udemy PMP Mock Exam 1

Zachary is wrapping up a project under contract to build 10 almond cracking machines. According to a contract clause, his customer should be granted a period of two years warranty. What should Zachary's first step be? Collect lessons learned and close the project There is nothing to be done; the legal team should define the warranty clauses Ensure that the warranty clauses are aligned with the final product specifications Verify that there is a sufficient budget to conduct the two years warranty

ensure that the warranty clauses are aligned with the final product specifications Explanation Any conducted changes on the product can impact warranty clauses, so Zachary should ensure that the clauses line up with the final specifications. The project closure phase could comprise warranty or support where the project budget is used to fix any defects discovered after the product's shipment.

From a project perspective, the guidelines and policies are classified as: Regulations Best practices Assumptions Constraints

Constraints Explanation ​Project constraints are the restrictions that limit the project in a certain way. A cost restriction, for instance, means that the project is limited by its allocated budget or resources. Other constraints include policies, standards, guidelines, etc.

All of the following statements are true, except: A project can have several stakeholders A program is a big project Portfolio management is aligned with organizational strategy Multiple projects can be aligned with one program

A program is a big project Explanation Programs are not big projects. While a program mainly focuses on maximizing the organization's profits, project management targets the creation of deliverables that meet and satisfy stakeholder needs.

You are in charge of a software development project. Your organization primarily uses agile methods. An intern who has joined your team once asked you: "Typically, what is a User Story?" What should your answer be? A story that refers to the ideal user for your project A day in the end-user life A small, granular unit of work that results in added value to the customer The collection of all the requirements that the customer wants in a project

A small, granular unit of work that results in added value to the customer Explanation A user story is a brief description of deliverable value for a specific user (PMBOK 7th edition, page 192). A user story is not a narrative story about users; it is a small, granular work unit.

You are managing a project using the Scrum framework. You receive a call from the product owner asking for a meeting with the team to discuss the possible approaches to implement user stories and make some initial size estimations. What type of meeting is the product owner referring to? Sprint planning Story mapping Backlog refinement Brainstorming

Backlog refinement Explanation Backlog refinement provides a chance for the product owner to discuss and address stories' requirements with the team. This can involve discussing requirements, potential approaches, and even estimations in order to end up with a clear vision of how to approach stories (PMBOK 7th edition, page 179).

Managing a high-tech project that involves higher levels of complexity and uncertainties, Everett thinks it is only appropriate to go for an Adaptive life cycle. Adaptive life cycles are also known as: (Select two) Hybrid life cycle Project life cycle Change-driven life cycle Agile life cycle

Change-driven life cycle Agile life cycle Explanation Adaptive life cycles are also called change-driven or change-focused methods or agile as they're quite adaptable to changes.

In a network diagram, the ________________ makes the assumption that resources will always be available whenever they are needed. Critical Path PERT Estimate Critical Chain Sprint Planning

Critical Path Explanation The critical path drawbacks include the assumption that all project resources are available all the time, not taking into consideration resource dependencies. The critical Chain, on the other hand, takes resource availability into account. The other two options are not related to network diagrams; PERT is an activity estimation technique. Sprint Planning is a Scrum event.

Your company must select one of two projects that have the same budget, but different levels of risks and returns. Which tool or technique should you use to help your company make the right decision? Decision tree Tornado diagram SWOT analysis Sensitivity analysis

Decision tree Explanation Decision tree analysis is used to support the selection of the best course of action among several alternatives. Each of these alternative paths can have associated costs as well as risks including both threats and opportunities. The decision tree reveals the expected monetary value of each branch, allowing the optimal path to be selected (PMBOK 7th edition, page 175).

Which of the options below is the project manager's responsibility in Agile? Providing the overall strategic direction Controlling the budget of the project Defining user stories and prioritizing the backlog Ensuring that the team delivers the project according to the defined requirements

Ensuring that the team delivers the project according to the defined requirements Explanation In Agile, a project manager (also known as scrum master, project team lead, or team coach) is responsible for removing impediments and ensuring that the cross-functional team performs and delivers the product as initially defined by the product owner (PMBOK 7th edition, page 73 & Agile Practice Guide, pages 40-41).

Knowledge is sometimes depicted as an iceberg since it involves two categories: Explicit and Tacit Known and Unknown Direct and Indirect Deep and Superficial

Explicit and Tacit Explanation Knowledge can be either classified as explicit or tacit knowledge. Explicit knowledge can be expressed and captured using pictures, words, and numbers. Tacit knowledge, such as experiences and beliefs, is more difficult to express or capture (PMBOK 7th edition, page 77-78).

You are managing a project using a hybrid method. Upon meeting with the project sponsor, you review how much work the team has and whether they'll be able to finish the project on time. Which of the following point-in-time measurements you can use for your meeting purpose? (Select three) Product backlog Feature burnup chart Feature burndown chart Lead time

Feature burnup chart Feature burndown chart Lead time Explanation Feature burnup/burndown charts, lead time, and cycle time provide in-the-moment measurements, giving insight into the team capacity and the schedule predictability. Lead time is the duration between task creation and task completion. Cycle time, however, is the duration between when the team starts working on a user story and when it's delivered to the end-user. The product backlog is not a measurement, it's rather a list of the work that needs to be done to develop the final product.

Donald is managing a wind turbine project. The first experiments reveal that the turbine's speed is under the expected value. He and his team attempt to find out the root cause of the issue. Which of the following tools is the most effective for root cause analysis? Five Whys Kano MoSCoW Four Whys

Five Whys Explanation The 5 Whys technique is a simple and effective problem-solving tool. Its primary goal is to determine the precise source of a given problem by asking a sequence of "Why" questions. One of the main factors for the successful implementation of the technique is to make an informed decision based on an insightful understanding of what is happening. Kano and MoSCow are agile prioritization techniques. The "Four Whys" is a made-up term.

Sabrina is managing an urban housing construction project. She identified a risk that might affect work execution due to an equipment malfunction. Which of the following risk response strategies will she use to respond to this risk? (Select two) Exploit Enhance Mitigate Eliminate

Mitigate Eliminate Explanation This is an example of negative risk; therefore, Sabrina should use either the mitigation strategy to minimize the risk impact or the eliminate strategy to completely avoid the risk. The other two strategies, exploit and enhance, are positive risk response strategies

Rita couldn't be happier with her job, as it seems to provide her with almost everything she needs financially, socially, and in terms of self-esteem. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, what is the lowest level that should be met before satisfying the other needs? Esteem Physiological Social Safety

Physiological Explanation Physiological factors are at the lowest level of Maslow's hierarchy triangle. Water, food, sleep, shelter, etc. are all vital, basic physiological human needs.

Making the transition from a predictive to an agile scrum environment was a big move for Karlie and her team. Switching to a scrum framework, Karlie now conducts different types of meetings to ensure open communication, collaboration, and efficiency. Which of the following meetings is process-oriented? Sprint planning Sprint review Sprint demonstration Sprint retrospective

Sprint retrospective Explanation The Sprint Retrospective is a process-oriented meeting that is held at the end of each iteration. Its purpose is to explicitly reflect on the most significant events that have occurred during the current iteration in order to make decisions on how to improve processes during the next iteration. Sprint review or demonstration, on the other hand, is a product-oriented meeting.

Chang is the project manager of MCN electric motorcycles. As part of the project quality control process, he decided to check only 10% of the manufactured motorbikes for environmental control. Which technique is Chang using? Sample Selection Control Charts Statistical Sampling Pareto Diagram

Statistical Sampling Explanation Statistical Sampling is a technique used to test a small sample of a product in order to make a prediction about the total production. Other statistical sampling methods include systematic sampling, cluster sampling, stratified sampling, and judgmental sampling.

You're managing a packaging project for which the organization has purchased a custom-built laser printing machine for $130,000 which was later found to be useless. The $130,000 amount represents a _______ cost. Fixed Sunk Indirect Opportunity

Sunk Explanation Sunk Cost is the investment of resources, money, or time made and cannot be recovered. In this situation, the amount of $130,000 is not recoverable, i.e., sunk cost.

One of your team members told you that she thinks you are a great project manager. She explained that she believes you are perfectly adopting various leadership styles depending on the situation you're handling. Which of the following is not a type of leadership style? Interactional Transactional Supportive Autocratic

Supportive Explanation Supportive is a type of PMO, not a leadership style. A situational leader is a project manager who employs a variety of leadership styles depending on the situation. Leadership styles include Directing, Facilitating, Coaching, Autocratic, Consultative, Consultative-Autocratic, Consensus, Bureaucratic, Democratic or participative, Analytical, Driver, Influencing, Laissez-faire, Transactional, Servant, Transformational, Charismatic, and Interactional.

Maria is evaluating a potential industrial project. To determine whether its anticipated financial gains will outweigh its present-day investment, she is using the Net Present Value (NPV) as an effective tool to help her determine whether the project will be profitable or not. For instance, NPV > 0 means: The project will lose money The project will break even The project is profitable We can't know until the ROI is calculated

The project is profitable Explanation The larger the Net Present Value (NPV), the more profitable the project will be for the organization. A positive NPV indicates that the investment is worthwhile.

After launching a request for proposals, Diana is assessing four suppliers for her organic catering project. She is going to rank them based on three main aspects: products' quality, production capacity, and cost. Which of the following selection techniques is being used by Diana? Screening system Evaluation criteria Weighting system Contract negotiation

Weighting system Explanation Since Diana is ranking suppliers using specific criteria (aka evaluation criteria), it means that she is using the weighting system by scoring their performance on each criterion. Diana is not doing any contract negotiation yet. Plus, she is not using a screening system because she is not eliminating sellers who do not meet particular conditions.

Suzan is managing the construction of a new bridge in her city. In order to check how the project is advancing, she sets milestones in the project schedule. What is the typical duration of a milestone? Half the duration of the project The same duration of the project life cycle Zero One month

Zero Explanation The duration of a milestone is zero because it denotes an achievement or a point of time in a project, such as the completion of a deliverable (PMBOK 6th edition, page 186).

To calculate the value of your personal computer after two years of use, you apply a straight-line depreciation. Knowing that the current cost of the computer is $1,000 and that its life span is five years, what will be its value in two years? $0 $400 $400 $600

$600 Explanation With the straight-line depreciation method, the value of your personal computer decreases by $200 each year ($1,000 / 5 years). After two years of using it, the computer's value will decline to $600.

Dalila has joined a home appliances production company where quality is imperative for the product. For this reason, the company follows the Six Sigma methodology for its operations. In this methodology, only a __________ percentage of defective products is allowed. 0.0030127 0.0000034 99.69873 99.99966

0.0000034 Explanation Six Sigma is a quality management methodology used to help businesses improve current processes, products, or services by discovering and eliminating defects. The Six Sigma process is expected to have 99.99969% defect-free products (or 0.0000034% of products can have defects).

You are managing a small project with a total of 4 stakeholders. You have recently added a new team member. What is the current number of communication channels? 4 5 10 20

10 Explanation The following formula is used to calculate the number of communication channels: Number of potential communication channels = n x (n-1) / 2. In this case: 5 x (5-1) / 2 = 10.

You are using the critical path method to set your project schedule. One of the activities lasts 5 days, with an Early Start (ES) on day 10, and a Late Start (LS) on day 15. What is the activity's total float? 5 15 It cannot be determined since Late Finish (LF) is unknown It cannot be determined since Early Finish (EF) is unknown

5 Explanation Total Float = Late Start date - Early Start date = 15 - 10 = 5

Grade and quality are two of the most commonly used terms in project management on a daily basis. People frequently say that this is a low-grade product, or this is a high-grade product. Which of these is correct with respect to a performed service or a developed product? Low quality can be acceptable, but a low grade is not A low grade can be acceptable, but a low quality is not Both low grade and quality are not acceptable Quality and grade are the same

A low grade can be acceptable, but a low quality is not Explanation Grade refers to a category or rank given to entities having the same functional use but different technical characteristics. A product can be high-grade (high-end) or low-grade (low-end). A low-grade product is perfectly acceptable, as long as it fulfills requirements. On the other hand, a low-quality product is always a problem and never acceptable. Every item produced must be of high quality regardless of its grade; no one wants a low-quality product. Example: You buy a basic model (low-grade) cell phone with no advanced features, but it works well. Thus, we're talking about a high-quality product. Although it is low-grade, it keeps you satisfied (PMBOK 6th edition, page 274).

At the beginning of the project planning phase, Louis would always emphasize how important it is for all data to be precise and accurate. During one meeting, one of his team members asked if there is really a difference between precision and accuracy. What was Louis' answer? Precision and accuracy are mutually exclusive Accuracy measures exactness; precision measures correctness Accuracy measures correctness; precision measures exactness Precision and accuracy are the same

Accuracy measures correctness; precision measures exactness Explanation Accuracy implies how close a measurement is to an accepted value. Precision describes the statistical variability of produced measurement (even though it can be far off the accepted value) (PMBOK 7th edition, page 55).

The project you are managing has become so large (multiple teams, long duration, and huge budget) that the single sponsor has been replaced by a steering committee. What should you do to accommodate this new change? Acknowledge that the stakeholders' structure has changed and tailor communication accordingly Work accordingly to the original plan while keeping in mind that the project may now include additional stakeholders Hold a meeting with the new steering committee and continue working on the project Share an updated status report with the new committee

Acknowledge that the stakeholders' structure has changed and tailor communication accordingly Explanation On large projects, one sponsor might not be enough. A Steering Committee is established when a large project involves multiple business units, organizations, or individuals who all have a substantial stake in the project's success and outcomes. The project manager needs to be proactive and respond to this change. The initial communication plan for a single sponsor may not work for this steering committee. In order to ensure effective communication with them, you must understand their communication requirements and preferences.

