CHAPTER 1:PROJECT MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

CHAPTER 1:PROJECT MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

Questions:

1. Question: Which of the following is not the feature of a project?
1. Constrained by limited resources
2. Planned, executed and controlled
3. Creates unique product or service
4. May be ongoing and repetitive

2. Question: In a kick-off meeting for your project, you provided information to your team members about the different process groups which will be followed during project implementation. As per PMI, what are the project management process groups?
1. Conceptualizing, Initiating, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, Closing
2. Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, Closing
3. Initiating, Verifying, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, Closing
4. Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling, Administrative Closure

3. Question: You are managing the release of a new drug in the market. Your role is that of a:
1. Functional Manager, because you have good understanding functional knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry
2. Project Manager, because you are creating a unique product within specific time schedules
3. Operations Manager, because you have to do several repetitive tasks
4. Program Manager, because you have to manage several sub-projects to effectively do your job

4. Question: As a project manager in the automobile industry, you have to be aware of government regulations about width of vehicles, fuel to be used, safety requirements etc. You should also have knowledge of the guidelines, best practices and standards which are used in the industry.

In this context, which of the following statement related to Standards and Regulations is not correct?
1. Standard is a document established by consensus and approved by a recognized body
2. Regulations are mandatory but Standards are not mandatory
3. Standards after widespread adoption may become de facto regulations
4. The influence of standards and regulations for a project is always known

5. Question: Your IT company is responsible for making software virus programs. You are responsible for managing both the individual product releases and the co-ordination of multiple releases over time. Your role is that of a:
1. Program Manager
2. Project Manager
3. Functional Manager
4. Operations Manager

6. Question: You have reached the end of design phase of your project. You decide to call a "phase end review" for obtaining authorization to close the design phase and initiate the next phase (i.e. execution phase) of your project.

Your manager disagrees with your suggestion. He wants a "kill point" to formally end the design phase of the project. In this context, you should:
1. Disagree with your manager because you know that phase end reviews should be used at the end of each phase of the project
2. Agree with your manager
3. Escalate this issue to the project sponsor
4. Take advise from a senior project manager about what should actually be done at the end of each phase of the project

7. Question: You are working in the Project Office of your organization. What is your job responsibility?
1. Managing the operational activities in the company.
2. Managing Human resource and Risk Management issues for projects
3. Providing support functions to Project Managers in the form of training, software, standardized policies etc.
4. Providing Subject Matter Expertise in the Functional areas of the project

8. Question: In which organization structure does a Project Manager have maximum influence?
1. Functional Organization
2. Weak Matrix
3. Strong Matrix
4. Projectized Organization

9. Question: Which of the following are the most resistant to change?
1. Business Requirements
2. Technology
3. People
4. Environment


10. Question: Matrix organizations exhibit features of both projectized and functional organizations. In a Weak Matrix organization, the role of a project manager is that of a:
1. coordinator and expediter
2. project manager with considerable authority
3. support person
4. functional manager

11. Question: You have recently joined as project manager in a company where they follow a projectized organization structure. All your team members work out of the same office - and you have a lot of independence and authority. All the following are advantages of a projectized organization structure except:
1. Loyalty of the project team towards to the project
2. Home for the team-members after the project is completed
3. More effective communication between the team members
4. Efficient Project organization

12. Question: Your project stakeholder has asked you to create a Financial plan for your project. Preparing a financial plan will require:
1. Program Management skills
2. Industry specific skills
3. Financial Subject Matter Expertise
4. Both Project Management and Industry specific skills

13. Question: Collectively, project phases are also referred to as "Project Life Cycle". All the following statements about project life cycles are correct EXCEPT:
1. All project life cycles are usually identical
2. The level of risk is highest at the start of the project, and decreases as the project progresses.
3. Ability of the stakeholders to influence the final characteristics is highest at the start, and gets progressively lower as the project continues.
4. Cost and staffing requirements usually peak during the intermediate phases

