CAPM Practice Questions
A project manager has finished the project charter draft and presents it to the sponsor. However, the sponsor notifies the project manager that two items are missing in order to obtain document approval. Which two of the following should be included? (Choose two) a. High-level requirements b. Stakeholder register c. Assigned team members d. High-level risks e. Assumption log
a and d
In a matrix-weak organization, the project manager role can be best described as ________. a.Part-time; done as part of another job b.Full-time designated job role c.Part-time; embedded in the functions as a skill d.Full-time; done as part of another job
a; Think weak to strong from PM perspective (strong would be PM's influence strong)
The most common causes of conflict on a project are schedules, project priorities, and: a.Personalities b.Resources c.Cost d.Management
b § 4 sources of conflict: schedules, project priorities, resources and technical opinions
One common way to compute estimate at completion (EAC) is to take the budget at completion (BAC) and: a.Divide by SPI b.Multiply by SPI c.Multiply by CPI d.Divide by CPI
d § The formula BAC/CPI is used to calculate EAC if not variances from BAC have occurred if you will continue at the same rate of spending (as calculated in your cumulative CPI)
Variance at Completion Formula
Budget at Completion - Estimate at Completion
Expected Monetary Value Formula
EMV = Probability x Impact aka Cost
Cost Variance Formula
Earned Value (EV) - Actual Cost (AC)
Schedule Variance Formula
Earned Value - Planned Value
Cost Performance Index Formula
Earned Value / Actual Cost
Schedule Performance Index Formula
Earned Value / Planned Value
Estimate to Complete Formula
Estimate at Completion - Actual Cost
What are the 5 process groups in order?
Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, Closing
Float Formula
Late Start - Early Start OR Late Finish- Early Finish
Communication Channels Formula
N(N - 1)/2, where N represents the number of identified stakeholders.
A project team is working closely with the product owner in order to determine inputs for the scope. Due to the complexity of the project, the team will develop a hierarchical description of the project requirements in order to deliver the expected business value. Which artifact will be developed? a. Risk breakdown structure (RBS) b. Definition of done (DoD) c. Return on investment (ROI) d. Work breakdown structure (WBS)
a
What is the purpose of a phase gate? a.To determine if the project should moveforward or not b.To provide a break for the project team c.To allow for additional time in the projectschedule d.To give stakeholders opportunity to complain
a
How can this geographically dispersed virtual team be engaged andmotivated to innovate, be productive and stay within schedule? Inwhich two ways can they do this?(Choose two) a.Hold daily standups. b.Relocate the specialists toOasestowntemporarily. c.Assign a dedicatedShawpeproject manager to this team. d.Allow this team self-organize
a and d § Hold daily standups and allow this team to self-organize. Helen should trust that this team can use an agile mindset to get their work done in the identified timeline. Greer can be the agile coach. While relocating specialists can be an option, it is a costly one, and it may not be necessary given available technology. And since this team is working with an agile development process, assigning a project manager is not the correct approach.
You have been tentatively assigned to a project that has not yet received final approval. Several stakeholders who will likely be involved or impacted by the project have already been identified. Stakeholders can be identified during which project management process groups? a.Initiate, planning, executing, and monitor and controlling b.Initiate and planning c.Planning and monitoring and controlling d.Monitoring and controlling and closing
a § CAN § Want to identify as many as possible during initiating and planning, but more can be identified throughout the project
You are managing a hotel construction project, and you have asked your project team to calculate the current earned value metrics to determine the project performance. Your team reports back that the project's To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI) is 0.9 based on the Budget At Completion (BAC). Which of the following is true regarding your project's current situation as reflected by this TCPI value? A.The project is within budget B.The project is over budget C.The project is behind schedule D.The project is ahead of schedule
a § TCPI is a measure of the cost performance that is required to be achieved with the remaining resources in order to meet a specified management goal, expressed as the ratio of the cost to finish the outstanding work to the remaining budget. A TCPI value equal to 1.0 means you are right on budget, and as long as you maintain the present CPI, you should not exceed the project budget. A TCPI value greater than 1.0 means you need to take a stricter cost management approach, or you will exceed your BAC. A TCPI value less than 1.0 indicates you are within your budget and have done an excellent job of managing project costs.
