PMP Exam Prep 3 - Ways of Working for Technical Projects

A project manager is assigned to a new project before detailed planning has begun. The sponsor wants the project manager to begin assigning team members and using organizational resources. What document should be created first to formally authorize the project manager’s authority?

Project charter

A project team is defining what work is included in the project and what work is excluded. Which project management area is primarily being addressed?

Scope management

A project manager is developing a high-level document that includes the project purpose, high-level risks, summary milestone schedule, summary budget, and stakeholder list. Which document is being created?

Project charter

A stakeholder asks why the project exists and how the expected benefits will be tracked after delivery. Which two documents best support this discussion?

Business case and benefits management plan

A project is using predictive delivery. The team is developing detailed plans for scope, schedule, cost, resources, quality, risk, communication, procurement, and stakeholder engagement. Which process group is most closely represented?

Planning

A team is working in an adaptive environment. Although formal predictive process groups are not used, the team still performs early project activities such as charter creation, product box exercise, XP metaphor, and sprint planning. What does this illustrate?

Adaptive projects still initiate and plan work, even if not through formal predictive process groups

A project manager needs to determine whether a requirement has been fulfilled and trace it back to the stakeholder who requested it. Which artifact should be used?

Requirements traceability matrix

A customer states that the system must process transactions within two seconds and be available 99.9% of the time. What type of requirement is this?

Non-functional requirement

A business leader states that the project must increase customer retention and improve business value. What type of requirement is this?

Business requirement

During scope definition, the team produces the project scope statement, WBS, and WBS dictionary Together, these form which baseline?

Scope baseline

The team decomposes work packages into specific actions needed to produce project deliverables Which process is being performed?

Define activities

A project manager explains that work packages are typically nouns, while activities are typically verbs Why is this distinction useful?

It helps distinguish deliverables from actions required to produce them

An activity cannot begin until a required permit is received from a government agency What type of dependency is this?

External dependency

A team chooses to complete design reviews before development because it is a preferred best practice, although not legally or physically required What type of dependency is this?

Discretionary dependency

A successor activity is allowed to start before its predecessor is fully complete What scheduling concept is being used?

Lead

A project manager adds a waiting period between concrete pouring and inspection to allow the concrete to cure What scheduling concept is being applied?

Lag

A project manager needs to estimate activity duration using optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic values Which estimating technique is being used?

Three-point estimating

An activity has an optimistic estimate of 4 days, a most likely estimate of 7 days, and a pessimistic estimate of 13 days Using the PERT weighted average formula, what is the expected duration?

7.5 days

A project manager uses historical data from a similar past project to estimate a new project quickly Which estimating technique is being used?

Analogous estimating

A project manager estimates each individual work package in detail and then aggregates the estimates to calculate the total project estimate Which estimating technique is being used?

Bottom

A schedule network diagram shows several paths The project manager needs to determine the earliest the entire project can be completed What should the project manager identify?

The critical path

A project activity can be delayed without delaying the project’s overall completion date What is this called?

Total float

A project activity can be delayed without delaying the early start date of its earliest successor activity What is this called?

Free float

The project has an externally imposed finish date, but the current schedule shows that the project will miss that deadline What condition exists?

Negative project float

A project manager adjusts activities within available float so that resource demand does not exceed capacity while preserving the project end date and critical path Which technique is being used?

Resource smoothing

A project manager changes the schedule to resolve resource constraints, and the project end date may change Which technique is being used?

Resource leveling

A team identifies risks that may occur and sets aside funds to address them if they happen These funds are included in the cost baseline What are these funds called?

Contingency reserves

A sponsor sets aside funds for unforeseen risks that were not identified during planning These funds are not included in the cost baseline and require senior management approval What are these funds called?

Management reserves

A project manager rolls up cost estimates from activities to work packages and then to higher WBS levels to develop the overall budget What technique is being used?

Cost aggregation

A project’s approved budget, excluding management reserves, is used to measure actual cost performance What is this called?

Cost baseline

A PMP exam scenario asks the project manager to choose the best action when cost, risk, stakeholder expectations, and value delivery are all involved What should the candidate focus on most?

Selecting the most appropriate action for the project environment and stakeholder value

A project manager is working on a hybrid project The team must follow regulatory compliance requirements while also using agile practices for product delivery What should the project manager do?

Tailor the approach to combine appropriate predictive and adaptive practices

A stakeholder requests a change to the approved schedule baseline in a predictive project What should the project manager do?

Follow formal change control

A project manager is comparing actual schedule progress against the approved version of the schedule model Which artifact is being used?

Schedule baseline

A project manager is preparing a student for the PMP exam and explains that the Process domain includes predictive, adaptive, and hybrid practices What is the best study implication?

Practice applying concepts across predictive, adaptive, and hybrid environments

A project team is executing work when a stakeholder asks the team to add a new reporting feature The feature seems simple and the team believes it can complete it without affecting the schedule What should the project manager do first?

Submit and evaluate a change request through formal change control

During execution, a supplier delivery delay has already occurred and is affecting project work Which project artifact should the project manager update first?

Issue log

A project manager receives raw measurements from the team, including hours worked, defects found, and tasks completed What are these measurements called before analysis?

Work performance data

A team reviews project results and identifies what worked well, what did not work well, and what should be done differently in future iterations What is the best PMP aligned action?

Capture and share lessons learned throughout the project

A project manager wants to confirm that the team is following approved quality standards and procedures Which activity best fits this need?

Quality audit

A planned risk response is implemented, but it creates a new risk that could affect future work What is this new risk called?

Secondary risk

A known risk occurs, and the project manager activates the response that was planned in advance What type of plan is being used?

Contingency plan

A planned contingency response does not work as expected What should the project manager consider next?

