Project Management Basics - 1.0 Introduction to Project Management

Question 1

Your job responsibility is to align components (projects, programs, or related operations ) to the organizational strategy, organized into portfolios or
subsidiary portfolios to optimize project
or program objectives, dependencies,
costs. timelines. benefits . resources
and risks. This is known as:

a. Program management
b. Process management
c. Portfolio management
d. Components management

Answer 1

c. Portfolio management

Portfolio management aligns portfolios with organizational strategies by selecting the right programs or projects, prioritzing the work, and providing the needed resources.

See section 1.2.3.6 Organizational, Project Management (OPM) and Strategies

Question 2

Which of the following are key elements of the benefits management plan?

a. Project reports, cost management plan, and risks
b. Metrics, work performance data, and project reports
c. Strategic alignment, assumptions, and risks
d. Work breakdown structure metrics and resource
calendar

Answer 2

c. Strategic alignment, assumptions, and risks

The benefits management plan describes key elements of the benefits and may include but is not limted to documenting the following:

• Target benefits,
• Strategic alignment,
• Timeframe for realizing beneftis,
• Benefits owner,
• Metrics,
• Assumptions,
• and Risks (E.g. risks for realization of benefits).

See Section 1.2.6.2 Project Benefits Management Plan

Question 3

Which of the following is a form of the project life cycle that may also be referred to as waterfall lifecycle?

a. Adaptive life cycle
b. Product life cycle
c. Project life cycle
d. Predictive life cycle

Answer 3

d. Predictive life cycle

In a predictive life cycle, the project scope, time, and cost are determined in the early phases of the life cycle. Any changes to the scope are carefully managed. Predictive life cycles may also be referred to as waterfall life cycles.

See Section 1.2.4.1 Project an Development Life cycles

Question 4

Which of the following is the definition of portfolio management?

a. The management of all levels of financial components and project decision-making.
b. The centralized management of one or more
portfolios to achieve strategic objectives
c. The management of various contents within the
project management plan
d. Decentralized management across all the organization’s projects to achieve strategic
objectives

Answer 4

b. The centralized management of one or more
portfolios to achieve strategic objectives

A portfolio is defined as projects, programs, subsidiary portfolios, and operations managed as a group to achieve strategic objectives. Portfolio management is defined as the centralized management of one or more portfolios to achieve strategic objectives. The programs or project of the portfolio may not necessarily be interdependent or directly related.

See Section 1.2.3.3 Portfolio Management

Question 5

The project life cycle is managed by executing a series of project management activities. These activities
are known as:

a. Project management plan
b. Project management processes
c. Project phases
d. Phase gates

Answer 5

b. Project management processes

The project life cycle is managed by executing a series of project management activities know as project management processes. Every project management process produces one or more outputs from one or more inputs by using appropriate project management tools and techniques. The output can be a deliverable or an outcome. Project management processes apply globally across industries.

See Section 1.2.4.4. Project Management Process

Question 6

Which of the following best describes a product life cycle?

a. A process contained within the predictive project
life cycle and represents all project activities
b. The maturity of a product through a series of
repeated cycles
c. A series of phases that represent the evolution of
a product, from concept through delivery, growth,
maturity, and to retirement.
d. The historical record of the development of a
product

Answer 6

c. A series of phases that represent the evolution of
a product, from concept through delivery, growth,
maturity, and to retirement.

Project life cycles are independent of product life cycles, which may be produced by a project. A prodcut life cycle is the series of phases that represent the evolution of a product, from concept through delivery, growth, maturity, and to retirement.

See Section 1.2.4.1. Project and Development Life Cycles

Question 7

A documented economic feasibility study used to establish the validity of
the benefits of a selected component lacking sufficient definition and that is
sed as a basis for the authorization of further project management activities is which of the following?

a. Project life cycle
b. Business case
c. Portfolio management plan
d. Benefits management plan

Answer 7

b. Business case

The project business case is a document economic feasibility study used to establish the validity of the beneftits of a selected component lacking sufficient definition and that is used as a basis for the authorization of further project management activities.

