PMI PMI Certifications PMI-SP Questions & Answers

• Question 71:

  You are the project manager for your organization. You are working with your project team to develop the project schedule. You would like to automate much of the scheduling by using Microsoft project. Microsoft project as a scheduling tool is an example of what tool and technique for the Develop Schedule Process?

  A. Organizational process asset

  B. Scheduling tool

  C. Project Management Information System

  D. Project office software

  Correct Answer: B

  According to the PMBOK, automated scheduling tools expedite the scheduling process. The scheduling tool is used in combination with manual methods or further project management software to carry out the schedule network analysis to produce an updated project schedule. Answer option C is incorrect. The project management information system is the complete project management software package beyond just the scheduling portion. Answer option D is incorrect. This is not a valid answer. Answer option A is incorrect. While the software may be made available as a part of organizational process assets, the best answer is the scheduling tool.

• Question 72:

  You are the project manager for your organization. You are working through the control schedule process. According to the PMBOK, there are four inputs to this process. Which one of the following is NOT an input to the control schedule process?

  A. Schedule data

  B. Work performance information

  C. Project management plan

  D. Project schedule

  Correct Answer: A

  Schedule data is not an input to the control schedule process. Organizational process assets are the final input to the control schedule process. The inputs of schedule control process are as follows: Project Management Plan Project Schedule Work Performance Integration Organizational Process Assets Answer option C is incorrect. The project management plan is an input to the control schedule process. Answer option D is incorrect. The project schedule is an input to the control schedule process. Answer option B is incorrect. Work performance information is an input to the control schedule process.

• Question 73:

  What is the formula to find the schedule performance index?

  A. EV-PV

  B. EV/AC

  C. EV/PV

  D. EV-AC

  Correct Answer: C

  The schedule performance index shows how well the project is performing on schedule. It is found by dividing the earned value by the planned value. 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 D is incorrect. EV-AC is the project's cost variance. Answer option B is incorrect. EV/AC is the project's cost performance index. Answer option A is incorrect. EV-PV is the project's schedule variance.

• Question 74:

  Kay is the project manager of the QUI Project. This project is done but is also considerably over budget. Kay has elected to crash the project in order to recoup schedule delays but this increased the project costs. What should Kay do with the information regarding the schedule delays and cost overruns?

  A. Create an entry in the lessons learned documentation and explain her reasoning behind the corrective actions.

  B. Create an exceptions report.

  C. Create a variance report.

  D. File the information as part of the project final report.

  Correct Answer: A

  When there have been significant corrective action decisions the reasoning behind the decision should be documented in the lessons learned documentation. What is lessons learned documentation? Lessons learned documentation is prepared to contribute to the lessons learned knowledge database of the organization. It includes the causes of issues, the reasoning behind the corrective action chosen, and other types of lessons learned about stakeholder management. Lessons learned are documented so that they become part of the historical database for the project/program and the performing organization. The lessons learned are compiled, formalized, and stored through out the project's/program's duration. Answer option C is incorrect. A variance report may be appropriate but cost and schedule variances are reported differently. Kay could create a cost variance report and a schedule variance report, but not one report for both project attributes. Answer option B is incorrect. An exceptions report is the same as a variance report. Kay would create a separate exceptions report for cost, and another for schedule. Answer option D is incorrect. The information may go into the project final report but it should be included in the project's lessons learned information when it is discovered.

• Question 75:

  You work as the project manager for BlueWell Inc. Mark, a project team member, has some doubts related to the outputs of the control schedule process. Which of the following is an output of the control schedule process?

  A. Project schedule

  B. Lessons learned

  C. Change request

  D. Activity resource requirement

  Correct Answer: C

  Only change request is a valid answer. The five outputs of the control schedule process are work performance measurements, organizational process assets updates, change requests, the project management plan updates, and project

  document updates. Change requests are requests to expand or reduce the project scope, modify policies, processes, plans, or procedures, modify costs or budgets or revise schedules. These requests for a change can be direct or indirect,

  externally or internally initiated, and legally or contractually imposed or optional. A Project Manager needs to ensure that only formally documented requested changes are processed and only approved change requests are implemented.

  Answer option D is incorrect. Activity resource requirement is not an output of the control schedule process.

  Answer option A is incorrect. The project schedule is not an output of the control schedule process. Answer option B is incorrect. Lessons learned is not an output of the control schedule process.

• Question 76:

  You are the project manager of the QAQ Project. The QAQ Project has a BAC of $2,786,121. You are currently 20 percent complete with this project, though you should be 25 percent complete with the project work. The project has consumed $595,000 of the project budget to date. Management has asked you, based on the current project performance, what the project's estimate to complete will be considering the current project schedule variance. What is the ETC for this project?

  A. $2,975,000

  B. 1.02

  C. $139,306

  D. $2,380,000

  Correct Answer: D

  The estimate to complete wants to know how much more money the project will need to complete its objectives. The estimate to complete (ETC) is the expected cost needed to complete all the remaining work for a scheduled activity, a group

  of activities, or the project. ETC helps project managers predict what the final cost of the project will be upon completion. The formula for the ETC is EAC- AC. The EAC is BAC/ CPI.