Project performance appraisals are different from team performance assessments in that project performance appraisals focus on: a.How an individual team member is performing on theproject b.An evaluation of the project team's effectiveness c.A team-building effort d.Reducing the staff turnover rate
a § Team performance assessment evaluates project team's effectiveness as a whole
What's the best way for your agile team to share their progress with other project stakeholders? a.Information radiators b.Memos c.Stand-up meetings d.Retrospectives
a § The most popular tools agile teams used to share their progress with other project stakeholders are the large visible displays of information known as information radiators. Memos are inefficient. Stand-up meetings share information within the team but not outside it. Retrospectives are primarily for the benefit of the team - and they are focused on improving the team's processes, not sharing progress.
What does a resource histogram show that a responsibility matrix does not? a.Time b.Activities c.Interrelationships d.The person in charge of each activity
a § The responsibility assignment matrix maps specific resources to the work packages from the WBS. On a resource histogram, the use of resources is shown individually or by groups over time.
Your team has come up with 434 risks and 16 major causes for those risks. The project is the last is a series of projects that the team has worked on together. The sponsor is very supportive, and a lot of time was invested in making sure the project was complete and signed off by all stakeholders During project planning, the team cannot come up with an effective way to mitigate or insure against a risk. It is not work that can be outsourced, nor can it be deleted.What would be the best solution? a.Accept the risk b.Continue to investigate ways to mitigate the risk c.Look for ways to avoid the risk d.Look for ways to transfer the risk
a § This question relates real-world situations to risk types. Did you realize the entire first paragraph was extraneous? Based on the question, you cannot remove the work to avoid it, nor can you insure our outsource to transfer the risk. This leaves acceptance as the only choice.
Which of the following is correct? a.The critical path helps prove how long the project will take b.There can be only one critical path c.The network diagram with change every time the end date changes d.A project can never have negative float
a § This question tests your knowledge about a number of topics. There can often be more than one critical path, but you might adjust the plan in order to decrease risk and have only one critical path. The network diagram may or may not change when the end date changes, depending on the amount of schedule reserve and the reason for the change to the schedule. You can have negative float if you are behind schedule. The critical path helps prove how long the project will take is the only correct statement of the choices provided.
An energy company is investing in a series of initiatives to look for alternative energy sources so that the company can be competitive in 10 years. The initiatives are tracked and managed together because this goal is vital to the success of the company. This is an example of: a.A portfolio b.A program c.A project d.An enterprise environmental factor
a; Key words: managed together, program would be managed in a coordinated manner
During project executing, a team member comes to the project manager because he is not sure what work he needs to accomplish on the project. Which of the following documents contains detailed descriptions of work packages? a.WBS dictionary b.Activity list c.Project scope statement d.Scope management plan
a; The (Work Breakdown Structure) dictionary defines each element in the WBS. Therefore, descriptions of the work packages are in the WBS dictionary. Activity lists may identify the work package they relate to, but they do not contain detailed descriptions of the work packages. The project scope statement defines the project scope, but it does not describe the work a team member is assigned. The scope management plan describes how scope will be planned, managed, and controlled. It does not include a description of each work package.
Which of the following is an output of the Collect Requirements Process? a.Requirements Traceability Matrix b.Project Scope Statement c.Work Breakdown Structure d.Change Requests
a; The project scope statement is an output of the Define Scope process. The Work Breakdown Structure is an output of the Create WBS process. Scope Change requests are outputs of the Validate Scope and Control Scope processes. The Requirements Traceability Matrix is an output of the Collect Requirements process, and is used to track the requirements throughout the life of the project.
You have been assigned as a project manager for a large telecommunications project. This one-year project is about halfway done. The project team consists of 5 sellers and 20 of your company's employees. You want to understand who is responsible for doing what on the project. Where would you find this information? a.Responsibility assignment matrix b.Resource histogram c.Bar chart d.Project organizational chart
a; The resource histogram shows the number of resources used in each time period. In its pure form a bar chart shows only activity and calendar date. The organizational chart shows who reports to whom. The responsibility assignment matrix shows who will do the work.