Upon conducting a risk identification process, you discovered a technical risk. Thus, you set up a contingency reserve for it. Which risk response strategy consists in creating a contingency reserve? Active risk mitigation Passive risk acceptance Passive risk avoidance Active risk acceptance

Active risk acceptance Explanation Risk acceptance recognizes the existence of a threat, but no practical action is undertaken (PMBOK 7th edition, page 248). Acceptance can be either passive or active. Establishing a contingency reserve, including money to handle the threat if it occurs, is considered an active acceptance strategy. Passive acceptance, however, involves no proactive action apart from a periodic review of the threat to ensure that it does not change significantly.

______________ is the technique of applying incremental delivery cycles to perform the work on an Agile project. It is very different from traditional planning since it accepts and expects uncertainty. Rolling wave planning Adaptive planning Progressive planning Incremental planning

Adaptive planning Explanation Adaptive planning allows using iterative development cycles to produce incremental product deliverables as well as adapting your project plan to changing requirements. Rolling Wave Planning, however, is a form of progressive elaboration that prioritizes near-term plans and "rolls" into the longer term as more details become available. Incremental Planning and Progressive Planning are not terms used in Agile product development.

Over the last couple of years, your organization has grown into a corporate group by taking over a number of companies in the same field. This significantly increased the number of its projects, programs, and portfolios. How many active portfolios should be managed concurrently by an organization? One portfolio at a time Based on the size of the resources allocated to portfolio management Each portfolio manager should handle only one at a time As many as the organization can handle

As many as the organization can handle Explanation There is no limit to the number of portfolios that an organization can manage concurrently. Portfolios should be established as long as there is a need to cluster projects and programs to achieve the strategic objective

Sony, one of your team members, has substantial experience, making her a valuable asset to the project. You recently learned that she'll be promoted to manage a new project within the organization. In this case, you will lose her as part of your team. What should you do next? Give bad feedback about her performance to delay her promotion until your project is completed ​Inform her about the likelihood of her promotion and ask her to transfer her responsibilities to another team member Ask her to prepare a transition plan, after she gets promoted and receives her transfer orders Hire another resource to replace Sony

Ask her to prepare a transition plan, after she gets promoted and receives her transfer orders Explanation Role, direction, and project transitions are all common occurrences. So, creating a transition plan can ensure the smooth functioning of the project during times of change. The transition plan outlines the hand-off process and defines all the priorities, goals, and strategies for a successful shift. However, you can only ask Sony to prepare it when her promotion becomes official through a transfer order for instance. Transferring responsibilities or hiring other resources should not be based on a mere possibility. Giving bad feedback about your team member's performance to delay her promotion until your project is completed is neither appropriate nor ethical.

Wagner is a product owner for a high-quality clothing project. He joins the project team and other prominent stakeholders for a meeting to review a demonstration of the produced deliverable. Wagner attends this type of meeting ________________ since the project employs an iteration-based Agile approach. At the beginning of every iteration At the end of every iteration At the end of the project At the start of the project

At the end of every iteration Explanation The iteration review allows obtaining feedback from the product owner and concerned stakeholders at the end of every iteration.

S curve Explanation S-Curves visualize the evolution of a project cost over a period of time. The name is derived from the S-shape that data usually form, with a low cost at the project's start and end, and an elevated cost mid-project.

At the end of the project, and during the lessons learned session, you showed the following curve, stating that project expenditures over time represent a(n) ____________. Slanted line S curve Z curve Integral curve

Upon purchasing software for the project, you identify a probable risk that the software version might be old. In case that risk occurs, you'll just need to go to the settings and update the software version. In this situation, you decide to passively accept the risk. In this case, why is passive risk acceptance the appropriate approach? Because the probability of risk occurrence is very low Because the risk occurrence is difficult to identify Because it would be better to deal with trivial risks when they occur Because the risk is not on the critical path

Because it would be better to deal with trivial risks when they occur Explanation Passive risk acceptance is an appropriate approach when it is best to handle the risk as it occurs. No proactive action is needed for passive acceptance other than periodically reviewing the threat to ensure that it does not change significantly (PMBOK 7th edition, page 123).

In order to assess your project performance, you calculate both the CPI and SPI. What's your project status knowing that it has a high CPI and a low SPI? Behind schedule, under budget Ahead of schedule, under budget Behind schedule, over budget Ahead of schedule, over budget

Behind schedule, under budget Explanation Your project is behind schedule and under budget. You can find the Schedule Performance Index by dividing Earned Value by Planned Value (SPI= EV / PV). If SPI > 1, then the project is ahead of schedule. If SPI < 1, then the project is behind schedule. You can find the Cost Performance Index by dividing the Earned Value by the Actual Cost (CPI = EV / AC). If the CPI > 1, then the project is under budget. If it is < 1, then the project is over budget.

A manufacturing company, working under the predictive life cycle, is implementing a project to create an innovative product using new technology. Details of the component work packages have been defined and constraints for each component have been identified. Top management would like to obtain a precise cost estimate of the project. What estimating technique should the project manager use? Top-Down Parametric Bottom-up Analogous

Bottom-up Explanation The Bottom-up estimation technique is used when requirements are decomposed into small, feasible work pieces which are then aggregated to estimate the cost of the entire project. The Bottom-up technique provides a precise estimate of both the project cost and duration.

During your project's planning phase, you found that stakeholders insisted that their conflicting requirements be considered and consolidated. That made it hard to come up with a plan which satisfies all requirements. What is probably the most helpful step to ensure common understanding? Build focus groups involving concerned stakeholders to discuss and resolve conflicting interests. Create a document explaining your point of view in detail and ask conflicting stakeholders to review it. Give each stakeholder the opportunity to write a statement of work, and then merge all documents to create the project scope statement. Use your authorization and position as the project manager to choose which objectives to prioritize.

Build focus groups involving concerned stakeholders to discuss and resolve conflicting interests. Explanation Focus groups bring together stakeholders and subject matter experts to interactively discuss and learn about their expectations and attitudes towards a proposed service, product, or result (PMBOK 7th edition, page 15).

You're managing an accounting software development project. In its beta version, some users reported that the software freezes one to three times a day. Since you need more information to fix the problem, you asked the users to fill in a _______________ whenever the issue occurs to include information about how the freezing happens and its duration. Check sheet Cheat sheet Checklist Survey

Check sheet Explanation Check sheets, aka tally sheets, are used to assemble facts in order to facilitate the collection of more data concerning a potential quality issue (PMBOK 7th edition, page 175). A checklist, on the other hand, is used to verify whether a set of required steps has been performed or not.

For a project in the robotics field, Ava floated a tender for the high-tech equipment needed for her project. To clarify some points, Ava set up a bidder conference. Which steps will be taken by Ava during the bidder conference? (Select two) Award the contract Clarify the doubt Explain the bid terms and conditions Shortlist the prospective sellers

Clarify the doubt Explain the bid terms and conditions Explanation Bidder conference, aka contractor conference or vendor conference, is arranged to ensure that the sellers have a common understanding of the procurement requirements (PMBOK 7th edition, page 70). During the conference, the project manager and the stakeholders will discuss what they want from the vendors and answer any questions they have. In a bidder conference, you do not shortlist the prospective sellers nor award the contract.

As a novice project manager, Westly found that working on his interpersonal skills helped him manage stakeholders more efficiently. Which of the following are examples of interpersonal skills? (Select three) Communication style assessment Political awareness Project management certification Cultural awareness

Communication style assessment, Political awareness, Cultural awareness Explanation All options, with the exception of project management certification, represent interpersonal skills. According to the PMBOK, interpersonal skills include communication styles assessment to identify the preferred communication format, method, and content for each situation, political awareness to help the project manager plan communications according to the project environment, and cultural awareness to understand the differences between groups, individuals, and organizations, thus adapting the project's communication strategy to these differences (PMBOK Guide 6th Edition, page 375).

Two team members discuss an issue concerning server configuration. When the first member asks why this issue keeps happening, the second member says that server parameters are confusing, making it difficult for them to master its configuration. The first team member suggests that they should be consulted the next few times the server is being configured, to which the second team member agrees and the problem is solved. What conflict resolution technique is being used? Collaborating Confronting Norming Forcing

Confronting Explanation The two team members used the confronting conflict resolution technique, which is also known as problem-solving. This technique is used when the conflicting parties are focusing on finding the best solution and when they have confidence in each other's judgment and ability to solve the issue (PMBOK 7th edition, page 168). This is not "collaborating" because the scenario did not involve different points of view and perspectives of how the issue should be addressed. It's not "forcing" either since the second member accepted the first member's suggestion without being forced. Norming is not a conflict-resolution technique, it is one of the team development stages according to the Tuckman Ladder model.

Aiden works for a construction company. He is assigned to manage a new highway construction project. In order to help him along with the project, the PMO provides Aiden with their support while requiring him to fully comply with them. What kind of PMO is this? Supportive Controlling Directive Helping

Controlling Explanation A controlling PMO provides support and requires that this support should be used. Requirements might include forms, templates, conformance to governance, etc. The two other PMO types are: supportive and directing (PMBOK 6th edition, page 48).

Conditions under which you must work and which you cannot control are called Enterprise Environmental Factors. Which of the following is not considered an Enterprise Environmental Factor? Organization culture Market standards Corporate knowledge base Work authorization systems

Corporate knowledge base Explanation Corporate knowledge base is part of the Organizational Process Assets. Enterprise Environment Factors (EEFs), however, include all procedures, policies, and legislation that has an impact on how you manage a project (PMBOK 7th edition, page 239). Examples of EEFs include Organizational culture, Market standards and conditions, Codes of conduct, Quality standards, Work authorization systems, Risk databases, etc. (PMBOK 6th edition, pages 38-39).

After getting her project approved by the organization's executives, Dakota started estimating the project budget. She is using a bottom-up cost estimation technique to calculate the cost of each activity. The PMO informed her that the value of the management reserve will be 6% of the cost baseline. Which of the following represents the budgeted cost of the project? Cost Baseline + Management Reserve Cost Baseline + Contingency Reserve Contingency Reserve + Management Reserve Cost Baseline

Cost Baseline + Management Reserve Explanation Management reserve is needed as part of the project budget to address unforeseen risks. The difference between the project budget and the cost baseline is management reserve. The cost baseline is the total of all the approved budgets for the scheduled activities. To put together the project budget, the management reserve is added to the cost baseline. The contingency reserve is part of the cost baseline (PMBOK 7th edition, pages 62-63).

When work boundaries are unclear or when the risk is high, you should use a __________ contact. In this contract type, the risk is on the buyer as they pay for all incurred costs. Fixed-price Cost-reimbursable Time and material Flexible

Cost-reimbursable Explanation Under a cost-reimbursement contract, the buyer takes on more risk as the seller charges for all legitimate expenses related to completing the product or service, as well as a fixed fee as profit for their work. The buyer assumes the risk in case the scope costs more than estimated. However, in a Fixed Price Contract, the buyer doesn't take any risk, while in a Time and Material contract the risk is shared between the buyer and the seller (because the buyer's cost might escalate due to the undetermined duration of the contract, and seller's profit might decrease due to potential material/resources cost increase over the project life-cycle) (PMBOK 7th edition, page 191).

You are managing a project using the Agile approach. When the sprint is almost over, one of your team members informs you that they don't have enough time to properly prepare the demonstration for the sprint review as they are trying to complete the sprint backlog items. What could you suggest in order to avoid such an issue in future sprints? Creating a task for conducting the demonstration Handling the demonstration yourself Delivering a spontaneous demonstration with no preparation needed Delaying the demonstration for a few days to allow your team to get properly prepared

Creating a task for conducting the demonstration Explanation The creation of a task to demonstrate the product and make it part of the sprint allows the team to get the necessary time to prepare for the demonstration. The sprint demo shouldn't take up too much of a Scrum team's time. Time shouldn't be spent putting long slide decks together; the focus should be on the work and the demonstration should only include stories that meet the team's definition of Done. Typically, a day or two before the end of the sprint, a project manager holds a short demo run-through and makes notes on anything they need to set up in order to make the demo flow well.

Which of the following refers to the start-to-finish time required to develop a potentially shippable product increment? Actual Time Cycle Time Ideal Time Real Time

Cycle Time Explanation The time it takes to complete a task from start to finish is referred to as cycle time (PMBOK 7th edition, page 99). Actual Time and Real Time are used synonymously as they both refer to the daily period during which team members are productively working on their assigned tasks. When you make the assumption that your Agile team is fully productive and that they're not being interrupted by attending meetings or checking emails, you're referring to Ideal Time or Ideal Days.

Lucas is a government contractor. In the new project he is working on, he wants to keep costs under control while putting the risk on the vendor's side. Moreover, Lucas wants to ensure that the seller is legally obliged to complete the contract, otherwise, they may face financial liabilities. Which type of contract best conforms to Lucas' needs and represents the least risk for him as a buyer? Fixed-price Time and materials (T&M) Cost-plus incentive fee Cost-reimbursement

Fixed-price Explanation Fixed price contracts present the least risk for the buyer. A fixed-price contract is one in which the payment does not depend on the spent time or used resources. It involves setting a fixed price for the service, product, or result defined in the contract (PMBOK 7th edition, page 191).

You work for a smartphone brand. The company makes a deal with a Chinese manufacturer to produce the phone exterior shell. Upon receiving the Chinese representatives to sign the contract, you hire a translator for those who are attending the meeting but do not speak Mandarin (The official language in China). What is the translator's role in the meeting? Encoding Acting as a medium Removing noise Decoding

Decoding Explanation The message is in Mandarin, which a lot of meeting attendees don't understand. The translator is translating the message to a language they can understand; he/she is decoding the message. Decoding is when the received data is translated into a form that the receiver can understand.