14. Question: In your organization, all big technical projects follow six life-cycles ( i.e. Initiate, Analyze, Design, Implement, Test and Closeout). In this context, a project life cycle
1. Defines the product life cycle
2. Defines the project phases
3. Consists of several product life cycles
4. Has deliverables that must be completed before work starts on the next phase

15. Question: The project manager has to manage different stakeholder expectations - project sponsor and the customer are two very important stakeholders in any project. In this context, which of the following statement about project customer and project sponsor is incorrect?
1. Along with the customer, the sponsor threshold for risks should be taken into account
2. Along with the customer, the sponsor may provide key events, milestones, and deliverable due dates
3. Along with the customer, the sponsor formally accepts the product of the project.
4. Along with the customer, the sponsor provides financial resources for the project

16. Question: As a Project Manager for a construction company, you are responsible for Scope Definition, Activity Definition, Schedule Development and Cost Budgeting. These responsibilities are performed as part of :
1. Closing
2. Concept
3. Planning
4. Controlling

17. Question: In the staff meeting the other day, your colleague was mentioning about core processes like Scope Planning, Schedule Development and Cost Budgeting. She told you that these processes have clear dependencies that require them to be performed in essentially the same order on most projects. So, these core processes are more important than other facilitating processes like Organizational Planning, Resource Planning and Staff Acquisition.

In the discussion, you suggested to your colleague that:
1. She was right because core processes should be planned for before thinking about facilitating processes.
2. She was right because project sponsors always pay more importance and review the core processes.
3. She was wrong because all project management processes and project management process groups have the same level of importance.
4. She was wrong because processes like Organizational Planning, Resource Planning and Staff Acquisition are actually core processes.

18. Question: Almost all projects are planned and implemented in social, economic and environmental context, and have intended and unintended positive and/or negative impacts. In this context, the project team should do all the following EXCEPT:
1. Understand how the project affects people and people affect the project. This may require understanding aspects of economic, demographic and educational characteristics of people whom the project affects or who may have interest in the project.
2. Understand the political climate that could affect the project.
3. Always be aware of the physical geography and local ecology where the project is being executed.
4. If having an international team, consider factors like time-zone differences, national and regional holidays etc.

19. Question: As a project manager, you realize that handling Project Stakeholder expectations is an important priority. Which statement regarding project stakeholders is not correct?
1. Negative stakeholders must be ignored if the project has to be brought to successful completion.
2. Stakeholders have varying levels of responsibility and authority when participating on a project and these can change over the project`s life cycle
3. Some key stakeholders include Project Manager, Performing organization, Project team members, Customer and Sponsor
4. Stakeholder expectations may be difficult to manage because stakeholders often have conflicting objectives.

20. Question: In your company, project managers share responsibility with the functional manager for assigning priorities and for directing the work of persons assigned to the project. Which of the following is not the responsibility of project managers in your company?
1. Performing resource planning
2. Managing cost and budget
3. Doing performance Appraisal of project team
4. Completing task definitions

21. Question: As a project Manager, solving problems is high in your list of priorities. Which statement about problem solving is not accurate?
1. Problem solving involves a combination of problem definition and decision-making
2. Problems may be technical, managerial or interpersonal
3. Problem solving is included in the management of interpersonal skills.
4. You should try to solve a problem as soon as it is identified

22. Question: You have been managing a project to complete a flyover over Interstate 10. You have divided the project into phases to provide better management control. Which of the following is a characteristic of a project phase?
1. A project phase may be completed without any deliverables.
2. A project phase can be closed without the decision to initiate any other phases
3. Even in complex projects, it is advisable not to divide project phases into sub-phases because it makes project management more difficult.
4. All deliverables in the project phase should correspond to project management process.

