CAPM Exam Prep Course 25 PDU's for Current Exam Instructor: TIA Education, Andrew Ramdayal

Monitor and Control Project Work

The project manager has reviewed all the work performance information that has been created so far on the project. He has started to create the overall project status report to present to the project stakeholders. What process is the project manager conducting?

A few customers have requested a feature be added to the datacenter project that would enhance the security system. The change was submitted to the Change Control Board and was denied due to the high cost of the security system. A few months later, another customer submitted the same change back to the project manager. What should the project manager do?

Inform the customers the change cannot be done

The project manager is having a very difficult time collecting the requirements from the customers. The customers can't seem to put the requirements into a logical grouping. What tool can best help them group the requirements?

Affinity Diagram

A construction firm is building a skyscraper. They have precise blueprints, and any change will significantly increase costs. Which approach should they rely on?

Predictive

The project manager has noticed that the project team is not motivated and it is starting to delay the work on the project. How should the project manager motivate the team?

Empower them to participate in decision making

During the validation of a solution, the project manager finds that a critical requirement has not been met. What should the project manager do first?

Communicate the discrepancy to the project team and stakeholders

Midway through requirements elicitation, a stakeholder introduces a game-changing requirement. How should the project manager proceed?

Analyze the impact of the new requirement on the project's scope, timeline, and resources

You're building a mission-critical system for a bank with strict regulatory requirements. The requirements are detailed and unlikely to change. What would be the best approach?

Predictive

A project is nearing its deadline. There's pressure to skip the validation of requirements step to save time. What should the Business Analyst advise?

Emphasize the importance of validation to avoid potential rework and issues post-release

After presenting the requirements document, several stakeholders have conflicting opinions. What's the best initial course of action for the Business Analyst?

Facilitate a group discussion to address concerns and achieve consensus

Project manager Mark is currently working on the new office automation project and is consistently being asked for updates and meetings by the project sponsor. Mark has informed the sponsor that the constant meetings have disrupted his work and it's starting to make his project fall behind schedule. The sponsor responded by saying that's his management style. What best describes the sponsor's management style?

Theory X

While working on an agile project, the project manager meets with the project team to discuss what they did the day before and what they plan to do today. What is the name of this meeting?

Daily stand-up meeting

While collecting the requirements for a new software project, the project manager has asked the customers what test would they like to do on the software to ensure that it will meet their requirements. They responded they would like to test out the software over a three day period before they give their approval. What best describes this test?

Acceptance criteria

You're working on a project where the stakeholder's primary concern is seeing a clear, linear progression of completed stages. Which methodology meets this requirement?

Predictive

What is considered the single most important skill for a project manager to have?

Communication

The project sponsor has informed the project manager that the project must be completed by the end of June. This is due to an inspection from a major government agency in the beginning of July. This is an example of what?

Constraints

A major stakeholder is consistently negative and resistant during requirements sessions. How should the Business Analyst handle this?

Engage the stakeholder privately to understand their concerns and feedback

The project manager has brought the project team together to explain what the project will be about and what their roles will be. The team has introduced themselves and is currently learning about the different skill sets each of them can bring to the project. What stage in the Tuckman's ladder best represents this?

Forming

While working on the website upgrade project, the sponsor has asked the project manager to avoid any cost-overrun risks when hiring outside developers. What type of contract would best meet this criteria?

Fixed price

.

The legal department of a large multinational corporation has just learned of a new regulation that will affect their ability to do business in The United States. They have decided to start a new project in order meet the new regulations. Where would the reason to conduct this project be documented?

Business case

A key stakeholder is often suggesting changes in the middle of a sprint. How should the Product Owner handle this?

Explain the Agile principles to the stakeholder and consider the changes for the next sprint

A Team member has reported the schedule variance (SV) for one of her key deliverables. She mentioned that she is behind schedule but there is no cost variance. Which of the following is NOT true in this case?

EV and PV were the same

A team member consistently avoids pairing with others, saying they work better alone. What should the Scrum Master do?

Discuss with the team member to understand their concerns and promote the benefits of collaboration

A project has been in the planning stages for the last seven months. Over this time, the estimates for the project cost have become very accurate. The project manager predicts that the current variance of the estimate is only about 8%. What kind of an estimate is this?

Definitive

The deliverables for the office relocation project had been accepted by the company stakeholders and all office staff are very happy with the work of the movers. The office manager has requested they close the project immediately due to year end budgetary closeouts. The movers have filed a claim for an additional $300 for moving a copier that was not part of the plan. What should the project manager do next?

Keep the project open and inform claims administration

The project team has completed the scope baseline and have started to break down the work packages into individual activities. What process should the team do next?

