Project Management Cert

1. A building contractor is working on a vacation home and is looking over his schedule. He notices that the schedule calls for the foundation footers to be poured and then the rough floor decking to be installed. In this plan, the decking would be an example of what type of activity? a. Successor task b. Predecessor task c. Lag activity d. Crashed activity

A

1. What is the lowest level of decomposition in the Work Breakdown Structure called? a. Work package b. Deliverable c. Subdeliverable d. Project

A

1. What is the main role of the functional manager? a. To control resources b. To manage the project when the project manager isn't available c. To define business processes d. To manage the project manager

A

2. The project manager for a large project being developed in northern Ontario recognizes that it will be necessary for her to maintain a close presence at the construction site during its development and has ¬negotiated the use of a building for her team near the construction project. The cost of the building must be factored into the project cost and will increase with use; that is, the cost of heating and other utilities is subject to change depending upon weather and team use. What type of cost would this building represent? a. Variable direct b. Indirect c. Nonrecurring d. None of the above

A

2. Todd is working on resource scheduling in preparation for the start of a project. There is a potential problem in the works, however, as the new collective bargaining agreement with the company's union has not been concluded. Todd decides to continue working on the resource schedule in anticipation of a satisfactory settlement. Todd's approach would be an example of which method for dealing with risk? a. Accept it b. Minimize it c. Transfer it d. Share it

A

3. What is an organization that controls project managers, documentation, and policies called? a. Project management office b. Strong matrix c. Functional d. Pure project

A

3. Your project is nearing completion. At your request, members of your project team are grouping together critical project documentation, including contracts and financial records, change orders, scope and configuration management materials, and supplier delivery records. This process involves the creation of which of the following? a. Archives b. Lessons learned c. Contract and legal files d. Scope document

A

4. A business analyst has a career path that has been very important to her throughout the 10 years of her career. She is put on a project with a strong matrix organizational structure. Which of the following is likely viewed as a negative of being on the project? a. Being away from the group and on a project that might make it more difficult to get promoted b. Working with people who have similar skills c. Working long hours because the project is a high priority d. Not being able to take her own certification tests because she is so busy

A

4. Carrie is from the marketing department and she has become increasingly upset with the attitude of the production member of the project team, Andrew. He seems to either ignore her opinions or make disparaging comments every time she speaks, usually referring to marketing in an unpleasant way. Which stage of group development is the project team addressing, as evidenced by the interactions of Carrie and Andrew? a. Norming b. Performing c. Storming d. Adjourning

A

4. Suppose you created your activity network and discovered that you had two critical paths in your project. You share this information with another project manager, who strongly argues that a project can have only one critical path; therefore, your calculations are incorrect. What is the correct response to his assertion? a. A project can have more than one critical path, although having multiple critical paths is also likely to increase the risk of the project falling behind. b. Your coworker is correct: A project can have only one critical path. You need to return to the network and determine where you erred in developing the network logic and diagram. c. The critical path is the shortest path through the network, so having more than one is not a significant problem. d. A project can have more than one critical path, although having multiple critical paths is actually likely to decrease the overall risk of the project.

A

4. When adopting resource-leveling heuristics, which of the following are relevant decision rules? a. The activities with the least slack time should have resources allocated to them first b. The activities with the longest duration are the best candidates for receiving extra resources c. Activities with the fewest successor tasks should have resource priority d. Activities with the highest WBS identification numbers are the first to receive available resources

A

5. Your project team is working from a network diagram. This type of tool will show the team: a. Activity precedence b. Duration estimates for the activities and overall schedule c. The dates activities are expected to begin d. The network diagram will show none of the above

A

Cost estimation per work package should occur

After the work breakdown structure is created and before the budget baseline for the project is developed

1. Suppose your PV for a project was $100,000 and your EV was $60,000. Your Schedule Performance Index (SPI) for this project would be: a. 1.52 b. .60 c. You cannot calculate SPI with the information provided d. 1.66

B

1. The IT implementation project is bogging down and falling behind schedule. The department heads are complaining that the project cannot help them if it is not implemented in a reasonable time frame. Your project manager is considering putting extra resources to work on activities along the critical path to accelerate the schedule. This is an example of what? a. Rebaselining b. Crashing c. Fast-tracking the project d. Identifying critical dependencies

