PMP-RMC Super Exam-2 Failed questions

(139) Question ID: 452 The team has a complete scope statement, which has resulted in an extensive activity list. They have spent much time looking at how to best accomplish the work. There are several distinct components, which will eventually be combined to create the finished product. These components need not be completed in a specific order. Therefore, the team is assessing various options to determine the best way to approach the work. The project manager is interested in examining the final network diagram and will use it to proceed with her planning efforts. Which of the following is the most beneficial result of the project manager knowing the critical path? A. She knows what activities she needs to focus on while managing the project. B. She knows where extra resources should be placed. C. She knows where stakeholders need to be assigned to the project. D. She knows where there is float on the project.

The correct answer is A. All of these choices could be said to be correct. Which is the most correct? Activities on the critical path require more of the project manager's attention because delays in these activities will create a delay in the entire project. Since delay has the largest potential to hurt the project, the best answer is the project manager knowing which activities she should focus on. Knowledge Area: Schedule Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 243

(153)* Question ID: 1073 You are a project manager for a US $3,000,000 product development project. You are well into project executing and the project remains on time, on budget, and on specification. This morning, a project team member alerts you to a newspaper article detailing unusually high defect rates in materials your team has been using to develop your product prototype. You had no reason to suspect quality issues in these materials before now. What should you do first in response to this concern? A. Quantify the risk. B. Develop a risk mitigation plan. C. Determine a workaround. D. Stop work on the prototype.

The correct answer is A. At this point, you don't have enough information to stop work on the prototype and you can't decide to mitigate a risk until you quantify it. A workaround is not appropriate because you have not been impacted by the risk yet. As new risks are identified, it is important to update your risk management plan, including qualifying and quantifying risks and developing planned responses as appropriate. Knowledge Area: Risk Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 458

(14) Question ID: 1 The engineering department wants the project objective to be a 10 percent improvement in throughput. The information technology department wants no more than 5 percent of its resources to be used on the project. Management, who is also your sponsor, wants the project team to decrease tax liability. The best thing you can do is: A. Include the engineering and information technology objectives, but hold further meetings regarding management's objective. B. Include only management's objective. C. Have these people get together and agree on one objective. D. Put a plan together that meets all the objectives.

The correct answer is A. Did this one catch you? All the objectives should be met, but they must be quantifiable. Management's objective cannot be measured and, therefore, needs more work. You need to have more discussions with management so you can make their objective quantifiable. Then you will be able to create a plan that meets all the objectives. Knowledge Area: Integration Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 140

(111) Question ID: 881 The project team is working on an important and complex project that requires a lot of coordination. The organizational benefits must be tracked and measured during the project, and the business value delivered must be quantified at the end of each iteration. The risk reassessments have generated some change requests that have been approved. The quality control department has announced that all project teams that delivering product increments under the defect tolerance rates will be rewarded. There are also incentives for risk management on the project. Under these circumstances, the best strategy is to: A. Colocate the team. B. Hold more meetings to get the word out. C. Gain extra assistance from management. D. Hire a contractor.

The correct answer is A. Due to the high need for coordination, it is best to centralize the project management and control processes. Knowledge Area: Resource Process Group: Executing Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 389

(145) Question ID: 1361 The project has 13 team members and affects more than 15 departments in the organization. Because the project is 20 percent complete to date and the team has had successful performance reports from five of the affected departments, the project manager holds a party to celebrate. The project manager invites key stakeholders from all of the departments to the party, in order to give those providing good reviews an informal opportunity to communicate good things to those departments that have not yet been affected by the project. At the party, the project manager walks around to try to discover any relevant information that would help him make the project even more successful. She happens to hear a manager of one of the departments talking about setting up more regular meetings on the project. The best thing for the project manager to do would be to first: A. Review the methods of providing project information to stakeholders. B. Record the effectiveness of the party in the project lessons learned. C. Hold a meeting of all the stakeholders to discuss their concerns. D. Make sure the manager has a copy of the communications management plan so that he is reminded that such concerns should be sent to the project manager.

The correct answer is A. Many of these choices could be done, but ask yourself, "What is the most effective thing to do?" The party may well generate lessons learned, and recording them would certainly be a good idea, but the question asked what to do first. There is a more immediate issue—the manager. Meeting with all the stakeholders could be useful, but there is only one stakeholder, the manager, who definitely has an issue. Besides, a good project manager would be holding regular meetings with the stakeholders already. Making sure the manager has a copy of the communications management plan might be a good idea, as the manager apparently is not communicating with the project manager. However, this would not be enough to ensure the manager does communicate. The manager is, in effect, saying he is not getting the information he needs. His lack of needed information is causing him to suggest more meetings. However, too many meetings are a problem on projects. A great project manager does not just add meetings, but solves the real problem in the best way. A goal of communications management is to get information to those who need it. The project manager may decide to adjust her communications management process by changing the format of a report, or sending existing reports to the manager with the issue, rather than adding meetings. Therefore, the correct choice is to review the methods of providing project information to the stakeholders. Knowledge Area: Communications Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 428

(17) Question ID: 379 You are managing a six-month project and have held bi-weekly meetings with your project stakeholders. After five-and-a-half months of work, the project is on schedule and budget, but the stakeholders are not satisfied with the deliverables. This situation will delay the project completion by one month. The most important process that could have prevented this situation is: A. Define Scope B. Control Schedule C. Monitor Risks D. Control Scope

The correct answer is A. Monitor Risks, Control Schedule, and Control Scope are monitoring and controlling processes. This situation asks how to prevent the problem, which would have been done during planning. The project deliverables are defined in the Define Scope process, which is a part of project planning. Good planning reduces the likelihood of a situation like the one described in the question, by including the right people and spending adequate time clarifying the project scope. Knowledge Area: Scope Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 195

(157)* Question ID: 1360 The project manager is reviewing the resource management plan and activity resource estimates for the amphitheater construction project, and planning negotiation activities he will perform to acquire the needed resources. He is not concerned about where the building materials will come from because: A. The source of those materials was identified in the project charter. B. The organization uses a just-in-time approach. C. Securing those resources is a separate project; he is only responsible for acquiring team resources. D. The procurement department is responsible for those.

