PMP PREP (EXECUTE PROCESS)
In which of the following team-building stages does the team begin to work together and build good working relationships? A.Storming B.Performing C.Forming D.Norming
Executing - Resource Management Correct answer is D Tuckman's 5 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; and Adjourning is where the team disbands.
Which of the following are tools and techniques of Manage Team? A.Virtual teams B.Training C.Team Performance Appraisals D.Interpersonal Skills
Executing - Resource Management Correct answer is D Virtual teams, Training and Team performance appraisals are used during the Develop Team process
Which of the following suggests that employees are motivated by the expectation of positive outcomes and related rewards? A.Hygiene Theory B.Theory of Needs C.Theory X D.Expectancy Theory
Executing - Resource Management D.Expectancy Theory Expectancy theory holds that expected rewards (such as bonuses) best motivates employees.
Which of the following would not be updated/enhanced following the Develop Team process? A.Project schedule B.Skill assessments C.Employee development plans D.Personnel administration
Executing - Resource Management D.Personnel administration Choices A, B, and C are appropriate outputs. Answers B & C are part of Enterprise Environmental Factors Updates and Choice A is one of the Project Documents Updates. Answer D is not an output nor would this be updated as a part of this process.
Which of the following types of power stems solely from one's position in the organization? A.Referent B.Formal C.Expert D.Reward
Executing - Resource Management The answer is B Formal power is derived from one's position in the company, i.e. the CEO. Forms or sources of power are listed in the PMBOK Guide on page 63.
Which type of power is considered the most effective? A.Formal B.Reward C.Punishment D.Expert
Executing - Resource Management The answer is D Of the answers provided, Expert power is the most effective since it stems from the person's unique skills or expertise. The other form of power that has similar effectiveness, is Referent power. This is the power that a person has due to the respect that people have for them as an individual (so it is based on their personality). Formal, Reward and Punishment power are all based on the position an individual has and are less effective than Expert and Referent.
All of the following are benefits of the Implement Risk Responses process except which one? A.Minimize individual project risk B.Maximize individual project opportunities C.Reduce opportunities D.Implement responses in order to address overall project risk
Executing - Risk Management Answer C is the only one that is not a benefit of this process. We want to increase opportunities, not reduce them.
Which of the following is not a tool and technique of the Implement Risk Responses process? A.PMIS B.Influencing C.Expert Judgement D.Risk management plan
Executing - Risk Management Answer D is an input to this process, not a tool and technique.
You are a project manager working on a high visibility project with a critical customer. A previously identified risk event has occurred. Which process ensures that the response is executed as planned? A.Implement Risk Responses B.Plan Risk Responses C.Direct and Manage Project Work D.Monitor Risks
Executing - Risk Management Answer is A Implement Risk Responses is the process of implementing agreed-upon risk response plans.
Who is responsible for ensuring that agreed-upon responses will be executed for risk events that occur? A.Risk owner B.Risk manager C.Project Manager D.All of the above
Executing - Risk Management Answer is A Risk owners will take responsibility for planning an appropriate risk response and ensuring that it is implemented.
Which of the following documents is least likely to be updated as a result of the Implement Risk Responses process? A.Lessons learned register B.Risk register C.Risk report D.Stakeholder register
Executing - Risk Management Answer is D While it is possible that the stakeholder register may be updated as a result of this process, the other three project documents would certainly be updated upon the implementation of any risk response
Gina has been studying for her PMP exam. Having worked in her industry for over 10 years, she has become accustomed to certain patterns in the life cycle of her projects. She knows that phases can be used as decision points to continue or kill a project and that doing so can save money in the long run if orchestrated properly. She knows the best places to schedule these gates is often right before when most of the project money is spent. In general, when is MOST of the project budget spent? A.Project Planning B.Project Execution C.Project Monitoring and Controlling D.Project Closing
Executing - Framework Answer is B Since resources (people, materials, and machinery) are utilized during Project Execution, most of the project money is spent in the Project Execution process group. This is where the work is getting done.
