(1) PM should have broad base of experience and knowledge. The best candidate of a PM position is to select a person with well-around knowledge on general management, project management, and technical skill
(2) You customer asked for a 2000-call capacity. however, one of your company's technical experts believes a 3000-call capacity could be reached, while another thinks it needs only 1500-call capacity. What is the best thing to do?
->meet with the customer to better understand the reasons behind the 2000-call capacity requirement
(3) which of the following techniques is the best way to determine project objectives?
(a) (x) delphi (b) expert interview
(4) The purpose of project charter:
establishing a project, authorize project manager, including stakeholders' requirements. NOTE: product acceptance criteria is part of project scope statement
(5) A project manager is completing the WBS with the project team, but the session is hard to manager since there are 200 people in the romm representing different departments. Some people who will be working on the project later are talking about other things while earlier work is discussed. what is the problem?
-> The project manager is really managing a program
(6) The role of each stakeholder is determined by the project manager and the stakeholder
(7) Senior management has imposed a project delivery date prior to acceptance of the project scope statement. To whom is the PM most accountable?
-> customer (NOTE, not senior management)
(8) A PM is assigned to a project which has never been done before. The PM has decided to build a basic schedule to detail the work of each part of the current part nears completion. What best describe the PM is doing?
-> The process of progressive elaboration
(9) How is project deliverables defined?
-> They are defined at project onset with input of project stakeholders. They are determined in part by the customer.
(10) You are working on a project to order new buses for a transportation route between two cities. You include a government official as a stakeholder and plan to include meetings with him in WBS. Your manager objects to such activities as unnecessary. What is the best response to your manager?
-> The government official can negatively impact the project
NOTE: the government official could be a stakeholder. But there is no need to involve all stakeholder in WBS.
(11) The skills required for effective project management include knowledge of standards and regulations, understanding the project management, and ?
(a) application area knowledge (b) engineering knowledge (c) software knowledge (d) financial knowledge
-> a
NOTE: application area knowledge encompass b, c, and d
(12) A new pm is having difficulty create a wbs with the team. To alleviate this situation, the PM should ask for help from:
PMO
(13) The project is not going well. there are over 30 stakeholders, and no one can agree on the project objectives. one stakeholder believe the project can achieve a 30% improvement while another believes a 50% improvement is possible. The PM thinks a 10% is more realistic. What is the best course of action?
-> perform a feasibility analysis
(14) Project A has a IRR of 12%. Project B has a benefit-cost-ratio of 1.3. which project would you select?
-> project A
Beneft cost ration of 2.1 means: the payback is 2.1 times the cost
NOTE: IRR of 12% clearly demonstrates the return on investment (ROI). However, benefit-cost-ratio is about revenue / cost. It is impossible to determine if it is better than IRR of 12%.
(15) A PMO can be established to offer services ranging from basic support to total management of all projects.
(16) Project A has a NPV of 70K being done over 6 years. Project B has a NPV of 60K being done over 1 year. Which project would you choose
-> A
NOTE: you simply choose highest NPV since number of years is already taken in consideration
(17) A CEO of a large publishing company desires to improve project management practices. what is the best thing to do?
-> retain the functional organization structure (this is a ongoing and repeatable business process)
(18) A person is writing a document identifying the business need for a project and is including a description of the product created by the project. She includes a list of stakeholders and preassigned resources. What is the role of this person?
-> sponsor or project manager
NOTE: the project charter is issued by the sponsor. The PM may have a role in its creation
(19) What is the role of stakeholders in a project?
--> They help to determine the project constraints and product deliverables.
(20) The project team is working on manufacturing a product, but they are having difficulty creating a project charter. What is the problem?
--> They are working on a process, not a project
(20) A PM has just been assigned to a project and has been given the approved project charter. The first thing the PM must do is:
--> confirm that all the stakeholders have had input to the scope
(21) The stakeholders do not have a role in determining project management plan unless thy are part of the project team
(22) The main focuses of managing a project include: idenfying requirements, establish clear and achievable objectives and balancing competing demands for scope, time, cost etc
(23) You are managing a project that is a joint project between your company and another company. The contract is not finalized, and there has been a great deal of arguing. The project scope has been expanding, cost has been increasing, and the schedule has been lengthening. You hear that the project might be canceled because the other organization withdrew its share of the funding. what is most likely reason that this occurred?
(a) inadequate scope management
(b) lack of sponsor commitment (x)
It is the role of the sponsor to define the initial project and protect it from changes
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
PMP Question Series: Miscellaneous Topic
(1) The most common inputs of PM processes:
Organizational process asset: Existing process/procedure/historical information
Enterprise Environment factor: Existing system / company culture
(2) Most common Tools and techniques
Expert judgment
(3) most common outputs
project management plan update
project document update
The examples of project documents:
project charter, SOW (statement of work)
requirement document
activity list
stakeholder register
risk register
quality metrics
issue log
change log
Some terminologies (French)
Fait accompli --> done deal, can not be changed (provurement management)
Force majeure --> an allowable execuse such as fire or storm causing either party not meeting contract requirements. It is considered as neither party's fault (procurement management)
Laissez-faire --> "allow to act"/"leave alone" is a leadership / management style. A laissez-faire manager is effective in working with a highly skilled team (human resource management)
PERT analysis --> program evaluation & review technique. An example is three-point estimate.
PERT network --> basically the critical path network diagram
GANTT chart --> the bar chart for progress reporting and control
Milestone chart --> only show major events
RACI chart: responsibility, accountability, consult, inform
Organizational process asset: Existing process/procedure/historical information
Enterprise Environment factor: Existing system / company culture
(2) Most common Tools and techniques
Expert judgment
(3) most common outputs
project management plan update
project document update
The examples of project documents:
project charter, SOW (statement of work)
requirement document
activity list
stakeholder register
risk register
quality metrics
issue log
change log
Some terminologies (French)
Fait accompli --> done deal, can not be changed (provurement management)
Force majeure --> an allowable execuse such as fire or storm causing either party not meeting contract requirements. It is considered as neither party's fault (procurement management)
Laissez-faire --> "allow to act"/"leave alone" is a leadership / management style. A laissez-faire manager is effective in working with a highly skilled team (human resource management)
PERT analysis --> program evaluation & review technique. An example is three-point estimate.
PERT network --> basically the critical path network diagram
GANTT chart --> the bar chart for progress reporting and control
Milestone chart --> only show major events
RACI chart: responsibility, accountability, consult, inform
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
PMP Question Series: Professional and social responsibility
NOTE:
->PM must report violation
->PM must report conflict of interest
->PM must not take bribes or inappropriate gifts
->PM share lesson learned with other PM
->PM coaches team members, colleague, and other PMs etc
->conflict resolution must focus on long-term solutions
(1) A manager has responsibility for a project that has the support of a senior manager. You disagreed with this project manager as to how the project should proceed and many other issues in the past. Your dept has been tasked with providing some key work packages for the projects. what should you do?
--> provide the manager with what she needs
(2) You have always been asked by your management to cut your project estimate by10 percent after you have given it to them. The scope of the project is unclear and there are over 30 stakeholders. which of the following is the best course of action in this situation?
--> provide accurate estimate of the actual costs and be able to prove it
(3) you have just discovered an error in the implementation plan that will prevent you from meeting a milestone date. the best thing you can do is:
--> develop options to meet the milestone date
(4) you are finalizing the monthly project status report due now to your manager when you discovered that several team members are not reporting actual hours spent on the project activities. what is the most appropriate action to be done?
--> provide accurate and truthful representations in all project reports
(5) You are working on a new project in a foreign country. A person informs you that you will have to pay him a "transfer fee" for the permit to move heavy equipment through the city. What is the first thing you should do?
(a) pay the fee, but only to the city (b) negotiate openly with the city officials (c) make sure the person is really a government official (x)
(6) which term describes people who thinks their culture is the best:
(a) culture-centric (b) ethnocentric (x)
(7) You discuss ways to identify risks on your project with a PM. This PM sends you risk identification software created by her company with a copyright of 2000. What should you do?