23. Question: An underlying concept for interaction among the project management processes is the:
1. plan-do-check-act cycle by Shewart and Deming
2. plan for "zero defects" by Philip Crosby
3. design of experiments by Genichi Taguchi
4. cause and effect diagrams by Kauro Ishikawa

24. Question: The CEO of ABC bank is concerned about increase in "call answering time" in the bank`s call center (i.e. customers have to wait longer till their calls are answered by an operator). He wants to improve project management activities to decrease the "call answering time." So, what is the most important thing that the CEO must do?
1. Set up a PMO
2. Assign a very competent project manager to manage activities in the call center
3. Move to a projectized organization structure
4. Continue with a functional organization structure, and try to streamline activities

25 Question: You are in the planning phase of your project and are considering processes which need to be implemented within the planning phase. Which of the following processes should you consider when you are in the planning phase?
1. Scope Planning, Schedule Development, Risk Management Planning, Project Plan Development
2. Initiation, Quality Planning, Procurement Planning, Risk Response Planning
3. Quality Assurance, Team Development, Information Distribution, Risk Management Planning
4. Scope Verification, Scope Change Control, Schedule Control, Cost Control

26. Question: Which of the following is not a characteristic of the Project Life Cycle?
1. Risk and uncertainty is highest at start of the project.
2. Ability of the stakeholders to influence final characteristics of the projects product increases as the project continues.
3. The project life cycle definition determines which transitional actions at the beginning and end of the project are included - so, the project life cycle definition can be a link to the ongoing operations of the performing organization.
4. Cost and staffing levels are low at the start, higher towards the end and drop rapidly as the project draws to a conclusion.

27. Question: Project Management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. As a project manager, you will often have to contend with conflicting stakeholder demands and not well-defined or changing requirements. Balancing the different factors which affect a project is going to be critical in determining how successful you are as a project manager. When managing competing project requirements, you should be aware of the "triple constraint" - which of the following is not a factor in the triple constraint?
1. Scope
2. Time
3. Quality
4. Cost

28. Question: Your company CEO is interested in setting up a project management office (PMO) in the company. You have been assigned the responsibility of defining the scope of work for the PMO. You are aware that ideally a PMO can:
1. Handle related projects
2. Oversee management of programs
3. Provide support functions like training and standardized policies
4. Provide all the functions mentioned in Choice 1, Choice 2 and Choice 3

29. Question: You are one of ten full-time project managers in your organization. You all share two administrative persons. There are generally 30 - 40 projects per year that involve about 30% of the organization employees - however, these employees do not report to you although you are their project manager. Your organization can best be classified as:
1. Projectized
2. Balanced
3. Strong Matrix
4. Weak Matrix

30. Question: You are responsible for launch operations of different NASA satellites. Your role is that of a:
1. Project Manager
2. Project Office
3. Program Manager
4. Functional Manager

31. Question: Which of the following is not a Project Management Knowledge Area?
1. Project Integration Management
2. Project Procurement Management
3. Project Configuration Management
4. Project Communications Management

32. Question: Which statement relating to "Project Triple Constraint" is not correct?
1. The interactions between the project Triple Constraints may require tradeoff between the different alternatives available.
2. The interactions between different project constraints is always straightforward and well understood.
3. Successful project management includes active management of interactions between the project constraints.
4. Project Quality is affected by balancing factors like project scope, time and cost.

33. Question: An architectural firm hired to design a new office building is first involved in the owner`s definition phase while doing the design, and in the owner`s implementation phase while supporting the construction effort. The architect`s design project, however, will have its own series of phases from conceptual development, through definition and implementation, to closure.

This example illustrates that:
1. Similar Application Areas and Organizations have identical project life cycles.
2. Subprojects can also have distinct project life cycles
3. Project life cycle does not define the beginning and end of a project
4. Project phases within a project life cycle are always sequential.

34. Question: Project Managers have least power in which organization structure
1. Matrix
2. Functional
3. Projectized
4. Balanced

35. Question: All the following are examples of projects EXCEPT:
1. Developing a new product of service
2. Changing the password of one user used for logging into a bank web-site
3. Running a campaign for political office
4. Implementing a new business procedure or process

36. Question: You are a project manager in an Information Technology(software) company, but you recently got an offer as a project manager in a construction company with 25% salary hike. You have excellent technical knowledge in software field, but do not have much exposure to the Construction Industry. In this context,
1. You should attend training classes related to construction industry to get more technical expertise in the field
2. You should not take up the assignment because you will lose out on the experience and skills gained in information technology field
3. You should take up the assignment because similar project management skills will be required in the construction company, as was required in the software company
4. You should try to get more information about project management in the construction industry and then make an informed decision about whether to take up the new opportunity

37. Question: When you started your six sigma project in ABC Automobile company, the product of your project was initially defined as "Decreasing defects and improving quality of bearings in ABC Automobile company." However, as the project proceeded, the product characteristics were made more explicit and detailed.