What is used to create an atmosphere of trust, so that all team members feel comfortable in sharing their knowledge? A.Leadership B.Communication C.Team-building activities D.Weekly meetings
Executing - Integration Management A.Leadership Leadership is used to create an atmosphere of trust where everyone feels comfortable sharing their knowledge. While answers B and C may be used at some point, leadership is the key factor. There is nothing in the question that suggests weekly meeting are needed or would even be required.
Which of the following is false about Manage Project Knowledge? A.It is within the Project Integration Management Knowledge Area B.It updates Organizational Process Assets C.It is conducted as part of Monitoring and Controlling D.Lessons Learned Register is an input to this process
Executing - Integration Management Answer is C Manage Project Knowledge is a process in the Project Integration Management Knowledge Area and the Executing Process Group, not the Monitoring and Controlling Process Group.
Your company has hired a new project management vendor to run your complex global healthcare manufacturing project. In order to establish useful project practices, the project manager requests that you and your department help provide key performance metrics every week. While you know this will be extra work for your team, about 2.5 hours minimum, you agree to help knowing it may help reduce the risk of project failure in the long-run. To obtain performance information, all of the following are required during execution except which one? A.Analysis of cost and schedule variances B.Reviewing work planned C.Measuring work progress D.Establishing the baseline
Executing - Integration Management Answer is D Answer A requires the baseline for analysis of the variances, Answers B & C are both required and are outputs of executing processes. Answer D states establishing the baseline, not using the baseline. Establishing the baseline is done during planning of a project.
Your project's primary constraint is time. One of your key stakeholders, who is a major contributor on this project, is demanding the schedule be lengthened. He held his department picnic last weekend, and three of his staff members came down with H1N1 virus. The team members he's assigned to your project (who didn't contract the virus) must now do double duty and help support the department functions until their co-workers get well. Your customer will not agree to a schedule change. Which of the following statements is false given the facts in this question? A.The project manager has the weakest amount of power and authority in this type of organization. B.The project manager should try to resolve the problem such that it doesn't affect the project schedule. C.This company's organizational structure is functional, since the department manager is responsible for assigning resources to the project. D.The project manager should work with the stakeholder to resolve the problem and negotiate with the customer to change the schedule.
Executing - Integration Management Answer is D When problems arise on a project, they should be resolved in favor of the customer whenever possible. This organization is a functional organization, as the department manager is responsible for assigning resources, which means the project manager lacks authority to do what D suggests.
You are the project manager for a large real estate company. You are currently managing a project to help clients buy and sell homes by emphasizing training, compensation, and a creative culture for its brokers. Which of the following is the most likely to be a project deliverable? A.A project charter B.A project status meeting C.A system integration test report D.A variance report
Executing - Integration Management Choice C is the best answer. Deliverables are usually a tangible item, but can sometimes be intangible like testing, etc.
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? A.The team members in question B.The whole team C.The project manager D.The project champion
Executing - Integration Management Correct answer is A 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 PM 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.
You are managing a project for a pharmaceutical company to develop a new flu vaccine that could save millions of lives. Which of the following would you use if you wanted to analyze actual versus planned results? A.Status report B.Results from variance analysis C.Trend report D.Forecast report
Executing - Integration Management Correct answer is B Results from variance analysis are used to compare planned versus actual results. Status reports typically look at status for the current period. Trend reports show performance plotted over time. Forecasts try to predict the future project performance.
You are an experienced project manager for a computer development company. You were assigned a long and complicated project. Generally your stakeholders are satisfied and you are feeling good about the project outcome. You have completed your project delivery and currently are in the project closing process. You have started preparing the lessons learned register. What should be your primary goal when creating this document? A.Ensuring your lessons learned are communicated to the stakeholders in accordance with the Stakeholder Management Plan B.Process analysis C.Continuous improvement D.Documenting everything that has happened throughout the project
Executing - Integration Management Correct answer is C Lessons learned are useful in process improvements from an organizational and technical perspective. The information will be useful for future projects and will therefore be a valuable component of the organizational process assets.
