Mock Exam 2021

Your project team has just completed a quantitative analysis of project risk. They have identified a 45% chance of a flood that would cost the project $50,000 in damages and cleanup. They have also identified a 30% chance that the new piece of equipment recently purchased by your organization will save the project $10,000. What is the expected monetary value of these two risks?

($19,500) Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks When calculating the contingency budget for a project, one popular method is called EMV or expected monetary value. To calculate EMV for each of these risks you would multiply the probability of occurrence and the impact of that occurrence. So, .45*$50,000= -$22,500. Then you will notice that the second risk is an opportunity. To calculate the EMV for this opportunity it would be, .30*$10,000= $3,000. These two figures would then be added together. So, a negative $22,500 plus $3000 would equal -$19,500. A common way of showing negative numbers is in parentheses. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 435.

Once the network diagram is complete, how many activities or milestones will not have both a predecessor and a successor?

2 in the entire network Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule Once the network diagram is finished, the only two activities that will not have both a predecessor and a successor will be the starting and ending activities in a project. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 188.

Which of the following would not be an example of an empowered team?

A team that follows instruction from their agile coach People - Task 4 - Empower Team An empowered agile team would not follow instructions from an agile coach. A team that follows an agile coach's instruction would be utilizing more of a "command and control" structure, which is not an example of an empowered team. Answers A, B, and C are all examples of empowered agile teams. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.0 Project Resource Management/Trends and Emerging Practices/p. 310

Which of the following is a leadership tool an agile coach would utilize to improve team performance?

Coaching People - Task 3 - Support Team Performance The benefits of coaching include, but are not limited to, improving team performance, increasing personal and professional development, and enhancing self-awareness. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.2 Servant Leadership Empowers the Team/pp. 33-34

Your team has developed a strategy to set aside $1000 in a contingency budget and an extra week in the schedule, in the event a particular risk occurs on the project. What is the best description of this strategy?

Acceptance Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks Acceptance is a decision to accept that the risk may happen and choose to deal with it when and if it occurs. Acceptance often comes with a contingency in the form of time, money or resources. Escalation involves determining who should own the risk outside the project. Risks that are beyond the control of the PM are generally escalated to the program or portfolio level. Mitigation is the strategy of reducing the likelihood or the impact if the risk occurs. Avoidance would remove the risk entirely or protect the project objectives from the impact. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 442-443.

Who is primarily responsible for ensuring team members and stakeholders are trained on the concepts of agile?

Agile coach People - Task 5 - Ensure Team is Trained An agile coach is responsible for ensuring stakeholders and the agile team understands the agile philosophy, tools and techniques, and methods. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/Table 4-2. Agile Team Roles/p. 41

Your project was recently terminated early. As the project manager you must review which of the following?

All of the above Process - Task 17 - Manage Closure Regardless of why your project was ended, i.e. successful completion or early termination, the project manager should go through a formal closeout process. This requires a review of all previous phase documentation, the project management plan which includes the scope baseline, and any contracts. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 123.

Which of the following is not true regarding the sprint planning meeting?

All tasks from decomposed user stories are created Process - Task 9 - Integrate Planning Usually, only the highest priority stories are decomposed into tasks during the sprint planning meeting. These will be the initial tasks performed during the upcoming sprint. The remaining stories will be decomposed later during the sprint. Answers A, B, and C are all true regarding the sprint planning meeting. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.4.1 Agile Teams Measure Results/pp. 61-64

Which of the following is an example of individuals and interactions over processes and tools?

An agile coach working with stakeholders to remove agile team impediments People - Task 7 - Remove Obstacles Removing the impediments is based on human interactions and relationships. This is an example of an agile primary value of individuals and interactions over processes and tools. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/2.2 The Agile Manifesto and Mindset/Figure 2-1. The Four Values of the Agile Manifesto/p. 8

Which of the following estimating approaches would you use early in a project?

Analogous Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources Of the estimating approaches listed, only analogous is used early in a project, when little information is known about the project. It is the quickest way of coming up with a total project estimate but it is also the least accurate. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 200.

You are the project manager at a healthcare services company. Two of your team members are having a disagreement that they cannot resolve, and it is beginning to affect the entire project team's performance. Which technique should you use if your main goal is to develop a solution that all agree to?

Collaborating People - Task 9 - Collaborate with Stakeholders Collaboration involves hearing different opinions and thoughtfully working through the problems to find solutions that are agreeable to all. Avoiding just puts the problem off until later. Smoothing is where you make everyone feel good, but dodge the real issue. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.5.2.1 Interpersonal and Team Skills/Conflict Management/pp. 348-349

Which of the following is not one of the 5 Cs of written communications?

Complete information Process - Task 2 - Manage Communications The 5 Cs of written communications are: Correct grammar and spelling; Concise expression and elimination of excess words; Clear purpose and expression directed to the needs of the reader; Coherent flow of ideas; and Controlling flow of words and ideas. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 363.

You are running an agile project and many of the people on the team are relatively new to agile concepts. You are concerned about how well the team will adapt and perform, and want to help the team improve as it delivers. What is the best practice for doing this?

Conduct retrospectives at the end of each iteration People - Task 3 - Support Team Performance The retrospective is the most important practice for the team to learn about, improve, and adapt to the process. You might still do the other things, but the retrospective is the most important one. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.2.1 Retrospectives/p. 50

When working in a highly regulated industry, what can be done to ensure any changes in regulatory compliance are met during an agile project?

Continuously groom the product backlog Business Environment - Task 1 - Manage Compliance Requirements for new and/or changing regulatory compliance will be incorporated into the product backlog as they arise if the product owner grooms (or refines) the backlog regularly. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.2.3 Backlog Refinement/p. 52

Approved project change requests are certified as complete and correctly completed through which of the following processes?

Control Quality Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality Once a change request has been approved and implemented it is then validated through the process of Control Quality. Review of the change request provides validation that it was implemented as approved. Answers C and D are not processes, but rather areas of project management. The change request would have already been approved through the process in answer B. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 301.

Which of the following activities would not take place during the close of an agile project?

Create open issue and risk report Process - Task 17 - Manage Closure Creating a list of open issues and risks would not take place during the close of an agile project. However, it should be noted that answers A, B, and C would all be performed at the end of an agile project. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.7.3 Close Project or Phase: Outputs/p. 127

Which of the following would be least useful in establishing a strong project vision?

Creating a highly-detailed vision that focuses on what will be done People - Task 10 - Build Shared Understanding A highly-detailed and complex vision is difficult to remember and may confuse team members. A short, concise project vision offers clarity. Answers B, C, and D would each assist in building a strong project vision. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.1 Charter the Project and the Team/p. 49

A project manager has been asked to conduct a risk analysis that is based on a high-level scope. As part of the analysis, the project manager must use expert judgment to prepare a document. Which document-based action is being performed?

Creating the project charter Process - Task 1 - Deliver Business Value Expert judgment is one of the tools and techniques for developing the project charter. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.2.1 Develop Project Charter/p. 79

The project manager wants all of the prospective contractors, who are expected to submit proposals on a new project, to have a clear understanding of the requirements of the procurement. The project manager decides to make this meeting mandatory. In other words, if a contractor does not attend this meeting they will not be qualified to submit a proposal. What is the best description of this meeting?

Bidders Conference Process - Task 11 - Manage Procurement When procurement documentation states that something is mandatory, it generally means that this factor will be used as a screening system to quickly reduce the number of potential bidders. The question discusses a meeting between the project manager and prospective contractors which is also called a bidder conference. Procurement negotiations happen after each of the proposals are evaluated and a selected seller is chosen. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 487.

A company is planning to utilize a new product that leverages innovative technologies and processes. The project manager has verified that the component work packages have been defined, and constraints for each component have been identified. Which estimating technique should the project manager use to obtain a precise cost estimate of the project?

Bottom-up Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule Bottom-up estimating is a method of estimating project duration or cost by aggregating the estimates of the lower level components of the work breakdown structure (WBS). PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/6.4.2.5 Bottom-up Estimating/p. 202

Which of the following is not a servant leadership characteristic?

Allowing team members to solve their own problems without intervention People - Task 2 - Lead a Team Servant leaders focus on listening carefully, coaching and mentoring, and promoting self-awareness. Expecting teams to solve disputes without intervention is a characteristic associated with the Laissez-Faire leadership style. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.2.1 Servant Leaders Responsibilities/p. 34

Which of the following becomes increasingly important when working with virtual teams?

Communications People - Task 11 - Virtual Teams Virtual teams are those teams that rarely, if ever, meet face-to-face. In this situation were teams rarely meet face-to-face all facets of communications become increasingly important. Things such as tone, content, clarity, technology, time zones, and team cohesion all will become increasingly important. Answers A, D and C would be a concern for the project manager on every project. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 311 and 340.

Which of the following is not true regarding the team charter?

It is not considered a social contract People - Task 12 - Ground Rules The team charter is considered a social contract between the project team members. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.1 Charter the Project and the Team/p. 50

The project is overseen by a senior project manager. When a new project manager is added to the project, the sponsor asks the new project manager to develop the quality management plan. How should the new project manager proceed?

Obtain established quality processes and plans from the senior project manager, then ask them for guidance in selecting the appropriate standards. Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality The new project manager needs to consult with the senior project manager to find out what practices and processes are already in place. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/8.1 Plan Quality Management/p. 277

You were recently promoted to a project manager position in your company. Your team members follow your lead simply because you are the project manager. What kind of power is this?

Positional or Legitimate People - Task 3 - Support Team Performance This is positional power, which is the power derived from your title or position in the company. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/3.4.4.3 Politics, Power, and Getting Things Done/pp. 62-63

Which of the following tools and techniques would best be used to gather and assess information regarding whose interest should be taken into account during the project?

Stakeholder analysis Process - Task 4 - Engage Stakeholders A stakeholder analysis results is a list of stakeholders and relevant information such as their position in the organization, roles in the project, levels of support (attitudes), interest and impact they may have on the project. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 512.

Although a previously identified technical issue has been resolved, the project manager is warned that the same issue is likely to occur on similar projects in the future. Which document should be part of the first step in responding to the warning?

The lessons learned register Process - Task 16 - Knowledge Transfer The lessons learned register can be used for future projects to help avoid past project issues. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.4.3.1 Lessons Learned Register/p. 104

A deliverable does not meet the agreed-upon quality specifications and is rejected by the customer. After investigation, the project team finds that there is a fault with the vendor-provided parts, and this fault caused the issue. The vendor says that they cannot correct the situation. What should be reviewed before deciding on the next steps?

The procurement management plan and contract agreements Process - Task 11 - Manage Procurement A contract is a mutually binding agreement that obligates the seller to provide the specified products, services, or results; obligates the buyer to compensate the seller; and represents a legal relationship that is subject to remedy in the courts. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/12.3 Control Procurements/p. 492

When updating and controlling a project schedule, which of the following would be most beneficial to the PM?

Work Performance Data Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule The PM must have the actuals (work performance data) before they can determine the actual performance of the schedule. Answer A is not specific enough since percent complete can be given for physical completion of the work, actual work effort put into the project, costs and schedule. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 225.

Which of the following processes determines which requirements will be included in the project?

Define Scope Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope The process of Define Scope is used to determine which of the requirements will be included in the project, i.e. it details what is in scope and what is out of scope. The process of Collect Requirements is simply the process of collecting all requirements. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 151.

Your project has not currently completed initiating but has a strong likelihood of being selected for this fiscal year. Which of the following is not something you should do at this point in time?

Define how and when the work will be executed to accomplish the project objectives Process - Task 9 - Integrate Planning All choices are done during the Initiating Process Group when developing the project charter, except for choice B. You would not do choice B until the Planning Process Group when you are developing the project management plan. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.1.3.1 Project Charter/p. 81

A project manager realizes that sponsor expectations are not being met, specifically regarding project deliverables. To address this issue, which action should the project manager take?

Develop a stakeholder engagement plan. Process - Task 4 - Engage Stakeholders The stakeholder engagement plan is a component of the project management plan that identifies the strategies and actions required to promote the productive involvement of stakeholders in decision making and execution. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/13.2.3.1 Stakeholder Engagement Plan/p. 522

Your project team does not understand the fundamentals of project management. You feel this has the potential to harm your project. You decide to put together a half-day training session to teach project management basics. Which of the following have you achieved by having this training?

Develop your project team People - Task 5 - Ensure Team is Trained This is an example of developing your project team because you are enhancing the team's overall competencies and skills. Note that B is incorrect because avoiding a risk means taking it off the table completely, but project failures could still occur notwithstanding the training. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.4 Develop Team/p. 336

In which of the following processes would you implement an approved change request?