In this context, all the following statements related to progressive elaboration of projects are true EXCEPT:
1. Scope of the project can change when product characteristics are progressively elaborated, and project manager must plan for such scope changes.
2. Because the product of each project is unique, characteristics that distinguish the product or service must be progressively elaborated.
3. Requirements are made more explicit as the project team develops a better and more complete understanding of the project
4. Progressive Elaboration is a characteristic of projects that integrates the concept of temporary and unique.

38. Question: Organizations performing projects will usually divide each project into several project phases to improve management control and provide for links to the ongoing operations of the performing organization. Collectively, project phases are also called:
1. Project Management Life Cycle
2. Project Life Cycle
3. Product Life Cycle
4. Project phases life cycle

39. Question: You are the project manager in a company which has a balanced matrix organization structure. So, you should report to the:
1. Functional Manager
2. Program Manager
3. Manager of Project Managers
4. Project sponsor

40. Question: You are a project manager in XYZ company which has a projectized organization structure. So, for your projects, all the following statements are correct EXCEPT:
1. Team members are often collocated
2. There is a "home" for project team members after a project is completed
3. You have great deal of authority and independence
4. Organizational units (or departments) either report directly to you(the project manager) or provide support services to the various projects

41. Question: You are working as a Project Manager in an organization where your responsibility is to coordinate activities, but decisions are primarily made by Management. The organization structure you are working in is:
1. Weak Matrix
2. Balanced Matrix
3. Functional
4. Strong Matrix

42. Question: Two technical resources in your team have been arguing consistently, and you would like to ensure that personality clashes do not endanger your project. To resolve this issue, you should use:
1. Leading and Influencing Skills
2. Communication Skills
3. Negotiation Skills
4. Problem Solving skills

43. Question: Webster Dictionary meaning of authority is "power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behavior". As a project manager, your authority is greatly dependent on:
1. Support from functional managers
2. Support from senior management
3. Influencing and leading Skills of a project manager
4. Organization structure

44. Question: Outcome of projects are measurable, verifiable work products, also referred to as :
1. Work Breakdown Structures
2. Work Breakdown Structure Dictionary
3. Deliverables
4. Phase End reviews

45. Question: Your Director has appointed you as a Portfolio Manager in the company. Your job will be:
1. Selecting and supporting projects or program investments
2. Managing groups of projects in a coordinated way
3. Creating unique product, service or result
4. Ensuring that customer requirements are satisfied through progressive elaboration of projects

46. Question: Your project sponsor has specified that you have to complete your project within 3 months with a funding limit of $ 250,000. This is an example of:
1. Authoritative project management
2. Constraint
3. Assumption
4. Laissez faire management

47. Question: Factors like probability of successfully completing the project, cost of changes, cost of error correction etc. are highest:
1. At beginning of the project
2. At end of the project
3. During project implementation
4. Cannot be determined as they are specific to the project

48. Question: A project manager is responsible for managing project costs and human resources. Factors like cost and staffing level for a project :
1. Increase with duration of the project
2. Decrease with duration of the project
3. Are low at the start, higher toward the end, and decrease rapidly as project draws to a conclusion.
4. Cannot be determined as they are specific to the project

49. Question: As part of Monitoring and Controlling, project performance must be monitored and measured regularly to identify variances from the plan. All the following are processes involved with controlling EXCEPT:
1. Scope Verification
2. Risk Monitoring and Control
3. Performance Reporting
4. Quality Assurance

50. Question: As a project manager, you are aware that Project Management Process groups are linked by the objectives they produce. The output of one process generally becomes the input to another process or is a deliverable (tangible, verifiable work product) of the project. Planning process group provides Executing process group with a documented project management plan as the project progresses. In this context, all the following statements are accurate EXCEPT:
1. Process groups are non-overlapping activities that occur at varying intensity throughout the project.
2. If the project is divided into phases, the process groups interact within a project phase and may also cross the project phases.
3. Not all processes will be needed on all project and not all of the interactions will apply to all the projects or process groups.
4. Among the process groups and their processes, the process outputs are related and have an impact on the other process groups.

