Practice Exam 2 Part 2

Large organizations typically manage a wide range of projects; from small projects to large initiatives requiring long-term commitments. Which of the following factors can be used in scaling such projects:

• Team size, geographical distribution, regulatory compliance, organizational complexity, technical complexity, and funds availability.

• Team size, geographical distribution, regulatory compliance and organizational complexity.

• Team size, geographical distribution and regulatory compliance.

• Team size, geographical distribution, regulatory compliance, organizational complexity and technical complexity.

Answer explanation

In large organizations, there may be a mixture of small projects and large initiatives requiring long-term commitments to manage these programs using scaling factors such as team size, geographical distribution, regulatory compliance, organizational complexity, and technical complexity. Funds availability is a constraint applicable to all projects.

Which of the following is not a part of the data gathering tools used in Control Quality process?

• Checklists

• Control Chart

• Check sheets

• Statistical Sampling

Answer explanation

Control chart is a monitoring tool, while the rest of the choices are valid data gathering tools used during Control Quality process.

Measuring the quality of items in a sample on a pass/fail basis is:

• Biased sampling

• Variable sampling

• Stratified sampling

• Attribute sampling

Answer explanation

Attribute sampling measures the quality of items in a sample on a pass/fail basis; variable sampling measures the quality on a continuous scale.

George is managing a telecommunication network deployment project. Most of the key project stakeholders are happy with the project so far. However, George has some potential concerns that might become issues in the near future. The next project status update meeting with the key stakeholders is the next day. What should George do?

• Wait until the concerns become issues

• Discuss these concerns with the key stakeholders

• Do not report the concerns in the next meeting but try to mitigate these concerns

• Briefly discuss these concerns in the next meeting but do not make them look significant

Answer explanation

Effective stakeholder management requires addressing potential concerns that have not yet become issues and anticipating future problems that may be raised by stakeholders. Such concerns need to be identified and discussed as soon as possible to assess associated project risks.

On-demand scheduling is one of the techniques used in agile projects. This type of scheduling relies on:

• A schedule that was developed previously for the development of the project increments.

• Discretionary dependencies that cannot be changed by the project team.

• Skills of the project manager rather than the skills of the team.

• A backlog or intermediate queue of work to be done.

Answer explanation

On-demand scheduling does not rely on a schedule that was developed previously for the development of the product or product increments, but rather pulls work from a backlog or intermediate queue of work to be done immediately as resources become available.

Midway through a project, a project manager determined the project was running far behind schedule. If the project manager needs to shorten the project schedule without changing the project scope, which of the following schedule compression techniques could he use?

• Crashing

• Reserve Analysis

• Forecasting

• Last Tracking

Answer explanation

Crashing is a technique that can be applied to compress the project schedule without changing the project scope. Another option is fast tracking.

At the end of a project, what will your schedule variance be equal to?

• Zero

• Equal to the total PV

• One

• Equal to the total EV

Answer explanation

The schedule variance is the earned value minus the planned value. At the end of the project, all of the planned values should be earned, and the difference should be zero.

How does time-boxing help minimize scope creep in agile projects?

• It forces the team to create project WBS using the user stories.

• It forces the sponsor to allocate a Scrum master who helps in eliminating

  scope creep.

• It forces the team to process essential features first, then other features.

• It forces the team to convert the user stories into epics.

Answer explanation

Time-boxed periods are durations during which the team works steadily toward completion of a goal. Time-boxing helps to minimize scope creep as it forces the teams to process essential features first, then other features when time permits.

A good project manager knows the value of effective stakeholder management. What is the ultimate goal of effective stakeholder management?

• Stakeholder engagement

• Project success

• Stakeholder satisfaction

• Meeting project objectives

Answer explanation

All of the statements are correct. However, the question is asking for the ultimate goal which is the project’s success. Stakeholder management is all about engaging stakeholders to meet their expectations and achieving stakeholder satisfaction. This is one of the key project objectives required to be achieved in order to deliver a successful project.

While analyzing a project, the project manager calculated the ratio of the Earned Value (EV) to the Actual Costs (AC) and obtained a value of 1.2. The project manager decided this was an unfavorable condition for the project and decided to take corrective action. What is your view?

• The project manager is correct. The ratio of EV to AC is the Cost Performance Index and a ratio greater than 1 is unfavorable to the project

• The project manager is not correct. The ratio of EV to AC is the Cost Variance and a ratio greater than 1 is favorable to the project.

• The project manager is not correct. The ratio of EV to AC is the Cost Performance Index and a ratio greater than 1 is favorable to the project

• The project manager is correct. The ratio of EV to AC is the Cost Variance and a ratio greater than 1 is unfavorable to the project.

Answer explanation

The project manager is not correct. Cost Performance Index (CPI) is the ratio of EV to AC. A value greater than one represents a favorable condition for the project. The project manager has misinterpreted the situation.