PMP Exam Prep Ch. 6, PMP Exam Prep Ch. 7, PMP Exam Prep Ch. 8, PMP Exam Prep Ch. 9

Which of the following is the BEST project management tool to use to determine the longest time the project will take? A: Work breakdown structure B: Network diagram C: Bar chart D: Project charter

Bar Chart The bar chart may show an end date, but it is not used to determine dates. The project charter also may include a required end date, but not a logical determination of how long the project will take. The network diagram takes the activities from the activity list and adds dependencies. The dependencies allow us to look at the various paths through the diagram to determine the longest duration (critical) path. The network diagram is the best answer.

A project manager is using weighted average duration estimates to perform schedule network analysis. Which type of mathematical analysis is being used? A: Critical path method B: Beta distribution C: Monte Carlo D: Resource leveling

Beta Distribution Beta distribution uses weighted averages to compute activity durations.

A project manager had a complex problem to solve and facilitated a team decision about what needed to be done. A few months later, the problem resurfaced. What did the project manager MOST likely NOT do? A: Perform proper risk analysis B: Confirm the decision solved the problem C: Have the project sponsor validate the decision D: Use a Ishikawa design

Confirm the decision solved the problem Notice the phrasing of the question, "most likely NOT do." Expect to see questions worded on the exam in ways that can cause you to misinterpret them. You will also see questions about things we forget to do in the real world. "Who has the time," you may say, "to determine if each problem is really solved?" One could respond with, "Who has time not to do this? Who has time to deal with the same problem twice?" The final steps of problem solving include: implement a decision, review it, and confirm that that decision solved the problem.

The main focus of life cycle costing is to: A: Estimate installation costs. B: Estimate the cost of operations and maintenance. C: Consider installation costs when planning the project costs. D: Consider operations and maintenance costs in making project decisions.

Consider operations and maintenance costs in making project decisions Life cycle costing looks at operations and maintenance costs and balances them with the project costs to try to reduce the cost across the entire life of the project.

During project executing, a project team member informs the project manager that a work package has not met the quality metric, and that she believes it is not possible to meet it. The project manager meets with all concerned parties to analyze the situation. Which part of the quality management process is the project manager involved in? A: Perform Quality Assurance B: Project Control C: Control Quality D: Plan Quality Management

Control Quality Measuring is part of the Control Quality process. Did you select project control? The question asked which part of the quality management process the project manager is involved in, not which part of the project management process.

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? A: Fast track the project B: Level the resources C: Crash the project D: Perform Monte Carlo analysis

Crash the project Leveling resources generally extends the schedule. Monte Carlo analysis does not directly address the constraints of this situation. To compress the schedule, you could either crash or fast track. However, the situation says that the network diagram cannot change. This eliminates the fast tracking option, leaving crashing the project as the best answer.

The WBS, estimates for each work package, and the network diagram are completed. The NEXT thing for the project manager to do is: A: Sequence the activities B: Validate that they have the correct scope C: Create a preliminary schedule and get the team's approval D: Complete risk management

Create a preliminary schedule and get the team's approval Sequencing the activities is the same thing as creating a network diagram, so that has already been done. The Validate Scope process is done during project monitoring and controlling, not during project planning. Since a schedule is an input to risk management, risk management cones after the creation of a preliminary schedule, and so that is not the "next thing to do". Creating the preliminary schedule is next.

A heuristic is BEST described as a: A: Control tool B: Scheduling method C: Planning tool D: Generally accepted rule

Generally accepted rule A heuristic is a generally accepted rule. Examples are cost per line of code, cost per square foot of floor space, etc.

Rearranging resources so that a constant number of resources is used each moth is called: A: Crashing B: Floating C: Leveling D: Fast tracking

Leveling The key to this question is the phrase "constant number used each month." Only leveling has such an effect on the schedule.

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? A: The team did not create the estimate, and estimating takes too long using that method. B: The team did not create the estimate, and a network diagram was not used. C: The estimate is too long and should be created by management. D: The project estimate should be the same as the customer's required completion date.

The team did not create the estimate, and a network diagram was not used. Time estimates for the activities should be created by the team and should not be added together to create the project estimate. Some activities may take place concurrently; these would be identified in the network diagram.

During a team meeting, the team adds a specific area of extra work to the project because they have determined it would benefit the customer. What is wrong in this situation? A: The team is gold plating. B: These efforts shouldn't be done in meetings. C: Nothing. This is how to meet and exceed customer expectations. D: Nothing. The project manager is in control of the situation.

The team is gold plating This is a example of gold plating. You should provide ONLY what the customer asked for. The team does not know if their change will provide benefit to the customer. The team should focus their efforts on fulfilling the requirements.

The management theory states that people can direct their own efforts is: A: Theory Y B: Herzberg's theory C: Maslow's theory D: Theory X

Theory Y Theory Y is the belief that people can direct their own efforts. Know the difference between Theory X and Theory Y for the exam.

If earned value (EV) = 350, actual cost (AC) = 400, and planned value (PV) = 325, what is cost variance (CV)? A: 350 B: -75 C: 400 D: -50

-50 The formula is CV = EV - AC. Therefore, CV = 350 - 400, or CV = -50

You are managing a project in a just in time environment. This will require more attention, because the amount of inventory in such an environment is generally: A: 45% B: 10% C: 12% D: 0%

0% In a just in time environment, supplies are delivered when you need them and not before, Therefore, you have little or no inventory.

If the optimistic estimate of an activity is 12 days, and the pessimistic estimate is 18 days, what is the standard deviation of this activity? A: 1 B: 1.3 C: 6 D: 3

1 The beta standard deviation is computed by (P-O)/6. Therefore, the answer is (18-12)/6=6/6=1.

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

A critical path activity took longer and needed more labor hours to complete To answer this question, you must look for a choice that would take longer and cost more. Notice one of the choices says scope was changed, but it was not necessarily added to. If the change was to reduce the scope, it might also have reduced cost. Though it would take time to handle the issue of the need to find a new supplier, the impacted activity might not be on the critical path and thus might not affect time. Purchasing additional equipment definitely adds cost, but not necessarily time. A critical path activity taking longer and requiring more labor hours to complete would negatively affect both time and cost.

Value analysis is performed to get: A: More value from the cost analysis. B: Management to buy into the project. C: The team to buy into the project. D: A less costly way of doing the same work.

A less costly way of doing the same work. Notice that you need to know the definition of value analysis to answer this question. Also notice that the other choices could be considered correct by someone who does not know the definition. Value analysis seeks to decrease cost while maintaining the same scope.

Based on the following, if you needed to shorten the duration of the project, which activity would you try to shorten? Activity Preceding Activity Duration in Weeks Start None 0 A Start 1 B Start 2 C Start 6 D A 10 E B, C 1 F C 2 G D 3 H E 9 I F 1 End G, H, I 0 A: Activity B B: Activity D C: Activity H D: Activity C

Activity C This is an example of a two-stage question you may find on the exam. First you need to draw the network diagram and find the critical path, and then make a decision. The network diagram would be: The critical path is 16 (Start, C, E, H, End). Many people immediately look for the longest duration activity on the project to cut. Here activity D is the longest, at 10 weeks. However, that activity is not on the critical path, and cutting it would not shorten the project's duration. You must change the critical path. In this case, both activity C and activity H are the critical path. If you have a choice, all things being equal, choose the earlier option. Therefore, activity C is the best answer.

The cost contingency reserve should be: A: Hidden to prevent management from disallowing the reserve. B: Added to each activity to provide the customer with a shorter critical path. C: Maintained by management to cover cost overruns. D: Added to the costs of the project to account for risks.

Added to the costs of the project to account for risk Hiding the reserve is an inappropriate action. Adding cost to each activity will not shorten the critical path, and thus is an incorrect statement. Management reserves, not contingency reserves, are maintained by management to cover cost overruns. During the risk management process, you determine appropriate contingency reserves to cover the cost of identified risks.

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

Agree to analogous estimating, as it is a form of expert judgement. This is a tricky question. Determining why the sponsor wants such an accurate estimate sounds like a good idea at first. However, analogous estimates are less accurate than other forms of estimating, as they are prepared with a limited amount of detailed information. Reading every word of this choice helps eliminate it. In order to pick the best answer, you need to realize that analogous estimating is a form processes are completed.