The correct answer is A. Specific physical or team resources may be designated in the project charter. This is referred to as preassignment. This may be through a master service agreement, in which case the project manager does not have to do the work to find a supplier. He will use the existing contract to get the needed materials and equipment per the schedule. There is likely a pre-negotiated price list as part of the master service agreement. Knowledge Area: Resource Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 381

(4)* Question ID: 1041 You are a project manager for a major telecommunications network upgrade with a net present value (NPV) of US $10,000,000. - You are heavily dependent on a third-party seller for your project and your procurement office informs you there is a 30 percent chance the seller will go out of business at the end of the quarter. If that occurs, your project will incur a US $3,000,000 cost overrun due to rework. - There is also a 30 percent chance new legislation will pass that will decrease government oversight of your team's work. If this legislation passes, you estimate your project will save US $1,600,000 in time delays. - Lastly, your technical lead indicates that there is 20 percent chance a new software package will be available by month end that could save US $1,800,000 in testing time. If available, it will cost US $500,000 to procure and install the software and train the users. What is the total expected monetary value of these three risk events? A. $160,000 B. $1,640,000 C. $60,000 D. $5,900,000

The correct answer is A. The expected monetary value of the first risk is: 0.3 x $3,000,000 = $900,000. The expected monetary value of the second event is: 0.3 x -$1,600,000 = -$480,000. The expected monetary value of the third risk is: 0.2 x - ($1,800,000 - $500,000) = -$260,000. The total of all three potential risk events is: $900,000 - $480,000 - $260,000 = $160,000. Knowledge Area: Risk Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 461

(132) Question ID: 1134 You have selected a particular seller to assist in the development project for a new product, which has already been promised to several test customers within a certain timeframe. The decision to go with this seller was, in large part, based on their declared ability to provide difficult-to-find technical resources. In the middle of the project, the seller tells you they cannot get the resources to complete the project. Generally, what is the best thing to do? A. Try to help uncover more resources, but continue the project. B. Begin procurement closure C. The contract has been breached. Contact your lawyer. D. Remind the seller of the penalties for not meeting the next deliverable due date.

The correct answer is A. This is a question that looks for your understanding of the term breach, and its impact on your project. In this situation, the seller has not breached the contract; he has not yet failed to meet a deliverable due date. It says he is having trouble meeting it. Until a breach occurs, you do not need to take legal action. Reminding the seller of penalties is not correct because it does not deal with the problem. It simply says, "You must find the resources." Moving into procurement closure will not provide the required deliverable. Since the contract has not been breached, the best thing to do is to prevent the breach. You could help the seller find other resources. They may be found internally, or you may have a better understanding of the availability of resources in your area. Knowledge Area: Procurement Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 544

(159) Question ID: 1357 A project manager overhears a conversation between two stakeholders who are discussing how unhappy they are with the impacts of the project on their own departments. Stakeholder A asks if the project is on time, and Stakeholder B replies that the SPI is 1.05. Stakeholder A asks if the project manager for the project knows of Stakeholder B's concern. Stakeholder B responds that he is not sure. What is the best thing for the project manager to do? A. Arrange a meeting with both stakeholders to allow them to voice any concerns they may have. B. Send both stakeholders a copy of the issue log and ask for additional comments. C. Make sure the stakeholders are aware the project manager overheard. Then ask them to direct any questions to the project manager in writing. D. Make a presentation to all the stakeholders regarding the status of the project.

The correct answer is A. This is another question with more than one right answer. Would asking for something in writing be the best way to communicate? In this particular situation, asking for the concern to be documented in writing might alienate the stakeholders. The issue log is where the issue should be listed, but the situation does not say if the project manager knows what the stakeholders' concern is. Therefore, using the issue log cannot be the best choice. Why not make a presentation to all the stakeholders regarding the status of the project? The project manager already knows Stakeholders A and B have the concern, not all the stakeholders. This problem would likely require informal verbal communication to discover the real problem. Arranging a meeting with the concerned stakeholders is therefore the best choice. Knowledge Area: Communications Process Group: Executing Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 426

(32) Question ID: 1262 You are taking over a project and determine the following: Activity B has an early finish (EF) of day 3, a late finish (LF) of day 6, and an early start (ES) of day 2. Activity L is being done by a hard-to-get resource. The cost performance index (CPI) is 1.1 and the schedule performance index (SPI) is 0.8. Based on this information what would you be more concerned about? A. Schedule B. Resources C. Float D. Cost

The correct answer is A. This question integrates a lot of information and tests your ability to discern what information is relevant to the question. C. Although some figures to calculate float are provided, there is no information to say that float is a problem. B. Most projects have hard-to-get resources. The question does not give an indication that having hard-to-get resources is a problem. D. CPI is greater than one, so cost is not something to worry about. A. SPI is less than one and is, therefore, the best answer. Knowledge Area: Integration Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 294

(70) Question ID: 1556 At your recent performance review, your manager pointed out several instances of miscommunication between you and your team members. The team members have complained to your manager that you are so busy giving orders and assigning work that you are not in tune with the issues they are facing on the project. They have tried to communicate these concerns to you, but do not feel they have been heard. You vow to work on improving your listening skills. Effective listening involves: A. Attending to the speaker without distractions, confirming what the speaker says, and taking note of body language B. Taking notes, providing feedback, and expressing empathy C. Listening without judgment, summarizing every few sentences, and pointing out body language cues D. Asking opening and closing questions, restating the speaker's statements, and mirroring nonverbal cues