Sequence Activity

The project team has just completed assigning costs to each of the activities on the project. They will now use these costs to find the overall budget of the project. What tool can the project team use to complete this task?

Cost aggregation

The organization is using Agile methodologies, but teams often complain they don't have access to the necessary tools and resources. Who should address this concern?

The Scrum Master

Mark the project manager is working to create the project scope statement for a sales management software. Many stakeholders have requested a feature be added to enable automated call backs to leads that come through the website. Mark realizes this feature would not be possible due to the company's current network lacking the required hardware. What would be the best approach for Mark to take?

Add the feature as an exclusion to the scope statement

You have just been appointed a new project manager on the product upgrade project. One person in particular at the company feels like the project may cause them to lose their job. This person has expert knowledge of the current product and doesn't feel that it needs an upgrade. What would you consider this person on your project?

Stakeholder

O

While managing a small construction project, the project manager informs the team that they could utilize a lot less material to accomplish the work that they're currently doing. What process does this scenario describe?

Control resources

Mark is currently working on the workstation upgrade project. He has noticed that there are three activities on the critical path: activity A, C, and D. Activity B has a slack of 2 and a duration of four days. Activity C has a duration of three days and activity D has a duration of six days. What is the slack on activity A?

0 days

The project manager and the project team have identified many risks that could affect the website upgrade project. They have listed all of the risks in the risk register. They will now conduct the qualitative risk analysis process by prioritizing the risks. What would the team look at when prioritizing the risks?

Probability and impact

While working on an agile project a customer has requested that the team deploy the software as soon as the iteration is done. The customer has already checked the part of the software that is done and has accepted it. The team has refused to deploy the software. What best explains the team's refusal?

The iteration is part of a release

A project manager has decided that no team members on the project will work on more than one activity at a time. This way the team doesn't get burned out and can work at a steady pace. The schedule may increase due to this policy, which is ok with the sponsor. What technique best describes this action?

Resource leveling

The project manager and team are currently working to create a list of activities that will be needed to complete the project. They have come to one particular work package that they cannot decompose currently because they do not know enough about the work yet. They have decided that midway through the project they will decompose this particular work package. What tool or technique are they using?

Rolling Wave Planning

While monitoring a large construction project, the project manager has calculated the SPI of the project to be 1.2. A contractor has informed the project manager that a delivery will be 1 week late. The 1 week delay is 10% of the project schedule. What impact will this delay have on the final project schedule?

The project will finish on ahead of schedule

When managing risks on a project, the project manager should be aware of the individual project risks and which other project risks?

Overall project risks

The project team has completed a major deliverable on the game development project. The deliverable was given over to the project manager. What action should the project manager take next?

Check the deliverable for quality requirements

During a workshop, two stakeholders have a disagreement about the necessity of a particular feature. What is the best approach for the PM?

Facilitate a discussion to identify underlying needs and find a consensus

Your project's end users are not entirely sure about all their requirements and anticipate that they might evolve as the project progresses. Which project management approach should you choose?

Agile

A project has completed 60% of all the work. The team has spent 55% of the project budget. The budget is currently set at $180,000. When asked by the sponsor to provide the CPI of the project, the project manager should inform the sponsor the CPI is _______ .

1.1

CPI is equal to EV/AC. To find the CPI, you must first find EV and AC.

EV = the percentage of actual work completed x BAC (budget at completion), which is 60% x $180,000 = $108,000.

AC (actual cost) is just the amount of money already spend on the project, which is 55% x $180,000 = $99,000.

So, CPI is $108,000/$90,000 = 1.1

Senior management wants Mary to manage the new datacenter renovation project. She is very excited about this new project since it is something she has been trying to get done for a long time. What process will Mary perform right after she has been assigned to this new project?

Identify Stakeholders

A major portion of a large construction development project was completed buy a contractor. The contractor has completed all the work that is listed in the agreement but also completed other work that the contractor felt had to be done. The contractor is asking for more money than was listed in the agreement and the project manager feels that what they're asking for is too much for the additional work that was completed. What should the project manager do next?

Contact claims administration

While managing a project can be a very complex task that involves identifying and managing all the stakeholders on the project, the project manager spends 90% of their time doing what important task?

Communications

The project team is programming the new financial application for the business. You have informed them that the processes they follow to code the application should be thoroughly reviewed to ensure that there are no bugs in the codes. You would like them to visually draw out the processes to look for process improvements. What tools would best get this done?

Flowchart

A crucial stakeholder cannot attend regular meetings due to time zone differences. How should the Business Analyst accommodate their input?