Direct and Manage Project Work Process - Task 10 - Manage Changes All approved change requests, which is an output of Perform Integrated Change Control, are implemented in the Direct and Manage Project Work process. The process of Monitor and Control Project Work will ensure that the approved change request have been implemented properly. Answer D is a knowledge area and not a process. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 90.

What is the purpose of a RACI matrix?

Displays the relationship between work packages and team members People - Task 6 - Build a Team RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consult, and Inform. It is used to identify roles, responsibilities and authority on a responsibility assignment matrix (RAM). The purpose of a RACI matrix is to show the relationship between work packages (or activities) and team members. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.1.2.2 Data Representation/Responsibility Assignment Matrix/p. 317

Your company has won a contract to oversee the expansion of a major highway in your area. The project had been discussed for several years, and due to constant changes in the political climate, the controversial project was hard to get off the ground. The project has drawn criticism from nearby residential landowners, environmental groups, and taxpayers who deem it too expensive. Moreover, some environmental studies suggest that the subsurface in some areas may be inadequate to sustain the road, which may result in expensive detours being built around those spots. You are working on your risk management plan. What is the best way to proceed?

Document each category of risk in the Risk Management Plan to help ensure all risks are properly identified Business Environment - Task 3 - Evaluate Scope Changes The Risk Management Plan should contain risk categories, which will help you systematically identify risks as you move through risk planning. A risk breakdown structure may be used to show risk categories, and this would be part of the Risk Management Plan. Remember, since you are working on the Risk Management Plan, you have not yet documented specific risks, as suggested in choice A. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/11.1.3.1 Risk Management Plan/pp. 405-408

A planned task for a project does not get completed due to an issue that appeared three days ago but did not get resolved. The project manager wants to prevent this type of situation in the future. What should the project manager do?

During the retrospective, examine the issue. Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule The retrospective allows issues with the execution approach to be identified and discussed in a timely fashion along with ideas for improvements. Retrospectives are a primary tool to manage project knowledge and develop the team through discussions of what is working well and team-based problem solving. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/6.6 Control Schedule/p. 224; The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.2.1 Retrospectives/pp. 50-51

Which of the following is not a contracting technique an agile coach can utilize to help create a win-win, collaborative relationship with a vendor?

Dynamic cancelation option People - Task 8 - Negotiate Agreements Dynamic cancelation option is not a valid contracting technique. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/6.3 Procurement and Contract/pp. 77-78

Which of the following techniques could you apply, to any project in any industry, as a way of objectively measuring project progress?

Earned value analysis Business Environment - Task 2 - Evaluate/ Deliver Benefits Of these answers, the only technique that allows you to measure performance is answer B. Answer A is a tool and is not able to be used in every project (it is very difficult to use properly in Agile or Scrum projects). Percent complete is a way of giving actuals, and by themselves do not provide a measure of overall project progress. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 261.

For organizations that are new to agile concepts and are working to adopt and utilize them, which of the following would not be a potential roadblock to successfully achieving this?

Employees are specialized contributors. Business Environment - Task 4 - Support Org Change Organizations that have change-friendly characteristics of answers A, C and D will easily support agile principals. While answer B (indicating I-shaped people) may be a concept that we shy away from, it has nothing to do with organizations adopting agile approaches. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/6.1.2 Readiness for Change/pp. 73-74

A customer is contemplating adding new features to the project deliverable. Before a project team member starts working on these new features, what is a mandatory step?

Ensure the change control board (CCB) approves. Process - Task 10 - Manage Changes The change control board (CCB) is a formally chartered group responsible for reviewing, evaluating, approving, deferring, or rejecting changes to the project and for recording and communicating such decisions. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.3.1.3 Approved Change Requests/p. 93

A product passes 96% percent of the functional requirements defined in the scope. A customer is unwilling to accept the product since it did not pass 100%. A project manager is assessing what could have been done differently to avoid this. What should the project manager have done?

Ensured that the quality metrics were defined Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality Quality metrics are a description of a project or product attribute and how to measure it. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/8.1.3.2 Quality Metrics/p. 287

From an organizational perspective, managing project knowledge entails which of the following?

Ensuring the experience, skills and expertise are used before, during and after a project Process - Task 16 - Knowledge Transfer While answers A and B are something we would do with codified explicit knowledge, individually, they alone would not be the only things we would do. Managing project knowledge includes both tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge. Answers A and B would be included in answer C, which is why Answer D is not the best answer. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 100.

A software vendor is behind on a key project deliverable. There is a 21% buffer in the budget for cost overruns. The project manager needs to mitigate the issue. Which action should the project manager take next?

Evaluate alternative software vendors that can help project deliverables despite resource constraints. Process - Task 11 - Manage Procurement The first step is analysis and evaluation of alternate options. After that, specific and appropriate action can be taken. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/12.3 Control Procurements/p. 492

Review the following project characteristics: -The project is in its initiation stage. -Due to lack of funding, the project gets terminated. -The project manager must close the project. What is the first action the project manager should take?

Examine the organization's project closure guidelines. Process - Task 17 - Manage Closure Project closure guidelines or requirements will be contained in the organization's procedures. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/2.3.1 Organizational process Assets/p. 41

A project has the following characteristics: -A functional manager is also a project stakeholder. -The functional manager has time constraints and delegates project responsibilities to someone else on the functional team. -The new stakeholder is not attending meetings. The project manager needs to engage this new stakeholder. What should the project manager do?

Examine the project charter with the new stakeholder and assess their level of engagement. Process - Task 4 - Engage Stakeholders The first version of the stakeholder engagement plan is developed after the initial stakeholder community has been identified by the Identify Stakeholder process. The stakeholder engagement plan is updated regularly to reflect changes to the stakeholder community. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/13.2.3.1 Stakeholder Engagement Plan/p. 522

Jeff is a senior engineer on your project. During a progress review meeting you come across a potentially disastrous risk to your project. Jeff tells the team that he has a fix to avoid the risk and ensure everything goes smoothly. Everyone trusts Jeff's advice, because he has a lot of experience handling these types of technical risks. What kind of power does Jeff have?

Expert People - Task 4 - Empower Team There are 14 types or sources of power. Some of these include formal/legitimate, expert, reward, referent, and punishment/penalty. Jeff derives his power from his vast amount of experience, thus he is using Expert power. Positional (aka Formal /Legitimate) power is derived from your position or title. Referent power is derived from your charisma or how well others like you. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/3.4.4.3 Politics, Power, and Getting Things Done/pp. 62-63

Your organization recently decided to change from a predictive methodology to agile. During a budget meeting, a colleague does not understand why we have to use this new approach and terminology. They state they will continue to use old definitions and terms to maintain clear communication. As a project manager, what should you do?

Explain the new terminology reminds team members to use the new methodology and promotes change Business Environment - Task 4 - Support Org Change When companies do not change their definitions they are more likely to revert to the old ways of doing things. The agile terminology enforces change, but it must be enforced by the leadership. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/Table X2-1 Tailoring Considerations/p. 123

A new product is released. When a customer identifies performance issues with this product, the project manager realizes that cost of quality (COQ) should have been used to estimate this cost. Which category of COQ should the project manager have used?

External failure costs Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality External failure costs are those failures found by the customer. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/8.1.2.3 Data Analysis/Cost of Quality/p. 282

You have two key stakeholders on your project that are always arguing. If one makes a suggestion, the other disagrees even if it's a good idea. Which technique might help them be more receptive to the other person's ideas when the ideas are being reviewed in a group discussion?

Facilitation People - Task 9 - Collaborate with Stakeholders The best way to handle this situation would be to utilize Interpersonal and Team Skills, specifically facilitation. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.1.2.3 Interpersonal and Team Skills/Facilitation/p. 80

The chief financial officer, who happens to be your project sponsor, has just called you into their office to discuss a requested change in your project. After asking you several questions, the project sponsor tells you to implement the change. What is the next thing you should do?

Fill out a change request form and request a signature from the project sponsor. Process - Task 10 - Manage Changes The proper order of tasks for handling change requests begins with documentation of the change request. Even though some changes may be initiated verbally, they should always end up in writing prior to evaluation. This ensures that the evaluation is based on an understanding of what is actually being requested. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 115.

Using of which of the following contract types will cause the seller to have the most risk?

Fixed Price Process - Task 11 - Manage Procurement In a fixed price contract, the seller is obligated to provide the goods and services under the terms and conditions of the contract, for the price and at the time of delivery stated in the contract. In a cost reimbursable contract, the seller is guaranteed at least a recovery of their costs. In a time and materials contract, the seller is guaranteed profit in every hour/day/week billed. In a cost plus a percentage of cost type of contract, the risk for the buyer is higher than for the seller. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 442-443.

What is the term you would use to describe the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the successor activities?

Free float Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule Free float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the earliest start of a successor activity. Total float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the entire project. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/Glossary/Free Float/p. 707

In a strong matrix organization the role of the project manager is best described as?

Full-time People - Task 4 - Empower Team In a balanced matrix, strong matrix, and project-oriented organizational structure, the role of the project manager is full time. According to the PMBOK Guide, in a functional organization, the role of the project manager is part-time and is more like a project coordinator or project expediter. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/2.4.4.2 Factors in Organizational Structure Selection/Table 2-1. Influences of Organizational Structures on Projects/p. 47

The Project Manager has the least amount of authority is which of the following organizational structures?

Functional Process - Task 14 - Establish Governance Of the various types of organizational structures, the PM has the least amount of authority in a functional structure. The PM has the most authority in a projectized environment. Authority is shared between the PM and the functional manager in a balanced matrix. The PM's authority is low in a weak matrix but slightly higher than a PM is a functional structure. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 47.

You are the project manager of a large global project that has team members spread out across several countries in multiple time zones. Several of the team members in India have been complaining about the limited health benefits provided by your company and that they are not able to pay for the care they need, given their lower salaries as compared to project team members in the United States. Lately, they have been somewhat slow to respond to your e-mail requests for status updates and have even missed a few meetings. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for this?

Herzberg's Theory of Motivation People - Task 11 - Virtual Teams Herzberg theorized pay and benefits do not lead to positive satisfaction for the long-term. But if these factors are absent or non-existent at the workplace, then they lead to dissatisfaction. McGregor's Theory-X and Theory-Y theorize that employees inherently dislike work and are self-motivated, respectively. McClelland's Theory of Needs says people are motivated by either 1) achievement, 2) affiliation, or 3) power. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling (2009)/Kerzner/Wiley/5 Management Functions/5.2 Directing/p. 196

You recently took over a team from a project manager who submitted their two week resignation in lieu of being terminated. You notice the team lacks trust and commitment as well as harboring resentment issues. As the project manager, what is the first thing you should do?

Hold a collaboration meeting with the team to discuss the team vision People - Task 12 - Ground Rules The first step is to discuss the team vision and build a consensus with all team members. Once complete, brainstorming the root cause of the issues can proceed. Defining the team vision for the team does not create buy-in, this must be done with the team. Annotating it on the risk register would not be your first step. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9. Project Resource Management/Trends and Emerging Practices/p. 310

A project manager overhears a conversation in a cafeteria. The speaker says that a possible union action will occur within the next two weeks. The project manager knows that any union action will affect the project team and, at this stage of the project, any project delays will cause substantial harm to both budget and schedule. Earlier, the probability of a union action was considered minimal. Thus, it was unanticipated. What should the project manager do?

Inform relevant stakeholders and update the risk register with the new risk. Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks The project manager needs to proactively approach this. By updating the risk register and by communicating this development to the appropriate stakeholders, they will be achieving this. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/11.2.3.1 Risk Register/p. 417

While having lunch with a few friends, some of which are stakeholders in your project when the topic of the agile methodology comes up. One of them states they do not understand this methodology and they prefer the traditional way of doing things and others agree with this sentiment. Your project is using an incremental approach and this will have no impact on it. How should you proceed?

Inform them agile is best used for projects with a high-uncertainty of work People - Task 13 - Mentor Stakeholders Take advantage of this opportunity to mentor them on the benefits of agile and the types of projects that would benefit the most from it. An issue log is a document for ongoing. The agile approach is not limited to software development, but can be used by teachers, doctors, lawyers, and problem solving engineers. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/1.0 Introduction/Agile Based Learning/p. 2

All of the following are Organizational Process Assets except which one?

Information technology software Business Environment - Task 1 - Manage Compliance Organizational Process Assets are process related assets the PM can use to influence the management of the project. They are broken up into two classifications; Processes, Policies and Procedures; and Organizational Knowledge Bases. Information technology software is an internal EEF. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 39-41.

Which of the following is considered a broad class of communications methods?

Interactive Process - Task 2 - Manage Communications Other forms of interactive communications can include teleconferencing, video teleconferencing, instant messaging and face-to-face. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 374.

You are submitting a status report to your external customer. Which communication approach should you use?

