Answers to Final Exam Review 3

1. D. Culture shock occurs when a person is working in an unfamiliar environment and their experiences and the actions of others around them are not as they expect. For more information, see Chapter 12 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

2. B. The EAC formula for this question is AC + ((BAC EV) CPI). CPI = EV AC. First, calculate CPI: 145 138 = 1.05. Plugging in the numbers from the question, you get 138 + ((200 145) 1.05) = 190.4. For more information, see Chapter 9 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

3. D. The communications management plan (an output of the Communications Planning process) is implemented during the Information Distribution process. For more information, see Chapter 8 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

4. B. The identification and classification of scope changes is documented in the scope management plan, which is part of the Scope Planning process, not the Scope Definition process. For more information, see Chapter 4 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

5. C. The resource calendar reflects the periods of work that specific resourcesor groups of resourcesare available to work on the project. Resource calendars are an input to the Schedule Development process. For more information, see Chapter 7 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

6. C. When a project is performed under contract, pricing determines how much the organization will charge for producing the product or service of the project. For more information, see Chapter 5 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

7. B. As a PMP, one of your responsibilities is to support the PMP Code of Professional Conduct and make certain others have copies or access to it. As the project manager, you should require all PMPs on the project to have a copy and read it. For more information, see Chapter 12 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

8. B. Qualitative Risk Analysis determines the probability and impact of risks on the project objectives, ranks risks in priority order, and assigns an overall risk ranking for the project. For more information, see Chapter 6 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

9. D. The scope statement and the WBS are inputs to both the Resource Planning and the Activity Definition process. However, Activity Definition should not be part of this answer, since it focuses on Resource Planning process elements. Resources are determined, quantities of resources have been identified, and the timing of the resources needed to perform the activities has been determined. The question describes linking the resources with the activities. The activities have already been decomposed from the WBS resulting in the activity list, which is an output of the Activity Definition process. For more information, see Chapter 5 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

10. A. Leadership, communication, and negotiation skills are the three most important general knowledge skills needed during Project Plan Execution. All general management skills are needed during this process, but these are essential. For more information, see Chapter 8 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

11. D. The formula for future value is FV = PV(1 + i) ⁿ . Plugging in the information from the question, the formula becomes $10,000 (1 + .05) ² = $11,025. For more information, see Chapter 3 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

12. C. Change requests are an output of the Project Plan Execution process and are an input to the Cost Control and Integrated Change Control processes. For more information, see Chapter 8 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

13. B. Product analysis is a tool and technique of Scope Planning, and according to A Guide to the PMBOK , uses techniques such as product breakdown analysis, systems engineering, value engineering, value analysis, function analysis, and quality function deployment. For more information, see Chapter 4 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

14. A. Control charts can be used to monitor any type of output variableincluding project management processesbut are most often used to track repetitive activities. For more information, see Chapter 10 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

15. D. Progressive elaboration is a process of defining the characteristics of the product or service of the project incrementally into further and further detail. For more information, see Chapter 1 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

16. D. The tools and techniques of the Organizational Planning process are templates, human resource practices, organizational theory, and stakeholder analysis. For more information, see Chapter 5 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

17. B. According to A Guide to the PMBOK , page 140, The effectiveness of response planning will directly determine whether risk increases or decreases for the project. For more information, see Chapter 6 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

18. D. Indexed records are project records created during the Administrative Closure process, but this question is referring to the Contract Closeout process. That means Answer D is the least correct answer. For more information, see Chapter 12 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

19. B. This question describes a series of phases used to publish a book. Phase sequencing involves a series of handoffs from one phase to the next. In this question, the project manager is required to obtain approval on one phase before handoff can occur to the next phase. For more information, see Chapter 1 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

20. C. Rebaselining typically occurs as a result of cost or schedule revisions (which can be caused by scope changes). Quality Control is concerned with product results and project management results such as cost and schedule performance. Quality Control is also concerned with eliminating unsatisfactory results. For more information, see Chapter 10 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

21. A. A change to the agreed-upon WBS tells you were talking about scope changes. Scope changes are managed with the scope change control system (a tool and technique of this process), which this question also mentions. The scope change was approved and appropriate planning processes already were updated, as the question states. While answers B, C, and D may seem correct, the question states that the project costs and project schedule have changed due to the approved change. Costs and schedules are baselines that might be significantly impacted when changes to scope occur. This question states that the changes are substantial, so the baselines should be adjusted. Adjusted baseline is an output of the Scope Change Control process. For more information, see Chapter 10 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