You have recently scheduled several meetings with individuals from your project team to review items in the issue log and resolve them by developing corrective actions. What is the best description of this process? A.This is part of the Manage Stakeholder Engagement process to ensure that stakeholder needs are being met B.This is part of the Direct and Manage Project Work process to ensure that stakeholder needs are being met C.This is part of the Manage Team process to ensure that project goals are met D.This is part of the Manage Quality process to ensure that any issues that have arisen during Control Quality are being managed
Executing - Integration Management Correct answer is C Meeting with your individual project team members to discuss the issue log would be part of the Manage Team process (which is why Issue Logs are a tool for that process). If it was related to stakeholders they would be invited to the meeting. Perform Quality Assurance does not use an issue log.
You are the project manager for an accounting project. You have requested 2 senior-level auditors to assist you on your project, but the accounting director assigns 2 very junior team members that lack the necessary skills to complete the work. How should you respond? A.Go to the accounting director's manager and ask for the senior resources you need. B.Do the best you can with the junior team members. C.Ask your manager to talk with the accounting director. D.Call a meeting with the accounting director, so that you can explain more clearly the need for senior resources on your project.
Executing - Integration Management Correct answer is D The appropriate course of action is always to try to resolve the issue directly with the person you have the problem with, thus choice D is the correct answer. You should never go to outside parties, as suggested in choices A and C, until you have first tried to resolve the issue yourself. Choice B is clearly wrong, because you know the junior resources are not up to the task.
Which of the following includes analyzed data collected from various controlling processes, analyzed in context and integrated based on relationships across areas? A.Work Performance Data B.Work Performance Reports C.Work Performance Review D.Work Performance Information
Executing - Integration Management D.Work Performance Information Work Performance Information takes the raw data and analyzes it relative to what we had planned for. Choice A is incorrect since Work Performance Data include merely the raw observations and measurements identified during performance of the work. Choice B is incorrect since Work Performance Reports are the physical or electronic representation of work performance information compiled in project documents. Choice C is a made up term.
All of the following are true regarding deliverables except which one? A.Any unique result generated by the project is a deliverable B.They are verifiable products or services C.They are an input to the Manage Quality process D.They are an output of the Direct and Manage Project Work process
Executing - Integration Management The answer is C Deliverables are inputs to the Control Quality process (so we can inspect them), but not for the Manage Quality process. The results of Control Quality (Quality Control Measurements) will become an input to Manage Quality, however.
You are the project manager in a large manufacturing organization. Your project appears to have been progressing well with minimal interruptions and changes. Your customer has approved all phases of your project to date, but says an important deliverable was ignored. After having a meeting with the client, he also wants to stop the project and withhold payment. Which of the following statements is true? A.You and your company may have to use problem-solving techniques such as arbitration and mediation to reach an agreement. B.You and your company may have to use communication techniques such as arbitration and mediation to reach an agreement. C.You and your company may have to use negotiation techniques such as mediation to reach an agreement. D.You and your company may have to use influencing techniques such as arbitration and mediation to reach an agreement.
Executing - Integration Management The answer is C Mediation is a negotiation technique you may employ to resolve disputes. The first step is always to try to resolve the problem yourself, which you already did. You would now need to escalate the matter.
Which of the following is not a contract requirement? A.Letter of intent B.Acceptance C.Consideration D.Legal capacity
Executing - Procurement Management Answer choice A is correct. Consideration is the exchange of something of value. Capacity means the person has the ability and authority to enter the contract. Also, the contract must be for a legal purpose to be enforceable.
Which of the following would best assist in making sure the quotes and schedule received are reasonable, given the market for the services being acquired? A.Proposal evaluation technique B.Seller proposals C.Bidder conference D.An independent estimate
Executing - Procurement Management Answer choice D is correct. Choice A is incorrect since a proposal evaluation technique involves evaluating a potential seller based on weighted criteria. Choice B is incorrect since a seller proposal is basic information that will be used to evaluate and select one or more successful bidders. Choice C is incorrect since bidder conferences are meetings between buyer and prospective sellers to ensure that all parties have a clear and common understanding.