Interpersonal communication Process - Task 2 - Manage Communications Interpersonal communication is the best approach offered as answers to this question. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/10.1.2.5 Communication Methods/p. 374

Which of the following documents would you use to record and address obstacles that can block the team from achieving its goals?

Issue log Process - Task 15 - Manage Issues An issue log is a document that is usually created to record track and resolve obstacles and issues that would prevent the team from meeting the project objectives. An issue is defined as something that is not yet settled, or a point or matter over which there are opposing viewpoints or disagreements. A change log is where you would track and report project changes. An assumptions log is used to record the assumptions for the project. A risk register is a document to record possible threats or opportunities that could occur on the project. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 96.

Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the project charter?

It authorizes work to begin on the project Process - Task 9 - Integrate Planning The main purpose of the project charter is to grant formal authority for work to begin on a project. The charter may include some aspects of the other answer choices, but choice B is the best answer. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.1.3.1 Project Charter/p. 81

With regards to monitoring and controlling project work, when does this process begin and end?

It begins when the project charter is signed and ends when the project is formally closed Business Environment - Task 2 - Evaluate/ Deliver Benefits Monitoring and controlling project work begins when the project is formally authorized, which is done through the project charter. It ends when the project is formally closed. Work is still required by the team to formally close out the project, even after the last deliverable is accepted. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 613.

Which of the following is a true statement regarding the schedule management plan?

It can be formal or informal, highly detailed or broad in nature depending on the project and it is a key input to the Define Activities process Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule In the approach from PMI, a schedule management plan will be included in every project, i.e. it must exist. However, it can be formal or informal, broadly framed of highly detailed in nature, depending on the needs of the project. It does not require the input of ALL stakeholders, just the ones who have responsibility for schedule planning and execution, or those that have a high interest in the project. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 181.

Which of the following is a true statement of the critical path?

It is the longest path through the network diagram, that denotes the shortest amount of time to complete the project and will have the least amount of total float Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule The critical path will always be the longest path through the network diagram and can have positive, negative or zero total float. It will also be the path that has the least amount of total float (not the least free float). The perceived importance of the activities themselves do not come into play. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 210.

Which of the following is true about the procurement statement of work?

It outlines the items to be provided via the procurement Process - Task 1 - Deliver Business Value A procurement statement of work (SOW) is a narrative description of the products or services to be delivered by the seller/vendor and is provided to the seller/vendor to aid in deciding if they are capable of providing the goods or services. While an RFQ or an RFP could include an SOW, it would be provided along with it and not as a response. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/12.1.3.4 Procurement Statement of Work/p. 477

Both the project sponsor and project team assure a project manager the new project has a realistic schedule and an adequate budget. The project manager worries that unplanned events could threaten the project's success. How should the project manager respond to this concern?

List and assess any project risks. Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks Project managers need to be proactive and familiarize themselves with the identified risks and their mitigation strategies. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/11.1 Plan Risk Management/p. 401

In terms of quality, which of the following scenarios is considered acceptable?

Low grade, high quality Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality As defined in terms of quality, the most acceptable situation of these answers is C. Answers A and B have low quality in varying degrees of grade. Low quality is always unacceptable. However, a product or service having high quality but low grade is considered acceptable. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 274.

A customer is not satisfied with the delivered product, saying that it was not what they expected. The project manager is surprised, because the agile development team delivered the product several iterations early. What is one way that the project manager could have avoided this result?

Made sure that the customer was aware of the value of demos Process - Task 16 - Knowledge Transfer The customer was not engaged enough in the project. The iteration review is the best mechanism for the team to demonstrate working software and for the customer to give feedback to ensure that their expectations are met. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/13.3 Manage Stakeholder Engagement/p. 524. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.2.5 Demonstrations and Reviews/p. 55

Which of the following is included in the total project budget but is not included in the cost performance baseline?

Management reserves Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources Contingency reserves are included in the cost baseline and are for identified risks. Work package estimates are included in cost baseline and the total project budget. Control accounts are management control points used for measuring project performance. Management reserves are for the unanticipated or unforeseen risks and are not included in the cost baseline, but they are added in the total allowable amount for the project (the total project budget). PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 248.

You are managing a large software project for a bank and are about 50% done with the work when a new stakeholder is identified. It turns out the stakeholder will be highly impacted by the new software project. You have a tight deadline and the requirements are already firmly set. What should you do?

Meet with the stakeholder to gather her requirements People - Task 9 - Collaborate with Stakeholders The correct course of action would be to meet with the stakeholder and document her requirements. If time permits and the change is approved, you may still be able to incorporate her requirements. At the very least, you have engaged the stakeholder and attempted to satisfy her needs. Simply informing the stakeholder of your project and not gathering her requirements, as suggested in choice B, would not be appropriate either. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/13.0 Project Stakeholder Management/Key Concepts for Project Stakeholder Management/pp. 504-505

What is the agile coach doing when they discuss their past agile experiences with a new team member?

Mentoring People - Task 13 - Mentor Stakeholders Mentoring involves the transfer of knowledge to advise, counsel, or guide individuals. Coaching, on the other hand, is aimed at improving team performance. Primarily, this is done by helping (through facilitation) an individual or team develop their own creative solutions to solve problems or capitalize on opportunities. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/Table 5-1. Agile Pain Points and Troubleshooting Possibilities/Teams Struggles with Obstacles/p. 58

The Estimate Activity Resources process is closely coordinated with the Estimate Costs process for which of the following reasons?

Most of the project costs are a direct result of the resources used in a project Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources When looking at the source of project costs, most all costs come from resources utilized to get the project completed. Coordinating these two processes allows the PM to see if the planned project will fit into any cost constraints the project may have. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 322.

Your project has a vendor that is under a firm fixed price contract and the seller has filed a claim. Which of the following is the preferred method of settling this dispute?

Negotiation Business Environment - Task 3 - Evaluate Scope Changes Negotiation is the preferred method for settlement of all claims and disputes in a contract. Litigation is usually considered as a last resort due to the expense. Mediation and arbitration are also options that the parties have if these are expressed as acceptable methods of dispute resolution, but these are also secondary to the preferred method of negotiation. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 498.

Which of the following eXtreme programming (XP) practices best assists with changes affecting project scope?

On-site customer Business Environment - Task 3 - Evaluate Scope Changes The on-site customer practice includes embedding a customer (or customer representative) into the team itself. Therefore, if external circumstances, (market conditions, competition, financial considerations, etc...) present themselves, the agile team can act quickly and decisively. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/A3.3 Extreme Programming/Table A3-2. The Practices of eXtreme Programming/Organizational/p. 102

You are managing a project to build a bridge across the bay. The previous project had cost overruns because the project team underestimated the winds and harsh weather conditions on the bay. From which of the following should you derive this historical information?

Organizational process assets (OPA) Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources The lessons learned documentation from the prior project is part of the organizational process assets (OPA). The national weather service does have a historical database, but the question is asking about previous projects. Project management software is a tool that can be part of the project management information system (PMIS). Enterprise environmental factors (EEF) are the factors surrounding your workplace and are usually intangible, which the windy conditions are an example. However, the information documenting this is part of your OPA. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/2.3 Organizational Process Assets/pp. 39-41

Which of the following should be done during the Develop Project Charter process?

Perform a benefit analysis to validate project alignment with the organization's strategy and ensure the expected business value is doable Process - Task 9 - Integrate Planning A is done in the Identify Risks and Plan Risk Responses processes, although some risks could have been identified during the develop project charter process. B is the Create work breakdown structure (WBS) and Define Activities processes. D is the Identify Stakeholders and Plan Stakeholder Engagement processes. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/3.4.3 Strategic and Business Management Skills/pp. 58-60

Regarding change, the project manager's attention is best spent doing which of the following?

Preventing unnecessary changes Process - Task 10 - Manage Changes As a project manager you should try to be proactive and prevent changes as much as possible. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/8.0 Project Quality Management/Key Concepts for Project Quality Management/p. 274; Managing Change in Organizations (2013) PMI/PMI/5.3.2.1 Define the Change Approach/pp. 76-79

A project manager realizes that stakeholder interests will conflict on a project and decides to utilize a stakeholder engagement assessment matrix. The matrix pinpoints an influential stakeholder who is resistant to the project. The project manager needs to align this stakeholder's expectations. What should the project manager do to accomplish this goal?

Produce a stakeholder engagement plan. Process - Task 4 - Engage Stakeholders Plan stakeholder engagement is the process of developing approaches to involve project stakeholders based on their needs, expectations, interests, and potential impact on the project. The key benefit is that it provides an actionable plan to interact effectively with stakeholders. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/13.2 Plan Stakeholder Engagement/p. 516

Product scope is measured by which of the following and where will these elements used for this measurement be listed, respectively?

Product Requirements, Requirements Documentation Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope Project scope is measured by the project management plan. Product scope on the other hand is measured against the product requirements which will be listed in the requirements documentation. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition Page 131.

Which of the following statements is true regarding risk management?

Project risks are uncertain events Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks Risks are always uncertain events and need to be considered whether they are positive or negative. Even risks that involve perceived rewards should be analyzed. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/Glossary/Definitions/p. 720

The project manager may call on which of the following individuals to assist in managing difficult stakeholders as needed?

Project sponsor Process - Task 14 - Establish Governance Typically, when a project manager requires assistance in managing various stakeholders, the project sponsor may be asked to assist. Project managers generally have little authority beyond the project, so a project sponsor can help because they usually have more authority than the project manager. While answer B may actually be the project sponsor, not all senior executives are a project sponsor. An assistant project manager and team members have less authority than the project manager. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 55.

Which of the following would not typically be included in a team charter for an agile project?

Project vision People - Task 12 - Ground Rules The project vision is typically included in the project charter - not the social contract for the agile team (team charter). The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.1 Charter the Project and the Team/pp. 49-50

A medium-sized company is expanding into a new market. However, the company does not have previous experience in that market. A project manager needs to collect requirements. Which tool or technique should the project manager use?

Prototypes Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope Prototyping is a method of obtaining early feedback on requirements by providing a model of the expected product before actually building it. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/5.2.2.8 Prototypes/p. 147

A project manager joins a project that has the following features: -Globally distributed team -Budget that is fixed -Very tight deadlines During planning, what should the project manager do to avoid any scope creep and keep the team focused on delivering a product that meets requirements?

Put any changes to scope through the formal approval process. Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope Scope creep can be avoided by adherence to the agreed upon change management process. Project Manager's Portable Handbook, 3rd Ed (2010), 6 Project / 6.4.2 Getting Started

In your project for the design and development of a new, ultra high speed hard drive, the team has defined certain information for the quality control department to use as a quality control check. The quality control department will check the data access time of each hard drive. In order to pass the quality test each drive must transfer 1 GB of data in 500 ms (plus or minus 100 ms). Which of the following terms best describes this information?

Quality metric Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality The question is describing a quality metric which is defined as a product or project attribute that is described in detail and usually is accompanied with an associated tolerance limit. A quality checklist is merely a document that insurers that all steps have been performed. Control limits describe whether or not a process is in or out of control. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 287.

After six iterations, significant variations have occurred to the project scope and schedule. These are due to the customer's technology regulations and security policies, which are regularly reviewed. The project manager wants to suggest a new approach to the next iteration to avoid possible delays. What should the project manager do first?

Rank the importance of each improvement item, then implement actions identified during the last retrospective. Process - Task 16 - Knowledge Transfer The retrospective is used to review lessons learned and suggest corrective actions for the next iterations. Essential Scrum - A Practical Guide to the Most Popular Agile Process (2012), Chapter 22. Sprint Retrospective /Overview. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.2.1. Retrospectives/pp. 50-51

Which of the following is considered a tool that can be utilized to create a virtual team workspace?

Remote pairing People - Task 11 - Virtual Teams Remote pairing utilizes virtual conferencing tools to share screens, including voice and video links. While not as effective as a face-to-face conversation, remote pairing can vastly improve communications and team cohesion for virtual teams. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.3.6 Team Workspace/p. 46

Which of the following is a key servant leadership characteristic that would help an agile coach lead a team?

Removing impediments for the team People - Task 2 - Lead a Team Servant leadership is an essential part of agile. As an agile coach, removing impediments faced by your team members is a crucial part of your job. Removing impediments is a key characteristic of servant leadership. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.2.1 Servant Leader Responsibilities/pp. 34-37

Your team is on sprint four (4) of an estimated ten (10) sprints for the creation of a sports game for a major corporation. A stakeholder has been holding on to information that is required to complete each sprint and it is starting to delay the progress of work and completion of sprints. As the product owner, how should you proceed?

Report the issue to the team facilitator and have them speak with the stakeholder People - Task 7 - Remove Obstacles The product owner is responsible for guiding the direction of the product and managing the backlog. The team facilitator is responsible for removing impediments for team members. The team facilitator is also known as scrum master, project team lead, team coach, and project manager. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/Table 4-2. Agile Team Roles/p. 41

All of the following are elements of the requirements management plan except which one?