22. D. The payback period is the least precise of all the cash flow techniques, not discounted cash flow. For more information, see Chapter 3 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

23. D. Screening systems use predetermined performance criteria or minimum requirements of performance to rate vendors . For more information, see Chapter 9 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

24. D. Estimate at completion (EAC) is the expected cost of the work when completed. For more information, see Chapter 9 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

25. D. This question describes a balanced matrix organization. The title of the position is project manager, which tells you its either a balanced or strong matrix organization. The fact that Jim the team member has a functional manager who is your peer tells you that this organization is a balanced matrix. For more information, see Chapter 1 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

26. B. GERT takes into account probabilistic treatment of the activity duration estimates. Some activities may only be performed in part, some more than once, and others not at all. For more information, see Chapter 7 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

27. C. The project managers primary responsibilities include planning, executing, and managing the project according to the project plan. The project manager may not even be identified until the close of the Initiation process or phase. For more information, see Chapter 3 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

28. A. The Project Plan Execution, Performance Reporting, Quality Control, and Change Control project management processes must be applied during the Contract Administration process in order to manage contractual relationships and integrate the outputs of these processes within Contract Administration. For more information, see Chapter 9 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

29. B. General management skills are very likely to affect project outcomes . Cost Budgeting is part of the Planning process group, and Cost Control is part of the Controlling process group . PMI requires either a degree or a certain number of years of experience in project management to sit for the exam, along with other requirements. For more information, see Chapter 1 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

30. D. Recruitment practices are organizational procedures or policies that deal with hiring and assigning staff. For more information, see Chapter 5 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

31. B. The Activity Sequencing process produces network diagrams and updates to the activity list. The purpose of this process is to identify all activity dependencies. For more information, see Chapter 5 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

32. D. The outputs of the Scope Planning process are the scope statement, supporting detail, and the scope management plan. For more information, see Chapter 4 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

33. C. Its important for project managers to understand the organizational culture theyre working in. Entrepreneurial, leading edge, aggressive organizations are likely to approve high-risk projects, and project managers are typically comfortable proposing new ideas and projects in this type of environment. For more information, see Chapter 1 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

34. C. When obtaining services from within the organization, the only process youll perform is the Procurement Planning process. For more information, see Chapter 6 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

35. C. The inputs of the Communication Planning process are communications requirements, communications technology, assumptions, and constraints. For more information, see Chapter 4 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

36. C. This question describes Project Integration Management. The three processes in this knowledge area are Project Plan Development, Project Plan Execution, and Integrated Change Control. The question tells you the project plan is being executed (Project Plan Execution) and the customer has requested changes (Integrated Change Control). It also tells you that changes to the project plan are required (Project Plan Development) and the processes in this knowledge area are highly interactive. For more information, see Chapter 2 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

37. C. Payback period is the least precise of all cash flow calculations, so you shouldnt give this a lot of consideration if NPV is positive and IRR is greater than 0. Since Project B and Project D both have negative NPV, they shouldnt be chosen . Project C has a higher IRR value than Project A and should be the project you choose, even though its payback period is longer than project A. For more information, see Chapter 3 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

38. A. Risk categories are an input to the Risk Identification process. For more information, see Chapter 6 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

39. B. Monte Carlo analysis is the most commonly used simulation technique in the Schedule Development process. For more information, see Chapter 7 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

40. B. Project Scope Management is concerned with product scope and project scope. Product scope is concerned with the characteristics of the product or service of the project and is measured against the project requirements. Project scope is concerned with the work of the project and is measured against the project plan. For more information, see Chapter 2 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

41. C. As the project progresses through the life cycle, you should use different techniques to perform these processes, including using different techniques to motivate, lead, and coach. The techniques youll use will depend on the makeup of the project team and the stakeholders involved in that stage. For more information, see Chapter 2 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

42. D. The WBS details the entire scope of the project and includes all deliverables. It is an output of the Scope Definition process. For more information, see Chapter 4 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

43. C. IRR is the discount rate when the present value of the cash inflows equals the original investment. Project As original investment equals the present value of its cash inflows at a discount rate of eight percent. Therefore, Project A has the highest IRR and should be chosen above the other two. For more information, see Chapter 3 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

44. D. In practice, a procurement audit would reveal this information but according to A Guide to the PMBOK , procurement audits are performed from Procurement Planning through Contract Administration. This question describes the Contract Closeout process, because formal acceptance and closure are an output of Contract Closeout. Therefore, none of these answers are correct. For more information, see Chapter 11 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

