PMBOK® GUIDE SIXTH EDITION Questions Introduction

 

Questions:

 

1.Project tailoring is an important consideration for most projects. Which of the following is the least likely project consideration?

A. Project manager’s skills and competency.
B. Each project is unique.
C. Addressing competing constraints.
D. Level of project governance varies.

 

2.A significant amount of data is collected and analyzed throughout the project. All of the following are examples of project data and information EXCEPT:

A. Work performance data.
B. Work performance analysis.
C. Work performance information.
D. Work performance reports.

 

3.The key elements of the benefits management plan are all of the following EXCEPT:

A. Work Breakdown Structure.
B. Benefits owner.
C. Assumptions.
D. Strategic alignment .

 

4. The project business case is all of the following EXCEPT :

A. Documented economic feasibility study used to establish the validity of the benefits of a selected component lacking sufficient definition and that is used as a basis for the authorization of further project management activities.
B. A document that lists the objectives and reasons for project initiation.
C. A document that serves as an important input to the project initiation and is seldom used after the project is approved.
D. An important document that may result in a go/no- go decision for the project.

 

5.For a project to be successful, the project should generally achieve all of the following EXCEPT:

A. Achieving stakeholder satisfaction.

B. Striving to obtain acceptable customer/end-user adoption.
C. Appling knowledge, skills, and processes within the Project Management Process Groups uniformly to meet the project objectives.
D. Fulfilling other agreed-upon success measures or criteria.

 

6.The linkages between project management processes are best described by the following

A. The work breakdown structure links processes.
B. Processes are linked by their planned objectives- the summary objective of one often becomes the detailed action plan for another within the project, subproject, or project phase.
C. Processes are linked by the outputs that arc produced—the output of one process generally becomes an input to another process or is a deliverable of the project, subproject, or project phase.
D. There are no significant links between discrete processes.

 

7. Project Management Processes

A. May be overlapping activities that occur throughout the project.
B. May be overlapping activities that generally occur at the same level of intensity within each phase of the project.
B. Are generally discrete, one-time events.
C. Are discrete, repetitive events that occur generally at the same level of intensity throughout each phase of the project.

 

8. The five Project Management Process Groups are

A. Planning, Checking, Directing, Monitoring, and Recording.
B. Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing.
C. Planning, Executing, Directing, Closing, and Commissioning.
D. Initiating, Executing, Monitoring, Evaluating, and Closing

 

9.You are managing a project in which you intend to respond to high levels of change and ongoing stakeholder involvement. The most suitable project life cycle for your project is the :

A. Predictive life cycle.
B. Adaptive life cycle.
C. Waterfall life cycle.
D. Configuration management life cycle.

 

10.All of the following statements about the project life cycle and the product life cycle are true EXCEPT:

 

A. In the project predictive life cycle, the project scope and the time and cost required to deliver that scope are determined as early in the project life cycle as practically possible.
B. In the project iterative and incremental life cycles, project phases intentionally repeat one or more project activities as the project team’s understanding of the product increases.
C. The product life cycle is the series of phases that represent the evolution of a product, from concept through delivery, growth, maturity, and to retirement
D. The product life cycle is contained within the predictive project life cycle.

 

11.All of the following are true about project phases and the project life cycle EXCEPT:

A. Stakeholder influences, risk, and uncertainty are greatest at the start of the project. These factors decrease over the life of the project.
B. The ability to influence the final characteristics of the project’s product, without significantly impacting cost, is highest at the start of the project and decreases as the project progresses toward completion.
C. The cost of changes and correcting errors typically increases substantially as the project approaches completion.
D. Cost and staffing levels are generally steady throughout the project life cycle .

 

12.The collection of generally sequential and sometimes overlapping project phases, whose name and number are determined by the management and control needs of the organization or organizations involved in the project, is
known as the :

A. Project waterfall.
B. Project life cycle.
C. Project life stages.
D. Project Management Process Groups .

 

13. The PMBOK® Guide is the standard for:

A. Managing all projects all of the time,
B. Managing all projects most of the time.
C. Managing most projects most of the time.
D. Managing some projects some of the time.

 

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

A. Components management.
B. Process management.
C. Program management.
D. Portfolio management.

 

15. All of the following are true about projects and operations EXCEPT :

A. Operations are ongoing endeavors that produce repetitive outputs, with resources assigned to do basically the same set of tasks according to the standards institutionalized in a product life cycle, whereas projects are temporary endeavors.
B. Projects require project management activities and skill sets, whereas operations require business process management, operations management activities, and skill sets.

C. Projects can intersect with operations at various points during the product life cycle. At each point, deliverables and knowledge are transferred between the project and operations for implementation of the delivered work.
D. Because of their temporary nature, projects cannot help achieve an organization’s long-term goals. Therefore, strategic activities in the organization can be generally addressed within the organization’s normal operations.

 

16. A program is a :

A. Group of related tasks lasting one year or less.
B. Group of related projects, subsidiary programs, and program activities managed in a coordinated manner.
C. Large projects with significant cost and resource requirements.
D. Sequence of activities constituting a major project.

 

17.All of the following are questions that the key stakeholders and project managers should answer to develop the project success measures EXCEPT :

A. What does success look like for the project?
B. How will success be measured?
C. What are the communication requirements?
D. What factors may impact success?

 

18. Portfolio management refers to:

A. Managing various contents of the project file.
B. Managing the levels of the levels of financial authority to facilitate
C. project decision making
D. The centralized management of one or more portfolios to achieve strategic objectives.
E. Applying resource leveling heuristics across all the organization’s strategic objectives.

 

19. Project management is :

A. The integration of the critical path method and the Earned Value Management system.
B. The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.
C. The application of knowledge, skills, wisdom, science, and art to organizational activities to achieve operational excellence.
D. A subset of most engineering and other technical disciplines.