ANSWERS:
1. Ans: 4
Justification: A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result ... Temporary means that every project has a definite beginning and a definite end.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 5

2. Ans: 2
Justification: The five process groups are:
• Initiating Process Group
• Planning Process Group
• Executing Process Group
• Monitoring and Controlling Process Group
• Closing Process Group
Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 41

3. Ans: 2
Justification: A project creates unique deliverables, which are products, services or results. Projects can create:... A capability to perform a service, such as business functions supporting production or distribution

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 5

4. Ans: 4
Justification: The project manager should try to find out the different standards and regulations which may impact the project. However the influence of standards and regulations for a project is not always known.

Also, please refer to PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 13


5. . Ans: 1
Justification: A program is a group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually. Programs may include elements of related work outside the scope of discrete projects in the program.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 16

6. Ans: 3
Justification: A Project Management Office (PMO) is an organizational unit to centralize and coordinate the management of projects under its domain. A PMO can also be referred to as ... "project office." PMOs can operate in a continuum from providing project management support functions in the form of training, software, standardized policies and procedures, to actual direct management and responsibility for achieving the project objectives.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 17


7. Ans: 2
Justification: A phase end review can be held with the explicit goals of obtaining authorization to close the current phase and to initiate the subsequent one... Phase end reviews are also called phase exits, phase gates, or kill points

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 23

notes: Essentially both you are your manager are talking about the same thing (i.e. "phase end reviews" are also referred to as "kill points")


8. Ans: 4
Justification: Figure 2-6 (Organizational Structure Influences on Projects). It shows that project managers have maximum influence in a projectized organization.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 28


9. Ans: 3
Justification: People exhibit a greater resistance to change than other factors

Reference: Project Management - A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and Controlling ; pmstudy.com notes as mentioned above

10. Ans: 1
Justification: Weak matrix organizations maintain many of the features of a functional organization and the project manager role is more that of a coordinator or expediter than that of a manager.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 30


11. Ans: 2
Justification: In a Projectized organization, most of the organization resources are involved in the project work. One big problem is that the project team members do not belong to a specific functional group and hence do not have any "home" once the project is over.


12. Ans: 4
Justification: Preparing a financial plan requires both Project Management and Industry specific skills


13. Ans: 1
Justification: Although many project life cycles have similar phase names with similar deliverables, few project life cycles are identical. Some can have four or five phases, but others may have nine or more.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 22


14. Ans: 2
Justification: Project Managers or the organization can divide projects into phases to provide better management control with appropriate links to the ongoing operations of the performing organization. Collectively, these phases are known as the project life cycle. Many organizations identify a specific set of life cycles for use on all of their projects

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 19


15. Ans: 4
Justification: All the statements 1, 2 and 3 are correct

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 26

Statement 4 is incorrect - sponsor provides the financial resources (in cash or kind) for the project. The customer on the other hand uses the project`s product and does not provide financial resources for the project.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 16


16. Ans: 3
Justification: Table 3-45

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 70


17. Ans: 3
Justification: The terms "Facilitating Processes" and "Core Processes" are no longer used. These terms have been eliminated to ensure that all project management processes and project management process groups have the same level of importance.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 302


18. Ans: 3
Justification: If the project will affect its physical surroundings, some team members should be knowledgeable about the local ecology and physical geography that could affect the project or be affected by the project.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 14

notes: Look out for words like "Always", "All the time", "Never" etc. which suggest that there cannot be any exceptions - try to find out whether exceptions are application to the particular situation. In this context, please note that several projects do not impact physical surroundings (e.g. several IT projects may not have any impact on physical surroundings)


19. Ans: 1
Justification: Positive stakeholders are those who would normally benefit from a successful outcome from the project, while negative stakeholders are those who see negative outcomes from the project`s success... Negative stakeholders are often overlooked by the project team at the risk of failing to bring the projects to a successful end.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 25

comments: Negative stakeholders and their impact on the project should always be taken into consideration.