A project has faced major difficulties in the quality of its deliverables. Management now states that quality is the most important project constraint. If another problem with quality were to occur, what would be the BEST thing for the project manager to do? A: Fix the problem as soon as possible. B: Allow the schedule to slip by cutting cost. C: Allow cost to increase by fixing the root cause of the problem. D: Allow risk to increase by cutting cost.

Allow cost to increase by fixing the root cause of the problem If a problem with quality were to occur again, many people would opt to fix the problem as soon as possible. It is proactive, but some other project constraint(s) must change to accommodate fixing the root cause of the problem. It may not be necessary to allow the schedule to slip, because the project manager might be able to compress the schedule in other areas. Cutting cost does not necessarily cause the schedule to slip, nor would that necessarily fix the problem at hand. Allowing risk to increase by cutting cost is not the best choice, because a quality problem is most likely to create additional cost, rather than cut cost. Allowing the cost to increase by fixing the root cause of the problem addresses both finding the cause and the probable impact of dealing with the problem.

A team member is not performing well on the project because she is 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 project completion 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.

Arrange for the team member to get training. The job for the project manager includes providing or obtaining project-specific training for team members. This kind of training may be a direct cost of the project.

The customer responsible for overseeing your project asks you to provide a written cost estimate that is 30 percent higher than your estimate of the project's cost. He explains that the budgeting process requires managers to estimate pessimistically to ensure enough money is allocated for projects. What is the BEST way to handle this? A: Add the 30 percent as a lump sum contingency fund to handle project risks. B: Add the 30 percent to your cost estimate by spreading it evenly across all project activities. C: Create one cost baseline for budget allocation and a second one for the actual project management plan. D: Ask for information on risks that would cause your estimate to be too low.

Ask for information on risks that would cause your estimate to be too low Presenting anything other than your original estimate (allocating more to the budget) is inaccurate and calls into question your competence and integrity as a project manager. The customer should list potential changes and risks related to your estimate. If the costs and risks are justified, you can increase the budget.

Identified risks are: A: An input to the Estimate Costs process. B: An output of the Estimate Costs process. C: Not related to the Estimate Costs process. D: Both an input to and an output of the Estimate Costs process.

Both an input to an output of the Estimate Costs process Identified risks are listed in the risk register, an input of the Estimate Costs process. In completing the Estimate Costs process, additional risks may be uncovered. These are added to the risk register as project documents updates.

Which estimating method tends to be MOST costly for creating a project cost estimate? A: Bottom-up B: Analogous C: Parametric D: 50/50

Bottom-up Because you need project details to estimate this way, the effort expended will be greater with bottom-up estimating.

Although the stakeholders thought there was enough money in the budget, halfway through the project the cost performance index (CPI) is .7. To determine the root cause, several stakeholders audit the project and discover the project cost budget was estimated analogously. Although the activity estimates add up to the project estimate, the stakeholders think something was missing in how the estimate was completed. Which of the following describes what was missing? A: Estimated costs should be used to measure CPI. B: SPI should be used, not CPI. C: Bottom-up estimating should have been used. D: Past history was not taken into account.

Bottom-up estimating should have been used Actual costs are used to measure CPI, and there is not reason to use SPI in this situation. Using past history is another way of saying "analogous". The best way to estimate is bottom-up. Such estimating would have improved the overall quality of the estimate.

Your project has a medium amount risk and is not very well defined. The sponsor hands you a project charter and asks you to confirm that the project can be completed within the project cost budget. What is the BEST method to handle this? A: Build a estimate in the form of a range of possible results. B: Ask the team members to help estimate the cost based on the project charter. C: Based on the information you have, calculate a parametric estimate. D: Provide an analogous estimate based on past history.

Build a estimate in the form of a range of possible results With such limited information, it is best to estimate in a range. The range can be narrowed as planning progresses and risks are addressed.

Which of the following is NOT needed in order to come up with a project estimate? A: A WBS B: A network diagram C: Risks D: Change requests

Change requests You need the WBS to define the activities, the network diagram to see the dependencies, ad the risks to determine contingencies. NOTE: These are high-level risks, not the detailed risks we identify later in project planning. Change requests are not required to obtain estimates, although they could cause existing estimates to be adjusted. Without the other three choices, you cannot develop the estimates.

A new product development project has four levels i the work breakdown structure and has been sequenced using the precedence diagramming method. The activity duration estimates have been received. What should be done NEXT? A: Create an activity list B: Begin the work breakdown structure C: Finalize the schedule D: Compress the schedule

Compress the schedule The question is really asking, "What id done after the Estimate Activity Durations process?" The work breakdown structure and activity list are done before Estimate Activity Durations. The schedule is not finalized until after schedule compression. Therefore compressing the schedule is next.

You just found out that a major subcontractor for your project consistently provides deliverables late. The subcontractor approaches you and asks you to continue accepting late deliverables in exchange for a decrease in project costs. This offer is an example of: A: Confronting B: Compromise C: Smoothing D: Forcing

Compromise Both parties are giving up something. This is a compromise.

A project manager must publish a project schedule. Activities, start/end time, and resources are identified. What should the project manager do NEXT? A: Distribute the project schedule according to the communications management plan. B: Confirm the availability of the resources. C: Refine the project management plan to reflect more accurate costing information. D: Publish a bar chart illustrating the timeline.

Confirm the availability of the resources. The project schedule remains preliminary until resource assignments are confirmed.

All the following are tools of Control Quality EXCEPT: A: Inspection B: Cost of quality C: Pareto diagram D: Fishbone diagram

Cost of quality Inspection, Pareto diagrams, and fishbone diagrams are all tools that can be used in Control Quality. Cost of quality is part of Plan Quality Management, making sure the project is not spending too much to achieve a particular level of quality.

There have been many work packages completed successfully on the project, and the sponsor has made some recommendations for improvement. The project is on schedule to meet an aggressive deadline when the successor activity to a critical path activity suffers a major setback. The activity has 14 days of float and is being completed by four people. There are two other team members with the skill set to assist the troubled activity, if needed. The project manager receives a call that three other team members are attempting to be removed from the project because they do not feel the project can be successful. When the project manager pursues this, he discovers that those team members have issues that have not been addressed. Which of the following is the BEST thing to do to improve this project? A: Have the team members immediately assist the troubled activity. B: Investigate why the project schedule is aggressive. C: See who can replace the three team members. D: Create an issue log.

Create an issue log Sometimes complex problems are caused by not doing simple things. The data in the first paragraph, once you read the choices, is completely extraneous. The troubled activity has float and so does not need immediate action. It may not be necessary for additional team members to assist the troubled activity, but none of the choices suggest investigating whether the amount of float is enough to cover any delay caused by the trouble. Rather, the choices take you in different directions. Investigating why the schedule is so aggressive should have been done before the project began. Replacing team members does not solve the root cause of the problem. Could there be something the project manager is doing wrong, or could be doing that he is not, that would solve the problem without losing resources? Wouldn't it be more effective to discover the root cause of those team members' concerns so the problem does not surface again later? The creation of an issue log will let the troubled team members know their concerns have been heard, are noted, and will be resolved. This might be enough to stop them from leaving and avoid the resultant project delays and confusion if new team members must be added.

All of the following result from quality audits EXCEPT: A: Determination of whether project activities comply with organizational policies. B: Improved processes to increase productivity. C: Creation of quality metrics. D: Confirmation of the implementation of approved change requests.

Creation of quality metric Quality metrics are an output of the Plan Quality Management process. They are an input to the Perform Quality Assurance process, the process in which quality audits take place.

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 lease amount of scheduling flexibility. What technique is she using? A: Critical path method B: Flowchart C: Procedure diagramming D: Work breakdown structure

Critical path method There are only two choices related to scheduling: critical path method and procedure diagramming. Precedence diagramming, however, is a diagramming technique that deals with the relationship between activities, not schedule flexibility. The project manager is analyzing the critical path.

The project manager is allocating overall cost estimates to individual activities to establish a baseline for measuring project performance. What process is this? A: Cost Management B: Estimate Cost C: Determine Budget D: Control Cost

Determine Budget Cost Management is too general. The estimates are already created in this situation, so the answer is not Estimate Costs. The answer is not Control Costs, because the baseline has not yet been created.

