CompTIA Project+ Exam PK0-003 (Review Questions)
You are a project manager for a major movie studio. You need to schedule a shoot in Denver during ski season. This is an example of which of the following? A. External dependency B. Finish-to-start relationship C. Mandatory dependency D. Discretionary dependency
A. A requirement such as weather conditions or a specific season that drives the scheduling of a task is an example of an external dependency.
Your project is to be performed outdoors. You are only four days from the big event, and there is a hurricane headed for shore. This is an example of which of the following? A. Risk B. Assumption C. Deliverable D. Constraint
A. Risks are potential future events that pose either opportunities or threats to the project. This is a potential event that would have negative consequences to the project if it were to occur.
Your project has expected cash inflows of $7.8 million in today's dollars. Which cash flow technique was used to determine this? A. Discounted cash flow B. IRR C. NPV D. Cost-benefit analysis
A. The discounted cash flow technique compares the total value of each year's expected cash inflow to today's dollar. IRR calculates the internal rate of return, NPV determines the net present value, and cost-benefit analysis determines the cost of the project versus the benefits received.
What is the lowest level of the WBS? A. Work package B. Level 10 C. Milestone D. Activities
A. The lowest level of a WBS is the work package. The number of levels will vary by project and complexity.
This person is responsible for authorizing the project to begin and signing the project charter. A. Project sponsor B. Executive in the organization who requested the project C. Project champion D. Project manager
A. The project sponsor authorizes the project to begin and approves and signs the project charter.
What is the primary function of the project sponsor regarding the scope document? A. Signs off on the project scope document B. Has input into the project scope document C. Does not interact with the project scope document D. Authors the project scope document
A. The project sponsor, along with other key stakeholders, signs off on the project scope document. Project sponsors may have some input to scope, but the project manager is the author of the document, and the stakeholders are primary contributors to the scope document.
Which element is not a component or function of the scope management plan? A. Describes the deliverables'acceptance criteria B. Describes how scope changes will be handled C. Describes the procedures for preparing the scope statement D. Describes the procedures for preparing the WBS
A. The scope management plan contains a definition of how the deliverables will be verified, but the acceptance criteria are documented in the project scope statement.
The scope statement provides which of the following? A. A basis for a common understanding of the project and for making future decisions regarding the project B. A detailed list of all resources required for project completion C. A schedule of all the key project activities D. A process for managing change control
A. The scope statement serves as a basis for understanding the work of the project and for future decision making.
What is analogous estimating also referred to as? A. Bottom-up estimating B. Expert judgment C. Parametric estimating D. Top-down estimating
D. Analogous estimating is also called top-down estimating. It is used early in the project, when there is not enough detail to do a detailed estimate.
Which of the following is not a benefit of a WBS? A. A WBS is an excellent tool for team building. B. WBS helps prevents critical work from being overlooked. C. A WBS can become a template for future projects. D. A WBS can be used to describe how the deliverables will be verified
D. The scope management document, not the WBS, describes how the deliverables will be verified.
Explain a network diagram.
A network diagram is used in Activity Sequencing to depict project activities and the interrelationships and dependencies among these activities.
Name the two major relationships between dependent tasks.
A predecessor is a task that exists on a path with another task and occurs before the task in question. A successor is a task that exists on a common path with another task and occurs after the task in question
You're undertaking a new project in which users will connect to an application running on a server and post information to a database. At first glance, what types of IT resources do you think you'll need? Choose three. A. Database administrator B. Application developer C. Telecommunications specialist D. Server administrator E. Graphic designer
A, B, D. You will need someone who can handle the database, someone to program the application code, and someone who can manage the server for you.
There are three primary constraints on most all projects. Your customer, or project sponsor, will stipulate which of the three is the most important to them. What are these three elements according to CompTIA? Choose three. A. Budget B. Team members C. Scope D.Quality E. time F. Sponsors and stakeholders G. Scope management plan
A, D, E. They are budget, quality, and time according to CompTIA.