(a) obtain approval from your legal department
(b) send the software back
NOTE: (a) is not the best option since you will be liable for infringing on the PM's company rights
(8) which of the following rules should apply to international dealings on you project?
--? do not violate any basic fundamental human rights
(9) your company wants to open a plant in a country where the law stipulates that women can earn only 50% of what men earn. under these circumstances, what should you recommend to your company?
--> do not open the plant (this is a clear violation of the fundamental right to nondiscriminating treatment.
(10) while staffing a project in another country, the project leader from that country comes to you suggested team consisting of members of the project leader's family. your first course of action should be:
a) review the resume of the individuals to see if they are qualified
b) inquire if hiring only through family lines is common practice in the project leader's country (x)
NOTE: there is nothing inherently illegal to hire family members. But you need to know the common practice of the country where the project is performed
(11) another PM in your company is having difficult managing his project. you have found thathe has not used a project charter and that is probably the cause of the problem. how can you help ?
--> talk to him about his project and offer help in creating a project charter
(12) your company is in competition to win a major project for the government of a country. Your contacts in that country inform you that you must make a large payment to the foreign minister to be considered for the project. what should you do?
a) inform your company's management, and ask for direction
b) do not make the payment (x)
--> payment for non-routine government actions are bribes and should not be paid.
(13) your project is being completed in another country. it is going reasonably well and is ahead of the cost projections when one of the local officials informs you he will make sure the project work stops unless you pay him US $50. what is the best thing to do?
a) make the payment
b) do not make the payment (x)
--> such payment is considered as bribe and could incur fines for the company, and jail time for the PM
(14) you are approached by company A to produce certain software. During the middle of the project, a competitor of company A asks you to produce similar software. What should you do?
a) do not do the new project since it is a conflict of interest
b) review the intellectual property clause for the first project to help determine the approach to take. (x)
NOTE: if you retain the intellectual property rights, you can reuse the work without issue. if not, you cannot reuse your efforts with company B
(15) while visiting the country where a new branch office is being built, you are told that you must pay the government permit officer to obtain the facility permit required by law to start construction, and the construction company tells you that this is standard practice and is required by law. what should you do?
a) refuse to pay the fee
b) pay the fee
NOTE: this is not bribe
(16) you evaluate your critical path and determine the project will be completed two weeks ahead of management's expected due date. what should you do?
a) delay the project for two weeks
b) add extra features that will enhance the project
c) prepare a list of identified risks that did not occur (x)
(17) you are a PM on a project. As the project has progressed, you have become friends with the general contractor. you are working on a $100,000 change request. She has offered to let you to use her boat on the lake while she is away. what should you do?
a) decline the offer
b) decline the offer and report it to your manager (x)
(18) your customer requested the new railroad cars you are building for his company be constructed from heavy aluminum. After reviewing the requirements, two of your experts inform you that the customer would be better off with steel cars. You meet with the customer to discuss the issue, and he directs you to go ahead with aluminum cars. what should you do?
--> provide aluminum cars that meet customer's requirement.
NOTE: difference in objectives are resolved in favor of the customer. The PM has already discussed the issue with the customer, and it is time to move on.
(19) A person you are working with has just passed the PMP exam. you are familiar with her experience, and you know she does not meet PMI's experience requirement for taking the PMP exam. What is the best thing to do?
a) do nothing, as you do n not know there is a problem
b) contact PMI about the possible violation (x)
(20) you have designed an improved system for a consumer product that could decrease repair cost for the consumer. management is impressed with your idea, but has decided to wait until next year to implement it. what is the best thing to do?
a) tell everyone you come in contact with that you have a better design
b) go to one of your competitors with the idea in order to save your consumers cost
c) advise government officials that there is a better alternative that could save the public money
d) wait until next year (x)
NOTE: you need to wait until management approves the effort.
(21) you are a PM for one of many projects in a large program. At a status meeting, another PM has reported her project on schedule. Looking back on your project over the last few weeks, you remember many deliverables from the other project that arrived late. what should you do?
--> meet with the other PM
NOTE: you need to confront the situation first with the PM, and find out if the other project is really on schedule.
(22) you are reviewing the expense reports for one of your team members when you notice a payment he made in another country. you think the payment is a bribe. what is your first course of action?
a) contact the payee in the other country and ask if the payment is a bribe
b) seek legal advice (x)
--> the company might have to pay large fine in this situation. it is best to ask for legal advice.
(23) which of the following is NOT a measure that determines if a business practice used by another country is an unfair business practice?
a) it hurts the right to physical movement
b) it is a common practice in the other country (X)
NOTE: a common practice is another country does not make it a fair practice
(24) you are worried about passing the PMP exam and ask a PMP for help. That person sends you a message that includes two of the toughest questions he faced on the exam. what should you do?
a) Ask for help understanding why the questions were hard for the person
b) refuse to read the questions
c) report the violation of the code of ethics and professional conduct to PMI (x)
NOTE: this is what PMI want the candidate to do. If you observe PMI code of ethics, the best thing you do in real world might be (b). however, PMI really likes you to report this stuff to them
(25) while reading a magazine article, you discover there is a tool of project management that other companies are using, but that your company has never heard of. what should you do?
a) copy the article and pass it around your company
b) summarize your opinion of the benefits of using this information in your company. present your analysis to you manager (x)
NOTE: (a) is a violation of copy right (b) is a much better problem solving methodology
(26) your best programmer is an independent contractor. Recently, you learned that she is woring on a project in the evening for one of your competitors. you best course of action is to:
a) replace her
b) Get her to sign a non-disclosure agreement (x)
NOTE: a contractor can work for whomever they choose. However, it is not ethical for them to divulge confidential information about the competitor or your company
->PM must report violation
->PM must report conflict of interest
->PM must not take bribes or inappropriate gifts
->PM share lesson learned with other PM
->PM coaches team members, colleague, and other PMs etc
->conflict resolution must focus on long-term solutions
(1) A manager has responsibility for a project that has the support of a senior manager. You disagreed with this project manager as to how the project should proceed and many other issues in the past. Your dept has been tasked with providing some key work packages for the projects. what should you do?
--> provide the manager with what she needs
(2) You have always been asked by your management to cut your project estimate by10 percent after you have given it to them. The scope of the project is unclear and there are over 30 stakeholders. which of the following is the best course of action in this situation?
--> provide accurate estimate of the actual costs and be able to prove it
(3) you have just discovered an error in the implementation plan that will prevent you from meeting a milestone date. the best thing you can do is:
--> develop options to meet the milestone date
(4) you are finalizing the monthly project status report due now to your manager when you discovered that several team members are not reporting actual hours spent on the project activities. what is the most appropriate action to be done?
--> provide accurate and truthful representations in all project reports
(5) You are working on a new project in a foreign country. A person informs you that you will have to pay him a "transfer fee" for the permit to move heavy equipment through the city. What is the first thing you should do?
(a) pay the fee, but only to the city (b) negotiate openly with the city officials (c) make sure the person is really a government official (x)
(6) which term describes people who thinks their culture is the best:
(a) culture-centric (b) ethnocentric (x)
(7) You discuss ways to identify risks on your project with a PM. This PM sends you risk identification software created by her company with a copyright of 2000. What should you do?
(a) obtain approval from your legal department
(b) send the software back
NOTE: (a) is not the best option since you will be liable for infringing on the PM's company rights
(8) which of the following rules should apply to international dealings on you project?
--? do not violate any basic fundamental human rights
(9) your company wants to open a plant in a country where the law stipulates that women can earn only 50% of what men earn. under these circumstances, what should you recommend to your company?
--> do not open the plant (this is a clear violation of the fundamental right to nondiscriminating treatment.
