Rupen Sharma Bright Hub - Free PMP Test Questions Scope Management Questions - Jun 1, 2011

1) Youve been put in-charge of a project that is in its first release. Which document should you read to identify the project constraints and the acceptance criteria? a) Scope Statement b) Project Charter c) Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) d) Stakeholder Analysis 2) You are in a workshop with the client. The objective of the workshop is to prioritize scope for the first release. Since this is a prestigious project, each client stakeholder wants his/her scope items to be included in the first release. What advise would you give the client stakeholders? a) Prioritize based on business value b) Prioritize based on business value and risk c) Prioritize based on probability of completion d) Prioritize based on risk and probability of completion 3) What is the correct order of the Scope Management processes? a) Define Scope, Plan Scope, Verify Scope, Create WBS b) Collect Requirements, Define Scope, Create WBS, Verify Scope c) Plan Scope, Define Scope, Verify Scope, Create WBS d) Scope Planning, Collect Requirements, Scope Definition, Create WBS 4) Your project has eight tracks. Each track has a Track Lead, who engages with a client stakeholder. The Track Leads have weekly checkpoints with their respective client stakeholders. Since the start of Release 2, youve noticed that the client stakeholders ask for scope changes. The Track Leads, consider the changes to be minor, and incorporate the requests. Though most of the time, the Track Leads are correct in assuming that the scope is minor, sometimes the change requires significant effort. You want to track the requests that are major. What will you do to achieve this? a) Train the Track Leads to identify the requests that lead to significant effort. b) Add an item in the daily team meeting agenda to include scope change requests. c) Review the project charter.
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d) Change the scope statement. 5) Youve just delivered your second release. For both releases so far, the client stakeholders have applauded your efforts. However, the client stakeholders mention that the business needs are not being met as per their expectations. What can you do to ensure that expectations are understood in the same way by each stakeholder? a) Create a Project Charter for each release. b) Create a Scope Statement for each release. c) Document SMART objectives for each release. d) Train the client stakeholders on the methodology your project is following. 6) After delivering a release, the client is adamant that certain features of the software do not provide any business value. Which document can you share with the client to show how the features directly correspond to business needs and requirements stated at the being of the project? a) Requirements Traceability Matrix b) Project Charter c) Scope Statement d) Scope Baseline 7) You conducted several brainstorming sessions with client stakeholders and used the Delphi technique. You also intend to conduct focus groups. Which process are you most probably doing? a) Plan Scope b) Stakeholder Analysis c) Collect Requirements d) Develop Project Charter 8) Youve just completed the Collect Requirements process. Which Scope Management process would you implement next? a) Plan Scope b) Define Scope c) Create WBS d) Scope Planning

Scope Management Answer Key

1) A; The Scope Statement contains scope descriptions, deliverables, acceptance criteria, project exclusions, and project constraints. The Project Charter includes business needs, high-level risks, and a summary budget. The Work Break Down Structure is an outcome of the Create WBS process. It contains a detailed account of the work that needs to be performed. Stakeholder Analysis is a technique that has nothing to do with acceptance criteria. For more information, read: How to Write a Scope Statement. 2) B; Two factors dictate scope prioritization. These factors are risk and business value. Probability of completion is very rarely, if ever, used as a parameter for prioritizing scope. For more information, read Scope Prioritization for Risk and Value. 3) B; If you got this wrong then you should go back and make sure you read the Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs (ITTOs) in the PMBOK v4. For more information on the new ITTOs for Scope Management, read: PM Certification and Scope Management. 4) B; Ideally no change should be implemented without making it go through the Change Control Board. In this case, the question states that the PM wants to track the changes closely. Option B is the only tracking option. For more information, see How to Conduct a Daily SCRUM Meeting. 5) C; Documenting SMART objectives is the only way to ensure that the requirements are not vague. For more information, read Real-Life Project Management Strategies that Fail and How to Prevent Project Failure. 6) A; The Requirements Traceability Matrix is critical to ensure that the features that will be developed are directly linked to the requirements. It ensures that whatever is built is directly related to the requirements and business needs. The Traceability Matrix is commonly used in Six-Sigma processes. For more information, read The Traceability Matrix. 7) C; It is critical for you to know what sort of Tools and Techniques are used in each process. This is an example of a question that indirectly targets your knowledge of the ITTOs. For more information, see PM Certification and Scope Management. 8) B; Sequence of processes is another common area that is asked in the exam. Though you wont find too many questions like this, if you do get a few in the exam, they should be easy pickings. For more information, read How to Implement Scope & Change Control in Your Project.

