PM TEST 1

Short answer: What are three reporting frameworks? For what functions are they most useful? What are the cons of each?

*Gantt charts -Good representation with diagrams -Con: Does not have dependency relationships (arcs) in old Gantt charts *Network diagrams or dependency charts -Project team will use the most -Figuring out the critical path -Most complicated *Work breakdown structure (Sara's least favorite of the three) -Most useful to identify who is responsible for certain activities -Allows you to have a holistic view of the project and to make sure you have all the activates identify -Con is it does not have a graphical representation -Con: does not have time or dependency relationships

Short answer: What four pieces of information are needed about every activity?

-Duration (not effort) -Descriptions (Needs to have enough detail that anyone can look at it and know what needs to be done for the activity) -Resources -Interdependencies among relationships

Duration vs. Effort

-Duration is the total time it takes to do something plus the supplementary time between start and finish -Effort is just the amount of time it takes you to do something -Homework example

Short answer: What is the role of interdependence? How should it be used?

-Interdependencies shows you the relationships among the activities -Needs to be used carefully (about discretionary ones not mandatory ones) -More dependencies mean duration could increase and it becomes more complicated

Extra: What is a project?

-Temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. -Also, a combined effort to put together something that is unique and has a definite beginning and end

Three causes of budget and schedule changes (which will always happen):

1. estimating errors 2. learning more about project goals 3. changing mandates

Using the table included with the previous question, the total float of Activity C is:

A. 0 days

A project has many characteristics. Which of the following is not a project characteristic?

A. A project's impact ends when the project ends.

To control the schedule, a project manager is reanalyzing the project to predict project duration. She does this by analyzing the sequence of activities with the least amount of scheduling flexibility. What technique is she using?

A. Critical path method (also called CPM)

Which of the following is an example of a parametric estimate?

A. Dollars per module

For the project mentioned in the previous question, the customer has requested the Activity F to be cut by 2 weeks. What will be the impact on the project schedule, when this is carried out?

A. There will be no change in overall project schedule.

Preparing a project charter is among the very first activities on a project, but for what purpose can the project charter be used when the project is approaching completion?

A. To check whether a new scope change should be approved.

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

Examples of scheduling presentations include:

A. activity list, bar chart, network diagram

All of the following are examples of facilitation techniques except:

A. expert judgment

In the precedence diagramming method, which relationship is most common:

A. finish to start

We show the acceleration of a successor activity on a network diagram through:

A. leads

Another name for hard logic is:

A. mandatory dependency

The critical path method assumes:

A. no resource limitations

If a product is required to be delivered in full in order to have value to its stakeholder groups, we will most likely utilize what type of life cycle?

A. predictive

The nodes (boxes) in a precedence diagram represent:

A. the activity

Extra: fast-tracking is

Accelerating project completion typically by rearranging the network schedule and using start-to-start lags.

Use the following table for the next four questions. The duration of the critical path is:

B. 25 day

Using the table included with the previous question, the critical path activities are:

B. A-B-C-E-G

For a new project, a project manager employs a technique in which he uses expert judgment and refers historical records of previous projects to reach an estimate for that project. What kind of estimating technique did he use?

B. Analogous Estimating

As part of an on-going software implementation project the project team must setup a new testing environment before they can commence the software testing. This is an example of:

B. Mandatory dependency

The portfolio review board is conducting its yearly project selection meeting. Which of the following projects is the review board most likely to choose? Project J with a payback period of 23 months, Project K with a payback period of 18 month, Project L with a payback period of 42 months, or Project M with a payback period of 38 months.

B. Project K

A market demand, a business need, and/or a legal requirement are examples of:

B. Reasons projects are initiated.

A new project manager has asked you for advice on creating a work breakdown structure. After you explain the process to her, she asks you what software she should use to create the WBS and what she should do with it when it is completed. You might respond that it is not the picture that is the most valuable result of creating a WBS. The most valuable result of a WBS is:

B. Team buy-in *impute to all but main reason is team buy-in

For the same project mentioned in the penultimate question, the customer has demanded to reduce the project schedule by 2 weeks. As far as the existing project schedule is concerned, what does this imply?