Identify the items that should not be included in a project charter. Choose two. A. Anticipated budget B. Project objectives C. High-level cost-benefit analysis D. Hardware needed E. Business case F. Project description G. Project title and description
A, E. The project charter includes high-level costs for the project but not an anticipated budget. The business case is its own document and is not part of the project charter.
A project manager has the most authority under which organizational structure? A. Project-based B. Functional C. Balanced matrix D. Strong matrix
A. A project-based organization is designed around project work, and project managers have the most authority in this type of structure. Project managers have the least amount of authority in a functional organization, they have some authority in a balanced matrix, and, a little more authority in a strong matrix, but not as much authority as they have in a project-based organization.
You receive a request from customer service to develop and implement a desktop management system for the customer-support staff. What type of project request is this? A. Business need B. Market demand C. Legal requirement D. Technological advance
A. A request to develop a product for use by an internal department is a business need. Market demands are driven by the needs of the market, legal requirements come about because of rules or regulations that must be complied with, and technological advances are because of improvements in expertise or equipment.
You' re in the process of developing a project schedule for a new project for which you've just completed the WBS. What would be the smart next step in figuring out what tasks go into the project schedule? A. Develop an activity list. B. Determine the critical path tasks. C. Develop a network diagram. D. Estimate activity duration.
A. After the WBS is developed, the next step involves creating an activity list that describes the activities required to complete each work package on the WBS.
What are the crashing and fast track techniques used for? A. Duration compression B. Activity sequencing C. Precedence diagramming D. Activity Definition
A. Duration compression involves either crashing the schedule by adding more resources or by creating a fast track by working activities in parallel that would normally be done in sequence.
Which is the most commonly used logical relationship? A. Finish-to-start B. Start-to-finish C. Start-to-start D. Finish-to-finish
A. Finish-to-start is the most commonly used logical relationship in network and schedule diagrams.
Which of the following is not true for critical path activities? A. The early start is always less than the late start. B. These activities are on the longest path on the network diagram. C. The float is zero. D. The late finish is always the same as the early finish.
A. Float is always zero for the critical path activities, so early start and late start are the same date.
Portions of the project will be performed by resources outside the organization. This requires a written document from an outside vendor indicating the type of work that needs to be done and the steps necessary to do them, along with the cost. What is this document called? A. SOW B. RFP C. RFI D. RFQ
A. The statement of work (SOW) is a document that indicates the requirements of the project and outlines the type of work that needs to be completed. All the other options describe procurement documents that notify sellers of the option to bid on the project.
You're working on a project in which the time to complete the project has been heavily restricted and funds are short. You have one resource working on preparing six servers for use in a balanced web array. The servers will all look basically alike. What technique can you use to slim down some of the time required to perform this task in the project? A. Fast tracking B. Crashing C. Reducing the number of servers D. Purchasing a server that runs a number of virtual machines simultaneously
A. You have only one resource and funds are limited, so crashing the project isn't the solution. The fast tracking option allows you to start more than one task at the same time. Previously, each server was scheduled to start and complete sequentially. You could start two or three servers at once, thereby fast tracking the schedule.
You receive a confusing request from the marketing department to develop a new billing system. What is the first step you should take? a. You meet with the marketing person to identify and clarify the request. B. You write the project charter. C. You submit a request to the project selection committee. D. You request the finance department to do a cost-benefit analysis
A. You must clarify the project request to determine exactly what the marketing person needs. You need to understand the problem that needs to be addressed so that you can define the high-level requirements and write the project charter.
Describe the Activity Sequencing process.
Activity Sequencing is the process of identifying dependency relationships between the project activities and scheduling activities in the proper order.
Which of the following are components of a scope statement? Choose three. A. General project approach B. Product description C. KPIs D. Exclusions E. Stakeholder list F. High-level milestones G. Change request process
B, C, D. The sections of a project scope statement are product description, key deliverables, success and acceptance criteria, key performance indicators, exclusions, time and cost estimates, assumptions, and constraints.
