PmP exam prep

Question 1

What is a project?

Answer 1

A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.

Question 2

What is project management?

Answer 2

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements. Project management is accomplished through the appropriate application and integration of the 47 logically grouped project management processes, which are categorized into give process groups.

1) Initiating
2) Planning
3) Executing
4) monitoring and controlling
5) closing

Question 3

What are the competing project constraints?

Answer 3

1) Scope
2) quality
3 Schedule
4) Budget
5) Resources
6) risk

Question 4

What does organizational project management (OPM) consists of?

Answer 4

1) Projects
2) Program
3) Portfolios

Question 5

What is program management?

Answer 5

A program is defined as a group of related projects, sub programs, and program activities managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits not available from managing them individually.

Program management is the application of knowledge, skills, and techniques to a program in order to meet the program requirements, and obtain benefits and control not available by managing projects individually.

a project may of may not be part of a program, but a program will always have projects.

Question 6

What is portfolio management?

Answer 6

a portfolio refers to projects, programs, subportfolios, and operations managed as a group to achieve strategic objectives. the projects or programs of the portfolio may not necessarily be interdependent or direly related.

Question 7

Projects are authorized due to?

Answer 7

1) market demand
2) Strategic opportunity/ business need
3) social need
4) Environmental consideration
5) Customer request
6) Technological advance
7) Legal requirement

Question 8

What is a PMO?

Answer 8

A project management office is a management structure that standardizes the project related governance processes and facilitate the sharing of resources, methodologies, tools, and techniques.

Question 9

What are the types of PMO structures?

Answer 9

1) Supportive: Plays a consultative role to projects by supplying template, best practices, training, access to information, and lessons learned from other projects. This type of PMO serves as a project repository. The degree of control provided by the PMO is low.
2) Controlling: provide support and require compliance through various means. Compliance may involve adopting project management frameworks or methodologies, using specific templates, forms and tools. The degree of control provided by the PMO is high
3) Directive: Takes control of the projects by directly managing them. The degree of control provided is high

Question 10

Operations management

Answer 10

Concerned with ongoing production of goods and/or services. It’s managing processes that transform inputs into outputs.

Question 11

Role of a project manager

Answer 11

A person assigned by the performing organization to lead the team that is responsible for achieving the project objectives. Competencies include:

1) Knowledge
2) Performance
3) personal (leadership, team building, motivation, communication, influence, decision making, political and cultural awareness, negotiation, trust building, conflict management, coaching)

Question 12

Types of organizational structure - in terms of project management

Answer 12

Functional
Projected
Matrix (weak, balanced, strong)

Project managers authority little to none low to

Question 13

What are processes and procedures for conducting project work?

Answer 13

1) initiating and planning
2) Executing, monitoring, and controlling
3) Closing

Question 14

What are some organizational corporate knowledge base?

Answer 14

1) Configuration management knowledge bases containing the versions and baseline of all performing organization standards, policies, procedures and any project document.
2) Financial databases containing information such as labor hours, incurred costs, budgets, and any project cost overruns.
3) Historical information and lessons learned knowledge base
4) issue and defect management databases
5) Process measurement databases.

Question 15

What are enterprise environmental factors?

Answer 15

Enterprise environmental factors refer to conditions, not under the control of the project team, that influence, constrain, or direct the project.

1) Organizational culture and governance
2) Geographic distribution of facilities and resources
3) Gov or industry standards
4) Infrastructure
5) Existing human resources (skills..)
6) Personnel administration
7) Company work authorization systems
8) marketplace conditions
9) stakeholder risk tolerance
10) political climate
11) Project management information system

Question 16

Organizational process assets is grouped into?

Answer 16

1) Processes and procedures (initiating and planning, executing and monitoring, and closing)
2) Corporate knowledge base.

Question 17

What is a stakeholder?

Answer 17

A stakeholder is an individual, group, or organization who may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision, activity or outcome of a project.

example of stakeholder:

1) Sponsor
2) Customers and users
3) Sellers
4) Business partners
5) Organizational groups
6) Functional managers
7) Other Stakeholders.

Question 18

Project team

Answer 18

The project team includes the project manager and the group of individuals who act together in performing the work of the project to achieve its objectives.

dedicated and part time

Question 19

What is a project life cycle?

Answer 19

A project life cycle is the series of phases that a project passes through from its initiation to its closure.

1) starting the project
2) Carrying out the project work, and
3) Closing the project

This generic lifecycle us often referred to when communicating with upper management or other less familiar with the details of the project. It should not be confused with the project management process groups, because the processes in a process group consist of activities that may be performed and recur within each phase of a project as well as for the project as a whole. The project life cycle is independent from the life cycle of the product into consideration.

