PMP Exam Chapter 3 Basics of Project Management - quiz only
23. Which of the following is not true about a project management office? A. A PMO should always have direct control over all project activities in the organization. B. A PMO is an organizational unit to centralize and coordinate the management of projects. C. A PMO oversees the management of a project, programs or a combination of both. D. PMOs can operate on a continuum from providing project management support functions to software, policies, and actual direct management of projects.
A. A PMO should always have direct control over all project activities in the organization. Although it would be very nice, a project management office does not have to have direct control over all projects.
11. Which of the following represents the best definition for progressive elaboration? A. Developed in steps and continuing in increments B. Developed with a continuous process C. Developed with explicit steps D. Developed in accordance with the defined project phases
A. Developed in steps and continuing in increments p.7 - Progressive elaboration means developing a project in steps, and continuing in increments. This often necessitates that definitions are broad at the beginning and get more specific as time progresses.
42. Which of the following is not a stakeholder management responsibility? A. Exceeding stakeholder expectations B. Meeting stakeholder expectations C. Managing stakeholder expectations D. None of the above
A. Exceeding stakeholder expectations Exceeding stakeholder expectations is the same as gold plating. Gold plating is a key evil according to PMI® that should never be done.
39. The single most important responsibility for a project manager in terms of the stakeholders is what? A. Manage stakeholder expectations B. Clearly define stakeholder requirements C. Provide visibility to negative stakeholders D. Ensure stakeholders approve all critical scope changes
A. Manage stakeholder expectations p. 23 - All of these items are important. But because stakeholders often have very different or conflicting objectives, it is most important that the project manager manage the stakeholder expectations.
31. Which of the following is not a name used for a phase-end review? A. Milestones B. Phase exits C. Phase gates D. Kill points
A. Milestones p. 23 - Phase-end reviews can be called phase exits, phase gates, or kill points. Milestones are significant points or events in the project such as when the phase-end review has been completed, but they are not the review itself.
44. A project manager comments to a coworker that she is having a lot of trouble with a large number of scope changes in her project. Which of the following is a likely cause of the large number of changes? A. Not involving stakeholder early enough in the project B. Having too many project stakeholders C. Not having a senior enough sponsor D. All of the above
A. Not involving stakeholder early enough in the project Many projects involve a significant number of stakeholders or suffer from not having a senior enough sponsor. These issues do not necessarily have any impact on scope change. However, not having stakeholders involved at an early enough stage can dramatically increase the amount of scope change.
4. Which of the following is a key element of defining an operation? A. Operations maintain an existing set of practices B. Operations have unique charters and goals C. Operations have defined start and end dates D. None of the above
A. Operations maintain an existing set of practices LGd PMP® Exam Prep Course - Projects have unique charters, goals and defined start and end dates. Operations have semi-permanent charters, semi-permanent organizations, maintain an existing set of practices, provide a standard product or service, and are continuous.
36. When participating on a project over time, stakeholders have varying levels of what? A. Responsibility and authority B. Authority and influence C. Responsibility and influence D. Influence and support
A. Responsibility and authority p.24 - This is an example of the kind of question on the exam where multiple answers look right. According to the PMBOK Guide, responsibility and authority is the correct answer—even though project managers must watch the stakeholders' influence and their level of support throughout the project.
54. The Product Owner of your project is absent due to a planned vacation. Who should assume the Product Owner's responsibilities at a sprint planning meeting? A. The ScrumMaster B. The Team C. A person selected by the Team D. The CEO
A. The ScrumMaster In the absence of the Product Owner, it is the responsibility of the ScrumMaster to prepare adequate product backlogs for the sprint planning meeting. Source: Ken Schwaber, Agile Project Management with Scrum Appendix A.
35. Which of the following statements about a project's life cycle is true? A. The project life cycle defines what resources will be involved and what work is to be completed in each phase B. The project life cycle defines which resources will complete each deliverable C. The project life cycle defines what deliverables are required D. The project life cycle defines when deliverables are to be completed
A. The project life cycle defines what resources will be involved and what work is to be completed in each phase LGd PMP® Exam Prep Course. The project lifecycle defines what resources will be involved in each phase and what work is to be done in each phase.
