Project Management Final
The expected cost of an item that is estimated at $5,000 with a task contingency multiplier of 1.2 is: A) $5,200. B) $5,000. C) $6,000. D) $4,167.
C) $6,000.
An activity has an optimistic time estimate of 17 days, a most likely estimate of 22 days, and a pessimistic estimate of 32 days. What is the expected duration of the activity? A) 25.17 days B) 22.83 days C) 23.67 days D) 24.33 days
B) 22.83 days
The most recent addition to the four criteria of project success is: A) Cost. B) Client acceptance. C) Time. D) Performance.
B) Client acceptance
Which statement about conceptual development is best? A project goal of "significantly increase computer performance" is better than "improve processing speed 20%" because the team may exceed 20%. It is vital that a best approach to solving a problem be locked in as soon as possible to save analysis time downstream. Conceptual development begins with the process of reducing the project's overall complexity to a more basic level. Project goals should be optimistic to the point of excess.
Conceptual development begins with the process of reducing the project's overall complexity to a more basic level.
In the build-up stage of a successful project, it is important that: A) There is a clear sense of earned value management. B) The project personnel are in a state of flux. C) An adequate budget exists. D) Top management support exists.
D) Top management support exists.
Which of these factors are essentially complete opposites from an intensity perspective across the project life cycle? A) Client Interest and Uncertainty B) Project Stake and Client Interest C) Creativity and Resources D) Uncertainty and Project Stake
D) Uncertainty and Project Stake
A project manager may also be the project champion. True False
True
Conceptual development for a project concludes with: project objectives. alternative analysis. project delivery. team dissolution.
project objectives
A project manager can identify personnel who will be directly responsible for each task in the project's development by using a(n): responsibility assignment matrix. milestone designation chart. Merrill report. work package report.
responsibility assignment matrix
Which of these scope statement steps creates the all-important bureaucracy for a project? the management plan the work breakdown structure the scope baseline the project goal criteria
the management plan
The management of project changes is most effectively accomplished: when project change needs arise. when plans and project scope are first articulated. once closeout is complete. during the configuration identification phase.
when plans and project scope are first articulated
A systems analyst is paid at the rate of $50/hour and will be needed for 40 hours. Her employer uses an overhead multiplier of 60% and does not factor in personal time. Her total direct labor cost should be billed at: A) $3,200. B) $2,000. C) $4,500. D) $1,250.
A) $3,200.
If it takes 40 hours to complete the first unit and the company knows from experience that the learning rate should be 0.80, how fast can they be expected to finish all twelve units? A) 289 hours B) 264 hours C) 18 hours D) 316 hours
A) 289 hours
Which statement regarding the duties of leaders and managers is BEST? A) A manager's title is bestowed by the organization. B) Managers aim for effectiveness. C) Leaders aim for efficiency. D) Leaders embrace the status quo while managers support change.
A) A manager's title is bestowed by the organization
The number one predictor of project success is: A) A well-prepared fallback position in case the project cannot be executed as imagined. B) The absence of conflict among project team members. C) A mission that is understood and accepted by all team members. D) Documentation that clearly articulates the consequences of failing to achieve the objectives.
A) A well-prepared fallback position in case the project cannot be executed as imagined.
Which of these estimates should be the most accurate? A) Definitive B) Parametric C) Comparative D) Order of magnitude
A) Definitive
The dimension of project success that is realized last (chronologically) is: A) Future potential. B) Business success. C) Impact on the customer. D) Efficiency.
A) Future potential
Summaries for some subsets of the activities identified in the overall project network are called: A) Hammock activities. B) Ladder activities. C) Compressed activities. D) Negative float activities.
A) Hammock activities.
Projects accumulate quantities of unused supplies and materials. It is imperative that an organization have a method for disposing of these materials when a project is terminated. This issue is: A) Intellectual and internal. B) Emotional and of the client. C) Intellectual and external. D) Emotional and of the project team.
A) Intellectual and internal
The project control process is captured in the critical success factor of: A) Monitoring and feedback. B) Troubleshooting. C) Communication. D) Client consultation.
A) Monitoring and feedback.
A sequence of activities defined by the project network logic is a(n): A) Path. B) Route. C) Node. D) Event.
A) Path
Allocation of client risks to named individuals is clarified in the ________ phase of PRAM. A) ownership B) focus C) structure D) identify
A) ownership.
With a failure to secure personnel releases from functional managers, a project manager should: A) Proceed as originally planned. B) Abandon the project. C) Adjust schedules and scope documents. D) Relinquish project leader status.