 

20. A project is:

A. A set of sequential activities performed in a process or system.
B. A revenue-generating activity that needs to be accomplished while achieving customer satisfaction.
C. An ongoing endeavor undertaken to meet customer or market requirements.
D. A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.

 

Answers:

 

1. Answer: A.

PMBOK®Guide, page 28, Section 1.2.5

Why Project Tailoring is important?

2. Answer: B.

PMBOK®Guide, page 26, Section 1.2.4.7

What is project data and information?

3. Answer: C.

PMBOK® Guide, pages 30-32, Section 1.2.6.1

The key elements of the benefits management plan

4. Answer: C.

PMBOK® Guide, pages 33, Section 1.2.6.2

A project Business case Definition

5. Answer: C .

PMBOK® Guide, pages 34-35, Section 1.2.6.4

What a project should achieve to be successful

6. Answer: C.

PMBOK®Guide, page 28, Section 1.2.4.5

The project management processes are linked by specific inputs and outputs where the result or outcomeof one process may become the input to anotherprocess that is not necessarily in the same Process Group.

7. Answer: A.

PMBOK® Guide, page 22, Section 1.2.4.4

Project management processes may contain overlapping activities that occur throughout the project.

8. Answer: B.

PMBOK® Guide, pages 23, Section 1.2.4.5

Project management processes are grouped into five. Categories known as Project Management
Process groups (or Process Groups):

• Initiating Process Group. Those processes performed to define a new project or a new phase of an existing project by obtaining authorization to start the project or phase.
• Planning Process Group. Those processes required to establish the scope of the project, refine the objectives, and define the course of action required to attain the objectives that the project was undertaken to achieve.
• Executing Process Group. Those processes performed to complete the work defined in the project management plan to satisfy the project specifications.
• Monitoring and Controlling Process Group.
• Those processes required to track, review, and regulate the progress and performance of the project; identify any areas in which changes to the plan are required; and initiate the corresponding changes.
• Closing Process Group. Those processes performed to finalize all activities across all Process Groups to formally close the project or phase.

9. Answer: B.

PMBOK®Guide, pages 19, Section 1.2.4.1

Project life cycles can be predictive or adaptive. Within a project life cycle, there are generally one or more phases that are associated with the development of the product, service, or result. These are called a development life cycle. Development life cycles can be predictive, iterative, incremental, adaptive, or a hybrid model.

The explanation here is only provided for predictive, iterative, and adaptive life cycles. Refer to Section 1.2.4.1 for the other development life cycles.
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.

• In an iterative life cycle, the project scope is generally determined early in the project life cycle, but time and cost estimates are routinely modified as the project team’s understanding of the product increases. Iterations develop the product through
• a series of repeated cycles, while increments successively add to the functionality of the product.
• Adaptive life cycles are agile, iterative, or incremental. The detailed scope is defined and approved before the start of an iteration. Adaptive life cycles are also referred to as agile or change- driven life cycles. Also see Appendix X3 .

10. Answer: D.

PMBOK® Guide, pages 19-21, Sections 1.2.4.1 and 1.2.4.2

Predictive life cycles, Iterative and Incremental life cycles

11. Answer: D.

PMBOK® Guide, page 19, Section 1.2.4.1

Characteristics of the project Life Cycle

12. Answer: B.

PMBOK® Guide, page 19, Section 1.2.4.1

Project Life Cycle
A project life cycle is the series of phases that a project passes through from its start to its completion. It provides the basic framework for managing the project. This basic- framework applies regardless of the specific project work involved. The phases may be sequential, iterative, or overlapping.

13. Answer: C.

PMBOK® Guide, page 2, Section 1.1.1

Project Management Body of Knowledge
The standard (PMBOK® Guide) identifies the processes that are considered good practices on most projects, most of the time. The standard also identifies the inputs and outputs that are usually associated with those processes.

14. Answer: D.

PMBOK® Guide, page 15, Section 1.2.3.3

Portfolio management aligns components (projects, programs, or 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 allows organizations to have an overall view of how the strategic goals are reflected in the portfolio, institute appropriate governance management, and authorize human, financial, or material resources to be allocated based on
expected performance and benefits.

15. Answer: D.

PMBOK® Guide, page 11-13, Section 1.2.3-1

16. Answer: B.

PMBOK® Guide, page 11, Section 1.2.3-1

17. Answer: C.

PMBOK® Guide, page 34, Section 1.2.6.4

Arguably, all responses are suitable during project planning. However, the three most important
questions for defining project success are:

• What does success look like for the project?
• How will success be measured?
• What factors may impact success?

The answer on communication requirements is an important consideration, but it occurs at a more detailed planning level for creating a project communications plan, which leads to project success.

18. Answer: C.

PMBOKK Guide.page 15, Section 1.2.3-3

Portfolio Management
Portfolio management refers to the centralized management of one or more portfolios to achieve strategic objectives. Portfolio management focuses on ensuring that projects and programs are reviewed in prioritize resource allocation and that the management of the portfolio is consistent with and aligned to organizational strategies.

19. Answer: B,

PMBOK® Guide.page 10, Section 1.2.2

What is project management?

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements .

At each point, deliverables and knowledge are transferred between the project and operations for implementation of the delivered work. This implementation occurs through a transfer of project resources to operations toward the end of the project, or through a transfer of operational resources to the project at the start.

Operations are ongoing endeavors that produce repetitive outputs, with resources assigned to do basically the same set of tasks according to the standards institutionalized in a product life cycle.
Unlike the ongoing nature of operations, projects are temporary endeavors .

20.Answer: D.

PMBOK® Guide, page 4, Section 1.2.1

What is a project?
A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.