52. What is the relationship between the project manager and the stakeholders? A. The project manager is a stakeholder B. The project manager supervises the stakeholders C. The project manager reports to the stakeholders D. The project manager communicates with the stakeholders
A. The project manager is a stakeholder Although several of these answers might be true, the only thing that is definitely true is that the project manager is also a project stakeholder.
10. Which of the following is part of the temporary nature of projects? A. The project team seldom outlives the project B. The project team existed prior to the project being created C. The market window is not usually temporary D. The project team is always broken up at the end of the project
A. The project team seldom outlives the project p. 5 - Because of the definition of projects, the project team seldom outlives the project. They are by definition temporary and so are their teams.
17. Which of the following is not a key element to understanding the project environment? A. Understanding specific government regulations B. Understanding the cultural and social environments C. Understanding the international and political environments D. Understanding the physical environment
A. Understanding specific government regulations Although understanding specific governmental regulations is key to project success, this is not considered a part of project environment.
24. What does a project life cycle define? A. What technical work to do in each phase B. What the deliverable dependencies are C. Who will complete each deliverable D. How each deliverable is approved
A. What technical work to do in each phase Project life cycles generally define: What technical work to do in each phase. When the deliverables are to be generated in each phase. Who is involved in each phase. How to control and approve each phase
27. When are project phases generally considered to be completed? A. When a review of the accomplished work and the deliverables has taken place, and they have been accepted B. When a managerial decision to continue to the next phase has been made C. When the deliverables have been accepted D. A & B
A. When a review of the accomplished work and the deliverables has taken place, and they have been accepted A project phase is generally considered concluded when the key project stakeholders have actually accepted the deliverables from that phase. This might also include an overt decision to continue to the next phase. However, this does not preclude multiple phases from occurring at the same time.
40. Your project sponsor approaches you and asks for a detailed project schedule. Which of the following would be required to meet her request? A. Work Breakdown Structure B. An approved budget C. Quantitative risk assessment D. All of the above
A. Work Breakdown Structure In the project management process the approved budget and the quantitative risk assessment both come after the project schedule. Only the WBS is required from this list.
56. In a Scrum Project, the typical length of an iteration is: A. Between 2-6 weeks B. 30 days C. 45 days D. 90 days
B. 30 days The typical length of an iteration is one complete cycle within a project and is usually 20 business days or 30 sequential calendar days. Source: Ken Schwaber, Agile Project Management with Scrum, Appendix B.
19. Which of the following is the best definition of a standard? A. A government requirement, which specifies product, process or service characteristics B. A document established by consensus and approved by a recognized body that provides for common and repeated use C. A guideline that describes a preferred approach D. Mandated compliance by some governmental organization
B. A document established by consensus and approved by a recognized body that provides for common and repeated use p. 13- While several of the options deal with standards, only B is the actual definition.
21. Which of the following best represents the definition of a program? A. A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service B. A group of related efforts managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them separately C. A collection of efforts or groups of efforts and other work that are grouped together to facilitate effective management of that work to meet strategic business objectives D. None of the above
B. A group of related efforts managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them separately The first answer is the definition of a project. The third is the definition of a portfolio. B is a program
47. Jane is a project expediter working at a manufacturing company. Her main project is currently in the planning process. Her project sponsor comes to her and asks for information about the project management methodology the company has decided to deploy. He asks her why they are using it and where it came from. What should Jane do? A. Provide the information to the project sponsor B. Advise the owners of the new methodology of the request C. Provide the sponsor with the appropriate templates D. All of the above
B. Advise the owners of the new methodology of the request This question is another example of a question requiring you to determine what you would do first. In this situation it would be best if you immediately notified the owners of this request. In many cases this is going to be a PMO.
51. Regina is a project manager for a major engineering project. She is in her third year on the project and has been in charge since project's inception. Her boss, the Vice President of Engineering, walks into Regina's office one day to inform Regina that it is likely that her project is going to be postponed because several of the project's major stakeholders are unhappy with the project. What should Regina do? A. Revisit the scope statement B. Ask to freeze the project C. Try to convince her boss that the project can be saved D. Open a dialogue with unsatisfied stakeholders
B. Ask to freeze the project This is another example of the "what would you do first" type of question. In this case, although you might do several of the items, you would first freeze the project.
