Project Management Academy

You have inherited a project from another project manager who has left the company. While he did brief you on many project items, you did not have enough time to understand risk thresholds based upon the risk appetite of key stakeholders. Your next move should be to consult: A. The sponsor B. The key stakeholders C. The risk management plan D. The project charter

Answer: C Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks In a well-run, well-documented project, this information should always be in the risk management plan. The project charter is too high-level for this level of detail.

You and your team are working on creating laptops and tablets to be used under military conditions. Consequently, they must be much more rugged and durable than ones used in the home. In discussion with your quality manager, you ask her how she can be sure they will not break under battle conditions. She advises you what? A. Her team will try to break some of them as part of appraisal costs B. She is confident if the specifications are good enough, they will get through Control Quality C. Her team will try to break some of them as part of prevention costs D. They will have to ship a few samples to the military and have them tested there

Answer: A Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality This is called destructive testing loss and is part of the appraisal costs of cost of quality. Be sure to understand all parts of cost of quality.

Which of the following is an output of the Validate Scope process? A. WBS Dictionary B. Verified deliverables C. Accepted deliverables D. Work performance data

Answer: C Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope Validate Scope is the process by which the customer or sponsor formally accepts the deliverables (which may sometimes be done in conjunction with Control Quality). Accepted Deliverables are the output of this process (assuming they meet requirements). Other possible outputs are change requests (if they do not meet requirements), work performance information and project document updates (as needed).

After working several months as a project manager at his new company, Rick discovered that his organization has a standard on using templates and using their digital library to obtain information on previous project outcomes. Rick sees that company culture truly values and understands the importance of organizational process assets. Which of the following is not an organizational process asset? A. Lessons Learned files B. Organizational policies C. Organizational cultures D. Historical information

Answer: C Process - Task 9 - Integrate Planning Organizational culture is an example of enterprise environmental factors.

During Planning, you and your team had identified some risks and asked the sponsor to budget a certain amount of money in case any of those risks occurred. Several of those risks did occur and you had to use some of that money in order to put your planned responses into effect. You are growing concerned that you have spent more money than expected and want to discover if the remaining amount is sufficient. What is the next thing you should do? A. Perform a technical performance analysis B. Perform a reserve analysis C. Perform a variance analysis D. Perform a risk analysis

Answer: B Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks Reserve analysis compares the amount of contingency reserves to the amount of risk remaining to determine if the reserve is adequate. The other analyses are real but do not speak to the question.

Your project is part of a program to provide software to a government organization. In performing risk analysis, you and your team uncover a risk that is outside the scope of your project but that might fundamentally affect the objectives of the program. Your next move should be to do what? A. Create a contingency plan B. Devise a mitigation C. Escalate to the program manager D. Avoid the risk by protecting your project from its impact

Answer: C Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks Escalate is a strategy which may be used for opportunities or threats, whenever the risk is outside the scope of the project, or the proposed response exceeds project manager authority levels.

Sasha is the project manager of a 15-person project team which includes 3 Vice-Presidents, all more senior than Sasha. Two of these Vice Presidents are passive aggressive and do not show up prepared for the meetings. What process should Sasha use to regain control of these meetings? A. Use the team charter to define the acceptable behavior for the team B. Escalate to her project sponsor the difficulties of managing the meeting and request support C. Use the project management plan to identify the processes to gain control of the meeting D. Use the collaborate/problem solve method to resolve the conflict

Answer: A People - Task 1 - Manage Conflict The team charter should be created and used by all team members to outline acceptable team behaviors. Answer D may be useful once we have a specific issue identified, but we do not at this point.

While managing your project, you need to distribute information to large audiences. Some of this information is large and complex. The best thing you can do at this point is to set up what kind of communication method? A. Global email system, which is a pull type of communication method B. Video conference, which in an interactive type of communication method C. Knowledge repository, which is a pull type of communication method D. Knowledge repository, which is a push type of communication method

Answer: C Process - Task 12 - Manage Artifacts Pull types of communication methods are useful for large groups or large information sets. These methods include web portals, intranet sites, e-learning, lessons learned databases or knowledge repositories.

When using an adaptive project life cycle or one of the many agile methodologies what two processes are conducted iteratively to ensure project objectives are being met and that the product backlog reflects the customer's current needs? A. Validate Scope and Control Scope B. Daily Standups and Backlog Refinements C. Backlog Refinements and Retrospectives D. Backlog Refinements and Define Scope

Answer: A People - Task 8 - Negotiate Agreements A is the only answer that has two PROCESS names in it. Daily Standups, Backlog Refinements, and Retrospectives are not processes in the PMBOK if the question asked what "AGILE PRACTICES" then you can make an argument for B or C..... but the questions asked for processes... so try answering the question that was actually asked. Read PMBOK p. 131 fourth paragraph from the top third line in that paragraph. To see all processes see The PMBOK Guide p.25 to see all agile practices see the Agile Practice Guide p. 50-57 5.2.1- 5.2.8

In working with your sponsor, you are aware the objectives of your project are not only specific deliverables but also the attainment of business value. Business value refers to the benefit the results of a specific project provide to its stakeholders. During the course of the project, it is important for you to keep the success measures of which of these documents in alignment with each other? A. Business case, project management plan, project charter, benefits management plan B. Stakeholder engagement plan, benefits management plan, project charter C. Business case, benefits management plan, project charter D. Project charter, benefits management plan

Answer: A Process - Task 12 - Manage Artifacts According to the PMBOK Guide, the project manager is responsible for providing recommendations to keep the project business case, project management plan, project charter and project benefits management plan success measures in alignment with each other and with the goals and objectives of the organization.

On a project, tailoring means determining the appropriate combination of processes, inputs, tools, techniques, outputs and life cycle phases to manage a project. In Project Quality Management, considerations for tailoring include all of the following except what? A. Life cycle approach B. Policy compliance and auditing C. Stakeholder engagement D. Continuous improvement

Answer: A Process - Task 13 - Determine Methodology Life cycle approach is a tailoring consideration for Project Schedule Management and Project Resource Management, not Quality Management.

Which is the best way to identify issues early in a flow-based Agile project? A. Keep work-in-progress sizes small. B. List issues on the Kanban board during daily stand-ups. C. Make issue identification the responsibility of the entire Agile team. D. Document all issues and assign issue owners on the issues log.

Answer: A Process - Task 15 - Manage Issues Page 25, Agile Practice Guide.

You and your team have traditionally considered probability and impact as the two main parameters against which you will measure risk. This is an important consideration as you work in a very demanding environment where it may be challenging for your risk owners to deal with individual risks. Given this set of facts, your main concern is with which of the following parameters? A. Manageability B. Connectivity C. Proximity D. Urgency

Answer: A Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks Manageability is the ease with which the risk owner can manage the occurrence or impact of a risk. All of the others are real risk parameters but are unrelated to the risk owner.

At what point in a project is the possibility of failure the highest? A. The beginning of the project B. After the initial project plan is published but before work actually begins C. After the halfway point of the project is reached D. Just before the end of the project

Answer: A Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks Risk and uncertainty are the highest at the beginning of a project. These two factors make the possibility of failure the highest at the beginning. The more you know about a project, the better chance you will have of completing it successfully.

Which of the following is not an effective technique for Controlling Resources? A. Manipulation B. Problem Solving C. Negotiation D. Influencing

Answer: A Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources Negotiation and Influencing are both types of Interpersonal and Team Skills used by a Project Manager. The PM should not engage in manipulation

While you are in the process of acquiring your project team members, the customer tells you that they want this project to be assigned to a specific consultant because the consultant has already worked on a previous project. You also find this person mentioned in the project charter. Under which Acquire Resources tool and technique does this situation fall? A. Pre-assignment B. Negotiation C. Acquisition D. Virtual Teams

Answer: A Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources This is the case where the specific consultant is pre-assigned to the project. This normally happens when the project depends upon the expertise of a specific person or persons.