At a requirements workshop, the attendees have stated that all of the elicited requirements are "must haves." Which tool can be used to prioritize the requirements? a. Use case b. Multivoting c. Peer review d. Wireframe
b
OPM stands for _____________. a.Operational Performance Management b.Organizational Project Management c.Operational Project Management d.Organizational Performance Management
b
On an agile project, who is responsible for prioritizing the product backlog and keeping those priorities updated? a.The project Manager b.The product Owner or Customer c.Any interested stakeholder d.The team leader
b
To obtain support for the project throughout the performing organization, it's best if the project manager: a) Ensures there is a communications management plan b) Correlates the need for the project to the organizations strategic plan c) Connects the project to the personal objectives of the sponsor d) Confirms that the management plan includes the management of team members
b
True or False. All projects are part of programs and portfolios. a.True b.False
b
When PMI says "Agile" they really mean "Scrum". A.True B.False
b
Which of the following is not a distinguishing characteristic of a project? a. Temporary b. Strategic c. Specific result d. Progressively elaborated
b
Which of the following is not an interpersonal skill? a.Motivation b.Brainstorming c.Team building d.Coaching
b
Which of the following would be most important to include in a charter for an agile project? a.The roles and responsibilities of the team members assigned to the project b.Authorization for the product owner to prioritize features to maximize value c.The approvals required for specific product development milestones d.The preassigned resources available to the project
b § **remember that charters are high-level, not very detailed § Agile project charters tend to be high-level documents that contain less detailed information than charters for plan-driven projects. To manage the higher level of uncertainty and emergent nature of change driven requirements, teams rely on established agile processes and tools that define the team members' working relationships and responsibilities. So it isn't necessary to include that information in the charter. Of the options listed, the most important one to include in the charter would be authorization for the product owner to prioritize features to maximize value.
The customer on a project tells the PM they have run out of money to pay for the project. What should the PM do first? a.Shift more work to later in the schedule to allow time for the customer toget the necessary funds b.Close Project or phase c.Stop work d.Release part of the project team
b § Close the phase as they may be able to PAY LATER § Every project must be closed, as closure provides benefit to the performing organization. This means simply stopping work is not the best choice. Shifting work and releasing team members will only postpone dealing with the problem stated at hand, not solve it. § **do not be too extreme as a PM, want to maintain relationship with client
How can the team ensure that their processes areoptimaland can deliver the final prototype on time? a.Timebox iterations. b.Conduct retrospectives. c.Assign Greer as scrum master. d.Put the schedule on a shared calendar.
b § Helen and Greer should conduct retrospectives with this team to ensure that their way of working is working for them! The other options only address either the schedule constraint or the CI requirement, not both.
What's the best way to handle knowledge sharing on the agile projects you are managing? a.Encourage knowledge-sharing if possible, where the teamshows an interest. b.Give the team many tools and opportunities to shareknowledge. c.Facilitate a team meeting if there is time left at the end ofan iteration. d.Make sure the team is holding regular stand-up meetings.
b § Knowledge sharing is central to many agile projects. It is true that stand-up meetings help the team members share information, but they are not the primary for knowledge sharing. This practice is too important to be considered optional if the teams show an interest, or if there is time.
Communication is key to the success of a project. As the project manager, you had three stakeholders with whom you needed to communicate. Therefore, you had six channels of communication. A new stakeholder has been added with whom you also need to communicate. How many communication channels do you have now? a.7 b.10 c.12 d.16
b § MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE YOURSELEF IN THE COUNT § N(N-1)/2
A project manager must publish a project schedule. Activities, start/end times, and resources are identified. What should the project manger do next? a.Distribute the schedule according to the communications management plan b.Confirm the availability of resources c.Refine the project management plan to reflect more accurate costing information d.Publish a bar chart illustrating the timeline
b § Project schedule is preliminary until resource assignments are confirmed
At the end of the project, the PM reports that the project has added four unexpected areas of functionality and three areas of performance. The customer has expressed satisfaction with the project.What does this mean in terms of success of the project? a.The project was an unqualified success b.The project was unsuccessful because it was gold plated c.The project was unsuccessful because the customer being happy meansthey would have paid more for the work d.A steady state with only a minor variation upward or downward
b § The unexpected functionality reported by the PM is outside the scope of the project. Adding extra functionality is the definition of gold plating. Gold plating a project wastes time and probably cost. It makes the project unsuccessful.
