Sample Exam Questions & Answers 3

1. The steps for analyzing processes that will facilitate the identification of waste and non-value added activity is found in the

A. Process Improvement Plan.

B. Process Configuration Plan.

C. Quality Management Plan.

D. Quality Assurance Plan.

2. Which of the following is not true about product scope?

A. It deals with the features and functions that characterize a product or service.

B. Processes, tools and techniques vary by application area and are not addressed by the PMBOK.

C. Completion is measured against the project plan.

D. The product and sub-products are described in the Work Breakdown Structure.

3. All of the following are true about the scope statement except

A. It provides a documented basis for making future project decisions.

B. It is an essential component of the project charter.

C. It confirms a common understanding among the project stakeholders.

D. It outlines the project’s product descriptions and specifications.

4. A Tool & Technique in the risk identification process, in which a facilitator leads the project team in generating ideas about project risk and ensures that criticism and analysis is postponed to a later time, is called

A. brainstorming.

B. the Delphi technique.

C. SWOT analysis.

D. structured risk analysis.

5. Integration is primarily concerned with

A. ensuring that the time, scope and cost baselines are consistent with an acceptable quality standard and with the customer’s expectations.

B. effectively integrating the processes among the project management process groups that are required to accomplish project objectives with an organization’s defined procedures.

C. getting people working together effectively toward common project goals through appropriate training, management and leadership.

D. ensuring that all the tools and techinques of the various planning processes are appropriately scaled to the complexity and risk exposure of the project.

6. What is the relationship between cost estimating and pricing?

A. There is no clear relationship.

B. Price = Cost x (1 + IRR) where IRR is set in the corporate strategic business plan.

C. Price is greater than the cost by an amount that corresponds to the organization’s target profit levels in each market segment.

D. The price that an organization can charge for the product or service becomes the basis for project cost estimating.

7. In which phase are costs best controlled?

A. Initiating

B. Planning

C. Executing and controlling

D. Closing

8. The performance report format that best shows the cumulative values over time for a project are called

A. bar charts

B. S-curves

C. Histograms

D. EV curves

9. Which of the following is least likely to contribute to developing an effective project team supportive of quality?

A. Involving the team in planning.

B. Staffing the project with appropriate skills.

C. Offering bonuses for timely performance.

D. Developing measurable project success criteria.

10. A fixed-price contract represents

A. more risk for the buyer.

B. more risk for the seller.

C. a reasonable balance of risk for both buyer and seller.

D. an uncertain balance of risk for both buyer and seller.



ANSWERS:
1.A(Some of these steps might include analyzing process boundaries and configuration, defining process metrics, and setting targets for improved performance. [8.1.3.4]
2.C(“Completion of the project scope is measured against the project management plan (Section 4.3), the project scope statement, and its associated WBS and WBS dictionary, but completion of the product scope is measured against the product requirements.” [Chapter 5 Intro]
3.B(“The scope statement ... provides a common understanding of the project scope amoung all project stakeholders and describes the project’s major objectives.” It is developed AFTER the project charter is created. [5.2.3.1]
4.A(In brainstorming, “under the leadership of a facilitator, [the project team or other experts] generate ideas about project risk.” Avoiding criticism and debate at this time is critical to encourage the free flow of ideas, some perhaps dumb, in order to reach the really brilliant insights. [11.2.2.2]
5.B(Answers A, C and D all result from effectively integrating the work of the project management process groups. [4.0]
6.A(Pricing is a business decision that uses the cost estimate as but one consideration among many. Other factors include market conditions, strategic objectives and profit objectives.
7.A(“The abilityof the stakeholders to influence the final characteristics of the prject’s product and the final cost of the project is highest at the start, and gets progressively lower as the project continues.” [2.1.1, Figure 2-2]
8.B(Bar charts, histograms and earned value (EV) curves are all normally used to plot data as of a particular point in time. See figure 10-2. [10.3.3.1, Glossary]
9.C(According to Herzberg, salary and bonuses are “hygene” factors that make little or no long-term contribution to achieving goals. Having the right skills on the team, involving the team in the planning work (so they will “own” the plan) and defining in advance what success looks like will all contribute to the development of team commitment to quality. [9.3.2.6]
10.D(Be careful with these sorts of questions! A fixed-price contract certainly represents more COST risk for the buyer, but “to the extent that the product is not well defined, both the buyer and seller are at risk.” [12.1.2.3]