Nada is the product owner of a pregnancy tracking mobile App project. In the planning workshop, Nada ranked the features according to their business value and then presented the prioritized features to the development team. What should the development team do next? Start estimating work Set up another meeting with the customer to capture more details about the features Decompose the features into user stories and tasks Start development work

Decompose the features into user stories and tasks Explanation The team's next step should involve continuing with the planning activity through decomposing features into stories and tasks. During the sprint planning workshop, the product owner determined top priority features for the Agile team. The team should ask for more details in order to turn a high-level user story of the product backlog into more precise tasks to accomplish during the sprint. The product owner doesn't have to describe every item being tracked on the product backlog. Such decomposition is part of adaptive planning.

Daisy is managing her first project. She implemented the project management plan meticulously but she is struggling with leading the project team effectively. Talking to her mentor, Daisy was advised to further focus on developing her leadership skills. In this situation, leadership means: Growing an ongoing business over a long period of time Ensuring predictability in an uncertain environment Adhering to standards and procedures Developing a strategy and a vision as well as motivating people

Developing a strategy and a vision as well as motivating people Explanation Successful leaders are able to communicate the vision of a project to their team so that everyone has a shared vision of the bigger picture. When the whole project team understands the project vision, individuals are better able to see where they fit in and how each of their roles contributes to the project's success (PMBOK 7th edition, pages 23-25).

As a project manager, Abel must assign a complex task to one of his team members. He had to choose between two team members who were both equally capable of fulfilling the task. But, one of them is a member of Abel's in-group while the other one is far more distant. How should Abel behave? Disclose the situation to appropriate stakeholders and solicit a joint decision Choose the in-group person as the trust relationship will benefit the project Choose the person not in his in-group to avoid misunderstandings Assign a third team member to take the decision in order to avoid a conflict of interest

Disclose the situation to appropriate stakeholders and solicit a joint decision Explanation As the PMI code of ethics indicates under the Fairness chapter, Abel should disclose any potential or real conflict of interest to stakeholders (PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, page 5).

You are managing a project using the scrum framework. After sizing the selected product backlog items for the next release, you estimated that 5 sprints are needed. However, after running two sprints you find out that your team velocity is reduced for various reasons and that the release deadline can't be met. What should you do next? Re-prioritize the backlog Add more developers to the team Decompose user stories to increase the velocity of the team Discuss the issue with the product owner to find the appropriate solution

Discuss the issue with the product owner to find the appropriate solution Explanation You should inform the product owner and discuss with them the different options and measures. If the release date cannot be changed then the product owner could re-prioritize the release backlog. You, as a project manager or scrum master, should not reprioritize the backlog. Additionally, decomposing user stories cannot result in more productivity nor increase your team's velocity since the amount of work will still be the same. Adding more developers to the team may increase the velocity, but it will increase the cost as well. Plus, this option should be approved by the product owner, and could only be adopted when the release date and scope are more important than the cost.

You get hired to lead the marketing department of a financial institution. You first meet with your project management team in order to review the project portfolio. Next, you focus on learning about the governance framework in place, which is considered to be: Organizational process assets Project management framework Enterprise environmental factors Agile Manifesto principles

Enterprise environmental factors Explanation An organization's culture, structure, and governance, are Enterprise Environmental Factors that can influence a project's success.

Lara is managing a luxury residency project. Before proceeding with the site excavation process, a government clearance must be issued. What kind of dependency is this? Soft logic Preferential logic External dependency Discretionary dependency

External dependency Explanation External dependency is the relationship between project activities and external activities that are not related to your project. Even though it's beyond the project team's control, such a dependency should be reflected in the project schedule. On the other hand, discretionary dependencies, also referred to as soft logic, preferred logic, or preferential logic, are not mandatory (PMBOK 7th edition, page 60).

The amount of time a task can be postponed without affecting the subsequent tasks or the overall completion of the project is referred to as: (Select two) Buffer Float Independent activity Slack

Float and Slack Explanation Float or slack is the amount of time that a task can be delayed without affecting the deadlines of other subsequent tasks, or the project's final delivery date. The former is known as "free float", while the latter is called "total float". The terms "slack" and "float" are often used interchangeably when a project is scheduled using the Critical Path Method. However, the difference between slack and float is that slack is typically associated with inactivity, whereas float is associated with activity. Slack time permits an activity to start later than anticipated, while float time allows an activity to take longer than it was initially planned.

Emily works in an organization that adopts the predictive approach. The project under her management is running over budget, so, it wouldn't be possible to complete it without obtaining more funds. After updating the management on her project status, they ask Emily to present a new budget assessment. Emily estimates that she may need an additional amount of $35,000. This is an example of: Forecast analysis Status report Change request Progress report

Forecast analysis Explanation The project budget might change as the project progresses. In this case, Emily informed management about the new forecasted budget; (BAC + $35,000), which is known as EAC (Estimate at Completion).

Julian has been assigned to manage a project in Japan. When meeting with the local project stakeholders, he was offered a welcome gift since it's a local tradition to present gifts to guests when meeting them for the first time. What should Julian do about it? He should not accept the gift at any cost He should accept the gift and inform his management He should accept the gift and keep the incident to himself He should accept the gift and politely return it later

He should accept the gift and inform his management Explanation Since it is a local custom, Julian should accept the gift and inform management. The project manager should refrain from accepting or offering inappropriate gifts, payments, or any form of compensation for personal gain unless it is in accordance with the laws or customs of the country where the project is being executed. Rejecting or returning gifts may be considered inappropriate and rude in some countries. The best option in such a situation would be accepting the gift and informing your management.

David is leading a hotel construction project in a foreign country where corruption is widely spread. Since he is having trouble obtaining the required construction permits from local authorities, a member of David's team suggested that he give a bribe to the local officials to get things going and execute the project without issues. How should David react? He should not give the bribe He should give the bribe He should negotiate a non-monetary bribe He should discuss the matter with his superior

He should not give the bribe Explanation Regardless of what may happen, you should not offer a bribe. Instead, you should find a legal process to resolve the problem. According to the PMI Code of ethics, the project manager should steer away from any illegal activity such as corruption, theft, embezzlement, fraud, or bribery.

Wade is assigned to lead a project abroad. At the start of the project execution, Wade is worried about the country's high levels of violence in public. He gets approached by a local police officer who asks for a private money transfer to ensure the safety of Wade and his team during their stay. How should Wade respond? He should not pay the police officer since it's considered bribery or palm greasing He should not pay the police officer and rather follow the chain of command He should pay the police officer and consider it as a facilitation payment He should pay through an agent considering how suspicious the situation is

He should not pay the police officer and rather follow the chain of command Explanation In such situations, Wade should not pay and should follow the chain of command and solicit their support in providing security to the project team. This situation could be considered as bribery or at least palm greasing. Nevertheless, the project manager should act proactively and take all security measures.

Amal facilitates a meeting with project stakeholders to discuss a recurring issue with one of the vendors. As a facilitator, Amal should: (Select two) Be in full control of the discussion and its outcomes Be responsible for taking meeting notes Help stakeholders reach common understandings and solve the issue Give guidance as required without interfering

Help stakeholders reach common understandings and solve the issue Give guidance as required without interfering Explanation Facilitation means assisting others in dealing with a process, reaching an agreement, or finding a solution without getting personally or directly involved in the process, discussion, etc. For the facilitator to maintain an impartial position, they should approach the discussion as an unbiased voice.

In order to respond to the rapidly changing business environment, your organization has decided to use adaptive methods. While attempting to adopt an agile mindset, your project team may use all of the following questions to develop an implementation strategy, except: What work can be avoided to only focus on high-priority tasks? What work can be avoided to only focus on high priority tasks? How can the Agile teamwork in a predictable manner? What work to prioritize in order to obtain early feedback? How can servant leadership help the achievement of goals?

How can the Agile teamwork in a predictable manner? Explanation Agile teams don't focus on how to predict the project work; instead, they try to focus on high-priority tasks, getting early feedback, and adopting the servant leadership approach.

You are the project manager of a rebranding project. When the execution was completed, several key stakeholders, including the sponsor, were reluctant to accept deliverables and close the project. What should you do in this situation? (Select three) Identify and resolve any open issues, Then, be firm on formal closure. Formally close the project. Stakeholders will get well-acquainted with the new brand at that time Identify and openly discuss the reasons for reluctance. Invite earnest feedback from all sides and try to identify any misunderstandings.

Identify and resolve any open issues, Then, be firm on formal closure. Identify and openly discuss the reasons for reluctance. Invite earnest feedback from all sides and try to identify any misunderstandings. Explanation You shouldn't close the project as key stakeholders are not satisfied. Try to discuss, identify, and resolve any issues or misunderstandings first.

During the project execution, Theodore receives a complaint from one of his team members that the printer along with other electronic equipment are no longer functioning due to excessively hot weather. Deciding to deal with the problem, which of the following are methodological steps Theodore is going to go through while trying to solve the issue? (Select three) Identify the problem Analyze the problem Prevent the problem Check the solution

Identify the problem Analyze the problem Check the solution Explanation The project manager should use methodical steps to deal with problem-solving, which can include: Identifying or specifying the problem, defining the problem and breaking it into smaller manageable problems, investigating by collecting data, analyzing to detect the root cause of the problem, solving by choosing the suitable solution, and checking the implemented solution to determine whether the problem has been fixed or not. Preventing the problem is not correct because the problem already took place.

While reviewing the project team's recent performance report, Ida noticed a major drop in output. To raise the team productivity, she decided to: Increase the pressure on each team member to meet deadlines Increase the frequency of status reports and team review meetings Offer a special reward for the best-performing team member Improve and promote trust and cohesiveness among team members

Improve and promote trust and cohesiveness among team members Explanation Improving feelings of trust and cohesiveness among team members initially leads to improved productivity. Team cohesion occurs when people feel fulfilled and driven to achieve a common goal. Increasing team cohesion naturally helps you boost employee engagement by creating positive relationships, team goals, and shared values that increase commitment.

During the elaboration of the quality management plan of your new project, you defined a list of inspection and prevention activities to be conducted at a preset timing. What sets apart inspection from prevention? Inspection focuses on the cause of identified errors, while prevention focuses on resolving them. Prevention focuses on the cause of identified errors, while inspection focuses on resolving them. Inspection keeps errors from reaching the end-user, while prevention prevents them from occurring. Prevention keeps errors from reaching the end-user, while inspection prevents them from occurring.

Inspection keeps errors from reaching the end-user, while prevention prevents them from occurring. Explanation Inspection and prevention are both quality assurance techniques. Inspection tries to prevent errors from reaching the customer or end-user, whereas prevention tries to keep the process error-free (PMBOK 7th edition, page 88).

You are a team facilitator of a project following the Scrum framework. At what meeting is a potentially shippable product increment presented to the concerned stakeholders? Iteration acceptance meeting Iteration planning meeting Iteration review meeting Iteration retrospective meeting

Iteration review meeting Explanation It's expected from the Scrum team to deliver shippable product features by the end of each iteration. During the Iteration Review meeting, the Scrum team demonstrates their work to the product owner and concerned stakeholders, in order to get feedback and approval (PMBOK 7th edition, page 179).

Kehlani noticed that her colleagues tend to waste a lot of office supplies and that inventory is either wasted or underutilized and expired. Therefore, she suggests that inventory management should follow the _____________ technique to focus on keeping less inventory and reducing wastage which will eventually improve production and performance. Lean management KAIZEN Kanban Just in Time

Just in Time Explanation Just in Time (JIT) is the technique of using resources only when they are needed. For instance, instead of acquiring a large inventory of spare parts to be used in manufacturing, you only obtain parts when needed. Lean management is a philosophy that calls for eliminating waste as one of its principles. Unlike JIT, Lean management is not a technique. Kanban, on the other hand, is a lean method for managing and improving work. KAIZEN is a quality management philosophy that consists in continuously applying gradual improvements to enhance efficiency, business, and performance.

Elijah is a product owner for an organization that witnessed major changes on the management level. The new management is not satisfied with the current quality of the organization's products. Consequently, they decided to employ a philosophy to continuously improve all processes and products. What is this philosophy called? Manage quality Just in Time Kanban KAIZEN

KAIZEN Explanation KAIZEN means 'improvement' in Japanese. KAIZEN is a practice and a philosophy that focuses on the continual improvement of productivity throughout all aspects of life. KAIZEN aims to create a team atmosphere, improve everyday procedures, ensure employee satisfaction, and make a job more fulfilling.

Working with the predictive approach, which of the following is most true? Lag may be determined by making a forward pass Lag is the maximum amount of time a task can be delayed without delaying the early start of its successor Lag is waiting time Lag is the maximum amount of time a task can be delayed without delaying the project

Lag is waiting time Explanation Under a predictive approach, Lag is when an activity is complete and there is a delay before the subsequent activity starts (PMBOK 7th edition, page 59). For example: to paint a room, you will first apply the primer coating, then you have to let it dry for two days before applying the final coat of paint. These two days of waiting for the primer coat to dry are called Lag Time.

Gerard is the project manager of a school construction project. Recently, there was a conflict between two of his key team members. Gerard met with both of them and resolved the conflict through compromise, which led to a: Win-win situation Win-lose situation Lose-lose situation Lose-leave situation

Lose-lose situation Explanation As a conflict resolution technique, compromise results in a lose-lose situation since both involved parties have to give something up to appease the other party. As a result, neither party really gets all of what they want. Typically it results in resentment affecting productivity when obtaining buy-in from all parties involved. The other resolution types are: - Forcing: which leads to a win-lose situation. - Smoothing: which leads to a yield-lose situation - Withdrawing: which leads to a lose-leave situation - Problem-solving or confrontation: which leads to a win-win situation. Reference: Guan, D. (2007). Conflicts in the project environment. Paper presented at PMI Global Congress 2007.

During a meeting with 15 team members, Jenna the product owner was discussing and collecting ideas about the product requirements. Now they are in the final stage where they are selecting the final idea. As there were many suggested ideas, they decided to vote. After voting, Jenna finds that a particular idea received 9 votes, so she goes with that option. What kind of decision-making is this? Unanimity Majority Plurality Dictatorship

Majority Explanation Voting is a technique for collective decision-making which can be used to generate and prioritize project requirements. Unanimity, plurality, and majority are examples of voting techniques. A majority decision necessitates getting the support of more than 50% of the group members.