Which of the following is not a project constraint? a.Scope b.Scale c.Time d.Cost
b; Iron triangle of constraints: scope, time, cost
A project team is working on manufacturing a new product, but they are having difficulty creating a project charter. What is the best description of the real problem? a) They have not identified the project objectives b) They are working on a process and not a project c) The end date has not been set d) They have not identified the product of the project
b; Manufacturing a product is an ongoing process; it is operational, not project work (no end date)
You are working on a project that requires the use of a stakeholder engagement/assessment matrix. This tool can be used to identify? a) Additional stakeholders b) Variances from anticipated stakeholder involvement c) Key relationships between stakeholders d) Skill levels of stakeholders
b; Stakeholder engagement assessment matrix (SEAM): compares actual and desired stakeholder engagement levelsà adjust if variance is high; allows easy tracking of engagement levels during project
Which of the following statements best describes how stakeholders are involved on a project? a) They help determine the project schedule, deliverables and requirements b) They help determine the project constraints and product deliverables c) They help determine the resource needs and resource constraints on the project d) They approve the project charter, help provide assumptions and create management plans
b; Stakeholders provide input to provide PM with info to help them create project plan and schedule
As project manager, you overhear three of your agile team members debating the best way to design the acceptance test for a user story. They have reached a stalemate and can't decide how to proceed. What should you do? a) Join the conversation and explain the requirements needed for the test b) Gather the rest of the team to discuss the issue and come up with a collective solution c) Since this has become an impediment to progress, evaluate the options and identify the best design d) Tell the team you will meet with the customer and let them know the answer
b; This scenario is an example of team problem solving in an adaptive environment. While traditional project management tends to rely on the project manager for problem solving, agile treats this as a whole team activity. Therefore the best answer is to gather the team so they can all discuss the issue and come up with a collective solution.
During project planning in a matrix organization, the project manager determines that additional human resources are needed. From whom would she request these resources? a.The PMO Manager b.The Functional Manager c.The Team d.The Project sponsor
b; § In a matrix organization, power is shared between the functional manager and the project manager, so the project manager needs to negotiate with the functional manager for resources.
Which set of interpersonal skills would be most important for the manager of a change-driven project who wants to be an effective servant leader? a.The ability to resolve interpersonal conflicts among theteam members b.The ability to understand and influence the emotions ofother people c.The ability to balance the differing needs of diversestakeholders d.The ability to make rational decisions independently, basedon data
b§ The correct answer is being able to understand and influence the emotions of others; this is a key component of emotional intelligence. Change-driven approaches such as agile emphasize collective decision making, rather than relying on the servant leader to make decisions independently. The servant leader should allow most conflicts between team members to be resolved by those directly involved unless they start to escalate. Balancing the diverse requirements of the project stakeholders would be primarily the responsibility of the product owner or value management team, not the project manager.
A project is being completed by a virtual team with team members from six countries. From their various locations, the team members are arguing about which office will take lead on the project, disagreeing over meeting schedules, and questioning the abilities of individuals whom they have not worked with before. In which stage of the Tuckman ladder is this team functioning? a) Forming b) Reforming c) Storming d) Resourcing
c
A project manager is having trouble with his project because one of his team members is not performing, which is causing him to miss an important date he promised the stakeholder. He discovers that the team member knew about the project problem but did not tell him because the team members are all afraid of his bad temper. Which best describes how the project manager can avoid this situation in the future? a.Increasing his knowledge of the PMBOK guide b.Measuring personal performance c.Improving his personal skills d.Managing stakeholder expectations
c
An Agile project management approach is best suited for projects that are ____________. a.Predictive and single delivery b.Dynamic and single delivery c.Dynamic and frequent smaller deliveries d.Dynamic and frequent large deliveries
c
In Agile, the primary focus of success is ___________. a.Being on time b.Staying within budget c.A working product or outcome d.A happy team
c
The project manager for a construction company discovers that a new water line is being created in the neighborhood where he is managing a project. Government regulations require that a series of forms for city environmental changes need to be filled out before his team can continue work on the project. This is an example of: a.A portfolio b.A program c.An enterprise environmental factor d.A project
c
What is an agile control method that shows where the project is going over time? a. Burnup chart b. Backlog c. Burndown chart d. Kanban board
c
Which of the following projects is a "best fit" for traditional waterfall project management? a.A new software application that Deloitte is customizing for a client based on evolving circumstances. b.A corporation needs to release an update to their website to improve check out speed. They had a limited budget and a non-negotiable delivery date. c.A state-owned college needs to construct a new biosciences building to accommodate growing local demand from employers and students. d.A bakery needs to develop a line of gluten free products
c
Which technique is used to identify roles and the level of responsibilities? a. Capability table b. Dependency and responsibility tracker c. Responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed (RACI) matrix d. Affinity diagram
c
Assuming the ends of a range of estimates are +/-3 sigma from the mean, which of the following range estimates involves the least risk? a.30 days, plus or minus 5 days b.22 to 30 days c.Optimistic = 26 days, Most Likely = 30 days & pessimistic = 33 days d.Mean of 28 days
c § A mean of 28 days is not a range estimate, so it is not an answer. When you look at the ranges of the other choices, you will see that 30 days, plus/minus 5 is a range of 10 days. The range of 22 to 30 days is a range of 8 days. An optimistic estimate of 26 days to a pessimistic of 33 days is a range of 7 days. The estimate with the smallest range is the least risky, and is therefore the correct choice. The words +/- 3 sigma are extraneous.