B

1. The project administrator is preparing a preliminary budget for a project and adds in the cost of a new computer for the project team to use. What type of cost would this computer purchase represent? a. Variable b. Direct c. Indirect d. Variable direct

B

1. The project manager identifies 20 tasks needed to complete her project. She has four project team members available to assign to these activities. The process of assigning personnel to project activities is known as: a. Resource leveling b. Resource loading c. Finding the critical path d. Creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

B

3. Two programmers are involved in a conflict that is threatening to disrupt the development of the project. The project manager calls the two programmers into her office and reminds them that they are both "on the same side" in working to develop the software application for the company. Her conflict resolution style would best be seen as: a. Arbitration b. Defusion c. Controlling the conflict d. Eliminating the conflict

B

4. Activity slack (also known as float) can be calculated through which of the following means? a. Early finish (EF) - late finish (LF) b. Early finish (EF) - early start (ES) c. Late finish (LF) - late start (LS) d. Late start (LS) - early start (ES)

B

4. The execution phase of the IT project has just finished. The goals of this project were to update order-entry systems for your company's shipping department. Which of the following is the next step in the process of completing the project? a. Gaining acceptance or the project by your shipping department b. Finishing the work c. Closing the contract d. Releasing the resources

B

4. Which of the following gives the remaining amount to be spent on the project in Questions 2 and 3 based on current spending efficiency? a. Budget remaining b. Estimate to complete c. Cost variance d. Cost Performance Index (CPI)

B

5. A hospital expansion is being planned for a community. As part of the scope of this project, it will be necessary to close down the access routes into the emergency room for major remodeling; however, because this is the only hospital for trauma cases within 50 miles, it is not ¬possible to completely shut down the emergency room. The project team will have to find a means to remodel the emergency room while allowing for continuous ¬operations of the unit. This is an example of what? a. Negotiation points with the owner b. Constraints c. Initial assumptions d. Milestone development

B

5. John is putting together his budget for the project and as part of this process, he is actively discussing and soliciting estimates from each member of the project team for the overall budget. He presents his budget to senior management and Susan rejects it, stating, "Team members are always going to pad their estimates. I will give you the figure I want you to shoot for." Susan is employing what method for project cost budgeting? a. Bottom-up b. Top-down c. Parametric d. Comparative

B

5. One of the benefits of resource-loading charts is that they: a. Represent a method for finding available activity slack b. Graphically display the amount of resources required as a function of time c. Help resolve resource conflicts in multiproject settings d. All of the above are benefits of using resource-loading charts

B

5. Suppose your organization used a qualitative risk assessment matrix with three levels each of probability and consequences (high, medium, and low). In evaluating a project's risks, you determine that commercial risks pose a low probability of occurrence but high consequences. On the other hand, legal risks are evaluated as having a high probability of occurrence and medium consequences. If you are interested in prioritizing your risks, which of these should be considered first? a. Commercial risk b. Legal risk c. Both should be considered equally significant d. Neither is really much of a threat to this project, so it doesn't matter what order you assign them

B

5. The functional manager is planning the billing system replacement project with the newest project manager at the company. In discussing this project, the functional manager focuses on the cost associated with running the system after it is created and the number of years the system will last before it must be replaced. What best describes what the functional manager is focusing on? a. Project life cycle b. Product life cycle c. Project management life cycle d. Program management life cycle

B

The majority of the project budget is expended upon: a. Project plan development. b. Project plan execution. c. Project termination. d. Project communication.

B

1. The project manager has just met with her team to brainstorm some of the problems that could occur on the upcoming project. Today's session was intended to generate possible issues that could arise and get everyone to start thinking in terms of what they should be looking for once the project kicks off. This meeting would be an example of what element in the risk management process? a. Risk mitigation b. Control and documentation c. Risk identification d. Analysis of probability and consequences

C

2. Dummy variables are used in what kind of network diagramming method? a. AON b. Gantt charts c. AOA d. OBS

C

2. Effective leadership involves all of the following, except: a. Managing oneself through personal time management, stress management, and other activities b. Managing team members through motivation, delegation, supervision, and team building c. Maintaining tight control of all project resources and providing information to team members only as needed d. Employing and utilizing project champions where they can benefit the project