Your organization is conducting several projects, each with its own due date. The available resources must be simultaneously assigned to different projects. Fearing that your project might face some delays, you meet with the functional manager to discuss additional resource allocation to your project. Which of the following is probably the most important skill that you will need for that? Planning Negotiating Facilitating Documenting

Negotiating Explanation Negotiating is the most important skill for project managers to have when working with extremely limited budgets and resource allocations.

Tom is planning to attend a textile conference not only to get the latest industry trends and updates but also to meet others in the same field. This is an example of: Spying on the competition Research & Development Procurement management Networking

Networking Explanation Attending a conference is considered networking, it is not spying on the competition. To network means to connect with people. The classic way is to meet face-to-face, either in a formal or an informal frame. Networking can also be done through social media platforms as they provide an opportunity to network with those in your field on a constant basis. On a smaller scale, examples of networking include informal conversations, committee gatherings, luncheons, and so on.

Control charts are used to routinely monitor quality. You are measuring the response time of your application API, where the lower control limit is 200ms and the upper control limit is 800ms. The first 11 data values are: 790, 700, 750, 750, 716, 770, 620, 200, 444, 104, 404. What are the problems that need to be solved? (Select two) One of the values is the same as the lower control limit One of the values is out of the control limit ​Seven consecutive values are between the mean and the upper control limit Two consecutive values are the same

One of the values is out of the control limit and seven consecutive values are between the mean and the upper control limit Explanation Here, the first seven consecutive values are found on either side of the mean. This is an example of the rule of seven, so you should identify its cause. Moreover, the second to last request took 104ms, which is below the 200ms lower control limit, so the API response time is out of control.

Emery has two potential projects to choose from. The first project has a potential return of $25,000, while the second project has a potential return of $20,000. Emery will eventually select the first project. In this case, the $20,000 will be known as: Sunk cost Opportunity cost Lost cost Potential cost

Opportunity cost Explanation $20,000 is the opportunity cost or the "loss" of not choosing the second project. Opportunity cost is known as the loss of potential return by not selecting the second-best project.

No correlation Explanation Scatter Diagram with No Correlation or Zero Degree Correlation is when the data points lie in a circle or their spread is random in a way that it's impossible to draw a line across them. A positive correlation is when the number of accidents increases with age, whereas a negative correlation is when the number of accidents decreases with age. Circular correlation is a made-up term.

Pax is analyzing accident patterns on a high-traffic flow highway. He draws a scatter diagram to see if there is any connection between drivers' age and the number of accidents. Once the diagram is complete, he notices that all points are scattered in a circular form, as shown in the following diagram. What does it indicate? No correlation Circular correlation Negative correlation Positive correlation

Daren is managing a hotel interior design project. One month into the project, the sponsor contacts Daren to express their dissatisfaction with the deliverables, which match neither their requirements nor their expectations. How should Daren react? Continue with the next deliverable as he needs to finish the project on time Talk to his manager to discuss the customer's concern Ensure that the next deliverables have enough features to meet the client's expectations Perform a scope control to verify if the deliverables meet the project objectives

Perform a scope control to verify if the deliverables meet the project objectives Explanation Project scope verification or control involves reviewing deliverables to make sure that each is appropriately completed as per requirements. Any discovered inconsistency or dissimilarity should be rectified before seeking the sponsor's formal approval through the "validate scope" process.

Hailey is simultaneously managing six projects in her company. Two projects are of a similar type, while the other four are entirely different. Hailey is a ______________ in the organization. Portfolio manager Program manager Project manager Program coordinator

Portfolio manager Explanation In portfolio management, a group of related or non-related programs and projects are managed in coordination (PMBOK 7th edition, page 244). Portfolio management is intended to reduce the gap between strategy and implementation by aligning projects to attain business objectives.

All stakeholders are in a meeting to discuss a new project expected to start within one month and to last no less than 10 iterations. One of the stakeholders mentioned that someone should take the responsibility for the development and maintenance of the product roadmap. Who should take this responsibility? Project Manager Team Scrum Master Product Owner

Product Owner Explanation In agile, the product owner should be in charge of managing the product roadmap as they are responsible for the product's success. The Product Owner's primary responsibility is to represent the business, which involves the creation and maintenance of the Product Vision, the Product Roadmap, and the Product Backlog.

You and your Agile team are demonstrating a potentially shippable product increment to your project stakeholders. What type of Agile meeting are you conducting? Review meeting Standup meeting Retrospective meeting Deliverables meeting

Review meeting Explanation At the end of each iteration, you and your project team should demonstrate a potentially shippable product increment to the concerned stakeholders along with the Product Owner to get their feedback. This occurs during an Iteration Review Meeting. The product owner and stakeholders use this meeting to evaluate the product and release backlog priorities (PMBOK 7th edition, page 180).

When the cost of quality of the project managed by Patricia reached a certain level, her line manager invited her for a meeting to explain the situation. During the discussion, Patricia was asked about the cost of non-conformance. Which of the following are examples of the cost of non-conformance? (Select three) Rework Scrap Warranty work Destructive testing loss

Rework Scrap Warranty work Explanation Destructive testing loss is an example of the cost of conformance, the rest are examples of the cost of non-conformance. Cost of Non-Conformance represents the expenses arising due to the non-conformance to the quality requirements. Cost of Non-Conformance can be divided into two categories: 1) Internal Failure Costs are incurred when defects in the deliverables are detected internally (i.e. not yet presented to the customers) including defect repair and rework. 2) External Failure Costs are incurred when defects are found after the deliverables have been delivered to customers and in actual use (this is the worst kind of quality costs) including warranty work, liabilities, and loss of business goodwill. Reference: PMBOK 7th edition, page 89.

Indila identified a risk that has a very low probability to occur, but if it occurs it can have a severe impact on the project. In the past Indila accepted these kinds of risks, but this time she followed her organization's culture and planned to hedge the risk. Indila's organization risk attitude is best known as? Risk seeker Risk averse Risk neutral Risk mitigator

Risk averse Explanation Averse means opposing. A risk-averse organization is not very supportive of or creative towards risks. Such organizations usually try to avoid risks unless there is a good reason to accept them.

As a project manager, no matter which life cycle you adopt for your project, what should always be your top priority? Up to date documentation Efficient collaboration and strong relationships with all project stakeholders Satisfying customers by fulfilling project requirements Elaborating a robust plan and responding to change requests

Satisfying customers by fulfilling project requirements Explanation As with any business, customers or sponsors have to be the highest priority when delivering a product. It's not enough to deliver a product that simply works; the product must work for and do what the customer or the sponsor needs it to do.

Maalik is the project manager for a construction project. From past experience, he knows that one main risk that he may face is that the sand supplier may not deliver on time. In the risk management plan, he has already accounted for this risk. The action he will take if this were to occur is to purchase the sand from another supplier. But, in this case, there may be some differences in the sand quality, which would then be a ____________ risk. Residual Secondary Compliance Primary

Secondary Explanation A secondary risk is a risk caused by a response to a primary risk. Alternatively, the secondary risk would not exist if the risk response was not taken.

In an effort to increase your agile knowledge, you have been paired with Agile project managers to observe how they lead their teams. You notice that many project decisions are the responsibility of the project team, while project managers are more facilitative than authoritative by sharing a common vision and allowing the team to focus on their work. What leadership approach have these project managers adopted? Participative leadership Autocratic leadership Transformational leadership Servant leadership

Servant leadership Explanation Agile project managers generally follow the servant leadership style, which consists in leading through service to the team. Servant leadership focuses on capturing and addressing the needs of team members in order to achieve good team performance (PMBOK 7th edition, page 17). Participative leadership, aka democratic leadership, involves soliciting team members' input while decision-making rests on the participative leader. Autocratic leadership is when the leader makes all decisions on their own. Transformational leadership is when the leader motivates his team and enhances their productivity through high visibility and communication.

Omar is the project manager of a multinational project, in which team members have different cultural backgrounds and nationalities. Despite the fact that all members speak English fluently, what should Omar bear in mind? Since there are cultural differences, he should create a separate code of conduct for each nationality. He may have to just accept that some team members may face some difficulties when working with colleagues of other nationalities. Spoken communications can cause misunderstandings that may not occur in written communications. Such misunderstandings are also hard to identify. Certain groups won't mind late-night meetings and video conferences.

Spoken communications can cause misunderstandings that may not occur in written communications. Such misunderstandings are also hard to identify. Explanation Omar should bear in mind that spoken communications can lead to misunderstandings that may not be found in written communications. Intercultural communication commonly entails communicating in a foreign language. Fluently speaking a foreign language is not always enough to fully grasp it. In order to develop intercultural communication skills, comprehending both the language and its cultural context is required.

Which of the following Scrum meetings is centered on the product? Daily standup Sprint planning Sprint review Sprint retrospective

Sprint review Explanation The Sprint Review is a product-centric meeting, in which the agile team demonstrates the functionalities they have completed during the sprint, seeking feedback and acceptance from the Product Owner (PMBOK 7th edition, page 179).

Laila is assigned to lead a new project that requires a hybrid method. Therefore, she enrolled in a course to learn how to tailor her project management approach by combining agile principles with predictive techniques. Which aspect of the PMI talent triangle is Laila developing here? Strategic and Business Management Leadership Technical Project Management Functional Project Management

Technical Project Management Explanation Technical Project Management Skills are the skills that Laila is working on. The other two aspects of the PMI talent triangle are Strategic and Business Management and Leadership. Functional Project Management is a made-up term.

Emre is a business analyst who gets along with everyone. Thanks to his knowledge of the product, discipline, and ease in getting others to follow his lead, his manager decides to move him into a project manager role. Despite all of his strengths, Emre didn't succeed in his first project. The first major milestone was missed, and the project was way over the estimated budget. What part of the PMI Talent Triangle is Emre missing? Technical project management Leadership Strategic and business management Risk management

Technical project management Explanation The PMI Talent Triangle consists of three sets of skills: leadership, technical project management, and strategic and business management. Since the project is over budget and behind schedule, Emre is most likely lacking formal project management knowledge and training.

You are the Scrum Master for an agile team that is demonstrating a recently developed product increment. Among the deliverables is the product's logo. After explaining the meaning behind his choice for the different elements of the logo, Noah, the project's senior graphic designer, solicited feedback. The product owner appreciated the logo, while the majority of the cross-functional team noted that the logo icon would look better if it was bigger by at least 20%. However, you think that a 10% size increase would be enough to make the logo look better. Which of the following options should be ultimately considered? The icon size should be increased by 20% as per the recommendation of the majority of the cross-functional team The icon size should be increased by 10% as per your recommendation as the Scrum master The icon size should not be increased since the product owner was pleased with the result The icon size should not be increased since Noah is a senior graphic designer, which makes him the most knowledgeable team member in design basics

The icon size should not be increased since the product owner was pleased with the result Explanation The product owner is the one responsible for accepting or rejecting the demonstrated product increment during the iteration review meeting. This means that the icon size should not be increased since the product owner didn't ask for any modification. The cross-functional team, including the senior graphic designer, as well as the scrum master, does not have the authority to decide whether a product increment or feature is complete or requires further development.

You're calculating performance measurements based on the following information: EV = $2,000 and AC = $1,000. What is the status of the project? The project is ahead of schedule The project is behind schedule The project is under budget The project is over budget

The project is under budget Explanation The CPI (Cost Performance Index) is a measure of the conformance of the actual work completed (EV, Earned Value) with the Actual Cost (AC) incurred: CPI = EV / AC = $2,000 / $1,000 = 2 which means that the project is under budget. The Schedule Performance Index is a measure of the conformance of actual progress to the planned progress (SPI = EV / PV). Since the PV is unknown, we can't figure out if the project is behind or ahead of schedule.

During a meeting with the stakeholders, they inquired about the amount of work completed by your agile team in their last sprint. What information do you need to share with the stakeholders? The sprint's velocity The sprint backlog items The average velocity The forecasting velocity

The sprint's velocity Explanation Velocity is the measurement of how much work is completed in each sprint. It is calculated by adding up the sizes of the completed items by the end of the sprint (Essential Scrum by Rubin, Kenneth S, page 119). The sprint backlog is a list of the product backlog items pulled into a sprint, which may not be completed by the end of the sprint. The average velocity is the average of all the previous sprints. The forecasting velocity is used when the team is new to the Agile approach and has no historical data.

William is a project manager who follows the servant leader approach. He is currently onboarding a new team member who he believes can help fill skill-level gaps in his current project team. William provides the new team member with a copy of the project charter and commits to sending him a copy of ________________, which addresses team values, ground rules, and working agreements. The employment contract The resources management plan The communication management plan The team charter

The team charter Explanation A team charter is a document that is developed in a group setting to clarify team direction while also establishing boundaries. It is created at the team's forming phase in order to encourage understanding and buy-in. A team charter aligns the team with ground rules, team values, meeting guidelines, working agreements, and other group norms (PMBOK 7th edition, page 192).

Dominique, who is a scrum master, uses planning poker to estimate user stories. After going through the first user story details, Dominique asked her team members to choose a card as an estimation of the ideal number of days to complete the user story and then to reveal their cards. Since the estimates were vastly disparate, Dominique instantly asked for re-estimates in order to converge team members' estimations. What did Dominique do wrong? The team used ideal days as the unit for the estimates The team re-estimated immediately after everyone revealed their cards Cards shouldn't be revealed Dominique didn't do anything wrong

The team re-estimated immediately after everyone revealed their cards Explanation The team misses out on the benefit of discussing the reasoning behind their estimations when they immediately carry on with re-estimation. Often, estimates vary in the first round of planning poker. The team should discuss the story and their estimates. After the discussion, each team member re-estimates the story in question again by selecting a card. The process should be repeated until reaching a consensus. The number of rounds of estimation may vary from one user story to another.