You have been experiencing defects in the manufacturing of your product. In discussion with your quality manager, you realize you may need to ask him to investigate the relationship between elements of your process and defects. The next thing you should ask him to do is? A. Create a scatter diagram B. Create a cause-and-effect diagram C. Create a tornado diagram D. Create a histogram

Answer: A Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality A scatter diagram will display the relationship between two variables. A cause-and-effect diagram will display multiple reasons why a certain effect occurred. A tornado diagram is an output of sensitivity analysis and is not a quality tool. A histogram displays a graphical representation of numerical data such as the number of times a given process is noncompliant.

You and your team are brain storming multiple variables that may impact the efficiency of your processes. What would be the best tool to complete this? A. Design of Experiment B. Histogram C. Pareto chart D. Tornado analysis

Answer: A Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality The design of experiments is the process of setting up series of tests in order to determine what outputs result from different combinations of inputs (variables). The design of experiments can be used to understand business processes and determine improvement strategies, by demonstrating in advance which factors can be changed to produce improvements in quality. Histograms are vertical bar charts that show the graphical representation of numerical data. Tornado diagrams are a special type of bar chart used in sensitivity analysis for comparing the relative importance the variables.

Kirsten is the project manager for a glass panel manufacturer. A new project has been kicked off because the insulation putty between two panels is prematurely failing on a 40-story, glass office building in New York City. The putty keeps the interior and exterior glass panes separate and should be stable for up to 25 years. However, the new putty is failing after only three years and the builder has contacted the manufacturer to replace the glass. What is the next step for the project manager to get the requirements for this new project? A. Check the original requirements B. Check the testing methodology used in creating the panels and reverse engineer the specifications C. Speak with the builder to define new specifications D. Convene a new focus group to help define new requirements

Answer: A Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope The project has been started not because the requirements were wrong, but because the product failed in meeting the requirements which makes answers C & D invalid. The requirements are still valid (and if the glass panels have been sold, are probably subject to warranty), so the product must meet the original requirements. Answer B would be done at a later time, but it would not be the next thing that should be done by the project manager

area of the country. You have done your stakeholder analysis and created your communications plan. But a new group of stakeholders have surfaced in a neighboring town who are complaining that they do not know enough about it. Your best next step would be to do what? A. Note this in the issue log with a date for resolution B. Schedule a face-to-face meeting with stakeholders to address their concerns C. Notify the sponsor and let him deal with it D. Update the stakeholder engagement plan

Answer: B Business Environment - Task 1 - Deliver Business Value This is a situation that must be dealt with immediately, and the most effective method is face-to-face whenever possible. It will likely be necessary to update the stakeholder engagement plan but this is not your first priority. PMBOK Guide philosophy is a direct approach in stakeholder relationships.

Debra is the project manager for a new line of dog leashes. The new product is meant to be a single bundled item with a dog collar and leash packaged together in the same color and style. However, the first run of product created thousands of units where the color of the leash and the color of the collars did not match. The marketing members of the Project Team has proposed selling the two items separately. The team is checking the business case. Which of the following statements is true? A. The price of the product will have to cover the marketing of the new packaging, the cost of materials and the delay of bringing the original product to market B. The cost of the current run should be ignored when making the decision on marketing the product C. The new product is a positive risk that should be exploited D. Marketing team cannot check a new business case without a change request

Answer: B Business Environment - Task 1 - Manage Compliance The cost of the current run is a sunk cost and should not be considered in the business case going forward. A is wrong because we include the sunk cost in cost of materials. C is wrong because the products were a mistake, not a positive risk. D is wrong because the marketing team is not looking at a new business case, they are looking at the current one.

When performing risk analysis, you and your project team realized you might lose a key resource during execution. Your mitigation was to have a non-team member from another department perform her duties. As it happens, the resource did quit and now you must go to the other team member and ask for his time. You know he is now very busy. In order to gain his commitment, you must be very persuasive and clearly articulate your points and positions. This is an interpersonal skill known as what? A. Leadership B. Influencing C. Emotional intelligence D. Negotiation

Answer: B People - Task 2 - Lead a Team According to the PMBOK Guide, influencing involves the ability to be persuasive, clearly articulating points and positions, having high levels of active and effective listening skills, awareness of various perspectives and gathering relevant information to address issues.

You will be going on an assignment overseas for six months and want to be sure that you will be able to manage communications on the project effectively. You are aware there are significant differences between the host country method of working and yours. You also know there are major differences between your team and the host company team on some of the technical solutions you need to provide. Interpersonal and team skills you will require include which of the following? A. Communication competence and conflict management B. Conflict management and cultural awareness C. Cultural awareness and communication competence D. Expert judgment and conflict management

Answer: B People - Task 5 - Ensure Team is Trained While all of these are important, only conflict management and cultural awareness both answer the question but are also listed in the PMBOK Guide specifically as interpersonal and team skills.

You are discussing the development of a Project Charter for a major process improvement project. You have team members being assigned to you from throughout the organization. With such a high visibility project, which of the following are essential to the development of the project charter? A. Scope Statement B. Benefits Management Plan C. Enterprise Environmental Factors Updates D. Risk Register

Answer: B Process - Task 1 - Deliver Business Value The Benefits Management Plan is an input to develop project charter which details how benefits will be realized and obtained from the project. The scope statement is part of the scope baseline, EEF updates are outputs of resource (human resource) management and the risk register is an output of planning.

The project charter is being developed by the sponsor without your input. You know from past experience you are always left with many questions and the sponsor is rarely available. As the PM how should you proceed? A. Create a list of questions about the project for the sponsor when you both sign the charter and they are there B. Volunteer to take charter development off the sponsor plate, but you will come to him for their requirements and approval C. Wait for the charter to be approved, ID stakeholders, and collect as many requirements as possible D. Refuse to sign the charter, until you have time to speak with the sponsor

Answer: B Process - Task 1 - Deliver Business Value This question challenges your experience. Creating a list of questions most likely will not help, because it has already been stated the sponsor has limited time. If we wait to collect requirements, we could collect requirements for unclear scope requirements. Refusing to sign the charter should not be considered unless you were faced with a legal, moral, or ethical dilemma.

You are the PM on a multi-million dollar project. Your scope and cost baseline were just accepted by the sponsor and the resources have been applied by the PMO. As you near the completion of planning, a team member informs you of a change to the schedule and there is minimal impact to the other baselines. What should you do next? A. Modify the other baselines to show the updates to scope and/or cost B. Prevent the root cause of the change C. Implement the approved change request D. Call a meeting with the CCB and demand your changes be approved

Answer: B Process - Task 10 - Manage Changes The first step in the change control process is to prevent the root cause. Once a baseline has been approved it requires a change request to make any changes to it. Prior to being approved a PM can make any changes based on it still being in the developmental stages.

You received an invoice from your contractor and the price is higher than originally discussed as part of a cost reimbursable contract. They claim its due to additional services provided at the request of your organization. You are not sure the cost is appropriate for the work provided. What is your response? A. Request the contract B. Request the basis of estimates C. Request Sponsor Approval D. Request a Triangular distribution

Answer: B Process - Task 11 - Manage Procurement A basis of estimates provides an itemized list of everything used to determine the cost. It will included estimates, formulas, assumptions, material, etc. This will allow you see how they came up with the price. Requesting the contract will not tell you how the price was determined, nor would a triangular distribution. Requesting Sponsor approval will not solve the problem or answer the question.

Sarah is estimating the cost of the project. She has three different options available to provide a demo for the project. Each of the prototype approaches would meet the scope objectives but they vary in cost, time to implement, and stakeholder appeal. How should she convey this information in her estimate? A. Estimate the project cost using the middle option B. Estimate the project cost using the cheapest option C. Estimate the project cost using the most expensive option D. Analyze the tradeoffs of all three options, and provide estimates for all three

Answer: D People - Task 9 - Collaborate with Stakeholders By analyzing the tradeoffs of all three options, Sarah can choose the option that provides the best balance of cost and performance.