Which of the following are the requirements to complete a pre-project setup? Choose three. A. Conduct a feasibility analysis. B. Identify the project. C. Validate the project. D. Validate the business case. E. Prepare a project charter and obtain approval of the charter. F. Identify and analyze stakeholders.
B, C, E. The steps in pre-project setup include the following: identifying the project, validating the project, preparing a project charter, and obtaining approval of the charter.
From the following options, select those that best describe the definition of a deliverable. (Choose three.) A. Marks the completion of a project phase B. Has measurable outcomes or results C. Is a specific item that must be produced to consider the project complete D. Describes the characteristics of the product of the project E. Is documented in the project charter F. Is tangible and easily verified
B, C, F. Deliverables are measurable outcomes or results or are specific items that must be produced in order to consider the project complete. Deliverables are tangible and are easily measured and verified. It's possible that key deliverables may mark the completion of a project phase and that deliverables are documented in the project charter, but these options do not describe the definition of a deliverable.
Which three of the following options are process groups in the project management process groups? A. Risk B. Initiating C. Monitoring and Controlling D. Procurement E. Scope F. Planning
B, C, F. The five process groups are Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing. Options A, D, and E are Knowledge Areas.
Which of the following are reasons for bringing about a project? Choose three. A. Feasibility study B. Market demand C. Business case justification D. Strategic opportunity E. Stakeholder needs F. Social needs
B, D, F. The needs or demands that bring about a project include the following: market demand, strategic opportunity/business need, customer request, technological advances, legal requirements, ecological impacts, and social needs. A feasibility study is conducted to determine the viability of a project, and the business case documents the reasons for the project and the justification for the project. Stakeholder needs may bring about a project, but their needs will fall more specifically into one of the seven needs or demands that bring about a project.
Elements of the project that are not listed on the WBS are considered what? Choose two. A. Work that will be completed in a future phase of the project. B. Exclusions from scope. C. They are considered scope creep. D.They are not considered part of the project.
B, D. Work that is not included in the WBS is not part of the project. Exclusions from scope are work components that are not included in the project and should not appear on the WBS.
Frederico, the director of the marketing department, has approached you with an idea for a project. What are the steps you'll take for the pre-project setup of this project? Choose three. A. Write a business-case analysis. B. Identify the project. C. Determine the strategic opportunity/business need that brought about the project. D. Determine the project selection methods you'll use to justify the project. E. Validate the project. F. Write a project charter and obtain approval for the charter.
B, E, F. The steps in pre-project approval are identifying the project, validating the project, and writing the project charter and obtaining approval of the project charter. A business case is part of the project validation process, the strategic opportunity or business need is typically documented in the business case, and project selection methods are used after pre-project setup, not as part of the pre-project setup.
You are working in a matrix organization. Choose two responses that describe this type of structure. A. Project resources are members of another business unit and may or may not be able to help you full-time. B. Matrix organizations can be structured as strong, weak, or balanced. C. Project managers have the majority of power in this type of structure. D. This organizational structure is similar to a functional organization. E. Employees are assigned project tasks by their project manager in this type of structure.
B, E. A matrix organization can be structured as a strong, weak, or balanced matrix. Employees are assigned to projects by their functional managers, and the project tasks are assigned to them by the project manager. The project manager has the majority of power in a project-based organization.
A primary role of the project manager includes informing this person of changes, status, conflicts, and issues on the project. A. The project requestor B. The project sponsor C. The project champion D. The most influential project stakeholder
B. A key role of the project manager is informing the sponsor of changes, status, issues, and conflicts on the project. The project requestor and stakeholders should be informed as well, but the primary role of the project manager involves informing the sponsor and keeping them updated.
Randy is a key technical resource for your project. You've worked with Randy on past projects and have identified him in the project charter as one of the team members who will work on the project. The charter has been published, and there is great excitement about this project. You've scheduled a meeting to talk to Randy's functional manager next week. Which of the following conditions does this describe? A. Risk B. Assumption C. Deliverable D. Constraint
B. Assumptions are things believed to be true. In this case, you have not verified Randy's availability and are assuming the functional manager will agree to assign him to the project.
