another vendor
- CWait for the vendor to confirm the delay before acting
- DRemove kiosks from the scope
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
The delay hasn't happened yet, so it's a risk, not an issue. Assess its effect on the rollout (do clinics need kiosks on day one, or can they launch with the app and front desk?), then agree a response. Cancelling or cutting scope jumps to a solution, and waiting wastes the time you have to respond.
Two clinic managers say they won't roll out the app until front-desk staff have had hands-on practice. What is the best response?
- AEscalate to the COO so the managers comply with the rollout plan
- BTell the managers training is outside the project's scope
- CSend the managers the user guide so staff can self-train
- DWork with the managers and product owner to add a practical training approach, such as a sandbox, to the plan
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D
The managers' concern is reasonable, and adoption depends on them. Organizational change management is part of the 2026 outline, and getting users ready is part of delivering value. Treat it as a requirement, work out the approach, and bring it through the proper planning or change process.
The new data protection rule takes effect in four months. The current reminder feature uses patient phone numbers without recorded consent. What should you do?
- AShip the feature now, before the rule takes effect
- BAssess the rule with the IT security lead and add consent capture to the backlog with the product owner
- CRemove the reminder feature permanently
- DAsk the sponsor to accept the compliance risk
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
A known regulatory change is a requirement, not a choice. Work out exactly what the rule needs, then let the product owner prioritise consent capture so it's in place before the deadline. A sponsor can't "accept" a legal requirement away, and shipping early to dodge the rule is not compliance.
After dealing with the immediate breach, how should you handle the team's use of AI tools going forward?
- ABan AI tools for the rest of the project
- BLet each developer decide how to use AI tools
- CAgree team rules for AI use with the team and IT security, including what data may never be shared
- DAsk HR to discipline the developer
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
The AI tool was useful (test cases are a good use) but it was used unsafely. The fix is an agreed working agreement: approved tools, synthetic test data only, no patient data, ever. A blanket ban throws away the benefit, and leaving it to each person is how the breach happened. Any disciplinary question follows the organization's policy, not your first move as project manager.
What does this case teach about the 2026 exam?
Notice how the questions moved between all three domains while staying in one story. Question 1 tests compliance (Business Environment), question 2 reads delivery data (Process), question 4 is about stakeholders (People). That mix is the point of the case format: the exam is checking whether you can prioritise when several things are wrong at once.
| Situation in the case | Risk or issue? | First move |
|---|---|---|
| Kiosk vendor warns of possible delay | Risk (not happened yet) | Analyse impact, plan response |
| Patient data pasted into AI tool | Issue (happening now) | Stop it, follow incident process |
| Backlog larger than remaining capacity | Issue, with a forecast | Reprioritise with the product owner |
| New rule in four months | Known requirement | Assess and add to the backlog |
How do you practise for PMP case-study questions?
You need two kinds of practice. First, normal situational questions, because each case question is still a situational question. If your single-item judgement is shaky, a case won't help. The sample PMP exam questions and the Business Environment practice questions are good places to check that.
Second, full-length timed exams in the new format, because the case section is about stamina and pacing as much as knowledge. Sit a timed PMP mock exam under real conditions: 180 questions, 240 minutes, breaks where the real exam puts them. Your first full-length mock is free (no card needed), and the score report breaks your result down by domain, so you can see whether the misses came from People, Process or Business Environment. If the format changes are new to you, start with PMP exam changes July 2026.
TechNet Consultancy is independent and not affiliated with PMI. The case above is original practice material, not a real exam item.
If you are just starting out, read how to prepare for the PMP exam in 2026 first.
FAQ
Does the 2026 PMP exam have case studies?
Yes. PMI's July 2026 outline lists Case/Scenario as a new item type: a detailed situation, sometimes with charts, followed by a series of questions about it.
When is the break in the PMP exam with case studies?
The first optional 10-minute break comes after the case-study section. The second comes roughly midway through the independent questions.
How many questions are in a PMP case study?
PMI doesn't publish a fixed number per case. Expect a scenario followed by a series of questions, and plan your time across the whole section rather than per case.
Are case-study questions harder than normal PMP questions?
Not in content. They test the same tasks. They're harder on attention and memory, because the fact you need may be several paragraphs back.
How should I read a PMP case study?
Read the whole case once, carefully, before the first question. Note the approach, who has authority and what's going wrong. Then read each question's last line first and go back to the specific paragraph you need.