The correct answer is A. You do not necessarily take written notes or express empathy, although the latter might be useful. You do not mirror the speaker's nonverbal cues, nor do you point them out. The best description of effective listening is attending to the speaker without distractions, confirming what the speaker says, and taking note of body language. Knowledge Area: Communications Process Group: Executing Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 422

(95) Question ID: 896 You are managing a project to build a system that will track all travel related to your country's diplomatic services. Communication on this project is complex and must address the needs of all stakeholders. The policies and procedures of how those communications should be created and distributed as well as managed and controlled have been documented. Which of the following should not be part of the communications management plan? A. Names of those receiving a telephone call when the system crashes B. Names of the stakeholders who can talk to the project manager C. Methods used to collect and store information D. Names of the stakeholders and instructions on sending project status to them

The correct answer is B. A communications management plan can attempt to control communications, but the project manager needs to have open communications with everyone. This is the only way to inform the appropriate people of the project status and to adequately control the project. Knowledge Area: Communications Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 417

(7)* Question ID: 1319 The project management team was instrumental in planning the corporate headquarters renovation project. The project is part of the organization's celebration of its 10-year anniversary and the planned announcement of new industry-leading work by the R&D division. The planned announcement is a closely guarded secret, as the organization does not want the competition to attempt to steal secrets or deflect media attention. The stakeholders have expressed concerns that they don't understand why some of the work is happening and that the work will not be complete before the celebration. Some have expressed concerns about the fact that alternative plans had to be used for some of the efforts. Your sponsors have asked you to review the communications plan. The project is over budget to date. Which of the following is not a reason this could have occurred? A. There was a cost increase from the supplier. B. Work was delayed. C. Work was done inefficiently. D. More work than planned was accomplished.

The correct answer is B. A, C & D. Completing more work than planned, an unexpected cost increase from a supplier, and inefficient performance of work are all reasons a project could be over budget. B. If work was planned but not done at the time it was scheduled to be completed, funds allocated for that cost would remain unspent, making the project under budget until that work is completed and paid for. It is possible that making up for the work not being done on time could result in the need to crash the project or work overtime, in which case the project could later end up over budget for the activity. Knowledge Area: Cost Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 292

(35) Question ID: 1634 You are managing a project to implement new customer relationship management (CRM) software. The project is very important to the sales team, who are anxious that everything should go well with the transfer of data to the new system. They have been very unhappy with the current system, which was put in place just three years ago. They were told during the previous conversion that all of the data would be transferred. Despite three attempts to migrate the data, only a small portion of the critical data transferred successfully; the rest was either entered manually or remained accessible only through hard copy. The costs due to failure and rework were high on the last project. The project sponsors have asked you to assess the feasibility of meeting the objectives and cost constraints. Why should you use analogous estimating? A. It provides a basis for monitoring and controlling and performance measurement. B. It is faster. C. It gains buy-in from the team because the team creates the estimates. D. It is more accurate than bottom-up estimating.

The correct answer is B. Analogous estimating uses expert judgment and historical information to predict the future. It is faster to use than bottom-up estimating. The other choices shown are advantages of bottom-up estimating. Don't be misled by the misdirection in the question. Although nothing in the question suggests you need a particularly fast estimate, "It is faster" is the only answer that accurately describes analogous estimating. Knowledge Area: Cost Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 287

(152)*! Question ID: 686 In a meeting to gain approval of the quality management plan, a stakeholder points out what he believes to be an error in the plan. He notes that the plan includes using some of the same techniques in more than one of the quality processes. Which of the following quality management techniques can frequently be used in two of the three quality management processes? A. Logical data models B. Cause-and-effect diagrams C. Check sheets D. Interviews

The correct answer is B. D. Interviews are used in Plan Quality Management to identify existing standards, processes, and metrics—or to create new ones. A. A logical data model is also used in Plan Quality Management. Its purpose is to help the team understand the requirements, and define the appropriate quality management processes. C. Check sheets are used in Control Quality to track data such as the type and frequency of quality problems uncovered during inspections. B. Cause-and-effect diagrams are used in Manage Quality to confirm that the policies, procedures, and metrics are adequate to produce the required level of quality in project deliverables. In Control Quality, cause-and-effect diagrams can be used to uncover the root cause of a variation in the quality of deliverables. Knowledge Area: Quality Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 333, 342

(166)* Question ID: 1321 Although it was difficult, the project manager received agreement on the project charter from all four sponsors involved in the project, and the US $4,000,000 project was approved. Now the cost variance for the project is -$500 and the last performance review was positive. As the project entered its second phase, a team member on a non-critical path activity announced she was leaving the company. At the same time, the float of activity L changed from two to four days. Only one unidentified risk has occurred, with a minor impact. The last quality review showed the project has made use of the results of the last design of experiments. Based on this information, what should the project manager do next? A. Investigate additional risks caused by the difficulty with the senior managers. B. Review the management plans. C. Fast track the project to add more float. D. Complete closure of the first phase.