A control chart helps the project manager: A: Focus on the most critical issues to improve quality. B: Focus on stimulating thinking. C: Explore a desired future outcome. D: Determine if a process is functioning within set limits.

Determine if a process is functioning within set limits Focusing on the most critical issues to improve quality relates to Pareto diagrams. Stimulating thinking and exploring a desired future outcome relate to fishbone diagrams. Only determining if a process is functioning within set limits relates to control charts.

A project manager is in the middle of executing a very large construction project when he discovers the time needed to complete the project is longer than the time available. What is the BEST thing to do? A: Cut product scope. B: Meet with management and tell them the required date cannot be met. C: Work overtime. D: Determine options for schedule compression and present management with his recommended option.

Determine options for schedule compression and present management with his recommended option. The question again tests whether you know how to solve problems. Cutting product scope negatively affects the customer, and is therefore not best. A project manager's job is to determine options for meeting any end date; therefore, simply telling management the required date cannot be met is not correct. Working overtime is expensive and unnecessary when there are many other choices that could be selected first. Determining options for schedule compression would have the least negative effect on the project.

The float of an activity is determined by: A: Performing a Monte Carlo analysis. B: Determining the waiting time between activities. C: Determining lag. D: Determining the length of time the activity can be delayed without delaying the critical path.

Determining the length of time the activity can be delayed without delaying the critical path The total float of an activity is the length of time the activity can be delayed without delaying the critical path.

Which of the following processes includes asking team members about the time estimates for their activities and reaching agreement on the calendar date for each activity? A: Sequence Activities B: Develop Schedule C: Define Scope D: Develop Project Charter

Develop Schedule By the time this process is taking place, Develop Project Charter, Define Scope, and Sequence Activities would be completed. The process defined in question is Develop Schedule.

Which type of cost is team training? A: Direct B: NPV C: Indirect D: Fixed

Direct You are training to team on skills required for the project. The cost is directly related to the project and thus a direct cost.

A project manager needs to analyse the project costs to find ways to decrease costs. It would be BEST if the project manager looks at: A: Variable costs and fixed costs. B: Fixed costs and indirect costs. C: Direct costs and variable costs. D: Indirect cots and direct costs.

Direct costs and variable costs Direct costs are directly attributable to the project, and variable costs are costs that vary with the amount of work accomplished. It is best to look at decreasing these costs on the project.

You are a project manager on a US $5,000,000 software development project. While working with your project team to develop a network diagram, your data architects suggest that quality could be improved if the data model is approved by senior management before moving on to other design elements. They support this suggestion with an article from a leading software development journal. Which of the following BEST describes this type of input? A: Mandatory dependency B: Discretionary dependency C: External dependency D: Heuristic

Discretionary Dependency The situation is neither mandatory nor driven by an external source. A heuristic is a general rule that can be used consistently. This situation is a unique occurrence for which a preferred method is being suggest. Therefore, this is a discretionary dependency.

One common way to compute estimate at completion (EAC) is to take the budget at completion (BAC): A: Divide by SPI B: Multiply by SPI C: Multiply by CPI D: Divide by CPI

Divide by CPI This formula for EAC is used if no variances from the BAC have occurred or you will continue at the same rate of spending (as calculated in your cumulative CPI). You have to remember the formula to get the answer correct.

Which of the following is an example of a parametric estimate? A: Dollars per module B: Learning bend C: Bottom-up D: CPM

Dollars per module Parametric estimates use a mathematical model to predict project cost or time.

Which of the following represents the estimated value of the work actually accomplished? A: Earned value (EV) B: Planned value (PV) C: Actual cost (AC) D: Cost variance (CV)

Earned Value (EV) It can be confusing to differentiate earned value terms from each other. The estimated value of the work actually completed is the definition of EV, or earned value.

Your cost forecast shows that you will have a cost overrun at the end of the project. Which of the following should you do? A: Eliminate risks in estimates and reestimate. B: Meet with the sponsor to find out what work can be done sooner. C: Cut quality. D: Decrease scope.

Eliminate risks in estimates and reestimate Look for the choice that would have the least negative impact on this situation. You would not need to meet with the sponsor to determine which work can be done sooner. Cutting quality and decreasing scope always have negative effects. The choice with the least negative impact is to eliminate risks in estimates and reestimate.

The highest point of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is: A: Physiological satisfaction B: Attainment of survival C: Need for association D: Esteem

Esteem This question is asking which of the FOLLOWING is the highest. Self-actualization is not listed, so the next best choice is esteem.

A cost baseline is an output of which cost management process? A: Estimate Activity Resources B: Estimate Costs C: Determine Budget D: Control Costs

Estimate Activity Resources A cost baseline is an output of the Determine Budget process.

Cost performance measurement BEST done through which of the following? A: Asking for a percent complete from each team member and reporting that in the monthly progress report. B: Estimate the cost of operations and maintenance. C: Consider installation costs when planning the project costs. D: Consider operations and maintenance costs in making project decisions.

Estimate the cost of operations and maintenance Asking percent complete is not a best practice since it is usually a guess. Often the easiest work is done first on a project, throwing off any percentage calculations of work remaining. The life cycle cost cannot be lower than the project cost, as the life cycle cost includes the project cost. Focusing on the amount spent last month and what will be spent in the next month is often done by inexperienced project managers. Not only does this provide little information, but the data cannot be used to predict the future. Using earned value and other calculations is the best answer since this choice looks at the past and uses that information to estimate future costs.

What theory proposes that employees' efforts will lead to effective performance and the employees will be rewarded for accomplishments? A: Conditional reinforcement B: Maslow's hierarchy C: McGregor's D: Expectancy

Expectancy Expectancy theory states that employees who believe their efforts will lead to effective performance and who expect to be rewarded for their accomplishments will stay productive as rewards meet their expectations.

You are a project manager leading a cross-functional project team in a weak matrix environment. None of your project team members report to you functionally and you do not have the ability to directly reward their performance. The project is difficult, involving tight date constraints and challenging quality standards. Which of the following types of project management power will likely be the MOST effective in this circumstance? A: Referent B: Expert C: Penalty D: Formal

Expert Reward and expert are the best types of power to use in such a circumstance. Reward is not listed as a choice, and the question says the project manager has limited ability to reward the team members. Therefore, expert power is the correct answer.

All of the following are forms of power derived from the project manager's position EXCEPT: A: Formal B: Reward C: Penalty D: Expert

Expert When someone is given the job of project manager, he or she will have formal, reward, and penalty power. But just having the position does not make the project manager either a technical or project manager expert. Expert power has to be earned.

Standard deviation is a measure of how: A: Far the estimate is from the highest estimate. B: Far the measurement is from the mean. C: Correct the sample is. D: Much time remains in the project.

Far the measurement is from the mean Standard deviation is the measurement of a range around the mean.

A control chart shows seven data points in a row on one side of the mean. What should be done? A: Perform a design 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.

Find an assignable cause 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.

Project setup costs are an example of: A: Variable costs. B: Fixed costs. C: Overhead costs. D: Opportunity costs.

Fixed Costs Setup costs do not change as production on the project changes. Therefore, they are fixed costs.

You are asked to select tools and techniques to implement a quality assurance program to supplement existing quality control activities. Which of the following would NOT be appropriate for this purpose? A: Quality audits B: Statistical sampling C: Pareto diagrams D: Focus groups

Focus Groups Focus groups are a tool of the Collect Requirements process, and would not be useful in the Perform Quality Assurance process.

Pareto diagram help the project manager: A: Focus on the most critical issues to improve quality. B: Focus on stimulating thinking. C: Explore a desired future outcome. D: Determine if a process is out of control.

Focus on the most critical issues to improve quality Fishbone diagrams are often used to stimulate thinking and explore a desired future outcome. Determining whether a process is out of control charts. Only focusing on critical issues to improve quality relates to Pareto diagrams.

You are in the middle of a major new facility construction project. The structural steel is in place and the heating conduits are going into place when a senior manager informs you that he is worried the project will not meet the quality standards. What should you do in this situation? A: Assure senior management that during the Plan Quality Management process, it was determined that the project would meet the quality standards. B: Analogously estimate future results. C: Form a quality assurance team. D: Check the results from the last quality management plan.