A WBS is created using a technique called decomposition. What is decomposition? A. Matching resources with deliverables B. Breaking down the project deliverables into smaller, more manageable components C. Estimating the cost of each individual deliverable D. Creating a detailed to-do list for each work package
B. Decomposition breaks the major deliverables down into smaller, more manageable units of work that can be used estimate cost and time and perform resource planning.
Your task requires 4 miles of paving, and it will take 30 hours to complete a mile. On a past project similar to this one, it took 150 hours to complete. Which of the following is true regarding this estimate? A. The total estimate for this task is 120 hours, which was derived using expert judgment. B. The total estimate for this task is 120 hours, which was derived using parametric estimating. C. The total estimate for this task is 150 hours, which was derived using analogous estimating. D. The total estimate for this task is 150 hours, which was derived using expert judgment.
B. If you didn't know the quantity and rate, option C or D would be acceptable. In this case, you'd use the parametric estimating technique because you do know the quantity and rate; 30 hours times 4 miles is a total duration of 120 hours.
This element of the project scope statement helps you incrementally monitor project performance: A. Success criteria B. KPIs C. Exclusions D. Key deliverables
B. KPIs are key performance indicators that help you incrementally monitor project performance.
Which of the following is not a tool used to determine a project's critical path? A. Forward pass B. Mandatory dependency C. Float calculation D. Backward pass
B. The tools used to calculate critical path are forward pass, backward pass, and float calculation.
What is the most commonly used form of network diagramming? A. ADM B. Precedence diagramming C. CPM D. PERT
B. Precedence diagramming is the most commonly used diagramming method. The arrow diagramming method (ADM) is a less-used diagramming method that uses arrows to represent the tasks. CPM is a schedule development technique. PERT is a schedule development technique that uses weighted averages.
Which of the following general management skills does a project manager employ up to 90 percent of their time? A. Programming B. Communications C. Leadership D. Problem solving
B. Project managers can spend up to 90 percent of their time communicating. The other skills listed here are important as well, but the clue in this question is the 90 percent figure that relates to the amount of time project managers may spend communicating.
This term describes a characteristic of the planning processes: A. Looping B. Iterative C. Ongoing D. Repetitive
B. Project planning processes are iterative, meaning you'll define the scope statement and other planning documents, and as you create these documents, more information may come to light or you may discover an element you missed. So, you'll go back through processes you've already started and modify them with the new information.
You've defined a task in a project schedule in which your team members will develop an XML application that uses a MySQL back end. Although the data base administrator (DBA) has plenty of experience with Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server, he has never been exposed to MySQL. Which of the following elements will most likely be affected? A. Resource allocation B. Task estimation C. Activity definitions D. Determining critical path tasks
B. Since the question states this DBA is unfamiliar with MySQL, the task estimation process is the most likely affected by all the options. You should use a three-point estimate or have another expert verify the estimate for this task since the DBA doesn't know this software well.
You're developing the scope document and project plan for a new project. What process group are you in? A. Initiating B. Planning C. Executing D. Controlling
B. The Planning process group is where you begin to define important documents such as the scope document and project plan.
What organization is recognized worldwide for setting project management standards? PMC PMI PMP CompTIA
B. The Project Management Institute (PMI) is the leading professional project management association, with more than 400,000 members worldwide.
Which of the following is not true for the critical path? A. It has zero float. B. It's the shortest activity sequence in the network. C. You can determine which tasks can start late without impacting the project end date. D. It controls the project finish date.
B. The critical path is the longest activity sequence in the network. It has zero float or slack time, and it controls the project end date. Using critical path, you can determine which tasks can start late or go longer than planned without impacting the project end date.
