Extenta 200420

Question 1

Which of the following is a good example of a Process Breakdown Structure?

New instruction manual
New software program
New car prototype
New sports stadium
New project management book

Answer 1

New software program

Question 2

Having a strong communication plan can go a long way toward mitigating project problems. A communication plan should address all of the following EXCEPT

[ ] How information should be communicated and to whom.
[ ] Which methods will be used to gather and store information.
[ ] All of these should be addressed in a communication plan.
[ ] When the information will be communicated.
[ ] What information needs to be collected and are there limits as to who has access to it.

Answer 2

All of these should be addressed in a communication plan.

A communication plan should address all of the listed items, including how information should be communicated and to whom, which methods will be used to gather and store information, when the information will be communicated, and what information needs to be collected and are there limits as to who has access to it.

Question 3

One way for a project manager to communicate the authority granted to individual project members is to publish a

Work Breakdown Structure.
Responsibility Matrix.
Project Plan.
Project Communication Plan.

Answer 3

Responsibility Matrix.

Question 4

Refining estimates may be necessary for a number of reasons. For example, people working on prototype development needing time to interact with the design engineers after the design is completed is a good example of
[ ] Things going wrong on a project.
[ ] Normal conditions not applying.
[ ] Changes in project scope.
[ ] Hidden interaction costs

Answer 4

The given statement is an example of hidden interaction costs.

Refining estimates may be necessary due to various factors such as changes in project scope, unforeseen events, or hidden interaction costs, which refer to the time spent by team members interacting with each other to complete their work. In this case, the prototype developers need time to interact with the design engineers after the design is completed, which is a hidden cost that was not accounted for in the initial estimates. Refining estimates can help identify such hidden costs and ensure that the project stays on track.

Question 5

Estimating can be challenged by organization.
[ ] All of these choices.
[ ] Political dynamics.
[ ] Difficulty in predicting the future.
[ ] Human Nature.

Answer 5

Yes, all of the choices are correct. Estimating can be challenged by political dynamics, difficulty in predicting the future, and human nature, among other factors. Political dynamics may include pressure to provide overly optimistic estimates or to meet unrealistic targets, while difficulty in predicting the future may include uncertainty about market conditions or technology advancements. Human nature may also play a role, as individuals may be biased towards their own interests or perspectives when providing estimates.

Question 6

The backward pass in project network calculations determines all of the following EXCEPT
[ ] Latest time an activity can begin.
[ ] Latest time an activity can finish.
[ ] Earliest time an activity can finish.
[ ] How long an activity can be delayed.
[ ] The critical path.

Answer 6

the earliest time an activity can finish.

Question 7

The likelihood the original critical path(s) will change once the project is initiated is referred to as
[ ] Sensitivity.
[ ] Resilience.
[ ] Flexibility.
[ ] Rigidity.
[ ] Concurrent engineering

Answer 7

The likelihood that the original critical path(s) will change once the project is initiated is referred to as sensitivity.

Question 8

Change management systems are designed to accomplish all of the following EXCEPT
[ ] All of these are examples of what change management systems are designed to accomplish.
[ ] Identify expected effects of proposed changes on schedule and budget.
[ ] Track all changes that are to be implemented.
[ ] Review, evaluate, and approve/disapprove proposed changes formally.
[ ] Reflect scope changes in baseline and performance measures.

Answer 8

All of these are examples of what change management systems are designed to accomplish.

Question 9

This response is used to remove any uncertainly associated with an identified Opportunity.
[ ] Enhance
[ ] Accept
[ ] Exploit
[ ] Share

Answer 9

Exploit

Question 10

Tom is managing a project team responsible for building a new office building that started this week. He notices that team members are trying out different behaviors to see what is acceptable to the project and personal relations. Which stage of development is the team in?
[ ] Adjourning
[ ] Norming
[ ] Storming
[ ] Forming
[ ] Performing

Answer 10

Forming stage.

In this stage, team members are just starting to come together and getting to know each other. They are usually polite and try to avoid conflict as they are not yet comfortable with each other. They also test the boundaries and try to understand what behaviors are acceptable.

Question 11

Experience and research indicate that high-performance project teams are much more likely to develop under all the following conditions EXCEPT
[ ] The project involves a compelling objective.
[ ] Members are assigned to the project full-time.
[ ] Team members are selected by their managers.
[ ] There are 10 or fewer members per team.
[ ] Members report solely to the project manager.

Answer 11

Members are selected by their managers.