Form a quality assurance team Assuring management that it was determined in planning that the project would meet quality standards is not productive, since it does not solve the problem. An analogous estimate looks at the past history of other projects. This would not be appropriate to determine how the current project is going. The quality management plan does not provide results. A quality assurance team could help to determine whether the team is following the correct process to satisfy the relevant quality standards.

The project is just starting out and consists of people from 14 different departments. The project charter was signed by one person and contains over 30 major requirements that must be met on the project. The sponsor has informed the project manager that the SPI must be kept between 0.95 and 1.1. A few minutes of investigation resulted in the identification of 34 stakeholders, and the schedule objectives on the project are constrained. The project manager has just been hired. Which of the following types of project management power will BEST help the project manager gain cooperation of others? A: Formal B: Referent C: Penalty D: Expert

Formal Generally, the best forms of power are reward or expert. The project manager has not had time to become a recognized expert in the company and reward power is not included as a choice here. This leaves formal power as the only logical answer.

You are the project manager for a new product development project that has four levels in the work breakdown structure. The network diagram and duration estimates have been created, and a schedule has been developed and compressed. Which time management activity should you do NEXT? A: Control Schedule B: Estimate Activity Resources C: Analogously estimate the schedule D: Gain approval

Gain approval Notice how this question and the previous one seem very similar. This is intended to prepare you for similar questions on the exam. Estimating activity resources and analogously estimating the schedule should have already been completed. The situation described is within the Develop Schedule process of time management. Control Schedule is the next time management process after Develop Schedule process is not yet finished Final approval of the schedule by the stakeholders is needed before one has a project schedule.

the new project is exciting to both the project manager and the team. This is the project manager's first assignment as project manager. The team feels they will be able to complete work that has never been tried before. There are 29 people contributing to the product description, and the team consists of 9 experienced experts in their field. Part of the way through planning, three highly skilled technical team members are disagreeing about the scope of two of the deliverables. One is pointing to the draft WBS and saying that two additional work packages should be added. Another is saying that a particular work package should not even be done. The third team member agrees with both of them. How should the project manager BEST deal with the conflict? A: He should listen to the differences of opinion, determine the best choice, and implement that choice. B: He should postpone further discussions, meet with each individual, and determine the best approach. C: He should listen to the differences of opinion, encourage logical discussions, and facilitate an agreement. D: He should help the team focus on agreeable aspects of their opinions ad build unity by using relaxation techniques and common-focus team building.

He should listen to the differences of opinion, encourage logical discussions, and facilitate an agreement. Do not get confused by the wordiness of the question. Ask yourself what is the best way to resolve any conflict, and you can get the answer. Most of the situation is a distracter. Problem solving (collaborating) and compromising are the two most important conflict resolution techniques. Conflict management is a key general management skill.

The sponsor's role on a project is BEST described as: A: Helping to plan activities. B: Helping to prevent unnecessary changes to project objectives. C: Identifying unnecessary project constraints. D: Helping to develop the project management plan.

Helping to prevent unnecessary changes to project objectives Although the sponsor may help plan some of the activities, it is not his or her exclusive duty. Some project constraints come from the sponsor, but they should be considered necessary. The project management plan is created by the team and approved by the sponsor and other management. Since the project objectives are stated in the project charter, and it is the sponsor who issues the project charter, helping to prevent unnecessary changes to project objectives is the correct answer.

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 the project. B: An evaluation of the project team's effectiveness. C: A team-building effort. D: Reducing the staff turnover rate.

How an individual team member is performing on the project Questions like this can drive people crazy on the exam because it is easy to get confused. The best thing to do is to look at the two terms used here (project performance appraisals and team performance assessments) and review in your mind what each means BEFORE looking at the choices. Team performance assessments evaluate the project team's effectiveness as a whole. Project performance appraisals deal with how each team member is performing on the project.

Design of experiments: A: Identifies which variables will have the most influence on quality outcome. B: Identifies which variables will have the least influence on a quality outcome. C: Determines what a quality outcome is. D: Determines methods to be used for research and development.

Identifies which variables will have the most influence on quality outcome The design of experiments technique allows you to find those factors that have the most impact on quality. It allows the project manager to focus attention on the factors that are most important.

A project manager has just taken over the project from another project manager during project executing. The previous project manager created a project budget, determined communications requirements, and went on to complete work packages. What should the new project manager do NEXT? A: Coordinate completion of work packages. B: Identify quality standards. C: Begin the Identify Risks process. D: Execute the project management plan.

Identify Quality Standards Completion of work packages is done after project planing. Since the previous project manager did not finish planning, continuing execute the project management plan should not be next. Identify Risks sounds like a good choice; however, identifying quality standards occurs before the Identify Risks process. You may have misread the question and assumed communication planning was complete as well, but notice it only says that communication requirements have been determined. Communications planning still needs to be completed as well. Identify quality standards is the best answer, as planning must be completed on the project.

A manager notices that a project manager is holding a meeting with some of the team and some stakeholders to discuss the quality of the project. The project schedule as been compressed, and the CPI is 1.1. They have worked hard on the project, the team has been rewarded according to the reward system the project manager put in place, and there is a strong sense of team. The manager suggests that the project manager does not have enough time to hold meetings about quality when the schedule is so compressed. Which is the following BEST describes why the manager is wrong? A: Improved quality leads to increased productivity, increased cost effectiveness, and decreased cost risk. B: Improved quality leads to increase productivity, decreased cost effectiveness, and increase cost risk. C: Improved quality leads to increased productivity, increased cost effectiveness, and increased cost risk. D: Improved quality leads to increase productivity, decreased cost effectiveness, and decreased cost risk.

Improved quality leads to increased productivity, increased cost effectiveness, and decreased cost risk Did you notice there is a lot of data not relevant to answering the question? Except distracters to appear in many questions on the exam. Quality efforts should produce a decrease rather than an increase in cost risk as a result of less rework. Quality efforts should also provide increased cost effectiveness due to less rework. This leaves the best answer: "Improved quality leads to increased productivity, increased cost effectiveness, and decreased cost risk."

You are having difficulty estimating the cost of a project. Which of the following BEST describes the most probable cause of your difficulty? A: Inadequate scope definition B: Unavailability of desired resources C: Lack of historical records from previous projects D: Lack of company processes

Inadequate scope definition Although all choices could cause difficulty, only inadequate scope definition makes estimating impossible.

You provide a project cost estimate for the project to the project sponsor. He is unhappy with the estimate, because he thinks the price should be lower. He asks you to cut 15% of the project estimate. What should you do? A: Start the project and constantly look for cost savings. B: Tell all the team members to cut 15% from their estimates. C: Inform the sponsor of the activities to be cut. D: Add additional resources with low hourly rates.

Inform the sponsor of the activities to be cut This question is full of choices that are not correct project management actions. To answer the question, you must first realize that it is never appropriate for a project manager to just cut estimates across the board. You should have created a project estimate based on realistic work package estimates that do not include padding. Then, if costs must be decreased, you can look to cut quality, decrease risk, cut scope, or use cheaper resources (and at the same time closely monitor the impact of changes on the project schedule). One of the worst things a project manager can do is to start a project knowing that the time or cost for the project is unrealistic. Did you notice the choice of adding additional resources? Even though they have low hourly rates, that would add cost. Evaluating, looking for alternatives, and then reporting the impact of the cost cutting to the sponsor is the best action to take.

A rough order of magnitude estimate is made during which project management process group? A: Planning B: Closing C: Executing D: Initiating

Initiating The estimate has a wide range. It is done during project initiating, when very little is known about the project.

The project has been challenging to manage. Everyone has been on edge due to pressure to complete the project on time. Unfortunately, the tension has grown to the point where team meetings have become shouting matches ad little work is accomplished during the meetings. One team member asks to be excused from future team meetings, as all the shouting upsets him. Meanwhile, the sponsor has expressed interest in attending future team meetings in order to better understand how the project is going and the issues involved in completing the project, and the customer has started discussions about adding scope to the project. In this situation, it would be BEST for the project manager to: A: Ask the sponsor if the information needed could be sent in a report rather than have her attend the meetings. B: Inform the team member who asked o be excused from the meetings of the value of communication in such meetings. C: Involve the team in creating ground rules for the meetings. D: Hold a team-building exercise that involves all the team members.