Because an organization has little experience with undersea construction work, the project manager has engaged with a seller for the build of bridge pillars to be installed in the sea-bed of the bay for the future highway in the area. As such this project includes a sub-contract for a section of the project scope being performed on a cost-reimbursable basis. Which of the following is the project manager most concerned about during contract administration? A. Schedule performance B. Productivity performance C. Scope validation D. Securing tangible deliverables

Answer: B Process - Task 11 - Manage Procurement A cost-reimbursable contract involves actual costs being reimbursed by the buyer. Hence, the seller has no cost risk and is not necessarily concerned about cost performance. Therefore, the buyer needs to drive the productivity by closely monitoring the costs and the progress towards completion.

As you are setting up your PMO, you realize project and program managers will require a way to ensure stakeholders can easily retrieve timely information. This can be done using a variety of tools including electronic project management tools, communications such as email and web conferencing as well as social media. Your best move is to set up what? A. Communication System B. Project Management Information System C. Knowledge Management System D. Project Information System

Answer: B Process - Task 12 - Manage Artifacts The Project Management Information System consists of the tools and techniques used to gather, integrate, and disseminate the outputs of project management processes. Answers A, C, and D are not terms found in the PMBOK Guide.

Tim has a team who produces online software for banking. A legal ruling in Florida requires an audit and new test of the software Tim produces that was put in place on August 14, 2016, which has been updated many times since. Which of documents are key to Tim completing this audit? A. The technical requirements documentation in place for the August 14, 2016 software B. The configuration logs for the August 14, 2016 software C. The change log, including approved and rejected changes, since August 14, 2016 software D. This is not an issue for Tim and should go to the operations team

Answer: B Process - Task 12 - Manage Artifacts The detailed configuration logs will allow for the re-creation of the exact software that was live on August 14, 2016. While you may have chosen answer A, the requirements documentation does not necessarily mean they were part of the final product.

You have done schedule compression on your project to catch up after an unforeseen hail storm that damaged 75% of your construction project. Due to this, your management and contingency reserves have been depleted. The PMO is discussing the possibility of re-baselining your project as your current CPI is 2.43 and your SPI is 1.89. What is the status of your project? A. Ahead of schedule and over budget due re-baselining B. Ahead of schedule and under budget after re-baselining C. Behind schedule and on budget after re-baselining D. Due to re-baselining the CPI and SPI can only be 1

Answer: B Process - Task 14 - Establish Governance This is a simple question about CPI and SPI. Re-baselining has nothing do with your answer. You would compare actual to planned (the baseline). Your project is ahead of schedule and under budget.

Your project has been terminated early by the sponsor. The Close Project or Phase process establishes the procedures to investigate and document reasons for actions taken if a project is terminated prior to completion. At this point, your next best move to is to do what? A. Meet with the sponsor B. Engage all the proper stakeholders in the process C. Call a meeting with all stakeholders D. Meet with the sponsor and steering committee

Answer: B Process - Task 17 - Manage Closure The PMBOK Guide recommends to engage all proper stakeholders in the process.

You are ready to close your project out and have gathered together all project documents for review. Your sponsor calls you in to a meeting and reminds you that there are business documents that must be reviewed as well. Your next step should be to review which business documents? A. Project charter, business case and benefits management plan B. Business case and benefits management plan C. Business case and business management plan D. Project charter and benefits management plan

Answer: B Process - Task 17 - Manage Closure The only two documents specifically referred to in the PMBOK Guide as business documents are the business case and benefits management plan. There is no such thing as a business management plan. And while it is important to review the project charter, strictly speaking it is not considered a business document.

Which of the following determines the list, content, and methods of information distribution on a project? A. Manage communications process B. Communication planning C. Performance reporting D. Contract administration

Answer: B Process - Task 2 - Manage Communications A) The manage communication process enables an efficient and effective communications flow between project stakeholders. Thus, choice A is incorrect. B) Communication planning involves identifying the information distribution structure that includes the recipients of information, information content for each recipient, and methods of information distribution. C) Performance reporting involves collecting and disseminating performance information to provide stakeholders information on performance relative to the project objectives. Thus, choice C is incorrect. D) Contract administration involves managing a procurement contract. Thus, choice D is incorrect

A key stakeholder calls you up and tells you he is upset he missed an important meeting regarding the new product you are rolling out. This is not the first meeting he has missed and says he has not been informed of when and where meetings are being held. In all likelihood, what have you forgotten to do? A. Publish the stakeholder communications plan B. Publish the communications management plan C. Send out weekly emails to all stakeholders advising them of meeting dates and times D. Publish the team charter

Answer: B Process - Task 2 - Manage Communications There is no such thing as a stakeholder communications plan. The communications management plan is where meeting information, among other things, is published. You can send out weekly reminders if you want to, but you should not have to if you have published the plan. And the team charter is for how team members should interact with each other.

In which process do you create the Risk Breakdown Structure? A. Identify Risk B. Plan Risk Response C. Perform Qualitative Analysis D. Plan Risk Management

Answer: D Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks The RBS is part of the Risk Management Plan. Its structure is very similar to a WBS. The RBS is a hierarchically-organized depiction of the identified project risks arranged by risk category and subcategory that identifies the various areas and causes of potential risks.

Through discussions with your peers, you come to understand there is a trend in risk management to start dealing with emergent risks. These are risks only recognized after they have occurred. Knowing this, you should make sure you do all of the following except: A. Have an empowered project team with clear objectives and is trusted to get the job done B. Have a contingency plan for every possible thing that might go wrong C. Frequently review early warning signs to identify emergent risk as soon as possible D. Have flexible project processes to cope with emergent risk while maintaining direction toward project goals

Answer: B Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks The best you can do is prepare yourself as much as possible for emergent risk. You cannot have a contingency against everything that could possibly happen.

While you and your project team are in the process of identifying stakeholders, you realize you must bring certain documents to your meeting to help in this process. In addition to artifacts such as the project management plan and the project charter, you need to bring a document to identify the project objectives as well as an initial list of stakeholders. This document is known as what? A. Benefits management plan B. Business case C. Stakeholder communications plan D. Stakeholder engagement plan

Answer: B Process - Task 4 - Engage Stakeholders The business case speaks specifically to the question. The benefits management plan is a necessary input but does not include project objectives. There is no such thing as a stakeholder communications plan.

You are managing a large construction project to build a much anticipated new arena for a possible expansion bid. This project has visibility from the local government, the citizens and the league. Your project has encountered some setbacks due to poor weather, however, these setbacks are not expected to continue based on the relevant weather information. Assuming EV = 145, PV = 162, AC = 138, BAC = 200, and CPI = 1.05, what is ETC? A. 7 B. 55 C. 62 D. 9.6

Answer: B Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources ETC = EAC - AC, so you need to first calculate EAC. The EAC formula where variances are atypical = AC + (BAC - EV). Plugging in the numbers from the question, you get 138 + (200-145) = 193. Since ETC = EAC - AC, we plug in the numbers and get 193 - 138 = 55.

You are the project manager on an agile team that has been hired by a federal government agency to develop and implement a new invoicing system. As expected, the agency expects to receive periodic Earned Value reports each month that will be reviewed by senior staff. Your first report covers the work completed for the first two 2-week sprints. The numbers on the report include BAC = $500,000, EAC = $495,000, AC = $15,000, PV (based on story points) = $20,000, EV = 21,000. Which of the following is true? A. The project is on schedule and over budget B. The project is ahead of schedule and under budget C. The project is behind schedule and over budget D. the project is ahead of schedule and over budget

Answer: B Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources Since BAC > EAC, the project is under budget by $5000. Since EV > PV, the project is ahead of schedule (more story points were completed than planned in the first two sprints).