B. The project now has a negative float.

During project planning, you estimate the time needed for each activity and then add up the estimates to create the project estimate. You commit to completing the project by this date. What is wrong with this scenario?

B. The team did not create the estimate, and a network diagram was not used.

What is the primary purpose of capturing a user story?

B. To document product functionalities or features required by the customer

Which of the following BEST describes what a project charter may be used for when the work is being completed?

B. To help determine if a scope change should be approved.

The traditional PERT technique uses:

B. a beta distribution

The project becomes officially authorized through the:

B. approval of the project charter

Decomposition is a tool and technique of what process(es)?

B. define activities and create WBS

You are working with your core team developing the network diagram for your map making project. Your team member tells you that they suggest you plan in your schedule that you will do a fly over of the area before researching the geography. You ask them why and they tell you it is a best practice. This is an example of a(n):

B. discretionary dependency

We show the delay of a successor activity on a network diagram through:

B. lags

Leads and lags are a tool and technique of what process(es)?

B. sequence activities and develop schedule

The purpose of estimating activity durations is to get an approximation on:

B. the number of work periods for each activity

If someone requests a change to the project charter, who most likely would need to approve this change?

B. the project sponsor

The arrows in a precedence diagram represent:

B. the relationship

As a young and inexperienced project manager, you work very hard to follow your organization's policies and procedures. However, not all work seems to follow policy. You are working to understand the organization's culture and style. To accomplish this, it is very important that you identify:

B. who are the decision makers and influencers within the organization

A project manager and his project team are planning the work to be done on a project. They have reviewed the customer requirements and have created an outline of the work breakdown structure and its corresponding WBS dictionary. They are now breaking down the work packages into smaller increments. What are they now trying to create?

C. An activity list

Your project management plan results in a project schedule that is too long. If the project network diagram cannot change but you have extra personnel resources, what is the BEST thing to do?

C. Crash the project

Effective project integration usually requires an emphasis on:

C. Effective communication at key interface points.

A work breakdown structure numbering system allows the project team to

C. Identify the level at which individual elements are found

What is the duration of a milestone?

C. It has no duration.

Which of the following is the BEST thing to do when asked to complete a project two days earlier than planned?

C. Meet with the team to look at options for crashing or fast tracking the critical path.

A project activity has an early start (ES) of day 2, a late start (LS) of day 11, an early finish (EF) of day 7, and a late finish (LF) of day 16. This indicates that this activity is:

C. Not on the critical path

A project manager has identified the various activities to be done on his project and has marked these activities in the following grid. Identify the path with zero float from the details provided.

C. Path Start-A-C-E-G-End

Dan has been asked to select between 3 new projects. Project A has a Net Present Value (NPV) of $45,000 and can be completed in 1 year, Project B has an NPV of $56,000 and can be completed in 18 months, and Project C has an NPV of $100,000 and can be completed in 2 years. Which of these projects should he opt for?

C. Project C

A project you are managing has multiple critical paths. Which of the following statements is the BEST description of how this will impact the project?

C. The project risks increase.

A project is plagued by changes to the project charter. Who has the primary responsibility to decide if these changes are necessary?

C. The sponsor

Estimating activity resources and activity duration are crucial processes in schedule management. Which of the following statements regarding estimations is NOT true?

C. Time and cost estimates are not interrelated

To manage a project effectively, work should be broken down into small pieces. Which of the following does NOT describe how far to decompose the work?

C. Until it can be done by one person

Lag means

C. Waiting time

Expert judgment is:

C. a tool and technique within all integration processes

Another name for the precedence diagramming method is:

C. activity on node (also called AON)

Which of the following statements concerning stakeholders is true?

C. all stakeholders should be classified

You are managing the development of a new medical device. Hitting the market window is critical for project success. To analyze the amount of float each activity has you will most likely use what method?