To manage risk for an agile project, which of the following would you be least likely to need? a.Risk Burndown chart b.Risk-adjusted backlog c.Risk management plan d.Risk-based spike
c § AGILE PROJECT § As the manager of an agile project, you might not need to document the management plans as separate deliverables, instead, you can rely on agile tools and methods to manage emergent threats and scope and maximize value delivery. The agile tools for managing risk include a risk burndown chart, risk-adjusted backlog and risk-based spikes. These tools can replace a formal risk management plan, so that is the least likely option.
The SMEs want to pilot a camera drone to send real-time close-ups of a building tothe rest of the team to troubleshoot. Only 1 month remains in thetimeline. Howshould the team respond first? a.Schedule a meeting with Helen to discuss feasibility andadd the item to thebacklog. b.Ask Helen how to process SME requests. c.Figure out what resources, budget and time are needed. d.Ask why this is needed.
c § Agile teams self-organize to figure out how best to work. The SME is the team expert, so asking why is probably not a productive avenue, as there will likely be a good reason. The context of the question is troubleshooting within a short timeline, so we can assume action needs to be taken quickly. While the team will need to meet with Helen to add the item to the product backlog, they first need to determine what the work is. They have the authority to do this as a self-organizing agile team.
You prepared a probability and impact matrix where a risk probability of 0.4was set as high impact to cost (based on your previous experience in another company you worked for). But your new company considers a risk probability of 0.5as high impact to cost. They want you to revise the matrix. What should you do? a.Explain that they should use 0.4 as high impact to cost b.Call for a meeting with the stakeholders to escalate c.Agree to the current organization's threshold and update the matrix d.Refuse to update the matrix and stand your ground
c § Definitions of risk probability and impacts are specific to the project context and reflect the risk appetite and thresholds of the organization and key stakeholders. The project may generate specific definitions of probability and impact levels, or it may start with general definitions provided by the organization.
You have a project with the following activities: Activity A takes 40 hours and starts after the project starts. Activity B takes 25 hours and should happen after the project starts. Activity C must happen after activity A and takes 35 hours. Activity D must happen after activities B and C and takes 30 hours. Activity E must take place after activity C and takes 10 hours. Activity F takes place after Activity E and takes 22 hours.Activities F and D are the last activities of the project.Which of the following are true if Activity B actually takes 37 hours? a.The Critical Path is 67 hours b.The Critical Path changes to Start, B, D, End c.The Critical Path is Start, A, C, E, F, End d.The Critical Path increases by 12 hours
c § Did you know how difficult this question was to read? Such wording is intentional - to prepare you for interpreting questions on the real exam. Looking at this situation, you see there are three paths through the network, as show in the following table: (Rita Pg 220). If the duration of activity B changes from 25 to 37hrs, the activity will take 12 hours longer. As the activity is only on the third path, it will only change the duration of that path from 55 to 55 +12, or 67 hours. Since the duration of the critical path is 107 hours, the delay with activity B will have no impact on the project timeline or the current critical path.
If a risk event has a 90 percent chance of occurring, and the consequences will be $10,000, what does $9,000 represent? a.Risk Value b.Present Value c.Expected Monetary Value d.Contingency Budget
c § Expected Monetary Value is calculated by multiplying the probability by the impact, or EMV = .9 x $10,000 = $9,000.
On an agile project, who is responsible for ensuring the quality of the end product? a.The PM should check the quality of the product before release b.The customer should review the product as it is built to ensure that it is fitfor business purpose c.The development team should verify, validate and test the product while itis being built d.The users should try out the first release and send feedback and bugreports to the team
c § In an agile setting the development team is responsible for completing a majority of the quality assurance efforts as they build the solution. The two answer options that involve checking quality just before or just after release are incorrect because they take place too late. Due to the cost of the change curve, it is very costly to add on quality to a finished product; instead, quality should be built in during development
A team member is not performing well on the project because they are inexperienced in system development work. There is no one else available who is better qualified to do the work. What is the best solution for the project manager? a.Consult with the functional manager to determine projectcompletion incentives for the team member. b.Obtain a new resource more skilled in development work. c.Arrange for the team member to get training. d.Allocate some of the project schedule reserve.
c § The job of the project manager includes providing or obtaining project-specific training for team members. This kind of training may be a direct cost to the project.