20. Ans: 3
Justification: Matrix Organization: Any organization structure in which the project manager shares responsibility with the functional managers for assigning priorities and for directing the work of persons assigned to the project.
Reference: PMBOK 3rd Edition Page Number 364

So, effectively, your company follows a matrix organization structure.

In a matrix organization, Project Manager does not have authority about doing Personnel Performance Management, this task is done by the Functional Managers.
Reference: Project Management - A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and Controlling


21. Ans: 4
Justification: Decision making includes analyzing the problem to identify viable solutions, and then making a choice from among them. Decisions can be made or obtained (from the customer, team or functional manager). Once made, decisions must be implemented. Decisions have a time element to them - the "right" decision may not be the "best" decision if it is made too early or too late.

Also, please refer to PMBOK Page 15


22. Ans: 2
Justification: A phase can be closed without the decision to initiate any other phases. For example, the project is completed or risk is deemed too great for the project to be allowed to continue.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 22

23. Ans: 1
Justification: An underlying concept for interaction among the project management processes is the plan-do-check-act cycle (as defined by Shewart and modified by Deming, in the ASQ handbook, pages 13-14)

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 39


24. Ans: 4
Justification: This is an operation and not a project (projects are temporary and unique - but call center activities are ongoing and repetitive).

So, in this context, the CEO should not try to handle this issue as a project and do none of the activities mentioned in Choice 1, Choice 2 or Choice 3.

Since this is an operation, Choice 4 is the best : i.e. continue with a functional organization structure (which is a good organization structure to use where we are managing operations) and try to streamline activities


25. Ans: 2
Justification: Figure 3-7

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 47


26. Ans: 2
Justification: The ability of the stakeholders to influence the final characteristics of the projects product is highest at the start and gets progressively lower as the project continues. A major contributor to this phenomenon is that the cost of changes and error correction generally increases as the project continues.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 21


27. Ans: 3
Justification: Project Managers often talk of a "triple constraint" - project scope, time and cost - in managing project requirements. Project quality is affected by balancing these three factors. High quality projects deliver the required product, service or result within scope, on time and within budget.
Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 8


28. Ans: 4
Justification: A PMO oversees the management of projects, programs, or a combination of both. The projects supported or administered by the PMO may not be related other than being managed together. Some PMOs, however, do coordinate and manage related projects.... PMOs can operate in a continuum, from providing project management support functions in the form of training, software, standardized policies, and procedures, to actual direct management and responsibility for achieving the project objectives.

Reference:PMBOK 3rd Edition Page 17


29. Ans: 2
Justification: While the balanced matrix organization recognizes the need for a project manager, it does not provide the project manager with the full authority over the project and project funding (Figure 2-6)

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 30


30. Ans: 3
Justification: A program is a group of projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits not available from managing them individually. Many programs also include elements of ongoing operations.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 16

notes: Managing launch operations for different NASA satellites will involve multiple projects and operational activities. So, it is a program.


31. Ans: 3
Justification: Project Configuration Management is not a Project Management Knowledge Area as defined in PMBOK

32. Ans: 2
Justification: Project Management is an integrative endeavor - an action, or failure to take action in one area will usually affect other areas. The interactions may be straightforward and well understood, or they may be subtle and uncertain.

