PMP Practice Test 4: PMP Practice Test Four

Question 1

Mary is the project manager for her organization and she’s been assigned a new project. Management has asked Mary to create a reliable project budget as soon as possible and Mary states she’ll need to create a definitive estimate and this will take some time. In order to create the definitive estimate for a project, what document must first be created? Choose the best answer:

1. Work breakdown structure
2. Product scope
3. Project scope
4. Project charter

Answer 1

Anwer: Work breakdown structure

Explanation
A definitive estimate for project costs is the most reliable estimate type, but it does require a WBS. The WBS will take time to create, so too then will the definitive estimate. The other choices don’t provide enough information to create a reliable estimate type for management.

Question 2

You are the project manager of the JKL Project for your organization and you’re meeting with the project team. It’s come to your attention that the project team has padded every activity duration in the project schedule by 10-12 hours. You explain to the team that this padding isn’t acceptable and they need to identify accurate duration estimates to predict the duration of the project. What law describes the danger of padding activity duration estimates?

1. Law of Diminishing Returns
2. Parkinsons Law
3. Moore’s Law
4. Little’s Law

Answer 2

Answer: Parkinsons Law

Explanation
Parkinson’s Law states that work expands to fill the time allotted to it. So, if the project team says an activity will take 50 hours, even with the padding, the task will take 50 hours. Little’s Law describes the duration and length of a queue in relation to how long the queue is. Moore’s Law describes the speed of processors, which is somewhat dated now. The Law of Diminishing Returns says that you cannot continue to add labor to reduce the duration of an activity with affecting the yield of the activity and the effectiveness of the laborers added to the activity.

Question 3

Consider a project to create new accounting software for an organization. In the project the team has skipped some required software testing to meet a deadline, but this has allowed several escaped defects which have now caused problems in production. What term best describes this scenario?

1. Escaped defect resolution
2. Poor project management
3. Cost of nonconformance to quality
4. Poor change control

Answer 3

Answer: Cost of nonconformance to quality

Explanation
The cost of nonconformance to quality are the costs that are introduced to an organization when quality control, quality assurance measures, and guidelines are not followed. By the team skipping the testing portion of the software development lifecycle they have allowed errors to be introduced to production, which can be a costly mistake. The cost of nonconformance to quality, sometimes just called poor quality, can also be costs such as loss of sales, loss of reputation, and frustration by the stakeholders.

Question 4

You are the project manager for the GHB Project and you’re working with the project team to create the project schedule. Jeff, a project team member, has identified two tasks that don’t need to happen sequentially, but could happen at the same time if one task starts a day before the second task. What type of relationship could you apply to these to two tasks?

1. SS
2. FS
3. SF
4. Lead, one day

Answer 4

Answer: SS

Explanation
The best choice is SS, a start-to-start activity. This would allow both activities to start at the same time essentially, you could then add +1 day of lag to the second activity to shift its start day by one day. Note that lead time, one day, isn’t a valid relationship and wouldn’t be the best choice as the answer doesn’t address which task has the lead day. In addition, lead is negative time, so this would be a cumbersome scheduling approach.

Question 5

Hans is the project manager for his organization and management has asked him to help choose a project. Project A is worth $450,000 and will take 18 months to complete. Project B is worth $560,000 but will take two years to complete. A third project is worth $301,000 and will take 25 months to complete. If Hans recommends Project A what is the opportunity cost in this scenario?

1. $861,000
2. $450,000
3. $560,000
4. $301,000

Answer 5

Answer: $861,000

Explanation
The opportunity cost is the total amount of the other projects that the organization chooses to not do in favor of Project A. In this scenario, it’s the total of Project B and Project C; this would be $560,000 and $301,000.

Question 6

You are the project manager of Project GHJ, and you’re working with Jack as he manages the budget for your project. In your organization, the project team reports to Jack. Which of the following options can best describe the amount of authority you have in this organizational structure?

1. Total
2. High
3. Low
4. Moderate

Answer 6

Answer: Low

Explanation
When the project budget is managed by the functional manager and the team reports to the functional manager you’re likely operating in a functional, multi-divisional or weak matrix structure. The project manager’s authority in these organizational structures varies from low to little or none.