You are working in an organization that has resources that are involved in project work. Who is most likely to be responsible for team development? A.Project manager B.Functional manager C.Stakeholders D.Project team
Executing - Resource Management Answer is A The question implies that this is a projectized organization as the resources are involved in project work. The project manager owns the responsibility of managing team development in a projectized organization.
Your company specializes in the manufacturing of a very unique medical device in a niche market in Eastern Europe. As the project manager, your team has been chartered to upgrade the manufacturing equipment to improve output, safety and performance. However, you do not have all the specialty materials you need in-house. As such you and your subject matter experts have decided to evaluate outside sellers to assist with assembly. You contact your procurement department to help with the vendor selection process and are promptly informed that for this project you must single source your provider. A single-source seller means what? A.There is only one qualified seller B.There is only one seller the company wants to do business with for a given procurement C.There is a seller that can provide all aspects of the project procurement needs D.There is only one seller in the market
Executing - Procurement Management Answer is B A single-source seller means there is only one seller the company wants to do business with for that type of procurement.
You are managing a project to construct a new football stadium. You know that you will need to hire out much of the work to other companies because it is such a large job, and also because other companies can perform certain aspects of the work more efficiently than your own company can. You want to reach out to as many contractors as possible so that you can get the best work done at the best price. Which of the following would be least helpful to you in accomplishing this? A.Bidders Conference B.Advertising C.Analytical techniques D.Performance Reviews
Executing - Procurement Management Correct answer is D Answers A-C are tools and techniques of Conduct Procurements which would all help you reach out to potential contractors and find the right one for your job. Performance Reviews don't come into play at this stage, however. They are used during Control Procurements - after you have a contract in place - to ensure the seller is performing as expected.
Which of the following contains the key information that will be analyzed in order to evaluate and select one or more successful bidders? A.An independent estimate B.Proposal evaluation technique C.Bidder conference D.A seller proposal
Executing - Procurement Management D.A seller proposal The proposal itself contains the information that will be reviewed and analyzed in order to select a seller.
What is the key benefit of the Manage Quality process? A.It facilitates the improvement of quality processes B.It identifies the causes of poor process or product quality and takes action to eliminate them C.It results in improved teamwork and improved overall project performance D.It provides the means to recognize variance from the plan in order to take corrective action and minimize risks
Executing - Quality Management Answer choice A is correct. Choice B is the key benefit of the Control Quality process. Choice C is the key benefit of the Develop Team process. Choice D is the key benefit of the Control Costs and Control Schedule processes.
Which Manage Quality tool shows the strength of relationships between various factors? A.Activity On Node B.Matrix Diagrams C.Scatter diagram D.Interrelationship Diagrams
Executing - Quality Management Answer choice B is correct. Matrix diagrams shows the strength of relationships among factors, causes and objectives. Choice A is Precedence Diagramming Method and is used to construct a Schedule Network Diagram. Choice C is used to determine if two factors are related. Choice D provides a process for creative problem solving in moderately complex scenarios that possess intertwined logical relationships for up to 50 relevant items.
You are talking with your sponsor and discussing quality as it relates to your project, and projects in general. He states that quality is a management problem 85% of the time. What famous quality expert first proposed this hypothesis? A.Juran B.Deming C.Crosby D.Ishikawa
Executing - Quality Management Answer is B W. Edward Deming said that quality is a management problem 85% of the time. Joseph Juran believed in the fitness for use principal and promoted conformance and quality by design. Crosby believed in conformance to requirements and zero defects. Ishikawa is a type of chart (cause and effect diagram).
Design for X is an analytical technique which helps achieve which of the following? A.Determines how various statistical data will interrelate in a project B.Anticipates the probability that something will fail in a project C.Identifies which variables have the most influence on the overall quality outcome D.Allows for random inspection of a product
Executing - Quality Management Answer is C Design for X is a method for identifying which factors, or combination of factors, may influence specific variables of a product or process under development or in production. Design for X should be used during the Manage Quality.
