Practice Exam 1

Question 1

These project participants contribute expertise to the project, contribute deliverables according to the schedule, estimate task durations, estimate costs, and determine dependencies.

A. Scheduler

B. Project coordinator

C. Project team

D. PMO

Answer 1

C. Project team

The project team members are responsible for contributing expertise to the project, contributing deliverables according to the schedule, estimating task durations, estimating costs, and determining dependencies.

Question 2

What is the name of the resource requirement tool shown in the following exhibit?

A. Resource requirement matrix

B. Responsibility requirement matrix

C. Resource definition matrix

D. Responsibility assignment matrix

Answer 2

D. Responsibility assignment matrix

The RACI chart shown here is a type of responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) that allows you to denote the types of skills you require in your project team and which project tasks they’ll be needed.

Question 3

You are a project manager for Fountain of Youth Spring Water bottlers. Your project involves installing a new accounting system. You have identified several problems along with the causes of those problems. Which of the following diagrams will you use to show each problem and its causes and effects?

A. Pareto chart

B. Histogram

C. Scatter diagram

D. Fishbone diagram

Answer 3

D. Fishbone diagram

A fishbone diagram shows the cause and effects of issues that are plaguing the project.

Question 4

Your project is progressing nicely. The total budget for the project is $61,000. To date, you have spent $58,000. The team has told you they will need another $8,000 to finish the project. Which of the following is true?

A. Your burn rate is high, and you will run out of money before the project ends.

B. Your SPI is greater than 1.

C. Your CV is a positive number.

D. You should instruct the team members that they need to complete the remaining work within the remaining budget.

Answer 4

A. Your burn rate is high, and you will run out of money before the project ends.

There isn’t enough information in the question to determine SPI or CV. The estimate to complete is $66,000 ($58,000 + $8,000), so your burn rate is high, and you will run out of money. There isn’t enough information in the question to determine whether D is an appropriate response.

Question 5

Your team has settled into day-to-day interactions and is comfortable with their positions within the team. Decisions are made jointly, and the team members show mutual respect for each other. Which stage of team development is this team in?

A. Forming

B. Performing

C. Norming

D. Storming

Answer 5

C. Norming

Norming is the stage in team development when the team members are comfortable with each other, show mutual respect for each other, and make decisions jointly.

Question 6

You have two resources that are both working more than 50 hours per week on your project. What is this called?

A. Resource overallocation

B. Interproject resource contention

C. Low-quality resources

D. Shared resource

Answer 6

A. Resource overallocation

This describes resource overallocation because the resources are scheduled to work and are working more hours than they have available.

Question 7

Which of the following options describe the role of the project sponsor? Choose two.

A. Writes the project charter

B. Appoints team members

C. Approves and signs the project charter

D. Is the final decision maker on the project

E. Develops the project budget and schedule

Answer 7

C. Approves and signs the project charter

D. Is the final decision maker on the project

The project sponsor approves and signs the project charter and serves as the final decision maker on the project. Generally, the project manager is responsible for all the other tasks listed in this question.

Question 8

Which element of the project charter lists certain resources that will be available during the months of April through September while the project moves forward?

A. Product description

B. Deliverables

C. Assumptions

D. Constraints

Answer 8

C. Assumptions

Assumptions are things that are believed to be true. Stating that certain resources will be available during specific months of the project is an assumption.

Question 9

Your project is not going as expected. The schedule is behind, risks have occurred that no one thought would come about, and two product owners are in disagreement about the backlog items for the upcoming sprint. Which of the following is true regarding this scenario?

A. The change request and change control processes have not been followed.

B. The project constraints have been reprioritized, which impacted the schedule.

C. The risk management processes have not been followed.

D. The Agile methodology says there should be only one product owner.

Answer 9

D. The Agile methodology says there should be only one product owner.

There isn’t enough information in the question to determine whether options A–C are correct. Agile requires one product owner, not two, so option D is the best choice.

Question 10

This is used to display project schedules.

A. Gantt chart

B. Histogram

C. Pareto chart

D. Run chart

Answer 10

A. Gantt chart

Gantt charts are a type of bar chart used to display the project schedule.

Question 11

Why should you review the final project management plan with the sponsor and key stakeholders? Choose two.

A. To catch any last-minute additions

B. To make sure everyone agrees with the plan

C. To obtain sign-off

D. To give the sponsor the ability to back out

E. To prepare for the kickoff meeting

Answer 11

B. To make sure everyone agrees with the plan

C. To obtain sign-off

A formal final review of the comprehensive project management plan is required so that you, the sponsor, and the key stakeholders understand the work of the project, the schedule, and so on, and so you can obtain sign-off.