See Section 1.2.6.1 Project Business Case

Question 8

Projects are undertaken to fulfill objectives by :

a. Completing the project on time
b. Producing deliverables
c. Meeting all stated requirements
d. Meeting needs of stakeholders

Answer 8

b. Producing deliverables

Projects are undertaken to fulfill objectives by producing deliverables.

See Section 1.2.1 Projects

Question 9

The organization’s processes and procedures for conducting project work
during project initiation and planning include all of the following EXCEPT:

a. Tailoring guidelines for project management
processes and procedures
b. Product and project life cycles, and methods and
procedures
c. Traceability matrices
d. Preapproved supplier list

Answer 9

c. Traceability matrices

The organization’s processes and procedures for conducting project work include but are not limited to:

• Initiating and planning;
• Guidelines and criteria for tailoring the organization’s set of standard processes and procedures to satisfy the specific needs of the project, specific organizational standards;
• Product and project life cycles,
• and Methods and procedures;
• Templates;
• and Preapproved supplier lists and various types of contractual agreements.

See Section 2.3.1 Processes, Policies, and Procedures

Question 10

Which of the following are types of project management office ( PMO )
structures?

a. Interactive, integrating, and developmental
b. Supportive, harmonizing, and collaborative
c. Supportive, controlling, and directive
d. Interactive , monitoring, and directive

Answer 10

c. Supportive, controlling, and directive

That’s right Supportive PMOs provide a consultative role to projects by supplying templates, best practices training, access to information, and lessons leamed from other projects. Controlling PMOs provide support and
require compliance through various means Directive PMOs take control of the projects by directly managing the
projects.

See Section 2.4.4.3 Project Management Office in PMBOK Guide-Sixth Edition for full citation

Question 11

The interaction of multiple factors within an individual organization creates a unique system that impacts the project operating in that system Which of the following are system factors?

a. Project management processes, management
elements, and knowledge bases
b. Project processes, management elements, and
constraints
c. Knowledge bases, constraints, and governance
frameworks
d. Management elements, governance frameworks,
and organizational structure types

Answer 11

d. Management elements, governance frameworks,
and organizational structure types

Projects operate within the constraints imposed by the organization through their structure and governance framework. The interaction of multiple factors within an individual organization creates a unique system that impacts the project operating in that system. The system factors include but are not limited to:

• Management elements,
• Governance frameworks,
• and Organizational structure types.

See Section 2.4 Organizational Systems;

Question 12

Project management leadership involves focusing the efforts of a group
of people toward which of the following?

a. An early project completion
b. An approved inexpensive deliverable
c. A common goal, enabling them to work as a team
d. A profitable project conclusion

Answer 12

c. A common goal, enabling them to work as a team

Leadership skills involve the ability to guide, motivate, and direct a team. These skills may include demonstrating essential capabilities such as negotiation, resilience, communication, problem solving, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills. Projects are becoming increasingly more complicated with more and more businesses executing their strategy through projects.

See Section 3.4.4 Leadership Skills

Question 13

Which of the following are types of project manager leadership styles?

a. Performance and suppressive
b. Laissez-faire and charismatic
c. Charismatic and motivational
d. Motivational and interactional

Answer 13

b. Laissez-faire and charismatic

Research describes numerous leadership styles that a project manager can adopt. Some of the most common examples of these styles include but are not limited to:

• Laissez-faire (Allowing the team to make their own decisions and establish their own goals, also referred to as taking a hands-off style);
• Transactional,
• Servant leader,
• Transformational,
• Charismatic,
• and interactional.

See Section 3.4.5.1 Leadership Styles

Question 14

Which of the following are personality characteristics or traits?

a. Authentic courteous and emotional
b. Intellectual, organized, and managerial
c. Complexity, creativity, and cultural
d. Organized, political, and social

Answer 14

a. Authentic courteous and emotional

Personality refers to the individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Personality characteristics or traits include but are not limited to:

• Authentic,
• courteous,
• creative,
• cultural,
• emotional,
• intellectual,
• managerial,
• political,
• service-oriented,
• social,
• and systemic.