(10) while staffing a project in another country, the project leader from that country comes to you suggested team consisting of members of the project leader's family. your first course of action should be:
a) review the resume of the individuals to see if they are qualified
b) inquire if hiring only through family lines is common practice in the project leader's country (x)
NOTE: there is nothing inherently illegal to hire family members. But you need to know the common practice of the country where the project is performed
(11) another PM in your company is having difficult managing his project. you have found thathe has not used a project charter and that is probably the cause of the problem. how can you help ?
--> talk to him about his project and offer help in creating a project charter
(12) your company is in competition to win a major project for the government of a country. Your contacts in that country inform you that you must make a large payment to the foreign minister to be considered for the project. what should you do?
a) inform your company's management, and ask for direction
b) do not make the payment (x)
--> payment for non-routine government actions are bribes and should not be paid.
(13) your project is being completed in another country. it is going reasonably well and is ahead of the cost projections when one of the local officials informs you he will make sure the project work stops unless you pay him US $50. what is the best thing to do?
a) make the payment
b) do not make the payment (x)
--> such payment is considered as bribe and could incur fines for the company, and jail time for the PM
(14) you are approached by company A to produce certain software. During the middle of the project, a competitor of company A asks you to produce similar software. What should you do?
a) do not do the new project since it is a conflict of interest
b) review the intellectual property clause for the first project to help determine the approach to take. (x)
NOTE: if you retain the intellectual property rights, you can reuse the work without issue. if not, you cannot reuse your efforts with company B
(15) while visiting the country where a new branch office is being built, you are told that you must pay the government permit officer to obtain the facility permit required by law to start construction, and the construction company tells you that this is standard practice and is required by law. what should you do?
a) refuse to pay the fee
b) pay the fee
NOTE: this is not bribe
(16) you evaluate your critical path and determine the project will be completed two weeks ahead of management's expected due date. what should you do?
a) delay the project for two weeks
b) add extra features that will enhance the project
c) prepare a list of identified risks that did not occur (x)
(17) you are a PM on a project. As the project has progressed, you have become friends with the general contractor. you are working on a $100,000 change request. She has offered to let you to use her boat on the lake while she is away. what should you do?
a) decline the offer
b) decline the offer and report it to your manager (x)
(18) your customer requested the new railroad cars you are building for his company be constructed from heavy aluminum. After reviewing the requirements, two of your experts inform you that the customer would be better off with steel cars. You meet with the customer to discuss the issue, and he directs you to go ahead with aluminum cars. what should you do?
--> provide aluminum cars that meet customer's requirement.
NOTE: difference in objectives are resolved in favor of the customer. The PM has already discussed the issue with the customer, and it is time to move on.
(19) A person you are working with has just passed the PMP exam. you are familiar with her experience, and you know she does not meet PMI's experience requirement for taking the PMP exam. What is the best thing to do?
a) do nothing, as you do n not know there is a problem
b) contact PMI about the possible violation (x)
(20) you have designed an improved system for a consumer product that could decrease repair cost for the consumer. management is impressed with your idea, but has decided to wait until next year to implement it. what is the best thing to do?
a) tell everyone you come in contact with that you have a better design
b) go to one of your competitors with the idea in order to save your consumers cost
c) advise government officials that there is a better alternative that could save the public money
d) wait until next year (x)
NOTE: you need to wait until management approves the effort.
(21) you are a PM for one of many projects in a large program. At a status meeting, another PM has reported her project on schedule. Looking back on your project over the last few weeks, you remember many deliverables from the other project that arrived late. what should you do?
--> meet with the other PM
NOTE: you need to confront the situation first with the PM, and find out if the other project is really on schedule.
(22) you are reviewing the expense reports for one of your team members when you notice a payment he made in another country. you think the payment is a bribe. what is your first course of action?
a) contact the payee in the other country and ask if the payment is a bribe
b) seek legal advice (x)
--> the company might have to pay large fine in this situation. it is best to ask for legal advice.
(23) which of the following is NOT a measure that determines if a business practice used by another country is an unfair business practice?
a) it hurts the right to physical movement
b) it is a common practice in the other country (X)
NOTE: a common practice is another country does not make it a fair practice
(24) you are worried about passing the PMP exam and ask a PMP for help. That person sends you a message that includes two of the toughest questions he faced on the exam. what should you do?
a) Ask for help understanding why the questions were hard for the person
b) refuse to read the questions
c) report the violation of the code of ethics and professional conduct to PMI (x)
NOTE: this is what PMI want the candidate to do. If you observe PMI code of ethics, the best thing you do in real world might be (b). however, PMI really likes you to report this stuff to them
(25) while reading a magazine article, you discover there is a tool of project management that other companies are using, but that your company has never heard of. what should you do?
a) copy the article and pass it around your company
b) summarize your opinion of the benefits of using this information in your company. present your analysis to you manager (x)
NOTE: (a) is a violation of copy right (b) is a much better problem solving methodology
(26) your best programmer is an independent contractor. Recently, you learned that she is woring on a project in the evening for one of your competitors. you best course of action is to:
a) replace her
b) Get her to sign a non-disclosure agreement (x)
NOTE: a contractor can work for whomever they choose. However, it is not ethical for them to divulge confidential information about the competitor or your company
Sunday, February 21, 2010
PMP Question Series: Procument Management
(1) A PM for the seller is told by her management that the project should do whatever possible to be awarded incentive money. The primary objective of incentive clauses in a contract is to:
--> bring the objective of the seller in line with that of the buyer
(2) A Seller is working on a cost reimbersement contract when the buyer decides he would like to expand the scope of the services and change to a fixed price contract. All the following are the seller's options except:
-->(a) start over with a new contract (note, the seller has to fulfill the requirement of the existing contract. the seller does not have the option to avoid the completion of the existing project)
(3) All the following must be present to have a contract except:
-->address of the seller
(4) A seller is giving you so much trouble that your time available allocated to the project has gone from 20% to 80%. Most of the seller's deliverables are late and inadequate, and you have little confidence in his company's ability to complete the project. what should you do?
1) meet with the seller to discover the cause of the problem
2) Terminate the seller for convenience, and hire another seller
NOTE: choice 2) would have been done the first time there was a problem, not now.
(5) During the execution of the project, a new ISO version of standard 9000 is issued and the project team is meeting with quality department to determine how the standard will apply to the project. This is part of which quality process?
a) perform quality assurance
b) plan quality (x)
(4) Your program manager needs help from you with a bid for a new project. You want to protect your company from financial risk. You have limited scope definition. what is the best type of contract to choose?
--> cost plus fixed fee
(5) A seller is awarded a contract to build a pipeline. The contract terms and conditions require that a work plan be issued for the buyer's approval prior to commencing work, but the seller fails to provide one. which of the following is the best thing for the buyer's project manager to do?
--> issue a default letter
(6) close procurements is different from close project or phase in that close procurements:
-->occurs before close project or phase
(7) The performing organization is trying to decide whether to split the contracts department and assign procurement responsibilities to departments directly responsible for the projects. A procurement professional might not want this split to occur because they would lose ?? in a decentralized contracting environment
--> access to others with similar experiences
Terms:
Procurement audit:
This is not about auditing cost. It is about how the whole procurement process went. How can we handle negotiation better? how can we mae the bidding process easier for seller?
(8) You are the seller's PM. You discovered that you are working on work requested by the customer but not included in the contract. The customer spoke of being upset about the cost of several items she claims your company left out of the contract. No one in your company wants to discuss the change with the customer for fear of losing the contract. what is the best long-term course of action for the company?
(a) contact your senior management and procurement department to determine the options. Then schedule a meeting with management and the customer to discuss these options
(b) Renegotiate a new procurement statement of work and a new contract. (x)
NOTE: (a) is not a long-term solution. When a contract no longer serves the needs it was intended to serve, it can be renegotiated if the appropriate parties agree to this.