You are a project manager with a mid-sized retail company. You are performing structured independent reviews to ensure compliance with the project's quality policies and procedures. Which of the following is true about the process this describes? A.It is the process of monitoring and recording results of executing the quality activities to assess performance. B.It identifies causes of poor process or product quality and recommends action to eliminate them. C.It sets forth the way in which the team will meet the quality requirements. D.It ensures appropriate quality standards and operational definitions are used.
Executing - Quality Management Answer is D This question is describing audits, which are used in the Manage Quality process.
Quality audits are designed to do all of the following except which one? A.Identify best practices being used B.Determine if the deliverables conform to documented standards C.Identify all nonconformity, gaps and shortcomings D.Highlight contributions of each audit in the lessons learned repository
Executing - Quality Management B.Determine if the deliverables conform to documented standards Inspection is used to determine if the work conforms to documented standards. Inspection is used in the Control Quality process.
What is not a purpose of the Manage Quality process? A.To audit the quality requirements B.To audit the results from quality control measurements C.To improve the quality process D.To record the results of executing the quality activities to assess performance and recommend necessary changes
Executing - Quality Management B.To audit the results from quality control measurements Answer choice D describes Control Quality, where we are concerned with monitoring and recording the execution of quality activities and recommending necessary changes. Manage Quality uses quality control measurements to assess the process and make recommended changes as necessary.
You are a project manager in a high tech company. Quality is a core value of your firm, and your sponsor is very concerned with delivering high quality by prevention and appraisal. Which of the following statements is true? A.Inspection helps avoid rework. B.Preventive actions prevent defects from reaching the customer. C.Inspection reduces random variation in the output of the process. D.Preventive actions reduce the likelihood that errors will occur in the process.
Executing - Quality Management Choice D is correct, because preventive actions are a documented direction to perform an activity that can reduce the probability of negative consequences associated with project risks. Choice A is wrong, because non-conforming products need to be reworked or rejected. Therefore, inspection usually results in rework. Choice B and C are wrong, because inspection ensures that errors do not reach the customer.
A diagram used to break a problem down into discrete branches could be identified by all of the following names except which one? A.Branch or tree diagram B.Why-why diagram C.Ishikawa diagram D.Fishbone diagram
Executing - Quality Management Correct answer is A A diagram that is used to break down a problem into discreet branches is called a Fishbone, Ishikawa, Cause-and-Effect or a Why-why diagram.
You are performing quality control on a project. Which of the following would you not use in this process? A.Audits B.Inspection C.Cause and effect diagram D.Pareto diagram
Executing - Quality Management Correct answer is A Quality audits are not part of the Control Quality process. You use Quality Audits during the Mange Quality process.
You are managing a manufacturing project and want to improve quality. Which of the following categories would inspections and destructive testing loss fall under? A.Prevention costs B.Appraisal costs C.Internal failure costs D.External failure costs
Executing - Quality Management Correct answer is B Appraisal costs are costs incurred to test the product. Prevention costs are costs incurred to build quality into the product, such as proper training and equipment. Internal failure costs are costs incurred prior to handing the product over to the customer, such as scrap and rework. External failure costs are costs incurred once the product is in the customer's hands, such as warranty work, legal liabilities and lost business.
You are looking at data points on a control chart in real time and notice 7 consecutive points above the mean, but within the control limits. What is this called and what does it mean? A.This is called assignable cause and it means you have identified a defect B.This is called common cause and it means the variation is predictable C.This is called quality assurance and it means you are doing your job D.This is called the Rule of 7 and it indicates a process is out of control
Executing - Quality Management Correct answer is D If you identify 7 consecutive data points on a control chart that are above the mean and within the control limits, then that indicates your process is out of control. The same is true of 7 consecutive data points below the mean and within the control limits. This is called the Rule of Seven.