Which stakeholder assigns employees to the project? A. Project manager B. Functional manager C. Customer C. Sponsor
B. The functional manager provides the employees performing the work of the project. The project manager is accountable for overseeing the work required to complete the project. The customer is the person or group that is the recipient of the product or service created by the project. The project sponsor champions the project throughout the organization and acts as an advisor to the project manager.
Jack is a stakeholder on the project. He's quite enamored with the project and serves to provide enthusiasm, critiques, energy, communication, and motivation for your project. What is Jack's role? A. Project sponsor B. Project champion C. Project team member D. Business analyst
B. The project champion is someone who understands the goals of the project and serves as a voice of enthusiasm throughout the organization regarding the benefits of the project.
You are working on your network diagram. Activity A is a predecessor to Activity B. Activity B cannot begin until Activity A is completed. What is this telling you? A. There is a mandatory dependency between Activity A and Activity B. B. There is a finish-to-start dependency relationship between Activity A and Activity B. C. Activity A and Activity B are both on the critical path. D. Activity B is a successor to multiple tasks.
B. There is a finish-to-start dependency relationship between Activity A and Activity B. You do not have enough information to determine whether the dependency between the two activities is mandatory, discretionary, or external or if they are critical path activities.
The executives in your organization typically choose which projects to perform first by reviewing the business case and then determining, based on their experience with similar projects, which will likely perform well and which will not. What form of project selection method is this? A. Business case analysis B. Expert judgment C. Feasibility analysis D. Decision model technique
B. This question describes the expert judgment form of project selection. The question states the executives already read the business case analysis. The feasibility study is a study conducted to determine the risks and potential benefits to the project, and decision models are mathematical models that use differing variables to determine a decision.
Which two elements should always be included in a business case analysis? Choose two. A. Feasibility study B. Project selection methodology C. Alignment to the strategic plan D. Justification E. Cash flow techniques to determine financial viability.
C, D. The business case analysis may include the feasibility study but should always include the justification for the project and the alignment to the strategic plan. It's a good idea to also include high-level timelines and estimated budgets.
What is the definition of a project? Choose two. A. A group of interrelated activities that create a unique benefit to the organization B. Through the use of project management techniques, which are repeatable processes, a series of actions that are performed to produce the same result multiple times C. A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result D. A process used to generate profit, improve market share, or adhere to legal requirements E. A time-constrained endeavor with assigned resources responsible for meeting the goals of the project according to the quality standards
C, E. A project creates a unique product, service, or result and has defined start and finish dates. Projects must have resources in order to bring about their results, and they must meet the quality standards outlined in the project plan. Interrelated activities are not projects because they don't meet the criteria for a project. Project management processes are a means to manage projects, and processes used to generate profits or increase market share do not fit the definition of a project. Processes are typically ongoing; projects start and stop.
Your project is nearing completion of the first phase. Your key stakeholder for this phase reminds you that she will not accept the deliverable unless it measures 3 centimeters exactly. If the measurements are off, phase 2 will be delayed, and the entire project will be at risk. This is an example of which of the following? A. Delivery acceptance criteria B. Success criteria C. Critical success factor D. KPI
C. Critical success factors are those elements of the project that must be completed accurately to consider the project a success. Without these elements, the project is likely in danger of failing.
Beginning one phase of a project before another has finished is an example of what? A. Sequencing B. Compression C. Fast tracking D. Constricting
C. Fast tracking involves starting the next phase of the project before the prior phase is completed in order to shorten the project schedule.
Which of the following is true for float or slack time? A. It's calculated by adding the durations of all activities and dividing by the number of activities. B. It's time that you add to the project schedule to provide a buffer or contingency. C. It's the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project completion. D. It is only calculated on the longest path of the network diagram.
C. Float or slack time is the length of time a task may be started late or the additional duration a task may take without impacting project completion.
Your project has expected cash inflows of $7.8 million in today's dollars. The project's initial investment is $9.2 million. Which of the following is true? A. The discounted cash flows are lower than the initial investment, so this project should be rejected. B. The discounted cash flows are lower than the initial investment, so this project should be accepted. C. NPV is less than zero, so this project should be rejected. D. NPV is greater than zero, so this project should be accepted.