Use asynchronous communication methods like email to gather their feedback

The project manager and the team have worked many hours to calculate the amount of time it would take to conduct each activity. They would like to document some of the assumptions they made and the constraints they may face when the project is executed. What document will they use for this?

Basis of estimates

The development of an innovative tech gadget requires close collaboration, fast prototyping, and the flexibility to change features based on user testing. Which methodology would best support this?

Agile

While working on a project, the project team has encountered a problem that has halted the project work. The team is not able to come up with a solution, and would like to have an outside company come in and finish the rest of the project. What should the project team do next?

Create a request for proposal

While conducting a risk assessment on a project, the project manager has identified a new regulatory risk. If the project is not completed by July 31, the company will have to scrap the project. What best describes this?

Project constraint

The sponsor would like to get a report about the resources that are being used on the project. He would like to see them broken down by different categories to make them easier to understand. What process will the project manager use to create this report?

Sequence activities

A project manager is currently working with the project team in order to identify risks to the data center upgrade project. This is a critical process and will ensure that the team will have a plan to address any risk that arises during the upgrade. Which of the following will not help you identify risk?

Risk register

While working with the project team and conducting a brainstorming session the project manager has noticed that a lot of the ideas the team is coming up with are not organized. What tool can best be used by the team to visually organize their ideas?

Mind mapping

While constructing a new office space, the sponsor has requested the project manager complete the project sooner. While analyzing the work, the project manager has noticed that some of the work can start before the predecessor work is done. What can the project manager do in this scenario to complete the project sooner?

Add lead times between project activities

While a project manager is working with the team to complete the office redesign project, a sponsor asks her to finish it 2 weeks sooner. The project manager plans to add 4 new people to the team to get the work done sooner. What technique is best described in this scenario?

Crashing

When an organization is considering doing a project, what are some of the factors that can influence why a project should get done:

Meet regulatory, legal, or social requirements

The project manager and team have decided to get an external vendor to complete building out the office space. They are not sure how they would like the layout of the space to look or what types of materials to use. What contract would represent the least amount of risk to the project?

Time and material

The project manager released the project team, then completed the final lesson learned, then completed the final report. The PMO has informed the project manager that they are not happy with this approach. What has the project manager done wrong?

Releasing the team and then doing lessons learned

The project sponsor is very concerned that the project completes on time and has directed the project manager to use the most talented personnel in the organization in order to ensure the project finishes on schedule. What risk strategy best describes this scenario?

Exploit

Two team members were having a conflict over what programming method should be used on the new application. They have resolved the conflict. What would be their next best step?

Implement the new method and verify it solves the actual problem

Your company has decided to roll out a new Wi-Fi network for the staff to use. The sponsor has informed you that the encryption on the network is mandatory for the project. Where will the project manager document that the mandatory encryption was given by the sponsor?

Requirements traceability matrix

During which process does the project manager provide all stakeholders with project status reports?

Manage communication

After a requirements workshop, you have an overwhelming amount of information. What's the next step in processing this information?

Organize and categorize the requirements, then validate them with stakeholders

While monitoring and controlling a project, the project manager has been comparing the work performance data to the project management plan to see if there is any variance. What process did the project manager finish to get the work performance data?

Direct and manage project work

While working on a building construction project, the project manager has determined that the project can only be done on weekends due to the usage of the building during the weekdays. The project manager has informed the team that the project operates on a schedule of Friday night and all day Saturday and Sunday. Where will the project manager need to input this information?

Project calendar

While managing the data center upgrade project, the project manager has identified many risks that might affect the project. These risks generally fall into a few categories such as man-made, natural, or technological risk. Where should the project manager store these risk categories?

Risk breakdown structure

While working on a project schedule, the project manager has noticed that activities A, B, and C, all have a duration of 4 days. The project manager also notice that activities F and G have a duration of 7 days. Activities A, C, F, and G have a slack of one day. Activity B is the only one on the critical path. What is this slack on activity B?

0 days

Overall explanation:

The project manager is having a very difficult time creating the project communication management plan. The project manager has seen other projects in the company with very detailed plans. Where or who is best to get help making the plan?

PMO

The project manager has acquired the project team and he is starting to work with them in order to get the project work done. During this process the project manager has utilized a variety of rewards and recognition theories in order to keep the team motivated. What is the output of this process?

Team performance assessments

During elicitation, a stakeholder provides a long list of requirements. How should the Business Analyst approach this?

Engage in a discussion with the stakeholder to understand and prioritize based on value and feasibility

A project manager is having difficulties communicating with the project team. They always seem to have some kind of misunderstanding or conflict. What interpersonal and team skills should the project manager improve on?