C. critical path method (also called CPM)

The critical path method is a tool and technique of what process?

C. develop schedule

The vast majority of the project budget is spent during which process group?

C. executing

The five project management process groups include:

C. initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing

You have spent years managing small and midsize projects for your organization. Based on your success, you are managing your first large scale project with what seems like an unending list of project stakeholders. The large number of change requests makes it difficult to make progress. The most likely reason for this is:

C. not enough focus on stakeholder identification and analysis

Crashing and fast-tracking are examples of what tool and technique?

C. schedule compression

Management is concerned about the practice of cost estimators and project managers inflating cost estimates. To deal with this practice in a positive way, management has told you that you will be allowed a contingency reserve on your project if you can support the reserve with real data. From your project management training, you realize that all the following are true about a contingency reserve except:

C. they are for unknown unknowns

A WBS is used for all of the following except?

C. to show planned start and finish times (WBS does not include dates)

Extra: What types of projects might be undertaken?

Compliance, operation, strategic

Using the table included with the previous question, the project float if management imposes an end time of 22 days is:

D. -3 day

You are trying to determine the time it would take for your upcoming software project to complete and eventually determine that it was most likely to complete in 35 weeks. However, if the additional resources you had asked for get allocated to the project, you believe that you can complete the project in as early as 30 weeks. On the flip side, if the hardware consignment gets delayed, the project might take up to 45 weeks. Using the 3-point estimate (PERT method), what would be the likely completion timeline for the project?

D. 35.8 Weeks

The float of an activity is determined by:

D. Determining the length of time the activity can be delayed without delaying the critical path

A rough order of magnitude estimate is made during which project management process group?

D. Initiating

The project charter is created in which project management process group?

D. Initiating

Which of the following is the MOST appropriate description of what a critical path is?

D. It is the longest path through the network that contains zero float

You are assigned as the project manager in the middle of the project. The project is within the baselines, but the customer is not happy with the performance of the project. What is the FIRST thing you should do?

D. Meet with the customer.

Which of the following are GENERALLY illustrated BETTER by bar charts than network diagrams?

D. Progress or status

Which of the following is TRUE about the development of a project charter?

D. The project manager creates the project charter, and the sponsor approves it.

In a well-managed project, the lessons-learned documentation is compiled and stored for the reference of future projects. At which stage of a project are the lessons learned compiled?

D. Throughout the duration of the project.

Your team is deciding between analogous estimating and parametric estimating to assist with estimating the activity durations. Which of the following is true of analogous estimating compared to parametric estimating:

D. analogous is based on one past project

The PERT (program evaluation and review technique) uses all of the following estimates except:

D. mean (average)

Which of the following is usually included in a project charter?

D. project objectives

Your project team is new to project management. They are struggling with the idea of a WBS versus an activity list. You explain that:

D. the WBS is deliverable oriented whereas the activity list is action oriented

The WBS should be decomposed to as detailed a level as:

D. the ability to plan, manage, and control the work is enhanced

Extra: bottom-up estimate is

Detailed estimates of work packages usually made by those who are most familiar with the task (also called micro estimates). *Bottom-up is typically the most expensive

Short answer: What should always be used, effort or duration?

Duration

Who creates the Project Management Plan?

It is the project manager who creates this after taking inputs from the project team. While it might help by taking inputs from the senior management team, the inputs of the actual team that works on the project is far more valuable in creating a realistic plan as it is the team that can properly gauge the amount of actual work to be done and the time required.

Extra: PERT is

PERT is almost identical to the critical path method (CPM) technique except it assumes each activity duration has a range that follows a statistical distribution. PERT uses three time estimates for each activity.

Extra: What types of life cycles might you experience?

Predictive, incremental/iterative, and agile/adaptive

Extra: PERT stands for

Project evaluation review technique

Extra: SMART Objectives

S Specific M Measureable A Assignable R Realistic T Time Related

Short answer: What are the four trade offs?

Scope, time, cost, and quality (quality is in the middle)

Extra: crashing is

Shortening an activity or project.