Question 7

As a project manager you need to identify assumptions, constraints, risks, and other facets of the project you’re managing. Which one of the following is not an example of a constraint?

1. A project requirement to use Microsoft Office
2. A project deadline of December 12
3. A project schedule based on predictable weather
4. A project budget of $250,000

Answer 7

Answer: A project schedule based on predictable weather

Explanation
A constraint is anything that limits your options. An assumption is anything that you believe to be true, but can’t, or have not, proven it to be true. While you may schedule your project for good weather, such as in a construction project, you can’t always predict the weather. Weather is an assumption. The other options are constraints.

Question 8

You are the project manager of the NJK Project, and your project sponsor has asked you to create a flowchart to show how vendors and customers may interact in your project. What specific type of diagram is your project sponsor asking you to create?

1. SIPOC
2. HUSTL
3. PESTLE
4. GERT

Answer 8

Answer: SIPOC

Explanation
The project sponsor is asking for a SIPOC flowchart. SIPOC shows the interactions between customers and vendors using the acronym Suppliers, Inputs, Processes, Outputs, and Customers.

Question 9

John is the project manager of JHG Project and he’s working with his project team. Karen, a senior developer on the team, is explaining to the team how the software your project is developing will work. It’s a sophisticated piece of software, so Karen is using analogies and drawing diagrams on the whiteboard to coach the team. What type of knowledge is Karen utilizing in this scenario?

1. Direct
2. Explicit
3. Tacit
4. Encumbered

Answer 9

Answer: Tacit

Explanation
Karen is utilizing tacit knowledge. Tacit knowledge is more difficult to share, requires analogies, drawings, and more time to absorb. Explicit knowledge, the only other knowledge type you’ll need to know for your exam, is more direct and easily expressed.

Question 10

You are the project manager for the RGR Project and you’ve worked with the project team to create the WBS. Many of the components of the WBS in your project are identical, such as the television screens that will be installed throughout the complex. You need a method to identify each component and work package to track the requirements through the project and to help with planning the project work. Which one of the following is the best answer for identifying and tracking these items throughout the project?

1. WBS dictionary
2. Requirements tracking matrix
3. Code of accounts
4. WBS

Answer 10

Answer: Code of accounts

Explanation
The best answer is the code of accounts, which is a numbering system to identify each element of the WBS in a sequential pattern, such as 10.9.3 and then lower components could be numbered as 10.9.3.1, 10.9.3.2, and so on. The PMBOK Guide uses a numbering sequence like this to identify each heading in the guide. Note that the requirements tracking matrix is not a valid term, but a requirements traceability matrix is and would be a correct answer if that choice were present.

Question 11

Gary is the project manager of the JKP Project, and he believes in McClelland’s Theory of Needs. As part of his belief, he has the project team complete a thematic apperception test. All of the following are part of this theory except for which one?

1. Need for power
2. Need for achievement
3. Need for affiliation
4. Need for ambition

Answer 11

Answer: Need for ambition

Explanation
The need for ambition is not part of the McClelland’s Theory of Needs, sometimes called the Three Needs Theory. The need for achievement, affiliation, and power are the three needs of this theory.

Question 12

Jen is the project manager of an adaptive project in her organization. She wants to create a chart that will show how much work is remaining in the product backlog. What chart should Jen create?

1. Forecast chart
2. Scrum chart
3. Iteration burndown chart
4. Agile chart

Answer 12

Answer: Iteration burndown chart

Explanation
This chart tracks the work that remains to be completed in the iteration backlog. It is used to analyze the variance with respect to an ideal burndown based on the work committed from iteration planning (see PMBOK Guide, section 6.4.2.8). A forecast trend line can be used to predict the likely variance at iteration completion and take appropriate actions during the course of the iteration. A diagonal line representing the ideal burndown and daily actual remaining work is then plotted. A trend line is then calculated to forecast completion based on remaining work.

Question 13

Ernesto is the project manager of a new project his company has just launched. The project sponsor, Julieanne, has asked Ernesto to create a quick estimate of the project should cost. Ernesto’s current project is similar, but larger in scope, to a project he recently finished. The older project cost $250,000, so he estimates the new project will cost $275,000. What type of estimate has Ernesto created?