You are the project manager for a highway construction project. Your sponsor has asked for an updated project forecast. The project has spent $100,000 of the total budget of $400,000 and has a CPI of .85. The cost variances you have experienced thus far are expected to continue. How much more money will you spend on your project? A. $470,588 B. $370,588 C. $240,000 D. $340,000

Answer: B Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources This question is asking you to calculate estimate to complete (ETC). The formula for ETC is EAC - AC. So you must first calculate EAC by using the formula BAC / CPI. $400,000 / .85 = $470,588. Now you can calculate ETC as EAC - AC = $470,588 - $100,000 = $370,588.

You are a project manager working on a high visibility construction project. Although you have had some weather delays and some of your material expenses were lager than planned, you think you are doing okay. You are going to take some work performance information for your current project. You know that PV = 450, AC = 500 and EV = 375. What is the CPI and SPI respectively? A. CPI = .90, and SPI = 1.2. B. CPI= .75, and SPI = .83. C. CPI = 1.2, and SPI = .90. D. CPI = .83, and SPI = .75

Answer: B Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule CPI is calculated as follows: EV/ AC. SPI is calculated as follows: EV/PV. Therefore, CPI is 375/500 = .75, and SPI is 375/450 = .83.

You and the Project Management team are in the middle of creating the schedule management plan and are having a debate about the difference between the schedule model and project schedule. As a project manager, what is the best way to describe the difference? A. The project schedule is an output of the schedule model that uses CPM, artifacts, durations, and dependencies B. The schedule model uses CPM, durations, dependencies and other factors to create a project schedule with linked activities, milestones, and resources C. The schedule model is the dynamic schedule produced by the project schedule after applying CPM and Critical Chain D. The schedule model uses CPM to create the project schedule during the development of the schedule management plan

Answer: B Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule The schedule model is typically created using software such as MS Project. The model uses the CPM, durations, dependencies, and other planning information to create the schedule model. The project schedule is an output of the schedule model that presents lined activities with planned dates, durations, milestones, and resources.

In working with your quality team on your projects, you have collectively come to the realization the maturity of your organization in terms of getting things done is low. Processes are often poorly controlled and tend to be reactive. Your next step is to go to your executive leadership and recommend they consider implementing what? A. Kanban B. CMMI C. Six Sigma D. Lean Six Sigma

Answer: B Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is specifically designed to be a process improvement framework to help organizations build capability in their people and processes, with five maturity levels.

You are the project manager on a large system integration project. This is your first system integration project and you work in a Functional organization. What is created as a result of the scope statement being decomposed? A. Bill of materials B. Work breakdown structure (WBS) C. Activity list D. Organizational breakdown structure

Answer: B Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope The decomposition of the project scope creates the WBS.

You are the project manager for a technology company. You are leading a project to create an innovative 3D computer screen. This project has visibility from the executive office to the sponsor. Given the new technology your team has had some difficulty with the product scope. However your team thinks it has resolved all the issues and are ready to proceed to Validate Scope. Inputs to the Validate Scope process include which of the following? A. Project management plan, requirements documentation, requirements traceability matrix, change request B. Project management plan, requirements documentation, requirements traceability matrix, verified deliverables, work performance data C. Project management plan, requirements documentation, requirements traceability matrix, requirements management plan D. Requirements management plan, requirements documentation, requirements traceability matrix, verified deliverables

Answer: B Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope The inputs to the Validate Scope process include project management plan, requirements documentation, requirements traceability matrix, verified deliverables, and work performance data.

Once you have completed deliverables during execution, you perform quality control to check for correctness. Once it is determined that the deliverables are correct, what are the deliverables then called, and which process will they proceed to next? A. Deliverables, Close Project B. Verified deliverables, Validate Scope C. Accepted deliverables, Close Project D. Validated deliverables, Quality Assurance

Answer: B Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope While the PMBOK Guide says that Control Quality and Validate Scope can occur in parallel, the ITTO's make it clear that deliverables go from execution to CQ, then to validate scope, and finally to close project or phase.

You are the project manager and your company consistently completes projects for other companies. Within your organization the project managers have the highest level of authority on a project. You are likely operating within what type of organizational structure? A. A functional structure B. A weak matrix structure C. A project-oriented structure D. A company using an ISO 9000 program

Answer: C Business Environment - Task 4 - Support Org Change In a project-oriented organizational structure, the project manager has the highest authority level and will often perform projects for various organizations.

You are currently developing a model that would help your organization in determining its level of maturity in project management. To which of the following does this refer? A. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) B. Project Management Information System (PMIS) C. OPM3 D. Project Management Research

Answer: C Business Environment - Task 4 - Support Org Change OPM3 (Organizational Project Management Maturity Model) helps organizations determine their level of maturity in project management. OPM3 is a globally-recognized best practice standard for assessing and developing capabilities in Portfolio Management, Program Management, and Project Management.

You are discussing the value of collecting lessons learned with your sponsor, but they feel it is important time wasted on non-value added activities. As the PM you understand the importance of organizational learning and the benefits of lessons learned. In regard to your project, how should you ensure to maximize benefits from knowledge management as you proceed? A. Inform the sponsor of the importance of collecting lessons learned B. Collect lessons learned throughout the project lifecycle C. Use lessons learned from a past project, collect lessons learned, and then show the benefit to the Sponsor D. Inform the CEO of its importance, collect lessons learned, demonstrate the importance of lesson learned

Answer: C Process - Task 13 - Determine Methodology We always assume past information is available. By using lessons learned from past projects, collecting lessons learned and then demonstrating how they benefited the organization and the project is the best way of approaching this situation. Informing the sponsor of the importance is important, but it does not solve the issue. Collecting lessons learned throughout the project is something the PM can do, but how does it impact the organization. Answer D is a play on words, the CEO was not part of the situation, this was an issue with the sponsor

You are the project manager for an agile project that is building a web-based timekeeping system for your company. While the development and testing work is proceeding as planned, the team is discovering that there is already unrest and resistance among many stakeholders. Your company is a fairly young high-tech firm that designs and builds components for laptops, tablets and smart phones, and has a high entrepreneurial and creative spirit. Tracking hours worked each week to many stakeholders feels like "big brother is going to be watching them"--thus the source of resistance. Which of the following would be least helpful to your team in dealing with this resistance before the new system is deployed? A. Lewin's model B. McKinsey's 7S framework C. Stakeholder Engagement Assessment Matrix D. Kotter's model

Answer: C People - Task 1 - Manage Conflict The Stakeholder Engagement Assessment Matrix is useful to track where stakeholders' attitudes currently are and where the team desires them to be, but at this point your team has already determined that there is substantial resistance, so many stakeholders are already classified as resistors. The bigger issue is how to manage the recognized resistance. Lewin's model (Unfreeze, Change, Re-freeze), McKinsey's 7S model (alignment of Structure, Strategy, Systems, Skills, Style, Staff and Shared Values), and Kotter's Change Model (Create a Sense of Urgency, Build a Team Dedicated to the Change, Create a Vision for Change, Communicate the Need for Change, Empower Staff with the Ability to Change, Create Short Term Goals, Stay Persistent, Make the Change Permanent) are three of several change management methodologies that can help manage resistance to change in organizations.

You are the project manager for a large manufacturing company. You are currently managing a project to automate your shipping and receiving department. This is a global project since you have warehouses worldwide. You are working on bringing your team together to accelerate through the stages of the Tuckman model. The primary output from the Develop Team process is ____? A. Project team assignments B. Project performance evaluations C. Team performance assessments D. Greater employee satisfaction

Answer: C People - Task 6 - Build a Team The outputs from the Develop Team process are team performance assessments and enterprise environmental factor updates

As you are working with key stakeholders, you remind them that it is important to clearly define project success measures. You advise them that success should be measured not only in terms of time, cost, and scope but also in terms of stakeholder satisfaction. You will document the three questions about successful completion, which are all of the following except? A. What does success look like for this project? B. How will success be measured? C. What would be the impact of project failure? D. What factors may impact success?

Answer: C Process - Task 1 - Deliver Business Value While it would be interesting and perhaps useful to know what the impact of project failure would be, it is not one of the three questions noted in the PMBOK Guide.