A control chart shows seven data points in a row on one side of the mean. What should the project manager do? a.Perform a design of experiments b.Adjust the chart to reflect the new mean c.Find an assignable cause d.Nothing. This is the rule of seven and can be ignored
c § The rule of seven applies here. If you have seven data points in a row on the same side of the mean, statistically the mean has shifted, calling for action to correct the problem.
Rearranging resources so that a constant number of resources is used each month is called: a.Crashing b.Floating c.Leveling d.Fast tracking
c § Though it is correct that effective scope definition can lead to a more complete project scope statement, this cannot be the answer, because it does not deal with control. Scope planning occurs before the control scope process, not after it. Controlling the schedule is not the best way to control scope, so that is not the answer. The control processes do not act in isolation. A change to one will most likely affect the others. Therefore, the need to integrate the Control Scope process with other control processes is the best answer.
Which of the following iscorrect in regard to the Control Scope process? a.Effective scope definition can lead to a more completeproject scope statement b.The Control Scope process must be done before scopeplanning c.The Control Scope process must be integrated with othercontrol processes. d.Controlling the schedule is the most effective way ofcontrolling scope
c § Though it is correct that effective scope definition can lead to a more complete project scope statement, this cannot be the answer, because it does not deal with control. Scope planning occurs before the control scope process, not after it. Controlling the schedule is not the best way to control scope, so that is not the answer. The control processes do not act in isolation. A change to one will most likely affect the others. Therefore, the need to integrate the Control Scope process with other control processes is the best answer.
The key objective of stakeholder management is? a) Communication b) Coordination c) Satisfaction d) Relationships
c; Communication, coordination, relationships contribute to main objective, stakeholder satisfaction
You are about to start planning for a large and complex project. Due to the size of the project along with the regulatory and environmental considerations, the development of a detailed project management plan will be critical. As a starting point for initial project planning, what is the first thing you should do? a.Conduct a project kick-off meeting to inform and engage stakeholders and gain commitment b.Review the project charter to understand the high-level information about the project c.Begin the process of identifying stakeholders so they can be engaged as necessary for project planning d.Share the project scope statement with the project team for a common understanding of project deliverables
c; The Initiating Process Group has ended, and the Planning Process Group is about to begin.
Which of the following best describes the Project Management Plan? a.A printout from project management software b.A bar chart c.Scope, risk, resource, and other managementplans d.The project scope
c; The project management plan includes more than just a bar chart and the project manager's plan for completing the work. It includes all the management plans for the project; includes subsidiary plans
Lag means? a.The amount of time an activity can be delayed withoutdelaying the project finish date b.The amount of time an activity can be delayed withdelaying the early start date of its successor c.Waiting time d.The product of a forward and backward pass
c; amount of time a successor activity will be delayed with respect to a predecessor activity.
What does a project manager need to do to deliver value in the context of the organization and its business environment? a) Understand the organizational and project governance and how they may impact the project b) Review the lessons learned from other projects and use them to generate organizational process assets c) Use people and process skills along with understanding the organizational and business environment d) continuously monitor any changes to the external business environment, such as competitive and regulatory changes
c; most comprehensive answer
You are a project manager in a functional organization that is trying to transition to Agile. The organization is considering four projects, Project A has a NPV of $95,000 and an IRR of 7% as well as a CBR of 2.2; Project B has an NPV of $42,000 and IRR 30% as well as a Payback Period of 12 months; Project C has a NPV of $110,000, an IRR of 12% as well as a Payback Period of 22 months; Project D has a NPV of $73,000 and IRR of 17% as well as a CBR of 3.4. Which project should be selected? a.Project A b.Project B c.Project C d.Project D
c; pick the highest NPV, ignore extra info
In which project phase should the project manager finalize procurement strategy and documents? a.Executing b.Closing c.Planning d.Initiating e.Monitoring and Controlling
c; strategy and documentation is usually Planning
Senior management has been extremely impressed by a new team member on the software development project. The team member has enthusiastically and efficiently completed his assignments. He has also demonstrated courtesy, respect, and consideration to everyone around him. For these reasons, management is planning to promote the team member to a business analyst position that is currently open on the project. The halo effect refers to the tendency to: a.Promote from within b.Hire the best c.Move people into new roles or new technical fields because they are good intheir current technical field d.Move people into project management because they have had projectmanagement training
c; § The halo effect refers to the tendency to rate team members high or low on all factors due to the impression of high or low rating on one specific factor. It can result in a decision to move people into a different technical field because they are good in their current technical field.