(9) from the seller's point of view, the procurement is considered closed when:
(a) final payment is made
(b) work is complete and formal acceptance received
(c) lesson learned are complete and final payment is received
(d) the archives, administrative closure, and closure requirements as stated in the contract are all completed (x)
(10) The project team has completed make-or-buy analysis. The scope could not be defined well enough for a fixed price contract, but the team had specific quality metrics for the project. The team decided to issue an RFP. All the work to be done was included in RFP and sent to the prequalified seller list. What is the most important thing the PM should make sure is in final contract?
-->requirements for a procurement performance review
(11) a project has a tight budget when you begin negotiation with a seller for an equipment. The seller has told you that the equipment price is fixed. However, your manager has told you to negotiate the cost with the seller. what is your best course of action?
a) postpone negotiations until you can convince your manager to change his mind
b) make a good faith effort to find a way to decrease the cost (x)
Note: there is always a way to decrease costs on the project by negotiation
(12) during the conduct procurement process, your objective is to obtain the best price possible. the tool that you will most heavily rely upon will be a(n) :
a) weighting system
b) screening system
c) independent estimate (x)
(13) your company is receiving a shipment of goods from the seller when you get a call from the procurement manager who tells you that the shipment does not meet the requirements of the contract. you look at the shipment yourself and determine that the shipment meets the needs of the project. what should you do?
a) accept the shipment
b) send the shipment back (x)
NOTE: the shipment should meet the business requirement
(14) a PM has a project team implementing a large project involving four large vendors. The PM struggled through every part of the procurement process since the company has a weak internal procurement department. what should be the most approriate thing to do to ensure the problems are resolved for future projects?
a) include an agenda item in the project closedown to discuss the these issues in a non-threatening manner
b) conduct a procurement audit (x)
(15) performance requirements describe:
a) the functionality desired by the customer
b) what the product of the project should be able to accomplish(x)
(16) during project execution, your project team member delivers a project deliverables to the buyer. however, the buyer refuses the deliverables, stating that it does not meet the requirement on page 300 of the technical specifications. you review the document and find that your agree. what is the best thing to do?
--> review the requirements and meet with the responsible team member to review the WBS dictionary
(17) during the conduct procurement process, your objective is to obtain the best price possible. the tool that you will most heavily rely upon will be:
a) weighting system
b) independent estimate(x)
(18) which planning output may be revised and refined as it moves through the procurement process?
a) procurement document
b) procurement statement of work (x)
(18) what is the difference between a contract change control system and a project change control system?
--> the contract change control system requires more documentation and sign-offs
(19) which of the following can be used to determine the type of contract to use on a project?
--> how complete the procurement statement of work is (and determine if you use a fixed price contract or not)
(20) you are assigned a $2,000.000 project with the standard deviation of 200.000. what type of contract do you recommend?
a) fixed price incentive fee
b) cost plus fixed fee (x)
NOTE: the range of budget : 1.8 millions to 2.2 millions. It implies the project is not very well defined and a fixed price contract is not suitable
(21) You receive 25 new computers from the seller, but were expecting only 20. In looing at the contract, you see that it says "seller to provide twenty (25) computers. What should you do first?
a) call the seller and ask for clarification
b) return the five extra computers (x)
Note: this is an example of a conflict in the contract. The intent of the contract can be determined by remembering that words are more binding than numbers.
(22) in the middle of the project, a seller tells you that he can not get the resources to complete the project. Generally, what is the best thing to do?
a) the contract has been breached. Contact your lawyer
b) Try to help uncover more resources, but continue the project (x)
NOTE: the seller has not breached the contract.
(23) resource-limited schedule
This is a schedule to accommodate the scenario that some resources are difficult to obtain
(24)
--> bring the objective of the seller in line with that of the buyer
(2) A Seller is working on a cost reimbersement contract when the buyer decides he would like to expand the scope of the services and change to a fixed price contract. All the following are the seller's options except:
-->(a) start over with a new contract (note, the seller has to fulfill the requirement of the existing contract. the seller does not have the option to avoid the completion of the existing project)
(3) All the following must be present to have a contract except:
-->address of the seller
(4) A seller is giving you so much trouble that your time available allocated to the project has gone from 20% to 80%. Most of the seller's deliverables are late and inadequate, and you have little confidence in his company's ability to complete the project. what should you do?
1) meet with the seller to discover the cause of the problem
2) Terminate the seller for convenience, and hire another seller
NOTE: choice 2) would have been done the first time there was a problem, not now.
(5) During the execution of the project, a new ISO version of standard 9000 is issued and the project team is meeting with quality department to determine how the standard will apply to the project. This is part of which quality process?
a) perform quality assurance
b) plan quality (x)
(4) Your program manager needs help from you with a bid for a new project. You want to protect your company from financial risk. You have limited scope definition. what is the best type of contract to choose?
--> cost plus fixed fee
(5) A seller is awarded a contract to build a pipeline. The contract terms and conditions require that a work plan be issued for the buyer's approval prior to commencing work, but the seller fails to provide one. which of the following is the best thing for the buyer's project manager to do?
--> issue a default letter
(6) close procurements is different from close project or phase in that close procurements:
-->occurs before close project or phase
(7) The performing organization is trying to decide whether to split the contracts department and assign procurement responsibilities to departments directly responsible for the projects. A procurement professional might not want this split to occur because they would lose ?? in a decentralized contracting environment
--> access to others with similar experiences
Terms:
Procurement audit:
This is not about auditing cost. It is about how the whole procurement process went. How can we handle negotiation better? how can we mae the bidding process easier for seller?
(8) You are the seller's PM. You discovered that you are working on work requested by the customer but not included in the contract. The customer spoke of being upset about the cost of several items she claims your company left out of the contract. No one in your company wants to discuss the change with the customer for fear of losing the contract. what is the best long-term course of action for the company?
(a) contact your senior management and procurement department to determine the options. Then schedule a meeting with management and the customer to discuss these options
(b) Renegotiate a new procurement statement of work and a new contract. (x)
NOTE: (a) is not a long-term solution. When a contract no longer serves the needs it was intended to serve, it can be renegotiated if the appropriate parties agree to this.
(9) from the seller's point of view, the procurement is considered closed when:
(a) final payment is made
(b) work is complete and formal acceptance received
(c) lesson learned are complete and final payment is received
(d) the archives, administrative closure, and closure requirements as stated in the contract are all completed (x)
(10) The project team has completed make-or-buy analysis. The scope could not be defined well enough for a fixed price contract, but the team had specific quality metrics for the project. The team decided to issue an RFP. All the work to be done was included in RFP and sent to the prequalified seller list. What is the most important thing the PM should make sure is in final contract?
-->requirements for a procurement performance review
(11) a project has a tight budget when you begin negotiation with a seller for an equipment. The seller has told you that the equipment price is fixed. However, your manager has told you to negotiate the cost with the seller. what is your best course of action?
a) postpone negotiations until you can convince your manager to change his mind
b) make a good faith effort to find a way to decrease the cost (x)
Note: there is always a way to decrease costs on the project by negotiation
(12) during the conduct procurement process, your objective is to obtain the best price possible. the tool that you will most heavily rely upon will be a(n) :
a) weighting system
b) screening system
c) independent estimate (x)
(13) your company is receiving a shipment of goods from the seller when you get a call from the procurement manager who tells you that the shipment does not meet the requirements of the contract. you look at the shipment yourself and determine that the shipment meets the needs of the project. what should you do?
a) accept the shipment
b) send the shipment back (x)
NOTE: the shipment should meet the business requirement
(14) a PM has a project team implementing a large project involving four large vendors. The PM struggled through every part of the procurement process since the company has a weak internal procurement department. what should be the most approriate thing to do to ensure the problems are resolved for future projects?
a) include an agenda item in the project closedown to discuss the these issues in a non-threatening manner
b) conduct a procurement audit (x)
(15) performance requirements describe:
a) the functionality desired by the customer
b) what the product of the project should be able to accomplish(x)
(16) during project execution, your project team member delivers a project deliverables to the buyer. however, the buyer refuses the deliverables, stating that it does not meet the requirement on page 300 of the technical specifications. you review the document and find that your agree. what is the best thing to do?