C) Adjust schedules and scope documents.
All projects are unique: A) So knowledge should not be transferred to avoid bias in future projects. B) So knowledge cannot be transferred. C) But they may have several common points. D) Therefore all project management circumstances are equally unique.
C) But they may have several common points.
Project risk is lowest during the: A) Conceive phase of the project life cycle. B) Develop phase of the project life cycle. C) Finish phase of the project life cycle. D) Execute phase of the project life cycle.
C) Finish phase of the project life cycle.
In earned value management analysis, the cumulative amount of the budget becomes the: A) Scheduled value. B) Cost basis. C) Planned value. D) Cost driver.
C) Planned value.
The One Shovel Construction Company is hired by the City of Edmond to lay sewer pipe from the east end of town to the west end of town using their single shovel to dig the trench. While the crew would like to begin at both ends simultaneously and have a dramatic ceremony when both ends meet, they find themselves with a bit of a: A) Mixed constraint. B) Time constraint. C) Resource constraint. D) Partial network.
C) Resource constraint.
The first step in the control cycle is: A) Comparing actual with planned performance. B) Measuring progress. C) Setting a goal. D) Taking action.
C) Setting a goal.
An advantage of top-down budgeting is: A) An elimination of the friction between top and lower levels in the competition for budget money. B) That projects are no longer a zero-sum game among lower level managers. C) That top management estimates of project costs are often quite accurate, at least in aggregate. D) That top management budgets, by definition, cannot experience overruns.
C) That top management estimates of project costs are often quite accurate, at least in aggregate.
A project champion is: A) A project manager that always completes projects within the allotted budget. B) A project manager that always completes projects within the allotted time frame and under budget. C) A project manager that always completes projects within the allotted time frame. D) A sponsor in top management that is keenly interested in the project's success.
D) A sponsor in top management that is keenly interested in the project's success.
A common use of managerial contingency funds would be for: A) Office supplies. B) A sudden increase in the price of unleaded gasoline. C) Management consulting fees. D) An "act of God."
D) An "act of God."
Virtual teams are often slowed down by difficulty with: A) Punctuated equilibrium. B) Task reliance. C) Superordinate goals. D) Communication.
D) Communication.
Dummy activities: A) Have durations equal to the length of the successors. B) Have durations equal to the length of the predecessors. C) Have durations equal to the lag needed to preserve network logic. D) Do not have any duration value attached to them.
D) Do not have any duration value attached to them.
The degree of innovation and creativity is typically at its highest during the: A) Termination phase. B) Conceptualization phase. C) Planning phase. D) Execution phase.
D) Execution phase
A project team assesses their primary risk factor's probability of failure with a maturity risk of 0.3, a complexity risk of 0.7, and a dependency risk of 0.8. The probability of failure is: A) Less than or equal to 0.3. B) Greater than or equal to 0.9. C) Greater than 0.3 but less than or equal to 0.55. D) Greater than 0.56 but less than or equal to 0.89.
D) Greater than 0.56 but less than or equal to 0.89.
An internal intellectual issue that arises when a project is terminated is: A) Closing down facilities. B) Determinants of requirements for audit trail data. C) Agreement with suppliers on outstanding commitments. D) Identification of remaining deliverables.
D) Identification of remaining deliverables.
The order of magnitude cost estimate is used when: A) Historical data are readily available. B) Ballpark estimates are not considered accurate enough. C) Parametric estimation has already been performed. D) Information or time is scarce.
D) Information or time is scarce.
Which of these is more characteristic of a leader? A) Do things right B) Strive for control C) Demand respect D) Inspire trust
D) Inspire trust
Low inflation is a trigger for improved project management skills because: A) Lower inflation means narrower product launch windows. B) Global markets are a prerequisite for low inflation. C) Rampant cost increases must be passed along to the consumer. D) Internal process improvement is accomplished via project management.
D) Internal process improvement is accomplished via project management
A recent development in many companies is to: A) Reassign project managers back to functional duties as soon as a project ends; then assign them to the next project within their functional area. B) Reassign functional managers to functions outside their area of expertise in order to build well-rounded employees. C) Hire talent from outside the organization, effectively outsourcing project management talent to professional project management organizations. D) Keep skilled project managers in project work; when one project ends they are immediately assigned to another project.
D) Keep skilled project managers in project work; when one project ends they are immediately assigned to another project.
Some of the greatest challenges facing project teams during termination is: A) Finding another project to begin. B) Providing accurate data for the project final report. C) Providing accurate root cause analysis for the project final report. D) Maintaining the energy and motivation to finish.
