PMI-SP Online Practice Questions and Answers

Correct Answer: B

The define activities process is the process that may begin once the project's WBS has been completed and approved. It is possible, in some projects, to complete the WBS and the activity list at the same time. Answer option D is incorrect.

Sequencing the activities cannot happen until the activity list has been created.

Answer option A is incorrect. Estimating activity resources is dependent on the activity list, so this choice is not valid.

Answer option C is incorrect. Estimate activity durations are dependent on the activity list, so this choice is not valid.

Correct Answer: D

Forecasting method is a technique used in generating performance reports. Forecasting is the process of estimating or predicting in unknown situations. Forecasting is about predicting the future as accurately as possible with the help of all the information available, including historical data and knowledge of any future events that might impact forecasts. The forecasting methods are categorized as follows: Time series method: It uses historical data as the basis for estimating future outcomes. Causal/ econometric method: This forecasting method is based on the assumption that it is possible to identify some factors that might influence the variable that is being forecasted. If the causes are understood, projections of the influencing variables can be made and used in the forecast. Judgmental method: Judgmental forecasting methods incorporate intuitive judgments, opinions, and subjective probability estimates. Other methods: Other methods may include probabilistic forecasting, simulation, and ensemble forecasting. It is one of the tools and techniques of the report performance process. Answer option A is incorrect. Work performance information is the data gathered on the status of the project schedule activities that are performed to accomplish the project work. This data is collected as part of the Direct and Manage Project Execution processes. WPI includes the following: Deliverables status Schedule Progress Costs incurred It is used as an input in generating the report performance process. Answer option C is incorrect. Work performance measurements are created from the work performance information. WPMs are an output of Control schedule, Control cost, and Control scope processes, which are monitoring and controlling processes. WPMs consist of planned versus actual performance indicators with respect to scope, schedule, and cost. They are documented and communicated to the stakeholders and are used to make project activity metrics, such as the following: Planned vs. Actual Technical performance and Scope performance Planned vs. Actual Schedule performance Planned vs. Actual Cost performance They are used as an input in generating the report performance process. Answer option B is incorrect. Change requests are requests to expand or reduce the project scope, modify policies, processes, plans, or procedures, modify costs or budgets or revise schedules. These requests for a change can be direct or indirect, externally or internally initiated, and legally or contractually imposed or optional. A Project Manager needs to ensure that only formally documented requested changes are processed and only approved change requests are implemented. It is an output of the report performance process.

Correct Answer: B

Apportioned effort is effort applied that you cannot subdivide into work packages, but it is related to, usually in a supportive role, to the completion of the project work packages. The project management overhead, such managing the project

work, is an example of apportioned effort. Apportioned effort (AE) is the effort that is applied to the project-related work that cannot be easily and readily divided into discrete efforts for those tasks, but which is associated in a direct proportion

to the discrete work efforts that are capable of being measured. The presence of apportioned effort relies particularly on the performance of further efforts.

Answer option C is incorrect. This is an example of discrete effort. Answer option A is incorrect. This is an example of a scope change that has not been approved. Answer option D is incorrect. This is an example of a scheduling technique.

Correct Answer: B

There is positive variance of $122,845 on Fred's project. Variances can be either positive or negative. Schedule variance (SV) is a measure of schedule performance on a project. The variance notifies that the schedule is ahead or behind what was planned for this period in time. The schedule variance is calculated based on the following formula: SV = Earned Value (EV) - Planned Value (PV) If the resulting schedule is negative, it indicates that the project is behind schedule. A value greater than 0 shows that the project is ahead of the planned schedule. A value of 0 indicates that the project is right on target. Answer option C is incorrect. This is the project's variance at completion. Answer option D is incorrect. This is the cost variance for the project. Answer option A is incorrect. This is not a valid answer for the project.

Correct Answer: C

This is an example of a resource requirement. The project needs four electrical engineers even though the resources are not within your department. Your organization could be a matrix structure, or it could hire resources from outside the organization. Answer option D is incorrect. A resource constraint is evident when the project requires the electrical engineer and she is not available. A requirement, as in this scenario, is simply the identification of the needed resource even if the resource is not available in your department. Answer option B is incorrect. This is not an example of a risk, unless the resource is constrained by other projects, schedules, or work and may not be available at all when needed. Answer option A is incorrect. An assumption would be believing the resource is available for the project without confirming the availability of the resource.

