PMP Study Group - Cost Management Flashcards
One common way to compute estimate at completion (EAC) is to take the budget at completion (BAC) and:
A. Divide by SP1.
B. Multiply by SP1.
C. Multiply by CPI.
D. Divide by CPI.
Subject: Cost Management
Answer D
Explanation
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.
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.
Subject: Cost Management
Answer C
Explanation
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.
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
Subject: Cost Management
Answer D
Explanation
The formula is CV = EV — AC. Therefore, CV = 350 — 400, or CV = -50.
The customer responsible for overseeing our project asks you to provide a written cost estimate that is 30 percent higer than our estimate of the project’s cost. He explains that the budjeting process requires managers to estimate pessimistically to ensure enou h mone 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.
Subject: Cost Management
Answer D
Explanation
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.
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.
Subject: Cost Management
Answer C
Explanation
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.
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.
Subject: Cost Management
Answer B
Explanation
This question is asking, “When you finish estimating costs, what do you have?” Many people who do not realize that estimates should be 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.
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.
Subject: Cost Management
Answer D
Explanation
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.
Cost performance measurement is 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. Calculating earned value and using the indexes and other calculations to report past performance and forecast future performance
C. Using the 50/50 rule and making sure the life cycle cost is less than the project cost
D. Focusing on the amount expended last month and what will be expended the following month
Subject: Cost Management
Answer B
Explanation
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.
A cost performance index (CPI) of 0.89 means:
A. At this time, we expect the total project to cost 89 percent more than planned.
B. When the project is completed, we will have spent 89 percent more than planned.
C. The project is progressing at 89 percent of the rate planned.
D. The project is getting 89 cents out of every dollar invested.
Subject: Cost Management
Answer D
Explanation
The CPI is less than one, so the situation is bad. The project is only getting 89 cents out of every dollar invested.
A schedule performance index (SP1) of 0.76 means:
A. You are over budget.
B. You are ahead of schedule.
C. You are progressing at 76 percent of the rate originally planned.
D. You are progressing at 24 percent of the rate originally planned.
Subject: Cost Management
Answer C
Explanation
Earned value questions ask for a calculation or an interpretation of the results. In this case, the project is progressing at 76 percent of the rate planned.
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
Subject: Cost Management
Answer D
Explanation
You need the WBS to define the activities, the network diagram to see the dependencies, and 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.
Which of the following is an example of a parametric estimate?
A. Dollars per module
B. Learning bend
C. Bottom-up i
D. CPM
Subject: Cost Management
Answer A
Explanation
Parametric estimates use a mathematical model to predict project cost or time.
A rough order of magnitude estimate is made during which project management process group?
A. Planning
B. Closing
C. Executing
D. Initiating
Subject: Cost Management
Answer D
Explanation
This estimate has a wide range. It is done during project initiating, when very little is known about the project.
A cost baseline is an output of which cost management process?
A. Estimate Activity Resources
B. Estimate Costs
C. Determine Budget
D. Control Costs
Subject: Cost Management
Answer C
Explanation
A cost baseline is an output of the Determine Budget process.
During which project management process group are budget forecasts created?
A. Monitoring and controlling
B. Planning
C. Initiating
D. Executing
Subject: Cost Management
Answer A
Explanation
Budget forecasts are an output of Control Costs, which is part of monitoring and controlling.
Which type of cost is team training?
A. Direct
B. NPV
C. Indirect
D. Fixed
Subject: Cost Management
Answer A
Explanation
You are training the team on skills required for the project. The cost is directly related to the project and thus a direct cost.
Project setup costs are an example of:
A. Variable costs.
B. Fixed costs.
C. Overhead costs.
D. Opportunity costs.
Subject: Cost Management
Answer B
Explanation
Setup costs do not change as production on the project changes. Therefore, they are fixed costs.
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.
Subject: Cost Management
Answer D
Explanation
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.
Which estimating method tends to be MOST costly for creating a project cost estimate?
A. Bottom-up
B. Analogous
C. Parametric
D. 50/50
Subject: Cost Management
Answer A
Explanation
Because you need project details to estimate this way, the effort expended will be greater with bottom-up estimating.
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)
Subject: Cost Management
Answer A
Explanation
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.
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 estimates
C. Rules for measuring team performance, the level of accuracy needed for 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
Subject: Cost Management
Answer B
Explanation
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.
Your project has a medium amount of 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 an 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.
Subject: Cost Management
Answer A
Explanation
With such limited information, it is best to estimate in a range. The range can be narrowed as planning progresses and risks are addressed.
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.
Subject: Cost Management
Answer D
Explanation
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.
You are having difiiculty 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
Subject: Cost Management
Answer A
Explanation
Although all choices could cause difficulty, only inadequate scope definition makes estimating impossible.