  Answer option A is incorrect. This is the estimate at completion based on the current project performance. Answer option C is incorrect. This is the current schedule variance. Answer option B is incorrect. 1.02 is the to-complete performance

  index based on the BAC.

• Question 77:

  Which of the following allows activities to be done in parallel that would normally be done in sequence?

  A. Lag time

  B. Lead time

  C. Fast tracking

  D. Crashing

  Correct Answer: C

  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 D is incorrect. Crashing is a process in that the project manager adds more resources to effort-driven activities in an attempt to shorten their duration. Answer option A is incorrect. A lag time is a delay between the predecessor and the successor tasks. Sometimes it may be needed to schedule a delay between the predecessor and the successor tasks. For example, if two coats of paint are required to paint a car, then the final coat should be applied only when the first coat dries. This delay is known as the lag time. The lag time is entered as a positive value. The lag time can be entered as a duration or as a percentage of the predecessor's task duration. It is entered on the Predecessor tab in the Task Information dialog box. Answer option B is incorrect. A lead time is the time that overlaps between the predecessor and the successor tasks. The successor task can start before the predecessor task finishes. For example, if a task can start when its predecessor is one-fourth finished, a finish-to-start dependency with a lead time of 25 percent for the successor task can be specified. The lead time is entered as a negative value. The lead time can be entered as a duration or as a percentage of the predecessor's task duration. It is entered on the Predecessor tab in the Task Information dialog box.

• Question 78:

  You are the project manager for your organization. You have created the project schedule and have presented it to the management for their approval. Management decides to enforce resource leveling heuristics on your project schedule. What will likely happen to your project now?

  A. It will require fewer resources due to the cut in the project scope.

  B. It will require additional resources for the additions to the project scope.

  C. It will require additional resources if it is to finish in the same amount of time, as originally predicted.

  D. It will require a new scope baseline to reflect the management change in the project approach.

  Correct Answer: C

  Resource leveling heuristics limits the amount of time a resource is allowed to work in a given time period. This action typically increases the project duration. By adding additional resources to effort- driven activity the project can still

  complete, often, in the same schedule, otherwise the duration of the project will increase.

  Answer option B is incorrect. Resource leveling heuristics does not change the project scope. Answer option A is incorrect. This is not an instance of cutting the project scope. Answer option D is incorrect. The project scope baseline is not

  affected by resource leveling heuristics.

• Question 79:

  Alicia works as a project manager for NacTec project. She is undergoing the project monitoring phase in her project. Which of the following will she choose to accomplish the task? Each correct answer represents a complete solution. Choose all that apply.

  A. Reports

  B. Meetings

  C. Diaries

  D. Future planning

  Correct Answer: ABC

  Project monitoring should be worked out to verify all the working actions, including investments. Project monitoring helps the project staff to know how things are going, as well as giving early warnings of possible troubles and difficulties. The

  methods used in monitoring a project are as follows:

  1.Reports: Reports will help to identify the progress and problems easily and early. Reports must be completed in a standardized form at regular, predetermined intervals by all the team members. Reports should be short and brief.

  2.Diaries: It is a helpful way of recording information. 3.Finances: An understanding of the basic concepts of project fianance are important in making a project. Careful budgeting and planning will provide a great help in finance. 4.Meeting:

  There should be periodic meeting of team members to resolve the issues. This will help to monitor the problems easily and efficiently.

  Answer option D is incorrect. This is the information that is used for monitoring to be useful. It is not a monitoring method.

• Question 80:

  You are the project manager for your project. Your project is scheduled to last for one year and you are currently forty percent complete with the project. Based on your current performance measurements you have an SPI of .95 and a cost variance of -$24,000. You need to report this information to the management, but you will also need a solution to present with the variance information. Which one of the following can you present to the management as a part of the control schedule tools and techniques for variances?

  A. Work performance measurements

  B. Corrective actions

  C. Trim the project scope

  D. Causes of variances

  Correct Answer: B

  The only tool and technique for controlling the schedule is a corrective action. You should always report problems to management, the project customers, or key stakeholders as defined in the Communications Management Plan, but you should also always present a solution to the problem. A corrective action is a change implemented to address a weakness identified in a management system. Normally corrective actions are implemented in response to a customer complaint, abnormal levels of internal nonconformity, nonconformities identified during an internal audit or adverse or unstable trends in product and process monitoring such as would be identified by SP C. It is method of identifying and eliminating the causes of a problem, thus preventing their reappearance. Examples of a corrective action are : Improvements to maintenance schedules Improvements to material handling or storage Answer option C is incorrect. Trimming the project scope, which is a change request, is not a tool and technique for control the scheduling. It is, however, an output of the control schedule process and is sometimes a valid decision if the project is slipping on schedule performance. Answer option A is incorrect. Work performance measurements are not a tool and technique for controlling the project schedule. Answer option D is incorrect. The causes of the variance can help you determine the best action to take, but it is not a tool and technique for schedule control.