The correct answer is B. In this situation, the project is doing well. None of the details show major problems. Even the cost variance of -$500 is small. Which of the following should a project manager do when the project is going well? Since the second phase of the project should not have started without closing out the first phase, closing the first phase could not be best. There is no reason to believe fast tracking is necessary, as the project is not delayed. Investigating risks related to senior management should have already been done as part of the planning process group. This is old information that would have been known at that time. With everything going well on the project, the only choice that makes sense is to review the management plans for the project. Knowledge Area: Integration Process Group: Executing Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 150

(96) Question ID: 78 When checking the calendar of a team member to schedule a meeting, you see she has scheduled a meeting with a key stakeholder that you were not informed of. This stakeholder has been vocal in her concern that her requirements for the project have been ignored and that she doesn't think you are a good project manager. You know that the stakeholder and the team member are friends outside of the organization and their children are in school together. There is a PMO policy in the organization that the project manager is to be informed of, and invited to, all project-related meetings. This is a functional organization that has struggled with communications and stakeholder participation. You have heard that the team member thinks the PMO policy regarding notifying and inviting the project manager is intrusive and slows down the interaction with stakeholders, and that project managers are not available because of multiple projects and too many meetings. She doesn't feel trusted, and is frustrated. Her complaints have been reported to other departmental leaders, and the PMO has been asked to review the policy. The best approach would be to: A. Avoid mentioning it to the team member but continue to watch her activities. B. Address the concern with the team member. C. Address the concern with the team member's manager. D. Notify the PMO about the problem.

The correct answer is B. Not mentioning the issue to the team member is withdrawal. Notifying the PMO or the team member's manager would not be appropriate until you learn the root cause of the problem. Always look for the choice that deals with and solves the problem. In this case, the best course of action is to address your concern with the team member directly. Knowledge Area: Resource Process Group: Executing Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 396

(107) Question ID: 70 You are in the middle of a new product development project that has an NPV of US $10.5 million. The schedule performance index (SPI) is 0.99. There are strict rules for your publicly traded company regarding risk, quality, and procurement. You discover the previous project manager made a US $3 million payment that was not approved in accordance with your company policies. Your relationship with the sponsor is strained, as you've had to request changes because the previous project manager didn't have a complete project management plan. The sponsor and the previous project manager are good friends outside of work and coach your daughter's sports team together. Luckily, the project cost performance index (CPI) is 1.2. What should you do? A. Bury the cost in the largest cost center available. B. Contact your manager. C. Ignore the payment. D. Put the payment in an escrow account.

The correct answer is B. Putting the payment in an escrow account or burying the cost hides it. Ignoring the payment is not an option. Project managers must deal with potentially unethical situations like the situation described. This payment must be brought to the attention of the project manager's manager. Knowledge Area: Cost Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 604

(123) Question ID: 887 You are a project manager for a US $3,000,000 product development project. Your project is well into project executing and remains on time, on budget, and on specification. This morning your project sponsor called to express concern about the project. Based on the schedule baseline, the project should be nearing implementation, but the sponsor does not know the current status of the project. You remind the sponsor that your team produces a detailed status report weekly and distributes it via email. The sponsor says email is too impersonal and verbal updates are preferred. This situation suggests problems with which of the following project management processes? A. Manage Stakeholder Engagement B. Plan Communications Management C. Manage Communications D. Control Communications

The correct answer is B. The Plan Communications Management process involves identifying communication requirements, including the identification of any communication preferences. In this situation, "you remind the sponsor" indicates that the information is being communicated according to the plan. However, the plan does not reflect the needs of this stakeholder, and is, therefore, the source of this problem. Knowledge Area: Communications Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 417

(1)* Question ID: 200 Your project team has identified dependencies on six related projects that are providing major deliverables to your project. Some of these projects have a very similar scope and may overlap with your deliverables. In light of this, which of the following processes should you be most concerned about? A. Validate Scope B. Plan Risk Responses C. Plan Communications Management D. Control Scope

The correct answer is B. The biggest concern must be the risks other projects may cause to yours. It would be better to prevent those problems in the Plan Risk Responses process than to just spend effort controlling scope. Knowledge Area: Risk Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 465

(104)* Question ID: 437 When the project manager completes the detailed project schedule model, it is most important to get it approved by the: A. Project sponsor B. Functional managers C. Customer D. Team

The correct answer is B. The customer does not need to approve the detailed project schedule, just the end date and any milestones they might impose. Assuming the project manager is meeting the project objectives and constraints, the sponsor's approval of a detailed schedule is not as critical as the approval of functional managers. Getting functional managers to approve will also, indirectly get team members' approval. When functional managers know what work each of their people is assigned, the timeframe, and whether their activities are on the critical path, resource problems are less frequent. Approval of the schedule by functional managers provides the most benefits. Knowledge Area: Schedule Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 238

(167) Question ID: 329 A project manager is in the process of validating the scope of a deliverable with the customer. What is the most important thing the project manager should ensure? A. Timeliness B. Acceptance C. Completeness D. Accuracy

The correct answer is B. The key aspect of the Validate Scope process is acceptance of the deliverable. Knowledge Area: Scope Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 206

(78) Question ID: 1160 You are the seller's project manager. You discover you are performing work requested by the customer but not included in the contract. During previous meetings, the customer already spoke of being upset about the cost of several items she claims your company left out of the contract. No one in your company wants to discuss the change with the customer for fear of losing the contract. What is the best long-term course of action for the company? A. Have a meeting with the customer to identify all the items she thinks were left out of the contract. B. Renegotiate a new procurement statement of work and a new contract. C. Contact your senior management and procurement department to determine the options. Then schedule a meeting with management and the customer to discuss these options. D. Look for ways to save time on other work packages so the new work can be done.

The correct answer is B. The key to answering this question is to understand that this is a severe situation with many problems; so many problems that it is clear the contract is not serving either party. Meeting with the customer has already been done. Meeting with management is not a long-term solution, and finding ways of saving time on other work packages does not address the problem of unclear scope. This is why it is best to start all over (yes, this happens in the real world) rather than the other choices. When a contract no longer serves the needs it was intended to serve, it can be renegotiated if the appropriate parties agree to do so. Knowledge Area: Procurement Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 550

(148) Question ID: 319 A project has a number of deliverables that are complex and have to be assembled. As the project manager, you know the work breakdown structure will help stakeholders to see interim deliverables that will be integrated into the final project deliverables. To help manage the individual elements, you have used a work breakdown numbering system. This numbering system allows the project team to: A. Use it in project management software. B. Identify the level at which individual elements are found. C. Provide project justification. D. Systematically estimate costs of work breakdown structure components.