You are managing an internal project to develop Human Resource management software. Since you have adopted the Scrum framework, a sprint planning meeting is held to select user stories. During sprint planning, Reo, one of your team members, insists that a user story concerning a rewards policy implementation should not be brought into the next sprint because it doesn't include enough details on how to set rewards according to employees' different positions and roles within the organization. What is the most likely reason for Reo to push out this user story? The user story doesn't meet the Definition of Ready The user story doesn't meet the Definition of Done The user story involves an unattainable stakeholder demand The user story might result in a waste of time and effort

The user story doesn't meet the Definition of Ready Explanation Reo tried to push out the user story because it wasn't ready for implementation as it does not describe how to define rewards according to each employee's role or position within the organization. The Definition of Ready (DoR) represents a checklist of all the criteria that must be met before a user story can be considered ready to be included in the sprint for execution (Agile Practice Guide, page 151).

When you first started managing procurement, a senior expert in your organization advised you to pay attention to oligopoly. Which of the following best describes oligopoly? There are no sellers in the market, so you need to build the product internally There is only one qualified seller in the market There are only a few sellers in the market and the action of one seller impacts the others Your company policy allows you to contractually engage with only one seller

There are only a few sellers in the market and the action of one seller impacts the others Explanation When there are only a few sellers in the market, any action taken by one of them has an impact on the others, hence the term oligopoly. However, when there is only one seller who dominates the market, it's called a monopoly.

You are managing a big project. You decided to outsource an important part of it to a service provider. To ensure that the selected provider is well suited to your project requirements and quality level, you asked the service provider to go through a _________________ first. Logistics phase Transition time Managed supply chain Trial engagement

Trial engagement Explanation Some projects engage several candidate sellers for initial paid work before making the full commitment. This allows the buyer to evaluate potential partners, while simultaneously making progress on project work.

You are managing a web application project using the Agile approach. During the daily standup, two team members start discussing which JavaScript framework to use: Angular, React, or Vue. What should you do? Let the discussion continue since it's very important Time-box the conversation and suggest that team members carry on with it after the standup meeting Facilitate the conversation and invite the rest of the team to weigh in Share your own opinion on the matter

Time-box the conversation and suggest that team members carry on with it after the standup meeting Explanation The daily scrum is not considered a problem-solving activity. However, your team can address any problem after the standup meeting with a small group of interested members (Essential Scrum by Rubin, Kenneth S, page 24). For the daily standup to be effective, the Scrum Master or the project manager must focus attention on the core agenda and time-box any side conversations which can always be carried out later, after the daily standup.

During your project closure meeting, your organization's Vice President congratulated you as the PM on completing the project successfully, praising your team's top performers while pointing a finger at the least performing members for failure. What type of leadership is the Vice President showcasing in this situation? Transactional Leadership ​Laissez faire leadership ​Interactional leadership Pressure-based power

Transactional Leadership Explanation Transactional leadership is when the leader uses reward and punishment to motivate their team. The disadvantage of transactional leadership is that it can't keep followers motivated in the long run.

During the risk identification process, Ibrahim and his team identified an event that they are not able to evaluate properly to identify its threats or opportunities. Such event is called: Volatility Uncertainty Complexity Ambiguity

Uncertainty Explanation Uncertainty refers to a lack of definite knowledge, a lack of sureness. In uncertainty, the outcome of any event cannot be guessed or measured; you lack information on the event. Unlike ambiguity, uncertainty is not an unknown risk. Complexity, however, can be defined as a situation where the interconnectedness of variables is so high, that the same conditions and inputs can lead to very different outputs or reactions. Volatility is when a challenge is unstable or unexpected and may be of unknown duration, but it is not necessarily difficult to understand (PMBOK 7th edition, page 117 & Managing in a VUCA World by Oliver Mack, Anshuman Khare, Andreas Krämer, and Thomas Burgartz, pages 6-7).

Working with the predictive approach, you resort to management reserves to handle which type of risk? Unknown unknowns Known unknowns Business risks Pure risks

Unknown unknowns Explanation The management reserve is used to manage the unidentified risks, aka "unknown-unknowns". The management reserve is part of the project budget, but it's not part of the cost baseline. The management reserve is not an estimated reserve; it is rather defined according to the organization's processes and policies. It can represent 5% of the total project cost for instance. As the name indicates, this reserve is controlled by the management, not by the project manager. Therefore, any usage of this reserve for unidentified risks should be approved by the management (PMBOK 7th edition, page 242).

Sophia works within a PMO that is in the process of transitioning to an Agile way of working. The team has shown high resistance to the changes since they are unaccustomed to adaptive approaches. What can the PMO leaders do to encourage adoption? Forge forward and provide point-in-time training on the new methods Train project managers on the adaptive approaches to help on convincing the team Stick to the predictive approach to avoid any conflicts Use a hybrid method that combines both the adaptive and the predictive approaches

Use a hybrid method that combines both the adaptive and the predictive approaches Explanation Transitioning a team to Agile could be difficult and confusing when they are not accustomed to or familiar with this approach. One of the most effective transition methods is the adoption of a hybrid approach that combines both predictive and adaptive methods as a means of introducing Agile to the team.

When should you choose a time and material contract instead of a fixed price contract? (Select two) When you want to limit cost risks When there is no firm scope When the work is for an indefinite period When the scope is precisely defined

When there is no firm scope When the work is for an indefinite period Explanation A time & material contract is an agreement in which the contractor is paid on the basis of the actual labor cost (in hourly rates - man-hour) together with materials and equipment usage. This contract type is used when there is no firm scope, or the work is for an indefinite period (i.e. ongoing development of the product) (PMBOK 7th edition, page 153).

A local school is planning to use a screening system to select vegetable and fruit suppliers for their "Healthy minds" organic meals project. Which of the following is an example of a screening system? You interview all the vendors and make your decision based on the interviews You negotiate with all the vendors and engage the one who offers the best price You only consider vendors with more than $10,000 revenue in the last financial year You engage the vendor who responds first to your announcement

You only consider vendors with more than $10,000 revenue in the last financial year Explanation Screening system is the process of short-listing vendors based on predefined criteria, such as price, technical capabilities, financial capacity, available resources, etc. When certain criteria are more important than others, the criteria should be weighted. Choosing the vendor that responds first to your announcement means you are just selecting and not short-listing vendors. When you only select the first ten vendors who respond to your announcement, it is considered a screening system. Such a selection, however, is neither rational nor reliable since it won't allow you to short-list the best, most qualified vendors.

Sophia, who is one of your team members and a fellow PMP credential holder, is under investigation for violation of the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. What should you do? You should fully cooperate with the investigation You should tell the PMI investigator it would be a conflict of interest for you to cooperate with the investigation since Sophia is your team member You should tell the PMI investigator it would be harmful to your project if you cooperate with them You should cooperate with the PMI investigator by truthfully answering all their questions, but you should decline to give them any witness statements

You should fully cooperate with the investigation Explanation The Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct requires that you cooperate in any investigation concerning ethics violations and in collecting information related to the violation.

After facing endless issues with one of your project suppliers, you decided to settle the disputes by ending your professional collaboration. Which document should you refer to in order to go through the termination clause as well as the alternative dispute resolution mechanism? Source selection criteria Supplier bid ​Agreement Project charter

​Agreement Explanation The inclusion of an alternative dispute resolution clause in a procurement agreement as well as a termination clause is a common practice. The dispute resolution process is a resort for the contracting parties to settle disputes and save the time and cost of going to court.

Eliza is the project manager of a 3D home design project. After setting the time of daily standup meetings, she faced some issues since not all of her remote team members agreed on the set time. Which conflict resolution technique should Eliza use to handle time zone differences? Avoid Accommodate Compromise Withdrawal

Compromise Explanation Since the time zone difference is beyond anyone's control, a compromise should be made to bring some degree of satisfaction to all parties. Each member of the group could give up something, ensuring that no member gets everything. Working towards a compromise is perceived as the best outcome, even if no one is completely happy with the final resolution (PMBOK 7th edition, page 168).

To better understand how the project's system flows, depicting the scope in abstraction, and enabling stakeholders to communicate about it, and what lies beyond its boundaries, you use a visual representation of how people and other systems interact with a new system. Which of the following tools do you use? Affinity Diagram Flowchart Context diagram Influence diagram

Context diagram Explanation Context diagrams are visual depictions of the product scope, displaying the business system and how it connects and interacts with other systems. It presents the inputs and outputs of the system, as well as its main players, including organizations, other business systems, end-users, etc.

You are managing a software project following a hybrid approach. During a lessons learned meeting, Rami, one of your team members, complained that every time they submit a new piece of code, they find many errors caused by the code changes made by his fellow developers. So, he suggested testing, updating, and integrating new software code in a more frequent way in order to reduce such errors. Which of the following techniques did Rami suggest? Constant Integration Consecutive Integration Consistent Integration Continuous Integration

Continuous Integration Explanation Continuous Integration dictates that all changes to the application source code base be frequently tested and integrated to reduce risks, improve quality, and establish a quick, reliable, and sustainable development pace. All of the other options include made-up terms.

Violet got signed up to manage an eco-friendly packaging project. In order to manage involved stakeholders, she first analyzes their power, urgency, and legitimacy. Which analysis method is Violet applying? Stakeholder cube Salience model Power/interest grid Power/influence grid

Salience Model Explanation The salience model is a method used to classify stakeholders and decide who matters more by assessing their power, legitimacy, and urgency. The model allows the project manager to decide the relative salience of a given stakeholder (PMBOK 7th edition, page 171).

The Agile triangle of constraints is different from the traditional triangle because it allows: Cost to vary while scope and time are fixed Cost and time to vary while the scope is fixed Scope and time to vary while the cost is fixed Scope to vary while cost and time are fixed

Scope to vary while cost and time are fixed Explanation Unlike predictive approaches, projects that follow adaptive approaches have fixed resources and schedules and flexible scope. While the scope might change in agile projects, teams commit to fixed work iterations known as sprints, when implementing a scrum framework.

Taariq is having trouble getting one of his team members to complete their assigned tasks. He invites him over to watch a football game. After the game, Taariq talks with the team member about his performance issues. What type of communication is this? Para-lingual Visual Formal verbal Informal verbal

Informal verbal Explanation Taariq is having an informal discussion with the team member. Hallway conversations, cubicle chatting, networking, and all other types of informal communication do not hold any official significance.

The project's business analyst, Darla, is performing Earned Value Reporting. The project's CPI is 0.9 and the budget at completion is $900. What is the estimated cost at completion? $819 $810 $900 $1,000

$1,000 Explanation Estimate at Completion (EAC) is calculated by dividing the Budget at Completion (BAC) by the Cost Performance Index (CPI) (PMBOK 7th edition, page 104). In this example, EAC = (BAC / CPI) = $900 / 0.9 = $1,000. Alternatively, you can figure out the right answer without doing any calculation; Since CPI is less than 1, the project is over budget. So, you need to choose the estimated cost at completion that is bigger than $900. The only available option is $1,000.

You are the manager of a web application project using the Agile approach. During the first sprint, your team completed 4 tasks with story points 3, 5, 8, and 2 respectively. They also finished half of a 13-story-points-worth task. What is the velocity of your team? 18 24.5 31 13

18 Explanation Velocity is a measure of the amount of fully completed work in a sprint. Partially done tasks should not be counted. In this case, velocity = 3 + 5 + 8 + 2 = 18 points.

The final decision on which projects are selected for execution generally falls to the executives of the company. However, Miriam was always able to use her experience as a project manager to assist her organization's decision-makers in choosing the ideal project through the use of the suitable benefit measurement project selection method. Which of the following is not a benefit measurement project selection method? 5 Whys Internal Rate of Return Scoring model Discounted cash flow

5 Whys Explanation The most common Benefit Measurement Methods are Cost-Benefit Ratio, Economic Model, Payback Period, Discounted Cash Flow, Net Present Value, Scoring Models, Internal Rate of Return, and Opportunity Cost. The Five whys is not a benefit measurement method; it's rather an iterative interrogative technique used to investigate the cause-and-effect relationships in order to resolve a particular problem.

Four months into a software development project, the project sponsor requests a definitive estimate of when the project will be completed. The most likely estimated duration is 20 days. As the project manager, which of the following duration estimates should you convey to the sponsor? 15-35 days 18-25 days 19-21 days 19-22 days

19-22 days Explanation A 19 - 22 days estimation fits the criterion, as the accuracy of the definitive estimate ranges from -5% to +10%. The definitive estimate is considered the most accurate estimate and is usually developed later in a project. Rough order of magnitude, however, is more common in the very early stages of a project with - 25% to +75% accuracy (15 - 35 days). Finally, the budgetary estimate has -10% to +25% accuracy (18 - 25 days).

Laura is running a multinational organization. She wants to learn the difference between high and low-context cultures in order to ensure effective communication and avoid doing anything offensive or embarrassing. What is a typical characteristic of communication in high-context cultures? The use of technical means of communication that focus on transferring spoken and written language. Communication is preferred to avoid missing out on a great part of additional information. A conveyed message has little meaning without a full understanding of the surrounding context. To understand a message, there is no need for history or personal opinions.

A conveyed message has little meaning without a full understanding of the surrounding context Explanation High-context cultures use communication that mainly focuses on the tone, meaning, and underlying context of the message. In high-context cultures, what is said does not include all the meaning. The context around who is speaking, the background, and other factors are important to fully understand the message.

Flowchart Explanation A flowchart (also referred to as process maps, progress flows, and progress flow diagrams) graphically displays the logical order of a process (PMBOK 7th edition, page 189). A Pareto chart is displayed as a histogram, representing the most serious causes of an error, while a scatter diagram is used to determine the correlation between two variables. Both diagrams do not show a task or issue's management process flow. Context diagrams, on the other hand, are used to visually demonstrate how a business process, other systems, and people, all interact. Context diagrams can include a business process as one of its components, but they can't provide insight into a particular process flow.