Time Management Questions - Updated Jun 1, 2011

1) During project execution, a work item has taken twice as long as the estimation. The estimates were provided for by the Project Architect and an external consultant. The client has asked if the deadline can be brought forward by a week. Which of the following actions can you take? A. Use the Triangle of Constraints to understand and explain to the client that if the deadline is brought forward the scope and/or cost will increase. B. Analyze the risk and add it to the Risk Breakdown Structure. C. Use the Delphi Method to determine if this request can be accommodated. D. Provide the client with the new schedule and communicate the risk of bringing forward the deadline. 2) Which of the following techniques can you use to estimate the duration of an activity? A. Arrow Diagramming Method B. Precedence Diagramming Method C. Three-point Estimation D. Crashing 3) After youve baked a cake, you want to serve it cold. Therefore, before serving it to the guests you will need to put the cake into a fridge and wait for it to cool. The activity Serve Guests Cake will not start right after the Bake Cake activity. This is an example of _________. A. Lag B Lead C. Crash D. Compress 4) Analyze the Precedence Diagram shown below. (Click image for a larger view.)

Which of the following activities will delay the entire project, if the activity is completed late? A. Purchase Wood B. Purchase Paint C. Hire Workers D. None of the above

5) Which of the following is a risk associated both with crashing and compressing schedules? A. Inaccuracies in Activity Duration estimates B. Increase in scope C. Increase in cost D. Increase in communication challenges 6) To determine the estimates of your project, you have surveyed the Project Architect, an external Consultant and the project team members. What type of estimation technique does this closely resemble? A. Delphi Method B. PERT C. Three-Point D. Planning Poker 7) Analyze the following Precedence Diagram.

By how many days can the Purchase Paint activity be delayed before the project is delayed? A. 0 B. 19 C. 21 D. 38 8) Which of the following planning techniques or methodologies DOES NOT allow you to estimate and plan as the project unfolds? A. Agile B. SCRUM C. Rolling Wave Planning D. Waterfall

Time Management Answer Key

1) A. Option B is invalid because you would analyze the risk, but you would add it to a Risk Register and not the Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS). Option C is invalid because the Delphi Method is not used for converging expert thought. In project management, the Delphi Method is used for areas, such as Estimation. Option D is totally wrong. You cant take in each and every client request. Option A is the only valid answer. The Triangle of Constraints is very useful when negotiating with clients. For more information, read Estimate Your Project Realistically. 2) C. This a recall question. You need to know the Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs (ITTO) as per the version 4 of the PMBOK. For more information, read PM Certification and Time Management. 3) A. As there is a delay between the ending of a predessor and a successor, this is an example of a Lag. For more information, read Examples of Leads and Lags.
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4) B. The Purchase Paint activity is on the Critical Path. For more information, read Using the Critical Path Method (CPM). 5) D. Crashing and Compressing has risks. Option D is one of the risks. For more risks, read When to Crash and Compress a Schedule. 6) A. This is an example of using the Delphi Method in Estimation. For more information, read Accurate Estimations with the Delphi Method. 7) C. This question is targeting the slack or float concept. For the worked out solution, read Calculate the Float by Using the Critical Path Method (CPM). 8) D. You should read on common planning techniques and methodologies. Waterfall is one of the first methodologies that was created for software development. For more information on the other options, read:

Using Lean Thinking in Project Management The 30-day Sprint Basics of Rolling Wave Planning

Bonus Question Here is a trick question. During project execution, several work items have taken twice as long as the estimated duration. The client is continuously asking for more features or additions to identified features. Such client requests are an example of ____________. A. Poor schedule creation B. Scope Creep C. Poor estimation D. Poor client requirements collection This question leads you to think that the problem lies in estimation. However, the question is asking specifically What these client requests are an example of? Therefore, options A and C are not valid answers. Option D is probably the reason behind the clients requests. However, that is not what the question is asking for. Option B is the only valid answer. For more information, read Managing Scope Creep. Note: It is common for questions in the PMP certification to lead you to think something else, while the question actual targets a totally different knowledge area.