1. Direct
2. Analogous
3. Parametric
4. Comparable

Answer 13

Answer: Analogous

Explanation
Ernesto has created an analogous estimate. Analogous estimates are based on similar projects to predict the cost of the current project. Analogous estimates are analogies between similar projects and while not always reliable, they are quick and based on proven project information. Note that analogous estimates should have a range of variance, such as +/- 10 percent based on the size of the project, the differences between the projects, and other factors.

Question 14

You are the ScrumMaster of a large software development project. Your manager has asked that you take a moment and create a chart to show the causal factors and effect of a bottleneck your project is experiencing. You gather the project team to create this chart and do root cause analysis. What type of chart are you creating in this project?

1. Pareto
2. Risk burndown
3. Five-Whys Charts
4. Ishikawa

Answer 14

Answer: Ishikawa

Explanation
You are creating an Ishikawa chart. An Ishikawa chart is the same as a fishbone or cause-and-effect chart and helps to facilitate root cause analysis. Note that there is not a Five-Whys chart, this is a fictional term.

Question 15

You are the project manager for a marketing project to mail out 1,000,000 postcards to prospective customers. Rather than mail out all 1,000,000 postcards at once, you and the team design three cards of different designs that you’ll mail in batches of 100,000. Whichever card gets the best response will be the selected card for the balance of the 1,000,000. What quality tool are you using in this scenario?

1. Design of experiments
2. Rule of seven
3. Quality assurance
4. Design for X

Answer 15

Answer: Design of experiments

Explanation
This is the design of experiments, which means you’ll do experiments on a smaller pool of the project before making decisions for the entire project. You can do this with materials – such as paint, software, and other resources before making project decisions. It helps to ensure that the project will use the best solution of all the possible alternatives identified.

Question 16

You are the project manager for your organization, and you subscribe to Herzberg’s Theory of Motivation. You have created several hygiene agents for members of the project team. Some of the project team members, however, have reported that they have not yet been paid by their contracting company and are frustrated with the project. What term best describes the paycheck of the project team members?

1. Stability agents
2. Uniform agents
3. Motivating agents
4. Hygiene agents

Answer 16

Answer: Hygiene agents

Explanation
Hygiene agents are the expectations of the employee-employer contract, such as getting paid, promised benefits, and an acceptable working environment. Hygiene agents do not motivate, but their absence will demotivate the project team members.

Question 17

Projects exist and operate in environments that may influence them. Some of these influences originate from the environment outside of the project, whereas some others are internal to the organization. Which of the following is an organizational process asset that can influence a project?

1. Legal restrictions
2. Organizational culture, structure, and governance
3. Government or industry standards
4. Processes, policies, and procedures

Answer 17

Answer: Processes, policies, and procedures

Explanation
Processes, policies, and procedures are a category of organizational process assets. The other choices are examples of enterprise environmental factors.

Question 18

You are the project manager of the NK Project for your organization and you’re working with the project team to plan how to manage quality in the project. Your project team is confused, however, about the difference between quality assurance and quality control. What’s the best answer?

1. Quality assurance is planned. Quality control is achieved
2. Quality assurance is prevention-driven. Quality control is testing-driven
3. Quality assurance is a management process. Quality control is a project process
4. Quality assurance is about planning quality. Quality control is about achieve quality.

Answer 18

Answer: Quality assurance is a management process. Quality control is a project process

Explanation
Quality assurance is a management-driven process that aims to plan quality into the project and the project work. Quality control, a project process, is the inspection and testing of the project results to confirm that quality exists. This is an example of a test question where none of the answers are excellent choices, but you have to choose the best answer presented. In reality, quality control is not a project management process, as it is now called control quality, but this answer is still the best of those presented.

Question 19

Gwen is the project manager of the HJ Project and her schedule is running late. She has identified some activities that she would like to crash, but is concerned about how useful crashing will be. In order to crash the project activities what must be true about the work?