--> review the requirements and meet with the responsible team member to review the WBS dictionary
(17) during the conduct procurement process, your objective is to obtain the best price possible. the tool that you will most heavily rely upon will be:
a) weighting system
b) independent estimate(x)
(18) which planning output may be revised and refined as it moves through the procurement process?
a) procurement document
b) procurement statement of work (x)
(18) what is the difference between a contract change control system and a project change control system?
--> the contract change control system requires more documentation and sign-offs
(19) which of the following can be used to determine the type of contract to use on a project?
--> how complete the procurement statement of work is (and determine if you use a fixed price contract or not)
(20) you are assigned a $2,000.000 project with the standard deviation of 200.000. what type of contract do you recommend?
a) fixed price incentive fee
b) cost plus fixed fee (x)
NOTE: the range of budget : 1.8 millions to 2.2 millions. It implies the project is not very well defined and a fixed price contract is not suitable
(21) You receive 25 new computers from the seller, but were expecting only 20. In looing at the contract, you see that it says "seller to provide twenty (25) computers. What should you do first?
a) call the seller and ask for clarification
b) return the five extra computers (x)
Note: this is an example of a conflict in the contract. The intent of the contract can be determined by remembering that words are more binding than numbers.
(22) in the middle of the project, a seller tells you that he can not get the resources to complete the project. Generally, what is the best thing to do?
a) the contract has been breached. Contact your lawyer
b) Try to help uncover more resources, but continue the project (x)
NOTE: the seller has not breached the contract.
(23) resource-limited schedule
This is a schedule to accommodate the scenario that some resources are difficult to obtain
(24)
PMP Question Series: Risk Management
(1) all of the following are factors in the assessment of project risk except:
(a) risk event (b) risk probability (c) amount at stake (d) insurance premium (x)
(2) Risks will be identified during which risk management process(es)?
identify risks and monitor and control risks
(3) risk tolerance are determined in order to help:
The team rank the project risks.
(4) you are finding it difficult to evaluate the exact cost impact of risks. you should evaluate on:
Qualitative basis
(5) outputs of the plan risk responses process include:
residual risks, secondary risks, contingency plan, fallback plan, contingency reserver
(6) workarounds are determined during which ris management process?
monitor and control risks
(7) A PM has just finished the risk response plan. which of the following should he probably do next:
Add work packages to the project work breakdown structure
(8) A PM asked various stakeholders to determine the probability and impact of a number of risks. He then analyzed assumptions. he is about to move to the next step of risk management. What the PM forgot to do?
--> provide a standardized risk rating matrix
(9) A PM has assembled the project team, identified risks, triggers of the risk, rated them on a risk rating matrix, test their assumption, and assessed the quality of the data used. The team is continuing to move through the risk management process. What has the PM forgot to do?
-> involvement of other stakeholders
(10) A system development project is nearing project closing when a previously unidentified risk is discovered. This could potentially affect the project's overall ability to deliver. what should be done next?
--> qualify the risk
note: you do not develop a workaround since a workaround is an unplanned response to an unanticipated risk event that is occurring
(11) while preparing your risk responses, you identify additional risks. what should you do?
--> document the risk items, and calculate the expected monetary value based on probability and impact that result from the occurrences.
NOTE: when a new risk is identified, it should go through the risk management process.
(12) you have just been assigned as the PM for a new project that is entering the second phase of the project. There appear to be many risks on the project, but no one has evaluated them to assess the range of the possible outcomes. what needs to be done.
--> plan risk management
(13) during project executing, a team member identifies a risk that is not in the risk register. what should you do?
--> analyze the risk
(14) A PM is creating a risk response plan. However, everytime a risk response is suggested, another risk is identified that is caused by the response. which of the following is the best thing for the PM to do?
--> document the new risks and continue the plan risk response process
(15) your project team has identified dependencies on six related projects that are providing major deliverables to your project. which of the following processes should you be most concerned about?
a) verify scope
b) plan risk response (x)
(16) During identify risk process, a project manager made a long list of risks identified by all the stakeholders using various methods. he then made sure that all the risks were understood and that triggers had been identified. later, in the plan risk response process, he took all the risks identified by the stakeholders and determined ways to mitigate them. what has he done wrong?
a) triggers are not identified until the identify risk process
b) more people should be involved in the plan risk response process (x)
(17) lack of adequate test environment, limited testing, and likely unavailability of resource are all risks that should have been identified early in the project, and for which response strategies should have been developed
(18) There is a probability of 0.1 that a given risk will occur in a project. If it occurs, it will result in a loss of $10,000. The insurance cost for this event is $700, with a deductible of $250. should a rational PM buy this insurance?
if no insurance: 01. x 10,000 = (1000) in loss
in using insurance: 250 + 700 = 950
So it is worth to buy insurance
(19)
(a) risk event (b) risk probability (c) amount at stake (d) insurance premium (x)
(2) Risks will be identified during which risk management process(es)?
identify risks and monitor and control risks
(3) risk tolerance are determined in order to help:
The team rank the project risks.
(4) you are finding it difficult to evaluate the exact cost impact of risks. you should evaluate on:
Qualitative basis
(5) outputs of the plan risk responses process include:
residual risks, secondary risks, contingency plan, fallback plan, contingency reserver
(6) workarounds are determined during which ris management process?
monitor and control risks
(7) A PM has just finished the risk response plan. which of the following should he probably do next:
Add work packages to the project work breakdown structure
(8) A PM asked various stakeholders to determine the probability and impact of a number of risks. He then analyzed assumptions. he is about to move to the next step of risk management. What the PM forgot to do?
--> provide a standardized risk rating matrix
(9) A PM has assembled the project team, identified risks, triggers of the risk, rated them on a risk rating matrix, test their assumption, and assessed the quality of the data used. The team is continuing to move through the risk management process. What has the PM forgot to do?
-> involvement of other stakeholders
(10) A system development project is nearing project closing when a previously unidentified risk is discovered. This could potentially affect the project's overall ability to deliver. what should be done next?
--> qualify the risk
note: you do not develop a workaround since a workaround is an unplanned response to an unanticipated risk event that is occurring
(11) while preparing your risk responses, you identify additional risks. what should you do?
--> document the risk items, and calculate the expected monetary value based on probability and impact that result from the occurrences.
NOTE: when a new risk is identified, it should go through the risk management process.
(12) you have just been assigned as the PM for a new project that is entering the second phase of the project. There appear to be many risks on the project, but no one has evaluated them to assess the range of the possible outcomes. what needs to be done.
--> plan risk management
(13) during project executing, a team member identifies a risk that is not in the risk register. what should you do?
--> analyze the risk
(14) A PM is creating a risk response plan. However, everytime a risk response is suggested, another risk is identified that is caused by the response. which of the following is the best thing for the PM to do?
--> document the new risks and continue the plan risk response process
(15) your project team has identified dependencies on six related projects that are providing major deliverables to your project. which of the following processes should you be most concerned about?
a) verify scope
b) plan risk response (x)
(16) During identify risk process, a project manager made a long list of risks identified by all the stakeholders using various methods. he then made sure that all the risks were understood and that triggers had been identified. later, in the plan risk response process, he took all the risks identified by the stakeholders and determined ways to mitigate them. what has he done wrong?
a) triggers are not identified until the identify risk process
b) more people should be involved in the plan risk response process (x)
(17) lack of adequate test environment, limited testing, and likely unavailability of resource are all risks that should have been identified early in the project, and for which response strategies should have been developed
(18) There is a probability of 0.1 that a given risk will occur in a project. If it occurs, it will result in a loss of $10,000. The insurance cost for this event is $700, with a deductible of $250. should a rational PM buy this insurance?
if no insurance: 01. x 10,000 = (1000) in loss
in using insurance: 250 + 700 = 950
So it is worth to buy insurance
(19)
PMP Question Series: Communication Management
(1) Extensive use of ____ communication is most likely to aid in solving complex problems
--> Written
(2) The most likely result of communication blockers is that:
-->Conflict occurs
(3) A PM has a problem with a team member's performance. what is the best form of communication for addressing this problem?
