PMI PMI Certifications PMI-SP Questions & Answers

• Question 151:

  You are the project manager of the NAA Project for your organization. You are exploring the possibility of fast tracking in your project. Which of the following statements is most accurate about fast tracking the project?

  A. Fast tracking only works if activities can be overlapped to shorten duration.

  B. Fast tracking only works if the activities are effort-driven.

  C. Fast tracking only works if the activities are resource-driven.

  D. Fast tracking only works if activities can have start-to-start relationships.

  Correct Answer: A

  Fast tracking is only valid if the activities or phases can be overlapped. Some activities or phases cannot be overlapped due to mandatory dependencies in the project. In other words, the work must be completed in a particular given order.

  Fast tracking is a technique for compressing project schedule. In fast tracking, phases are overlapped that would normally be done in sequence. It is shortening the project schedule without reducing the project scope.

  Answer option C is incorrect. This is not a valid description of fast tracking. Answer option B is incorrect. Effort-driven or activities of fixed duration can be fast tracked. Answer option D is incorrect. The relationships among the activities do not

  have to be start-to-start to be fast tracked.

• Question 152:

  You work as the project manager for BlueWell Inc. You are reviewing and regulating the progress to meet the performance objectives defined in the project management plan. Mark, a trainee, has a doubt related to the inputs of monitor and control project work. Which of the following is the input to monitor and control project work?

  A. Project document updates

  B. Expert judgment

  C. Performance report

  D. Project management plan updates

  Correct Answer: C

  Performance report is an input of monitor and control project work. Reports are prepared by the project team detailing activities, milestones, and problems. A performance report is made by the project team detailing activities, milestones,

  problems, accomplishments, and identified issues. Performance reports are used to report some key information as follows: Current status Scheduled activities Significant accomplishment for the period Forecasts Issues

  Answer option B is incorrect. It is the tool and technique used for monitoring and controlling project work. Answer options A and D are incorrect. These are the outputs to monitor and control project work.

• Question 153:

  Anna is the project manager of the NHQ project. Her project has 1,500 stakeholders, some of which are external to her organization. In this project, Anna wants to create a method to classify the stakeholders based on their level of authority

  and their level of concern regarding the project outcomes. This model will help Anna determine the communication demands and when information should be distributed.

  What does Anna want to create in this instance?

  A. Power/interest grid

  B. Salience model

  C. Power/influence grid

  D. Communications matrix

  Correct Answer: A

  Anna needs to create a power/interest grid. This grid groups the stakeholders based on their level of authority and level of concern regarding the project outcomes. The power/interest grid forms a group of the stakeholders based on their level of authority (power) and their level of interest in the project. Interest accounts to what degree the stakeholders are affected by examining the project or policy change, and to what degree of interest or concern they have about it. Power accounts for the influence the stakeholders have over the project or policy, and to what degree they can help to accomplish, or block, the preferred change. Stakeholders, who have high power and interests associated with the project, are the people or organizations that are fully engaged with the project. When trying to generate strategic change, this community is the target of any operation. Answer option B is incorrect. A salience model classifies stakeholders based on their power, urgency, and legitimacy. Answer option C is incorrect. A power/influence grid groups the stakeholders based on their power and influence. Answer option D is incorrect. A communications matrix simply maps which stakeholder need to communicate with other stakeholders.

• Question 154:

  Gary is the project manager of the GHY project. He has elected to use a previous, but similar, project to guide him and the project team through the estimate activity duration process. The previous project schedule could best described as which one of the following?

  A. Organizational process asset

  B. Lessons learned documentation

  C. Process input

  D. Predecessor project

  Correct Answer: A

  This is an example of an organizational process asset. The previous project is the historical information that the current project can use. This could also be, with a bit more information, an example of an analogous estimate. Organizational process assets are forms, templates, and other support pieces that the project managers can use to help manage their projects. It is usually something that has been created before the project begins and often, but not always, comes from historical information. Answer option D is incorrect. This is not a valid term for this question. Answer option B is incorrect. The lessons learned documentation is a separate document that Gary might reference for his current project, but this is not a valid choice. Answer option C is incorrect. While organizational process assets are inputs to this process, this choice is not the best selection for the question.

• Question 155:

  Holly is the project manager of the NDS project and she is 85 percent complete with her project though she should be 95 percent complete. Her project has a BAC of $9,850,400 and she has spent $8,011,221 to date. What is Holly's schedule variance for this project?

  A. $163,626

  B. $130,901

  C. -$985,040

  D. 0.16

  Correct Answer: C

  The schedule variance for a project can be found by subtracting the planned value from the earned value. In this instance, it would be as follows: SV = EV - PV =(0.85*9,850,400) - (0.95*9,850,400) = 8,372,840 - 9,357,880 =-985,040 Schedule variance (SV) is a measure of schedule performance on a project. The variance notifies that the schedule is ahead or behind what was planned for this period in time. The schedule variance is calculated based on the following formula: SV = Earned Value (EV) - Planned Value (PV) If the resulting schedule is negative, it indicates that the project is behind schedule. A value greater than 0 shows that the project is ahead of the planned schedule. A value of 0 indicates that the project is right on target. Answer option B is incorrect. $130,901 is the cost variance. Answer option A is incorrect. $163,626 is the variance at completion for this project. Answer option D is incorrect. 0.16 is the difference between the schedule performance index of .84 and a perfect schedule.