Cost Management Questions - Updated May 27, 2011

1) If the CPI of a project is 1.15 and the SPI is 0.7, which of the following techniques would probably help you bring the SPI closer to 1? A) Rolling Wave Planning B) Reserve Analysis C) Crashing D) Funding Limit Reconciliation 2) Suppose you have a budgeted cost of a project at $900,000. The project is to be completed in 9 months. After a month, you have completed 10% of the project at a total expense of $100,000. The planned completion should have been 15%. At the current progress rate, how much more money is required to complete the project? A) $ 800,000 B) $ 900,000 C) $ 1,000,000 D) $ 1,100,000 3) For you project, you have hired a freelancer to develop a website in .NET. After a month, you decide that the freelancer isnt doing a good job and reach out to another freelancer. The second freelancer convinces you that your website project would be better off based on the Java platform. The costs associated with the .NET developer are: A) Variable B) Direct C) Indirect D) Sunk 4) If you use the Funding Limit Reconciliation technique while performing the Determine Budget process, which of the following will NOT change? A) Activity Cost Estimates B) Schedule C) Resources required during an Iteration D) Planned scope to be delivered in a Sprint 5) Suppose you are managing a software development project. The project is expected to be completed in 8 months at a cost of $10000 per month. After 2 months, you realize

that the project is 30% completed at a cost of $40,000. What is the Earned Value (EV) and the Cost Variance (CV)? A) EV = $24,000; CV= ($16,000) B) EV = ($20,000); CV= $16,000 C) EV = $16,000; CV= ($4,000) D) EV = ($16,000) ; CV= $4,000 6) To protect your project from cost overruns, which of the following can you do in the planning phase of the project? A) Pad high risk activities with extra cost buffer B) Provide extra time for each activity in the schedule C) Monitor each activity closely D) Apply Earned Value Forecasting Formulae, such EAC and ETC 7) When a product is recalled, the ____ increases. A) Activity Cost B) Cost of Quality C) Product Quality D) Product Maintenance Cost 8) View the Precedence Diagram below.

One of the activities in the project is to procure wood. You, however, have decided to use Wood Plastic Composites (WPC) because they are more environmentally friendly, more durable, and require less maintenance compared to solid treated wood. As you want the shed to last many years, low maintenance is a key factor while choosing the material. This is an example of using _________ to make an informed decision. A) Cost of Quality B) Direct Costs C) Costing associated with Leads and Lags D) Life-Cycle Costing

Cost Management Answer Key

1) Since the CPI is over one and SPI is less than one, it means that the project is currently not over budget, but is behind schedule. Rolling Wave planning does not impact the schedule. It is a type of planning used when there isnt enough clarity to plan for the complete project. Options B and D are techniques used in the Determine Budget process. Option C, Crashing, is used to accelerate project progress at the expense of increased cost and risk. For more information, read the When to Crash or Compress a Schedule article. 2) The question is indirectly asking you to compute the Estimate to Complete (ETC). For the worked out solution, read the Examples of Project Forecasting Computations article. 3) Since you have been convinced to go with the Java platform, all of the .NET related code cannot be used. Therefore, this is an example of sunk costs. For more information, read the Example of Costs in Project Management article. 4) Funding Limit Reconciliation can lead to changes in schedule and resources required. As schedule is being changed so can the expected scope in an Iteration. Activity Cost Estimates are NOT based on Funding Limits. Therefore, Option A is the only valid answer. Read the Techniques for Determining a Project Cost Budget article. 5) For the worked out solution, read the Examples of Cost Variance (CV) and Schedule Variance (SV) in a Project article.

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6) This question assesses whether you know how to implement Reserve Analysis in a project. Option B does not protect against cost overrun, rather it is a schedule buffer. Option C is not a planning activity. Option D is not a planning activity. Therefore, Option A is the only valid answer. For more information, read Protect Your Project Against Cost Overruns article. 7) The question is related to Cost of Quality (CoQ). For more information, read the Using the Cost of Quality (CoQ) article. 8) The scenario is related to making a holistic decision regarding material to build shed. The factors maintenance and durability are inputs used during Life-Cycle Costing. For more information, read the What is Life-Cycle Costing? article. Bonus PMP Question Which of the following is NOT a factor when determining the length of an Iteration? A) The Release Length B) The Degree of Uncertainty C) The Cost of the Project D) The Student Syndrome Read the Iteration Length - Key Factors & Time Boxing article for the answer.