Debra is the project manager for a new line of dog leashes. The new product is meant to be a single bundled item with a dog collar and leash packaged together in the same color and style. However, the first run of product created thousands of units where the color of the leash and the color of the collars did not match. The marketing members of the project team has proposed selling the two items separately. What is the next step? A. Rewrite the requirements to match a new marketing proposal B. Adjust the development process to create different colors for the collars and leashes C. Create a change request and identify the impacts of the new products on the original product specifications D. Do a fishbone analysis of the reason the process created mismatched colors

Answer: C Process - Task 10 - Manage Changes Before taking advantage of the new marketing proposal, which will save waste, the project manager must submit the proposal to the Change Control Board for approval. Understanding the impact of the change is part of the change control process. Note answer D (do an analysis of the color problems) should have been done before this before marketing even proposed a work-around incorrectly created material.

You are managing a database design project and just realized that there is a major flaw in your design. Your team determines that fixing the design flaw will result in two additional weeks of work, along with a 10% increase in costs, but has no significant impacts on other project constraints. Not fixing the flaw, however, would result in a major security vulnerability that is unacceptable to the customer. What should you do next? A. Fix the flaw immediately B. Inform the customer of the design flaw C. Create a change request D. Determine the impact of the change

Answer: C Process - Task 10 - Manage Changes In this question, you have simply identified a design flaw. Even though the team may come up with the impacts to fixing the design flaw, the first step is to create a change request. You should not begin fixing the problem, as suggested in choice A, until you get approval. Choice B is also inappropriate, because it is not the next step. You should get the change approved first, and then inform the customer of the new plan. The steps in the change process are 1) prevent change if possible; 2) identify the change (document it with a change request) 3) determine the impact, 4) Issue the change request to the change control board for review; 5) perform integrated change control (get CCB to approve); If change is approved: 6) update the project documents, 7) notify stakeholders of the change and get their buy-in, and 8) manage the project per the new plan.

Ann informs you the proposals you requested came back from the sellers and were awarded, but there is an issue. The ACME Widget Production company is your former employer with whom you have maintained healthy relationships. There is a concern you may have given them an unfair advantage in the negotiation process. If asked by the procurement manager, what would be the best response? A. Inform the procurement office you only offered project requirements to the vendor B. Explain you informed the procurement office of the prior relationship C. Inform the procurement officer you only provided information to the contract specialist as requested prior to negotiations D. Admit you gave insider knowledge and submit your letter of resignation

Answer: C Process - Task 11 - Manage Procurement The question and answer allude to being in a centralized organization. In a centralized organization, the PM does not lead negotiations. There primary concern is providing requirement and information about the project. Informing the procurement office about relationships, but it is not the best answer.

You are the project manager for a large retail company. You are currently managing a project to expand an existing facility. Since this facility is overseas you are concerned with many uncertainties. You need to do a great job planning for and managing risk since you must be done prior to the holiday season. Which of the following is an output from Plan Risk Responses? A. Risk Register B. Risk-related contract decisions C. Project document updates D. Risk Management Plan

Answer: C Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks Project document updates and project management plan updates are the outputs of the Plan Risk Response process. The Risk Management Plan is an output from a prior process (Plan Risk Management). The risk register is an output of the Identify Risk process, and is an example of a document that would be updated following this process

When you and your project team performed risk analysis, one of the identified risks was the material you needed, while less expensive, was not in plentiful supply. Your risk response was to import materials from overseas, as meeting the schedule was deemed more important than meeting the budget. During project execution, an expected shortage did in fact occur and you had to implement the risk response. Your next move should be to do what? A. Extend the schedule B. Start looking for another supplier C. Put in a request to change the cost baseline D. Escalate to the sponsor

Answer: C Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks You may do any of the other items but the first thing which must be done is to put in a change request to change the cost baseline as the materials are now raising your costs.

You are the project manager on an agile team that includes a key stakeholder who is clearly unhappy about the direction of the project, as evidenced by her negative feedback at the daily standup meetings. All other stakeholders are either undecided or for the project. Where would you best document this information? A. The Stakeholder Register B. The Issues Log C. The Stakeholder Engagement Assessment Matrix D. The Risk Register

Answer: C Process - Task 4 - Engage Stakeholders The Stakeholder Engagement Assessment Matrix is where you capture and track stakeholder attitudes--where they currently are ('C') and where you desire them to be ('D'). The attitude classifications include unaware, resistant (your negative stakeholder would get a 'C' for this category), neutral, supportive (you'd typically want all key stakeholders to be here--neutral at the very least), and leading.

In your project charter, you have identified some key stakeholders. As you and your team move further into planning, you are aware you must develop a stakeholder register to not only identify stakeholders but also provide key information about each one. You explain to your team stakeholders can best be categorized in more than just two dimensions. Your next best move is to develop what? A. Stakeholder engagement assessment matrix B. Bubble chart C. Stakeholder cube D. Salience model

Answer: C Process - Task 4 - Engage Stakeholders The stakeholder cube is a three-dimensional model that allows for categorization. The stakeholder engagement assessment matrix is used to bring stakeholders to the desired level of engagement. The salience model assesses stakeholders based on power, legitimacy and urgency. A bubble chart is used for risk, not for stakeholder assessment.

You are controlling the budget variance on your project using a control chart and you have a data point that appears outside of the upper control limit. What does the center line on a control chart depict? A. Upper Control Limit B. Lower Control Limit C. Mean value associated with the process/activity D. Standard deviation of the process

Answer: C Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources A) The Upper Control Limit is the upper limit line. Thus, choice B is incorrect. B) The Lower Control Limit is the lower limit line. Thus, choice B is incorrect. C) The center line depicts the mean value of the process measurement. D) The standard deviation is not depicted on the control chart, though the default is to set upper and lower control limits 3 standard deviations from the mean. Thus, choice D is incorrect

You are managing an automation project. This is the first automation project your consulting company has ever been awarded. Your client has requested that you use EVM to calculate performance and forecasting data. You are reviewing a summary status report from the start of the project through the end of Week 4, and find that AC = $39,000 and EV = $34,000. The work content of all activities is linear. If the project is budgeted at $65,000, what is the EAC (assuming that the current cost performance is typical for the remainder of the project)? A. $84,087.97 B. $79,314.63 C. $74,541.28 D. Cannot be determined

Answer: C Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources Budget At Completion (BAC) = $65,000 ; CPI = EV / AC. Thus, $34,000 / $39,000 = .872. If the Cost Performance Index remains the same, EAC equals BAC / CPI. Here that works out to $65,000 / .872 = $74,541.28.

You are the project manager for a large telecommunications company. You have recently been asked to lead a project to revise the interface of a cellular telephone. Your team is global and you plan to manufacture the product off-shore. Which of the following are inputs to Estimate Costs? A. Activity cost estimate, Project Schedule, Human resource plan, Risk Register, Enterprises environmental factors, change request B. Cost management plan, Scope baseline, Project Schedule, Human resource plan, Risk Management Plan, Enterprises environmental factors, Organizational process assets C. Cost management plan, Scope baseline, Project Schedule, Quality management plan, Risk Register, Enterprise environmental factors, Organizational process assets D. Scope baseline, Project Schedule, Human resource plan, Risk Register, Project funding requirements, contracts

Answer: C Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources The inputs to the Estimate costs process are cost management plan, scope baseline, project schedule, quality management plan, Risk Register, Enterprises environmental factors, and organizational process assets.

While creating the Project Management Plan, you and some team members are discussing the appropriate tools and techniques for determining quality, tracking trends, and recommending changes. As the PM, how should you proceed? A. Use a histogram, because it is used to track trends B. Consider all options and tailor the tools and techniques for what is best for the project C. Use historical information, lessons learned and choose the most appropriate tool and techniques D. Use the Quality Management Plan and tools and techniques already suggested

Answer: C Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality The use of historical information, lessons learned, and choosing the most appropriate tools and techniques is tailoring. While a histogram is great at tracking trends, this is not the best answer. Consideration of all options is a good answer but is still not the best answer. The Quality Management Plan is being developed, this why are discussing which tools and techniques are going to be utilized.