A team member has missed the last two team meetings. Several of his assigned deliverables were completed late, and not all were of acceptable quality. He requests a meeting with the project manager, where he explains that he has been dealing with a number of personal issues, which he realizes have affected his work. Although this has been concerning for the project manager, as he has had to smooth the irritation of other team members and even taken on some of the team member's responsibilities, the project manager shows concern to the team member. He works with the team member to reschedule his work to allow him long weekends to deal with his personal situation and still get his work activities completed on time. This is an example of a.Expectancy theory b.Theory Y management c.Emotional intelligence d.Problem-solving
c§ Emotional intelligence enables a project manager to bring out the best in coworkers and team members by making them feel valued and important. In this case, he was able to show empathy while still working out a plan for the team member to fulfill his project responsibilities.
In managing a change-driven project, which aspect of stakeholder management is most important? a) Making sure the team members are fully occupied at all times b) Planning the team members interactions with other stakeholders c) Leaving the team alone to solve their own problems d) ensuring a shared understanding of the project goals
d
The degree to which a particular stakeholder may be able to positively or negatively affect a project is their: a) Level of engagement b) Level of interest c) Level of commitment d) Level of influence
d
Which of the following is a project? a. Monthly financial report for the state government b. Re-ordering technology inventory for the state government c. Annual financial audit for the state government d. Implementing a new financial software package for the state government
d
Why does the agile approach plan the work continuously throughout the project? a) Agile methods breakdown the work into small chunks so the team can complete one iteration at a time b) An agile product owner can't know what they really need until they see a prototype in action c) Agile teams are asked to prioritize tasks that deliver value, rather than spending their time planning d) Agile projects are subject to uncertainty and high rates of change that make upfront planning inefficient
d
In managing a change-driven project, which aspect of stakeholder management is most important? a.Making sure the team members are fully occupied at alltimes. b.Planning the team members' interactions with otherstakeholders. c.Leaving the team alone to solve their own problems. d.Ensuring a shared understanding of the project goals.
d § A shared understanding of the project's vision and goals is essential for a change-driven team to successfully deliver value. The project manager should watch out for the gulf of evaluation and make sure that the team isn't misinterpreting the desired outcome or going off in a different direction based on their own assumptions. Since agile teams are self-organizing and self directing, the project manager shouldn't need to manage the team's interactions with other stakeholders or make sure they are busy all the time. While change-driven team members are empowered to solve their own problems, that doesn't mean that the project manager should ignore them.
If earned value (EV) = 350, actual cost (AC) = 400, and planned value (PV) = 325, what is the cost variance (CV)? a.350 b.-75 c.400 d.-50
d § CV = EV - AC; PV not relevant here
A team member has been late to several recent team meetings, and the last two deliverables he submitted were not acceptable. The project manager decides he can no longer wait for things to improve and must address the issue with the team member. What is the best form of communication for addressing the problem? a.Formal written communication b.Formal verbal communication c.Informal written communication d.Informal verbal communication
d § It is best to start this discussion informally. The project manager should also document the problem and include a summary of the conversation with the team member. If informal communication does not solve the problem, formal written communication is the next course of action.
The project is expected to take four years. The project team members will not all be coming on at the start of the project, but rather will join and leave the team as needed. Historically, projects similar to this one have been volatile, and the work intense. Therefore, conflict between team members is almost inevitable. Which of the following conflicts resolution techniques will generate the most lasting solution? a.Forcing b.Smoothing c.Compromise d.Problem-solving
d § Problem-solving (also referred to as collaborating) normally takes more time, but it gets buy-in from everyone, generating a more lasting solution. § Compromise is a lose-lose situationà wouldn't be the first choice
The PM has just received a change request from the customer that does not affect the project schedule and is easy to complete.What should the project manager do first? a.Make the change happen as soon as possible b.Contact the project sponsor for permission c.Go to the Change Control Board d.Evaluate the impacts on other project constraints.
d § The other impacts to the project should be evaluated first. The change could impact scope, quality, cost, risk, resources and/or customer satisfaction. Once these are evaluated, the change control board, if one exists, can approve or deny the change.