Joseph Juran is best associated with which concept? A.The quality concept of zero defects B.14 Points of Total Quality Management C.Quality is a management problem 85% of the time D.Fitness for use
Executing - Quality Management D.Fitness for use Choice A is incorrect since Philip Crosby developed the concept that zero defects were attainable. Choices B and C are incorrect since they both are associated with W. Edwards Deming.
Which of the following suggests that working conditions, salary, etc. can only prevent dissatisfaction, but do not truly motivate employees? A.Hygiene Theory B.Theory of Needs C.Theory X D.Theory Y
Executing - Resource Management A.Hygiene Theory Frederick Herzberg's Hygiene Theory suggests that work conditions such as pay, benefits, etc. are only enough to prevent dissatisfaction (and will not motivate employees on their own).
Which of the following is not true regarding team-building activities? A.Team-building activities are singularly scheduled activities that occur only once during the project B.Team-building activities may vary from a brief in-house exercise to a a longer, off-site professionally-facilitated experience C.Team-building activities are useful for teams with remote members D.Team-building activities are most essential during the initial stages of a project
Executing - Resource Management Answer choice A is correct. Team-building is an on-going process which is crucial to project success. Choices B, C and D are true regarding team-building.
Which of the following is an advantage of co-location? A.Allows the use of more skilled resources B.Enhances communication C.Reduces costs D.Eliminates travel requirements
Executing - Resource Management Answer choice B is correct. Co-location, also known as a tight matrix, enhances communication and a sense of community. Choice A, C and D are advantages of a virtual team.
All of the following are true regarding Project Team Assignments except for which one? A.They document members assigned to the team B.They may be in the form of a project team directory C.They document the time periods that each team member is available to work on the project D.They are an output of the Acquire Resources process
Executing - Resource Management Answer choice C is correct. Resource Calendars are used to document the time periods that each team member is available to work on the project.
Soft skills such as active listening, cultural awareness and conflict resolution, are considered what type of skills? A.Management skills B.Communication skills C.Interpersonal skills D.Technical Skills
Executing - Resource Management Answer choice C is correct. Interpersonal skills include negotiation, influence, team-building, and group facilitation. Refer to page 534 in the PMBOK Guide for more on interpersonal skills.
What is the purpose of the Manage Team process? A.To improve competencies, interactions, and the overall team environment to enhance project performance B.To confirm the availability of human resources and obtain the team necessary to complete project activities C.To establish policies, procedures and documentation for managing, placing, and engaging project team members D.To track team member performance, provide feedback, resolve issues, and manage team changes to optimize project performance
Executing - Resource Management Answer choice D is correct. Choice A is incorrect since it describes the purpose of the Develop Team process. Choice B is incorrect since it describes the purpose of the Acquire Resources process. Choice C describes the Plan Resource Management process.
You are a project manager for a large technology company. The company is in the process of merging with another technology company and you are a project manager responsible for system integration. Your sponsor mentions something about a war room. A war room is an example of which of the following? A.Contract negotiation tactics B.Co-location C.Where the project plan is developed, and a tool in Develop Project Management Plan D.Human resource planning tools
Executing - Resource Management Answer is B Co-location is the practice of locating all team members in a central location. A war room is a central room where all team members can gather to be co-located, which helps improve communications and team interaction. This is a tool of Develop Team used in resource management.
After a status meeting, one of your team members, Tony, pulls you aside and tells you that he was insulted by what he perceived to be a racist comment from another team member. You meet with the team member who made the comment, Meredith, but she says that the other team member's performance has been very poor. She has never made a comment like this before at the company. You review the records, and see that she is correct that Tony has consistently delivered lower quality work than any other team member. What is the BEST way to handle this situation? A.At the next team meeting, reprimand Tony for his poor performance and Meredith for the racist comment B.Get Tony additional help for his poor performance C.Reprimand Meredith in private for her comments, if they were in fact racist, and follow the company policies for reporting racism among employees D.Meredith has never had this problem before, so she should be given another chance
Executing - Resource Management Answer is C Project managers must have a zero tolerance policy on racist remarks, or any other cultural insensitivity. If there is an incident involving racism, sexism or any other kind of discrimination, your top priority is to correct that. Every company has a policy that guides how you handle this kind of situation, so a question involving racism will usually involve the company's Human Resource department.