D) Maintaining the energy and motivation to finish.
A project manager puts on his "nontraditional hat" and smoothly works the room, networking among functional managers and attempting to secure their cooperation with the project. This nontraditional role is BEST described as that of a(n): A) Ambassador. B) Cheerleader. C) Visionary. D) Politician.
D) Politician
Conflict is not a state, but a: A) Way of life. B) Condition. C) Certainty. D) Process.
D) Process
Which worker's wages would constitute a direct cost for a construction project? A) The foreman B) The architect's assistant C) The project's cost accountant D) The brick mason
D) The brick mason
A recurring problem with establishing accurate or meaningful EVM results has to do with: A) The need to satisfy stakeholders within budget and time parameters. B) The 0/100 rule. C) Over-reliance on the S-curve. D) The need to recognize the human factor.
D) The need to recognize the human factor.
Which statement about scope management is best? Scope management must take place during the conceptual development, full definition, execution, and termination phases. Project goals don't matter in scope management as long as the budget is not exceeded. Scope management is accomplished in a single step by any one project team member. Scope management can begin once a project hits operational level.
Scope management must take place during the conceptual development, full definition, execution, and termination phases.
One of the best methods for ensuring that a negotiation proceeds along substantive lines is to frame the discussion around objective criteria. True False
True
Outgoing, people-oriented individuals have a better likelihood of performing well on project work than quieter, more introverted people. True False
True
Preceding activities are those that must occur before others can be done. True False
True
The punctuated equilibrium model suggests that groups spend the majority of their time in stasis. True False
True
The resource usage table tells us the project team members, their assigned tasks, and the time each task is expected to take. True False
True
The term expedited cost has the same meaning as crashing cost in the project management milieu. True False
True
When new projects involve unproven technology, they are under significant technical risk. True False
True
The cat-skinning project management team considers the many ways to accomplish their objective before settling on one technique as part of their: information gathering step. need statement step. project objectives step. alternative analysis step.
alternative analysis step.
The project's scope fixed at a specific point in time is the: scope. design. historical standard. baseline.
baseline
The highest level of work breakdown structure is the: project. deliverable. subdeliverable. work package.
project
Updates on how the project is performing against milestones can be accomplished by issuing a report containing: S-curves. schedule status. earned value. technical performance.
schedule status
The final step in the process of systematically laying out all pre-work information is the creation of the: scope baseline. work breakdown structure. management plan. project goal criteria.
scope baseline
Summarizing and consensus testing are two group maintenance behaviors that a project manager uses to show support for project team members. True False
False
The behavioral view of conflict is that conflict has a negative effect on organizations. True False
False
The first step in assembling a project team is to talk to potential team members. True False
False
The initial goal and technical specifications of the project are developed during the planning stage. True False
False
The majority of a champion's time is spent performing the traditional project management duties of leadership, administration, obtaining resources, and coordination and control. True False
False
The new leader must make a conscious effort to distance himself from the people being led. True False
False
The organizational factor that is most vital in preventing a project manager from being recognized as a leader is lack of resources. True False
False
You must know the mean of an activity in order to determine its standard deviation. True False
False
Projects are typically ongoing, day-to-day activities that have goods and services as outputs. True False
False
An activity performed by a subcontractor is scheduled for 20 weeks at an anticipated cost of $100,000. Due to slippage on the critical path you need to reduce this activity by three weeks. If the subcontractor informs you that the activity can be completed in 16 weeks for $200,000, what is the slope for the activity? A) $5,000 per week B) $12,500 per week C) $33,333 per week D) $25,000 per week
D) $25,000 per week
A project that is terminated by extinction must have been completed successfully. True False
False
Scope management for a project begins with: a work package. an organization breakdown structure. a statement of goals. a configuration statement.
a statement of goals.
A testing plan would be outlined in which section of a statement of work? acceptance criteria risks and concerns description and scope approach
acceptance criteria
The step that reflects the formal "go ahead" given to the project to commence once the scope definition, planning documents, and other contractual documents have been prepared and approved is the: go ahead. send off. work authorization. work release.
work authorization
Project management is a useful training ground for: A) Interns. B) Senior executives. C) Recent graduates. D) Employees of recently acquired companies.
B) Senior executives
A resource loading chart displays: A) The amount of time needed as a function of resource limits. B) The amount of resources required as a function of time. C) The amount of time needed as a function of money. D) The amount of resources needed as a function of money.
B) The amount of resources required as a function of time.