Question 20

What are the characteristics of the generic life cycle structure?

Answer 20

1) Cost and staffing levels are low at the start, peak as the work is carried out and drop rapidly as the project draws to a close.
2) Risk and uncertainty are greatest at the start of the project. these factors decrease over the life of the project as decisions are reached and as deliverable are accepted.
3) The ability to influence the final characteristics of the project’s product, without significantly impacting cost is highest at the start of the project and decreases as the project progresses towards completion.

Question 21

What are project management process groups?

Answer 21

Initiating process group: Those processes performed to define a new project or a new phase of an existing project obtaining authorization to start the project or phase.

Planning process group: Those processes required to establish the scope of the project, refine the objectives, and define the course of action required to attain the objectives that the project was undertaken to achieve.

Executing process group: Those processes performed to complete the work defined in the project management plan tp satisfy the project specifications.

Monitoring and controlling process group; Those processes required to track, review, and regulate the progress and performance of the project; identify any areas in which changes to the plan is required; and initiate the corresponding changes.

Closing process group: Those processes performed to finalize tall activities across all process groups to formally close the project or phase.

Question 22

Project management knowledge areas Vs process groups

Answer 22

The purpose of these Knowledge Areas is to better organize the different processes and bring the processes having common characteristics under one category. For instance, the Project Cost Management Knowledge Area would include all the different aspects of the budgeting process. Hence, processes like Cost Estimating, Cost Budgeting, and Cost Control would fall under this Knowledge Area. But, it gets tricky — these 3 processes are not part of the same project management process group. Estimating and Budgeting fall under Planning whereas Cost Control is a part of the Monitoring and Controlling process group. We can look at it this way: Knowledge Areas categorize and organize processes on the basis of common features, whereas project management process groups are a mechanism to determine the order in which the project management processes should be undertaken.

Question 23

How many knowledge areas are there?

Answer 23

10

1) Project integration management
2) project scope management
3) Project time management
4) Project cost management
5) Project quality management
6) Project human resource management
7) Project communication management
8) Project risk management
9) Project procurement management
10) Project stakeholder management

D

Question 24

What is a project charter?

Answer 24

A document that states the initial requirement to satisfy the stakeholders’ needs and expectation and also formally authorizes the project.

Question 25

test

Answer 25

Project integration management: Develop project charter (initiating PG), Develop project management plan (Planning PG), direct and manage project work (Executing PG), monitor and control project work (Monitoring and controlling PG). perform integrated change control ((Monitoring and controlling PG)), and close project or phase (Closing PG)

Question 26

What is a statement of work (SOW)

Answer 26

A document that describes the products or services to be delivered by the project. t is an input to developing the project charter and the preliminary project scope statement.

Question 27

What are inputs used to generate a charter?

Answer 27

1) Business Case
2) SOW
3) Enterprise environment factors (Gov and industry standard, Marketplace conditions)
4) Organizational process assets (template, standard policy and procedure…)
5) Contract.

Question 28

What is a business case?

Answer 28

A document economic feasibility study used to establish validity of the benefits of a selected component lacking sufficient definition and that i sued as a basis for the authorization of further project management activities.

Question 29

What should a project charter include?

Answer 29

1) Project justification
2) A high level project description
3) Project objectives
4) High level risks
5) Milestone schedule
6) A budget summary
7) Project approval and acceptance requirements
) An assigned project manager
9) Project sponsor

Question 30

What is a Sequential Phase to Phase Relationship?

Answer 30

Sequential phases occur in sequence, beginning a new phase only upon completion of the prior phase.

Question 31

What is a Overlapping Phase to Phase Relationship?

Answer 31

Overlapping phase starts prior to completion of the prior phase (fast tracking)

Question 32

What is a Iterative Phase to Phase Relationship?

Answer 32

Iterative is one phase at a time is planned, with planning for the next carried out as the first is executed. Good for unknown or undefined situations like research, incremental delivery, refining scope as the project proceeds.

Question 33

What is Fast Tracking?

Answer 33

Fast Tracking is compressing the project schedule by overlapping activities that would normally be done in sequence, such as design and construction.

• The practice of overlapping project phases is called “Fast Tracking”
• Doing activities in parallel that would normally be done in sequence.
• Often involves rework and usually increases risk.

Question 34

How does Stakeholder Influence, Risk and Uncertainty change over the Life cycle of a project?

Answer 34

Stakeholder Influence, Risk, and Uncertainty starts High and decreases during the life of the project.