You are leading a small team of developers using project management software with a Kanban board. As you always receive questions from your team members on how to create, review, and validate tasks or issues, you decide to create the following chart. This chart is called: Pareto chart Flowchart Context diagram Scatter diagram

As a senior business analyst, Brighton was designated to head his organization's project selection committee. After shortlisting a number of potential projects, the selection committee will make its decision based on each project's benefit-to-cost ratio. Which of the following projects should the committee select? Project A which has a BCR of 6:3 Project B which has a BCR of 6:2 Project C which has a BCR of 8:2 Project D which has a BCR of 3:1

Project C which has a BCR of 8:2 Explanation A benefit-cost ratio (BCR) is used in a cost-benefit analysis to determine the relationship between the eventual costs and benefits of a project. The project is expected to have a positive net present value if its BCR is greater than 1 (PMBOK 7th edition, page 102). When selecting a project based on the Benefit to Cost Ratio, always select the project with the highest BCR. Project C has a BCR of 8:2 = 8/2 = 4 which is the highest among all the alternatives.

Barbara is managing an internal design project. She needs a driller with a rental cost of $25 per day, which she finds quite high. Since she will be using it for a long duration, a team member suggests that they can buy this driller for $500. What is the minimum number of rental days before it becomes more advantageous to buy the driller? 2 5 10 20

20 Explanation After 20 days, the total cost of rent will be equal to the equipment's price, i.e., $500 = 20 days x $25.

Oliver notices that his colleague Darnell, who is a fellow project manager, shows up at the office with new high-tech gadgets every day. This raises his suspicions that Darnell might be accepting gifts from hardware vendors who will bid on one of their company's upcoming multimillion-dollar contracts. Which of the following should Oliver do? Tell Darnell that such gifts aren't appropriate and leave it at that Convince Darnell to return the items and stop accepting any gifts from vendors Ask Darnell directly whether these items were gifts from vendors or if he purchased them himself Report Darnell to the organization so that a conflict-of-interest investigation can take place

Ask Darnell directly whether these items were gifts from vendors or if he purchased them himself Explanation The best reaction in this situation is to verify the information before taking any action. A violation based only on suspicion should not be reported. Oliver can get the facts right by telling his colleague that he is concerned about his appearance and inquiring if the vendor is the one who provided him with these items. As a project manager, you should never jump to conclusions. You should always double-check facts before reporting a conflict-of-interest situation.

Mason has just joined a new organization. Wanting to ensure his efficiency as a new project manager, what should Mason's primary focus be? Showcase his project management knowledge Choose a skillful team Assess the organization's culture Get to know the executive managers

Assess the organization's culture Explanation When joining a new organization, it is very important that the project manager grasps the organization's culture. Although talking to the executive managers may help in this matter, understanding the culture, i.e., how the organization operates, its policies, and its appetite for risk, among other things should be the project manager's first priority when joining a new organization.

Joining a new company as a project manager, Mia is facing some struggles; her superiors noticed that during a kick-off meeting, she had difficulty responding to questions about how the project fits in with the organization's objectives. What critical skill is Mia lacking? Business management and strategic skills Technical project management skills Communication skills Leadership skills

Business management and strategic skills Explanation The PMI Talent Triangle is made up of three types of skill sets: Technical, Leadership, and Business Management and Strategic skills. A project manager possessing business management and strategic skills should be able to explain the business needs of the project and how they align with the organization's goals.

Stan is managing a project using the predictive approach. After identifying a risk, he decides to transfer it to another party through: Buying insurance Accepting a lower profit if some activities overrun Asking the sponsor to deal with the risk Eliminating risk through beta testing

Buying insurance Explanation Risk transfer involves transmitting future risks from one party to another. A common example of risk transfer is purchasing insurance where the risk of a person or an organization is transferred to the insurance company. Asking the sponsor to deal with the risk is an escalation rather than risk transfer. Other risk response strategies include avoiding, mitigating, or accepting the risk (PMBOK 7th edition, page 123).

Tom reported to his manager that he had successfully passed his PMP certification exam. Some of his colleagues are aware that this is inaccurate since they also took the exam with Tom and he happened to share the results with them. What are they supposed to do in this situation? Give Tom an opportunity to set things right, otherwise, report him to PMI Hide the truth since Tom is their friend and colleague and they should support him no matter what Confront Tom and give him a hard time to teach him a lesson Immediately inform their manager and report the violation to PMI directly

Give Tom an opportunity to set things right, otherwise, report him to PMI Explanation One of the responsibilities of PMP certification holders is to report violations of the PMP code of conduct. In some cases, however, poor judgments can be corrected. In this scenario, Tom should be given an opportunity to make things right by confessing the truth to his manager. If he doesn't, his colleagues must report his behavior to PMI.

Doren, a product owner, started her day with a sprint planning meeting to discuss and set the upcoming sprint goal and backlog. Which of the following options is correct regarding the sprint planning meeting? A discussion between the product owner, the scrum master, and the cross-functional team A discussion between the cross-functional team members only A discussion between the product owner and the scrum master A discussion between the scrum master and the cross-functional team members

A discussion between the product owner, the scrum master, and the cross-functional team Explanation In the Scrum framework, the sprint planning meeting should include the scrum master, product owner, and the whole scrum team. When needed, other stakeholders can be invited by the team to attend this meeting. During the sprint planning meeting, the product owner identifies the features with the highest priority. The team asks questions to get the necessary understanding to be able to turn high-level user stories into more detailed tasks.

You came across one of your software project's key stakeholders in the company hallway. You seized the opportunity to get their feedback. They were impressed with the project's progress, requesting that you urgently add a new user story for marketing the product. How should you respond to this request? Welcome their request and add the user story to the sprint backlog Add the user story to the product backlog and schedule it for the next sprint to protect the team from disruptions Add the user story to the product backlog and let the product owner decide its priority Refuse to create the user story since it's the product owner's responsibility to maintain and refine the product backlog

Add the user story to the product backlog and let the product owner decide its priority Explanation You should add the user story to the product backlog and let the product owner decide its priority. When a new requirement is received, it should be added to the product backlog (not the sprint backlog) and then prioritized by the product owner in order to be implemented. It is the responsibility of the product owner to maintain and refine the product backlog. This being said, a request can be made by any stakeholder and a user story can be created by anyone involved in the project and not just the product owner.

Rachel is running a project with remote and local resources. Her remote team complains that they are not getting enough information about what's going on with the project, which has caused them to do some rework. Rachel scheduled a conference call with the two teams, and they decided to switch to a sophisticated enterprise chat platform to optimize communication. What conflict resolution technique is Rachel using? Collaborate Compromise Force Smooth

Collaborate Explanation The Collaboration/problem-solving conflict resolution technique is based on incorporating multiple viewpoints and insights from differing perspectives. It necessitates a collaborative mindset and open communication to achieve consensus and commitment to an agreement. This approach aims to reach a win-win situation for all involved parties (PMBOK 7th edition, page 22).

Tom is a project manager at Tunitalent, an innovative design, web, and marketing agency. He suggested to his manager to create a dropshipping e-commerce project since he had heard that it's a trendy and profitable project. Tom's manager refuses since Tunitalent lacks experience in this field. Being excited to go through such a new experience and confident in his ability to successfully manage the project, what should Tom do to persuade his manager to select the project? Conduct a what-if analysis Calculate the Return on Investment (ROI) Calculate the Net Present Value (NPV) Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the business care

Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the business care Explanation To persuade an organization to select your project, the business case should be subjected to a cost-benefit analysis in order to illustrate the benefits of implementing the project by determining its anticipated financial gains and profitability. The Cost-Benefit Analysis is more comprehensive than NPV and ROI, as it attempts to quantify both tangible and intangible costs and benefits (PMBOK 7th edition, page 175).

Ethan is the CEO of Men In, a Men luxury lifestyle gadgets company. After deciding to invest even more in the project management capabilities of the organization, he established a PMO that will ensure compliance with a set of project management standards. What type of PMO is Ethan implementing? Supportive Controlling Directive Agile

Controlling Explanation A controlling PMO is focused on two key areas: - Supporting the organization in applying project management practices. - Requiring the compliance of those practices. Such requirements could include the adoption of a particular framework, templates, conformance to governance, forms, etc. Supportive PMOs only provide a consultative role to projects, while directive PMOs take control of projects by directly managing them. Agile is a project life cycle and not a type of Project Management Office (PMO).

Moana was assigned for a park redevelopment project where the area will be cleaned and equipped for local families and residents. Since the project has multiple phases and different types of tasks to execute, it involves many stakeholders. How should Moana manage this large number of stakeholders? Ignore low-power stakeholders Only manage the dominating stakeholders Find a way to manage all stakeholders Only manage high-power and high-interest stakeholders

Find a way to manage all stakeholders Explanation As a project manager, you cannot leave any stakeholders out of your project. You must find a way to manage them all. Ignoring any of the project stakeholders can be very costly and can dramatically impact the project. You should identify and manage all project stakeholders, regardless of their number (The PMBOK Guide 6th Edition, page 507).

While traditional project management functions mainly by following strict phases, sticking to the original requirements and design plan established at the start of the project, Agile project development processes typically: Encapsulate analysis, design, implementation, and test within an iteration Document, estimate, and sequence each planned activity in detail Use a Gantt chart with well-defined activities, responsibilities, and time frames Map the iteration backlog to a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Encapsulate analysis, design, implementation, and test within an iteration Explanation The iterative method dominates the Agile development process. Each iteration generates the next piece of the development puzzle until completing the final product. Multiple iterations will take place during the Agile development lifecycle. A typical iteration process flow can be described as follows: - Analysis, where you define the iteration requirements based on the product backlog, sprint backlog, and feedback from customers and stakeholders. - Development, which includes design and implementation based on defined requirements. - Testing, in which Quality Assurance testing takes place. - Delivery, where you integrate the working iteration into production, - Feedback, where you receive customer and stakeholder feedback to define the following iteration requirements.

Kevin is submitting a number of potential projects to management for selection and approval. Since the organization is currently facing financial challenges, Kevin has been told that it cannot invest more than $350,000 per project, with a leeway of 5% on either side. The 5% leeway is part of: Organizational process assets Enterprise environmental factors Threats Risks

Enterprise environmental factors Explanation The 5% limit is the stakeholders' tolerance, which is an enterprise environmental factor. These factors determine how a project manager leads a project. So, it is important for a project manager to have a good understanding of the enterprise environmental factors that could affect their project.

In agile, what is the planning poker technique used for? Estimating how much effort is needed for completing tasks Estimating how much work is left for the sprint Testing the project and identifying blockers Measuring the sprint velocity

Estimating how much effort is needed for completing tasks Explanation Planning poker is a card-based technique that is mostly used for estimating project activities. It is a consensus-based estimating technique (PMBOK 7th edition, page 58). It can be used with story points, ideal days, or any other estimation unit. The estimation is done using poker cards. Team members discuss the feature, asking the product owner questions when needed. Then, privately, each team member picks out one card that indicates their estimate. All cards should be then revealed at once. If all team members select the same value, it will be set as the final estimate. Otherwise, a discussion of the different opinions and estimates will take place again before re-estimating again.

Arnold, a scrum master, is starting a project with a new team and needs to develop an estimate of their velocity. What should he use as a basis for velocity for the first sprint? Forecasted velocity Actual velocity Terminal velocity Cycle velocity

Forecasted velocity Explanation In a new agile project's first iteration, Forecasted velocity is used since there is no historical data available to help estimate the velocity. After completing the first sprint, you have to use actual velocity instead of the forecasted one. After a few sprints, you have to calculate the average velocity to determine the velocity range. Both 'Terminal velocity' and 'Cycle velocity' are not terms associated with managing an agile project.

As a project manager, your authority and power vary depending on whether you work in a functional, matrix, or projectized organization. Once appointed as a project manager, inherent forms of legitimate power will be conveyed to you. There are three forms of legitimate power: Absolute, direct, and indirect Formal, informal, and persuasive Formal, reward, and direct Formal, reward, and penalty

Formal, reward, and penalty Explanation The three types of legitimate power are formal power, reward power, and penalty power. 1) Formal or legitimate power is based on the position of the project manager. The assumption that a person has a formal right to make demands gives rise to this form of power. For instance, a CFO holds legitimate authority over an intern who works for them because they are higher in the organizational hierarchy. 2) Reward power stems from giving rewards and it is attached to the formal authority of the project manager. This type of power originates from the ability to compensate another person as it is known that rewards are desirable, and team members tend to support you because they think that you will reward them if they perform well. Non-monetary rewards such as recognition, training recommendations, or a valuable assignment are also common. Criteria for reward should be fair, transparent, and possible for all. 3) Penalty or coercive power comes from the ability to penalize team members. The project manager gains support because project personnel perceives them as capable of directly or indirectly dispensing penalties that they wish to avoid. Penalty power is usually derived from the same sources as reward power, with one being a necessary condition for the other. Other forms of power include Expert power, Referent power, etc.

Mario has taken over the management of a climate-smart agriculture project, replacing the project manager who quit. The project is at the beginning of its execution phase when Mario notices that his team members have different opinions concerning project work and deliverables, as well as the overall complexity level. What should Mario do right away? He should not intervene. Instead, he should allow his team enough time to get familiar with the project scope He should identify and assess potential risks caused by this divergence of opinion, then develop a plan to manage and respond to these risks He should organize a meeting involving all team members to identify and resolve misunderstandings in order to avoid issues, disintegration, and rework He should talk to each team member separately to explain the project requirements

He should organize a meeting involving all team members to identify and resolve misunderstandings in order to avoid issues, disintegration, and rework Explanation The best course of action, in this case, is to use problem-solving or collaboration techniques to resolve this issue. Therefore, in order to avoid any future problems, disintegration, or rework, organizing meetings is the best option to identify and resolve misunderstandings among team members. The withdrawal technique should not be used in critical conflicts related to project work and deliverables, like in this scenario. Planning risks are supposed to take place in the planning phase. But, since the project is in the execution phase now, you need to follow the established plan and resolve any occurring risks, pre-identified or not. A change request can be issued to manage an impactful risk. The best communication method is interactive face-to-face communication, that's why talking to each team member individually isn't as effective as gathering all team members in one meeting so they can interact with each other.