The correct answer is B. The numbering system allows team members to quickly identify the level in the work breakdown structure where the specific element is found. It also helps to locate the element in the WBS directory. Knowledge Area: Scope Process Group: Executing Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 201

(89) Question ID: 527 While reviewing project performance, the project manager determines that the schedule variance is -500. What is the best thing to do? A. Move resources from the project to one that is not failing. B. Determine the cost variance. C. Let the sponsor know. D. Look for activities that can be done in parallel.

The correct answer is B. The problem must be evaluated first. The project manager knows the schedule variance, but not the cost variance. Therefore, determining the cost variance is first, possibly followed by looking for activities that can be done in parallel. Knowledge Area: Cost Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 294

(31) Question ID: 1477 You have several project deliverables that are being provided by sellers. Their teams are working closely with your teams to analyze, evaluate, test, and implement the deliverables within the scope. So far, the issues that have occurred have been within acceptable levels or there has been a plan put in place, either by your team or the seller, to deal with them. Each time an issue occurs, you meet with the team and discuss it. Sometimes there are concerns expressed about who is responsible for handling the issue, even though there has been a plan in place. You have observed that this type of situation can cause tension to build during team meetings. Some of the things you can do to enhance team buy-in and cohesion include: A. Send messages in the mode best for the situation, remember to communicate both up and down the organization, and ensure team members capture lessons learned as they happen. B. Use emotional intelligence to show empathy and to influence the team, colocate the team, and develop and enforce good ground rules. C. Discuss lessons learned in the project team meetings, make sure the right people get reports, and hold team members accountable for doing what they committed to doing. D. Use project organization charts, ensure people understand the message as you meant it, and make sure everyone gets the same information.

The correct answer is B. The question is looking at tools and techniques of developing and managing the project team. The choice that exclusively addresses these processes is to use emotional intelligence to show empathy and to influence the team, colocate the team, and develop and enforce good ground rules. Knowledge Area: Resource Process Group: Executing Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 398

(122) Question ID: 441 The project manager has performed schedule network analysis, compressed the schedule, and completed a Monte Carlo analysis. What schedule management activity should be done next? A. Estimate activity durations B. Update resource requirements C. Create a milestone list D. Recommend corrective actions

The correct answer is B. The work described is part of the Develop Schedule process. D. Corrective actions occur later, as an output of the Control Schedule. A & C. Estimate Activity Durations and Creation of a Milestone List are done earlier. B. Only updated resource requirements are an output of Develop Schedule. Knowledge Area: Schedule Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 263

(124)* Question ID: 71 While preparing your risk responses, you realize you need to make adjustments to the project to compensate for unknown risk events. These adjustments are based on your past project experience when unknown risk events occurred and knocked the project off track. What should you do? A. With the stakeholders, determine a percentage of the known risk budget to allocate to a management reserve budget. B. Include a management reserve in the budget to compensate for the unknown risks, and notify management to expect unknown risks to occur. C. Determine the unknown risk events and the associated costs; then add the costs to the project budget as reserves. D. Document the unknown risk items, and calculate the expected monetary value based on probability and impact that may result from the occurrences.

The correct answer is B. This question is asking how unknown risks are handled. It should be a reminder that, although the risk management process is designed to identify risks, not all risks can be identified. Some will inevitably remain unknown; thus, they cannot be identified or assessed. A management reserve is not calculated based on a percentage of known risks. The amount of known risk reserves will have no impact on the number of unknown risks. Past history of what projects have needed is a better indicator. A management reserve is used for unknown risks, and it is wise to inform management that unknown risks can occur. Knowledge Area: Risk Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 471

(38) Question ID: 622 A manufacturing project has a schedule performance index (SPI) of 0.89 and a cost performance index (CPI) of 0.91. Generally, what is the most likely explanation for why this occurred? A. The scope was changed. B. A critical path activity took longer and needed more labor hours to complete. C. A supplier went out of business and a new one needed to be found. D. Additional equipment needed to be purchased.

The correct answer is B. To answer this question, you must look for a choice that would take longer and cost more. Notice one of the choices says scope was changed, but that does not necessarily mean it was added to. If the change was to reduce the scope, it might also have reduced cost. Although it would take time to handle the issue of the need to find a new supplier, the impacted activity might not be on the critical path and might not affect the schedule. Purchasing additional equipment definitely adds cost, but not necessarily time. A critical path activity taking longer and requiring more labor hours to complete would negatively affect both schedule and cost. Knowledge Area: Cost Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 294

(117) Question ID: 1270 A project activity on the critical path is delayed. The work is proving more complex than anticipated and will take six days longer than scheduled. You believe the activity could be completed with only a four-day delay if another programmer is assigned to assist the team member responsible for this activity, but that change would impact an already tight budget. Another team member has suggested that the project could be completed on time and still perform acceptably without the work resulting from this activity. What is the best thing to do? A. Cut scope. B. Compress the schedule. C. Tell the customer the project will be late. D. Obtain more resources.