45. A. This came about due to a business need. Staff members were spending unproductive hours converting information, causing the company loss. The time the employees spent converting the information could have been spent doing something more productive. For more information, see Chapter 2 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

46. D. Qualitative Risk Analysis involves determining what impact the identified risks will have on the project and the probability theyll occur. Quantitative Risk Analysis looks at the risks you've identified and assigns numeric probabilities to each risk and their impacts. Quantitative Risk Analysis evaluates the impacts of risk and quantifies the risk exposure of the project. It determines any interactions among the risks and assesses the range of potential project outcomes. The tools and techniques of the Quantitative Risk Analysis process are interviewing, sensitivity analysis, decision tree analysis, and simulation. For more information, see Chapter 6 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

47. B. This is a constraint, because the actions of the project team are restricted due to the hardware policy. For more information, see Chapter 2 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

48. D. An assumption is an event or action believed to be true. Two assumptions are stated in this question. You assume that the person who worked the equipment deliverable on the last project of this nature will be assigned to your project and that he understands the newest equipment updates and needs. For more information, see Chapter 2 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

49. C. The six needs or demands are market demand, business need, customer request, technological advance, legal requirement, and social need. For more information, see Chapter 2 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

50. D. The arrow diagramming method sometimes requires the use of dummy activities in order to define the logical relationships correctly. For more information, see Chapter 5 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

51. D. Quality Planning has four outputs: quality management plan, operational definitions, checklists, and inputs to other processes. Benchmarking is a tool and technique of this process. For more information, see Chapter 6 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

52. B. The Delphi technique reduces bias in the data. The nominal group technique is similar to the Delphi technique, but A Guide to the PMBOK states that Delphi reduces bias. For more information, see Chapter 6 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

53. B. This is an example of a linear cardinal scale. Risk scales reflect the severity of the effects of the risk consequences to the project objectives. For more information, see Chapter 6 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

54. B. The expected value is calculated as:

    (Optimistic + Pessimistic + (4 x Most Likely)) 6

    The formula for this question is:

    (18 + 22 + (4 x  20)) 6 = 20

    CPM uses the most likely estimate to determine activity duration estimates, which is 20. For more information, see Chapter 7 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

55. A. According to A Guide to the PMBOK, the project plan changes as the project progresses and more information is known. Performance measurement baselines typically only change when the project scope or project deliverables change and those changes are approved. For more information, see Chapter 7 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

56. C. This confrontation describes the storming stage of team development. For more information, see Chapter 8 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

57. D. The best answer to this question is D. Theory X managers believe people are motivated only by punishment, money, or position. This manager has made a point of telling you about her position and threatened you with punishment if you dont shape up. For more information, see Chapter 8 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

58. D. Earned value analysis integrates scope, cost, and schedule measures to analyze project performance. It is the most commonly used method of performance measurement. For more information, see Chapter 9 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

59. D. Other terms for change control board include technical assessment board (TAB), technical review board (TRB), engineering review board (ERB), and change control board (CCB). For more information, see Chapter 10 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

60. D. Change requests are an input to the Integrated Change Control process, and product skills and knowledge are a tool and technique of the Project Plan Execution process. For more information, see Chapter 4 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

61. C. Changes to the start and finish dates of activities in the schedule are called revisions. When changes are made to the schedule that will cause significant schedule delays, you should rebaseline the schedule. For more information, see Chapter 10 of Sybexs P MP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

62. C. The Scope Verification process is where the level of detail concerning the amount of work completed is documented. For more information, see Chapter 11 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

63. C. The best answer in this situation is to get the facts before taking any action. A violation based on rumors only should not be reported . You can get the facts by telling your friend youre concerned about the appearance of impropriety and ask her if the vendor gave her these items. It could be that these are the first of several samples that will be coming from all the vendors bidding on the project so the equipment can be evaluated in light of the project objectives. Or, she could have accepted them as gifts, which is not appropriate. Never jump to conclusions. Always ask and get the facts straight before reporting a conflict of interest situation. For more information, see Chapter 12 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.

64. C. This question describes the Scope Planning process because youre progressively elaborating the work of the project. The project charter has been published (this is one input to this process), and youve reviewed the product description (another input to this process). The tools and techniques described in this question are alternatives identification and expert judgment. Your interview of the two key stakeholders is expert judgment, and their alternative suggestions are considered alternatives identification. For more information, see Chapter 4 of Sybexs PMP: Project Management Professional Study Guide , 2nd Edition.