Question 12

You’re a project manager working on a midsize project that’s well into the Executing phase. One of your more powerful stakeholders is somewhat overbearing at the regular project status meetings and insists that her solution is the only solution and will not let anyone else present alternative ideas. What conflict-resolution technique does this describe?

A. Confronting

B. Forcing

C. Smoothing

D. Negotiating

Answer 12

B. Forcing

Forcing is when a team member forces a solution on the other parties. This is a win-lose conflict-resolution technique.

Question 13

Your PMO is responsible for managing groups of related projects. Which of the following describes this concept?

A. Lifecycle management

B. Project management

C. Process

D. Program

Answer 13

D. Program

A program is a group of related projects that can benefit from coordinated management. The person who manages such a group of projects is called a program manager.

Question 14

You are a new project manager for your company. You are developing the WBS for your project. You know the following options are true regarding the WBS. Choose two.

A. The WBS is developed by the project scheduler who works alone to determine its elements.

B. The WBS is developed after the scope statement.

C. The WBS is a deliverables-oriented hierarchy that describes the work of the project.

D. The WBS is developed after the project charter.

E. The WBS helps to sequence tasks.

Answer 14

B. The WBS is developed after the scope statement.

C. The WBS is a deliverables-oriented hierarchy that describes the work of the project.

The WBS is a deliverables-oriented hierarchy that defines the work of the project. It is constructed with the help of key team members, not the project scheduler alone. It is written after the scope statement is completed. The scope statement contains the project deliverables that are used to construct the WBS.

Question 15

The project manager is responsible for many aspects of project management. Which of the following describes the role of a project manager? Choose three.

A. Estimating task durations

B. Manage project team members

C. Manage budget

D. Responsible for artifacts

E. Provide input on requirements

Answer 15

B. Manage project team members

C. Manage budget

D. Responsible for artifacts

The project manager is responsible for managing the team, communication, scope, risk, budget, time, and quality assurance. The person is also responsible for maintaining the project artifacts. The project team members are responsible for providing input to the requirements.

Question 16

This type of contract bears the most risk to the seller.

A. Cost reimbursable

B. Time and materials

C. Cost reimbursable plus incentive

D. Fixed price

Answer 16

D. Fixed price

Fixed-price contracts are riskiest to the seller.

Question 17

When creating your WBS, what is the lowest level that you’ll develop?

A. Work package level

B. Task level

C. Milestone level

D. Level six

Answer 17

A. Work package level

The work package is at the lowest level of a WBS.

Question 18

When developing the project schedule, which methodology will reveal the tasks with zero float?

A. Activity sequencing

B. Logical relationships

C. Critical path method

D. Activity definition

Answer 18

C. Critical path method

The critical path method determines the critical path on the project, which is defined by those projects with zero float.

Question 19

Your project concerns building a new website. Your organization is going to measure the number of clicks on photos, the number of visitors to the site, the number of page views, and the abandon rate. What performance management tool are they using?

A. RACI

B. KPI

C. EVM

D. CPM

Answer 19

B. KPI

They are using key performance indicators. A RACI is a type of chart showing responsibility and accountability among team members, EVM is earned value management and is used to measure project performance, and CPM is the critical path method used in scheduling projects.

Question 20

Your organization was acquired by another four years ago. They have decided to have an outside entity perform all their payroll functions. What type of business organizational change is this?

A. Business split

B. Business demerger

C. Internal reorganization

D. Outsourcing

Answer 20

D. Outsourcing

Outsourcing is the process of having outside entities perform functions on behalf of the organization. Payroll, human resources, information technology, and security are common functions that organizations outsource.

Question 21

Select the statement that most closely defines a project.

A. A project is any service that represents an ongoing effort that doesn’t have a definite end date.

B. A project is any short-term endeavor that provides unique products or services.

C. A project is any short-term endeavor that provides a unique product or service and has a definite start and end date.

D. A project is any endeavor that provides a unique product or service, and the start and end dates can change over time.

Answer 21

C. A project is any short-term endeavor that provides a unique product or service and has a definite start and end date.

There are some key words in the definition of a project. One of the key words is temporary, defined by the fact that a project has a definite start date and a definite end date and it produces a unique product or service. It’s possible a project’s end date might change, but this would require a change request and re-baselining the schedule.

Question 22

You purchase a bond to protect your organization in the case of a negative risk event. What risk strategy is this known as?

