Self Test

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1.	The project life cycle is comprised of which of the following? Phases Milestones Estimates Activities
2.	Marcy, the project manager for the ERP Project, is about to complete the Project Phase Review. The completion of a project phase is also known as which of the following? Lessons learned Kill points Earned Value Management Conditional advancement
3.	Which of the following is not a key stakeholder in a project that creates a service internal to an organization? Project manager External customers Project vendors Project team members
4.	Of the following management skills, which will a project manager use most? Leading Communication Influencing the organization Negotiations
5.	Managing is best described as which one of the following? Establishing direction Functional controls over the project team and stakeholders Consistently producing key results expected by stakeholders Motivating and inspiring the project team to produce results that are expected by project stakeholders
6.	Ron, the project manager, expects formal communications for change requests. Of the following, which is most likely not an example of formal communication? Reports Oral presentations E-mail Team meetings
7.	Which of the following is an example of negotiation? Arbitration Formal communications Conferring Scope creep
8.	You are the project manager for your organization. Influencing your organization requires which of the following? An understanding of the organizational budget Research and documentation of proven business cases An understanding of formal and informal organizational structures Positional power
9.	Your global project is sabotaged by rumors and gossip about the project deliverable. This is an example of: Cultural achievability Cultural influences with the project team Project team mutiny Ineffective planning
10.	What is the difference between a standard and a regulation? Standards are mandatory; regulations are not Standards are optional; regulations are not Regulations and standards are essentially the same Regulations are mandatory; standards may be seen as guidelines
11.	You are the project manager of a project that spans the globe in its implementation. Your team is non-collocated and many of the project team members will need to travel between sites to complete the project work. Which of the following is least relevant to internationalization? Time zones Travel requirements Project schedule Teleconferences versus videoconferences
12.	Which of the following is an example of a deliverable at the end of the requirements gathering phase in a software design project? Responsibility matrix creation Detail design document Business needs Project team assembled
13.	You are the project manager for the ERP Project. Your organization uses a project office. The primary purpose of a project office is to: Support the project managers Support the Project Sponsor Support the project team Identify the stakeholders
14.	Which of the following best describes a project deliverable? The resources used by the project to complete the necessary work The resources exported from the project as a result of the project work The end result of a project planning session The tangible good or service created by the project team
15.	At what point in a project would a kill point be acceptable? When a project team member is not performing as planned When a project reaches the end of a project phase When a project reaches the end of its budget When a project manager determines the project cannot continue
16.	Of the following, which is not an exit criterion? Customer sign-offs Quality metrics Stakeholder expectations Regulatory inspections
17.	The compilation of all the phases within a project equates to ____________________. Project life cycle Product life cycle Project completion Project processes
18.	Management has asked Nancy to determine if a project concept is valid and can be completed using a reasonable amount of time and finances. Management is asking for which of the following? Kill points Cost and time estimates A project case study A feasibility study
19.	Henry, the project manager of the MHB Project, has allowed a subsequent project phase to begin before the predecessor phase is complete. This is an example of which of the following? Crashing Fast tracking Risk management Tandem scheduling
20.	Which of the following describes the early stages of a project? High costs and high demand for resources A high demand for change A high demand for project team time Low costs and low demand for resources
21.	At which point is the risk of failure the least, but the consequence of failure the highest? During the early stages During the middle stages During the final stages Risk of failure is even across all project phases
22.	Tracey is the project manager of the KHG Project. Her organization is a classic functional environment. Her level of authority as a project manager can be best described as which of the following? Low Moderate Balanced High
23.	Project team members are most likely to work full-time on a project in which of the following organizational structures? Functional Weak matrix Strong matrix Projectized
24.	A project with much risk and reward is most likely to be accepted in which of the following? An entrepreneurial company A heavily regulated company A non-profit organization A community
25.	Where can a project manager expect to receive templates? Commercial databases The project office The project sponsor PMIS