During a discussion with the sponsor, the topic of the importance of developing a cost management plan came up. The Sponsor believes detailing how to handle cost development through closing is unnecessary. She recommends doing an abbreviated plan will suffice, especially since your team habitually delivers on or under budget. You have been with your team for a few years and you have worked with this sponsor on several projects. Due to this you decide to take their advice and use an abbreviated plan in order to move forward with the project. What should happen next? A. An abbreviated plan could be developed using past projects, lessons learned and analogous estimating B. Since you know the sponsor does not use follow up plans, agree with them and create a detailed plan in accordance with the PMBOK Guide, 6th edition C. Determine tailoring options, identify assumptions, as well as update the risk register to accommodate any threats prior to using configuration management D. Inform the sponsor of the dangers of abbreviating a plan and all projects should have detailed plans to support success

Answer: C Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources The project management plan or any component of it can be summarized or detailed. The scope statement is the only document which should always be detailed. Answer B is wrong, because even though due diligence is still required, the PMBOK Guide does not require the detailed documents. C is a better answer than A, because it provides specifics about how to proceed.

You are the project manager for a small media company. You are currently managing a project to create a personal finance website that teaches people little known or unusual ways to make and save money. It is important that you deliver this project as quickly as possible. Currently a similar product does not exist so you must be first to market. Which is true regarding the critical path? A. Shows all the necessary activities in a project B. Is the work currently underway C. Is the sequence of work which determines the project finish date D. Should be determined at the project's beginning and not changed

Answer: C Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule Critical path is the sequence of work which determines the project finish date. It is the longest duration path throughout the schedule network diagram, any thus, delays along the critical path will delay the project. Note that the critical path can change if other activities fall behind, thus causing a new longest sequence to emerge. Multiple critical paths can also exist if their durations are equal (and higher than all others).

You are managing a manufacturing project that has a SPI of .89 and a CPI of .91. What is the best explanation for why this may have occurred? A. The equipment purchased for the project was more expensive than expected. B. At least one task has taken more time than expected. C. Less-experienced and high demand resources were used. D. The human resources used were more expensive than anticipated.

Answer: C Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule Performance is poor in both schedule and cost, and options A, B and D focus on only one aspect (cost or schedule). Less-experienced resources could account for both factors -- cost overruns and schedule delays.

The business analyst for the organization informs the Project sponsor the market demand for your project has spiked. Early delivery to the market would raise profit margins by 35% and give your organization the strategic advantage. The last deliverable recently had the scope validated and was accepted by the Sponsor. Which of the following would be the best way to proceed? A. Speed up a successor activity, known as leading B. Fast track execution to ensure early delivery to the market C. Identify activities you can fast track or successor can speed up to promote early delivery D. Add additional resources to closing the project to ensure early delivery to market. By crashing the project, you guarantee timely delivery

Answer: C Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule Speeding up a successor activity is known as leading, but this is a vague answer lacking significance; Fast tracking increases risk but is another vague answer. Conducting an analysis of activities to be fast tracked also mitigates risk, fast tracking is known for increasing risk and this must be managed. Finally, adding additional resources increases cost and crashing does not necessarily guarantee on time delivery.

As part of closing your project, you are reviewing certain project documents. Thus far you have reviewed various logs, as well as requirements documentation, and the lessons learned register. However, you realize you have no quality documents to review. Your next step should be to contact the quality team and request what? A. Quality metrics and quality reports B. Quality audit reports C. Quality control measurements and quality reports D. Quality management plan and quality control measurements

Answer: C Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality Both quality control measurements, which document the results of Control Quality activities, and quality reports, which include quality assurance reports, are inputs to Close Project or Phase. There is no such document as a quality audit report.

You are holding a meeting with your team to discuss planning for your project and you explain the importance of quality. One of your team members questions why this is not a problem for the quality manager, whose focus is primarily on quality. You explain to them the most effective quality management is achieved when: A. Quality is inspected at the end B. Everyone on the team learns how to use all of the quality tools C. Quality is incorporated into the planning and designing of the project and product D. The project manager and quality manager work closely

Answer: C Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality The PMBOK Guide says the most effective quality management is achieved when quality is incorporated into the planning and designing of the project and product, and when organizational culture is aware and committed to quality.

You have been advised by your quality manager he will be performing quality audits of your project on an ongoing basis. The goal of these audits is to determine if project activities comply with organizational and project policies and procedures. Your team is concerned this will interfere with their work. In a meeting, you advise them this is a welcome procedure because: A. The sponsor prefers you do it B. This should help prevent scope creep and keep the team focused on their work C. Correcting deficiencies should result in reduced cost of quality and an increase in customer acceptance D. Correcting deficiencies should result in less need for quality control and enhanced customer satisfaction

Answer: C Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality The PMBOK Guide specifically says correcting deficiencies should result in reduced cost of quality and an increase in customer acceptance.

Doug is a project manager at Kung Fu Tacos. He is not an accountant but he must make several financial decisions on his new project. In his research, he has found there are several accounting-related attributes he needs to consider before he talks with the steering committee about his new project. In his presentation, he needs to describe the interest rate that makes the net present value of all cash flows equal zero. This is known as which of the following? A. Prioritization of financial outcomes B. Future value (FV) C. Internal rate of return D. Net present value

Answer: C Process - Task 9 - Integrate Planning The internal rate of return (IRR) is the return that the company would earn if it invests in the project, and is also described as the discount rate when NPV equals 0.

Hershel is creating the infrastructure for a new airline route from Hartford, CT to Edinburgh, Scotland, as his company is hoping to break into the British market. The project charter sets the limit of the cost of the round-trip flight to $500, in order to break even. This is significantly less than current competitors. Two months before entering the market, Hershel discovers a new European startup airline offers flights on the same route for $180 each way. What is the next step Hershel should take? A. Stop current work and raise an issue with the sponsor since the project charter has been breached B. Raise the out-of-scope issue at the next status meeting C. Identify the impacts of lowering the price to a new competitive pricing D. Inform the project sponsor and marketing team

Answer: D Business Environment - Task 3 - Evaluate Scope Changes The pricing and the decision to go forward has to be made at a higher level than the project team in this situation. Because Hershel is creating the infrastructure part of the project, raising this issue at a status meeting would not be sufficient. Since meeting the price of the competitor would breach the project charter constraint of $500, this must be escalated to senior management. Hershel should not stop the current work (answer A) because he does not know how senior management will answer. Therefore, answer D is the best answer, given the choices.

At your project kick-off meeting, you advise your project team that one of the most important things they will need to help you with is to identify stakeholders. Someone asks if that means just going through old historical information. You advise them while that is important, you like to also use a process called brain writing which is: A. Eliciting information from team members or subject matter experts B. A voting process to rank the most useful information C. Consolidating ideas into a single map to reflect commonality and differences D. A technique allowing individual participants time to consider questions individually before the group session is held

Answer: D People - Task 3 - Support Team Performance Answer A is called brainstorming. B is nominal group technique. C is mind mapping.

As you are beginning to plan for your new PMO project, you begin hearing conversations regarding some negative comments made about the project by a manager in another department. In discussion with your sponsor, you corroborate these comments and realize he is senior enough that he could have a major negative impact on the project. Your next best move is to do what? A. Ignore him, assuming you have the sponsor and senior management on your side B. Call a meeting of your project team to discuss C. Invite him to meetings so he can better understand the project D. Contact him to set up a face-to-face (or virtual) meeting

Answer: D People - Task 9 - Collaborate with Stakeholders PMI always prefers the direct, proactive approach. He may feel he is losing power in this situation. Even if this is true, you need to know his feelings and discuss with the stakeholder and sponsor.