A. Avoid

B. Mitigate

C. Transfer

D. Accept

Answer 22

C. Transfer

Transfer is a negative risk response strategy that moves the liability for risk to a third party.

Question 23

The Initiating phase includes which important task?

A. Assigning work to team members

B. Creating the work breakdown structure

C. Coordinating the resources necessary to complete the project work

D. Approving the project and authorizing work to begin

Answer 23

D. Approving the project and authorizing work to begin

The Initiating process group involves both the formal acceptance of the project and the authorization for the project manager to start the work. The other options are important tasks undertaken during the Planning phases.

Question 24

All of the following describe the model of communication exchange except for which one?

A. Sender-message-receiver.

B. Senders are responsible for encoding the message and presenting it in such a way that the receiver can correctly understand it.

C. Receivers decode the message and make certain the message is clear and concise.

D. The message can take many forms including written, verbal, formal, and informal.

Answer 24

C. Receivers decode the message and make certain the message is clear and concise.

Receivers decode the message and make certain they understand the information and have received all the information. Senders are responsible for making certain the message is clear and concise.

Question 25

All of the following are true regarding influences on the project except which of the following?

A. Scope creep is an example of an influence.

B. Stakeholders, sponsors, and management are influences on the project.

C. Influences can change, impact, or bring about a new constraint.

D. Environment is an example of an influence.

Answer 25

D. Environment is an example of an influence.

Environment is an example of a constraint on a project. The other options list influences. Change requests, constraint reprioritization, interaction between constraints, and other projects are other examples of influences.

Question 26

When you’re in the Monitoring and Controlling phase, where will you be concentrating most of your effort?

A. Developing requirements

B. Checking for variances in the project

C. Preparing lessons learned documentation

D. Writing the project plan

Answer 26

B. Checking for variances in the project

In the Monitoring and Controlling phase, you’re constantly checking for variances in the project such as scope creep or tasks taking too long or costing too much, for risk events, and for quality assurance. Developing the requirements and writing the project management plan both occur in the Planning processes, and preparing lessons learned occurs in the Closing process.

Question 27

Determining durations, determining dependencies, sequencing, and setting quality gates are all associated with which of the following activities?

A. Developing the RACI

B. Developing the WBS

C. Developing the Pareto chart

D. Developing the project schedule

Answer 27

D. Developing the project schedule

The tasks stated in the question, along with determining the critical path, allocating resources, determining predecessors, and setting governance gates are all part of developing a project schedule.

Question 28

A project manager has the most authority in which of the following type of organization?

A. Projectized

B. Functional

C. Balanced matrix

D. Strong matrix

Answer 28

A. Projectized

The project manager has the most authority in a projectized organization.

Question 29

You are looking for a contractor to help you with some engineering functions needed for your project. You are not ready to purchase but are curious what type of vendors there are and what they might charge for these types of services. Which contract document would you use in this case?

A. RFP

B. RFI

C. PO

D. SOW

Answer 29

B. RFI

A request for information (RFI) is the best document to use in this case. You aren’t ready for a proposal from the vendor (RFP), and the purchase order will be issued once the contract is signed. The SOW is included with the RFP and RFI.

Question 30

On an average project, a project manager spends most of their time performing which of the following activities?

A. Planning the project

B. Managing the people who are performing the work of the project

C. Interfacing with the sponsor and stakeholders

D. Controlling the tasks

Answer 30

A. Planning the project

Well-developed project-planning activities, such as creating the project scope statement, WBS, schedule, budget, and project management plan, are where project managers spend the majority of their time on an average project.

Question 31

Your project budget for this period of work is $100,000. You have completed 60 percent of the work to date. What is the SPI?

A. –.60

B. –40,000

C. .60

D. 40,000

Answer 31

C. .60

First you need to calculate earned value. EV is 60% of the $100,000 PV (or budget), which is $60,000. The formula for SPI is EV / PV, so the formula looks like this: 60,000/100,000 = .60

Question 32

When preparing a project charter, which of the elements listed should you always include?

A. Project justification

B. Name of the project manager

C. High-level milestones

D. High-level risks

E. High-level budget

F. Project description

G. All of the above

Answer 32

G. All of the above

The project charter should include all the options listed. In addition, the project charter also includes the name of the project sponsor, project goals and objectives, key deliverables, high-level list of requirements, high-level assumptions, high-level constraints, and criteria for project approval.