Selecting team members based solely on the preference of their managers is not a condition that is likely to contribute to the development of high-performance project teams. In fact, it is often beneficial to involve team members in the selection process or to use a selection process that is based on skills and competencies rather than just managerial preference.

Question 12

What is the fundamental difference between a fixed-price and a cost-plus contract?
[ ] No scope changes are made on fixed-price contracts while scope changes are allowed for cost-plus contracts.
[ ] On fixed-price contracts partnering is used while it is not used for cost-plus contracts.
[ ] On fixed-price contracts macro estimates are used while micro estimates are used for cost-plus contracts.
[ ] On fixed-price contracts contractors are used while on cost-plus contracts no external contractors are used.
[ ] On fixed-price contracts the cost is set in advance while for cost-plus contracts it is established after the project is completed.

Answer 12

on fixed-price contracts the cost is set in advance while for cost-plus contracts it is established after the project is completed.

Question 13

The following are ways a project manager can manage a customer’s expectations and perceptions EXCEPT

[ ] Delay communicating problems that you feel can be resolved without involving the customer.
[ ] Share significant risks that might disrupt project execution.
[ ] Avoid the temptation to oversell the virtues of the project to win approval.
[ ] Make sure to develop a well-defined scope statement.
[ ] Make sure that customer interactions are handled in a competent and professional manner.

Answer 13

Delay communicating problems that you feel can be resolved without involving the customer.

Delaying communication of problems can lead to further misunderstandings and create more significant issues that could have been avoided if they were addressed earlier. It is essential to keep customers informed of any potential issues and involve them in finding solutions when necessary.

Question 14

A key element to any conflict management process is

[ ] Defined boundaries.
[ ] Resolution.
[ ] Escalation.
[ ] A charter.

Answer 14

Escalation involves raising the level of authority or responsibility in order to resolve a conflict that has not been resolved at a lower level.

Question 15

In monitoring project time (schedule) performance, actual performance should be compared to

[ ] Budgets for the current year.
[ ] Project network schedule derived from the WBS/OBS.
[ ] Previous status reports.
[ ] Progress on similar past projects.
[ ] Top management’s targets.

Answer 15

Actual performance should be compared to the project network schedule derived from the WBS/OBS to monitor project time (schedule) performance.

Question 16

A tool used to monitor past project schedule performance and current performance, and to estimate future schedule trends is a simple line chart known as a

[ ] Project control chart.
[ ] Gantt chart.
[ ] Network diagram.
[ ] Milestone chart.
[ ] PERT chart.

Answer 16

Project control chart.

Question 17

The major deliverable when closing out a project that includes a causal analysis and identification of lessons learned is known as
[ ] Project Audit.
[ ] Evaluation of Management.
[ ] Wrapping up a Project.
[ ] Evaluation of Performance.

Answer 17

The major deliverable when closing out a project that includes a causal analysis and identification of lessons learned is known as a “Project Audit”.

Question 18

Completing Team Evaluations relies upon ____________ to be in place before the project begins.
[ ] A completed scope document
[ ] Quality controls
[ ] Budget constraints
[ ] Core of conditions

Answer 18

Core of Conditions

Question 19

While agile project management does not consist of one set method, most methods are based on similar principles. Which of the following agile project management principles would be described when creating a flow of value to customers by chunking project delivery into small, functioning increments?
[ ] Experimentation and adaptation
[ ] Self-organization
[ ] Focus on customer value
[ ] Iterative and incremental delivery
[ ] Continuous improvement

Answer 19

The agile project management principle described when creating a flow of value to customers by chunking project delivery into small, functioning increments is “Iterative and incremental delivery”.

Question 20

In order to hedge against unpredictability within a project, Agile Project Management uses
[ ] An adaptive and experimental approach.
[ ] A different risk management process.
[ ] Review the project priority matrix.
[ ] Strict budget constraints.
[ ] Phase gates.

Answer 20

[ ] An adaptive and experimental approach.

Agile Project Management uses an adaptive and experimental approach to hedge against unpredictability within a project. By using this approach, the team is able to adjust to changes in the project environment and customer needs more quickly, and to continuously refine and improve the product being delivered. This helps to reduce risk and increase the chances of project success. Agile methods also typically include a different risk management process compared to traditional project management approaches, with an emphasis on identifying and addressing risks as early and frequently as possible.