A budget contingency of $1 million on a $10 million project means that the project will be planned for a cost of $10 million, but the project organization receives an extra $1 million to guard against unforeseen cost overruns. True False
False
A typical project stays within functional and organizational boundaries. True False
False
An order of magnitude estimate is usually more accurate than a ballpark estimate. True False
False
Closeout activities are typically among the highest priority activities in a project. True False
False
Earned value directly links all three primary project success metrics (cost, schedule, and customer satisfaction). True False
False
Gantt charts cannot depict float. True False
False
In general, a superordinate goal is a replacement goal for the goals of all functional groups involved in the project. True False
False
Loss of team identity during project termination is a significant internal intellectual issue. True False
False
Networks are adaptable and useful for all scheduling challenges that an organization faces. True False
False
Normal conditions, by definition, occur the vast majority of the time in project management. True False
False
Risk cannot be transferred because ultimately your own project will suffer the consequences if the event occurs. True False
False
Someone with a polychronic preference functions in two different temporal orientations, such as past and present. True False
False
The ability to learn a concept and then appropriately apply that knowledge in another setting to achieve a higher level of understanding is best described as critical thinking. True False
False
The use of benchmarking allows companies that are relatively immature at project management to achieve quantum leaps of improvement. True False
False
The focus of what a person or organization ought to do in when faced with a particular situation is referred to as: A) Behavioral ethics. B) Normative ethics. C) Emotional ethics. D) Substantive ethics
Normative ethics
A learning rate of 90% means that for every doubling of output, the time required by the activity falls by 10%. True False
True
Dummy activities are used in AOA networks to indicate the existence of precedent relationships between activities and their event nodes. True False
True
Emotional intelligence is a more important measure of leadership effectiveness than technical skill, analytical ability, and intelligence. True False
True
If preferred project team members are not available, the project manager should notify top management of the consequences. True False
True
In order to accelerate completion of a project, the manager must crash critical path activities. True False
True
In-process inventory represents the amount of work waiting to be completed but delayed due to unavailable resources. True False
True
Laddering is a technique that allows the project manager to redraw the network to more closely sequence project subtasks to make the overall network sequence more efficient. True False
True
The PRAM model for risk management proposes different risk management strategies be deployed at various points in the project life cycle. True False
True
The best method for establishing the existence of resource conflicts across project activities uses resource-loading charts. True False
True
The classic S-curve is a plot of cumulative cost versus elapsed time in weeks. True False
True
The closer to completion a project gets, the less precise and useful is the information that EVM provides. True False
True
The goal in requiring a final project report is to lay the groundwork for successful future projects. True False
True
The idea behind resource leveling is to avoid huge swings in utilization of labor and equipment. True False
True
The project control cycle is continuous. True False
True
The risk is highest in the earliest phase of the project life cycle. True False
True
All projects are promised in terms of the specific functionality or performance criteria they will meet. The key feature of the contractual documentation that specifies this functionality or criteria is the: contractual requirements. valid consideration. contracted terms. contractual performance.
contractual requirements
As the 80th change order floated across his desk, the project manager wished that he had kept the first 79. What money he had saved in scrap paper might well be lost in charges that could never be recouped from the client. "What I need is better: trend monitoring," muttered the manager. configuration control," sighed the manager. specification control," fumed the manager. document control," whimpered the manager.
document control, *whimpered the manager
The description and scope section of a statement of work would contain statements regarding: environmental risks. termination of project information. expected benefits. major milestones.
expected benefits.
The windmills of Mykonos were lovely, so Lisa contracted with an architectural firm to build one in the west pasture. Once the windmill had been built and was operational, the project team looked back at how they had managed to stay on schedule and what budget variances existed along the way. The windmill was pumping as promised, an honest two gallons per minute just as they had design it. Closeout documentation of this type is considered: historical records. financial closeout. hierarchy reporting. post-project analysis.
post-project analysis
An S-curve report does NOT contain information on: time. cost. budget. quality.
quality
When work is organized into cost control accounts: the work no longer needs to be tracked by the project manager. the subdeliverables become cost centers instead of profit centers for the project. these are assigned to the units performing project activities. these budgets can then be assigned back to the project manager's department.
these are assigned to the units performing project activities
What are work breakdown structure elements that must be completed to conclude the project deliverables? activities tasks work packages milestones
work packages
Among the maturity models presented in this chapter, the one term that could be used to characterize the lowest level of each is: A) Ad hoc. B) Ad nauseam. C) Derivative. D) Integrated.
A) Ad hoc
Which of the following statements about project success criteria is BEST? A) Completion time is an internal performance measure. B) Client acceptance is an internal performance measure. C) Client acceptance is often referred to as conducting a "quality" check. D) Project cost is an external performance measure.