Company policy dictates all projects require a high-level estimate in order to get the charter approved but maintains the expectation a bottom-up estimate will be completed by all PMs. Your charter has already been approved and the project is one your team has experience with. One of the management team members approaches you and suggests you review a similar project, apply quick updates and start to begin execution. This would allow your team to deliver earlier than expected and increase the chances of getting bonuses just before Christmas. How do you respond? A. Reprimand the employee for attempting to go against company policies and expectations B. Take this opportunity to educate the team member on the importance of the WBS C. Listen to the team member and use analogous estimating to finish your planning D. Follow OPAs and identify positive risks complimented by the experience of the team

Answer: D Process - Task 1 - Deliver Business Value PMs are expected to be professional at all times. You must follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), but the employee has identified potentially positive risks which should be investigated. Reprimanding the employee may cause a break down in future communications. Using analogous estimating violates company policy of creating WBS and bottom up estimating.

You have just taken over a project from another project manager who has been asked by senior management to take over a highly visible, risky project. She had to go overseas and has not had much time to brief you on the project. You know, however, she maintains excellent documentation in your repository. The first thing you need to do is understand on a high level a common understanding by stakeholders of the key deliverables, milestones and roles and responsibilities of everyone on the project. The document you should first read is? A. Stakeholder register B. Project scope statement C. Project Management Plan D. Project charter

Answer: D Process - Task 1 - Deliver Business Value You should always look for key words or phrases in the question. The key word phrase is high level. The only document here which is both high level and fits the question is the project charter.

Heather is the project manager for a new internal-only system for reporting interdepartmental budgets and software adoption. During a weekly status call on the progress of development and testing, the project sponsor discusses the approved changes in the priorities of the release, switching Phase 1 deliverables for Phase 2 deliverables. Heather objects on the call, proposing to take this change in priorities to the change control board, but the project sponsor overrides the request and demands adoption of the new priorities on the call. What is the next step for Heather? A. Demand this change go through change control B. Escalate to senior management after the status meeting C. Request a change to the project charter D. Write up the new priorities for the stakeholders

Answer: D Process - Task 10 - Manage Changes This is a situation where the sponsor has obviously had a change request approved without the project manager knowing about it. The best answer is D, write up the new priorities for the stakeholders. Since the change has been through change control and been approved, the next step then is to update all documentation. A is incorrect because the project sponsor has received approval. B is incorrect because your path to senior management should be through your sponsor. C is incorrect because the change is not to the project charter, but to the order the deliverables will be produced.

You are the project manager for a construction company. A contract is signed with a vendor and work has begun. Halfway through the project, the customer decides to add features to the workflow software. This addition of features will require changes to the signed contract. Who has the authority to change the contract? A. Sponsor B. Project Manager C. Customer D. Contract Administrator

Answer: D Process - Task 11 - Manage Procurement A contract administrator's main responsibility is to protect the integrity and purpose of the contract. The contract administrator has the authority to change the contract.

You are the project manager of a large project, and have determined that many of the necessary work items should be out-sourced, since your team doesn't really possess all the technical skills needed to achieve the work, and you therefore believe it would be cheaper, less risky and more efficient to hire these things out. Your stakeholders are generally averse to out-sourcing, because in the past there have been major cost overruns with vendors and they don't want that to happen again here. Which type of contracts will you want to utilize with the sellers you choose? A. Cost Plus Percentage of Costs B. Cost Plus Fixed Fee C. Time and Materials D. Firm Fixed Price

Answer: D Process - Task 11 - Manage Procurement Firm Fixed Price contracts state a flat rate to be paid, and the seller therefore assumes the risk of any cost overruns. Absent a change in the scope of work, the seller cannot recover more than the stated price so this contract type provides maximum security to the buyer and imposes all risk to the seller (which is what the stakeholders will want in this scenario).

You are comparing the cost of purchasing a software product to the cost of your company programmers writing a custom software program. You are engaged in which of the following? A. Procurement planning B. Using expert judgment C. Creating the procurement management plan D. Make-or-buy analysis

Answer: D Process - Task 11 - Manage Procurement Make-or-buy analysis involves determining whether it's more cost effective to purchase the goods or services needed for the project versus producing them or performing them internally.

You are a project manager and you are conducting the initial meeting with your project team. A goal of the meeting is to discuss and align on the components of the project charter. After some lively debate the team comes to an agreement on what is, and is not included in the project charter. Which of the following is included in the project charter? A. Project scope statement B. Quality standards C. Staffing assignments D. High level requirements

Answer: D Process - Task 12 - Manage Artifacts Choice D is the correct answer. The project charter includes a high-level requirement on the project whereas WBS, risks, and quality standards are not parts of the project charter.

You are consolidating all the cost estimates you received from the Project Management Team members. You realize the estimates are coming back in different formats. Some team members are using outdated forms and documents. What is least likely to be the cause of this? A. Poor configuration management B. Plans were updated, but all team members did not receive the updates C. Poor communication management D. Poor risk management processes

Answer: D Process - Task 12 - Manage Artifacts Poor risk management at this point is the least likely cause. If the plan has been updated configuration management would ensure the most up to date documents are being used and each team member would receive them. Communication management would ensure all changes were properly communicated.

You are working on developing a master quality policy which will be kept by your project management office and referenced by other project managers in the future. Which of the following themes should you be emphasizing when preparing this document? A. More emphasis should be placed on testing and inspection than on planning, since the former serves to catch flaws/defects. B. Quality planning should be done as needed throughout the project, as opposed to spending excessive time planning up front. C. Quality outcomes should be measured by the level of customer satisfaction achieved. D. Substantial time and money should be spent planning quality at the beginning, to avoid defects in the first place.

Answer: D Process - Task 14 - Establish Governance The PMBOK Guide states that your highest expense in quality management will likely come in the form of quality planning. Quality must be planned in, or "managed in" to a project on the front end, which will save money and effort in the long run because there will be fewer defects and problems to fix. Remember, quality is the extent to which the requirements are met, which is not always the same as simply creating customer satisfaction.

You are the project manager in a project-oriented organization. You are working closely with the PMO to document lessons learned and other important records. In the past you have been reluctant to document lessons learned because you were often immediately assigned to a new project that you did not want to delay. However your PMO is adamant about properly archiving all necessary documentation. Archived project records will be most helpful for which of the following reasons? A. It is recommended by the project management office B. To document project performance C. To provide necessary information to reward the team D. To support future projects

Answer: D Process - Task 16 - Knowledge Transfer Project archives are required to support future projects in the performing organization. Even though the other choices are also true to some extent, the best response is choice D.

A new project manager joins the project daily standup, only to find that the project team spends too much time discussing ways to deal with obstructions in the project. Because of these discussions, standups often last well over two hours. What process should be used to deal with this issue? A. Ask team members to invite their managers to standup sessions, in order to find solutions more quickly. B. Explain to team members that long discussions take time away from actual work on the project. C. Insert a new team member who will manage obstacles and schedule additional meetings to discuss possible solutions. D. Tell the team members that they are required to shorten the standup meetings and improve on finding solutions.

Answer: D Process - Task 2 - Manage Communications Most project managers think if they have the daily standup, they can apply agile way to manage the projects. But what is important for agile is how to implement the daily standup. Teams run their own standups. When run well, standups can be very useful, provided the nature of the work requires intense collaboration. Identify the blockers on the standups but have separate meetings to discuss the blockers and the solution. The Agile Practice Guide (2017), Chapter 5 / 5.2.4 Daily Standups, 53

As part of your communications planning for your project, you determine the information needs of your stakeholders. These are defined by combining the type and format of information needed along with an analysis of the value of that information. Your next move should be to gather together all of the following information except? A. Stakeholder information and communication requirements B. Number of potential communication channels C. Legal requirements D. Resource management plan

Answer: D Process - Task 2 - Manage Communications The specific technique you are using here is called communication requirements analysis. All but D are listed as important sources of information.