C

2. The correct definition of resource leveling is: a. A graph that displays the resources used over time on a project b. The process of applying resources to a project's activities c. The process of creating a consistent (level) workload for the resources on the project, driven by ¬resource constraints d. A project schedule whose start and finish dates ¬reflect expected resource availability

C

2. What is the typical role of senior management on a project? a. Support the project b. Pay for it c. Support the project and resolve resource and other conflicts d. Resolve resource and other conflicts

C

2. Which of the following is not an example of a team development strategy? a. Creating a WBS for the project b. Performance reviews c. Project team outing to a sporting event d. Team lunches

C

3. A project budget identifies $5,000 budgeted for programming costs. The actual amount for programming costs is $5,450. Which of the following statements is correct? a. The $450 represents a negative variance to the budget b. There is no variance to the budget c. The $450 represents a positive variance to the budget d. The entire $5,450 represents a positive variance to the budget

C

3. Project resource constraints can involve any of the following examples: a. Poorly trained workers b. Lack of available materials for construction c. Environmental or physical constraints of the project site itself d. All of the above would be considered examples of project resource constraints

C

3. Suppose a project plan had three distinct paths through the network. The first path consisted of activities A (3 days), B (4 days), and C (2 days). The second path consisted of activities D (4 days), E (5 days), and F (5 days). The third path consisted of activities G (2 days), H (3 days), and I (10 days). Which is the critical path? a. ABC b. DEF c. GHI d. ADG

C

3. Using the information in Question 2, calculate the Cost Performance Index (CPI) for the project. Question 2: Activity A is worth $500, is complete, and actually cost $500. Activity B is worth $1,000, is 50% complete, and has actually cost $700 so far. Activity C is worth $100, is 75% complete, and has actually cost $90 so far. What is the total earned value for the project? a. 1.20 b. −1.20 c. 0.83 d. −0.83

C

4. Joan is very motivated to create a positive project experience for all her team members and is reflecting on some of the approaches she can take to employ leadership, as opposed to simply managing the process. Which of the following is an example of a leadership practice she can use? a. Focus on plans and budgets b. Seek to maintain the status quo and promote order c. Energize people to overcome obstacles and show personal initiative d. Maintain a short-term time frame and avoid unnecessary risks

C

5. The team has just completed work on the project. By all accounts, this was a difficult project from the beginning and the results bear this out. You were over budget by 20% and significantly behind your schedule. Morale became progressively worse in the face of the numerous challenges. At the close of the project, you decide to hold an informal meeting with the team to discuss the problems and identify their sources, all with the goal of trying to prevent something like this from happening again. This process is known as what? a. Closing the project b. Procurement audit c. Lessons learned d. Early termination

C

5. Which of the following circumstances would require the creation of a lag relationship in a network diagram? a. The critical path b. The insertion of a dummy variable into a network diagram c. A delay after painting a room to allow for the paint to dry before beginning to carpet the room's floor d. An early finish relationship between two activities

C

All of the following are elements in the definition of a project, except: a. A project is time-limited. b. A project is unique. c. A project is composed of unrelated activities. d. A project is undertaken for a purpose.

C

1. The project manager is experiencing serious, deep-rooted conflict between two key project team members. It is apparent that these differences are based on different interpretations of the project's scope. Which conflict resolution approach would be the most useful for the project manager to employ? a. Compromising b. Withdrawal c. Punishment d. Problem solving

D

1. When does a project close? a. When a project is canceled b. When a project runs out of money c. When a project is successfully completed d. All of the above are correct answers

D

2. All of the following define a work package EXCEPT: a. A work package has a deliverable result b. It may be considered by its owner as a project in itself c. A work package may include several milestones d. A work package can be created and addressed regardless of other organizational procedures of cultural considerations

D

2. You have just completed your project and have to confront the final activities your company requires when putting a project to bed. Which of the following activities is not expected to be part of the project closeout? a. Lessons learned b. Project archives c. Release of resources d. Supplier verification

D

2. Your project team is working on a brand-new project with leading-edge technology. As a result, it is very difficult for your team to give reasonable accurate estimates for how long their activities are going to take in order to be completed. Because of this uncertainty, it would be appropriate for you to require team members to use what kind of logic when estimating durations? a. Normal distribution b. Beta distribution c. Deterministic estimates d. Experience