Active listening

A project requires early risk identification and mitigation due to high associated costs with potential pitfalls. Which approach should you adopt?

Agile

During the sprint, the development team is frequently interrupted by stakeholders asking for additional features. What should the Product Owner do?

Educate stakeholders on the Agile process and add valid requests to the product backlog for future consideration

After documenting requirements, you notice that one of them could potentially introduce a risk. How should you proceed?

Document the potential risk and discuss it with relevant stakeholders

When selecting a project, the company will look at different factors that could impact their selection. What document best identifies the need for a project?

Business Case

While working on an agile project, the sponsor would like to know how much work remains to be completed on the project. The project manager has scheduled a meeting with the sponsor for the next day. What tool would be best for the project manager to take to the meeting?

Burndown chart

The project team is currently working on a project to upgrade all the servers across the organization. Before they were able to receive the financial server, the vendor called and said the server delivery has been delayed by 2 weeks. What document should the project manager update immediately?

Issue log

Stakeholders have been identified, but they are not showing active involvement. What tool might assist the Business Analyst in addressing this?

Stakeholder engagement plan

While working on a new server upgrade project, the project manager has calculated the SPI of the project to be 1.3. The project sponsor would like an explanation for why the SPI is that high. What would be the project managers best response?

The project team were able to finish the work faster than anticipated and this is what led to the project being ahead of schedule

The project manager and the project team are reviewing the completed deliverables to see if they meet the performance requirements as outlined in the requirements documentation. This is done so that when the customers are invited to inspect the deliverable, there will be no issues. What is the best output of this process?

Verified deliverables

While analyzing the budget of a project the project manager has noticed that the current CPI of the project is .93 and the SPI is 1.1. What best describes what is taking place on this project?

Crashing

You're developing a game where players' feedback after each release will significantly influence the next set of features. Which methodology is best suited?

Agile

Stakeholders provide several requirements, but there's a constraint in the budget. How should the Business Analyst approach this challenge?

Work with stakeholders to prioritize requirements based on value and importance.

The project manager was informed that a manager in the finance department has asked to be included in the weekly status updates on the project. What documents should the project manager update immediately?

Stakeholder register

When monitoring and controlling the project, the project manager and the team have consistently been receiving broken equipment from a particular vendor. They have spoken with the vendor and have implemented a new process that would ensure the equipment does not show up broken. This seem to have solved the problem. What is the next step the project manager should take?

Check the solution

While is developing a new smartphone, the project team has identified a specific set of performance measurements that the phone should meet when it is complete. The measurement looks at how fast the phone can boot up and how fast it can shut down. Where should the project team document these measurements?

Quality metrics

The Scrum Master notices that the Product Owner is not available for clarifying requirements during sprints. How should the Scrum Master handle this?

Communicate with the Product Owner about the importance of their presence and collaboration

After a software release, user feedback indicates the system is not intuitive. However, it meets the documented requirements. What should the Business Analyst do?

Gather detailed feedback and consider usability enhancements for the next phase

The Scrum Team is repeatedly failing to meet its sprint goals. The Scrum Master realizes that the team is consistently overcommitting. What should be the first step?

Discuss the situation during the retrospective

The organization is transitioning to Agile, but some teams are resistant to change. What is an effective approach to handle this resistance?

Lead by example, showcasing the benefits of Agile on pilot projects

The project manager and the project team have completed the project schedule. They notice that there are 4 critical paths on the project and very few activities have any slack. What best describes the likely outcome of this project?

The project will finish behind schedule

Senior Management of a large company has contacted Mark and informed him that they want him to manage a product redesign project. They have written a project charter and approved it, with Mark as the project manager. What should Mark create next?

Stakeholder register

The project manager is currently reviewing all of the meetings that took place over the past few weeks to ensure that they were done according to the communication management plan. What process is the project manager currently conducting?

Monitor Communications

When working as a project manager, what skill would you utilize the most in a conflict with a functional manager?

Communication

Project manager Mark has overheard that the project team is not satisfied with the way the budget was created. They strongly believe the project will be over budget at the end. What is the next best step for Mark?

Bring the team together and attempt to understand why they feel this way

Mark, the project manager, has started the process of defining the project scope. What document will Mark create when this process is complete?

Project scope statement

A stakeholder is unhappy with a proposed solution, believing it won't meet their needs. Which of the following should the Business Analyst do first?

Discuss with the stakeholder to understand their concerns in detail

A client is unsure about the final functionality they need but wants to launch the first version of their product within three months. Which approach is most suitable?

Agile

During the retrospective, the team identifies a significant process issue, however, it's outside of their control. What should the Scrum Master do?

Escalate the issue to the appropriate parties