Answers

1.	þ A. The project life cycle is comprised of phases. ý B is incorrect since milestones may exist within the project plan, but they do not comprise the project life cycle. C is wrong because estimates are not directly related to the project life cycle. Choice D, activities, comprise the phases within the project life cycle, but not the project life cycle itself.
2.	þ B. The completion of a project phase may also be known as a kill point. ý Lessons learned is a collection of information and knowledge gained through an experience, typically a phase, within the project, so A is wrong. EVM, earned value management, can happen at different times throughout the project, not just at the end of a project phase, therefore C is wrong. Choice D, conditional advancement, is a term that is used to describe the conditions that must be present for the work to continue on a project. Conditional advancement, however, does not have to happen only at the end of a project phase.
3.	þ B. External customers are not key stakeholders in this instance as they are not actively involved in an internal project. ý A and D are actively involved in the project processes. Choice C, project vendors, is most likely a key stakeholder before an external customer since their ability to perform services and deliver goods may affect project schedule, budget, and completion.
4.	þ B. Communication is the key general management skill a project manager will use the most. ý Choices A, C, and D are necessary, but communication accounts for the majority of a project manager's time.
5.	þ C. Managing has to do with consistently producing key results that are expected by stakeholders. ý Choices A and D describe the leadership processes a project manager must possess, therefore they are wrong. Choice B is incorrect as it describes the functional management position over project team members.
6.	þ C. Of all the choices presented, answer C is most likely not a formal communication. ý Choices A, B, and D are likely to be formal communications within a project.
7.	þ A. Arbitration is a form of negotiation. Technically, it is a form of assisted negotiation. ý B is not a negotiation technique. Choice C, conferring, is not negotiating, but a process to seek consensus on a decision. D is incorrect as scope creep is the process of allowing additional activities into the project scope.
8.	þ C. To influence an organization (in order to get things done), a project manager must understand the explicit and implied organizational structures within an organization. ý Choice A is incorrect since the project manager may not even have access to an organizational budget. B is incorrect because a proven business case may not map to every scenario when influencing an organization. Finally, D is incorrect because positional power may relate to only a small portion of an organization, not to multiple facets of influence.
9.	þ A. Rumors and gossip can sabotage a project. This is an example of cultural achievability. ý B and C are incorrect since rumors and gossip may happen internally and externally to the project team. D may be tempting, but the rumors and gossip could happen outside of the effective planning completed by the project manager and the project team.
10.	þ D. Of all the choices presented, D is the best answer since regulations are mandatory requirements. ý Choice A is incorrect because it does not accurately describe regulations and standards. Choice B is incorrect since regulations are not optional, they are mandatory. C is incorrect-standards and regulations are not the same.
11.	þ C. The project schedule is the least relevant when compared to the other factors of internationalization. ý Choices A, B, and D are all greatly affected by the geographical locale, difference in time zones, and availability of resources in these different countries.
12.	þ B. The detail design document is an output of the requirements gathering phase. ý Choice A is incorrect because the responsibility matrix creation is a process, not an output of itself. C is incorrect because business needs may prompt the project to begin, not an output of a phase. D is also wrong because the project team assembled is part of the project process; it is not an output.
13.	þ A. The project office supports the project manager. ý B and C are incorrect because the project office does not support the Project Sponsor and project team. Choice D is incorrect because stakeholder objectives may vary from stakeholder to stakeholder.
14.	þ D. Recall that projects are temporary endeavors to create a unique product or service. ý A is incorrect because resources devoted to the project do not constitute a project deliverable. B and C are incorrect since project work is not a deliverable and there will be multiple planning sessions on most projects. The work of a project often will result in a deliverable, not resources or a work product.
15.	þ B. Kill points are typically at the end of a project phase. A kill point does not mean the project is killed, just that the potential for termination exists. ý Choices A, C, and D may appear to be correct, but they do not adequately describe a kill point.
16.	þ C. Exit criterion are activities or evidence that allow a project to move forward. Stakeholder expectations are universal to the entire project, not just to one project phase. ý Choices A, B, and D are all examples of activities that can be considered exit criteria.
17.	þ A. The project life cycle is comprised of all of the project phases within a project. ý B describes the life of many projects that create a unique product or service. C and D are incorrect since they do not accurately describe the project life cycle.
18.	þ D. Management is looking for a feasibility study to determine if it is feasible for a project to exist. ý Choice A is incorrect since kill points are within a project and typically don't prove project feasibility. Cost and time estimates, answer B, are not the elements Nancy or management needs at this juncture. Choice C, Project Case Study, may seem correct, but D is a superior answer since it is the formal name for the report documenting the project's feasibility.
19.	þ B. Fast tracking is the process of allowing successor phases (or activities) to begin before predecessor phases (or activities) are complete. ý A is incorrect because crashing is the process of adding more resources to the project in an attempt to complete the project sooner. C, risk management, happens throughout the project, therefore it is wrong. D is also wrong because tandem scheduling is not a relevant term in this instance.
20.	þ D. Projects typically have low costs and low demand for resources early in their life cycle. ý Choices A, B, and C are incorrect statements in regard to projects.
21.	þ C. As the project moves closer to completion, the likelihood of risk diminishes. ý Choices A, B, and D are incorrect in regard to risk assessment in a project.
22.	þ A. Tracey will most likely have a low amount of authority in a functional organization structure. ý Choices B and C are incorrect because they describe the matrix structures. Choice D is incorrect since it is relevant to a projectized structure.
23.	þ D. Projectized structures often have project team members assigned to the project on a full-time basis. ý Choices A, B, and C are incorrect since these structures have part-time project teams.
24.	þ A. Projects with much risk and reward are most likely to be accepted within an entrepreneurial organization. ý Choices B, C, and D are typically more adverse to risk and likely wouldn't accept a project with a large amount of risk.
25.	þ B. The project office is the best choice since its role is to support the project manager. ý Choice A, commercial databases, may be feasible, but it is not the best choice presented. Project Sponsors, Choice C, are not typically going to provide the project manager with templates. Choice D, project management information systems, may have project templates available, but the project office is the best choice presented.

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