Correct Answer: D

The project management team defines which activities are external to the project. An external dependency is any nonproject activity that is external to the project but has a direct impact on the project activities. An external dependency may be

an inspector or any agency that may have to give prior approval before the project can move forward. These dependencies are external to the organization and are determined by the project management team to find which dependencies are

external all through the process of sequencing the activities. Answer option C is incorrect. The project manager may be part of the project management team, but this is not the best choice.

Answer option A is incorrect. The project team does not define this relationship. Answer option B is incorrect. The project sponsor would not define the external dependencies.

Correct Answer: BCD

Project Integration Management is one of the nine Project Management Knowledge areas. It comprises the following processes:

Develop Project Charter

Develop Preliminary Project Scope Statement

Develop Project Management Plan

Direct and Manage Project Execution

Monitor and Control Project Work

Integrated Change Control

Close Project

These processes occur throughout the project and are repeated quite often during the working of the project. They ensure that the various elements of the project are properly coordinated. What are the Project Management Knowledge Areas? The Project Management Knowledge Areas are groupings that bring together processes that have things in common. For example, Resource Planning, Cost Estimating, Cost Budgeting, etc., are part of the Project Cost Management knowledge group. These processes may or may not be part of different or same process groups. Guide to the PMBOK identifies forty- two processes that are arranged in nine knowledge areas. The knowledge areas are as follows:

Project Integration Management

Project Scope Management

Project Time Management

Project Cost Management

Project Quality Management

Project Human Resource Management

Project Communications Management

Project Risk Management

Project Procurement Management

Answer option A is incorrect. Quality Assurance is a part of the Project Quality Management knowledge area.

Correct Answer: D

By adding lag time to the carpet activity, Joe can move the start time of the carpet activity by 30 hours. A lag time is a delay between the predecessor and the successor tasks. Sometimes it may be needed to schedule a delay between the predecessor and the successor tasks. For example, if two coats of paint are required to paint a car, then the final coat should be applied only when the first coat dries. This delay is known as the lag time. The lag time is entered as a positive value. The lag time can be entered as a duration or as a percentage of the predecessor's task duration. It is entered on the Predecessor tab in the Task Information dialog box. Answer option A is incorrect. A lead time is the time that overlaps between the predecessor and the successor tasks. The successor task can start before the predecessor task finishes. Answer option C is incorrect. Dummy activities are not the preferred method of project scheduling. Answer option B is incorrect. Changing the relationship of the activity to finish-to-finish would not prevent the activities from overlapping.

Correct Answer: B

The finish-to-start relationship type is the most common in a project network diagram. It means that the predecessor activity must finish before its successor activity can start. For example, the carpet must be installed before the painting activity can begin. What is precedence diagramming method (PDM) in sequence activities? Precedence diagramming method (PDM) is used in critical path methodology for building a project schedule network diagram that uses boxes or rectangles, referred to as nodes, to represent activities, and join each other with arrows that show the logical relationship that exists between them. This technique is also known as Activity-On-Node (AON).It includes four types of dependencies or logical relationships: Finish-to-start(FS): The initiation of the successor activity depends upon the completion of the predecessor activity. Finish-to-finish(FF): The completion of the successor activity depends upon the completion of the predecessor activity. Start-to-start(SS): The initiation of the successor activity depends upon the initiation of the predecessor activity. Start-to- finish(SF): The completion of the successor activity depends upon the initiation of the predecessor activity.

Correct Answer: A

Schedule activities on the critical path are called critical activities. Critical activity is a specific schedule activity on the critical path that takes place within a project schedule. Critical activities are mainly determined during the execution and deployment of the critical path method. In project management terms, critical activity refers to being on the major critical path, the most important path of life of an activity. Critical activity can also be defined as the work elements that must be carefully monitored, documented, and managed to make the success of an organization, program, or project. An activity that has a total float equal to zero is believed to be a 'critical activity', which means if an interruption in the finish time of an activity occurs, then the entire project will be delayed by the same amount of time. A critical activity generally has free float equal to zero. Answer options D, C, and B are incorrect. These are not valid answers for this question.