C. NPV is calculated by subtracting the total of the expected cash inflows stated in today's dollars from the initial investment. In this question, the initial investment is higher than the cash flows, so the resulting NPV is less than zero, and the project should be rejected. Discounted cash flows tell you the value of the cash flows in today's dollars.
This general management skill concerns obtaining mutually acceptable agreements with individuals or groups. A. Leadership B. Problem solving C. Negotiating D. Communicating
C. Negotiating involves obtaining mutually acceptable agreements with individuals or groups. Leadership involves imparting a vision and motivating others to achieve the goal. Problem solving involves working together to reach a solution. Communicating involves exchanging information.
You're working on a project that you and your team have estimated takes 15 business days to complete. Your team does not work on Saturday, Sunday, or holidays. Given the work calendar shown here and a start date of Tuesday, November 1, what is the scheduled completion date for this task? A. 21 B. 15 C. 22 D. 23
C. Starting with November 1 and counting it as the first full workday, the completion date for this task is November 22.
The Initiating process includes which task? A. Assigning work to project team members B. Sequencing project activities C. Approving a project and authorizing work to begin D. Coordinating resources to complete the project work
C. The Initiating process concerns the formal acceptance of the project and authorizes the project manager to start the project work. Assigning work to project team members, sequencing project activities, and coordinating resources occur in the Planning process.
Your team is working on creating a WBS for phase 2 of the ABC software implementation project. Which of the following is an example of what might appear in the second level of your WBS? A. ABC Software implementation project B. Project deliverables C. Project phases D. Activities
C. The first level of the WBS is the project name, in this case ABC software implementation. The second level of the WBS represents major project deliverables, project phases, or subprojects. If the project has phases or subprojects, these are listed at the second level, with deliverables listed at the third level. Since the question asks about phase 2 of the project and option C is project phases, this is the correct second-level entry for the WBS.
Which of the following is not a key component of scope planning? A. Work breakdown structure (WBS) B. Scope statement C. Project charter D. Scope management plan
C. The key components of scope planning are the scope management plan, scope statement, and work breakdown structure. The project charter is created during project initiation
Which element of the project scope statement describes the features, functions, and characteristics of the product of the project? A. Deliverables description B. Milestones description C. Product description D. KPIs
C. The product description describes the features, functions, and characteristics of the product, service, or result of the project.
Which of the following is true concerning the project charter? A. Describes the project schedule B. Contains cost estimates for each task C. Authorizes the start of the project work D. Lists the responsibilities of the project selection committee
C. The project charter formally approves the project and authorizes work to begin. The project schedule and cost estimates are developed later in the planning process.
This component of the project charter describes the characteristics of the product of the project. A. Milestones B. High-level deliverables C. Project description D. Goals and objectives
C. The project description describes the characteristics of the product, service, or result of the project.
You're a project manager working on a software development project. You are working hand in hand with a systems analyst who is considered an expert in her field. She has years of experience working for the organization and understands not only systems development but also the business area the system will support. Which person should make the decisions about the management of the project? A. Project manager B. Systems analyst C. Project manager with input from systems analyst D. Systems analyst with input from project manager
C. The project manager is ultimately responsible for managing the work of the project. That doesn't mean that they should work without the benefit of input from others.
Which of the following is not a guideline for developing a WBS? A. Define the highest level of deliverables before you move to lower levels. B. Make sure that each item in a lower level is a component of the level above. C. Sequence the work packages. D. Involve project team members in the process.
C. The purpose of a WBS is to identify all the work required to complete a project. Defining the order of the tasks will occur during the scheduling process.
