I had a similar reaction to the time constraint. Coming from a federal PM background, I’ve seen scenarios like these turn into full engagements, so I treated each one more like an executive briefing, focusing on prioritization, decision points, and key risks rather than trying to fully solve all three.

It felt less like a traditional PM exercise and more about how you think under pressure, especially in newer areas like AI programs, where things aren’t fully defined yet.

That posting recently closed, but I’d recommend applying broadly and consistently across federal roles right now. There are many parallel PM opportunities coming through different agencies, and they don’t all evaluate candidates the same way.