53. In Scrum, the team activity is monitored and coordinated on the following basis: A. Hourly B. Daily C. Weekly D. Monthly
B. Daily The Rules of Scrum advocate a daily fifteen minute standup meeting done face-to-face called the daily scrum.
60. Which of the following concepts represents the idea that information, requirements and facts will be seen over time as the project progresses? A. Convergence B. Emergence C. Self-organization D. Dynamic evolution
B. Emergence Emergence is the idea that information, requirements and facts will emerge as the project progresses. The key is that the team uses processes, tools, and techniques capable of harnessing new information as it becomes available for the betterment of the project.
18. Which of the following is not a term used to define application areas? A. Technical elements, such as a specific kind of engineering B. Financial elements, such as a knowledge of reading financial statements C. A management specialization, such as government contracting D. Industry groups or verticals, such as telecommunications, automotive, or financial
B. Financial elements, such as a knowledge of reading financial statements Although important, understanding business finance is part of general business management and skills and is not considered an application area of knowledge for most projects.
2. Which of the following is not a characteristic shared by both projects and operations? A. Performed by people B. Generates repetitive outputs C. Are constrained by limited resources D. Are planned, executed, and controlled
B. Generates repetitive outputs p.6 - Projects and operations share many of the same characteristics. However, projects do not attempt to produce the same product over and over again.
58. Which of the following terms refers to a staging and scheduling strategy in which the various parts of the system are developed at different times or rated and integrated as they are completed? A. Iterative development B. Incremental development C. Staged development D. Agile development
B. Incremental development Alistair Cockburn defines Incremental development as a staging and scheduling strategy in which the various parts of the system are developed at different times or rated and integrated as they are completed. This means that the features or requirements do not have to be completed as part of a single release. When a team uses incremental delivery they are able to deliver features or requirement in a wide range of orders defined by the team. This fundamentally changes how projects are executed. Suddenly, it what is delivered at any point in the project. This notion is somewhat similar to the ideas surrounding Object Oriented Programming where features and requirements are delivered as discrete objects independent of others.
13. Which of the following correctly identifies the project management process groups? A. Initiating, planning, developing, testing, and deployment B. Initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing C. Envisioning, planning, developing, deployment, and closing D. Envisioning, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.
B. Initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing p.19 - According to PMI every project— regardless of development methodology—uses the process groups of Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, and Closing. This process is often iterative.
25. Which of the following is a characteristic that most project life cycles share in common? A. Projects might or might not have phases, but are defined by deliverable handoffs. B. Phases are usually sequential and are usually defined by some sort of technical information transfer or component handoff. C. Projects are defined by iterative phases that continue for a predefined period. D. Projects do not have phases and are usually defined by the need to have requirements defined at the beginning of the project.
B. Phases are usually sequential and are usually defined by some sort of technical information transfer or component handoff. The PMBOK Guide lists four major characteristics that projects share. One of these is the handoff of work packages or deliverables.
55. You are new on an internal Agile project for a company with well developed processes. You need to find the list of prioritized project requirements. Where will you most likely find this list? A. Sprint Backlog B. Product Backlog C. Iteration Backlog D. The Release Plan
B. Product Backlog The Product Backlog is designed to hold prioritized project requirements. Source: Ken Schwaber, Agile Project Management with Scrum, Chapter 1.
32. Which of the following is true about projects? A. Most projects are not linked to the ongoing work of the organization B. Some projects can be initiated informally for a limited amount of time to secure formal approval for additional phases or activities C. The preliminary planning process is never handled as a separate project D. All of the above
B. Some projects can be initiated informally for a limited amount of time to secure formal approval for additional phases or activities Many projects are linked to operational work of the organization while other organizations only formally approve projects after the completion of a feasibility study, or manage the preliminary planning phase as a separate project. Some projects can initially be informal for a limited amount of time before formal approval has been secured.