Requirements of the project Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope The Requirements Management Plan is an element of the Project Management Plan and is a how to plan. It tells the team members how they will collect, record, organize, prioritize, track, change and manage requirements. It will not have any project specific requirements, these will be listed in the project document known as the Requirements Documentation. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 137.

Which of the following would be considered an Enterprise Environmental Factor?

Resource availability Business Environment - Task 1 - Manage Compliance Page 38 and 39 of the PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, lists the Enterprise Environmental Factors. They are broken down into two categories, internal and external.

You're the project manager for a construction project. The project team identified a rainstorm as a possible risk. When the prediction of an approaching storm was announced the response plan was implemented, which included having sandbags on hand to reduce the impact of flooding on the site. Halfway through preparations to respond to this risk the project manager is informed that not enough sandbags were ordered. Who is the person informing the project manager of this?

Risk Owner Process - Task 15 - Manage Issues The risk owner is responsible for planning a response plan, ensuring the plan is implemented when needed, and taking any corrective actions needed to handle the risk during implementation of the plan. Answers B, C and D are distractor answers. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 421.

The process of Identify Risk will result in which of the following?

Risk Register Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks The process of Identify Risk will result in the creation of the Risk Register, which is the document that will list all possible threats and opportunities that could occur during the project. The risk management plan is an outcome of plan risk management and it will possibly include the risk breakdown structure. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 417.

Organizations and individuals have a specific view of risk. This viewpoint may be influenced by a number of factors. Collectively, these factors make up which of the following?

Risk appetite Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks Individuals and organizations view risks differently. This viewpoint is called a risk appetite and can be influenced by their ability to tolerate risk in anticipation of a reward. Answer A describes how risk management will be performed on the project. Answer B is the outcome of a risk. Answer C is a non-PMI term used to describe the outlook of the individual on risk. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 720.

As the project manager you have decided to separate the sources of risk by phase and by the WBS. Using this technique you will find the riskiest areas of the project. Which of the following best describes the technique employed?

Risk categorization Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks Risk categorization is a technique used to classify risk and can be done through various methods, such as a sample list of risk categories, or it could be done by phase, by the WBS, or by a formal risk breakdown structure. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 405.

You are managing a project which is wrapping up. One of your team members, Luke, comes to you to voice some frustrations about his role in the project. He feels that his job on the project was never clearly established, and that he was never provided with any concrete goals. If this is true, you may have done a poor job with which of the following?

Roles and Responsibilities People - Task 6 - Build a Team Roles and responsibilities are a component of the resource management plan. The question suggests poor planning was done for project resources. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.1.3.1 Resource Management Plan/Roles and Responsibilities/pp. 318-319

Planning work that will occur sooner at a detailed level, and planning work that will occur later in the project at a higher level, is best described as which of the following?

Rolling Wave Planning Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule Rolling wave planning is an iterative technique used to plan the nearer term activities at a more detailed level than those happening later in the project. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 185.

Which earned value measurements can easily be translated to agile?

SPI and CPI Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources Schedule performance index (SPI) is the project's schedule efficiency and Cost performance index (CPI) is the project's cost or spending efficiency rating can both be easily adapted into agile. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.4.1 Agile Teams Measure Results/p. 69

A customer indicates that they would like to add functionality. Although this request is made during the execution stage of the project, the project manager finds that the cost for the addition would be small. The additional functionality, if successful, would increase the opportunity for profit. What should the project manager do next?

Schedule a meeting with the company's management team, and present the customer's request for additional functionality as a good opportunity. Process - Task 1 - Deliver Business Value By building a small increment and then testing and reviewing it, the team can add value in terms of new functionalities or additional awarded projects. An important factor for a successful implementation and value capture is the response time of the team. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/1.2.4.1 Project and Development Life Cycles/p. 19

What is the best style of leadership for an agile team?

Servant leadership People - Task 2 - Lead a Team Agile teams thrive with servant leadership. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.3.1 Agile Teams/p. 39

You are managing a project that will produce the next new supercomputer. As each new unit is produced your team is taking measurements and recording them in a control chart. Which of the following results should you be least concerned with?

Several data points falling well above and below the mean, but within the control limits Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality Choice D is describing a random pattern of measurements that fall on either side of the mean. This is not a cause for concern to the project manager. Choice B, where 7 points fall consecutively on one side of the mean, should be of concern since this means your process is out of control. Choices A and C are both problems as well, since both represent data points that fall outside the control limits (meaning the process is out of control). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling (2009)/Kerzner/Wiley/20 Quality Management/Control Chart Interpretation/p. 907

Two team members are having trouble getting along. They have attempted to resolve their differences between themselves with no lasting outcome. As project manager you have a discussion with them to identify the root cause. After much discussion, you decide that the best way to take care of the situation is to have both team members go play a round of golf, which they both enjoy. What conflict resolution technique have you employed?

Smooth/Accommodate People - Task 1 - Manage Conflict In this situation the project manager is using smoothing or accommodating, which means they are de-emphasizing the areas of disagreement and emphasizing the areas of agreement or commonality. Compromising is when both parties give something up to reach an agreement. Forcing or directing his when one party forces their desire or wish upon someone else. Collaborating or problem-solving is when the conflict is treated as a problem, and possible solutions are discussed. A single solution is chosen and implemented. Then a review will occur to see if that solution corrected the problem. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 349.

Two of your team members are arguing over a technical issue on your project. You suggest that they put their differences aside and offer to take them both to lunch. Which conflict resolution technique did you use?

Smoothing People - Task 1 - Manage Conflict This is an example of smoothing, which occurs when you try to gloss over the issue or change the subject. As a good project manager this is not your best option, because the problem still exists and will likely come up again. The better option would have been to collaborate, which would involve sitting down, discussing options, and trying to solve the problem. Withdrawal is where one party shuts down or walks away from the conversation. Compromise is where both parties give something up and meet in the middle. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.5.2.1 Interpersonal and Team Skills/Conflict Management/pp. 348-349

Which of the following best describes your ability to understand and/or perceive the emotions of others?

Social awareness People - Task 14 - Emotional Intelligence Social awareness is one of four emotional intelligence components (self awareness, self management, social awareness, and relationship management). Social awareness is a person's ability to understand and/or perceive what others are feeling or thinking. This is performed by observing and listening to those around you. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.5.2.1 Interpersonal and Team Skills/Emotional Intelligence/p. 349

Team performance can be enhanced when agile practitioners apply emotional intelligence. Which of the following is not a component of emotional intelligence?

Social evaluation People - Task 14 - Emotional Intelligence Emotional intelligence is comprised of four components; (1) self-awareness; (2) self-management (3) social-awareness; and (4) relationship management. Emotional intelligence is a social skill used to improve self and team performance. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9 Project Resource Management/Trends and Emerging Practices in Project Resource Management/Emotional Intelligence/p. 310

You are the project manager for a project with 200 stakeholders. The team identified five individuals as key stakeholders. You are developing the stakeholder engagement plan, which is an actionable blueprint of how to interact with the stakeholders to support the project objectives. You will base the actions taken on an analysis of key stakeholder needs, their level of interest and their potential impact on project success. Where will you find this information to analyze?

Stakeholder register Process - Task 4 - Engage Stakeholders During the identify stakeholders process, the team performs a stakeholder analysis to identify those stakeholders whose interests could impact the project. This includes an identification of their needs, their level of interest on the project, and the likely impact they may have on project success. All this information is placed in the stakeholder register. While the project charter made list key stakeholders, it will not list this information on each stakeholder. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 514.

Which of the following is not an example of collaboration within an agile team?

Storming People - Task 1 - Manage Conflict Storming is a stage in the Tuckman model. The others are all part of a collaborative, agile team. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.3.1 Agile Teams/p. 39

A story point is best defined as which of the following?

Story points are a measurement of capacity Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule Story points are a unit-less measure used in relative user story estimation techniques typically used to measure capacity or effort. They are not time or cost. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.4.1 Agile Teams Measure Results/pp. 61-64

What is the social contract that outlines group norms, ground rules, and team values?

Team charter People - Task 12 - Ground Rules The team charter is a social contract between project team members that outlines, among other things, team values, working agreements, ground rules, group norms, etc. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.1 Charter the Project and the Team/pp. 49-50

A common problem in risk management is:

Teams do not take action to manage risk Process - Task 11 - Manage Procurement Teams spend effort in identifying, analyzing, planning responses and documenting the agreed-upon plans, but do not take actions to manage risk. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 450.

When estimating the amount of time each activity will take, which of the following statements are true?

The estimates will be based on the number of resources available, the amount of work effort estimated, and will usually be expressed as working days or weeks Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule Duration is defined as the total number of working periods, not including weekends or other non-working times. It is not expressed as elapsed time such as a standard calendar day or week. When performing this process, the project calendar could be used and it will state which times are available for work. The project deadline, overall risks, or limited budget may come into play when developing the entire project schedule or the overall budget, but these have no bearing on estimating individual activity durations. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 197.

What is a primary benefit of the sprint review meeting?

The evaluation and delivery of project value Business Environment - Task 2 - Evaluate/ Deliver Benefits The sprint review meeting focuses on demonstrating and delivering working software from the prior sprint that meets the acceptance criteria defined by the product owner. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.2.5 Demonstrations/Reviews/p. 55

The project management plan may be changed without a change request only under which of the following circumstances?

The plan has been written but not approved by the sponsor Process - Task 9 - Integrate Planning The only time the project management plan (or any element within the plan) may be changed without a change request is when it has yet been approved. The plan will not be written without team member input. Once the plan has been approved, the only way to change it is with a change request handled through the process of Perform Integrated Change Control. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 83.

Which of the following documents authorizes work to begin on the project?

The project charter Process - Task 13 - Determine Methodology The project charter is the authorizing document that allows work to begin on a project. According to PMI, the project management work (i.e. the planning and estimating, developing the Project Management Plan and other work to be performed by the PM is considered part of the work in a project.) PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition Page 81.

A large project includes functional groups in four countries. It is close to completion, so the project manager must prepare the closeout documents. How should the project manager obtain appropriate sign-off on the acceptance of project deliverables?

The project sponsor should be asked to sign off. Process - Task 14 - Establish Governance Since the sponsor provided the resources for the project, it is their responsibility to officially sign off on the project deliverables. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.7.1.4 Accepted Deliverables/p. 124

When considering influences that could have an impact on cost management which of the following would you be the least concerned about?

The proposed budget Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources The project team should be concerned with organizational financial procedures and controls (classified as OPA and given in answer A) and EEFs (answers B and D) when determining what to put into the cost management plan. The proposed budget is not the same thing as preapproved financial resources. The preapproved financial resources would be considered a constraint of the project. The proposed budget of the project is developed after estimating costs and would be the last thing the team would be concerned about. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 236 and 237.

Ground rules should be set by which of the following?

The team People - Task 12 - Ground Rules Ground rules are the guidelines that the team should follow during the project. While some think that the project manager should dictate the ground rules to the team, it is considered a best practice to have the whole team, as a unit, to discuss and set the rules or guidelines that will dictate behavior. The benefit received by having the team set the rules is the team will become self-governing because they have ownership and buy-in. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 320.

Grace is a project manager for Cosmic Systems. When Grace is out of the office she doesn't trust her employees to get work done and when she is in the office, she is always looking over their shoulders. What type of manager is Grace?

Theory X People - Task 2 - Lead a Team Theory X managers believe that workers are lazy and don't naturally want to work and thus must be watched constantly. Theory Y managers believe that workers naturally work hard and thus can be left alone to do their jobs. While choice A may be true, it's not a PMBOK Guide definition and we'll leave it to the medical professionals to make that diagnosis. Project Manager's Portable Handbook, 3rd Ed (2010)/5 Project Leadership /5.7 Motivating the Project Team /5.7.2 Maslow /Douglas McGregor

While communicating an issue with the project with one of the stakeholders, they begin crossing their arms and becoming very defensive with you. You require their support on this project and they are known to be passive aggressive. How should you proceed?

They think you are blaming them for the issue and you should adjust your approach immediately and focus on how much they have done for the project People - Task 14 - Emotional Intelligence Their body language changed during the conversation, this implies something stated began to bother the stakeholder. By focusing on the good things they have done it will make it easier to listen to how they can improve. Documenting it on the lessons learned register will not solve the issue currently at hand. Changing the topic will not solve the current issue and the issue still was not addressed. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/10.2.2.3 Communications Skills/Non-Verbal/p. 384

You just completed your weekly project status meeting. In this meeting, you received information from the team regarding actual engagement levels of stakeholders. One of your key stakeholders has ceased supporting the project and is calling for its termination. Which of the following is a true statement about this information?