--> Informal verbal
(4) A team member's performance problem was communicated by the PM with Informal verbal communication. However, this problem is not resolved. what is the best form of communication for addressing this problem?
--> Formal Written
(5) When a PM engage in negotiation, nonverbal communication skills are of
--> Major importance
(6) Project information has been distributed based on communication management plan. However, one stakeholder expressed surprise to the PM upon hearing of a previously published change to a project deliverable. All stakeholders received the communication containing the change. What should the PM do?
--> Review the communication management plan and make revisions if necessary
(7) A PM has a project team consisting of people in four countries. What type of communication should he use?
--> Formal written communication
(8) You have just been assigned as a PM for a large manufacturing project. You want to quickly review where the project now stands. which of the following reports would be the most helpful in finding such information.
--> progress report
(9) During the middle of a project, things have been going well. Everything seems under control. The PM gets a call from a team member saying that results from the completion of their activity's predecessor is two days late. What is the reason best describes why this occur?
--> Functional management was not included in the communication management plan
(10) A PM has just been assigned a team that comes from many countries. What is her best tools for success?
--> communication and well-developed people skills
(11) stakeholders can be identified in all project management process groups
(12) if a PM wants to report on the actual project results vs. planned results, she should use a:
--> variance report
(13) A PM wants to more extensively involve the stakeholders on the project. Which of the following would be the best way accomplish this?
--> a) send the status report to stakeholders b) have the stakeholder periodically review the list of project requirements (x)
--> Written
(2) The most likely result of communication blockers is that:
-->Conflict occurs
(3) A PM has a problem with a team member's performance. what is the best form of communication for addressing this problem?
--> Informal verbal
(4) A team member's performance problem was communicated by the PM with Informal verbal communication. However, this problem is not resolved. what is the best form of communication for addressing this problem?
--> Formal Written
(5) When a PM engage in negotiation, nonverbal communication skills are of
--> Major importance
(6) Project information has been distributed based on communication management plan. However, one stakeholder expressed surprise to the PM upon hearing of a previously published change to a project deliverable. All stakeholders received the communication containing the change. What should the PM do?
--> Review the communication management plan and make revisions if necessary
(7) A PM has a project team consisting of people in four countries. What type of communication should he use?
--> Formal written communication
(8) You have just been assigned as a PM for a large manufacturing project. You want to quickly review where the project now stands. which of the following reports would be the most helpful in finding such information.
--> progress report
(9) During the middle of a project, things have been going well. Everything seems under control. The PM gets a call from a team member saying that results from the completion of their activity's predecessor is two days late. What is the reason best describes why this occur?
--> Functional management was not included in the communication management plan
(10) A PM has just been assigned a team that comes from many countries. What is her best tools for success?
--> communication and well-developed people skills
(11) stakeholders can be identified in all project management process groups
(12) if a PM wants to report on the actual project results vs. planned results, she should use a:
--> variance report
(13) A PM wants to more extensively involve the stakeholders on the project. Which of the following would be the best way accomplish this?
--> a) send the status report to stakeholders b) have the stakeholder periodically review the list of project requirements (x)
PMP Question Series: Human Resource Management
(1) What does resource histogram show that a responsibility assignment matrix does not show?
-> Time
(2) A project manager must publish a project schedule. Activities, start/end times, and resources are identified. What should the project manager do NEXT?
-> confirm the availability of the resources
(3) A PM is trying to settle a dispute between two team members. One says the systems should be integrated before testing, and the other maintains that each system should be tested before integration. The sponsor is demanding that the integration happens on time. What is the best statement the PM can make to resolve the issue?
-> Let's do limited testing before integration, and finish testing after integration
(4) The project is a mess. Everyone has been on edge due to pressure to complete on time. However, the tension has grown to the point where team meetings have become shouting matches. The sponsor has asked to attend the meeting. What is the best thing to do?
-> create new ground rules for the meetings and introduce them to the team
(5) During the first half of the project, five team members left for other projects without replacement. other team members expressed uncertainty about the work. In this scenario, it is best if you create a ?? for the second half of the project?
-> staff management plan
What is in human resource plan?
(1) resource histogram
(2) project organization chart (OBS, RBS)
(3) role and responsibility
(4) staff management plan (staff acquisition, staff training, staff release, resource calendar, recognition and rewards, compliance and safety)
What is team-building activity:
party, create WBS, celebration, training, trips
Problem solving method:
(1) define the root problem
(2) analyze the problem
(3) identify the solution
(4) pick a solution & implement the solution
(5) confirm the solution solved the problem
6 theories on human resouce management:
(1) expectancy theory
(2) motivation theory
(3) Maslow's hierarchy of needs (5)
(4) McGregor's (theory X and theory Y)
(5) McClelland theory of needs (achievement, affiliation , power)
(6) Herzberg (hiegiene factor and motivation factor)
Difference between team performance assessment (develop project team process) and project performance appraisal (individual assessment in manage project team process)
source of conflict
(1) schedule
(2) project priorities
(3) resource
(4) technical opinions
(5) administrative procedures
(6) cost
(7) personality
Question:
An email is forwarded to you that involves conflict between two team members. which conflict resolution techniques would you use?
(a) compromise (b) confronting (x)
NOTE: confronting means problem solving, the best way to resolve a conflict
(11) You just found out that a major subcontractor for your project consistently delivers item late. You decide to postpone dealing with the issue until you have more time. What conflict resolution method are you using?
(a) ignore (2) smoothing (3) withdrawal (x)
NOTE: ignore is not a conflict resolution method
The following are some conflict resolution methods:
confronting, compromising, collaborating, forcing, smoothing, withdrawal
(12) During the course of your project, you notice that most of the changes occurring on the project come from the research department. What should you do?
(a) ask the research department to assign one person to be your liaison
(b) talk to the research department to understand the reasons for the changes(x)
--> the best solution is to confronting
(13) For the last three month, a customer has been from two to four days late with her approvals on deliverables. After analyzing the situation, the PM decides withdrawal is the best conflict resolution technique to use, which of the following reflects withdrawal?
(a) Inform the customer that late approvals are not a problem, but ask her to get them in on time in the future (smoothing)
(b) meet with the customer to determine a new date for approvals (problem solving)
(c) postpone a decision (x)
(d) call the customer and demand that you receive the approvals today (forcing)
(14) which motivationl theory espouses the idea that all workers fit into one of two groups?
Herzberg
McGregor (x) theory x and y
(15) Team members are arguing about the location of specification limits on a control chart. The discussion is becoming heated when the PM walks in and says, "it seems that the real problem here is that we do not have enough information about the customer's specification. let's ..." this is an example of
(a) asserting the PM's authority
(b) problem solving (x)
(c) compromising
(d) withdrawal
--> this is about conflict resolution techniques. Problem solving and compromising are considered to be the two best techniques, in that order
(16) the sponsor has asked you to require that each piece of the project scope be planned, estimated, and scheduled. The sponsor also wants to authorize each piece of the PM plan after the documentation is assembled. what is the most approriate response to these requests?