Activity B on your network diagram has a most likely estimate of 8 days, a pessimistic estimate of 11 days, and an optimistic estimate of 6 days. What is the three-point estimate for this task rounded to the nearest whole number? A. 11 days B. 25 days C. 8 days D. 6 days
C. The three-point estimate is calculated by averaging all three estimates. 8 + 11 + 6 = 25. 25/3 = 8.3.
You're developing a scope document for a customer request. A couple of the elements that the client wants could be difficult to accomplish, but after consulting with the project team, you think they can be done. These elements are not included in the product description. What should you do? A. Include these elements in the scope document, trusting your project team to deliver. B. Include these elements in the scope document, denoting them as a concern, and document how the issues were resolved. C. Discuss the problem elements with the project sponsor and the customer. Obtain sponsor sign-off. D. Note the elements in the exclusions section of the project scope statement, and state that they'll be included in phase 2.
C. Whenever problems arise on a project that are outside the authority or control of the project manager to resolve or when problems have the ability to affect project outcomes, the sponsor should always be informed.
Define the purpose of CPM.
CPM calculates the longest path in the project. This path controls the finish date of the project. Any delay to a critical path task will delay the completion date of the project.
Which of the following are the steps required to validate a project? Choose two. A. Analyze the feasibility. B. Justify the project. C. Align it to the strategic plan. D. Validate the business case. E. Identify and analyze stakeholders.
D, E. The steps required to validate a project are validating the business case (which encompasses a feasibility analysis, justification for the project, and alignment to the strategic plan) and identifying and analyzing stakeholders.
Which of the following is a characteristic of a WBS? A. A cost center structure of the project B. An organization chart of the project team members C. Used primarily on large complex projects involving multiple departments D. A deliverables-oriented structure that defines the work of the project
D. A WBS is a deliverables-oriented hierarchy that defines the work of the project and can be used on projects of any size or complexity
Which of the following is not a component of a high-level requirements document or product description? A. Historical data B. Problem statement C. Technical requirements D. Testing scenarios
D. A high-level requirements document contains the problem statement, objectives, strategic value, functional and technical requirements, timing, and historical data. Testing scenarios would not be created at this point in the project.
What is the term for a group of related projects managed in a coordinated fashion? A. Life cycle B. Phase C. Process group D. Program
D. A program is a group of related projects that can benefit from coordinated management. Life cycles are the various stages a project goes through, and process groups consist of Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing.
From the following options, select the one that does not describe a constraint. A. Project team actions are dictated. B. It may regard budget, resources, or schedule. C. Project team actions are restricted D. Project situations are believed to be true.
D. Constraints restrict or dictate the actions of the project team and may take the form of budget, resources, schedules, or other limitations. Situations believed to be true are assumptions.
All of the following are true regarding milestone charts except for which one? A. Milestone charts list the major deliverables or phases of a project. B. Milestone charts show the scheduled completion dates. C. Milestone charts show the actual completion dates. D.Milestone charts are commonly displayed in bar chart format.
D. Milestone charts list the major deliverables, key events, or project phases and show the scheduled and actual completion dates of each milestone. They may include other information, but that information would not be displayed as bar charts.
Your project has expected cash inflows of $1.2 million in year 1, $2.4 million in year 2, and $4.6 million in year 3. The project pays for itself in 23 months. Which cash flow technique was used to determine this? A. IRR B. NPV C. Discounted cash flow D. Payback period
D. Payback period is a technique that calculates the expected cash inflows over time to determine how many periods it will take to recover the original investment. IRR calculates the internal rate of return, NPV determines the net present value, and discounted cash flows determine the amount of the cash flows in today's dollars.
This process is where the work of the project is performed. A. Planning B. Monitoring and Controlling C. Initiating D. Executing
D. The Executing process is where the work of the project is performed.
All of the following are true regarding code of accounts identifiers except for which one? A. These are unique numbers for each component on the WBS. B. They are documented in the WBS dictionary. C. They are tied to the organization's chart of accounts. D.They are assigned to the resources who are associated with each work package.
D. The code of accounts identifier is a unique number assigned to each component of the WBS. It is documented in the WBS dictionary and is tied to the chart of accounts.