6. Which of the following is not a factor in the development of organizational culture and style? A. Shared values, norms or beliefs B. Technical certifications C. Policies and procedures D. View of authority relationships
B. Technical certifications p. 27 - Each of the items except technical certifications is listed as a factor in the PMBOK Guide influencing culture.
50. Iain is a program manager at a small engineering firm. He is currently leading a project with 14 resources that provides a new design for a major urban hub. He is almost through with the execution phase. Iain just learned that several environmental interest groups intend to protest his design at an upcoming public hearing. What is the most likely cause of their issues? A. They are extremist groups B. The interest groups were not included early in the project process C. Key elements of project scope have been dropped D. All of the above
B. The interest groups were not included early in the project process Public interest groups are often one of the most difficult groups of stakeholders with which to work. However, they are project stakeholders, and as with all stakeholders it is critical that the project manager engage with them as early as possible as the number one cause of stakeholder issues is a failure to engage them at an early enough point.
41. Early in the project management planning process, a key stakeholder argues that he should take charge of the project. Based upon the standards for professional project management who should be in charge of the project at this juncture? A. The stakeholder in question B. The project manager C. The project sponsor D. The technical lead
B. The project manager In the project management process, the project manager should be named as early as possible and should take charge of the project upon their assignment. It is considered a poor choice to allow a stakeholder to take charge of the project.
48. Sam is a project manager working for a consulting company. He is currently responsible for a large multi-million dollar effort with resources in seven locations. One day three stakeholders come into his office and are very upset because they just realized that requirements they see as critical are not included in the project scope. What is the most likely cause of the absence of these requirements? A. The sponsor decided against including their requirements B. The stakeholders in question were not involved early enough in the process C. The stakeholders are new to the organization D. All of the above
B. The stakeholders in question were not involved early enough in the process The most common cause of disconnected stakeholders and requirements is a failure to engage the stakeholders at an early enough point in time. Stakeholders should be engaged in the project as early as possible.
8. Which of the following is the best description of the primary purpose of the PMBOK® Guide? A. To define the proper methodology for managing project B. To identify the PM knowledge considered good practice C. To establish the international PM standards D. To define proper PM practices
B. To identify the PM knowledge considered good practice p.13 - According to the PMBOK® Guide, "The Primary purpose of the PMBOK® Guide is to identify the subset of the Project Management Body of Knowledge that is generally recognized as good practice."
1. Which of the following is not an output of a project? A. A product or artifact that is quantifiable B. A capability to perform a service C. A manufactured product D. All of the above
C. A manufactured product p. 5 - Manufactured products represent operations because of their mass produced, repetitive nature.
9. Which of the following is not a common characteristic of a project? A. A project is temporary B. A project produces a unique product or service C. A project has repetitive tasks D. A project uses progressive elaboration
C. A project has repetitive tasks p.5 - Projects are temporary endeavors undertaken to create a unique product or service. This rarely includes repetitive work.
5. Which of the following is an that is organization likely to be project-based? A. Organizations who derive most of their revenue from performing projects B. Organizations that have adopted management by projects C. Both A & B D. None of the above
C. Both A & B Project-based organizations are those whose operations consist primarily of projects. These organizations generally fall into two categories: organizations that derive most of their revenue from projects or organizations that have adopted management by projects.
49. Linda is a project manager for a major engineering project. She is in her third year on the project and has been in charge since project's inception. Her boss, the Vice President of Engineering, walks into Linda's office one day to inform Linda that it is likely that her project is going to be postponed because several of the project's major stakeholders are unhappy with the project. Which of the following is likely the cause of Linda's problems? A. Linda has been late with deliverables B. Linda's project is over budget C. Changes in the triangle have caused a reduction in project scope D. Any of the above
C. Changes in the triangle have caused a reduction in project scope The single most likely cause of the loss of stakeholder support is a reduction in scope that causes the loss of deliverables desired by the stakeholders. Unless proper stakeholder management is done, the project manager will not know which stakeholders have strong attachments to which deliverables and, as a result, difficulties will ensue when scope changes occur.
45. Management by Objectives works only if: A. The process is well documented B. The processes do not impact the objectives C. It is supported by the management team D. The processes are defined in the project charter
C. It is supported by the management team Any management methodology requires the management team to support it in order to be effective.