--> tell the sponsor that the chance for authorization will come after the piece of the project management plan are compiled
(17) what should a new PM look to determine the resource requirements?
a) project schedule
b) resource bar chart
c) resource leveling chart
d) activity list (x)
NOTE: a0 is apparently wrong, b) and c) make use of already determined resource requirements. the resource requirement is based on the needs of the project and those needs are in the activity list
(18) A project team member has completed his work on the project. which of the following must the project manager do?
a) check to make sure he is happy with his performance
b) invite him to the project closure party
c) update the employee's records with the new skills acquired
(19) A resource assigned to the project contacts you, trying to get off the team to work on other important project. what is the best thing to do?
a) keep him if he is a valuable resource
b) talk to the functional manager about releasing him from the team(x)
(20) What is not an input of develop human resource plan?
a) historical information
b) activity resource requirements
c) project organizational charts (x)
(21) One of your key resource started to miss deadlines and work quality is beginning to suffer as well. This person participated in project planning, in fine-tuning the earned value estimating, developing the reward systems for the project. you are confident that this person is well aware of the work deadlines and required quality specification. what action should you take?
a) discuss the issue with the employee at the next team meeting and try to determine the factors impacting performance
b) escalate the situation to the employee's functional manager and ask for assistance (x)
(22) The PM is in the process of staffing the project. Mary always works overtime. Whitney works very hard. Laurie meets the project requirements. Jess is very enthusiastic about the project and will work overtime if necessary. Who is the most appropriate resource?
-> laurie
(6) You are planning a project. The functional managers will not commit any particular people to your project, because it will not begin for a few months. All the following methods could be used to handle this situation except:
a) use the results of the delphi technique for the number of hours
b) use the average probability of successful completion multiplied by the number of resources needed each day.
NOTE: you can not determine the average probability
(7) A project manager is performing an audit on a deliverable when she hears that the team member who did the work is complaining to everyone that he is being picked on by having his activity audited. You know this is not true. What lesson learned could you take to future projects?
a) Tell all the team members at the beginning of the project that their deliverables will be audited
b) Set an audit policy in the scope management plan (x)
NOTE: not all deliverable will be audited
(8) A reward system needs to be set up for the project. You can not simply talk with the team about the importance of getting things done
(9) The project manager has performed schedule network analysis, compressed the schedule, and completed a Monte Carlo analysis. What time managment activity should be done next?
a) create milestone list
b) update resource requirements
NOTE: a) is done in define activities
(10) The PM is looking at the project's resource needs and lessons learned from past project. This information causes the project manager to be concerned about the ability to acquiring enough resources for the project in six months. which of the following would be the least effective preventive action?
a) make sure functional manager have a copy of the resource histogram
b) determine metrics to use as an early warning sign that resources will not be available
(11) The functional manager refused to supply resources for the project. Which of the following is the most probable reason for the lack of support from the functional manager?
a) wbs did not include all resources needed on the project
b) the project does not have project charter and the functional manager was not involved in approving the project management plan"
-> Time
(2) A project manager must publish a project schedule. Activities, start/end times, and resources are identified. What should the project manager do NEXT?
-> confirm the availability of the resources
(3) A PM is trying to settle a dispute between two team members. One says the systems should be integrated before testing, and the other maintains that each system should be tested before integration. The sponsor is demanding that the integration happens on time. What is the best statement the PM can make to resolve the issue?
-> Let's do limited testing before integration, and finish testing after integration
(4) The project is a mess. Everyone has been on edge due to pressure to complete on time. However, the tension has grown to the point where team meetings have become shouting matches. The sponsor has asked to attend the meeting. What is the best thing to do?
-> create new ground rules for the meetings and introduce them to the team
(5) During the first half of the project, five team members left for other projects without replacement. other team members expressed uncertainty about the work. In this scenario, it is best if you create a ?? for the second half of the project?
-> staff management plan
What is in human resource plan?
(1) resource histogram
(2) project organization chart (OBS, RBS)
(3) role and responsibility
(4) staff management plan (staff acquisition, staff training, staff release, resource calendar, recognition and rewards, compliance and safety)
What is team-building activity:
party, create WBS, celebration, training, trips
Problem solving method:
(1) define the root problem
(2) analyze the problem
(3) identify the solution
(4) pick a solution & implement the solution
(5) confirm the solution solved the problem
6 theories on human resouce management:
(1) expectancy theory
(2) motivation theory
(3) Maslow's hierarchy of needs (5)
(4) McGregor's (theory X and theory Y)
(5) McClelland theory of needs (achievement, affiliation , power)
(6) Herzberg (hiegiene factor and motivation factor)
Difference between team performance assessment (develop project team process) and project performance appraisal (individual assessment in manage project team process)
source of conflict
(1) schedule
(2) project priorities
(3) resource
(4) technical opinions
(5) administrative procedures
(6) cost
(7) personality
Question:
An email is forwarded to you that involves conflict between two team members. which conflict resolution techniques would you use?
(a) compromise (b) confronting (x)
NOTE: confronting means problem solving, the best way to resolve a conflict
(11) You just found out that a major subcontractor for your project consistently delivers item late. You decide to postpone dealing with the issue until you have more time. What conflict resolution method are you using?
(a) ignore (2) smoothing (3) withdrawal (x)
NOTE: ignore is not a conflict resolution method
The following are some conflict resolution methods:
confronting, compromising, collaborating, forcing, smoothing, withdrawal
(12) During the course of your project, you notice that most of the changes occurring on the project come from the research department. What should you do?
(a) ask the research department to assign one person to be your liaison
(b) talk to the research department to understand the reasons for the changes(x)
--> the best solution is to confronting
(13) For the last three month, a customer has been from two to four days late with her approvals on deliverables. After analyzing the situation, the PM decides withdrawal is the best conflict resolution technique to use, which of the following reflects withdrawal?
(a) Inform the customer that late approvals are not a problem, but ask her to get them in on time in the future (smoothing)
(b) meet with the customer to determine a new date for approvals (problem solving)
(c) postpone a decision (x)
(d) call the customer and demand that you receive the approvals today (forcing)
(14) which motivationl theory espouses the idea that all workers fit into one of two groups?
Herzberg
McGregor (x) theory x and y
(15) Team members are arguing about the location of specification limits on a control chart. The discussion is becoming heated when the PM walks in and says, "it seems that the real problem here is that we do not have enough information about the customer's specification. let's ..." this is an example of
(a) asserting the PM's authority
(b) problem solving (x)
(c) compromising
(d) withdrawal
--> this is about conflict resolution techniques. Problem solving and compromising are considered to be the two best techniques, in that order
(16) the sponsor has asked you to require that each piece of the project scope be planned, estimated, and scheduled. The sponsor also wants to authorize each piece of the PM plan after the documentation is assembled. what is the most approriate response to these requests?
--> tell the sponsor that the chance for authorization will come after the piece of the project management plan are compiled
(17) what should a new PM look to determine the resource requirements?
a) project schedule
b) resource bar chart
c) resource leveling chart
d) activity list (x)
NOTE: a0 is apparently wrong, b) and c) make use of already determined resource requirements. the resource requirement is based on the needs of the project and those needs are in the activity list
(18) A project team member has completed his work on the project. which of the following must the project manager do?
a) check to make sure he is happy with his performance
b) invite him to the project closure party
c) update the employee's records with the new skills acquired
(19) A resource assigned to the project contacts you, trying to get off the team to work on other important project. what is the best thing to do?
a) keep him if he is a valuable resource
b) talk to the functional manager about releasing him from the team(x)
(20) What is not an input of develop human resource plan?
a) historical information
b) activity resource requirements
c) project organizational charts (x)
(21) One of your key resource started to miss deadlines and work quality is beginning to suffer as well. This person participated in project planning, in fine-tuning the earned value estimating, developing the reward systems for the project. you are confident that this person is well aware of the work deadlines and required quality specification. what action should you take?
a) discuss the issue with the employee at the next team meeting and try to determine the factors impacting performance
b) escalate the situation to the employee's functional manager and ask for assistance (x)
(22) The PM is in the process of staffing the project. Mary always works overtime. Whitney works very hard. Laurie meets the project requirements. Jess is very enthusiastic about the project and will work overtime if necessary. Who is the most appropriate resource?
-> laurie
(6) You are planning a project. The functional managers will not commit any particular people to your project, because it will not begin for a few months. All the following methods could be used to handle this situation except:
a) use the results of the delphi technique for the number of hours
b) use the average probability of successful completion multiplied by the number of resources needed each day.