Involve the team in creating ground rules for the meetings Here is a situation where all four choices could be done, but there is one BEST answer. Asking the sponsor if the information could be sent in a report does not solve the root cause of the problem described. Informing the team member of the value of communication in meetings merely dismisses the concerns of the team member and might cause anger. A team meetings merely dismisses the concerns of the team member and might cause anger. A team-building exercise would take planning and so could not be done right away. Remember, the sponsor might be attending the next meeting and at least one team member might not attend because of past problems. The best thing to do would be to set up new ground rules governing team behavior and then plan a team-building exercise.

An activity has an early start (ES) of day 3, a late start (LS) of day 13, an early finish (EF) of day 9, and a late finish (LF) of day 19. The activity: A: Is on the critical path B: Has a lag C: Is progressing well D: Is not on the critical path

Is not on the critical path There is no information presented about lag or process. 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.

As the project manager, you are preparing your quality management plan. You are looking for a tool that can demonstrate the relationship between events and their resulting effects. You want to use this tool to depict the events that cause a negative effect on quality. Which of the following is the BEST choice for accomplishing your objective? A: Histogram B: Pareto diagram C: Ishikawa diagram D: Control chart

Ishikawa Diagram All reports and diagrams are communication tools. This question asks you to pick the most appropriate quality tool to help communications. An Ishikawa diagram, also called a cause and effect diagram, is more appropriate than a Pareto diagram since you are trying to determine the causes. Once causes are known and you have data on occurrences, the data an be displayed in a Pareto diagram.

Which of the following is a benefit of an analogous project estimate? A: It will be closer to what the work will actually require. B: It is based on a detailed understanding of what the work requires. C: It gives the project team an understanding of management's expectations. D: It helps the project manager determine if the project will meet the schedule.

It gives the project team an understanding of managements expectations Remember that analogous project estimates are considered to be top-down, high-level estimates. Therefore, they are not based on a detailed understanding of what the work will require. The project manager needs more than an analogous (high-level) estimate to determine whether or not the project will meet the schedule. The benefit of an analogous project estimate is that it is management's expectations of how long the project will take. Any differences between the analogous estimate and the detailed bottom-up estimate can be reconciled in the planning processes.

What is the duration of a milestone? A: It is shorter than the duration of the longest activity. B: It is shorter than the activity it represents. C: It has no duration. D: It is the same length as the activity it represents.

It has no duration A milestone represents the completion of a series of activities or work packages. Therefore, it takes no time of its own.

Which of the following explains why quality is planned in and not inspected in? A:It reduces quality and is less expensive. B: It improves quality and is more expensive. C: It reduces quality and is more expensive. D: It improves quality and is less expensive.

It improves quality and is less expensive Look for the proactive approach. When we plan for quality, we define the appropriate level of quality needed, which will improve quality overall and will likely be less expensive over the long run. NOTE: you may spend more initially for identifying the right quality and doing the work to produce the planned quality, but you will save through reduced rework, waste, and scrap, and other such benefits.

A project has three critical paths. Which of the following BEST describes how this affects the project? A: It makes it easier to manage. B: It increases the project risk. C: It requires more people. D: It makes it more expensive.

It increases the project risk Thought having three critical paths COULD require more people or cost more, the answer that is definitely and always true is that it increases project risk. Because you need to manage three critical paths, there is more risk that something could happen to delay the project.

During every project team meeting, the project manager asks each team member to describe the work he or she is doing, and the project manager assigns new activities to team members. The length of these meetings has increased because there are many different activities to assign. This could be happening for all the following reasons EXCEPT: A: Lack of WBS. B: Lack of a responsibility assignment matrix. C: Lack of resource leveling. D: Lack of team involvement in project planning.

Lack of resource leveling The lack of WBS, responsibility assignment matrix, or team involvement in planning could contribute to excessively long meetings to assign resources to activities. Resource leveling refers to maintaining the same number of resources on the project for each time period and would not impact the length of the meetings.

A project manager is trying to settle a dispute between two team members. One says the systems should be integrated before testing, and the other maintains each system should be tested before integration. The project involves over 30 people, and 12 systems need to be integrated. The sponsor is demanding that integration happen on time. What is the BEST statement the project manager can make to resolve the conflict? A: Do it my way. B: Let's calm down and get the job done. C: Let's deal with this again next week after we call calm down. D: Let's do limited testing before integration and finish testing after integration.

Let's do limited testing before integration and finish testing after integration. Doing limited testing before integration and finishing testing after integration is an example of compromising. This is the best way for the project manager to resolve the conflict in this situation.

Work on a project is ongoing when the project manager overhears two workers arguing over what a set of instructions means. The project manager investigates and discovers that the instructions for the construction of the concrete footings currently being poured were poorly translated between the different languages in use of the project. Which of the following is the BEST thing for the project manager to do FIRST? A: Get the instructions translated by a more experienced party. B: Look for quality impacts of the poor translation of the instructions for the footings. C: Bring the issue to the attention of the team and ask them to look for other translation problems. D: Inform the sponsor of the problem in the next project report.

Look for quality impacts of the poor translation of the instructions for the footings. Although all of these choices are correct things to do, the question asks what to do first. What is the most immediate problem? Getting the instructions translated by a more experienced party could be done, but it does not address the immediate concern of the footings that have already been poured according to the poorly translated instructions. Asking the team to look for other translation issues is an excellent idea. However, it does not address the immediate problem. Informing the sponsor is also not taking action to solve the problem. Isn't it most urgent to find out whether the concrete footings meet your project requirements? Are they adequate? Only the option of looking for quality impacts of the poor translation will help you determine that.

During project executing, a large number of changes are made to the project. The project manager should: A: Wait until all changes are known and print out a new schedule. B: Make approved changes as needed, but retain the schedule baseline. C: Make only the changes approved by management. D: Talk to management before any changes are made.

Make approved changes as needed, but retain the schedule baseline Waiting until all changes are known, and then printing out a new schedule, is a common error many project managers make. Instead, the project manager should be controlling the project throughout its completion. The situation in the question does not provide a reason to believe the schedule baseline must be changed. A project manager must be in control of the project, rather than consulting with management before making any changes. Whenever a large number of changes occur on a project, it is wise to confirm that the business case, as stated in the project charter, is still valid.

The project manager is looking at the project's resource needs and lessons learned from past projects. This information causes the project manager to be concerned about the ability to acquire enough resources for the project in six months. Which of the following would be the LEAST effective preventive action? A: Make sure functional managers have a copy of the resource histogram. B: Show the sponsor the data, and explain the project manager's concern. C: Determine metrics to use as an early warning sign that resources will not be available. D: Ask functional managers for their opinions.

Make sure functional managers have a copy of the resource histogram Sending data without pointing out the issue does not mean the communication will be adequately decoded by the recipient. The other choices describe more effective communication in this instance.

A dependency requiring that design be completed before manufacturing can start is an example of a(n): A: Discretionary dependency B: External dependency C: Mandatory dependency D: Scope dependency

Mandatory dependency No mention is made that the dependency comes from a source outside the project, so this is not an external dependency. Scope dependency is not a defined term. The key word in the question is "requiring". Since the dependency is required, it could not be discretionary and therefore must be mandatory. The question defines a mandatory dependency.

To what does the following definition refer? "'The point where the benefits or revenue to be received from improving quality equals the incremental cost to achieve that quality." A: Quality control analysis B: Marginal analysis C: Standard quality analysis D: Conformance analysis

Marginal Analysis This is the definition of marginal analysis. Know the term so you will be able to answer questions that deal with this concept. The other choices may sound good, but they are made-up terms.

Which of the following is the BEST thing to do wen asked to complete a project two days earlier than planned? A: Tell senior management that the project's critical path does not allow the project to be finished earlier. B: Tell your boss. C: Meet with with the team to look at options for crashing or fast tracking the critical path. D: Work hard and see what the project status is next month.

Meet with the team to look at options for crashing or fast tracking the critical path This is another question that asks about problem solving. Neither telling the boss nor waiting to see the status next month tries to solve the real problem. It would be inaccurate to report that the project cannot be finished earlier. Only meeting with the team to look for options for compressing the schedule (by crashing or fast tracking) relates to problem solving.