34. Which of the following is a key distinction between projects and operations? A. Operations often require key resources B. Projects have limited budgets C. Operations are ongoing and repetitive D. All of the above
C. Operations are ongoing and repetitive LGd PMP® Exam Prep course. While it is true that operations often require key resources, projects do also. Projects and operations also both have limited budgets. However, whereas operations are ongoing and repetitive, projects are fixed to a set time.
3. Which of the following is an example of an operation? A. The development of a new product B. Constructing a building C. Producing a new car D. Developing a new marketing campaign
C. Producing a new car p.7 - The objective of an ongoing operation is to sustain the business. A project's goal, on the other hand, is to attain a specific objective and terminate.
15. Which of the following is not one of the PMBOK® Guide's nine (9) knowledge areas? A. Cost management B. Human resources management C. Requirements management D. Quality management
C. Requirements management The nine knowledge areas include: integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications, risk and procurement management.
37. In dealing with stakeholders, which group is most often overlooked? A. Stakeholders who have little organizational influence B. Stakeholders who are challenging to work with C. Stakeholders whose view of the project is negative D. Subject matter experts
C. Stakeholders whose view of the project is negative p. 23 - Negative stakeholders are often overlooked by the project team and because of this they risk failing to bring their projects to a successful end.
57. Which of the following statements BEST describes the relationship between Agile Development and the PMBOK Guide? A. The PMBOK Guide represents PMI's methodology for executing projects. While Agile Development represents a software development framework. B. Agile Development represents the newest way to execute a project while the PMBOK Guide represents the old way of executing a project. C. The PMBOK Guide represents the overall framework for executing projects and Agile Development represents a set of specific methodologies used in project execution. D. Agile Development represents the overall framework for executing projects and the PMBOK Guide represents a set of specific practices used in large scale projects.
C. The PMBOK Guide represents the overall framework for executing projects and Agile Development represents a set of specific methodologies used in project execution. The relationship between Agile Development and the PMBOK® Guide has traditionally been contentious. Many Agilists try to argue Agile Development and the PMBOK Guide are at odds. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The PMBOK Guide represents generally accepted principles and practices. It does NOT represent a methodology that can be followed step-by-step. Many Agilists also claim that their particular concepts are a framework representing a loose scaffolding. However, most thinkers agree Agile represents an aggregation of methodologies.
26. Which of the following is not common for a project's life cycle? A. Cost and staffing levels tend to be low at the start, peak during the intermediate phases and drop rapidly as the project concludes B. The level of uncertainty and risk of failure is highest at the beginning and improves throughout the project C. The cost of project changes and correcting errors gets progressively lower as the project continues D. The ability of stakeholders to influence the project's characteristics is highest at the beginning and gets progressively lower
C. The cost of project changes and correcting errors gets progressively lower as the project continues The cost of project changes and the correction of errors gets progressively higher on most projects because of the amount already invested and because of the fact that changes or errors often force the rework of already-produced deliverables. It is this fact that often justifies the significant amount of work done at the beginning of the project to define requirements.
20. Which of the following is not a key common element of understanding the project environment? A. The cultural and social environment B. The international and political environment C. The outside environment D. The physical environment
C. The outside environment The outside environment is not a key element in understanding the project environment.
28. Two characteristics of a deliverable are: A. They are quantified and usable B. They are part of the process and are tangible C. They are measurable and verifiable D. None of the above
C. They are measurable and verifiable A deliverable is a measurable, verifiable work product such as a specification, feasibility report, detailed design document, or working prototype. Some deliverables can correspond to the project management process, whereas others are the end products or components of the end products for which the project was conceived.
59. Which comparing traditional linear development to agile, which of the following statements is most likely to be true? A. Agile development makes extensive use of best resourcing to ensure optimal productivity while traditional development uses WIP. B. Both traditional development and Agile make use of best resourcing to ensure optimal productivity. C. Both traditional development and Agile make extensive use of WIP to ensure optimal productivity. D. Agile development makes extensive use of WIP while traditional development uses best resourcing to ensure optimal productivity.