All of the following are true regarding Training except which one? A.Training can be formal or informal B.It is a tool and technique of Acquire Resources C.Training is designed to enhance team member competencies D.Training can be unplanned
Executing - Resource Management B.It is a tool and technique of Acquire Resources Training is a tool of the Develop Team process. Choices A, C and D are true regarding training. Unplanned training can happen as a result of observation, conversation, or project performance appraisals.
Lines of authority, team member responsibilities, and loyalties can be blurred in a balanced matrix environment. You should do all of the following during the Develop Team process except for which one? A.Schedule a regular meeting with the functional supervisors of each team member to ensure they remain authorized to work on the project until their responsibilities are completed B.Meet with the functional supervisors of each team member to discuss strategies for coordinating performance appraisals and feedback C.Develop a training plan and schedule to ensure that team members receive the appropriate training needed to enhance their competencies D.Establish a set of ground rules regarding acceptable behavior
Executing - Resource Management Correct answer is A A meeting with functional supervisors to ensure team members are authorized to work on a project is done during the Acquire Resources process, and not on a recurring basis.
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 to each method. At the end of the meeting they come up with a solution that both agree to. This is an example of what? A.Compromise B.Collaborating C.Forcing D.Withdrawal
Executing - Resource Management Correct answer is B 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 just meet in the middle without much real discussion.
As you begin to onboard various team members onto your project, you notice that nearly a dozen of your fellow employees have not yet had their standard safety and behavioral compliance training. This training is critical to each team member being successful on your project. Training of team members in general job skills such as these is the responsibility of whom? A.The engineering manager B.The director of training C.The functional manager D.The project manager
Executing - Resource Management Correct answer is C The functional manager is responsible for training in general job skills. The project manager should address project-specific skills.
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 come to an agreement as to 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? A.Since they are requiring less external supervision they are about to enter the Performing stage B.The addition of a new team member will cause the team to enter the Storming stage C.Because the new team member has been involved as a stakeholder on the project the team will repeat the Norming stage. D.The addition of the new team member will cause the team to enter the Forming stage.
Executing - Resource Management Correct answer is D 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.
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? A.Withdrawal B.Compromise C.Collaborating D.Smoothing
Executing - Resource Management Correct answer is D 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.
Your project had a difficult time receiving formal approval for the project management plan because there were so many stakeholders whose requirements were not approved for inclusion in the project. These stakeholders argued and held up the project while they held meeting after meeting about their requirements. The project was finally approved and work began seven months ago. All of the following would be wise actions to take given the circumstances, except for which of the following? A.Keep a file on the requirements that were not included in the project. B.Make sure the change control process is not used as a vehicle to add back the rejected requirements into the project C.Maintain an issue log D.Hold meetings with the stakeholders to go over work that will not be added to the project
Executing - Scope Management Answer is D Spending valuable time in meetings to discuss abandoned requirements would not add value, and would likely only serve to further frustrate the stakeholders. You should keep a file on such requirements, however, to help clarify what is and what is not part of the project (which will assist with change control matters, stakeholder management, etc.)
Which of the following is not considered a management skill? A.Presentation skills B.Writing skills C.Active listening D.Public speaking
Executing - Stakeholder Management Active listening is considered a communication skill.
You are the project manager of a marketing intelligence project and you are 75% of the way through the project. At this point in the project you likely cannot change that much, as it's almost complete. A new chief marketing officer (CMO) has been hired at your company and he will obviously be affected by your project. What should you do? A.Complete the project and show the CMO the results when you are finished B.Meet with the CMO to discuss his requirements C.Add the CMO to the weekly status report distribution list D.Stop all work on the project until you get approval from the new CMO to continue
Executing - Stakeholder Management Correct answer is B The appropriate response is to meet with the CMO to discuss his requirements. You should not ignore the new CMO, a key stakeholder on your project, as suggested in choice A. Also, simply adding him to the weekly status report distribution list in insufficient - you need to understand his requirements, even if most or all of them cannot be met at this late stage. Choice D is improper --you should continue working on your project and try to schedule a meeting with the new CMO as soon as possible.