Question 33

Your project is not going as expected. It is behind schedule, and one of the products being produced does not meet specifications. Working with the stakeholders, you write up two change requests. These are common project changes. Your next step is to submit which of the following to the CCB? Choose two.

A. Funding change

B. Timeline change

C. Requirements change

D. Quality change

E. Resource change

Answer 33

B. Timeline change

D. Quality change

This question describes a schedule or timeline change and a quality change. All of the options are types of common project changes along with risk events and scope changes.

Question 34

In which phase of a project will you use iteration most often?

A. Initiating

B. Planning

C. Executing

D. Controlling

Answer 34

B. Planning

Iteration mainly occurs when decomposing the project’s deliverables. You may have to repeat the process several times in order to sufficiently deconstruct a deliverable. This activity happens in the Planning phase of the project.

Question 35

Equipment, materials, and supplies are considered this type of resource.

A. Physical

B. Low quality

C. Benched

D. Dedicated

Answer 35

A. Physical

Physical resources include equipment, materials, and supplies. The other options describe the qualities or characteristics of resources.

Question 36

These project members provide input and requirements, help with steering the project, provide expertise, and have an interest in the outcomes of the project. Which options describes these project members?

A. Stakeholders

B. Project team members

C. Project coordinator

D. Project sponsor

Answer 36

A. Stakeholders

The project stakeholders have a vested interest in the outcome of the project; they provide expertise, inputs, and requirements; and they help to steer the project.

Question 37

Which of the following is the least precise cash flow technique?

A. Internal rate of return (IRR)

B. Discounted cash flows

C. Payback period estimate

D. Cost-benefit analysis

Answer 37

C. Payback period estimate

Payback period is the least precise of all the cash flow techniques.

Question 38

Which document are you working on when you’re decomposing the project deliverables?

A. Scope document

B. Activity list

C. Work breakdown structure

D. Project schedule

Answer 38

C. Work breakdown structure

The work breakdown structure is created by decomposing deliverables to a level where cost and time estimates can be performed.

Question 39

By basing your cost estimates for the project on previous projects that are similar in size and scope to this one, which type of estimating are you using?

A. Parametric modeling

B. Analogous

C. Bottom-up

D. Expert judgment

Answer 39

B. Analogous

Analogous estimating involves looking at previous projects in order to obtain a high-level picture of what a project might cost.

Question 40

Which of the following histograms rank-orders the frequency of data values over time?

A. Histogram

B. Pareto chart

C. Scatter diagram

D. Process diagram

Answer 40

B. Pareto chart

A Pareto chart rank orders the frequency of data values over time and is a type of histogram.

Question 41

A risk owner has informed you of a risk trigger that’s just occurred. The risk event has negative consequences. You can use all of the following strategies to respond to this type of risk except which ones? Choose two.

A. Exploit

B. Share

C. Accept

D. Mitigate

E. Avoid

Answer 41

A. Exploit

B. Share

The strategies for negative risk events include accept, mitigate, transfer, and avoid. Exploit and share are examples of strategies to use for positive risk events.

Question 42

All of the following are examples of communication triggers except which one?

A. Constraint reprioritization

B. Gate reviews

C. Audits

D. Project planning

E. Stakeholder changes

F. Resource changes

Answer 42

A. Constraint reprioritization

Constraint reprioritization is an influence on project constraints, not a communication trigger.

Question 43

What is the critical path?

A. A-B-E-C-H

B. A-F-G-H

C. A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H

D. A-D-H

Answer 43

D. A-D-H

The critical path is the longest path on the project. Path A-D-H is 19 days, which is the longest full path on the project.

Question 44

You’re a project manager for a project that’s well into the Monitoring and Controlling process. Which of the following activities will you be involved with during this process?

A. Writing the project closure documents

B. Modifying the project’s schedule

C. Comparing budget estimates to actual costs

D. Obtaining sign-off of the scope document

Answer 44

C. Comparing budget estimates to actual costs

One of the project tasks that you will be handling during the Monitoring and Controlling phase is comparing the actual expenditures to the project estimates.

Question 45

Your project has experienced some changes. A new sponsor has started on the project, and they requested some new features be included in the project you’re working on. They’ve also added two new stakeholders and understand that you’ll need additional time to add the new features. Which of the following documents should be updated as a result of these changes?

A. Scope statement, project schedule, communications plan

B. Project schedule, risk register, communications plan

C. Scope statement, project schedule

D. Scope statement, project schedule, risk register

Answer 45

A. Scope statement, project schedule, communications plan

The scope statement needs updating to document the new features. The project schedule will be updated to reflect the additional time to complete the new features. The communications plan should be updated to document the new stakeholders and their communication needs.