• Question 156:

  You work as a project manager for BlueWell Inc. According to you, which of the following is an output of the Sequence Activities process?

  A. Project scope statement

  B. Project schedule network diagram

  C. Activity list

  D. Organizational process assets

  Correct Answer: B

  Sequence Activities is one of the twenty processes of the Planning Process group. It is the process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities. Inputs Following are the inputs to this activity:

  Activity list

  Activity attributes

  Milestone list

  Project scope statement

  Organizational process assets

  Outputs Following are the outputs of the sequence activities process:

  Project schedule network diagrams

  Project document updates

• Question 157:

  Mary is the project manager for her organization. She is working with the project team to define the project activities. She is concerned about some of the dependencies of the project work, which may affect the project schedule. Which one of the following is the best example of a project constraint that will likely affect the project's ability to finish by a given deadline?

  A. The project must use internal team members to complete the project work.

  B. The project must adhere to several regulations.

  C. The project must use the BGH company to deliver the software portion of the project.

  D. The project must not exceed $1,250,000.

  Correct Answer: C

  Of all the constraints listed only this is an external dependency, which can directly affect the project manager's control over the project work. If the BGH company is late delivering the software portion of the project, it will likely have an effect on the project's ability to complete the project on time. Answer option B is incorrect. While regulations may affect the project timing, this is not the best choice. Answer option D is incorrect. The $1,250,000 is an example of cost constraint. Answer option A is incorrect. This is only constraint if the project team members are not available, or do not have the required skills to complete the project work.

• Question 158:

  Kelly is the project manager of her organization. She is reviewing the project network diagram to confirm that the resource she has identified is available to complete the project assignments without conflicting with other activities in the project node. The availability of resources will help Kelly determine the final finish date for the project. What scheduling technique is Kelly using?

  A. Critical Chain method

  B. Resource utilization

  C. Critical Path method

  D. Resource leveling heuristics

  Correct Answer: A

  The Critical Chain method examines the availability of project resources to determine when the resource may be utilized without conflicting with other activities. The Critical Chain method is a project management technique in which schedule network analysis is used for the purpose of modifying and determining a set of project schedules to account for more inadequate than estimated project financial resources. This method tends to keep the resources levelly loaded, but requires the resources to be flexible in their start times and to quickly switch between tasks and task chains to keep the whole project on schedule. In the Critical Chain method, projects are completed more rapidly and with better scheduling consistency. Answer option C is incorrect. The Critical Path method examines the duration of the critical path to determine the finish date for the project. It does not consider when project activities are available. Answer option B is incorrect. Resource utilization simply means that the resource is scheduled for work. Answer option D is incorrect. A resource leveling heuristic is a guideline, such as a maximum of 35 hours per week, per resource. It is a rule that usually signals the maximum amount of hours a resource may be utilized on the project.

• Question 159:

  Frank is the project manager in BlueWell Inc. He is working with his project to subdivide the project work packages into smaller, more manageable components. He and the project team are planning in detail all of the things the team will need to create, purchase, or do in order to satisfy the project scope. Management is concerned with the activity which Frank is using in this scenario, as they believe that Frank is taking too long to complete this pre-execution activity. Which of the following techniques of the activity process is Frank using in this example?

  A. Rolling wave planning

  B. Expert judgment

  C. Creating a project template

  D. Decomposition

  Correct Answer: D

  This is an example of decomposition. Frank and the project team are subdividing the work packages into smaller, more manageable units called activities. The tools and techniques used in defining the activity process are as follows: Decomposition: It is used to further divide the project work package into a more smaller and convenient form called activities. Rolling Wave Planning: It is a form of progressive elaboration planning where the work to be accomplished in the near term is planned in detail and future work is planned at a higher level of WBS. Templates: It is an activity list or a part of the activity list taken from the previous project and used in a new project. Expert Judgement: The skilled members in a project team or other experts who develop project scope statements can help provide knowledge in defining activities.

• Question 160:

  You are the project manager of the NHQ Project and are trying to determine which seller you should choose for the project. You have received proposals from six vendors and they are all very good proposal, qualified to complete the project work, and the prices are close to the same. You would like to create method of ranking each vendor based and assign a score value to several different categories. Because the project is a high-profile project, you have assigned 25 points to experience and 10 points for all of the other categories to judge the vendors. This is considered what type of source selection process?

  A. Screening system

  B. Preferred vendor list

  C. Benefits-cost analysis

  D. Weighting system

  Correct Answer: D

  This is an example of a weighting system as the values you're measuring are weighted towards experience.

  Answer option B is incorrect. A preferred vendors list describes the vendors you're allowed to choose from in the organization.

  Answer option A is incorrect. A screening system sets qualifiers in place, such as the vendor must have a PMP on staff, in order to qualify for the project.

  Answer option C is incorrect. The benefits-cost analysis defines the total number of benefits to the number of costs the project requires.