NOTE: you can not determine the average probability
(7) A project manager is performing an audit on a deliverable when she hears that the team member who did the work is complaining to everyone that he is being picked on by having his activity audited. You know this is not true. What lesson learned could you take to future projects?
a) Tell all the team members at the beginning of the project that their deliverables will be audited
b) Set an audit policy in the scope management plan (x)
NOTE: not all deliverable will be audited
(8) A reward system needs to be set up for the project. You can not simply talk with the team about the importance of getting things done
(9) The project manager has performed schedule network analysis, compressed the schedule, and completed a Monte Carlo analysis. What time managment activity should be done next?
a) create milestone list
b) update resource requirements
NOTE: a) is done in define activities
(10) The PM is looking at the project's resource needs and lessons learned from past project. This information causes the project manager to be concerned about the ability to acquiring enough resources for the project in six months. which of the following would be the least effective preventive action?
a) make sure functional manager have a copy of the resource histogram
b) determine metrics to use as an early warning sign that resources will not be available
(11) The functional manager refused to supply resources for the project. Which of the following is the most probable reason for the lack of support from the functional manager?
a) wbs did not include all resources needed on the project
b) the project does not have project charter and the functional manager was not involved in approving the project management plan"
Monday, February 8, 2010
PMP Question Series: Quality Management
(1) A project has faced major difficulty in the quality of its deliverables. Management states that quality is the most important constraint. If another problem with quality were to occur, what would be the best thing for the project manager to do?
a) fix the problem ASAP
b) Allow cost to increase by fixing the root cause of the problem (x)
(2) In planning your project, which would generally considered the highest priority: quality, cost, or schedule:
--> These are generally considered to have equal importance
(3) The project team has created a plan for how they will implement the quality policy. it addresses the Organizational structure, responsibilities, procedures etc. If this changes during the project, which of the following plans will be changed:
--> project management plan (quality management plan is part of the PMP)
(4) You are a project manager. someone from the quality department comes to see you about beginning a quality audit of your project. The team is under pressure to complete the project ASAP and objects to the audit. You should explain to the team that the purpose of the quality audit is:
--> To identify inefficient and ineffective policies
(5) you are a project manager for a project which is currently running well. When a senior manager informs you that he is worried that the project will not meet the quality standards. What you should do in this situation?
--> formng a quality assurance team
(6) The PM noticed that project activities being completed by one department are all taking sligtly longer than planned. The PM is bothered bythis problem since a couple of next critical activities are being completed by this department.
It was found that there is a new policy requiring the company to have two levels of testing. What is the best thing to do?
--> recommending continuous improvement of the policy in question
(7) The widget production project is underway. The requirements are clear that each widget must weigh between 0.32 and 0.325 ounces. There are 1000 widgets inspected. Of the widgets inspected, 47% fell within the acceptable weight range. This is an example of:
(a) quality assurance (b) control limits (x)
NOTE: this is part of quality control process
(9) The project manager is working to clearly describe the level of the involvement expected from everyone involved in the project in order to prevent rework, conflict, and coordination problems. Which of the following best describes the project manager's effort?
a) problem solving, control, and discover gold plating
b) develop project management plan and plan quality(x)
(10) A project is in progress, and the project manager is working with the quality assurance department to improve stakeholder's confidence that the project will satisfy the quality standards. Which of the following is an output of this process.
a) quality audit
b) recommended corrective action (x)
NOTE: quality audit is a Tool, not an output
(11) Design of experiments:
is a tool in plan quality process to identify which variable will improve quality
(12) A project manager focuses on ensuring that the project satisfies the needs for which it was undertaken, the project manager is involved in :
->Quality management
(13) a control chart shows the last weights produced were outside the upper limit. what should the project manager do?
a) look for nonrandom cause for this variation
b) stop production (x)
(14) if data point falls outside the upper control limit of a control chart, the process is said to be:
-> out of control
Note: a run of 7 points toward upper or lower control limit may also indicate the process is out of control
(15) specification limit vs control limit
control limit is usually within specification limit
(16) quality is achieved when:
(a) customer expectation is exceeded
(b) the requirements have been met (x)
(16) which of the following will help PM to find root cause
a) pareto chart
b) fishbone diagram (x)
(17) five of the seven phases on the project contain work that is substantially similar. what must the PM do?
a) make sure the same resource completes all the similar work package
b) plan in continuous improvement activities
(18) The project contains many activity. One of the large activity has an estimate to complete (ETC) that is longer than planned. If the PM wants to look at Non-value-added activities that might cause the delay, then manager should:
a) measure using quality metric
b) perform a quality audit
c) complete process analysis (x)
Note: discovery non-value activity is a process analysis
(19) Which of the following would generally lead to the least amount of quality improvement?
a) quality planning
b) increasing inspection (x)
(20)
a) fix the problem ASAP
b) Allow cost to increase by fixing the root cause of the problem (x)
(2) In planning your project, which would generally considered the highest priority: quality, cost, or schedule:
--> These are generally considered to have equal importance
(3) The project team has created a plan for how they will implement the quality policy. it addresses the Organizational structure, responsibilities, procedures etc. If this changes during the project, which of the following plans will be changed:
--> project management plan (quality management plan is part of the PMP)
(4) You are a project manager. someone from the quality department comes to see you about beginning a quality audit of your project. The team is under pressure to complete the project ASAP and objects to the audit. You should explain to the team that the purpose of the quality audit is:
--> To identify inefficient and ineffective policies
(5) you are a project manager for a project which is currently running well. When a senior manager informs you that he is worried that the project will not meet the quality standards. What you should do in this situation?
--> formng a quality assurance team
(6) The PM noticed that project activities being completed by one department are all taking sligtly longer than planned. The PM is bothered bythis problem since a couple of next critical activities are being completed by this department.
It was found that there is a new policy requiring the company to have two levels of testing. What is the best thing to do?
--> recommending continuous improvement of the policy in question
(7) The widget production project is underway. The requirements are clear that each widget must weigh between 0.32 and 0.325 ounces. There are 1000 widgets inspected. Of the widgets inspected, 47% fell within the acceptable weight range. This is an example of:
(a) quality assurance (b) control limits (x)
NOTE: this is part of quality control process
(9) The project manager is working to clearly describe the level of the involvement expected from everyone involved in the project in order to prevent rework, conflict, and coordination problems. Which of the following best describes the project manager's effort?
a) problem solving, control, and discover gold plating
b) develop project management plan and plan quality(x)
(10) A project is in progress, and the project manager is working with the quality assurance department to improve stakeholder's confidence that the project will satisfy the quality standards. Which of the following is an output of this process.
a) quality audit
b) recommended corrective action (x)
NOTE: quality audit is a Tool, not an output
(11) Design of experiments:
is a tool in plan quality process to identify which variable will improve quality
(12) A project manager focuses on ensuring that the project satisfies the needs for which it was undertaken, the project manager is involved in :
->Quality management
(13) a control chart shows the last weights produced were outside the upper limit. what should the project manager do?
a) look for nonrandom cause for this variation
b) stop production (x)
(14) if data point falls outside the upper control limit of a control chart, the process is said to be:
-> out of control
Note: a run of 7 points toward upper or lower control limit may also indicate the process is out of control
(15) specification limit vs control limit
control limit is usually within specification limit
(16) quality is achieved when:
(a) customer expectation is exceeded
(b) the requirements have been met (x)
(16) which of the following will help PM to find root cause
a) pareto chart
b) fishbone diagram (x)
(17) five of the seven phases on the project contain work that is substantially similar. what must the PM do?
a) make sure the same resource completes all the similar work package
b) plan in continuous improvement activities
(18) The project contains many activity. One of the large activity has an estimate to complete (ETC) that is longer than planned. If the PM wants to look at Non-value-added activities that might cause the delay, then manager should:
a) measure using quality metric
b) perform a quality audit
c) complete process analysis (x)
Note: discovery non-value activity is a process analysis
(19) Which of the following would generally lead to the least amount of quality improvement?
a) quality planning
b) increasing inspection (x)
(20)
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