Question 35

How does the Cost of Changes change over the Life Cycle of a project?

Answer 35

The Cost of Changes starts Low and increases during the life of the project.

Question 36

What is Project Scope?

Answer 36

Project Scope is the WORK that must be done to deliver a product with the specified features and functions.

Question 37

What are types of stakeholders?

Answer 37

Key Stakeholders include:

• Project manager
• Customer/User
• Performing organization
• Project team members, Project Management Team
• Sponsor
• Influencers
• PMO

Question 38

What are the categories of Project-based (Projectized) Organizations?

Answer 38

Organizations that derive their revenue from performing projects for others under contract
- Organizations that have adopted management by projects tend to have management systems in place to facilitate project management.

Question 39

What are the categories of Non-Project-Based Organizations?

Answer 39

• Often lack management systems designed to support projects efficiently and effectively
• May have departments or subunits that operate as project-based with systems to support them.

Question 40

What are the Structure Influences for Functional Organizations?

Answer 40

PM's Authority - Little or None
Resource Availability - Little or None
Budget Control - Functional Manager
PM's Role - Part-Time
PM Admin Staff - Part-Time

Question 41

What are the Structure Influences for Weak Matrix Organizations?

Answer 41

PM's Authority - Limited
Resource Availability - Limited
Budget Control - Functional Manager
PM's Role - Part-time
PM Admin Staff - Part-time

Question 42

What are the Structure Influences for Balanced Matrix Organizations?

Answer 42

PM's Authority - Limited
Resource Availability - Limited
Budget Control - Functional Manager
PM's Role - Part-time
PM Admin Staff - Part-time

Question 43

What are the Structure Influences for Strong Matrix Organizations?

Answer 43

PM's Authority - Moderate to high
Resource Availability - Moderate to high
Budget Control - Project Manager
PM's Role - Full-time
PM Admin Staff - Full-time

Question 44

What are the Structure Influences for Projectized Organizations?

Answer 44

PM's Authority - High to almost total
Resource Availability - High to almost total
Budget Control - Project Manager
PM's Role - Full-time
PM Admin Staff - Full-time

Question 45

What are the composition of project teams?

Answer 45

Dedicated & Part-time

Question 46

Knowledge Area: Project integration management

Answer 46

Initiating process group - Develop Project Charter
Planning process group - Develop project plan
Executing process group - Direct and manage project work
Monitoring - Monitor and control project work, & perform integrated change control
Closing - Close project or phase

Question 47

Knowledge Area: Project scope management

Answer 47

Initiating process group - NA
Planning process group - Plan scope management, collect requirements, define scope, and create WBS
Executing process group - NA
Monitoring - validate and control scope
Closing - NA

Question 48

Knowledge Area: Project time management

Answer 48

Initiating process group - NA
Planning process group - Plan schedule management, define activities, sequence activities, estimate activity resources, estimate activity duration, and develop schedule
Executing process group - NA
Monitoring - control scope
Closing - NA

Question 49

Knowledge Area: Project scope management

Answer 49

Initiating process group - NA
Planning process group - Plan cost management, estimate costs, determine budget
Executing process group - NA
Monitoring - control costs
Closing - NA

Question 50

Knowledge Area: Project quality management

Answer 50

Initiating process group - NA
Planning process group - Plan quality management
Executing process group - Perform quality assurance
Monitoring - control quality
Closing - NA

Question 51

Knowledge Area: Project human resource management

Answer 51

Initiating process group - NA
Planning process group - Plan human resource management
Executing process group - acquire project team, develop project team, manage project team
Monitoring - NA
Closing - NA

Question 52

Knowledge Area: Project communications management

Answer 52

Initiating process group - NA
Planning process group - Plan communications management
Executing process group - manage communications
Monitoring - control communications
Closing - NA

Question 53

Knowledge Area: Project risk management

Answer 53

Initiating process group - NA
Planning process group - plan risk management, identify risks, perform qualitative risk analysis, perform quantitative risk analysis, plan risk responses.
Executing process group - NA
Monitoring - control risks
Closing - NA

Question 54

Knowledge Area: Project procurement management

Answer 54

Initiating process group - NA
Planning process group - plan procurement
Executing process group - conduct procurements
Monitoring - control procurements
Closing - close procurements

Question 55

Knowledge Area: Project stakeholder management

Answer 55

Initiating process group - identify stakeholders
Planning process group - plan stakeholder management
Executing process group - manage stakeholder engagement
Monitoring - control stakeholder management
Closing - NA

Question 56

Project integration management:

Develop project charter

Answer 56

Executed under Initiating process groups
The process of developing a document that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.
1) inputs
  a) Project statement of work
  b) Business case
  c) Agreements
  d) Enterprise environmental factors
  e) Organizational process assets

2) Tools and techniques
a) Expert judgment
b) Facilitation techniques

3) Output
a) Project Charter

1) *SOW: Is a narrative description of products, or results to be delivered by a project (Business need, product scope description, and strategic plan)
* Business Case: Describes the necessary information from a business standpoint to determine whether or not the project is worth the required investment
* Agreements: are used to define initial intentions for a project.they may take the form of a contract, memorandums of understanding (MOU), service level agreement (SLA), letter of intent, email, verbal agreement.
* Enterprise environmental factors: Government standards, industry standards or regulations, organizational culture and structure, and marketplace conditions.
* Organizational process assets: template, historical information and lessons learned.

2)
* Expert judgment: often used to assess the inputs used to develop the project charter. It’s applied to all technical and management details during this process. (consultants, stakeholders, SME, PMO..)
* Facilitation technique: Have broad application within project management processes and guide the development of the project charter. brainstorming, conflict resolution, problem solving, are techniques used by facilitators to help team and individuals accomplish project activities.

3)
*Project charter: document used by the project initiator or sponsor that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.

Question 57

Project integration management:

develop project management plan

Answer 57

Executed under planning process groups

the process of defining, preparing, and coordinating all subsidiary plans and integrating them into a comprehensive project management plan. the project’s integrated baselines and subsidiary plans may be included within the project plan.

1) Inputs
a) Project charter
b) Output from other processes
c) Enterprise environmental factors
d) Organizational process assets

2) Tools and techniques
a) Expert judgment
b) Facilitation techniques

3) Outputs
a) Project management plan

1)

• Project charter: The project manager uses the project charter as the starting point for initial planning throughout the initiating process group.
• Output from other processes: output from other processes are integrated to create the project management plan.
• Enterprise environmental factors: that can influence the develop management plan include: Gov and industry standards, project management information system, organizational structure, culture, infrastructure, personal administration.
• Organizational process assets: process assets that can influence the develop project management plan include: Standardized guidelines, work instructions, project management plan template, change control procedures, historical info.

2)
*Expert judgment:

3)
*Project management plan: Document that describes how the project will be executed, monitored, and controlled. It integrates and consolidates all of the subsidiary plans and baselines from the planning processes.

Question 58

Project integration management:

Direct and manage project work

Answer 58

Executed under executing process groups

the process of leading and performing the work defined in the project management plan and implementing approved changes to achieve the project’s objectives.

1) Inputs
a) Project management plan
b) Approved change request
c) Enterprise environmental factors
d) Organizational process assets

2) Tools and techniques
a) Expert judgment
b) project management information system
c) Meetings

3) Outputs
a) Deliverable
b) Work performance data
c) change requests
d) project management plan updates
e) Project documents updates.

Question 59

Project integration management:

Monitor and control project workday

Answer 59

Executed under monitoring process groups

The process of tracking,reviewing, and reporting project progress against the performance objectives defined in the project management plan.

1) Inputs
a) Project management plan
b) Schedule forecasts
c) Cost forecasts
d) Validate changes
e) Work performance information
f) Enterprise environmental factors
g) Organizational process assets

2) Tools and techniques
a) Expert judgment
b) Analytical techniques
c) Project management information system
d) Meetings

3) Outputs
a) Change request
b) Work performance reports
c) Project management plan updates
d) Project documents updates

Question 60

Project integration management:

Perform integrated change control

Answer 60

Executed under closing process groups

the process of reviewing all change requests, approving changes and managing changes to deliverable, organizational process assets, project documents, and the project management plan; and communicating their disposition

1) Inputs
a) Project management plan
b) Work performance reports
c) Change requets
d) Enterprise environmental factors
e) Organizational process assets

2) Tools and techniques
a) Expert judgment
b) Meetings
c) Change control tools

3) Outputs
a) Approved change requests
b) Change log
c) Project management plan updates
d) Project documents updates

Question 61

Project integration management:

close project phase

Answer 61

the process of finalizing all activities across all of the project management process groups to formally complete the phase or project.

1) Inputs
a) Project management plan
b) Accepted deliverables
c) organizational process assets

2) Tools and techniques
a) expert judgment
b) Analytical techniques
c) meetings

3) Outputs
a) Final product, service, or result transition
b) organizational process assets updates

Question 62

what is Project integration management?

Answer 62

It includes the processes and activities to identify, define, combine, unify, and coordinate the various processes and project management activities within the project management process groups.