This information should be analyzed then placed into a report for the project sponsor to gain a clear understanding of the impact Process - Task 2 - Manage Communications The actual engagement level of stakeholders is considered work performance data and is of little value to the project sponsor. When it is compared to the desired levels of engagement, this analysis will help the sponsor understand what the impact could be. Simply because a project sponsor attends a meeting, does not necessarily mean they know what the impact would be. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 535.

As the new project manager for the Better Beach Bicycle Company, you and the project team are reviewing the work breakdown structure (WBS) which was created by the previous project team. After the project was postponed indefinitely, the previous project manager and project team were released. You notice that the lowest level nodes of the work breakdown structure (WBS) do not include a list of activities. Which of the following is true?

This is OK since the lowest level of the work breakdown structure (WBS) should be the work package level. Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a hierarchical decomposition down to the work package level. A work breakdown structure (WBS) never includes resources or activities lists. Rolling-wave planning can be done after completing the work breakdown structure (WBS) but is not necessarily used to create one. There is also no indication in the question that the previous team used rolling-wave planning. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/5.4 Create WBS/p. 157

You know a small portion of your project work will have to be performed by contract workers from an external organization, however, you cannot currently create a precise statement of work for this procurement. Which type of contract would be best suited for this situation?

Time and Materials (T&M) Process - Task 1 - Deliver Business Value Time and materials (T&M) contracts are best used in cases where precise statements of work cannot be readily prescribed. They are most commonly used for staff augmentation, as indicated in the facts of this question. You should consider using a not-to-exceed clause to help prevent runaway costs when using this contract type. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/12.1.1.6 Organizational Process Assets/Contract Types/Time and Materials/p. 472

What is the primary purpose of the validate scope process?

To gain formal acceptance of the deliverables from the customer or sponsor Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope The validate scope process requires a review of the deliverables with the customer sponsor to ensure that the deliverables have been completed satisfactorily and formal acceptance is given. The control quality process is where are all product testing is done to ensure that the quality requirements have been met. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 164.

Your company recently partnered with an overseas organization that specializes in wireless nanobots that are used to detect tumors during surgery. Report deadlines are constantly missed due to the difference in time zones. They claim to lose a day of work weekly due to the reporting dates documented in the communication management plan. As a project manager, what is the best solution for this?

Update the communications management plan to reflect a time zone that favors both organizations People - Task 11 - Virtual Teams Time zones are a consistent problem with virtual teams. Establishing a time zone that works in favor of both teams is the best approach. Terminating the agreement will cause the company to lose all of the benefits it gained. They already know what is contained in the plan and that is the cause of the issue. Documenting it in the issue log is too late and will not fix the issue. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.0 Project resource Management/Trends and Emerging Practices in Project Resource Management/Virtual Teams/Distributed Teams/p. 311

You are the project manager for a major construction project. You have just completed a walk through with the construction superintendent, when they tell you that one of the critical path activities will be two weeks late. Upon further discussion you find out the underlying reason for this. What tool and technique are you using?

Variance Analysis Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule When controlling scope of the project, the project manager should be concerned with both product and project scope. Variance analysis is a technique used to determine the cause and the degree of the variance relative to the baseline. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 170.

What can be used to improve the accuracy and reliability of release planning?

Velocity Process - Task 17 - Manage Closure By understanding a teams current velocity (the number of story points a team can finish per sprint based on past performance) and knowing the remaining story points required for the release, a release date can be forecasted more accurately. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.4.1 Agile Teams Measure Results/pp. 61-64

Which of the following items organizes and defines the total scope of the project and depicts the work specified in the currently approved version of the project scope statement?

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is the document that shows the deliverables and work as defined in the currently approved version of the Project Scope Statement. The Project Statement of Work is a document that describes the business need, contains a high-level scope description, and the overall organizational strategic plan. A PBS is only used on projects that produce a tangible product and only includes a breakdown of the components of the product; in other words it does not include the work required to deliver the product. PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, Page 157.

During a challenging shareholder meeting, the customer indicates that they will reject an iteration's deliverable. What should the project manager do?

Work with stakeholders to create a shared approach that will address the issues of concern. Process - Task 16 - Knowledge Transfer Before initiating any action the project manager should work with the team to identify the root cause of the problem and build an approach to conduct the project for the next iterations. As a hybrid approach a retrospective ceremonial can be a good option to solve this situation. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/Part 2. The Standard for Project Management/5.1 Monitor and Control Project Work/p. 615

In agile, what is the primary value of the agile coach?

Work with the agile team to improve performance People - Task 3 - Support Team Performance The value of project managers is not their position, but their ability to make everyone else better. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.2.2 Role of the Project manager in an Agile Environment/p. 37

The procurement department has been negotiating the terms of a new contract with a customer who is unsure of what the final product should look like. They only know what the product should do once complete. The procurement department is having difficulty choosing between a fixed price contract or a cost reimbursable contract and they decide to call you, the project manager, in to assist with negotiations. As the project manager, how should you proceed?

Work with the customer to determine the objectives and clarify requirements People - Task 8 - Negotiate Agreements Customer collaboration over contract negotiation is the preferred method. Since you have a procurement department, the project manager's role is to provide information about the aspects of the project itself, but they do not conduct contract negotiation. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/2.2 The Agile Manifesto and Mindset/Figure 2-2 The Four Values of the Agile Manifesto/p. 8

Your company is new to agile concepts, and all people involved with projects have recently completed agile training. You have just been assigned as a project manager for your first agile project to develop a web front end for internal employees to register for health insurance and other benefits for the upcoming calendar year, with an expected delivery of 3 weeks. The project life cycle methodologies that are currently available are all based on a predictive/waterfall approach. What is the best course of action?

Work with the project management office to develop a new or streamline an existing methodology that will work for the project People - Task 7 - Remove Obstacles This is the hallmark of servant leadership. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.2.1 Servant Leader Responsibilities/p. 34

While reviewing the issues log, the project manager notices that tasks assigned to two team members are quite a bit behind schedule. What should be done?

Work with the relevant team members to review the delayed tasks and decide on strategies for resolution. Process - Task 2 - Manage Communications The project manager needs to be proactive and review the activities with the team and to identify resolution strategies. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/3.4.4.2 Qualities and Skills of a Leader/p. 61

You are the project manager of a project whose stakeholders are risk averse and cost sensitive. During the decomposition of the work breakdown structure (WBS) into activities, you identify a work package that would benefit from using a subcontractor to perform it. Which of the following statements describes the most likely reason for this?

Your team is not very experienced with this specific type of work and it would be less expensive to use a subcontractor to accomplish the work. People - Task 5 - Ensure Team is Trained Because the stakeholders are both risk adverse and cost sensitive, B would be the best choice since it reduces both risk and cost. Remember you must choose the best answer, and that will always be the one that most closely aligns with all the facts provided. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/Part 2. The Standard for Project Management/1.7 Role of the Project Manager/p. 552

A project manager is uncertain about the duration of a new product development project and consults several groups of subject matter experts (SMEs). They advise that the fastest development could possibly be finished is in 8 days. However, they have also identified some risks that could make the duration up to 32 days. Realistically, using standard development methods, the project should take 14 days. The team agrees that this final estimate is the most likely to occur and should be weighted accordingly. What is the estimated development duration for the new product?

16 Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources Using the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) method of three-point estimating, the formula is (Optimistic + (4 X Most Likely) + Pessimistic)/6 = (8 + (4*14) + 32)/6 = 16 days. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/7.2.2.5 Three-Point Estimating/p. 245

A company has a goal of increasing customer satisfaction within 4 months. A project is initiated to meet this goal. The project manager needs to identify best practices. What should the project manager utilize to accomplish this?

Benchmarking Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality Benchmarking involves comparing actual or planned products, processes, and practices to those of comparable organizations to identify best practices, generate ideas for improvement, and provide a basis for measuring performance. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/8.1.2.2 Data Gathering/Benchmarking/p. 281

You have just been identified as the project manager for a new project within your organization. You have a team with varying experiences and is also riddled with conflict. As the project manager, how should you proceed?

Determine the best approach and have the team create a team charter People - Task 2 - Lead a Team The team charter is created with the team and never for the team. As a new project manager, this is a good way to include the team in the process and will also serve as a team-building event. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.1.3.2 Team Charter/p. 319

A previously identified technical issue has been resolved and the project is moving forward. The project manager has been warned that the same issue will probably arise on similar projects in the future. What should be done first when responding to this warning?

Ensure that the issue log is updated. Process - Task 15 - Manage Issues The issue log will help the project manager effectively track and manage issues, ensuring that they are investigated and resolved. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4. Project Integration Management /4.3.3.3 Issue Log/p. 96

A project is completed, but the project manager and project team members are being asked to do the following: Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues, evaluate new requirements, make minor adjustments. The project manager needs to ensure that the product developed by the project now has operational support. What should the project manager do?

Execute the project hand-off. Process - Task 17 - Manage Closure At project close, the final product, service, or result can be transitioned to a production support team. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.7.3.2 Final Product, Service or Result Transition/p. 127

A project team has set up an unofficial online communications platform to enhance communication. The project manager was not aware that this platform existed until recently, after learning that it was being used inappropriately. Which action should the project manager take?

Have the project team stop using the platform, and then review the communications management plan. Process - Task 2 - Manage Communications Since this platform was not part of the original communications plan, it should not be used. The project manager needs to refer the team members back to the approved project communications plan. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/10.1.3.1 Communications Management Plan/p. 377

When protecting one's own group becomes a primary focus, what level of conflict do you need to navigate through?

Level 4 - Crusade People - Task 1 - Manage Conflict When conflict is considered level 4 (crusade), the focus is no longer on resolving the issue. Instead, the parties involved take sides and are focused on protecting their group. Coaching Agile Teams (2010)Addison-Wesley Signature Series/Cohn/Figure 9-1

McClelland's Theory of Needs states that people fit into categories and are motivated by three types of needs. Managers should determine which of the 3 categories an employee fits into and manage them accordingly. Which of the following is not one of McClelland's 3 needs?

Money People - Task 3 - Support Team Performance McClelland's Theory of Needs states that people are either motivated by power, affiliation, or achievement. Managers should determine which category an employee falls into and manage them accordingly. People Skills for Project Managers (2001) Management Concepts/Flannes & Levin/4 Motivating Team Members/Achievement Needs Theory/pp. 144-145

Where are requirements captured and documented in agile projects?

Product backlog Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope A product backlog contains all requirements in the form of user stories. A sprint backlog is a refinement of the collection of user stories selected for a specific iteration or sprint. Scope statement and requirements traceability matrix are more suitable for predictive projects. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/5 Project Scope Management/Key Concepts/p. 131; Considerations for Agile and Adaptive Environments/p. 133

Who is responsible for orchestrating and integrating all planning activities for an agile project?

Project team Process - Task 9 - Integrate Planning Agile teams are self managing, and thus make all planning decisions. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4. Project Integration Management/Considerations for Agile and Adaptive Environments/p. 74

In which meeting(s) would issues be typically reviewed?

Retrospectives and daily stand-ups Process - Task 15 - Manage Issues Project issues are reviewed during retrospectives and daily stand-up meetings. Issues in agile, like in any other project, need to be tracked and dealt with as soon as possible. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.2.1 Retrospectives/pp. 50-51; 5.2.4 Daily Standups/p. 53

You are called to a bidder conference to bid on part of a telecommunications project. Your job as project manager will be to manage the hardware installation piece of the project. At the conference, you see a former colleague that is bidding on the wiring part of the job. You know that the integration between the wiring and the hardware can be a bit tricky and all firms competing for these two pieces of work will have to pad their bids due to the increased risk. You decide to work with your former colleague and submit one combined bid that is lower than others. This is an example of what type of risk response strategy?

Sharing Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks This is an example of sharing. The new job you are bidding on is an opportunity. You decide to share the opportunity with your former colleague's company to ensure you get the work. Both companies will benefit from getting the job. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/11.5.2.5 Strategies for Opportunities/p. 444

Which of Maslow's hierarchy of needs involves the need for friends, family and affiliation? Also, what is the level just below that?

Social, Safety People - Task 3 - Support Team Performance The rung on Maslow's pyramid that is marked by an individual's need for friends, family, and affiliation is the Social level. The level just below that is Safety. The five levels in order from bottom to top are physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization. Project Manager's Portable Handbook, 3rd Ed (2010) /5. Project Leadership /5.7 Motivating the Project Team /5.7.2 Maslow /Figure 5-8. Maslow's Order of Priority of Human Needs

When an organization is considering which project life cycle methodology is appropriate to use for a given project, a suitability filter spider web diagram or model is useful. Which of the following factors is not considered when using this type of model?