1. Acuitive’s longer than eight hours, but less than 80 hours
2. Non-critical path activities
3. Critical path activities
4. Effort-driven activities

Answer 19

Answer: Effort-driven activities

Explanation
Only activities that are effort-driven can be crashed. Crashing means that Gwen will add effort in the form of more labor to the effort-driven activities. Activities that are of fixed duration aren’t valid for crashing. You can crash critical and non-critical path activities and the duration of the activities doesn’t really affect the effectiveness of crashing.

Question 20

You are the project manager for the OOG Project for your organization and you’re meeting with your project team. Some of the team members are debating the order and timing of the activities for your project schedule. Frank, the database administrator, states the ordering of the activities must happen in a particular sequence to set up a new server. What type of dependencies is Frank describing?

1. Discretionary
2. Required
3. Mandatory
4. Technical

Answer 20

Answer: Mandatory

Explanation
When activities must happen in a particular sequence it is a mandatory dependency. Discretionary means that the tasks can occur in any order. The other options are not valid project management terms.

Question 21

Jeff is the project manager of the JKQ Project and he’s working with the project team to define all of the items in the WBS. Some of the items in the WBS are a type of marker for additional planning and are part of a control account. What is the term given to these markers in the WBS?

1. TBD packages
2. Planning packages
3. Control account packages
4. Work packages

Answer 21

Answer: Planning packages

Explanation
A control account may include one or more planning packages. A planning package is a work breakdown structure component below the control account and above the work package with known work content but without detailed schedule activities.

Question 22

Steve is the project manager of the NKQ Project. This project is to paint the 245 offices in his company’s building a new color of gray. The project team is executing the project plan and has already painted 58 of the 245 offices. Stacey, a stakeholder, calls you to report that the project team has actually been painting the offices a light yellow – not the approved gray color the executives have selected. What should you do next?

1. Tell the team the team they need to document the error before moving forward
2. Tell the team to paint all remaining offices the correct color of gray
3. Tell the team to stop work until you can inspect the error
4. Tell the team to continue to paint the offices yellow

Answer 22

Answer: Tell the team to paint all remaining offices the correct color of gray

Explanation
This is an example of a question where none of the items are excellent choices, something you may experience on your exam. You know that in the real world you’d apply corrective actions to the problem and keep the project moving forward, however you must choose the best answer presented. In this scenario, the best solution is for the team to paint the remaining offices the correct color of gray. The other choices interrupt the work or don’t address the error directly.

Question 23

You are the project manager of the NK Project for your organization, and you’ve created a tally list for the results of repeated activity in the project. What is a tally list?

1. Its requirements traceability matrix for quality measurements
2. Its a list of all the different types of defects in the project
3. Its a checklist conformance
4. its a list of all the different processes completed in the project

Answer 23

Answer: Its a list of all the different types of defects in the project

Explanation
A tally list is merely a list of all the different types of defects found in the project. For example, you would “tally” all the spelling errors, then “tally” all the formatting errors, and then “tally” all the printing errors. Tally is simply a count of specific types of defects and is used in the control quality process.

Question 24

As a project manager you know that there is a six-step approach to problem resolution. You need to follow these six steps to identify and resolve the problem. Which one of the following statements is the correct ordering of the six steps to problem-solving in project management?

Answer 24

Answer: Define the problem; Define the problem’s root cause; Generate solutions to the problem; Select the best solution for the problem; Implement the selected solution; Test and verify the solutions effectiveness

Explanation
This is a tricky question, but the best answer is: Define the problem; Define the problem’s root cause; Generate solutions to the problem; Select the best solution for the problem; Implement the selected solution; Test and verify the solution’s effectiveness.

Question 25

Complete this statement about quality: Quality is __________________ into a project and is never _________________________ into a project.

1. Quality is made into a project and is never purchased into a project
2. Quality is planned into a project and is never purchased into a project
3. Quality is built into a project and is never planned into a project
4. Quality is planned into a project and is never inspected into a project

Answer 25

Answer: Quality is planned into a project and is never inspected into a project

Explanation
Quality is planned into a project and is never inspected into a project. This means that you plan quality into the work and you do not examine the work and fix errors as you find them. While the team will still complete quality control activities, which are inspection-driven, quality is about doing the work correctly, not taking the attitude of inspecting the work and fixing errors if and when your team finds them.