As an experienced project manager, Nadine believes that managers should embrace transparency in their projects, as its many benefits often outweigh its disadvantages. However, she thinks that, while it is favorable to share many aspects with your team, there are a few things that shouldn't be shared with everyone. As a project manager, Nadine must be transparent about: Confidential information Proprietary information Unproven information and gossip Her decision-making processes

Her decision-making processes Explanation As a project manager, you must demonstrate transparency regarding your decision-making processes. Communication and reasoning about decisions concerning the project should be well documented and accessible to everyone on the team. Transparency in project communication allows team members to see all aspects and decisions of a project that may affect or be of interest to them (PMBOK 7th edition, page 20).

While performing beta testing with a small number of users, you notice that the web application has defects because of the following reasons: - User interface and responsiveness issues (20%) - User experience issues (25%) - Bugs in functionalities (40%) - Missing important features (10%) - Others (5%) To illustrate these problems, you could use a: Histogram Quality Checklists Scatter Diagram ​Flowchart

Histogram Explanation A histogram is a vertical bar chart showing how often a particular variable state occurs (PMBOK 7th edition, page 189). A histogram basically represents data by breaking it down into different categories and helping you make informed decisions. Each column represents an attribute or characteristic of a problem/situation.

During the iteration review, the project team was demonstrating new features to the Product Owner. The latter was resting their hands on the table with a relaxed and open posture, occasionally fiddling with their pen or coffee mug without looking directly at the speaker. What kind of communication is the product owner showing? (Select two) Paralingual communication Active listening Implicit message Non-verbal communication

Implicit message, Non-verbal communication Explanation Non-verbal communication is used to convey implicit messages. It includes gestures, facial expressions, and paralinguistics such as voice tone or volume, body language, personal space, eye contact, touch, and appearance. These non-verbal signals can provide additional information and meaning to verbal communication. Paralingual communication is non-verbal, but it's not the right answer because the product owner didn't communicate any vocal messages. The scenario doesn't describe active listening either, since the product owner is not interacting or paying attention to the demonstration.

Dina is a project manager at Clinica Labs, a biopharmaceutical corporation. She intends to talk to her manager about obtaining additional resources for complex activities that her team is unable to perform. These resources will roll off the project as soon as the activities are completed. Which of the following skills does Dina require the most in this situation? Planning skills to identify resource requirements Interpersonal skills to convince her manager Interviewing skills to hire the required resources Technical skills to respond to the risk associated with adding more resources

Interpersonal skills to convince her manager Explanation Trying to convince upper management requires the use of interpersonal skills, which is often a needed skill set when acquiring resources. Dina may lack planning skills since she didn't identify the resource requirement from the beginning of the project, but this situation does not tackle this aspect, nor does the need to respond to the risk associated with adding more resources. In case her manager accepts her request, Dina may not need to go through the hiring process if resources are already available within the organization.

During an iteration review meeting, the product owner rejected one of the features demonstrated by your development team. What will happen next to the rejected user story? It will be automatically moved to the next sprint backlog It will be deleted from the product backlog and the project It will be updated to address the reasons why it was rejected It will be moved to the product backlog for reprioritization

It will be updated to address the reasons why it was rejected Explanation The right next step consists in understanding why the feature was not accepted in the first place, then moving on to making the required updates. The feature can be moved thereafter to the backlog for reprioritization. Deleting the user story is not a rational choice since the feature has already been developed, which implies that it has an added value to the product.

Lauren manages a project with a highly talented team. Her team members have diverse skills and expertise that she wants to encourage them to pool their knowledge on project issues in order to make optimal decisions. Which management style is the most appropriate for Lauren to use? Laissez-faire Democratic Autocratic Directive

Laissez-faire Explanation The "laissez-faire" style has a hands-off approach to management, leaving employees in charge of decision-making. A laissez-faire leadership offers people autonomy as a motivator instead of rewards. This style works successfully when applied to a skilled and talented team. It is not enough for leaders to get the smartest people on board; they must also be able to pick those who can work effectively with others. Autocratic leadership, aka directive leadership, is when the leader takes all decisions by themselves. Democratic or participative leadership involves soliciting team members' input while the leader retains the ultimate decision-making authority.

What characterizes Carter's management style is that he gives freedom to his team members to make decisions, expecting them to solve issues on their own. Allowing teams to make their own decisions and set their own objectives is referred to as: Transactional leadership Servant leadership Laissez-faire leadership Interactional leadership

Laissez-faire leadership Explanation Laissez-faire is a French term that means "allow to act/do". Laissez-faire leadership style is ideal for a highly skilled team since it's characterized by a hands-off approach. Leaders provide all necessary training and support for their employees to enable them to make their own decisions. Project managers opting for this leadership style are comfortable with mistakes, despite the fact that they're the ones held accountable. This leadership approach necessitates a high level of trust.

Katlyn, a project manager at Max Data, has just put the finishing touches on her final project report before meeting with her manager. She spent the last few weeks trying to get the lessons learned feedback from project participants for the final report. For what reasons did Katlyn organize lessons learned? (Select three) Lessons learned databases are an important element of the organizational process assets Lessons learned should focus on identifying individuals accountable for failures and errors Lessons learned meetings should include recommendations for future performance improvements Phase-end lessons learned workshops should represent a good team-building exercise for project members

Lessons learned databases are an important element of the organizational process assets Lessons learned meetings should include recommendations for future performance improvements Phase-end lessons learned workshops should represent a good team-building exercise for project members Explanation Lessons learned sessions are performed for the purpose of learning from mistakes in order to avoid repeating them in the future. They also serve as an opportunity to gather best practices and build trust with your stakeholders and team members. Lessons learned should not be used to hold others accountable for mistakes made during the project (PMBOK 7th edition, page 180).

You're managing an IT project using the Scrum framework. While the team implements user stories during the sprint, what should the product owner do? Add more features for the team so they can deliver more value Let the team work and respond to any raised questions Protect the team from interruptions and facilitate discussions Monitor the sprint progress and extend it if the team cannot complete the work on time

Let the team work and respond to any raised questions Explanation The product owner should let the team work and answer their questions during the sprint. He should not add more work for the team. Facilitating and protecting the team from interruptions are among the scrum master's responsibilities. Besides, sprint length is set at the beginning of the project and typically does not change. Furthermore, any work items that cannot be completed by the team during the sprint should be returned to the backlog and rescheduled for the upcoming sprints.

Lauren believes that being an active listener is not easy. She considers active listening to be more of an art than a skill, so she often encourages her team members to use a checklist including all key elements of active listening before any important meeting with stakeholders. Which of the following are regarded as elements of active listening? (Select three) Making eye contact Paraphrasing Interpreting the information Interrupting when appropriate

Making eye contact Paraphrasing Interpreting the information Explanation Active listening is a skill that can be acquired and developed through practice. Instead of passively receiving the speaker's message, active listening entails paying close attention to what is being said. Active listening involves allowing others to completely express their ideas without interrupting them, asking questions to get a clear understanding of the situation as well as the conveyed ideas, focusing on what is being said by maintaining comfortable eye contact, remaining open-minded about others' opinions, employing paraphrasing skills and feedback, and keeping an eye on non-verbal signs such as the body language and facial expressions of the speaker.

While working on a large project to develop a fingerprint voting system, Lance notices that, lately, a senior developer in his team missed two consecutive deadlines. As the project manager, what should Lance do? Verify whether the developer is a shared resource with another project ​Give the developer a formal warning via email to improve their work quality Meet with the developer in person and offer support if needed Escalate the issue to the developer's line manager and ask for the concern to be immediately addressed

Meet with the developer in person and offer support if needed Explanation The project manager needs to understand the reason for recurrently missed deadlines in order to provide appropriate support. As the project manager, you should meet the team member to inquire about what's going on with them and listen attentively. Start out by simply naming the problem and asking for the team member's perspective. You might learn that deadlines weren't as clear as you thought, or that they're facing a roadblock in their work. Talk about the impact of the missed deadlines. The idea here is to demonstrate that these aren't simply arbitrary deadlines; they have real-world consequences. You should clearly state your expectations for what needs to change in the future. Finally, discuss the next specific steps they'll take to solve the problem - ideally, something they'll come up with on their own, but if they're struggling, you can be fairly directive about what you'd like them to try.

Ali is a risk manager working in collaboration with the project manager to perform a risk analysis. To determine the most likely project completion date based on known risks, they conduct a simulation using the _________________tool that will go through thousands of possible scenarios. Monte Carlo analysis Decision-tree analysis Sensitivity analysis Influence diagram

Monte Carlo analysis Explanation The project manager and Ali are using the Monte Carlo analysis to assess the possible impact of individual project risks and other sources of uncertainty on the project goals. For example, if a particular risk arises, what impact will it have on the project schedule and cost? Monte Carlo provides you with a variety of potential outcomes and probabilities, allowing you to consider the likelihood of different scenarios (PMBOK 7th edition, page 177).

Samuel is a project manager at a company that has been using Agile for over 9 months. When should his company stop tailoring the process? Now Never 18 months 12 months

Never Explanation A true Agile company will understand that tailoring the process is a continuous task. Projects are undertaken to create a unique service, product, or result which indicates that every project is unique. This is where process tailoring steps in. Process tailoring justifies the fact that the project management processes are not "one size fits all". Every project will have its own process needs and based on that, the project team needs to come up with adjustments to the processes which could include adding, removing, or revising them.

Josh is managing an industrial project. He needs a lot of 1000 identical filters which will be custom-made for the project. Due to their high importance, Josh chose a reliable and well-known supplier for producing the filters. Knowing that a tested filter should be thrown away since it couldn't be reutilized, what should Josh do? Conduct a 0% inspection since he trusts that his supplier will deliver the filters according to his specifications. Order more than 1000 filters to perform acceptance sampling on the batch surplus. Require the seller to provide a conformance certificate of the filter's raw materials. Conduct a 100% inspection upon delivery, then order another batch of 1000 filters if satisfied with the quality.

Order more than 1000 filters to perform acceptance sampling on the batch surplus. Explanation When conducting a 100% inspection is not possible, you should opt for the sampling of a certain number from a batch (also known as a lot) of the items and operate an inspection on the sample. Since testing the filters requires throwing them and not using them on the project, the best course of action is to order more than the required items in order to perform the acceptance sampling.

Facing a quality issue, you decide to use the _______________, a basic tool of quality management that uses the 80/20 Rule to identify top-priority defects. Fishbone Diagram Pareto Chart PERT Chart Flowchart

Pareto Chart Explanation A Pareto Chart is a vertical bar chart where defects are ranked in descending order according to their frequency of occurrence. The Pareto Chart helps the project team focus on the causes that create the highest number of defects. Pareto's Principle, aka Pareto's Law, states that a limited number of causes will usually produce the majority of defects or problems, which is typically referred to as the "80/20 principle" or "80/20 rule". PERT is not a chart; it's an estimation technique that uses a "weighted" average estimate rather than a simple average ((Optimistic + 4 * Mean +Pessimistic) / 6).

Realizing that his project is not going according to estimations, Robert suspects that it might be due to Student Syndrome. What does it mean? People who proceed with their studies during their professional careers but are unable to balance both People who begin to apply themselves only at the last possible moment before the deadline People who experience a learning curve whenever they are working on a project Professional project managers who consider themselves continuous learners

People who begin to apply themselves only at the last possible moment before the deadline Explanation Student Syndrome is a term used in project management to highlight the ever-increasing habit of putting off work till the last minute, while initially working at a very relaxed pace.

Constraints and assumptions are important for your project. They need to be identified, controlled, and monitored continuously. Wrong assumptions or constraints can impact your project. For instance, when a constraint turns out to be false, it affects your project: Positively Negatively Depends on the constraint Depends on the project

Positively Explanation Constraints are limitations imposed on a project, such as the scope, schedule, quality, budget, risks, or resources. If assumptions end up being false, it is bad news for the project. However, if constraints turn out to be false, it is a good thing, as it means that your project will be positively affected because constraints are limitations imposed on your project.

Sabrina is a project manager for Steel Foundations. She has been brought on to the project in the very early stages and has been asked to write the charter for it. Over the past week, she met with a number of stakeholders, received their input, and is now ready to have the charter signed. Who is normally responsible for signing the project charter? Project Sponsor Senior Management Project Manager Project stakeholders

Project Sponsor Explanation Projects are authorized by someone external to the project such as a sponsor, PMO, or portfolio steering committee (PMBOK 6th edition, page 77). Unless the Project Sponsor is part of Senior Management, the project charter should be signed by someone with the authority to assign project resources and name the project manager, i.e., the Project Sponsor. The project manager or stakeholders may under no circumstances sign the charter to authorize the project.

Zoe is a project manager working on a contract. As the project comes to closure, and she completes her contract, she finds herself out of work. What type of organizational structure does Zoe work in? Strong matrix Projectized Functional Weak matrix

Projectized Explanation A Project-oriented organization, or a projectized organization, is one in which a considerable part of its processes and activities take place in the form of projects. There is no defined hierarchy; resources are brought together specifically for the purpose of a project. When a project is complete, they either get transitioned to another project or released.

Depending on who is using them, bids, tenders, and quotes can take on different meanings. But, initially, they can be used interchangeably with: Proposals Make-or-buy decisions Buyer responses Pre-bid conferences

Proposals Explanation Bids, tenders, quotes, and proposals intersect with each other. Bids or tenders are used when the project is large and the scope of work is clear. Quotes, however, are mainly used to provide the price of particular products or services.