Sponsorship Process - Task 14 - Establish Governance The three broad factors include culture, project and team. Trust is one of the factors under culture, criticality is under project, and team size is under team. Sponsorship is important for supporting organizational change, but it is not part of the model. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/Figure X3-1. Model for Suitability Approach/p. 127

Which of the following would be the team facilitator's least concern when building an agile team?

The level and amount of agile experience People - Task 11 - Virtual Teams The level and amount of agile experience is not something a team facilitator would concern themselves over the other three answers. Successful agile teams have dedicated personnel, are made up of a team of generalists and specialists, should be colocated for better knowledge sharing and improved team dynamics, and should have a stable work environment. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/Table 4-1 Attributes of Successful Agile Teams/p. 40

A project manager is creating an agenda and presentation materials for a kick-off meeting that will involve stakeholders across multiple geographic regions who will be working on a global project. How can the project manager work to ensure that the stakeholders are engaged?

Verify that all required participants or their delegates will be available to attend. Process - Task 2 - Manage Communications None of the other options are viable without ensuring that all stakeholders are attending the project kick off meeting. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/13.3 Manage Stakeholder Engagement/p. 524

During user testing, a client agrees to the final product. One day later the client indicates that the final product may not be acceptable. What should be the first step taken by the project manager for resolving this issue?

Consult the project's acceptance criteria. Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope The definition of acceptance criteria may significantly increase or decrease quality costs and, therefore, project costs. Satisfying all acceptance criteria implies the needs of the stakeholders have been met. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/5.3.3.1 Project Scope Statement/p. 154

A project is in the development stage. During this stage, there will be sensitive client data to handle. The compliance manager raises an issue of project non-compliance. What is the first document the project manager should review?

Issue log Process - Task 15 - Manage Issues After a new issue is raised, the issue log should be reviewed prior to taking action. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.3.3.3 Issue Log/p. 96

What is the main purpose of the work breakdown structure (WBS) dictionary?

It contains additional information about each work breakdown structure (WBS) component Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope The main purpose of the work breakdown structure (WBS) dictionary is to store additional information about each work breakdown structure (WBS) component. This can include things like work package name, ID, responsible organization, schedule milestones, quality requirements, cost estimates, required resources, code of accounts identifier, etc. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/5.4.3.1 Scope Baseline/WBS Dictionary/p. 162

As an agile coach, what would you not do to improve team empowerment?

Make overarching project decisions based on team input People - Task 4 - Empower Team As an agile coach, you do not make decisions for the team. Decisions are obtained from the self-directed agile team. As an agile coach, to improve team empowerment, you would mentor team members, encourage them to take responsibility for the work to be performed, and utilize coaching opportunities to improve team performance. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.2 Servant Leadership Empowers the Team/p. 33

Which of the following is not considered a servant leader's responsibility when mentoring?

Making the best decisions for the project team People - Task 13 - Mentor Stakeholders Making the best decisions for the project team is not a servant leadership responsibility. Agile teams are self-directing and make their own decisions. Answers A, B, and C are all responsibilities of a servant leader. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.2 Servant Leadership Empowers the Team /pp. 33-34

Which of the following is not an approach an agile coach would use to accelerate cultural compatibility for agile?

Onboarding individuals with agile experience Business Environment - Task 4 - Support Org Change To accelerate a change in organizational culture to sustain and benefit from agile, an agile coach would focus on: (1) communication and coaching; (2) implementing agile practices slowly to create buy-in and transfer knowledge; and (3) adopt the agile methodology only for projects that would be best suited by that methodology. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/6.1.2 Readiness for Change/p. 74

Which of the following would be considered agile's highest priority?

Satisfying the customer Process - Task 1 - Deliver Business Value The first principle outlined in the Agile Manifesto states the highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. While answers A, C, and D are each important agile principles, they are not the highest priority. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/Figure 2-2. Twelve Principles Behind the Agile Manifesto/p. 9

You are a project manager producing several identical components for an aerospace project. You are supposed to be producing 2 units per month worth $250,000 per unit. After 3 months you have only produced an average of 1.2 units per month. You use a formula to determine what the difference is between what you planned to do and what you actually got done. What is the formula you used?

Schedule Variance (SV) Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources The question is talking about calculating a schedule variance (SV), which is the difference between what you produced (Earned Value) and what you were supposed to complete (Planned Value). PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/7.4.2.2 Data Analysis/Earned Value Analysis/p. 261

You have been hired as a new project manager for the new football team for your state. You have taken over a project that is 50% complete, but you notice the work being done does not match what is written in the scope baseline. The sponsor informs you that many changes have occurred and to just roll with it. What most likely is the cause of this?

Scope creep has most likely happened due to the lack of formal change control procedures Process - Task 10 - Manage Changes Formalized change control procedures reduce the chance of scope creep. A good process identifies how changes will be documented, implemented, approved, and validated. They also will conduct configuration management to ensure updates to the versions of the documents are available to all stakeholders. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/5.6 Control Scope /p. 168

A project that is nearing completion has the following characteristics: It is very large, it contains functional groups in five different countries, closeout documents are being prepared, the project manager needs to gain acceptance of the project deliverables. What should the project manager do?

Seek sign off from the project sponsor. Process - Task 14 - Establish Governance The project charter determines who will sign off on the project, but of the given options, the sponsor is the best answer due to their role. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.7 Close Project or Phase/p. 124

Agile is built upon communications, including feedback loops. Which of the following would least be considered a feedback loop?

Sprint Process - Task 2 - Manage Communications Pair programming, the daily scrum meeting, and retrospectives are examples of feedback loops. Information is exchanged and allows changes to be made if required. The sprint is the timebox where the agreed-upon work to obtain the sprint goal is performed. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/A3.2 Scrum/p. 101

What is the ideal size of an effective agile team?

3 - 9 members People - Task 6 - Build a Team In practice, the most effective team size is 3 - 9 members. Answer D is partly true but A is the best answer. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.3.1 Agile Teams/p. 39

A project is being planned in a remote area with limited access to vehicles and equipment. The project manager proposes that the company deliver all heavy equipment themselves despite the significant expense. The project manager will take full responsibility for this activity. What type of risk response is the project manager demonstrating?

Accept Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks Risk acceptance is a risk response strategy whereby the project team decides to acknowledge the risk and not take any action unless the risk occurs. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/11.5.2.4 Strategies for Threats/p. 443

Which of the following process(es) best describes why agile is ideal for planning and managing compliance?

Adaptive planning, focus on continuous improvement, and flexibility Business Environment - Task 1 - Manage Compliance Due to the of focus agile on quick delivery of business value through short, timeboxed iterations, the agile team is planning frequently. This allows the team to flex quickly due to any new laws or regulations that may be implemented and adapt accordingly. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/X3.2.2 Continuous Overlapping Phases/p. 668

During a retrospective, your team determines the most of their impediments stem from a single stakeholder who is abusing their authority. The project lead notes this particular stakeholder has never been fond of this project and has been very vocal about it being a bad decision on the sponsor. He also states this will lead the company in the wrong strategic direction. How could this have been avoided?

After conducting an analysis, determined their engagement and build a relationship with the stakeholder to get their buy-in People - Task 9 - Collaborate with Stakeholders By assessing their power, interest, and impact the project manager could then determine the appropriate engagement level required by the stakeholder. Then they must effectively engage them according to the stakeholder engagement plan and communication management plan. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/13.1.2.3

For a software development project, which project life cycle/methodology lends itself best to a mutual understanding of requirements between customers/end users and the project team?

Agile People - Task 10 - Build Shared Understanding When working on a software project, agile is the most often preferred life cycle approach. This allows the team autonomy to self-create and direct, as well as work directly with the customer or end user on the final product outcome. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/3.1 Characteristics of Project Life Cycles/Agile Life Cycles/p. 19

You are an agile coach in an organization that is starting to implement agile. What can be done to ease the transition to agile while beginning to satisfy certain aspects of the organization's current project management governance model?

Alter your project reporting to fit governance expectations Process - Task 14 - Establish Governance As an agile coach, you could alter your agile friendly information (burn up or burn down charts) to the required format (for example, a Gantt chart). Additionally, you could use story points, burn rate, and actual costs to provide earned value metrics. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/1.2.6.4 Project Success Measures/p. 34

Cost of Quality is defined as?

All costs over the life of the project associated with quality and divided into two categories, conformance, and nonconformance Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality Money spent to avoid failures is the Cost of Conformance, while money spent addressing failures is the Cost of Non Conformance. Expected monetary value can be used to calculate conformance and non-conformance costs; however, it is a quantitative calculation, not a qualitative one. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/8.1.2.3 Data Analysis/Cost of Quality/p. 282

A project manager needs to ensure that all data security requirements are covered during a data warehouse development project's execution stage. Each of the databases created during different project phases will have a specific data security policy to comply with governmental data security laws. How should the project manager plan to meet these requirements?

Arrange for review of the data security status on a quarterly basis, and recommend remedial steps if noncompliance is found. Business Environment - Task 1 - Manage Compliance The project review is the best opportunity to formally review compliance. These reviews should be scheduled quarterly or at significant milestones. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) 8. Project Quality Management /Tailoring Considerations/p. 276. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/8. Project Quality Management/8.3.1.6 Enterprise Environmental Factors/p. 301

Your company's Human Resources department wants to create a new web front end to its benefits system to enable all employees to register for health insurance and other benefits for the upcoming new calendar year. Since the technology is fairly new to the company and time is short, management wants to run the project in an agile fashion, since running it in a predictive fashion will take too long and will miss the registration deadline by several weeks. As the assigned project manager, you are familiar with agile but most of your team is not. Management wants the project completed in 3 weeks, and you have 6 weeks between now and the project deadline. What should you do next?

Arrange for formal agile training for all team members People - Task 5 - Ensure Team is Trained While answer B is a component of servant leadership and will almost certainly be needed for his project, the best thing to do next is arrange for formal agile training for the team. Answer A is likely to be more expensive, and should only be done as a last resort (e.g., you can't get the agile training done in the time available before the project must start). Answer C isn't a viable option because it will miss the enrollment deadline by several weeks. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/3.3 Factors that Influence Tailoring/Table 3-2 Tailoring Options to Improve Fit/p. 32

You have just been informed that you have been selected as the new project manager for the XYZ Widget project, which is on a very tight schedule. You recall that previous projects for this customer did not go as smoothly as planned with respect to both the budget and schedule so there is a lot of pressure to meet expectations on this new project. Which of the following should you do first?

Ask for a copy of the project charter so you can review who the major stakeholders are, what the high level budget, schedule, and requirements are and verify your authority as the project manager Process - Task 9 - Integrate Planning A project is not officially authorized until the project charter has been created, so no other activities should be started until it has been created. Since you have already been identified as the new project manager, the project charter has already been created. The scope statement would not be created until after you have defined all of the requirements. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.1.3.1 Project Charter/p. 81

A project manager is working on a software development project. Two customers are repeatedly submitting new feature requests. The completed scope definition for the product's next version release has already been provided to stakeholders. What should the project manager do next?

Assess the scope management plan and iterate it through the scope definition process. Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope The scope management plan is needed to help control the scope of the project. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/5.6 Control Scope/p. 167

Which of the following is not included in configuration management?

Automatic change request approvals Process - Task 10 - Manage Changes Change requests are not and should not be automatically approved. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.6.2.2 Change Control Tools/pp. 118-119

You are in the planning stages of a project to build a shopping mall in a small community in a nearby town. You have used bottom-up estimating to determine costs for each activity and have created a cost baseline. Which of the following statements is true?

Bottom-up estimating is the most labor intensive and is more accurate than parametric estimating. Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources Bottom-up estimating takes the most time but is the most accurate since it aggregates the cost of every activity. There is no such thing as a budget performance baseline. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/6.4.2.5 Bottom-up Estimating/p. 202

Your team is 50% done with the creation of your bank application. You have been using an adaptive methodology and have a prioritized backlog. The team wants to improve their performance on cost objectives. What is the best way to do this?

Conduct a retrospective People - Task 3 - Support Team Performance A retrospective is used to identify what the team can improve during the upcoming sprint. Collecting lessons learned will document what went wrong, but it is planning improvements for the next iteration of work. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.2.1 Retrospectives/p. 50

During a project that is 75% complete you realize team members are starting to become complacent with the collection of information and timeliness of reports. The burndown chart shows that you will most likely be a few story points shy of finishing all 86 as projected. How should you proceed?

Conduct a review of the team charter with the team and verify the integrity of the data People - Task 6 - Build a Team Complacency can be found on any team especially towards the end of a project. Reminding the team of the importance alone does nothing to fix complacency. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.1.3.2 Team Charter/pp. 319-320

A client's employee asks the project manager for an additional, new product feature during a status meeting. To what document should the project manager first refer to find out who has the authority to approve this request?