A seller is working on a cost-reimbursable (CR) contract when the buyer decides he would like to expand the scope of services and change to a fixed-price (FP) contract. All of the following are the seller's options except: a.Completing the original work on a cost-reimbursable basis and thennegotiating a fixed price the for the additional work b.Completing the original work and rejecting the additional work c.Negotiating a fixed-price contract that includes all the work d.Starting over with a new contract
d § The seller can try to negotiate changes or simply continue the original contract and refuse requests to complete additional work, but the seller cannot unilaterally decide to start over with a new contract. Both parties have to agree to this option through negotiations.
A project manager at a large consulting firm is asked to report on the actual project results versus planned results. The project is going well, and the marketing department wants to see if the current results can be used in a future marketing campaign. The project manager should prepare a: a.Trend report b.Forecasting report c.Status report d.Variance report
d § The situation describes the need to compare. A trend report shows performance over time. A forecasting report looks only to the future. A status report is generally static (relating to a moment in time). The only choice that compares project results is a variance analysis to the plan.
As part of a Project Manager's due diligence, she reviews the schedule, focusing on each activity as its start time approaches. She also monitors activities as they progress.She is currently looking at an activity that has an early start (ES) of day 3, late start (LS) of day 13, anearly finish (EF) of day 9, and a late finish (LF) of day 19.In all likelihood, this activity: a.Is on the critical path b.Has a lag c.Is progressive well d.Is not on the critical path
d § There is no information presented about lag or progress. The activity described has float because there is a difference between the early start and late start. An activity that has float is probably not on the critical path.
A rough order of magnitude (ROM) estimate is made during which project management process group? a.Planning b.Closing c.Executing d.Initiating
d § Want this early on in project, need to provide some sort of budget at HIGH-level based on historical data § This estimate has a wide range. It is done during project Initiating when very little is known about the project. General estimate of cost/size of project
Two people are arguing about what needs to be done to complete a work package. In addition to the words being spoken, if the project manager wants to know what is going on, she should pay most attention to: a) What is being said and when b) What is being said, who is saying it, and the time of day c) Physical mannerisms and when during the schedule this discussion is taking place d) The pitch and tone of their voices, along with their gestures
d; "in addition to the words being spoken"à eliminate options talking about what is being said
Communications are often enhanced when the sender _____________ the receiver? a) Speaks up to b) Uses gestures when speaking to c) Speaks slowly to d) Shows concern for the perspective of
d; exhibits emotional intelligence/empathy, communicate with others in the way they want to be communicated with
You're managing a project to remodel a backyard. Using the earned value calculations, you estimate that you will run $1000 over budget if your project continues at the current rate. Which of the following project phases contains the processes to address the budget overage? a.Planning b.Executing c.Initiating d.Monitoring and Controlling
d; involves keeping the project on track = monitoring and controlling
The project charter is created in which project management process group? a) Executing b) Planning c) Closing d) Initiating
d; the project charter is needed before planning and execution of the work can begin. Therefore, it is created and approved in project initiating
On your upcoming change-driven project, you are assigned a newly-formed development team. The team members haven't worked together before, and they don't know each other very well. As their servant leader, what can you do to help them come together as a cohesive unit? a.Encourage them to come to you whenever they run into aproblem they can't solve. b.Guide them in finding the best way to do the work so theycan get off to a productive start. c.Share the project vision, then leave them alone to figure outhow to achieve those goals. d.Facilitate team-based planning sessions to help them learnto work together.
d§ To support this new team, you want to provide just enough structure to help them develop a shared understanding and approach, while giving them as much autonomy as possible; servant leader = FACILITATE
The_________________ focuses on building a cross-functional team, a collaborative decision-making environment and ensuring the team can respond to changes.
project manager
In this hybrid project, the __________________oversees project management plan integration, but delegates control of detailed product planning and delivery to the ________________.
project manager; product owner
What are the 4 sources of conflict?
schedules, project priorities, resources and technical opinions
The process role of ___________________________ helps the team to understand the agile mindset and use scrum processes. To develop the SLC product, the ______is the local domain expert that plans how to do the work and the _______________ looks after value creation.
scrum master/agile coach; team; product owner