The correct answer is B. Why compress the schedule, you might ask? Think about which choice has the least impact on the project and the company. A & D. Obtaining additional resources or cutting the scope will have negative impacts on the project. In addition, they require outside approval. C. One choice states that the project "will" be late. Telling the customer the project will be late is never a good first option. B. In reality, the project manager still has time to get the project back on track. Compressing the schedule is entirely within the project manager's control and does not generally require outside approval. Watch out for questions that ask you to pick what to do when there is a change. Knowledge Area: Schedule Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 252

(60) Question ID: 181 You have taken over a project during project planning and have discovered that six individuals have signed the project charter. Which of the following should most concern you? A. Determining the reporting structure B. Getting a single project sponsor C. Spending more time on configuration management D. Who will be a member of the change control board

The correct answer is C. A & D. Determining who will be on the change control board and determining the reporting structure may have already been done. In any case, these choices are not directly impacted by the number of sponsors who have signed the charter. B. Having a single project sponsor is not necessary. C. This situation implies that there are six areas concerned with this project. In addition to focusing on the added communications requirements, you should be concerned with competing needs and requirements impacting your efforts on configuration management. Knowledge Area: Integration Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 146

(171)* Question ID: 535 You have been assigned as the project manager for a construction project that has had two previous project managers, when you discover a deliverable will be late. Your analysis shows the item can be purchased from another seller at a higher price without affecting the schedule. What is the best thing to do? A. Crash or fast track the project. B. Change the project management plan to reflect the new due date. C. Discuss the impact with the customer and ask for a decision. D. Evaluate the impact of the decision.

The correct answer is C. A & D. The impact has already been determined and crashing or fast-tracking would have already been done as part of determining the impact. B. Changing the project management plan only hides the problem and is unethical. C. You should discuss the impact of the change with the customer. Knowledge Area: Integration Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 162

(113) Question ID: 1252 During project executing, a large number of changes are made to the project. Several of the change requests have come from the customer, significantly changing the functionality of the originally requested product. Six project team members have been reassigned by management to a higher-priority project, and they have been replaced. As project work has progressed, many of the identified risks have occurred and have been successfully mitigated. However, three contingency plans have been adjusted and will be implemented if identified risks recur during the remainder of the project. The project manager should: A. Talk to management before any changes are made. B. Wait until all changes are known and then print out a new schedule. C. Make sure the project charter is still valid. D. Change the schedule baseline.

The correct answer is C. B. Waiting until all changes are known and then printing out a new schedule is a common error many project managers make. Instead, the project manager should be controlling the project throughout its completion. D. The situation in the question does not provide a reason to believe the schedule baseline must be changed. A. A project manager must be in control of the project rather than consulting with management before making any changes. C. Whenever a large number of changes occur on a project, it is wise to confirm that the business case, as stated in the project charter, is still valid. Knowledge Area: Schedule Process Group: Executing Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 138

(66) Question ID: 21 Your management team has decided that all orders will be treated as projects and that project managers will be used to update orders daily, to resolve issues, and to ensure the customer formally accepts the product within 30 days of completion. Revenue from the individual orders can vary from US $100 to US $150,000. The project manager will not be required to perform planning or provide documentation other than daily status. How would you define this situation? A. Orders incurring revenue over $100,000 would be considered projects and would involve project management. B. This is program management since there are multiple projects involved. C. This is a recurring process. D. Because each individual order is a "temporary endeavor," each order is a project.

The correct answer is C. Because orders are numerous and of short duration, this situation is a recurring process, not a project. Knowledge Area: PM Framework/Processes Process Group: Initiating Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 25

(176)* Question ID: 700 A project manager discovers a work package has been completed for substantially less cost than planned. Which of the following is not among the first things to consider doing? A. Make sure all the work was done. B. Make sure the right resources were used. C. Identify ways to increase the result. D. Make sure all project processes were followed.

The correct answer is C. Making sure project processes were followed, the right resources were used, and that all work was done could point out root causes of decreased cost. You cannot find ways to increase the result until after the root cause analysis. Knowledge Area: Cost Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 292

(63) Question ID: 1389 The financial systems project has a relatively high profile in the organization and has received great support from the sponsor. There are over 230 activities on the project, and a few have remained relatively large due to the nature of the work to be accomplished. One of these larger activities has an estimate to complete (ETC) that is longer than planned. If the project manager wants to look at non-value-added activities that might be causing the delay, the manager should: A. Measure using quality metrics B. Perform a quality audit C. Complete process analysis D. Use a Pareto diagram

The correct answer is C. Many people choose to perform a quality audit. However, performing a quality audit relates to determining whether you are using the right processes and whether those processes are effective, rather than improving processes. Discovering non-value activities is part of process analysis. Knowledge Area: Quality Process Group: Executing Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 334

(101) Question ID: 505 During its first winter, a multiyear construction project experienced weather-related schedule delays that all the local parties involved described as typical for this area. What should the project manager do to integrate this information into the project schedule? A. Make changes to the project management plan in order to maintain the current project schedule. B. Lengthen the estimated activity duration for all activities scheduled to occur the following winter. C. Reevaluate the schedule to determine the potential impact. D. Leave the current project schedule unchanged and work the issues as they arise.

The correct answer is C. Reevaluating the project schedule work calendar will provide the most reasonable and fastest estimate of the potential future weather-related schedule impact, allowing the project manager to perform a reasonable risk analysis of the potential problem. Knowledge Area: Schedule Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 264

(20) Question ID: 785 A project team has team members located across North America, South America, and Europe. There are seven companies working on the project and 67 core team members. Which of the following would have the greatest impact on making the situation easier to manage? A. More time spent in scope planning B. A change control system C. A resource management plan D. A project scope statement

The correct answer is C. The issue here is managing people and physical resources. Only the resource management plan relates to that. Knowledge Area: Resource Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 374

(121) Question ID: 585 Early in the life of your project, you are having a discussion with the sponsor about what estimating techniques should be used. You want a form of expert judgment, but the sponsor argues for analogous estimating. It would be best to: A. Suggest life cycle costing as a compromise. B. Determine why the sponsor wants such an accurate estimate. C. Agree to analogous estimating as it is a form of expert judgment. D. Try to convince the sponsor to allow expert judgment because it is typically more accurate.