Question 46

Your department is responsible for performing system maintenance to the customer support servers. A new software package was implemented on these servers last year, and this is the first time maintenance is required. Which of the following are true? Choose three.

A. This was brought about because of a technological need.

B. This was handed off from a project and is now an ongoing operation.

C. This is not temporary in nature.

D. This was brought about because of a business need.

E. The project manager is responsible for assigning resources to this task.

F. This does not create a unique product or service.

Answer 46

B. This was handed off from a project and is now an ongoing operation.

C. This is not temporary in nature.

F. This does not create a unique product or service.

The work you are undertaking does not create a unique product or service. It is part of the ongoing operational maintenance. The reason it came about is irrelevant because it’s part of ongoing operations. This activity may be temporary with a start and end date to perform the maintenance, but it does not create a unique product or service.

Question 47

What component of a project’s documentation do team members typically want to review before starting a new project?

A. Post-project review

B. Lessons learned

C. Post-mortem analysis

D. Customer satisfaction survey

Answer 47

B. Lessons learned

Lessons learned are helpful when starting new projects that are similar in scope and complexity to the previous project. Lessons learned document what went well and what didn’t work so well so that you can perform the next project more efficiently.

Question 48

What are the triple constraints that are common to all projects? Choose three.

A. Procurement

B. Scope

C. Cost

D. Management decisions

E. Time

F. Goals

G. Quality

Answer 48

B. Scope

C. Cost

E. Time

The triple constraints are scope, time, and cost. All of these constraints impact quality.

Question 49

You are the project manager for a moderately sized project well into the Executing phase. What is the largest risk that you will be monitoring for during this time?

A. Scope creep

B. A vendor going out of business

C. A team member leaving the company

D. The sponsor losing interest in the project

Answer 49

A. Scope creep

By far the largest risk to the project at this stage is scope creep. Adding extra requirements now is out of scope, and if it isn’t stopped, it has the potential to impact the schedule and budget.

Question 50

All projects face constraints. Some of the typical constraints on any project include which of the following? Pick three.

A. Cost

B. Scope creep

C. Time

D. Resources

E. Change request

F. Stakeholders or management

Answer 50

A. Cost

C. Time

D. Resources

Constraints are anything that dictates or restricts the actions of the project team. Influencers are those things that can change, impact, or cause a new constraint. Options B, E, and F describe influencers.

Question 51

This is the ideal type of resource any project manager would want on their project. They work full-time on the project and report to the project manager.

A. Shared resources

B. Remote resources

C. Dedicated resources

D. In-house resource

Answer 51

C. Dedicated resources

Dedicated resources are those who work full-time on the project and report to the project manager.

Question 52

Your project budget for this period of work is $5,300 and you have spent $4,500 to date. The value of the work completed during this period of work is $5,500. What is the SV?

A. –200

B. .96

C. 1.03

D. 200

Answer 52

D. 200

The formula for SV is EV – PV. Earned value is $5,500, and planned value is $5,300. Therefore, the SV is 200.

Question 53

After completing the project charter and obtaining sign-off, what will be the project manager’s next step?

A. Hold a project kickoff meeting.

B. Start creating the project scope statement.

C. Start creating the product description.

D. Define the assumptions and constraints of the project.

Answer 53

A. Hold a project kickoff meeting.

Once the charter is signed, your next step is to hold a project kickoff meeting to make certain everyone understands the goals and major deliverables of the project. After the kickoff meeting is held, you can begin the scope statement.

Question 54

You are a project manager for a telecommunications company assigned to a project to deploy a new wireless network using a technology that does not have a proven track record. The sponsor has told you that the budget cannot be exceeded. This project sponsor leaves mid-project, and a new sponsor takes over. The new sponsor wants to make certain the technology is tested thoroughly and is willing to spend a little more money if needed to assure a quality product. Which of the following does this describe?

A. Communication trigger

B. Factor influencing communication

C. Constraint reprioritization

D. Change request

Answer 54

C. Constraint reprioritization

This sponsor has changed and reprioritized the project constraints. Change requests are typically submitted for changes to the schedule or scope. This sponsor is putting more emphasis on quality than the last sponsor, so it’s a reprioritization of constraints.

Question 55

You know the following figures: PV = 85, AC = 83, and EV = 81. What is CV?

A. .98

B. –4

C. .95

D. –2

Answer 55

D. –2

The formula for CV is EV – AC, so the formula looks like this: 81 – 83 = –2.