Change management plan Process - Task 10 - Manage Changes The change management plan describes the process for submitting, evaluating and implementing changes to the project. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.2.3.1 Project Management Plan/p. 88

A project has the following need: 900 resource hours must be outsourced. Because of internal policies, all providers must comprehend the requirements. Which action should the project manager take to ensure this?

Conduct a bidder conference with the providers. Process - Task 11 - Manage Procurement A bidder conference is a meeting between the buyer and prospective sellers prior to proposal submittal. They are used to ensure that all prospective bidders have a clear and common understanding of the procurement and no bidders receive preferential treatment. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/12.2.2.3 Bidder Conferences/p. 487

A project manager is faced with two team members who have a conflicting view of how the work on the project should be done. The project manager sits down with the two team members and calmly discusses the options and benefits of each method. At the end of the meeting, they come up with a solution that both agree to. This is an example of what?

Collaborating People - Task 1 - Manage Conflict This is an example of collaborating, also known as problem solving. With collaborating you discuss all options and work through the problem. With compromise you meet in the middle without much real discussion. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.5.2.1 Interpersonal and Team Skills/Conflict Management/pp. 348-349

A project was not meeting scheduled dates for some tasks, so the project manager reprioritized a number of subsequent tasks to try to get the project back on track. The reprioritization did not fix the problem and now the project manager needs to escalate the issue to project stakeholders. To escalate the issue, to which plan should the project manager refer?

Communications management plan Process - Task 2 - Manage Communications The communications management plan is developed to ensure that the appropriate messages are communicated to stakeholders in various formats and various means as defined by the communication strategy. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/10.1.3.1 Communications Management Plan/p. 377

While completing your schedule model maintenance a team member informs you a stakeholder from another department has stopped sending updates, showing up to meetings, and has begun speaking negatively about the project openly. Based on the stakeholder's position and responsibilities, it is beginning to take a heavy toll on the project. What could the project manager have done to prevent this?

Conducted a stakeholder analysis and monitored stakeholder engagement Process - Task 4 - Engage Stakeholders A stakeholder analysis would have identified their power, interest, and/or influence on the project allowing the project manager to determine the proper engagement level. Monitoring the stakeholder's engagement would have increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the engagement strategies, which are generally determined, in part, by the engagement level of stakeholders. Documenting the stakeholder on the risk register would be more reactionary. The communication management plan is the wrong document use here. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/13.4 Monitor Stakeholder Engagement/p. 530; 13.4.2.1 Stakeholder Analysis/p. 533

A project is in the execution stage. Three necessary changes are brought to the attention of the team. The team members all have differing opinions regarding how to implement the changes. What should the project manager do?

Confirm that all team members and stakeholders understand and follow the change management plan. Process - Task 10 - Manage Changes The team and project manager must follow the documented and agreed upon change management processes. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.2.3.1 Project Management Plan/Additional Components/p. 88; 3. The Role of The Project Manager/3.1 Overview/p. 51

Which of the following is not considered a servant leader responsibility?

Creating the project development approach and processes People - Task 5 - Ensure Team is Trained Servant leadership does not encompass creating the project development approach or processes. However, a few of the responsibilities of a servant leader are: (1) educating stakeholders on the benefits of agile; (2) provide coaching, mentoring, and support; and (3) assisting by performing the technical aspects of project management. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.2.1.4 Consider These Servant Leadership Responsibilities/p. 36

According to agile principle # 4, how often should business people and agile teams work together?

Daily People - Task 9 - Collaborate with Stakeholders According to agile principle number four, business people and developers must work together daily. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/2.2 The Agile Manifesto and Mindset/p. 9

When working as a project manager there are many things around you that can impact the project's ability to be successful, including the corporate culture, infrastructure, marketplace conditions, the number and type of resources available, workplace attitudes, etc. These are referred to as which of the following?

Enterprise environmental factors Business Environment - Task 3 - Evaluate Scope Changes The question lists just a few of the many enterprise environmental factors listed in the PMBOK Guide. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/2.2 Enterprise Environmental Factors/pp. 38-39

You work for Dream Homes Construction as a project manager and the company has just been awarded a contract to work on a $1.4 million home. After planning is complete the sponsor tells you she wants a profit of $250k from this project. You conduct a quick review of the budget and note this is achievable, but the budget will be tight. What mechanisms could you put in place to measure cost performance?

Earned Value Analysis Process - Task 1 - Deliver Business Value Earned value analysis (EVA) is commonly use to compare actual results to the performance measurement baseline to determine if a change, corrective action, or preventive action is required to maintain planned value. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/7.3 Control Costs/p. 259

As with predictive project teams, agile teams may work in a collocated or geographically distributed fashion. Which of the following least helps a virtual team work effectively?

Elimination of chairs in daily standup conference areas People - Task 11 - Virtual Teams Daily standup conference areas typically do not have chairs for sitting by design, so that the attendees don't get too comfortable and the meetings run quickly, but this more directly impacts collocated teams, not virtual teams. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.3.7 Overcoming Organizational Silos/p. 47

Which of the following skills will best help agile team members adapt and respond well to changes in product direction and technical changes?

Emotional intelligence People - Task 14 - Emotional Intelligence All team members should work to exhibit initiative, integrity, emotional intelligence, honesty, collaboration, humility and willingness to communicate in various ways so that the team can work well together. These skills will increase the likelihood of team success. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.2.1 Servant Leader Responsibilities/Interpersonal Skills Versus Technical Skills/p. 36

When building an agile team, which concept should be least considered?

Ensure a strong project manager is assigned for decisions and coordination People - Task 6 - Build a Team Agile coaches are not decision makers and do not coordinate the work. Instead, they are focused on building projects around motivated individuals, providing a supportive environment, and trusting the team to meet project deadlines. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/Figure 2-2. The Twelve Principles Behind the Agile Manifesto/Number 5/p. 9

A project has the following characteristics: It is in the planning stage; A key stakeholder will be unavailable for 2.5 weeks during the project. The project manager must decide what to do first, after learning about the key stakeholder's unavailability. What is the correct step to take?

Ensure that the issue log is updated and inform the other stakeholders. Process - Task 15 - Manage Issues The first thing the project manager needs to do is to capture this as an issue and communicate this to the other stakeholders. Until then, no action can or should be taken. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.3.3.3 Issue Log/p. 96

You are collecting requirements from all stakeholders during a planning meeting when stakeholders start having conflicting requirements. During the meeting tensions began to rise and people become disruptive to the meeting. The project manager decided to end the meeting earlier than scheduled to maintain relationships. The meeting was rescheduled for the next business day. What is the best way to proceed?

Establish ground rules, then use an affinity diagram to collect requirements followed by discrete voting applications People - Task 10 - Build Shared Understanding Establishing ground rules is a good practice, but without enforcement they are useless. Brainstorming could lead to the same results even with ground rules. Monte Carlo is a software application that calculates probability. An affinity diagram can be used as a silent information gathering technique that can be used with silent voting to prioritize requirements. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/5.2.2.5 Data Representation/Affinity Diagrams/p. 144

You are a project manager of a project close to completing the delivery of the final product when an important stakeholder contacts you about a requirement that seems to be missing from the project scope. You schedule a meeting with them to discuss the specifics of the requirement and the possible options for handling it. During the meeting, the conversation becomes somewhat heated when the stakeholder demands to know when the requirement will be completed. What is the ideal way to handle this situation?

Explain that any details on whether the requirement is approved or might be completed would be made by the Change Control Board (CCB) and assist them in completing a change request. People - Task 10 - Build Shared Understanding The Change Control Board (CCB) must review and approve all change requests. Explaining this fact and then assisting with the completion of the change request is the best way to handle this. The technique of smoothing does not involve examining alternatives and is not win-win. Withdrawing during a conflict is never the best option. Agreeing to personally handle the request and to ensure it's completed as soon as possible sets an unrealistic expectation that it is already approved. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.5 Perform Integrated Change Control/p. 115

Project team members are spending a lot of time helping maintenance and operations staff with a recently commissioned project component. The project manager needs to validate that the component was signed off and ownership transferred. Which three documents should the project manager use for this decision?

Final report, project document updates, and organizational process assets updates Process - Task 17 - Manage Closure When closing the project, the project manager reviews the project management plan to ensure that all project work is completed and that the project has met its objectives. The project documents are updated accordingly. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.7.3 Close Project or Phase: Outputs/pp. 127-128

You are managing the implementation of new accounting software at your company. Two of your stakeholders have a disagreement as to when to do the kickoff meeting. One wants to do it before planning begins and the other wants to do it at the end of planning. One stakeholder is senior to the other, however, and so she insists that it will be done at the beginning, and closes the issue. This is best described as which of the following?

Force/Direct People - Task 1 - Manage Conflict Here, the more senior stakeholder used forcing to get what she wanted. Forcing is a win-lose situation because one person gets everything he or she wants, and the other person gets none of what he or she wants. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.5.2.1 Interpersonal and Team Skills/Conflict Management/pp. 348-349

Which of the following best describes Level 3 conflict?

Individuals are more focused on winning than resolving the problem. People - Task 1 - Manage Conflict When at conflict Level 3 - Contest, winning becomes more important than resolving the issue at hand. Over generalizations are made and individuals focus on blaming one another. Coaching Agile Teams (2010) Addison-Wesley Signature Series/Cohn/Figure 9-1

A project is 7 months into execution. The project manager determines that the cost performance index (CPI) is .80. According to a trend analysis, the CPI has a downward trend. What is the next step that the project manager should take?

Issue a change request for cost re-baselining. Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources Since the project is over budget and the trend analysis show that will continue, the best course of action is to re-baseline the cost of the project and manage to that. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/7.3.3.1 Cost Baseline/p. 254

In agile, what is the most important reason to build, test, and review small increments?

It evaluates and delivers continuous benefits and value Business Environment - Task 2 - Evaluate/ Deliver Benefits By building, testing, and reviewing small increments, business value is evaluated and delivered continuously. The first agile principle is about delivering business value early and continuously. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/2.2 The Agile Manifesto and Mindset/p. 8; 2.4 Uncertainty, Risk, and Life Cycle Selection/p. 16

In agile, which of the following is not considered essential when negotiating agreements?

Locking in contractual positions as quickly as possible People - Task 8 - Negotiate Agreements In an agile context, it is considered best practice, when negotiating, to avoid locking in to contractual positions prematurely. Answers A, B, and D are all important when negotiating during agile projects. One of the four values of the Agile Manifesto is "customer collaboration over contract negotiation." The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/2.2 The Agile Manifesto and Mindset /p. 8

You are managing a project that will move your company's data to a new state-of-the-art data center. The biggest risk your team has identified is the risk of losing important customer records data during the move. Fortunately, most of the data is also stored on paper forms. However the cost to input the records would be very high. To address this risk you create a backup of the entire customer database as of last week, and purchase an insurance policy to pay for the cost to input data for the past 7 days. Which types of risk response strategies are you using?

Mitigate and transfer Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks Creating a backup of the data is an example of mitigation. Mitigation in this context is a plan you'll implement if things go wrong, to make sure the impact is minimized. The insurance policy is an example of transfer. The risk of the cost to input that data is being transferred to a third party. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/11.5.2.4

Your organization specializes in making, selling, and shipping steel used to build skyscrapers in major cities across the United States. Your shipments of steel are sent monthly based on a firm fixed-price contract with economic price adjustments (EPA). The end of the fiscal year is approaching and a new contract has just been negotiated to account for EPA. You later find out new tariffs are placed against steel and the cost to manufacture and ship steel skyrocket. Your customers will most likely do what is most cost-effective for them and leave your organization. How could this have been avoided?

Monitor enterprise environmental factors and develop solutions ahead of time Business Environment - Task 3 - Evaluate Scope Changes Companies are expected to practice efficient project management practices. This will allow them to respond to the impact of business environment changes on a project by appropriately adjusting the project management plans. In this case, monitoring the enterprise environmental factor (EEF) of market conditions and regulatory frameworks, their customers could have allowed for adjustments earlier to avoid this situation. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/2.2.2 Enterprise Environmental Factors External to the Organization/p. 39

In which of the following team-building stages does the team begin to work together and build good working relationships?

Norming People - Task 6 - Build a Team Tuckman's five stages of team development are Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning. Forming is where the team is initially brought together; Storming is where the team has disagreements; Norming is where the team begins to work together; Performing is where the team reaches optimal performance; Adjourning is where the team disbands and is sometimes referred to as "mourning". PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.4 Develop Team/pp. 337-338

Your team has been together for a few years and is known as a highly efficient team throughout the organization. A team member who is new to the team lacks the tacit knowledge required to create some of the features. It is late in the work day and you notice the employee struggling with some work. How should you proceed?