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Risk Management Questions - Updated Jun 8, 2011

PMP Test Questions 1: During the execution of a project, a risk is identified by a team member. This newly identified risk is currently not in the Risk Register. As a Project Manager, what is the first action you would take after being notified of the risk? a) Discuss the risk with the team to ascertain the impact and probability of the risk b) Analyze the risk. c) Hold a meeting with the team leads to determine dependency and secondary risks. d) Update the Risk Register. PMP Test Questions 2: Your project has met with an unexpected problem. The supply of a critical component of your final product is delayed by 25 days. You need to show an alpha prototype of the product in 15 days. Youve called a brainstorming team meeting to determine if you can deliver this limited version without the critical component. What are you trying to create? a) A risk management plan b) A risk mitigation strategy c) A workaround d) An updated scope baseline PMP Test Questions 3: By looking at the Decision Tree on the right, which decision would you take?

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a) Build the new software. b) Buy the new software. c) Staying with the legacy software. d) None of the above. PMP Test Questions 4: Which of the following processes has the Risk Register as the primary output? a) Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis b) Monitor and Control Risks c) Plan Risk Management d) Identify Risks PMP Test Questions 5: During the Identify Risks process, youve invited 18 participants for a brainstorming session. Youve divided the participants into groups. For you to have an effective brainstorming session, what is the recommended size of each group?
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a) 2 b) 3 c) 6 d) 9 PMP Test Questions 6: After conducting a SWOT Analysis, you have determined that a business deal is worth pursuing. You are required to use Agile development practices. In your company, there is no expertise in Agile development. Hence, you partner with another organization that specializes in Agile development. This is an example of: a) Sharing a Positive Risk b) Mitigating a Negative Risk c) Exploiting a Positive Risk d) Accepting a Negative Risk PMP Test Questions 7: During which stage of risk planning are risks prioritized based on probability and impact? a) Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis b) Monitor and Control Risks c) Plan Risk Management d) Identify Risks PMP Test Questions 8: If the cost of insurance is $10,000, the value of the property is $100,000, and the probability of loss is ten percent, then the insurance is ________. a) the same as the cost of the probable loss and there is no advantage b) desirable because it will cost less than the probable losses c) undesirable because it costs more than the probable losses d) none of the above

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Risk Management - Answer Key

PMP Test Questions 1: B. When the Project Manager is notified of a risk, it is her responsibility to analyze the risk and take it further. She can ask for more details from the team, if required. However, the first action will always be to analyze the risk. For more information, read PM Certification and Risk Management. PMP Test Questions 2: C. Options B and C are the only possible answers. Mitigation strategies are planned for identified risks. In this case the risk has already happened. Therefore, the meeting is to determine a workaround. For more information, read Responding to Negative Risks. PMP Test Questions 3: B. To solve this problem, you need to find the EMV of each option. To view a worked out solution, read Computing EMV with Decision Trees. PMP Test Questions 4: D. The process of Identify Risks has the Risk Register as the major output. For more information, read PM Certification and Risk Management. PMP Test Questions 5: B. Research has shown that to have effective brainstorming sessions the size of each group should be limited to 3. Each group should also be diverse. For more information, read Effective Brainstorming Methods. PMP Test Questions 6: A. This is an example of responding to an opportunity (positive risk). There are four strategies to respond to positive risks. For more information, read How to Respond to Positive Risks. PMP Test Questions 7: A. Risk probability and impact are defined during Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis. They are quantified in the Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis process. For more information, read PM Certification and Risk Management. PMP Test Questions 8: A. The Expected Monetary Value (EMV) is 10% x 100,000 = 10,000, which is the same as the insurance cost. Therefore, A is the correct option. For more information, read Calculating Expected Monetary Value (EMV).