Question 21

Within a team applying Agile methods, face-to-face communication replaces
[ ] Focus on Customer Value
[ ] Time-consuming documentation
[ ] Risktrue management
[ ] Budget planning

Answer 21

Time-consuming documentation

Question 22

Jose is looking at a document that outlines the specific deliverables and sub-deliverables required to complete the writing of a technical support manual. He is most likely viewing the

Work package.
Responsibility matrix.
Organization breakdown structure.
Work breakdown structure.
Priority matrix.

Answer 22

Work breakdown structure.

Question 23

An expected output over the life of a project would be classified as
[ ] A deliverable.
[ ] A target.
[ ] A product.
[ ] An end object.
[ ] An objective.

Answer 23

deliverable

Question 24

One common mistake made early in the risk identification process is to
[ ] Focus on consequences and not on the events that could produce consequences.
[ ] Not consider all possibilities.
[ ] Encourage participants to be over-optimistic.
[ ] Support participants being over-pessimistic.
[ ] Give too much attention to past events.

Answer 24

Focus on consequences and not on the events that could produce consequences is a common mistake made early in the risk identification process.

Question 25

After your team has successfully identified potential risks that could affect the project, what is the next step?

Assess identified risks
Create contingency plans
Decide how to respond to all risks
Mitigate risks
Create a risk breakdown structure

Answer 25

The next step after identifying potential risks is to assess those identified risks.

This involves analyzing the probability and potential impact of each risk on the project and prioritizing them according to their level of importance. Once the risks have been assessed, the team can then create contingency plans and decide how to respond to each risk. Finally, the team can take steps to mitigate the risks and create a risk breakdown structure to monitor and manage the risks throughout the project.

Question 26

An activity can include only one work package.

Answer 26

False

Question 27

Research indicates that high-performance teams are much more likely to develop when the manager hand-selects team members.
[ ] True
[ ] False

Answer 27

False.

Research actually suggests that team performance is enhanced when members are allowed to self-select to some degree, as this allows individuals to join teams that they are passionate about and have skills that complement those of other team members. However, managers can still play a key role in team formation by providing guidance, establishing team goals, and setting expectations for team behavior.

Question 28

The performing stage of team development is characterized by the development of close relationships and group cohesiveness

[ ] True
[ ] False

Answer 28

False

The performing stage of team development is characterized by the team’s ability to work together smoothly and effectively towards achieving their goals. It is in this stage that the team is most productive, collaborative, and focused on achieving the project’s objectives. While relationships and cohesiveness may develop during this stage, they are not the primary characteristics. The forming and norming stages are typically where relationships and cohesiveness are established.

Question 29

Schedule variance measures progress in time units.
[ ] True
[ ] False

Answer 29

False

Question 30

Because of their easy-to-understand visual format, tracking Gantt charts are the most favored, used, and understandable option for reporting project status.
[ ] True
[ ] False

Answer 30

True

Question 31

Securing the cooperation of customers to devote the necessary time to support agile project management is a common source of frustration in the field.

[ ] True
[ ] False

Answer 31

True

One of the key principles of Agile Project Management is close collaboration and communication with customers to ensure that their needs and expectations are met. However, in practice, it can be challenging to secure the cooperation and commitment of customers to devote the necessary time and resources to the project. This can be due to a variety of factors, including competing priorities, limited availability, or a lack of understanding or support for the Agile approach. As a result, project managers may face frustration in trying to balance the needs and expectations of customers with the realities of the project timeline and resources.

Question 32

If a project is internal to the company and relatively small, the bottom-up approach to estimating time and costs for the project is the best choice.
[ ] True
[ ] False

Answer 32

False.

In the case of internal and relatively small projects, the top-down approach to estimating time and costs is often more appropriate. This approach involves estimating the overall project budget and timeline first, then breaking it down into smaller components. Since the project is internal, historical data from similar past projects can be used to support the top-down estimation approach. The bottom-up approach, on the other hand, involves estimating the time and cost of each individual task and rolling them up to create the overall project budget and timeline. This approach is more appropriate for larger and more complex projects.

Question 33

Scrum does not use any of the conventional project management tools like Gantt charts or network diagrams.

Answer 33

True

Question 34

Estimating the total cost of a house by multiplying the total square feet by cost per square foot is an example of the apportion method of estimating costs.
[ ] True
[ ] False

Answer 34

False.

Multiplying the total square feet by cost per square foot is an example of the analogous estimating method. The apportion method involves dividing the total cost into discrete parts and estimating the cost of each part separately.

Question 35

Project difficulty varies according to the extent the project scope is known and stable and the technology to be used is known and proven
[ ] True
[ ] False

Answer 35

False