Fallback plan

The project team identifies an uncertain event that may provide a benefit if it occurs How should the project manager classify it?

Opportunity risk

Which statement best describes the difference between an issue and a risk?

An issue is current, while a risk is uncertain and may occur in the future

A project manager needs to estimate risk exposure A risk has a 40% probability of occurring and would cost $50,000 if it occurs What is the expected monetary value?

$20,000

A project team wants to use historical templates, lessons learned, and previous project information to guide current work What should the project manager consult?

Organizational process assets

Which artifact is most associated with an adaptive project environment?

Product backlog

A procurement team is reviewing vendor responses against technical capability, pricing, past performance, and compliance requirements What procurement activity is occurring?

Select seller

During vendor negotiations, who typically leads the negotiation while the project manager supports with subject matter expertise?

Procurement department

A project manager receives analyzed performance trends and variance explanations from the team What are these best described as?

Work performance information

A formal summary is prepared for stakeholders showing project status, forecasts, trends, and recommendations What is this output called?

Work performance report

A team member asks where to document the owner, cause, impact, recommendation, and resolution for a problem that is currently affecting the project What should the project manager recommend?

Issue log

A risk remains after planned risk responses have been implemented What is this called?

Residual risk

What is the primary purpose of Manage Quality?

To ensure project work follows quality processes and supports continuous improvement

A project manager wants to ensure project artifacts are reliable throughout the project Which set of actions is most appropriate?

Keep artifacts accurate, current, accessible, protected, version-controlled, and archived appropriately

Which statement best reflects the PMP mindset during execution?

Communicate, collaborate, document, follow governance, and act proactively but formally

A warning sign appears that suggests a risk may occur soon What is this called?

Risk trigger

A project manager is working with a vendor after contract award Which action is most appropriate?

Update schedules, resources, budgets, communications, risks, and stakeholder engagement as needed

Which reserve is most appropriate for risks that were identified and planned for?

Contingency reserve

A project sponsor asks the project manager to add a feature that was not included in the approved scope baseline The team says the feature is easy to add and will not affect the schedule What should the project manager do first?

Submit and evaluate a change request through integrated change control

A project manager compares actual performance against the project management plan and discovers a variance from the cost baseline What should the project manager do next?

Analyze the variance and determine whether corrective action or a change request is needed

A customer formally accepts a completed deliverable Which process is most closely associated with this activity?

Validate Scope

The team adds extra features to a deliverable because they believe the customer will appreciate them, even though the features were not requested or approved What is this an example of?

Gold plating

A project manager discovers that the team has been completing work not included in the approved scope baseline What should the project manager focus on controlling?

Scope creep

A change request has been submitted What is the correct next step before implementation?

Record, evaluate impact, and submit it through integrated change control

A change is approved by the Change Control Board What should the project manager do next?

Communicate the decision and implement the approved change

Which document defines how project changes will be submitted, reviewed, approved, and managed?

Change management plan

Which plan focuses on controlling project artifacts, versions, and revisions?

Configuration management plan

Which type of change request is intended to bring project performance back in line with the plan?

Corrective action

Which type of change request is intended to reduce the chance of future project problems?

Preventive action

A deliverable does not conform to requirements and needs to be fixed What type of change request is most appropriate?

Defect repair

A project has EV = $60,000, PV = $75,000, and AC = $50,000 What is the schedule variance?

-15000

A project has EV = $80,000 and AC = $100,000 What does the CPI indicate?

The project is over budget

A project has EV = $90,000 and PV = $75,000 What does the SPI indicate?

The project is ahead of schedule

Which EVM formula calculates cost variance?

EV-AC

Which EVM formula calculates estimate at completion when current cost efficiency is expected to continue?

BAC / CPI

In EVM, which statement is true?

An index below 1 is unfavorable

A project manager wants to verify whether a deliverable meets requirements and identify defects Which process is most appropriate?

Control Quality

A project manager wants to improve process performance and prevent defects through audits and process improvement Which process is most appropriate?

Manage Quality

A team collects defect data in an organized form during inspection Which quality tool is being used?

Check sheet

A quality team wants to determine whether most defects are caused by a small number of sources Which tool should they use?

Pareto chart

A project manager observes seven consecutive points on one side of the mean in a control chart What does this suggest?

The process may be out of control

A team wants to identify the underlying reason a recurring defect occurs Which technique should be used?

Root cause analysis

A project manager identifies a new risk while monitoring the project What should the project manager do?

Update the risk register and analyze the risk

An unidentified risk occurs and the team creates an unplanned response What is this called?

Workaround

A project manager reviews whether contingency reserves are still adequate Which technique is being used?

Reserve analysis

In a predictive project, the project manager wants to evaluate whether the risk management process is effective Which activity is most appropriate?

Risk audit

In an adaptive project, the team wants to quickly learn from an iteration and improve the next one Which activity is most appropriate?

Retrospective

The buyer and seller disagree about whether a requested change is included in the contract What is this disagreement called?

Claim

A seller performs the contracted work while the buyer measures performance against requirements Which statement is correct?

The seller performs the contracted work and the buyer monitors seller performance

A contested procurement change arises What is generally the preferred first method for resolving the dispute?

Negotiation

A minor, non-material update is made to a contract What is this most likely called?

Administrative Change

A substantive change is made to contract terms What is this most likely called?

Contract modification

An informal change occurs because of action or inaction rather than a formal contract modification What is this called?

Constructive change

A project manager is conducting process audits to identify quality improvement opportunities. Which process is being performed?

Manage Quality

A team is testing completed software against acceptance criteria. Which process is being performed?

Control Quality

Which cost of quality category includes employee quality training?

Prevention Cost

Warranty claims resulting from product defects are examples of:

External Failure Costs

Which statement best describes verification?

Confirming deliverables meet specifications