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Communication Management Questions - Updated Jun 1, 2011

Let's get started with some questions that focus on stakeholder analysis. 1) Looking at the Salience Model below (Click to enlarge), which description best fits Jane?

A) This person has power, expects immediate action on his queries and has significant involvement in the project. B) Expectations of this person need to be managed, but do not require immediate attention. C) Someone you spend thirty minutes every day with from another department unrelated to the project. D) None of the above 2) You need to resolve a workplace conflict involving several members of your project team. Which communication technique is best suited for this? A) Pull Communication B) E-mail C) Face-to-Face Communication D) Push Communication The next few questions show you how the Project Communications Management interplays with other knowledge areas in the PMBOK 4th edition. 3) Your in a bi-weekly meeting with project stakeholders. In this meeting, you present EAC and ETC computations. Which Project Communications Management process are you implementing as per the PMBOK 4th edition?
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A) Report Performance B) Distribute Information C) Manage Stakeholders D) Plan Communications 4) Your status meetings have project stakeholders from various parts of the globe. Which of the following is best to avoid communication errors during the meeting? A) Use teleconferencing and send the meeting notes. B) Ask the stakeholders in your geography to stay on the call and tell the others that the meetings notes will be distributed to them via email. C) Create the communication plan. D) Exercise active listening and use video conferencing. 5) You're employing several techniques, including setting expectations and goals, to motivate a slacker in your team. Which communication model would you use to deal with this slacker? A) Interactive Communication B) Push Communication C) Pull Communication D) None of the above The following couple of questions focus on your ability to ask the right questions to help you manage stakeholders more effectively. 6) You are conducting Stakeholder Analysis. Which of the following questions can help you draw out stakeholder interests? A) Are there any conflicting interests that the stakeholder may have with the project? B) How committed is the stakeholder to the project? Is he/she willing to commit tangible resources? C) Are there relationship conflicts between stakeholders that can hinder the project? D) All of the above 7) Suppose you're the project manager of a software product development project. The sign-off authority on the deliverables is someone wholl falls in the _______________ quadrant in the Power/Influence Grid. (Fill in the blank) A) Keep Satisfied
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B) Manage Closely C) Keep Informed D) Monitor The last question in this PMP quiz focuses on whether you know the general best practices while managing stakeholders. 8) Which of the following will you do to manage internal and external stakeholders? A) Ensure you have correctly identified the internal/external stakeholders B) Determine and agree on the responsibilities of internal/external stakeholders C) Use the Influence/Impact Matrix D) All of the above

Communication Management Answer Key

1) B. Refer to the Salience Model article to learn the characteristics shown by each stakeholder. The Salience Model was not part of the PMBOK 3rd edition, but is part of the PMBOK 4th edition. 2) C. Face-to-Face communication is most effective. 3) A. This is one of the simpler free PMP test questions in this set. You should know each process in the Project Communication Management knowledge area. There are several articles on Bright Hub that contain knowledge on each process. Alternatively, you can refer to the PMBOK 4th edition. 4) D. This is one of the more trickier PMP test questions in this quiz. Options B and C are obviously wrong as project stakeholders cannot simply be left out of a meeting just because they reside in another geography. Option A is not optimal because tele-conferencing is less effective than video conferencing. Also, you send meeting notes after a meeting and not during it. 5) A. Refer to the Effective Communication Methods in Project Communications Management article. 6) D. All questions are relevant in gauging the interest and possible influence of stakeholders in a project. You can read more relevant questions from Power/Interest Grid and Influence/Impact Grid articles. This grids are critical in Stakeholder Analysis as per the PMBOK 4th edition. This was not the case in the 3rd edition. 7) B. The quadrants in the Power/Influence grid are Keep Satisfied, Manage Closely, Monitor and Keep Informed. You classify project stakeholders in each of the quadrant as per their role and influence on the project. In this case, a person that has a sign-off authority needs to be closely managed. If you only monitor or keep the person informed, you may not be able exercise your influence on the stakeholder. 8) D. There are certain tips on managing stakeholders. Option A is correct because without accurate stakeholder identification, you would probably get nothing done and would satisfy the wrong set of people. Similarly, Option B is correct because each stakeholder has a set of responsibility. As you define a set of responsibilities for you team members, you would do the same for project stakeholders. 18