See Section 3.4.5.2 Personality

Question 15

Complexity exhibits all of the following characteristics EXCEPT:

a. Exhibiting dynamic interactions between the parts
b. Containing multiple parts
c. Containing high-risk parts
d. Exhibiting emergent behavior, which cannot be easily explained as the simple sum of parts

Answer 15

c. Containing high-risk parts

Complexity is a characteristic or property of a project is typically defined as:

• Containing multiple parts,
• Possessing a number of connections between the parts, exhibiting dynamic interactions between the parts,
• and Exhibiting behavior produced as a result of those interactions that cannot be explained as the simple sum of the parts (e.g., emergent behavior).

See Section 3.5.4 Integration and complexity

Question 16

When performing integration on the project, the role of the project manager is:

a. To perform all of the work that is required to get the project approved and baselined for communication to the team
b. To involve the team in group activities to facilitate teamwork, which builds an integrated project organizational structure
c. To complete the project charter and seek formal approval from the sponsor of the project
d. To work with the project sponsor to understand the strategic objectives and ensure alignment of objectives and results with the project and business area

Answer 16

d. To work with the project sponsor to understand the
strategic objectives and ensure alignment of objectives and results with the project and business area

The role of the project manager when performing integration on the project includes:
- Project managers play a key role in working with the project sponsor to understand the strategic objectives and ensure the alignment of the project objectives and results with those of the portfolio, program, and business areas.

See Section 3.5 Performing Integration

Question 17

Leadership and management are ultimately about being able to get things done, and power plays an important part. Which of the following best
describe the various forms of power?

a. Positional and pressure-based
b. Positional, personal, relational, guilt-based,
informational, and expertise
c. Positional, referent, personal, cultural, and
relational
d. Referent, personal, expertise, and cultural

Answer 17

c. Positional, referent, personal, cultural, and
relational

Various forms of power include but are not limited to:

• Positional,
• Informational,
• Referent,
• Situational,
• Personal or charismatic,
• Relational,
• Expert,
• Reward-oriented,
• Punitive or coercive,
• Ingratiating,
• Pressure-based,
• Guilt-based,
• Persuasive,
• and Avoiding.

See Seciton 3.4.4.3 Politics, Power, and Getting Things Done

Question 18

The following are all key differences between management and leadership
EXCEPT:

a. Directing Vs influencing
b. Concentrate on project activities vs. emphasis on
results
c. Focus on systems Vs focus on relationships
d. Accept status quo vs challenge status quo

Answer 18

b. Concentrate on project activities vs. emphasis on
results

Examples of differences between management/leadership include but are not limited to:

• Direct using positional power/guide, Influence, and collaborate using relational power;
• Focus on systems and structure/Focus on relationships with people;
• Ask how and when/Ask what and why, ;
• Focus on bottom-line/focus on the horizon;
• Accept status quo/challenge status quo.

See Table 3-1 Team Management and Team Leadership Compared

Question 19

Which of the following is the least likely
project consideration regarding tailoring?

a. Project manager’s skills and competency
b. Level of project governance varies
c. Each project is unique
d. Addressing competing constraints

Answer 19

a. Project manager’s skills and competency

Tailoring is necessary because each project is unique. Tailoring should address the competing constraints of scope, schedule, cost, resources, quality, and risk. In tailoring project management, the project manager should also consider the varying levels of governance that may be required and within which the project will operate, as well as considering the culture of the organization.

See Section 1.2.5 Tailoring

Question 20

The PMBOKE Guide is the standard for:

a. Managing all projects all of the time
b. Manacing all projects most of the time
c. Managing some projects some of the time
d. Managing most projects most of the time

Answer 20

d. Managing most projects most of the time

The guide is based on the Standard for Project Management. Because project management needs to be tailored to fit the needs of the project, the standard and the guide are both based on descriptive practices, rather than prescriptive practices. Therefore, the standard identifies the processes that are considered good practices on most projects, most of the time.

See Section 1.1.1 The Standard for Project Management