The correct answer is C. This is a tricky question. Determining why the sponsor wants such an accurate estimate sounds like a good idea at first. However, analogous estimates are less accurate than other forms of estimating, as they are prepared with a limited amount of detailed information. Reading every word of this choice helps eliminate it. To pick the best answer, you need to realize that analogous estimating is a form of expert judgment. Knowledge Area: Cost Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 232

(169) Question ID: 1050 During project executing, the project manager is spending a lot of time solving problems that arise. It would be better for the project manager to transfer his efforts to: A. Performing sensitivity analysis on past problems and transferring them to other projects B. Having the team solve the problems, thus freeing his time to hold more meetings C. Identifying additional risks and following the risk management process D. Executing the project management plan and making sure the quality management plan is viable

The correct answer is C. This question includes a lot of things that could be done. Before you read on, look again at the choices. B. The project manager need not focus on holding more meetings, and the team should not solve all problems. A. Sensitivity analysis is done during the Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis process. D. Executing the project management plan is not as proactive as identifying more risks. C. Only identifying more risks gets to the root cause of the problems. Knowledge Area: Integration Process Group: Executing Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 150

(22) Question ID: 1309 While holding a risk review, the sponsor is looking at the latest list of top risks in the project report. A new risk has been identified and assessed. That risk did not rank higher than any of the previously identified risks. Two fallback plans have been adjusted based on the severity of previous risk impacts. What else should the project manager have done? A. Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis for the new risk. B. Provide the sponsor with the full list of noncritical risks. C. Look for contingency risks from the fallback plan. D. Look at the impact of the new risk to the project as a whole.

The correct answer is D. B. The sponsor is not required to see noncritical risks but should be informed of the residual ones. A. Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis would not need to be done if the risk was rated low in Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis. C. Contingency risks are a made-up term. D. The best answer offered is that the project manager neglected to look at the impact of the risk on the overall project as part of his risk assessment. Knowledge Area: Risk Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 478

(6) Question ID: 1564 The team for the new project is made up of over 300 people in six locations across the world. Many of them are highly regarded experts in their technical fields. The project is anticipated to last approximately eighteen months. The size and diversity of the team, along with the multiple locations, has the project manager concerned about developing and managing the team into a cohesive group that will be able to work through issues that are likely to arise during the life of the project. Which of the following is the best way for the project manager to proactively address this concern? A. Have the team meet in person at least once every month. B. Create a detailed resource breakdown structure. C. Designate one or two team members in each country to speak for the entire team of that country. D. Lead the team in developing a team charter.

The correct answer is D. Because of the size and varying locations of the team members, in-person meetings are impractical. Limiting communication to only a few team members will not be effective, and will likely create dissatisfaction among team members who are not designated to represent their groups. A resource breakdown structure is needed to clearly show responsibilities, but will not be useful in the team development the project manager is trying to achieve. A team charter is a working agreement developed by the members of the project team. It describes the approach the team will take regarding communications, decision-making, and conflict resolution, as well as ground rules for team meetings. Since the team is involved in creating the charter, they are likely to adhere to it, and can refer to it if any team members are not following the agreed-upon guidelines. Knowledge Area: Resource Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 375

(3) Question ID: 1279 A scope change is made on the project. You have determined the effect on the schedule, performed integrated change control, and adjusted the project baselines and the project management plan. What is the next thing to do? A. Change the work breakdown structure. B. Submit the change to the change control board for approval. C. Look for impacts to cost. D. Notify stakeholders affected by the change.

The correct answer is D. C. Integrated change control includes looking for impacts to cost, so that has already been done. B. Submitting the change to the change control board would have been done before the baselines and plans were adjusted. A. Adjusting the project management plan implies that the work breakdown structure would have been updated as well. D. Many people forget to notify stakeholders of changes and how the changes will affect them. Making such notifications is important, and the best answer here. Knowledge Area: Scope Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 209

(116)* Question ID: 971 You have assumed responsibility for a complex, business-critical project involving new technology and approaches. All of the project stakeholders have emphasized to you that this is a high-risk effort, and you are responsible for effectively identifying and addressing the project's risks. There are a number of risk management tools and approaches you have been encouraged to use, but there is no agreement from the stakeholders as to which is the superior approach. The organization sponsoring the project has risk management methodologies and templates, but does not consistently or effectively use them. In addressing risk management planning for this project, what is the most important consideration you should keep in mind? A. Create a high-quality risk management plan and risk response plan. B. Complete at least a moderately thorough examination of available risk management tools and methodologies to select the best ones for the project. C. Ensure risks have been identified and mitigation strategies have been developed for the most important ones. D. Tailor the level, type, and visibility of risk management to match the risks associated with the project and the project's importance.

The correct answer is D. Frequently, risk management is portrayed as such a complicated area people don't even know where to begin. A simple spreadsheet listing risks and who is responsible for addressing them is far more beneficial to a project than a complex tool or methodology that no one uses. Risk identification and response planning are standard procedures, expected to be done on all projects. An examination of management tools and methodologies for the project has already been done. It is most important to tailor the level, type, and visibility of risk management to match the risks associated with the project and the project's importance. This choice encompasses performance of the risk management planning processes. Knowledge Area: Risk Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 451

(135)* Question ID: 1524 Objectives documented in the project charter should: A. Be free from risk B. Relate to the project scope C. Be broad enough to ensure all the stakeholders are satisfied D. Be measurable

The correct answer is D. It is unlikely that all stakeholders will be completely satisfied with the outcome of the project, as all of their requirements may not be supported by the project objectives. Project objectives deal with both project and product scope. There are risks involved in achieving project objectives, which will be analyzed in project planning. Project objectives included in the project charter must be measurable. Knowledge Area: Integration Process Group: Initiating Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 137

(86) Question ID: 808 A project manager has been working on a project for six months with the same team, yet the team still shows a lack of support for the project. The best thing the project manager can do to obtain the team's support for the project is to: A. Talk to each team member's manager with the team member present. B. Tell the team members he needs their support, and ask the team members why they do not support the project. C. Find someone else to be project manager. D. Reevaluate the effectiveness of the reward system in place.