D

3. A small manufacturer has won a major contract with the U.S. Army to develop a new generation of satellite phone for battlefield applications. Because of the significant technological challenges involved in this project and the company's own size limitations and lack of experience in dealing with the Army on these kinds of contracts, the company has decided to partner with another firm in order to collaborate on developing the technology. This decision would be an example of what kind of response to the risk? a. Accept it b. Minimize it c. Transfer it d. Share it

D

3. Suppose you evaluated the best-case, most likely, and worst-case duration estimates for an activity and determined that they were 3 days, 4 days, and 8 days, respectively. Using PERT estimation techniques, what would be the expected duration for the activity? a. 4 days b. 8 days c. 5 days d. 4.5 days

D

4. The project manager wants to make sure that he is proceeding in the right order as he moves to develop a clear scope for his project. During scope definition, what should he be doing? a. Involving stakeholders and verifying that they have all provided their input to the process b. Developing his WBS and OBS c. Moving as quickly as possible to the determination of scope reporting methods d. Identifying all necessary vendors for any outsourcing that must be done

D

4. The project planning phase is moving forward. The project team has solicited the opinions of some senior project managers with experience in similar types of projects to try and develop a cost estimate for the project. This process is an example of: a. Activity-based budgeting b. Contingency planning c. Top-down budgeting d. Cost estimation

D

5. Activity A is worth $100, is complete, and actually cost $150. Activity B is worth $500, is 75% complete, and has actually cost $400 so far. Activity C is worth $500, is 25% complete, and has actually cost $200 so far. What is the estimated cost to completion for the project? a. $1,100 b. $750 c. $880 d. $1,375

D

5. All of the following distinguish project management from other process activities, except: a. There are no fundamental differences between project and process management. b. Project management often involves greater certainty of performance, cost, and schedule. c. Process management operates outside of line organizations. d. None of the above correctly distinguish project from process management.

D

5. Among the useful means to develop a sense of teamwork in personnel from different functional departments are all of the following EXCEPT: a. Colocation (physical proximity) b. Common goals c. Organizational rules governing their interaction d. Flexible working hours

D

5. Frank has been learning about the effect of emotional intelligence on his ability to lead his project effectively. Which of the following is not an example of the kind of emotional intelligence that can help him perform better? a. Self-awareness and self-regulation b. Motivation c. Social skills d. Results orientation (work to get the job done)

D

Which of the following best describes a project stakeholder? a. A team member. b. The project manager. c. Someone who works in an area affected by the project. d. All of the above are stakeholders.

D

Which of the following is the most critical component of the triple constraint? a. Time, then cost, then quality. b. Quality, then budget, then time. c. Scope. d. They are all of equal importance unless otherwise stated.

D

1. The project manager spends a great deal of her time communicating with project stakeholders. Which of the following represent an example of a stakeholder group for her project? a. Top management b. Customers c. Project team members d. Functional group heads e. All are project stakeholders

E

3. A project manager is meeting with his team for the first time and wants to create the right environment in which relationships develop positively. Which of the following guidelines should he consider employing to create an effective partnership with his team? a. The right to say no b. Joint accountability c. Exchange of purpose d. Absolute honesty e. All are necessary to create a partnership

E

4. All of the following would be considered examples of significant project risks except: a. Financial risks b. Technical risks c. Commercial risks d. Legal risks e. All are examples of significant potential project risks

E

One can trade-off time and cost when managing a project, but the project's technical specifications must be maintained exactly as the client initially specifies.§

False

The Project Manager wants to make sure that he is proceeding in the correct order to develop a clear scope for his project. During scope definition, what should he be doing?

Involving stakeholders and verifying that they all provided their input to the process

A Project Manager is meeting resistance from a functional manager in getting resources assigned to the Project Team. Which would be the most appropriate person(s) to help resolve this situation?

Senior Management

3. George has been assigned to be the new project manager for our project. He is eager to get off to a good start and wants to identify what activities he should first ¬engage in. How would you advise him to start? a. Begin with the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) b. Begin with a clear scope statement c. Begin with a problem statement and Statement of Work (SOW) d. Begin with clear work authorization

b