A) Completion time is an internal performance measure.
The amount of corporate investment is typically at its lowest in the: A) Conceptualization phase. B) Planning phase. C) Execution phase. D) Termination phase.
A) Conceptualization phase
The two sets of factors that contribute to cross-functional cooperation influence: A) Cooperation and outcomes. B) Functionality and outcomes. C) Cooperation and criticality. D) Criticality and accessibility.
A) Cooperation and outcomes.
Excessive in-process inventory is often caused by: A) Lack of available resources. B) Over-ordering supplies. C) Schedule slippage. D) Too much labor.
A) Lack of available resources.
The behavioral side of project management emphasizes: A) Leadership. B) Project selection. C) Planning. D) Scheduling.
A) Leadership
It appeared that everyone on the project team was finally on board; Jim would bring the doughnuts to all team meetings and Jenny would make the coffee. Fully caffeinated and on a sugar high, the team was coming together and fully committed to the project development process. The team was now planted firmly in the: A) Norming stage of group development. B) Performing stage of group development. C) Storming stage of group development. D) Forming stage of group development.
A) Norming stage of group development
This scenario best describes a workaround: A) Responding to an unforeseen event for which you had no response plan. B) Responding to a foreseen event for which you had no response plan. C) Responding to an unforeseen event for which you had an effective response plan. D) Responding to a foreseen even with your planned response.
A) Responding to an unforeseen event for which you had no response plan.
The earned value to date divided by the planned value of work scheduled to be performed is the: A) Schedule performance index. B) Cost performance index. C) Budget efficiency index. D) Budgeted cost at completion index.
A) Schedule performance index.
Conflict begins as team members begin to resist authority and demonstrate hidden agendas and prejudices in the: A) Storming stage of group development. B) Norming stage of group development. C) Performing stage of group development. D) Forming stage of group development.
A) Storming stage of group development.
What information is usually provided on a resource-usage calendar? A) The personnel, their responsibility for certain tasks, and the number of hours per week they are available. B) The tasks, the precedence requirements, and the money per unit time needed to reduce them. C) The personnel, their hourly wage or salary, and the number of hours per week they are available. D) The tasks, the people and equipment available, and the ownership and reporting relationships among them.
A) The personnel, their responsibility for certain tasks, and the number of hours per week they are available.
Effective comparative estimates rely most heavily on: A) True comparability between the current project and previous project work. B) The correct number of employees on the new project compared with the previous one. C) An accurate inflation factor. D) The correct number of years elapsed between the old project and the current one.
A) True comparability between the current project and previous project work.
A lessons-learned analysis falls under the project closeout management element of: A) handing over the product. B) Reviewing how it all went. C) Putting it all to bed. D) Finishing the work.
B) Reviewing how it all went
The new bridge would require 14 piers to support it and it was known that each time a pier is sunk into the harbor it would take 30 man hours of labor at $50 per hour. An activity-based costing of the entire pier system results in a total labor cost of: A) $24,000. B) $21,000. C) $22,500. D) $19,500.
B) $21,000.
Three workers complete a full 8-hour day finishing concrete for a terrace. All three workers are paid $12 an hour and the job bills to the customer for $450. What are the total direct labor costs? A) $96 B) $288 C) $12 D) $450
B) $288
With a cost factor of 0.8, a schedule rating of 0.6, a reliability rating of 0.5, and a performance rating of 0.6, the overall consequence of failure was: A) 0.750 for the squidproofing project. B) 0.625 for the squidproofing project. C) 0.500 for the squidproofing project. D) 0.565 for the squidproofing project.
B) 0.625 for the squidproofing project.
It took 66 hours of analysis to complete the first phase, but the second phase was done in 61 hours. If this learning rate continues, then the 8th analysis should take a mere: A) 55 hours and 44 minutes, give or take. B) 54 hours and 33 minutes, give or take. C) 53 hours and 22 minutes, give or take. D) 52 hours and 11 minutes, give or take.
B) 54 hours and 33 minutes, give or take.
When properly performed, bottom-up budgeting has the disadvantage of: A) A lack of detail needed in project plans. B) A reduction of top management's control of the budget process to one of oversight. C) A lack of coordination among project managers and functional department heads. D) Being a hindrance to top managers when prioritizing projects that are competing for the same scarce resources.
B) A reduction of top management's control of the budget process to one of oversight.