You are the project manager for a large defense contractor. You are currently attending a change control meeting to get several scope changes approved. What items should you be relying upon as you perform this process? A.Project management plan, work performance information, requirements documentation, requirements traceability matrix, verified deliverables B.Project management plan, scope baseline, enterprises environmental factors, organizational process assets, change requests C.WBS, WBS dictionary, scope baseline D.Project management plan, work performance reports, enterprises environmental factors, organizational process assets, change requests
Monitoring - Integration Management Answer is D The question states that you are attending a change control meeting. Therefore you must be in the Perform Integrated Change Control process, and the inputs to this process are project management plan, work performance reports, enterprises environmental factors, organizational process assets and change requests.
You are in the planning phase 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? A.Bottom-up estimating is the most labor intensive and not quite as accurate as parametric estimating. B.You have completed the Estimating Costs process and will use the cost baseline to begin the Determine Budget process which will create the budget performance baseline used to measure future project performance. C.Bottom-up estimating is the most labor intensive and is more accurate than parametric estimating. D.You have completed the Determine Budget process and will use the cost baseline to begin the Establish Budget process which will create the budget performance baseline used to measure future project performance.
Planning - Cost Management Correct answer is C Bottom-up estimating takes the most time but is the most accurate since it aggregates the cost of every activity. There is no budget performance baseline.
Which of the following is used to modify a nonconforming product or project component? A. A preventative action B. A corrective action C. A defect D. A defect repair
Planning - Integration Management Answer choice D is correct. Choice A is incorrect since a preventative action helps ensure the future performance of the project work is aligned with the project management plan. Choice B is incorrect since a corrective action realigns the performance of the project work with the project management plan. Choice C is incorrect since a defect is an imperfection or deficiency in a project component where that component needs to be either repaired or replaced.
You are the project manager for FixIt Construction. You just completed an extensive home remodeling project. You have employed a cost plus incentive fee contract for a piece of work your project is procuring. The contract has a target cost of $130,000, a target profit of $15,000, a target price of $145,000, a ceiling price of $159,000 and a buyer's share ratio of 80/20. The actual cost of the project was $150,000. Based on this scenario, how much profit does the seller make? A.$5,000 B.$15,000 C.$0 D.$9,000
Planning - Procurement Management Correct answer is D The planned amount to be paid to the contractor is targeted cost plus targeted profit. This equals $130,000 plus $15,000 = $145,000. However, actual cost incurred was $150,000 instead of planned cost of $130,000. Thus, the amount to be paid = Actual Cost plus targeted profit, minus 20% share of the cost increase. i.e. $150,000 + $15,000 - 20% of $20,000 = $161,000. Maximum amount to be paid cannot exceed $159,000, however, so the seller receives $159,000 and makes a profit of $9,000.
What type of variance is not inherent in the system, not predictable, intermittent, and includes non-random data points? A.Special cause also known as a random cause B.Common cause also known as an assignable cause C.Special cause also known as an assignable cause D.Common cause also known as random cause
Planning - Quality Management Answer choice C is correct. A special cause variation is also known as an assignable cause variation, whereas a common cause variation is also known as a random cause variation.
What type of variance is inherent in the system, predictable, normal, and includes random data points? A.Special cause also known as a random cause B.Common cause also known as an assignable cause C.Special cause also known as an assignable cause D.Common cause also known as random cause
Planning - Quality Management Answer choice D is correct. Common cause variations are those fluctuations in values that fall within the control limits and are therefore acceptable (unless 7 in a row fall on one side or the other of the mean, in which case the process is deemed out of control).