Senior management is complaining that they are not able to easily determine the status of ongoing projects in the organization. Which of the following types of reports would help provide summary information to senior management? A: Detailed cost estimates B: Project management plans C: Bar charts D: Milestone reports

Milestone Reports Detailed cost estimates have nothing to do with the situation described. Project management plans include more detail than is necessary for the situation described, and may distract from the conversation if used in this situation. Bar charts are most effective for reporting to the team. The best answer is milestone reports, which present the right level of detail for upper management.

During which project management process group are budget forecasts created? A: Monitoring and controlling B: Planning C: Initiating D: Executing

Monitoring and Controlling Budget forecasts are an output of Control Costs, which is part of monitoring and controlling.

The halo effect refers to the tendency to: A: Promote from within. B: Hire the best. C: Move people into project management because they are good in their technical fields. D: Move people into project management because they have had project management training.

Move people into project management because they are good in their technical fields. The halo effect refers to the tendency to move people into project management because they are good in their technical fields. Just because a person is good in a technical filed does not mean he or she will also be a good project manager.

A team member from research and development tells you that her work is too creative to provide you with a fixed single estimate for the activity. You both decide to use the average labor hours to develop a prototype (from past projects). This is an example of which of the following? A: Parametric estimating B: Three-point estimating C: Analogous estimating D: Monte Carlo analysis

Parametric Estimating Monte Carlo analysis is a modeling, or simulation, technique. Three-point estimating uses three time estimates per activity. One could use data from past projects to come up with the estimate (analogous estimating), but the best answer is parametric estimating because past history is being used to calculate an estimate.

If project time and cost are not as important as the number of resources used each month, which of the following is BEST thing to do? A: Perform a Monte Carlo analysis. B: Fast track the project. C: Perform resource optimization. D: Analyze the life cycle costs.

Perform resource optimization Fast tracking affects both time and cost but may not help even out resource usage. Monte Carlo analysis and analysis of life cycle costs do not directly deal with resources. Resource optimization is the only choice that will definitely affect resources.

Earned value measurement is an example of: A: Performance reporting B: Planning control C: Ishikawa diagrams D: Integrating the project components into a whole

Performance reporting Earned value measurement is a great reporting tool. With it, you can show where you stand on budget and schedule, as well as provide forecasts for the rest of the project.

You are a project manager on a US $5,000,000 software development project. While working with your project team to develop a network diagram, you notice a series of activities that can be worked in parallel but must finish in a specific sequence. What type of activity sequencing method is required for these activities? A: Precedence diagramming method B: Arrow diagramming method C: Critical path method D: Operational diagramming method

Precedence diagramming method The question implies a finish-to-finish relationship between activities. The arrow diagramming method does not support that type of relationship. Critical path is not a diagramming method, and operational diagramming method is a made-up term. The precedence diagramming method is most appropriate in this case.

Which of the following conflict resolution techniques will generate the MOST last solution? A: Forcing B: Smoothing C: Compromise D: Problem Solving

Problem Solving Problem solving (also referred to as collaborating) normally takes more time, but it gets buy-in from everyone, generating a more lasting solution.

Which of the following are GENERALLY illustrated BETTER by bar charts than network diagrams? A: Logical relationships B: Critical paths C: Resource trade-offs D: Progress or status

Progress or status The bar chart (or Gantt chart) is designed to show a relationship to time. This is best used when demonstrating progress or status as a factor of time.

The project team has created a plan for how they will implement the quality policy. It addresses the organizational structure, responsibilities, procedures, and other information about plans for quality. If this plan changes during the project, WHICH of the following plans will also change? A: Quality assurance plan B: Quality management plan C: Project management plan D: Quality control plan

Project Management Plan The plan described is the quality management plan. Since the quality management plan is included in the project management plan, changing the quality management plan will also change the project management plan.

A project manager for a small construction company has a project that was budgeted for US $130,000 over a six-week period. According to her schedule, the project should have cost US $60,000 to date. However, it has cost US $90,000 to date. The project is also behind schedule, because the original estimates were not accurate. Who has the PRIMARY responsibility to solve this problem? A: Project manager B: Senior manager C: Project sponsor D: Manager of the project management office

Project Manager Did you get lost looking at all the numbers presented in this question? Notice that there are no calculations required, simply an understanding of what the problem is. This question describes schedule management, which is a responsibility of the project manager.

Monitoring cost expended to date in order to detect variances from the plan occurs during: A: The creation of the cost change management plan. B: Recommending corrective actions. C: Updating the cost baseline. D: Project performance reviews.

Project performance reviews Recommending corrective actions and possible updates to the cost baseline result from project performance reviews; they are not concurrent with them. Monitoring costs is part of change control, but not part of creating the change control system. The correct choice is project performance reviews.

There are several executing activities underway on your project. You are beginning to get concerned about the accuracy of the progress reporting your team members are doing. How could you verify whether there is a problem? A: Quality audits B: Risk quantification reports C: Regression analysis D: Monte Carlo analysis

Quality Audits Quality audits are a necessary part of the Perform Quality Assurance process. They help you assess whether the processes are being followed correctly on the project.

The new software installation project is in progress. The project manager is working with the quality assurance department to improve stakeholders' confidence that the project will satisfy the quality standards. Which of the following MUST they have before they start this process? A: Quality problems B: Quality improvement C: Quality control measurements D: Rework

Quality Control Measurements Though quality problems MAY lead to quality assurance efforts, they are not a MUST. Quality improvement is a result of Perform Quality Assurance, not an input. Rework (or defect repair) can be an output of Control Quality. That leaves only quality control measurements, which are inputs to the Perform Quality Assurance process.

A project manager and team from a firm that designs railroad equipment are tasked to design a machine to load stone onto railroad cars. The design allows for 2% spillage, amounting to over two tons of spilled rock per day. In which of the following does the project manager document quality control, quality assurance, and quality improvement processes for his project? A: Quality management plan B: Quality policy C: Control charts D: Project management plan

Quality Management Plan The quality policy and control charts are components of a quality management plan. Although the quality management plan is part of the project management plan, the most precise answer is the quality management plan.

All of the following are examples of the cost of noncompliance EXCEPT: A: Rework B: Quality training C: Scrap D: Warranty costs

Quality Training Quality training is a cost of conformance to quality. All the other choices are costs of nonconformance to quality.

When a product or service completely meets a customer's requirements: A: Quality is achieved. B: The cost of quality is high. C: The cost of quality is low. D: The customer pays the minimum price.

Quality is achived As a general rule, one cannot say that quality (as defined in the question) is either of high or low cost. It provides what the customer wanted, which may not be the lowest or highest cost. When a product or service completely meets a customer's needs, quality is achieved.

A large project is underway when one of the team members reviews the project status report. He sees the project is currently running late. As he looks at the report further, he notices the delay will cause one of his activities to be scheduled during a time he will be out of the country and cannot work on the activity. This is of great concern to the team member because he is very committed to the success of the project and he does not want to be the cause of the project being further delayed. What is the BEST thing for him to do? A: Contact the project manager immediately to provide the project manager with his schedule. B: Include the information in his next report. C: Request that the issue be added to the project issue log. D: Recommend preventive action.

Recommend Preventive Action Notice that his question asks what the team member should do. It is important for the project manager to understand the team member's role and possibly even instruct team members on how to work on projects and what is expected of them. Providing the project manager with his schedule, including the information in a report, and requesting that the issue be added to the issue log have one thing in common. They involve the team member asking the project manager to do something. In reality, it may very will be the team member who will come up with a solution (such as decreasing the scope of the activity, fast tracking, or specific suggestions about changes to predecessor activities). Therefore, recommending preventive action is the best choice for the team member. Note that recommend corrective or preventive actions can come from the team or stakeholders in addition to the project manager.

When is a milestone chart used instead of a bar chart? A: Project planning B: Reporting to team members C: Reporting to management D: Risk management

Reporting management Both types of charts are used in project planning. Team members need to see details and so they need a bar chart rather than a milestone chart. Risk analysis COULD make use of both charts. A milestone chart is used instead of a bar chart for any situation where you want to report in a less detailed way. Since bar charts can scare people with their complexity and often show too much detail to be worthwhile on a management level, milestone charts are more effective for reporting to management.