The idea that all members of a project team have the ability to offer a contrary position in order to achieve true partnership between the project manager and the team is called: A) Exchange of purpose. B) A right to say no. C) Joint accountability. D) Absolute honesty.
B) A right to say no.
The task-oriented behavior of summarizing accomplishes which specific outcome? A) Guide and sequence discussion. B) Check on understanding and assess progress. C) Check on agreement. D) Increase comprehension.
B) Check on understanding and assess progress
Regular meetings and ad hoc get-togethers prevent a virtual team member from: A) Missing meetings. B) Disappearing. C) Accomplishing too much. D) Forgetting deadlines.
B) Disappearing.
Which statement regarding the Project Management Institute's Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) is BEST? A) The PMBoK consists of seven knowledge areas of project management skills and activities. B) Each element of the iron triangle is represented by its own area. C) The institute's position that a properly planned project will not require any changes precludes the need for change control in the model. D) Project risk management is part of the integration section.
B) Each element of the iron triangle is represented by its own area.
Among the essential abilities for effective project managers identified by a survey of 58 firms on their project management practices and skills was: A) Speed. B) Experience. C) Humor. D) Obfuscation.
B) Experience
The amount a company has at stake in a project rises above the dollar value of opportunity in the: A) Develop phase. B) Finish phase. C) Execute phase. D) Conceive phase.
B) Finish phase.
A research study on the critical success factors for projects found that an important determination of whether the project is successful is the element of: A) Reviewing how it all went. B) Gaining acceptance for the product. C) Putting it all to bed. D) Disbanding the team.
B) Gaining acceptance for the product.
The administrative duty is BEST described by: A) Gaining access to the necessary resources to ensure a smooth development process. B) Handling the important executive side of the project. C) Managing and controlling the activities of the team. D) The ability to provide leadership for the project team.
B) Handling the important executive side of the project
The period of time that is ideal to achieve the success of a new product is the: A) Window of opportunity. B) Launch window. C) Momentito. D) Moment.
B) Launch window
Networks would NOT be well suited for: A) Planning a construction project. B) Planning monthly production. C) Planning a wedding. D) Planning a software upgrade.
B) Planning monthly production.
Which of these project closeout management steps requires objectivity, internal consistency, fairness, and replicability? A) Gain acceptance for the product B) Review how it all went C) Finish the work D) Disband the team
B) Review how it all went
The project baseline is established by combining data from the: A) S-curve and the project budget. B) Time-phased project budget and the work breakdown structure. C) Work breakdown structure and the project budget. D) Time-phased project budget and the PERT chart.
B) Time-phased project budget and the work breakdown structure.
Prior to creating a network, it is important to: A) Identify the party responsible for each activity. B) Understand the activity precedence. C) Identify all loops through activities. D) Calculate the float for each activity.
B) Understand the activity precedence.
Whether it is the Boeing V-22 Osprey or a simple storm door installation for a do-it-yourselfer, nothing is ever completed as quickly or as cheaply as initial estimates due to: A) Specification changes. B) Unexpected technical difficulties. C) Low initial estimates. D) Lack of definition.
B) Unexpected technical difficulties.
A behavioral issue that is crucial to maintaining the ongoing viability of a project is: A) Relatively minor technical problems. B) Worker commitment. C) Increasing importance to the firm. D) Financial impact to the company.
B) Worker commitment.
Which two steps of project team building are out of sequence? A) You always identify personnel before you talk to potential team members. B) You always negotiate with the functional supervisor before you talk to potential team members. C) You always negotiate with the functional supervisor before you negotiate with top management. D) You always identify skills before you identify people.
B) You always negotiate with the functional supervisor before you talk to potential team members.
The tasks of reviewing and refining the manner in which we have classified risks for the project, determining if there are commonalities across the various risks we have uncovered are performed in the ________ of the project risk analysis and management model. A) ownership step B) structure step C) plan step D) define step
B) structure step.
Trust based on a person's competence would be summarized by this team member's affectionate statement towards another team member: A) "Does it feel right to allow you to make this decision?" B) "I trust you to honor your commitments." C) "I trust you to be able to accomplish this task." D) "I trust you to do the right thing."
C) "I trust you to be able to accomplish this task."
The residents of Enumclaw, Washington, live in the shadow of majestic Mount Rainier and its 26 glaciers. The Cascades form a ring of fire around the Pacific Northwest and erupt with surprising regularity, although Mount Rainier hasn't erupted on a major scale since about a thousand years ago. When it does erupt, the pyroclastic flow (a massive cloud of superheated ash and rock up to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit that can travel at speeds up to 300 miles per hour) will make Enumclaw a less pleasant place to live. City leaders have completed the: A) Control and documentation phase of risk management. B) Risk mitigation strategies phase of risk management. C) Analysis of probability and consequences phase of risk management. D) Risk identification phase of risk management.