Also, please refer to PMBOK Page 8


33. Ans: 2
Justification: The best answer is Choice 2. The overall project has lifecycles like Definition Phase (while doing design) and Implementation Phase (while supporting the construction effort). Similarly the design phase(a subproject) has its own life-cycles (like conceptual development, definition, implementation and closure). So, this illustrates that Subprojects can also have distinct project life cycles

Subprojects can also have distinct project life cycles. For example, an architectural firm hired to design a new office building is first involved in the owner`s definition phase while doing the design, and in the owner`s implementation phase while supporting the construction effort. The architect`s design project, however, will have its own series of phases from conceptual development, through definition and implementation, to closure.
Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 22


34. Ans: 2
Justification: The classic functional organization, is a hierarchy where each employee has one clear superior. Staff members are grouped by specialty, such as production, marketing, engineering and accounting at the top level... Functional organizations still have projects but the perceived scope of the project is limited to the boundaries of the function. Details: Figure 2-6

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 28


35. Ans: 2
Justification: Operations and projects differ primarily in that operations are ongoing and repetitive while projects are temporary and unique. Changing the password of an user for logging into a web-site is an operation because:
a) It is not a Unique Activity
b) It does not have a specific start and end date i.e. passwords will need to be changed whenever there is a request from any customer

All the remaining examples are projects

Also, please refer to PMBOK Page 6, 7


36. Ans: 3
Justification: As per PMI, project management skills span across industries and the knowledge gained in one industry can be used in other industries. A project manager need not be technically qualified in the industry to succeed.


37. Ans:1
Justification: Progressive elaboration should not be confused with scope creep.... When properly defined, the scope of the project-the work to be done - should be controlled as the project and product specifications are progressively elaborated.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 6

comments: When properly defined, the scope of the project - the work to be done - should remain constant even as the product characteristics are progressively elaborated


38. Ans: 2
Justification: Collectively, project phases are known as project life cycle.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 19


39. Ans: 1
Justification: Figure 2-10

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 30


40. Ans: 2
Justification: One disadvantage of a Projectized organization is that there is "no home" for the project team members once project is completed. All the remaining features mentioned above are features of projectized organization.

Also, please refer to PMBOK Page 29


41. Ans: 1
Justification: Weak matrices maintain many of the characteristics of a functional organization, and the project manager`s role is more that of a coordinator or expediter than that of a manager.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 30

comments: In a Weak Matrix organization, where manager plays role of a coordinator or expediter, decisions are primarily made by Management


42. Ans: 4
Justification: Problem solving involves combination of problem definition and decision-making... Problems may be technical (differences of opinion about the best way to design a product), managerial (a functional group is not performing according to plan), or interpersonal (personality or style clashes)

Also, please refer to PMBOK Page 15


43. Ans: 4
Justification: The most important factor for determining the authority of a project manager is the organization structure; depending on the organization structure, the project manager may have a lot of authority (e.g. Projectized organization) or minimal authority (e.g. Functional organization)

Also, please refer to PMBOK Page 28

44. Ans: 3
Justification: The completion and approval of one of more deliverables characterizes a project phase. A deliverable is a measurable, verifiable work product such as a specification, feasibility study report, detailed design document ....

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 22


45. Ans: 1
Justification: A portfolio is a collection of projects or programs and other work that are grouped together to facilitate effective management of that work to meet strategic business objectives.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 16

pmstudy.com comments: Project Portfolio Management refers to the selection and support of projects or program investments. These investments in projects and programs are guided by the organization`s strategic plan and available resources


46. Ans: 2
Justification: Project constraints limit a project team`s options. For example, a predefined budget or any imposed dates that are issued by the customer or performing organization
Reference: PMBOK 3rd Edition Page 111

notes: Here, the project sponsor has imposed 2 constraints : a) completion time of 3 months and b) funding of $ 250,000


47. Ans: 2
Justification: The probability of successfully completing the project is lowest, and hence risk and uncertainty are highest, at the start of the project. The probability of successful completion generally gets progressively higher as the project continues.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 20,21

48. Ans: 3
Justification: Figure 2-1

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 21
pmstudy.com comments:


49. Ans: 4
Justification: Figure 3-45

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 70

50. Ans: 1
Justification: Process Groups are seldom either discrete or one-time events; they are overlapping activities that occur at varying levels of intensity throughout the project.

Reference: PMBOK Third Edition, Page Number: 67