A project manager has received activity duration estimates from his team. Which of the following does he need in order to complete the Develop Schedule process? A: Change requests B: Schedule change control system C: Recommended corrective actions D: Reserves

Reserves The Develop Schedule process includes all work and uses all inputs needed to come up with a finalized, realistic schedule. As part of the Estimate Activity Durations process, reserves are created to cover identified and unknown schedule risks. All the other items are parts of Control Schedule and occur after the Develop Schedule process.

The MOST common causes of conflict on a project are schedules, project priorities, and: A: Personality B: Resources C: Cost D: Management

Resources Know the to four sources of conflict on projects (schedules, project priorities, resources, and technical opinions) so you can answer questions such as this one. Don't be fooled because "personality" is on the list. It is not a major cause of conflict.

You have must been assigned as 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 such information? A: Responsibility assignment matrix B: Resource histogram C: Bar chart D: Project organization chart

Responsibility Assignment Matrix The resource histogram show 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.

The installation project has a CPI of 1.03 and an SPI of 1.0. There are 14 team members, and each team member had input into the final project management plan. The customer has accepted the three deliverables completed so far without complaint, and the responsibility assignment matrix has not changed since the project began. The project is being completed in a matrix environment and there are no contracts needed for the project. Although the sponsor is happy with the status of the project, one of the team members is always complaining about how much time has project work is taking. Which of the following would be the BEST thing for the project manager to do? A: Review the reward system for the project. B:Try to improve schedule performance of the project. C: Meet with the customer to try to extend the schedule. D: Gain formal acceptance in writing from the customer.

Review the reward system for the project Improving schedule performance relates to getting the project completed sooner. Although it would seem to be a good idea to improve schedule performance, this project's performance is fine. The schedule has been approved as it is. It would be better for the project manager to spend more time controlling the project to make sure it finishes according to plan than to improve schedule performance. If you chose attempting to extend the schedule, look at the SPI. There is noting wrong with the schedule performance of the project that would require an extension. Gaining formal acceptance from the customer will need to be done, as it provided an opportunity for the team to check if everything is going well. This action will not affect the team member's dissatisfaction, however. The only real problem presented in this situation is that the team member is complaining. If you read the situation completely, you will notice that the team member was involved and approved the project management plan, including his own involvement in the project. Since the responsibility assignment matrix has not changed, the team member has not even been assigned different duties since the project began. There must be something else causing the team member to complain. The project manager should investigate and find out if the reward system is effective.

In attempting to complete the project faster, the project manager looks at the cost associated with crashing each activity. The best approach to crashing would also include looking at the: A: Risk impact of crashing each activity. B: Customer's opinion of which activities to crash. C: Boss's opinion of which activities to crash and in which order. D: Project life cycle phase in which the activity is due to occur.

Risk impact of crashing each activity You may or may not need your customer's or your boss's input, but you will definitely need to include an analysis of risk.

A project manager is taking over a project from another project manager during project planning. If the new project manager wants to see what the previous project manager planned for managing changes to the schedule, it would be BEST to look at the: A: Communications management plan B: Update management plan C: Staffing management plan D: Schedule management plan

Schedule Management Plan The schedule management plan is the most correct answer. It includes plans for how schedule changes will be managed.

Which of the following are ALL items included in the cost management plan? A: The level of accuracy needed for estimates, rules for measuring cost performance, specifications for how duration estimates should be stated. B: Specifications for how estimates should be stated, rules for measuring cost performance, the level of accuracy needed for accuracy needed for estimates. C: Rules for measuring team performance, the level of accuracy needed estimates, specifications for how estimates should be stated. D: Specifications for how estimates should be stated, the level of risk needed for estimates, rules for measuring cost performance.

Specifications for how estimates should be stated, rules for measuring cost performance, the level of accuracy needed for estimates Notice how one item in each of the incorrect options makes the entire choice incorrect. Duration estimates are created during time management, and measuring team performance is a part of human resource management. There is no level of risk required for estimates. Specifications for how estimates should be stated, rules for measuring cost performance, and the level of accuracy needed for estimates are all parts of the cost management plan.

During the first half of the project, five team members left for other project without being replaced, two team members went on vacation without informing you, and other team members expressed uncertainty about the work they were to complete. In this situation, it is BEST if you create a __________ for the second half of the project. A: Work breakdown structure B: Resource histogram C: Staffing management plan D: Responsibility assignment matrix

Staffing Management Plan The resource histogram shows the resources used per time period, but would provide limited benefit in this situation. The responsibility assignment matrix cross-references resources with the activities or work packages they are to accomplish, but it does not show when they will be required to do their work. The staffing management plan describes when resources will be brought onto and taken off the project, and provide the most benefit for this project.

Which of the following BEST describes the relationship between standard deviation and risk? A: There is not relationship. B: Standard deviation tells you if the estimate is accurate. C: Standard deviation tells you how uncertain the estimate is. D: Standard deviation tells you if the estimate includes a pad.

Standard deviation tells you how uncertain the estimate is An estimate can have a wide range and still be accurate if the item estimated includes identified risks. There is no such thing as a pad in proper project management. An estimate might be inflated, but it is a calculated reserve to account for risks, not arbitrary padding. The standard deviation tells you the amount of uncertainty or risk involved in estimate for the activity.

Testing the entire population would: A: Take too long. B: Provide more information than wanted. C: Be mutually exclusive.

Take too long The length of time it takes to test a while population is one of the reasons to take a sample.

A cost management plan contains a description of: A: The project costs. B: How resources are allocated. C: The budgets and how they are calculated. D: The WBS level at which earned value will be calculated.

The WSB level at which earned value will be calculated The exam will ask you what the management plans include, in order to test whether you really understand them. The cost management plan identifies the WBS level at which earned value will be calculated.

Estimate at completion(EAC) is a periodic evaluation of: A: The cost of work completed. B: The value of work performed. C: The anticipated total cost at project completion. D: What it will cost to finish the project.

The anticipated total cost at project completion When you look at earned value, many of the terms have similar definitions. This could get you into trouble. EAC means the estimate at completion. What it will cost to finish the project is the definition of ETC, or estimate to complete.

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 will change very time the end date changes. D: A project can never have negative float.

The critical path helps prove how long the project will take This question tests your knowledge about a number of topics. There can often be more than 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. This is the only correct statement of the choices given.

You have a project with the following activities: Activity A takes 40 hours and can start 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 at the project. Which of the following is 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.

The critical path increases by 12 hours Did you notice 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 shown in the following table. If the duration of activity B changes from 25 to 37, 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.

Quality is: A: Meeting and exceeding the customer's expectations. B: Adding extras to make the customer happy. C: The degree to which the project meets requirements. D: Conformance to management's objectives.

The degree to which the project meets requirements There can be a cost impact (or time, risk, etc.) of exceeding expectations or adding extras. Quality is the degree to which the project meets requirements.

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: PMO manager B: The functional manager C: The team D: The project sponsor

The functional Manager 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 the resources.

The difference between the cost baseline and the cost budget can be BEST described as: A: The management reserves. B: The contingency reserves. C: The project cost estimate. D: The cost account.

The management reserves Cost accounts are included in the project cost estimate, and the contingency reserves are added to that to come up with the cost baseline. Thereafter, the management reserves are added to come up with the cost budget. The management reserves make up the difference between the cost baseline and the cost budget.

All of the following are outputs of the Estimate Costs process EXCEPT: A: An understanding of the cost risk in the work that has been estimated. B: The prevention of inappropriate changes from being included in the cost baseline. C: An indication of the range of possible costs for the project. D: Documentation of any assumptions made during the Estimate Costs process.

The prevention of inappropriate changes from being included in the cost baseline This question is asking, "When you finish estimating costs, what do you have?" Many people who do not realize that estimates should e in a range pick that option. Documentation of assumptions is referring to the basis of estimates, which is an output of Estimate Costs. The prevention of inappropriate changes is more correctly part of the cost management plan and the change control system.