C) Analysis of probability and consequences phase of risk management.
During the two hours before their 7:30 p.m. appointments on Wednesday evenings, the operations team had a weekly gripe session during which everyone gleefully unloaded on the powers that controlled their miserable lives. This session was valuable since it: A) Rewarded good behavior. B) Established a sense of security and consistency. C) Created a clear process for addressing conflict and group norms. D) Allowed them to feel like real men, if only for a little while.
C) Created a clear process for addressing conflict and group norms.
The Microserf was in a blind panic; now that the latest version of the Bob operating system was ready for sale, he would have to latch onto a new project team or face life on the mean streets of Redmond. This is indubitably an: A) Emotional issue for the clients. B) Internal, intellectual issue. C) Emotional issue for the staff. D) External, intellectual issue.
C) Emotional issue for the staff.
Which of these statements about early termination decisions is BEST? A) A project's viability is usually a purely internal issue. B) Projects that can fulfill a useful purpose in the marketplace are not killed. C) External reasons, such as a change in the organization's environment, are often the reasons for project termination. D) The decision to pull the plug is usually clear-cut.
C) External reasons, such as a change in the organization's environment, are often the reasons for project termination.
The most common type of logical sequencing between tasks is referred to as the: A) Start to finish relationship. B) Start to start relationship. C) Finish to start relationship. D) Finish to finish relationship.
C) Finish to start relationship.
The final project report should answer questions related to project performance, such as: A) How the organization's operating structure either helped or hindered the project team and their efforts. B) How consistently the organization estimated the completion time for activities. C) How the project fared compared to baseline schedule and budget. D) How close the project came to achieving its goals.
C) How the project fared compared to baseline schedule and budget.
A disadvantage of contingency funds is: A) That application to the contingency fund gives an early warning signal of a potential overdrawn budget. B) A recognition that the future contains both knowns and unknowns and the problems that might arise will impact the budget. C) It is difficult to ascertain across what project activities contingency funds should be applied. D) That provision is made in the company plans for an increase in project cost.
C) It is difficult to ascertain across what project activities contingency funds should be applied.
You are probably looking at a bill for a variable cost when you are paying for: A) Salaries. B) Leased capital equipment. C) Materials. D) Health insurance.
C) Materials.
What is considered corrupt in one country: A) Should be clear and straight forward to those in all countries. B) Is always illegal in all countries. C) May be seen as normal business practice in another country. D) Is corrupt all over the world.
C) May be seen as normal business practice in another country.
The professor wore both a belt and suspenders during lecture each day because he chose to: A) Transfer risk. B) Accept risk. C) Minimize risk. D) Share risk.
C) Minimize risk.
The Minimum Late Finish Time rule stipulates that: A) The earliest late finishers are scheduled last. B) The latest late finishers are scheduled first. C) The earliest late finishers are scheduled first. D) The latest early finishers are scheduled first.
C) The earliest late finishers are scheduled first.
If an activity's cost is plotted against its duration on axes with zeros at the origin: A) The slope of the line is positive because it costs more to finish an activity more quickly. B) The slope of the line is positive because a longer activity costs more than a shorter one. C) The slope of the line is negative because it costs more to finish an activity more quickly. D) The slope of the line is negative because a shorter activity costs less than a longer one.
C) The slope of the line is negative because it costs more to finish an activity more quickly.
An ex-gratia claim made when a project is closed down is made when: A) The client company fails to perform to the terms of the contract. B) The project company fails to perform to the terms of the contract. C) There is no contractual basis for a claim. D) A third party causes either the client or project company to fail to perform to the terms of the contract.
C) There is no contractual basis for a claim.
It began as a simple macro that would extract grades and post them on a web site, but once the web programmer began the work, he became obsessed with various charting features, grade summaries, and reports that could be added to make this the grandest web site in the tri-county area. As 2 hours of programming work grew to 20 and then 80, he knew that the client wouldn't be happy with the cost overrun. The only comment he mumbled as he finished his work was: A) "I thought I'd never get the wizard's hat! Oh, by the way, your grades work." B) "This project lacked definition from the outset, sorry." C) "I had some technical difficulties, sorry." D) "There were some specification changes, sorry."
D) "There were some specification changes, sorry."