D. Agile development makes extensive use of WIP while traditional development uses best resourcing to ensure optimal productivity. Agile Development makes extensive use of WIP or Work In Progress. Although there is no rule or requirement to do so, most traditionally managed projects use a concept called Best Resourcing. In Best Resourcing whichever resource possesses the highest skill level is assigned to execute the task. WIP argues that we want to limit the amount of Work In Progress occurring at any single point. The principle can be thought of like a water main. The objective of the Water Department is to ensure the maximum amount of water is constantly available to the end users when they turn on their faucets. Contrary to what you might think, the best way to ensure high water pressure is to ensure the mains are less than 100% full. Remember, the mission is to get each drop to the customer as quickly as possible. If you ask your friendly neighborhood civil engineer, they will confirm that the water will travel the fastest when the pipe is less that 100% full. We do the same thing with our project tasks when using WIP.
22. Which of the following statements is a key element of a subproject? A. They are based on the project processes B. They often involve specialized technology C. The subproject can consist of a series of even smaller subprojects D. All of the above
D. All of the above Each of the included statements could be true for a given subproject. When projects are divided into more manageable components, these pieces are often referred to as subprojects.
33. Which of the following is a justification to initiate a project? A. A business problem B. A change in the competitive marketplace C. Regulatory requirements D. All of the above
D. All of the above The driving forces that creates the stimuli for a project are typically referred to as problems, opportunities, or business requirements.
12. Which of the following is a reason to authorize a project? A. A market demand B. A specified organizational need C. A regulatory requirement D. All of the above
D. All of the above p. 10 - Each of the examples represent justifications to create a unique product or service using a defined team, budget and schedule.
43. In which of the following process groups can stakeholders be identified? A. Initiating and planning B. Planning, monitoring and controlling C. Initiating, planning, and monitoring and controlling D. Any of the process groups
D. Any of the process groups Stakeholder management is an ongoing part of the project management process. The identification of stakeholders is a key element of this and must be done in all of the process groups.
30. Which of the following is not part of formal phase completion? A. Review of the completed phase deliverables B. Acceptance of the phase deliverables C. Review of any phase documents D. Authorization of the subsequent phase
D. Authorization of the subsequent phase Formal phase completion does not include authorizing the subsequent phase. For effective control, each phase is formally initiated to produce a phase-dependent output of the Initiating Process Group, specifying what is allowed and expected for that phase.
16. Which of the following is not one of the PMBOK® Guide's nine (9) knowledge areas? A. Time Management B. Risk management C. Communications management D. Contract management
D. Contract management The nine knowledge areas include: integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications, risk and procurement management
29. Bob is a project manager whose project has been closed at the end of the third phase of the five phases that were initially planned. What should Bob's next course of action be in terms of the current project? A. Seek a review with the key stakeholders B. Seek a review with the project sponsor C. Complete a review with the project team D. Nothing, this is a legitimate decision
D. Nothing, this is a legitimate decision The answer is nothing because according to the PMBOK® Guide a phase can be legitimately closed without the decision to initiate any other phases for a wide variety of reasons.
14. Which of the following is not one of project management's triple constraints? A. Time B. Costs C. Scope D. Requirements
D. Requirements The triple constraints of project management include time, costs, and scope and quality.
46. In which of the following process groups are stakeholders not identified? A. Initiating B. Closing C. Executing D. Stakeholders can be identified in any process group
D. Stakeholders can be identified in any process group Stakeholders can be identified at any point in the PM process.
38. Which of the following is not considered a key stakeholder on every project? A. The end user B. The project team C. The PMO D. The general public
D. The general public p. 25 - This is one of the many questions where your ability to select the best answer—as seen by PMI®—becomes critical. Many select the PMO because not every company has a Project or Program Management Office. However, this is not the best answer. The PMO is listed in the PMBOK® Guide as a key stakeholder, but the general public is not.
7. Who is responsible for determining what the "appropriate practice" for the project is? A. The project sponsor B. The project manager C. The key stakeholders D. The project management team
D. The project management team p.13 - The project management team must define what good practice means in each project on a case-by-case basis.