While conducting remote resource hiring, what is the best way to quickly collect data from resources to analyze and compare? Video recordings Workshops Questionnaires and surveys Live interviews

Questionnaires and surveys Explanation Surveys and questionnaires are written sets of questions designed to quickly gather data from a large number of respondents who are usually geographically dispersed.

In order to predict your project's future performance based on its current performance, you can use all of the following methods for forecasting purposes: (Select three) Scenario building Simulation Time series method Variance analysis

Scenario building, Simulation, and the Time series method Explanation Examples of forecasting methods are time series, scenario building, and simulation along with regression analysis, expert opinion, and causal/econometric methods. Variance analysis is not a forecasting method. It is the quantitative measurement of the difference between the planned and actual behavior.

You chose for your new project a management framework that is a hybrid of two Agile approaches. The work will be organized in sprints and your team will use a board to display and monitor work progress. Which of the following frameworks are you using? Scrumfall eXtreme Programming Dynamic Systems Development Model Scrumban

Scrumban Explanation Scrumban is a hybrid framework that combines Kanban with Scrum. Work is organized in sprints, denoting the use of Scrum. Using a board to display and monitor work progress, on the other hand, indicates the use of Kanban.

Lamont was assigned by his superiors to lead a big project. Since this project is really important for his organization, management does not want any delay in completion. Once he got the project charter signed, Lamont started identifying and categorizing stakeholders using various data representation tools. Which of the following tools can he use? (Select three) Brainwriting Stakeholder cube Direction of influence Salience model

Stakeholder cube, Direction of influence, and the Salience model Explanation Data representation techniques include the stakeholder cube, direction of influence, and salience model. The stakeholder cube adds a third dimension to the analysis of the impact/influence grid. The salience model is used to assess the stakeholder's power, urgency, and legitimacy (PMBOK 7th edition, page 171). The direction of influence, on the other hand, is used to categorize and classify stakeholders on the basis of their influence on the project. Brainwriting is a brainstorming technique for stimulating creativity.

The knowledge that is garnered from personal experience is the type of information that would be the most difficult to express, articulate, or write down. This type of knowledge is known as: Explicit knowledge Tacit knowledge Tangible knowledge Formal knowledge

Tacit knowledge Explanation Tacit knowledge, aka implicit knowledge, is the type of knowledge that can't be transferred to another person by means of writing or verbalizing. Examples of tacit knowledge include insights, beliefs, experience, and know-how. The opposite of tacit knowledge is explicit, formal, or codified knowledge (PMBOK 7th edition, page 70).

This is Ela's first time managing an agile project. Knowing that she opted for Scrum as a framework, which of the following options describes her new team? The team ranges in size from three to nine members All of her team members must have a technical background Team members are all I-shaped Team members are dependent on the scrum master

The team ranges in size from three to nine members Explanation The typical size of an agile team ranges from three to nine members. Agile teams should be multidisciplinary (not necessarily have a technical background) and self-organizing (not dependent on the scrum master). Successful agile teams are made up of generalizing specialists/T-shaped people who have deep knowledge in one discipline and a broad ability in the rest of the disciplines. I-shaped, on the other hand, refers to a person with a profound knowledge of one discipline but has no interest or skill in other disciplines (Agile Practice Guide, page 42).

You are a lead project manager for a construction company, which has recently gone through major organizational changes. Rebecca, the new manager, seems to be closely monitoring when employees arrive and leave work. You overhear her saying that she is concerned about the team's lack of motivation. What type of management style does Rebecca exhibit? Theory X Theory Y Theory Z Theory XY

Theory X Explanation Douglas McGregor defined two models of worker behavior: Theory X and Theory Y. Rebecca exemplifies the traits of Theory X managers, who conclude that the majority of people dislike work, lack motivation, and are in constant need of supervision. Theory X managers have an authoritarian style to make their teams work (PMBOK 7th edition, page 160).

Precise Explanation The results are precise because all measurements are close to 4.45 (+ or - 5mm). Precision entails delivering end-products with similar dimensions, which may or may not be close to the required dimensions. Precise measurements are not necessarily close to the target value; they're just close to one another. Accuracy, however, involves creating products with close dimensions to requirements.

Three assembly lines are producing 5 mm diameter cylindrical steel bars. You perform a quality inspection by taking 10 random bars from each line. The following are the inspection results in mm measurements. Line 1 results can be described as: Accurate Precise Both accurate and precise Neither accurate or precise

Fabrice is an organization operating in the Oil and Gas industry. They had signed a subcontracting agreement with SPM Inc. to get provided with experts, technical know-how, and mechanical spare parts. Since Fabrice's projects consist in building innovative high-tech machines, the exact description of the work involved is not clear. In this scenario, what kind of contract should they sign with SPM Inc.? Fixed Price Incentive Fee (FPIF) Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF) Time and Materials (T&M) Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP)

Time and Materials (T&M) Explanation When you need to hire technical experts, you should use a Time and Materials contract. T&M contract is a hybrid of fixed price and cost-reimbursable contracts. T&M contracts are suitable for projects where the scope of work might change, or where determining the required duration and material to get the job done might be difficult (PMBOK 7th edition, page 191).

Muhammed engaged Outsourci, an offshore software development company, to develop an e-learning platform using the adaptive approach. During the second iteration, Muhammed wasn't satisfied with their work, so he decided to immediately terminate the contract. He only had to pay the incurred costs with no additional fees. What type of Agile contract did Muhammed sign with the supplier? Incremental delivery contract Time and materials contract Target cost contract Early termination contract

Time and materials contract Explanation An Agile Time and Materials contract permits the buyer to terminate the contract at any time during the project if they are dissatisfied with the outcome. It is the simplest among agile contracts: The supplier is paid for the time spent delivering a service or creating a product as well as for the used materials in the process. On the other hand, Incremental Delivery Contracts allow the buyer to review contract terms at designated points of their duration; iterations, releases, monthly, quarterly, etc. This means that this type of contract can't be terminated mid-sprint for instance. Early Termination Contract, aka Money for Nothing, allows the buyer to terminate the contract at the end of any Sprint. But, they need to pay the supplier a percentage of the remaining contract value in order to be able to effect early termination. Finally, the Target Cost Contract is based on two values: the "target" cost and the "cap". The target cost is lower than the cap, which represents the maximum sum a buyer can pay. If the project cost is lower than the target cost, the saved amount is shared between both parties. And, if the project cost is higher than the target cost, the extra costs are also shared between them, but only up to the cap. However, if the project cost is higher than the cap, the supplier will support all charges by themselves and the contract will serve similarly as a fixed price contract.

After a long wait, you get a phone call from your project sponsor confirming that the budget has been allocated and the project can get started. They also inform you that the project life cycle should be defined as soon as possible while the kick-off meeting can be scheduled within the next two weeks. You replied by saying that you must first receive the project charter. What is the purpose of a project charter? To document the project life cycle To formally authorize a project and document its initial requirements To use it as a reference during the project kick-off meeting To set up the project code of conduct

To formally authorize a project and document its initial requirements Explanation A project charter is used to formally authorize both the project and the project manager, as well as document the project's objectives and its high-level scope. It also defines the responsibilities and roles of each party involved in the project (PMBOK 7th edition, page 184).

The burn-up and burn-down charts are tools used by Scrum teams to get insights into a sprint's work development. Both charts are primarily used for: Identifying technical issues Tracking project progress Project retrospective Sprint planning

Tracking project progress Explanation The burnup and burndown charts are created to identify the amount of workload achieved and how much remains to complete (PMBOK 7th edition, page 188). In a burn-down chart, the line goes downwards, while in a burn-up chart, the line goes upwards, which in both cases illustrates the team's progress. When burndown or burnup charts reveal issues related to sprint progress (which can be caused by both technical or non-technical reasons), a self-organizing team should take corrective actions. In the next retrospective meeting, they need to reflect on what happened and how to better handle issues in the future.

As a project manager, along with developing a contingency plan around possible issues, you might also need to create a workaround to deal with ______________________ once it occurs. ​Identified & passively accepted risks Unidentified & passively accepted risks ​Identified & actively accepted risks Unidentified & actively accepted risks

Unidentified & passively accepted risks Explanation A workaround is created to deal with unidentified & passively accepted risks once they occur. Workarounds are responses to problems that arise over the course of a project but were never identified. A workaround is not a planned response because the issues being addressed were not anticipated ahead of time.

During the risk identification phase, Sonam and her team identified more than 100 risks. She believes that quantitatively evaluating each of these risks will take a lot of time, while not all of the identified risks are important enough to justify such a measure. Instead, what should her next step be? Identifying risk triggers, then quantitatively analyzing only risks with no found triggers Using qualitative risk analysis to prioritize risks for further quantitative risk analysis Qualitatively assessing the probability of each risk, then analyzing only those with high probability Assessing the potential impact of each risk qualitatively, then analyzing only risks with high impact

Using qualitative risk analysis to prioritize risks for further quantitative risk analysis Explanation Qualitative Risk Analysis is the process of assessing a risk's occurrence probability and impact. This method helps to focus efforts on only high-priority risks by laying the foundation to perform a Quantitative Risk Analysis.

When discussing your choice to opt for remote resources with the project sponsor, you enumerated the many advantages of working with remote teams. You mentioned all of the following advantages, except: Access to more skilled resources Less travel and relocation expenses Utilization of a war room Reduction of time spent commuting

Utilization of a war room Explanation War rooms, aka situation rooms, or command centers, are spaces where people come together to address issues through enhanced workflows and clear communication. Since they consist of physical rooms, they can't be part of remote teams' advantages. On the other hand, having access to more skilled resources, reducing commute time, and having less travel and relocation expenses are all among the many advantages of employing remote resources.

Wyatt works as a project manager for a big matrix-structured organization where communication channels are complex and cross-functional. On a daily basis, Wyatt communicates with his execution team and reports back to his boss. What type of communication is this? Horizontal communication Vertical communication Parallel communication Triangular communication

Vertical communication Explanation Based on the direction of the hierarchies within the project organization, there are two basic kinds of communication: Horizontal and Vertical Communication. In horizontal communication, the project manager communicates with their peers or people on their level. In vertical communication, on the other hand, the communication hierarchy is from a lower level to a higher level and vice versa, as shown in the question. "Parallel" and "triangular" communication are made-up terms.

A project manager is facilitating a meeting to define user stories for the upcoming iteration. Two of their team members, Charlotte and Sam, get too vocal during the meeting. Charlotte believes that user story #2 is clear enough, while Sam thinks it's ambiguous and needs further elaboration. The team moves on to the next user story, ignoring Sam's point of view. Sam accepts the team's decision and remains quiet for the rest of the meeting. At the end of the meeting, the project manager tells Sam that user story #2 could be reviewed during the iteration's first week, when more information is available. Which of the following conflict-resolution techniques did Sam use in this scenario? Smoothing Compromising Forcing Withdrawal

Withdrawal Explanation Viewing this scenario from Sam's perspective, he had to concede his position to maintain harmony during the meeting. This conflict resolution technique is referred to as withdrawal or avoidance, which results in a lose-leave situation (PMBOK 7th edition, page 169). However, the project manager used the smoothing or accommodating technique, which leads to a yield-lose situation by de-emphasizing differences.

During project execution, Nadine found out that tasks were not being performed in the right order at the right time, which resulted in rework and bad morale among the project team. Which project management tool should Nadine implement to deal with this type of issue? Organization chart RACI matrix Communications management plan Work authorization system

Work authorization system Explanation Work authorization system is a set of formal documented procedures that establishes how project work will be authorized to ensure the work is done at the right time and in the correct sequence.

Tim, an ambitious project manager, has decided to get PMP certified in a two-month period. He has created an exam preparation plan in which he'll study for 4 weeks, take mock practice tests in weeks 5 and 6, and then take the 7th week off before sitting for the exam in week 8. At the end of week 5, Tim was caught in an accident that kept him hospitalized for one week. To make up for the lost time, he had to move his week off (week 7) up to week 5, and work on mock tests in weeks 6 and 7 instead of weeks 5 and 6. This is an example of: Adaptability Risk mitigation Workaround Corrective action

Workaround Explanation When an unidentified risk occurs, it is addressed through a workaround. A workaround is an unplanned risk response for dealing with unexpected risks as well as passively accepted risks during project execution (i.e. when there is no predetermined risk response plan put in place).

Your manufacturing company is adopting lean principles. A quarterly internal audit is performed to verify whether projects are adhering to these principles. In the last audit, auditors noticed that you are delivering as fast as possible, but deciding as late as possible. Based on this statement, is your company complying with lean principles? No, you should both deliver and decide as late as possible No, you should both deliver and decide as fast as possible No, you should deliver as late as possible but decide as fast as possible Yes, it does.

Yes, it does. Explanation Lean principles entail delivering as fast as possible while making decisions as late as possible. Decisions should be based on as much information as can reasonably be gathered to keep all your options open until you must make a decision. There are seven guiding principles of lean practices: Eliminate waste, Amplify learning, Decide as late as possible, Deliver as fast as possible, Empower the team, Build integrity in, and See the whole. Reference: Effective Project Management Traditional, Agile, Extreme, Hybrid by Robert K. Wysocki, pages 360-361.

Being assigned as the project manager, Juliet noticed that multiple interpersonal conflicts are arising among the team members. What is the best way to handle such conflicts? You should always smooth conflicts since they distract the team and hinder work progress You should address conflicts in open meetings so that the entire team can contribute to finding a solution You should address conflicts proactively and privately, using collaborative and direct approaches You should be firm and use your coercive power to quickly resolve conflicts

You should address conflicts proactively and privately, using collaborative and direct approaches Explanation Conflicts should be addressed as early as possible using collaborative and direct approaches. It's also recommended that interpersonal conflicts be handled privately among team members rather than in open meetings. Technical conflicts, however, should be discussed in open meetings so that the entire team can participate in finding a solution. When disruptive conflicts persist, you can consider formal procedures, including but not limited to disciplinary actions