Planned value is: A) The total budget for the project. B) The real budgeted value of the work that has actually been performed to date. C) The cumulative total costs incurred in accomplishing the various project work packages. D) A cost estimate of the budgeted resources across the project's life cycle.
D) A cost estimate of the budgeted resources across the project's life cycle.
A serious risk factor probably has: A) A high consequence and a low likelihood. B) A medium consequence and a low likelihood. C) A low consequence and a medium likelihood. D) A high consequence and a medium likelihood.
D) A high consequence and a medium likelihood.
Concurrent activities are: A) Activities that use labor from the same group of workers. B) Activities that use resources from the same resource pool. C) Activities that must be done one after the other. D) Activities that can be performed at the same time.
D) Activities that can be performed at the same time.
The exposure a firm opens itself to when developing a project that requires a large up-front investment can be classified as: A) Legal risk. B) Technical risk. C) Execution risk. D) Financial risk.
D) Financial risk
The Atkinson model considers which of these benefits is being accrued by the organization if a project is successful? A) Validity B) Satisfied users C) Information quality D) Increased profits
D) Increase profits
The Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide definition of a project indicates that a project is: A) Designed to avoid using human resources. B) Not limited by a budget. C) Permanent. D) Multifunctional.
D) Multifunctional
The European Association for Project Management has developed an integrated program of risk management based on efforts to extend risk management to cover a project's entire life cycle. This program is known as: A) RMEAPM. B) EAPM-RM. C) ERM. D) PRAM.
D) PRAM.
The final items that are left to accomplish or correct at the end of a construction project are on the: A) Errata sheet. B) Check sheet. C) Check list. D) Punch list.
D) Punch list.
Recent research in organizational leadership declares that the new project leader should be adept at: A) Analytics regarding the project's performance. B) Managing the progressive discipline process. C) Analytics regarding project team performance. D) Recognizing and rewarding talent.
D) Recognizing and rewarding talent
A final report section on the techniques of project management would include an honest assessment of whether the: A) The project finished on time. B) Project workers came together as a team. C) Benefits promised to the client were actually delivered. D) Resource costs could be better estimated.
D) Resource costs could be better estimated.
Which of these tools allows a project team to make future projections of project status based on its current state? A) Milestone chart B) Tracking Gantt chart C) Budgeting D) S-curve
D) S-curve
The Farm Fresh Egg project was too great for one person to pull off. The construction costs for the coop and chicken run were enormous and the sinister threat of avian flu hung over the area like a black cloud. It was only through the combined efforts of Matsushita Chickenworks and the City of Edmond that the project would be undertaken, since they would be able to: A) Accept the risk. B) Transfer the risk. C) Minimize the risk. D) Share the risk.
D) Share the risk.
The emeritus physics professor taught at the university for forty years and had built quite a following in the community and an enviable LinkedIn network of alumni donors. The university was loath to ask him to retire, so they set up a lab where he could pursue his two passions, a perpetual motion machine and cold fusion, either of which would solve the world's energy problems. As the years passed, the budget was held constant and suffered due to the rise in prices for perpetual motion machine parts. Cold fusion material certainly wasn't getting any cheaper either, and it was evident to all the other physicists that the project was subjected to termination by: A) Extinction. B) Addition. C) Integration. D) Starvation.
D) Starvation.
Productive interdependencies hinge upon: A) The support the key stakeholders offer to the overall project success. B) The project manager's role as the hub of the team with all team members as spokes. C) The cohesiveness of the project team's supply chain and the degree of assistance they render the project team. D) The degree of knowledge the team members have and the importance they attach to interrelatedness of efforts.
D) The degree of knowledge the team members have and the importance they attach to interrelatedness of efforts
Termination by addition occurs when: A) New members join the project team once the project has begun and their skills are insufficient to successfully complete the project. B) A new project is added to the organization and it commands all of the resources for the original project. C) Scope creep adds too many activities to the project that prevent it from being completed on time or within budget. D) The project is so successful that it becomes institutionalized.
D) The project is so successful that it becomes institutionalized.
The variance of an activity is given by: A) 1/36[b-a]. B) [1/36(b-a)]2. C) 1/6[b-a]. D) [1/6(b-a)]2.
D) [1/6(b-a)]2.
The flow of the Earned Value Management system at Northrop Grumman begins with the ________ stage. A) contract award B) maintenance phase C) baseline D) proposal
D) proposal
At Northrop Grumman, EVM is a corporate mandate that helps the company tailor the system to each new project in order to apply it correctly for maximum benefit, cost control, and corporate profitability. True False
True
At a merge point in a forward pass, the largest preceding early finish becomes the early start for that node. True False
True
