PMP · Question #1233
A new team member is assigned to a team that consistently delivers each iteration. The new team member does not understand many of the processes followed and begins to negatively impact the…
The correct answer is A. Allocate time within the iterations to mentor the new team member. To integrate a new team member who is struggling with processes and impacting the schedule, the project manager should dedicate time within iterations for mentoring.
Question
A new team member is assigned to a team that consistently delivers each iteration. The new team member does not understand many of the processes followed and begins to negatively impact the schedule. What should the project manager do?
Options
- AAllocate time within the iterations to mentor the new team member.
- BAssign easier activities to the new team member.
- CPlace the new team member on a performance improvement program.
- DAsk another team member to take some of the new team member's work.
How the community answered
(41 responses)- A80% (33)
- B5% (2)
- C10% (4)
- D5% (2)
Why each option
To integrate a new team member who is struggling with processes and impacting the schedule, the project manager should dedicate time within iterations for mentoring.
Allocating dedicated time within iterations for mentoring the new team member directly addresses their lack of process understanding and provides the necessary support to integrate them effectively. This approach leverages the team's existing knowledge to accelerate the new member's learning, ultimately reducing negative schedule impacts and increasing team productivity.
Asking another team member to take on the new team member's work is a temporary workaround that increases the burden on others and prevents the new member from learning the necessary processes.
Concept tested: Team development, onboarding, and mentoring
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmi-standards+
Topics
Community Discussion
7
Olusegun A.Dec 8, 2025A. In an adaptive environment you absorb the ramp-up cost inside the iteration rather than shuffling work around or jumping to a PIP. Mentoring the new team member protects long-term team capability and keeps delivery stable, which is exactly what the exam expects a servant-leader to do.
Bao N.Dec 24, 2025Confirmed A on two practice sets last week. The logic is that agile teams own their delivery and capacity, so absorbing the ramp-up inside the iteration keeps the new person learning in context instead of being isolated or singled out. B and D both sidestep the actual problem, and C is a knee-jerk escalation that ignores that the person is simply new, not underperforming. What still trips me up is where the line falls between mentoring within an iteration and the scenario becoming a persistent drag that does call for a formal plan.
Olusegun A.Dec 25, 2025Agreed on A, but the line you are looking for is simple: if the ramp-up is still dragging after two iterations, you stop treating it as onboarding and start treating it as a performance or capacity issue that needs an actual conversation.
Toby R.Jan 9, 2026Confirmed A on my exam last month. Agile teams own onboarding, so mentoring happens inside the iteration.
Hiroshi T.Dec 16, 2025A is correct. PMBOK Guide sixth edition, Section 9.4.2.1 lists coaching and mentoring as a Develop Team tool, and Agile Practice Guide section 4.1.3 emphasizes sustainable team development within iterations. Saw this on my exam last March, nearly picked D because it seemed like the fast fix, but the stem points at a knowledge gap, not a workload problem.
Wei W.Dec 18, 2025Agree on A, and the knowledge gap vs. workload distinction is the real discriminator here, though I would frame it less as a tool from a section number and more as the team self-organizing around a learning need so the gap closes empirically over the next few sprints.
Wei W.Jan 19, 2026Going with A. D is tempting because it sounds like a quick fix but it just creates a hidden bottleneck and avoids the real issue. The team self-organizes around bringing someone up to speed rather than working around them.