What is one disadvantage of a project-based organization? A. The organization doesn't work on anything that isn't project-related. B. Costs are high because specialized skills are required to complete projects in this type of structure. C. The functional managers have control over which team members are assigned to projects. D. Once the project is completed, the project team members may not have other projects to work on.
D. The key problem with a project-based organization is that there may not be a new project in place at the conclusion of the one team members were released from. This leaves specialists "sitting on the bench" with no work to do and is costly to the organization. It's an advantage to a project-based organization to work on projects. Costs aren't necessarily any higher in this type of organization than others. Costs will depend on the type of project you're working on, not the organizational structure. And the project managers have control over who works on the projects in a project-based organization.
You've been given an idea for a project by an executive in your organization. After writing the business-case analysis, you submit it to the executive for review. After reading the business case, he determines that the project poses a significant amount of risk to the organization. What do you recommend next? A. Proceed to the project selection committee. B. Reject the project based on the analysis. C. Proceed to writing the project plan. D. Perform a feasibility study.
D. The next best step to take in this situation is to perform a feasibility study. Feasibility studies are typically undertaken for projects that are risky, projects that are new to the organization, or projects that are highly complex. Projects of significant risk to the organization shouldn't be taken to the selection committee without having a feasibility study first and writing the project plan doesn't make sense at this point because you don't know if the project will be chosen or not. You also can't reject the project because there isn't enough information to determine if it should be rejected until the feasibility study is completed.
Suppose that you're working on a project in which you've established this milestone: "Database servers built and functional." The following tasks are needed to complete this milestone: Task 1: Build three database servers. Task 2: Install database software on each server. Task 3: Validate that software is running correctly. Task 4: Install database schemas from development environment. Task 5: Test that it's 100 percent successful. Which of these tasks would represent the acceptance criteria for this milestone? A. Task 1 B. Task 2 C. Task 3 D. Task 4 E. Task 5
E. Building the servers, installing software on them, validating that the software works, and bringing up the schemas represents work toward the milestone but does not adequately represent that you've reached the milestone. Task 5, which says that you've successfully tested the database servers, indicates that you've reached your goal.
You're working on a project to develop a client-server application. Your company's collections department will equip their field personnel with wireless tablet PCs that will connect with the server and database. The manager of the collections department brought the request forward. You work for the PMO and are managed by the director of administrative services. The IT department is managed by the director of IT. The telecommunications segments, including wireless, are managed by the director of telecommunications. Who is the project sponsor? A. Manager of collections B. Director of administrative services C. Director of IT D. Director of telecommunications E. Not enough information
E. The project sponsor is an individual who is authorized to expend the resources necessary to bring about the deliverables of the project. In this question, we really don't have enough information to make a good decision about identifying the project sponsor.
Know and understand the five most commonly used techniques to estimate activity duration.
Expert judgment relies on the knowledge of someone familiar with the tasks. Analogous or top-down estimating bases the estimate on similar activities from a previous project. Parametric estimates are quantitatively based estimates that typically calculate the rate times quantity. Three-point estimates use the most likely, optimistic, and pessimistic estimates to determine an average estimate. PERT uses the same estimates as the three-point estimating technique, but it calculates an expected value or weighted average estimate.
C. The critical path is longest path through the network diagram, which is path A-B-C-E.
How long is the critical path in days in the graphic shown here? A. 13 days B. 20 days C. 27 days D. 30 days
Name the two most common ways project schedules are displayed.
Project schedules are typically displayed as milestone charts or Gantt charts; a Gantt chart is a type of bar chart.
C. Tasks A, B, D, and G represent the longest dependent path through the network diagram at 41 days.
The following exhibit shows a series of steps in a network diagram. Which path represents the critical path? A. A-E-F-G B. A-C-D-G C. A-B-D-G D. A-B-D-F-G
Name the four types of logical relationships.
The four types of logical relationships are finish-to-start, start-to-start, start-to-finish, and finish-to-finish.