During the execution of a project, the project manager understands the value in ensuring the information needs of the project and its stakeholders are met by monitoring communications. As part of the efforts of the project manager in accomplishing this, he or she consults certain plans or documents to help in this endeavor. The plans or documents to be consulted include which of the following? A. Resource management plan, communications management plan B. Resource register, risk register, communications management plan C. Stakeholder register, resource management plan D. Resource management plan, communications management plan, stakeholder engagement plan

Answer: D Process - Task 2 - Manage Communications When you see the words consult or refer to, this is typically referring to inputs. In this case Answer D is the only one containing the three inputs to Monitor Communications. There is no such document as the resource register.

In agile, what is the term used to describe the prioritizing of a feature based on its value compared to its risk? A. Risk management plan B. Risk-prioritized backlog C. Risk assessment D. Risk-adjusted backlog

Answer: D Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks Option D is correct. Risk-adjusted backlog is the term used to describe the prioritization of user stories / features based on value compared to risk. You may want to give higher priority to features with high levels of risk to ensure you have adequate resources to overcome any potential shortcomings.

You are defining the most efficient and effective way to allow stakeholders to participate in the Identify Risks process. As you do so, you are working to clearly define what risk means in context to your project so that your team members will be consistent with their risk identification cataloging within the Risk Register. To help them best understand risk events, which of the following would not be a characteristic of a project risk event? A. It has a cause B. The event, if occurs, has a consequence. C. It impacts the project objectives. D. Probability of occurrence is zero.

Answer: D Process - Task 3 - Manage Risks Project risk is an event or condition, which has a cause and if it occurs, a consequence. We are concerned with those risk events that have consequences on the project objectives, whether positive or negative. The origin of risk is the uncertainty inherent in projects and therefore the probability that the risk event would occur is always more than zero.

Your project has recently been plagued by unforeseen events detrimental to the scope and quality of your project. During a project update meeting with the Sponsor, you have been asked to get the project back on schedule. After speaking with your Project Management Team, you decided to hire additional laborers and approve overtime for employees. What type of approach is this? A. By approving over time, you are now able to speed up successor activities to bring the schedule back into compliance B. You are utilizing the law of diminishing returns, whereby adding additional resources will align project work with the schedule baseline C. You are utilizing excess funding to pay for more services, bringing the project schedule back in line D. You are using reserves to authorize additional spending on resources in order to meet the scheduled deadline

Answer: D Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources In this scenario you are crashing the project by paying for additional services or resources to bring the project back into alignment with the Project Charter. Option A: at best is a mediocre example of leads; Option B: The law of diminishing returns simply states adding more resources does not necessarily improve capability or output. In fact, a point arises where the additional resource is a detriment to the project. Option C: Excess funding would not apply in this situation and typically this is an unrealistic expectation.

You are a new project manager for your organization. Your project has a BAC of $250,000 and is expected to last 10 months. The project just completed month six and is 40 percent complete, but the project was expected to be 60 percent complete by this time. You have spent $125,000 to complete the work. What is the cost performance index of the project, and are you over, under or on budget? A. 0.66 over budget B. 1.25 under budget C. Not enough information to complete the problem D. 0.8 over budget

Answer: D Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources The cost performance index is calculated by dividing the earned value by the actual costs. The EV is the $250,000 budget multiplied by the 40% completion percentage for the project, i.e. $100,000. You are given actual cost of $125,000. The formula for CPI is EV/AC or 100,000/125,000. The result is 0.80 for CPI, and you are over budget (CPI < 1.0).

Jeremiah works for the Human Resources department for Tuba Toothpaste Co. He has been training project managers within the company PMO in regards to policy for employee reward and recognition. Because of limited funds, he has asked the PMs to curtail unnecessary spending and to adhere to HR spending guidelines. Sarah, one such project manager, feels that buying lunch for her team every week is a great way to keep them motivated and that it is an appropriate expense. What type of cost is this? A. Direct B. Fixed C. Variable D. Indirect

Answer: D Process - Task 5 - Manage Budget and Resources This is an indirect cost. Indirect cost are costs that are not directly related to the project or project deliverables, but can provide tangible benefits to the project. In this case Sarah's team is more motivated and does better work.

You and your team are placing activities in orders based on dependencies and logical relationships. During the planning session you must create a document to represent the relationships and use configuration management per company policy when complete. Choose the best option below? A. Create a schedule network diagram and configure software updates including the activity attributes, activity list, WBS Dictionary, then baseline your schedule B. Use the critical path method to identify float, then request approval of the schedule baseline C. Create a schedule network and update your risk register D. Create a schedule network diagram, then when complete update activities attributes, activity list, and the WBS Dictionary according the configuration management plan

Answer: D Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule A schedule network diagram is a graphical representation of the logical relationship, also known as the dependencies among the project schedule activities (pg. 194; 6.3.3.1) A configuration management system is defined as a collection of procedures used to track project artifacts and monitor and control changes to these artifacts. In simple terms, when a document is created, updated or deleted other documents must be updated to reflect those changes. Answer A and B are wrong because at this point you would not baseline, Answer C is simply not the best answer

Which of the following is true regarding the critical path? A. It determines the earliest completion date. B. It is the longest duration of project activities C. It has the most activities in the Project Schedule Network Diagram D. Both A and B

Answer: D Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule The critical path is the path of dependent activities which determines the earliest completion date, but also yields the longest total duration. Remember, the activities along the critical path will never have float time, and thus, all compression measures must be aimed at critical path activities. There can be more than one critical path when there is a tie for the longest sequence of dependent activities in the schedule network. Finally, the critical path can change if a non-critical path activity (or activities) are delayed, such that their chain of tasks now adds up to the highest total duration of any chain in the network.

Your team is looking at the difference between the cost baseline and actual costs to date on your project. This is best described as? A. Planned deviations B. Relationships C. Connections D. Variance Analysis

Answer: D Process - Task 6 - Manage Schedule Variance Analysis consists of comparing the actual performance of the project to the baseline plans. The project manager manages variances and identifies the reasons therefor.

In Quality Management, Control Quality is the process whose key benefit is verifying project deliverables meet the requirements specified by key stakeholders. An output of this process is quality control measurements. These measurements later become inputs to which other process? A. Direct and Manage Project Work B. Monitor and Control Project Work C. Validate Scope D. Manage Quality

Answer: D Process - Task 7 - Manage Quality While some of the processes have quality reports as inputs, only Manage Quality has quality control measurements as an input. They are used to analyze and evaluate the quality of the processes and deliverables of the project against the standards of the organization or project requirements

Fred is the project manager for a bank creating a new investment product. As the requirement specifications are being written, a new federal rule is passed requiring more customer information when opening this investment. Fred proposes writing a change request for this, since it will require significantly more work. April, the marketing representative, wants to change the customer information requirements specification, because the scope statement has not been signed off on yet. The development team has already started incorporating the changes into the technical specification. Who is correct? A. Fred, because he is the project manager B. Fred, because the new requirement is a law that must be followed C. April, because the project charter has not been signed off on yet D. April, because this should be covered in the planning meetings with the team

Answer: D Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope Because the scope statement has not been signed off, the general planning meetings are the right place to discuss this. C is not correct because we have the project charter signed off, but we know the technical requirements are not done. B is incorrect because even though the new rule is a law that must be followed, the project does not have a complete and approved scope statement.

You are working with a new project management team member to create a WBS Dictionary. He has not created one in the past and is confused regarding what to include. Which of the following best describes the elements of a WBS Dictionary entry? A. The definition of the work package including its Net Present Value (NPV). B. Work Package ID and Name, Statement of Work, Required Resources, and Monte Carlo Analysis. C. Work Package ID and Name, Statement of Work, Risk Register, Earned Value Calculation, Scheduled Complete Date, and Cost D. Work package ID and Name, Statement of Work, Responsible Organization, Schedule Milestones, Quality Requirements, Code of Account Identifier, Required Resources, Cost Estimate.

Answer: D Process - Task 8 - Manage Scope Choices A, B, and C all have things that are not in the WBS including Net Present Value, Monte Carlo Analysis, Earned Value Calculation, etc. Remember the WBS Dictionary is there to flesh out the details of each WBS item.