Offer your assistance with the creation of the feature People - Task 4 - Empower Team Servant leadership is the virtue of a project manager or scrum team. We should always support the team through mentoring, encouragement, support, and on-the-job training if required. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.2.1 Servant Leader Responsibilities/pp. 34-37

A major problem with your organizational structure is that when the project is finished, the team often has no other work to do and must be let go. What type of organization structure does this refer to?

Project-oriented Process - Task 13 - Determine Methodology In a project-oriented (sometimes called projectized or composite/hybrid) organizational structure the project team reports to only one boss and is tasked with working solely on the one project. One major problem with this type of structure is what to do with the team members when the project is completed. One way this is handled is to terminate the employment of all team members. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/2.4.4 Organizational Structure Types/pp. 45-49

You are a project manager for a new medical device. Current market demand requires the new device to be capable of being used in various conditions, by differing levels of user expertise, be made available in different languages all over the world, and other external factors. Which of the following would best be utilized to analyze or identify risks for all of these factors?

PESTLE Analysis Business Environment - Task 3 - Evaluate Scope Changes Of the options presented, a PESTLE analysis is used to identify the external business environment factors that can affect the value and desired outcomes of a project. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/11.2.2.5 Prompt Lists/p. 416

Which of the following will best help an agile coach ensure team success?

Removing team impediments People - Task 7 - Remove Obstacles Removing impediments is a key characteristic of servant leadership. Answers A and C are indicative of a "command and control" leadership style which is not well-suited in an agile environment. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.2.1 Servant Leader Responsibilities/p. 34

One of your vendors has not completed the work required on the project and you have exhausted all other options to resolve the dispute. Which of the following is not an appropriate option?

Procurement audit Process - Task 11 - Manage Procurement If you have exhausted all other options to resolve the dispute, then your procurements specialists may consider mediation, arbitration, or even a lawsuit to resolve the dispute. A procurement audit is just a structured review of the entire procurement process as a whole, which would not be helpful to resolve a dispute. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/12.3.2.5 Audits/p. 498

Which of the following would be most helpful in determining the total duration of your project?

Project Schedule Network Diagram Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule The project schedule network diagram displays the relationships among activities, and would therefore be the most helpful in determining the total duration of the project. The schedule management plan would tell you how to go about schedule planning, but it would not contain information about project duration. The work breakdown structure (WBS) and scope statement would contain information about project scope, but lack sufficient detail about individual activities to determine the project duration. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/6.5.3.2 Project Schedule/Project Schedule Network Diagram/p. 218

Who is responsible for approving the project management plan?

Project manager, sponsor and key stakeholders Process - Task 9 - Integrate Planning The project management plan is the master plan from which a predictive project will be executed. It is the responsibility of all key parties (project manager, sponsor, and key stakeholders) to approve the project management plan. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/1.2.6.3 Project Charter and Project Management Plan/p. 34; 1.2.6.4 Project Success Measures/p. 34

You are a project manager in the Information Technology department. Your company is new to agile concepts, and while most of your department is familiar with and on board with agile, most of the business units are not. Since key stakeholders will now become part of agile teams, you realize that you will need to mentor and coach them during sprints to help "sell" them on the benefits of agile to help keep them properly engaged. Which of the following would not be a typical benefit of using agile?

Requirements will be fully defined at the beginning of each sprint People - Task 13 - Mentor Stakeholders Requirements are often not fully known or defined at the beginning of agile sprints, but rather are refined during them. Projects with highly definable work lend themselves better to more predictive life cycle approaches, whereas agile is more applicable to high-uncertainty work. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/3.1 Characteristics of Project Life Cycles/pp. 18-19

A retiring project manager hands over all materials to a new project manager. The project appears to be running smoothly, until the new manager learns that a critical component has failed during testing. What is the appropriate first step when responding to this issue?

Review the risk register to identify whether this risk and accompanying response strategies have been captured. Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks The risk register is the document the project manager should review as it shows the identified, individual project risks, their associated strategy, contingency plans, fallback plans, triggers, any identified secondary or residual risk, as well as any specific actions to implement a chosen response strategy. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/11.5.3.3 Project Documents Updates/Risk Register/p. 448

Which of the following project life cycle methods is most suitable for delivering business value in the shortest timeframe?

Scrum Process - Task 1 - Deliver Business Value Scrum is one of several agile methods (The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/2.2 The Agile Manifesto and Mindset/Figure 2-4. Agile is a Blanket Term for Many Approaches/p. 11). Agile delivers value in short increments, typically 2 weeks to 1 month in duration. All other methods typically take more time. Waterfall is a predictive approach. Six Sigma focuses on process improvement. Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) focuses on maturity assessment.

There are three deliverables in the project manager's IT transformation project: Deliverable 2 has strictly scheduled milestones, with no expected variation in the timeline. The project manager expects that Deliverable 3 will see quickly changing requirements during development. Which lifecycle model should be used to meet the project's requirements?

Select a hybrid project model, where Deliverable 2 is positioned as a single waterfall phase embedded in an overall agile project. Process - Task 1 - Deliver Business Value In this project, two deliverables have unknown durations or changing requirement sets appropriate for agile. The migration deliverable 2 requires tight schedule control and external dependencies appropriate for a waterfall project. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/1.2.4.1 Project Development Life Cycles/p. 19; The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/3.1.9 Largely Agile Approach with a Predictive Component/p. 28

On your project, a deliverable was recently created but had to be reworked due to a defect. You traced the root cause to an employee who was operating off an old version of the project management plan. As a project manager, how should you proceed?

Show the employee where to find the most up-to-date copy of the plan and verify they are receiving updates Process - Task 12 - Manage Artifacts As the project manager, you want to ensure the employee is receiving updates and they know how and where to retrieve them from. Terminating the employee is an extreme measure that will add risk to your project. The change control board (CCB) does not dictate version control, they approve or reject changes. Conducting training for the entire team is a vague statement that may not identify the root cause of the problem. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/10.3.2.4 Interpersonal and Team Skills/Observation and Conversation/p. 392

When negotiating contracts with customers involving agile projects, a collaborative approach is recommended, since it emphasizes win-win between the buyer and seller vs. win-lose arrangements. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a collaborative approach?

Single document contract People - Task 8 - Negotiate Agreements A multi-tiered contract structure provides for a master agreement to cover fixed items such as warranties and remedies, and including other elements that are more subject to change in other documents (e.g., schedule of services). The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/6.3 Procurement and Contracts/p. 77

During which stage of team development is it crucial for team members to work on tolerance and patience with one another?

Storming People - Task 6 - Build a Team This question is focused on the stages of team development (Tuckman's Ladder: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning). During the storming phase, individuals need to be focused on tolerance and patience. If these two objectives are not met, the team may flounder and remain in the storming stage. A team in the storming phase is not a high-performing team. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.4 Develop Team/pp. 337-338

You are leading a project to create a degree plan for a regionally accredited university. The new degree is highly specialized and requires the approval of curriculum by governing body of electrical engineers. The program already has students enrolled, but they will not start until the fall which is three months away. If the program fails to meet the standards mandated by the Society of Electrical Engineers it would be public relations nightmare. What should the project manager do to ensure all requirements are met?

Tailor quality management processes to any specific quality standards and regulatory constraints Business Environment - Task 1 - Manage Compliance Tailoring considerations include standards and regulatory compliance to quality standards, governmental, legal, or regulatory constraints that must be considered. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/8. Project Quality Management/Tailoring Considerations/p. 276

You are a project manager who has recently had a team member leave because of an illness. While searching for a replacement you identify a person who has been a stakeholder of the project and has the correct skills you were looking for. You decide she will be the perfect replacement for the lost team member and hire her. Your team has recently agreed on how the team will operate and lately has been requiring less external supervision. What is the next stage of development your team will enter after the new team member comes on board?

The addition of the new team member will cause the team to enter the Forming stage. People - Task 3 - Support Team Performance According to Tuckman's 5-stage model of group development, anytime a new member joins the team, the process starts anew with the Forming stage. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.4 Develop Team/p. 338

Who decides what work gets done in an agile team?

The agile team as a whole, which is self-managing People - Task 4 - Empower Team The team should be self-managing. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.3.1 Agile Teams/p. 39

During the design phase of a construction project, two team members do not agree with an estimating technique used for cost. The situation was not resolved and has escalated into a bigger problem that is beginning to impact project objectives. How could this problem have been avoided?

The project manager should have documented the problem on the issue log Process - Task 15 - Manage Issues Since this situation indicates something has already happened - it is an issue and not a risk. The issue log will help the project manager effectively track and manage issues, ensuring that they are investigated and resolved. The risk register is for events that pose a threat to the project, but have not yet occurred, and the team proactively attempts to manage them. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/4.3.3.3 Issue Log/p. 96

Developing an accurate project schedule is an important part of the planning process. You have used the Critical Path Method to ensure that you identify the critical path within your schedule network. Which of the following statements is true?

The project schedule is often a graphical representation showing activities, start and finish dates and is used to show what has actually happened with regards to the scheduled work Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule The project schedule is often a graphical representation showing activities, start and finish dates and is used to show what has actually happened with regards to the scheduled work. The baseline is described in Answer B. Answers C and D are there as distractions, as we can build a schedule with the use of software. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/6.5.3.2 Project Schedule/p. 218

Which of the following is considered the project vision?

The reason the project is being performed People - Task 10 - Build Shared Understanding Why the project is being performed is considered the vision. However, who benefits and how, may occasionally be considered part of the vision. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/5.1 Charter and the Project Team/p. 49

You have noticed that a few of your team members have personal animosity against each other, but it has not hindered their performance or affected the team. Who is responsible for addressing this problem in the first instance?

The team members in question People - Task 2 - Lead a Team Such problems should ideally be resolved by the team members themselves so long as the team and the work are not being affected. If that fails, the project manager will have to become more actively involved. The project champion is not necessarily part of the team but is someone who helps garner and sustain support for the project. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.5.2.1 Interpersonal and Team Skills/Conflict Management/p. 348

A $3.2 million contract has been awarded to your company and you have been identified as the project manager. During a review of the project charter with the sponsor you both determine additional training is required. There are 12 people on your team and the finance department only has enough to fund training for half of the team. As the project manager, how should you proceed?

Train key members and have them mentor others People - Task 5 - Ensure Team is Trained Training can be formal or informal. By sending key members of the team to training we ensure the expertise required is available and also continuously develop the team through training and mentorship. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.4.2.6 Training/p. 342

Your company is fairly new to agile. You've just been assigned to an agile project that will likely consist of multiple 2-week sprints to deploy a functionality for a new project benefit tracking system. Your team has been trained, but most of the key stakeholders have never heard of agile, much less participated in an agile project. Which of the following would be least helpful in this situation?

Update the Stakeholder register to indicate which stakeholders have agile experience People - Task 9 - Collaborate with Stakeholders You might still do answer C, but the others are more helpful in terms of actually engaging with stakeholders, which is essential for all projects--especially agile projects. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/4.3 Team Composition/p. 38

A project has the following characteristics: -A quality management plan is in place. -The quality management plan states that project deliverables must be reviewed, at a minimum, 1.5 weeks before the deadline. -Four deliverables have missed this quality requirement. What is an appropriate step for the project manager to take?

Use a cause-and-effect diagram for root cause analysis. Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality By understanding the root cause of the issue, the project manager may avoid this type of problem later on in this and other projects. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/8.2.2.3 Decision Making/p. 293

After a project delay, the project manager determines that a change is needed to the product deliverables in order to ensure quality. The project manager takes the following steps: 1. A formal change request is issued. 2. The project manager communicates the change to all stakeholders. 3. The project manager receives feedback that the communications approach did not meet stakeholder expectations. What should the project manager do next?

Use the communications management and stakeholder engagement plans. Process - Task 14 - Establish Governance These two plans help establish how communication will be managed and how the stakeholders will be engaged. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/13.2.3.1 Project Management Plan/p. 518

According to the Continuum of Life Cycles, when is the agile methodology best suited?

When the frequency of delivery is high and degree of change is high Process - Task 13 - Determine Methodology The Continuum of Life Cycles indicates that agile is best suited when the degree of change and frequency of delivery is high. The Agile Practice Guide (2017) PMI/PMI/3.1 Characteristics of Project Life Cycles/p. 19

You are the project manager for a large pharmaceutical company that recently partnered with another organization that reduces packaging costs for your organization under the auspice of a cost-reimbursable contract. After a risk workshop meeting, you find out two team members do not agree on a proposed solution for a risk to cost. You decide to let them come to a resolution on their own, but you document it on the issue log. What conflict management technique did you implement?

Withdraw/Avoid People - Task 1 - Manage Conflict Withdraw/Avoid is retreating from the conflict. The project manager is allowing the team members to resolve the issue themselves. By putting it on the issue log they are ensuring they will follow up on the conflict to make sure it is resolved. PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2017) PMI/PMI/9.5.2.1 Interpersonal and Team Skills/Conflict Management/pp. 348-349