You have just completed the initiating processes of a small project and are moving into project planning when a project stakeholder asks you for the project's budget and cost baseline. What should you tell her? A: The project budget can be found in the project charter, which has just been completed. B: The project budget and baseline will not be finalized and accepted until the planning processes are completed. C: The project management plan will not contain the project's budget and baseline; this is a small project. D: It is impossible to complete an estimate before the project management plan is created.

The project budget and baseline will not be finalized and accepted until the planning processes are completed. The overall project budget may be included in the project charter but not the detailed costs. Even small projects should have a budget and schedule. It is not impossible to create a project budget before the project management plan is created. However, it is not wise to do so, as the budget will not e accurate. The project budget and baseline are not finalized and accepted until the planning processes are completed.

A cost performance index (CPI) of 0.89 means: A: At this time, we expect the total project to cost 89% more than planned. B: When the project is completed, we will have spent 89% more than planned. C: The project is progressing at 89% of the rate planned. D: The project is getting 89 cents out of every dollar invested.

The project is getting 89 cents out of every dollar invested The CPI is less than one, so the situation is bad. The project is only getting 89 cents out of every dollar invested.

Who is ultimately responsible for quality management on the project? A: The project engineer B: The project manager C: The quality manager D: The team member

The project manager Although each person working on the project should check his or her own work, the project manager ultimately has the responsibility for quality on the project as a whole.

A project has several terms. Team C has repeatedly missed deadlines in the past. This has caused team D to have to crash the critical path several times. As the team leader for team D, you should meet with: A: The leader of team C B: The project manager C: The project manager and management D: The project manager and the leader for team C

The project manager and the leader for team C Those involved in the problem should resolve the problem. Having had to crash the critical path several times implies that team D has already tried to deal with the problem. In this case, the two team leaders need to meet. The extent of this situation requires the project manager's involvement as well.

The project cost performance index (CPI) 1.02, the benefit cost ratio is 1.7, and the latest round of performance reviews identified few needed adjustments. The project team was colocated in a new building when the project started. Everyone commented on how excited they were to have all new facilities. The sponsor is providing adequate support for the project, and few unidentified risks have occurred. In an attempt to improved performance, the project manager spends part of the project budget on new chairs for the team members and adds the term "senior" to each team member's job title. Which of the following is the Most correct thing that can be said of this project or the project manager? A: The project manager has misunderstood Herzberg's theory. B: The project is slowly spending more money than it should. The project manager should begin to watch cost more carefully. C: The performance review should be handled better to find more adjustments. D: The project manager should use good judgment to determine which variances are important.

The project manager has misunderstood Herzberg's theory The option of the project manager watching cost more closely includes the concept of cost to trick you into selecting it if you are unsure of the real answer. There is no indication that the costs are trending in any particular direction. There is no reason to think that performance reviews should turn up more adjustments. The project manager should always used good judgment but nothing is this question talks about judgment regarding variances, so this cannot be the best choice. In this situation, the project manager is making great working conditions better buying new chairs and enhancing the team members' titles. According to Herzberg's theory, fixing bad working conditions will help motivate the team, but making good ones better will not improve motivation. The project manager needs to focus on the motivating agents and not the hygiene factors.

At the end of a project, a project manager determines the project has added four areas of functionality and three areas of performance. The customer has expressed satisfaction with the project. What does this mean in terms of the 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 means they would have paid more for the work. D: The project was successful because the team had a chance to learn new areas of functionality and the customer was satisfied.

The project was unsuccessful because it was fold plated Gold plating a project wastes time and probably cost. It makes the project unsuccessful.

A project is in the middle of the executing effort when a stakeholder suggests a major new change. This change will cause the third major overhaul of the project. At the same time, the project manager discovers that a major work package was not completed because a team member's boss moved him to another project that had a higher priority. Which of the following is the BEST person for the project manager to address these issues with? A: The team B: Senior management C: The customer D: The sponsor

The sponsor It is the sponsor's role to prevent unnecessary changes and to set priorities among projects. The situation described in this question implies that such work is not being done and the project manager must therefore go to the root of the problem: the sponsor.

Cost risk means: A: There are risks that will cost the project money. B: The project is too risky from a cost perspective. C: There is a risk that project costs could go higher than planned. D: There is a risk that the cost of the project will be lower than planned.

There is a risk that project costs could go higher than planned While it is true that risk will cost the project money, that is not the definition of cost risk. Stating the project is too risky from a cost perspective assumes that the risk is too great do do the project. Cost risk is the risk that project costs could go higher than planned.

What does a resource histogram show that a responsibility assignment matrix does not? A: Time B: Activities C: Interrelationships D: The person in charge of each activity

Time 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.

You are project manager for a major information systems project. Someone from the quality department comes to see you about beginning a quality audit of your project. The team, already under pressure to complete the project as soon as possible, objects to the audit. You should explain to the the team that the purpose of a quality audit is: A: To satisfy part of an ISO 9000 investigation. B: To check if the customer is following the quality process. C: To identify inefficient and ineffective policies. D: To check the accuracy of costs submitted by the team.

To identify inefficient and ineffective policies Perform Quality Assurance, of which an audit is part, focuses on processes, procedures, and standards. Thought ISO 9000 is a standard, that is not the only reason an audit would be conducted. The seller cannot generally control or review the customer's quality process. Checking the accuracy of costs submitted by the team is more representative of a cost audit than a quality audit, so that option cannot be the best choice. One purpose of a quality audit is to identify inefficient and ineffective policies.

Analogous estimating: A: Uses bottom-up estimating techniques. B: Is used most frequently during project executing. C: Uses top-down estimating techniques. D: Calculates estimates using actual detailed historical costs.

Uses top-down estimating techniques Analogous estimating is used most frequently during project planning, not project executing. Parametric estimating involves calculations based on historical records. Analogous estimating uses top-down estimating techniques.

Lag means: A: The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the product finish date. B: The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the early start date of its successor. C: Waiting time. D: The product of a forward and backward pass.

Waiting time Total float and free float are the time an activity can be delayed without impacting the entire project or the next activity. A forward or back ward pass refers to a network analysis technique, not waiting time. Waiting time is the correct definition of lag.

What conflict resolution technique is a project manager using when he says, "I cannot deal with this issue now!" A: Problem solving B: Forcing C: Withdrawal D: Compromising

Withdrawal Delaying the issue is called withdrawal.

The project manager notices that project activities being completed by one department are all taking slightly longer than planned. To date, none of the activities in the work packages have been on the critical path, nor have they affected the critical chain planning that has occurred. The project manager is bothered by the problem, since four of the next five critical path activities are being completed by this department. After making three calls, the project manager is finally able to converse with the department manager to determine what is going on. The conversation is slow, because both speak different native languages and they are trying to converse in French, a shared language. To make communication easier, the project manager frequently asks the department manager to repeat back what has been said. The department manager communicates that his staff is following a company policy that requires two levels of testing. During the conversation, the department manager also makes a comment that leads the project manager to believe that the policy may include excessive work. This is the fourth time the project manager has heard such a comment. What is the BEST thing to do? A: Create a better communications management plan that requires only one language to be the universal language on the project and have translators readily available on a moment's notice. B: Contact someone else in the department who speaks the project manager's native language better to confirm the department manager's opinion. C: Find out if the upcoming activities should be re-estimated. D: Work on increasing the effectiveness of the performing organization by recommending continuous improvement of the policy in question.

Work on increasing the effectiveness of the performing organization by recommending continuous improvement of the policy in question. Changing the communications management plan may not be needed on the project and it does not deal with the problem at hand, the policy that is slowing things down. Confirming the department manager's opinion with someone else in the department is not the best choice, as the project manager already has heard the opinion on many other occasions. It is already confirmed. Determining whether upcoming activities should be reestimated is just being reactive. A good project manager will find the root cause and deal with that, even if it means attempting to improve the company's policies and processes. Yes, recommending improvement of the policy is the best answer. This is continuous improvement. Because there are several activities affected by the policy, it would best serve the project to get to the root cause of the problem and solve it.

A schedule performance index (SPI) of 0.76 means: A: You are over budget. B: You are ahead of schedule. C: you are progressing at 76% of the rate originally planned. D: You are progressing at 24% of the rate originally planned.

You are progressing at 76% of the rate originally planned. Earned value questions ask for a calculation or an interpretation of the results. In this case, the project is progressing at 76% of the rate planned.