The correct answer is D. Many people think the project manager should discuss with the team why they do not support the project. Did you? The project manager should have gotten the team's buy-in to the project during project planning. It is way too late to do this six months into the project. Discussing the situation with each team member's manager would not help. Finding someone else to manage the project is not the responsible thing to do, and it does not solve the problem. Although you may feel like quitting, you must continue. One of the powers you can use as project manager is reward power. Rewards, used properly, bring the objectives of the team in line with the project objectives. Knowledge Area: Resource Process Group: Executing Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 390

(59)! Question ID: 83 You are managing a two-year project involving staff from several departments. The project is on schedule and within budget. A key team member leaves for a four-week vacation without completing a highly technical and specialized activity assigned to him (activity A). The project team cannot begin activity B or activity E (a critical path activity) until activity A is completed. Activity A has three days float and is not on the critical path. A team member, a seller, and a non-team member work overtime to complete activity A within its float time. You need to reimburse the non-team member's department and pay the seller at an overtime rate. What action should you take? A. Thank the others for filling in, but tell them not to waste time on non-critical path activities. B. Send a complaint letter to the key team member's manager, and ask him to fund the extra cost expended. C. Pay the cost out of your project reserves. D. Reevaluate your communications management plan.

The correct answer is D. Notice that the issue of the key team member leaving has already occurred. Although the activity was not on the critical path, it would have impacted a critical path activity if it was not completed within its three-day float. Therefore, advising the participants not to waste time on non-critical path activities is not correct. The best choice is to discover why the problem happened so you can prevent similar situations in the future. Only a reevaluation of the communications management plan looks at the cause of the problem. Knowledge Area: Communications Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 428

(140) Question ID: 534 Management wants the project completed in 40 days. The cost performance index (CPI) is 1.1, the project critical path duration is 38 days with a standard deviation of two days. What is the maximum project float? A. Zero days B. One day C. Two days D. Four days

The correct answer is D. Standard deviation is a range that an estimate can vary +/- from the mean. The project needs to be done in 40 days, and the schedule calls for 38 days, so the project float is 2 days. With a standard deviation of two days, the project will take 38 +/- 2 days, or 36 to 40 days. Therefore, project float could be 0 to 4 days. Knowledge Area: Schedule Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 245

(10)* Question ID: 330 A project manager receives a deliverable from one of the team members to provide to the customer. While looking at the deliverable, the project manager notes that the document is smaller than what he expected and does not contain what he thought it should. The project manager should first: A. Discuss it with the team member. B. Audit the development process. C. Contact the team member's manager to get that person additional training. D. Validate scope.

The correct answer is D. Such a review compares the deliverable to the requirements and then gets acceptance. The project manager might have misunderstood the requirements, and it would be best to check before talking to the team member or presenting the deliverable to the customer. Knowledge Area: Scope Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 206

(125) Question ID: 1126 You are negotiating with a seller. Time is of the essence but you have a limited budget, and the seller knows this. What is your best negotiating strategy under these circumstances? A. Focus the negotiation on seller's profit margin in order to decrease the project cost. B. Arrange to reschedule the negotiation until you can acquire information of which the seller is not aware. C. Negotiate to get the work done even sooner than necessary in order to add a reserve. D. Negotiate identified risks.

The correct answer is D. The key aspect of this situation is that time is of the essence. Therefore, the negotiations must be finished as soon as possible. A reserve is created based on risks, not on negotiations. Negotiations are more effectively centered on risks to lower the price than on profit margins. Knowledge Area: Procurement Process Group: Executing Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 539

(45) Question ID: 1307 The project has been going well when one of the suppliers informs you that, as they warned you during project planning, they will deliver your equipment two days late. At the same time, you get a call from a team member informing you that the critical path activity she is working on will take longer to complete than planned. What is the best thing to do? A. Ask for a change order for each. B. Have both reviewed with the change control board. C. Find out why the activity was late. D. Use a contingency reserve for the first, and find out how much later the activity will be.

The correct answer is D. The late delivery was a known risk, so there should be a contingency reserve in place to deal with it. The delay in the critical path activity is the bigger problem here. A lot of people want to first find out why the activity will take longer than planned. However, in this situation, there is an impact to the critical path that must be managed. Once the activity is completed, the manager can address the reason for the delay. Imagine this situation as a fire. First put it out, then find out why it occurred. Knowledge Area: Schedule Process Group: Monitoring & Controlling Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 237, 264

(119)* Question ID: 357 A project manager is assigned to a new, high priority project. There are only five available resources because other resources are already committed to projects. The time available to complete the project is less than half the time needed, and the project manager cannot convince management to change the end date. The project manager should: A. Coordinate with team members the overtime necessary to complete the work. B. Provide the team with opportunities to produce acceptable quality on the work that can be accomplished. C. Use more experienced resources to complete the work faster. D. Look for any scope that can be cut from the project.

The correct answer is D. The question does not indicate that the project work has begun. The project manager is looking at options as part of planning. A. Requiring overtime is never the first resort to solve such problems because it causes the project manager to lose credibility and performance. This would likely create a cost impact on the project, or impact other projects or other work. B. Helping the team produce quality work is a good idea, but it does not address the time problem. C. Using more experienced resources is not viable, as other resources are not available. D. The best choice in this situation is to consider cutting the scope. Knowledge Area: Integration Process Group: Planning Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 135