PMI-SP PMI Scheduling Professional Questions and Answers

A Website is an example of a pull communication. This means the information is available, but the reader must go to the source and retrieve the information. Pull communication is defined by what the reader wants and what interests he has in retrieving the information. In other words, the information is available, but the reader must go to the source and retrieve the information. This type of communication is used by advertising agencies to draw clients into retail establishments to receive messages. Customers decide on when and how they will act on the messages in the pull model of communications. Some virtual examples of pull communication are:

Blogs

Wikipedia

Websites

Answer option D is incorrect. This does not describe the communication model or how information is distributed.

Answer option C is incorrect. Passive communication is a not a project management term to describe communications.

Answer option B is incorrect. Push communication describes the process of delivering the communication to the recipients, such as through email.

According to the question, the project has twenty-five stakeholders. Communication channels are paths of communication with stakeholders in a project. The number of communication channels shows the complexity of a project's communication and can be derived through the formula shown below: Total Number of Communication Channels = n (n-1)/2 where, n is the number of stakeholders. Hence, a project having five stakeholders will have ten communication channels. Putting the value of the number of stake holder in the formula will provide the number of communication channels: Number of communication channel = (n (n-1)) / 2 = (25 (25-1)) / 2 = (25 x 24) / 2 = 600 / 2 = 300 Who are project stakeholders? Project stakeholders are those entities within or without an organization, which: Sponsor a project or, Have an interest or a gain upon a successful completion of a project. Examples of project stakeholders include the customer, the user group, the project manager, the development team, the testers, etc. Stakeholders are anyone who has an interest in the project. Project stakeholders are individuals and organizations that are actively involved in the project, or whose interests may be affected as a result of project execution or project completion. They may also exert influence over the project's objectives and outcomes. The project management team must identify the stakeholders, determine their requirements and expectations, and, to the extent possible, manage their influence in relation to the requirements to ensure a successful project.

The scope baseline is not an input to the estimate activity durations process. The project's scope statement is an input, but according to the PMBOK, the scope baseline is not. The seven inputs to this process are: activity list, activity attributes, activity resource requirements, resource calendars, project scope statement, enterprise environmental factors, and organizational process assets.

Answer options C, B, and D are incorrect. These all are an input to the estimate activity durations process.

The Develop Project Charter process documents the formal authorization of a project or a phase. It also documents initial requirements that satisfy the stakeholder's needs and expectations. It is used to validate the decisions made during the previous iteration of the Develop Project Charter process. The various inputs of this process are as follows:

Project statement of work

Business case

Contract

Enterprise environmental factors

Organizational process assets

The output of the Develop project Charter process is as follows:

Project charter

The integrated change control process reviews proposed changes and determines what effect the change will have on the entire project. This includes scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communication, risk, and procurement. Integrated change control is a way to manage the changes incurred during a project. It is a method that manages reviewing the suggestions for changes and utilizing the tools and techniques to evaluate whether the change should be approved or rejected. Integrated change control is a primary component of the project's change control system that examines the affect of a proposed change on the entire project.

Answer option A is incorrect. Scope change control focuses only on the effect of the change on the project scope.

Answer option B is incorrect. Schedule change control focuses only on the effect of the change on the schedule.

Answer option D is incorrect. The Change Control Board is a committee of key stakeholders, usually management, the project manager, and the project customer, to evaluate proposed changes. This board, however, is not a project process.

In severe cases, new schedule duration estimates with new forecasted start and finish dates are needed. In these instances, it is an example of using the control schedule process. Control schedule process is a method of monitoring the status of the project to update project progress and deal with the changes to the schedule baseline. It is concerned with: Determining the current status of the project Influencing the factors that create schedule changes Determining that the project schedule has changed Managing the actual changes as they occur Control schedule is a component of the Perform Integration Change Control process.

Answer option B is incorrect. The activity resources would only address the addition or replacement of resources needed to complete the project work.

Answer option A is incorrect. This is a tempting choice, but according to the PMBOK, new schedules are part of the control schedule process.

Answer option D is incorrect. Develop schedule is not the best choice for this question. It is a process of analyzing activity sequences, durations, resource requirements, and schedule constraints to create the project schedule.

The project will be just one day late due to this delay. The path ADGJ takes a total of 15 days. If Activity D takes a total of 13 days (i.e. 12 + 1), then the path will now take 27 days to complete. This causes the critical path to shift to ADGJ and the project will end on day 27 rather than day 26.

Answer options D, B, and C are incorrect. These are not the valid answers, as the project will now take 27 days to complete, rather than 26.

Direct costs can be traced directly to a cost object such as a product. In other words, direct costs do not have to be allocated to a product, department, or other cost object. For example, if a company produces Chairs, the cost of the wood and the cost of the carpenter are direct costs. These costs are traceable by the production department. On the other hand, the rent of the production area, warehouse, and office is not a direct cost.

Answer options A, D, and B are incorrect. These are examples of indirect costs.

The schedule variance can be found by subtracting the planned value from the earned value. In this instance, it is $2,025,000 minus $2,250,000. 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 B is incorrect. This is the cost variance for the project.

Answer option A is incorrect. 10 percent is not a valid answer.

Answer option D is incorrect. This is not a valid variance for this question; variances are typically negative numbers.

Activity F is on the critical path of ACFHK of 30 days. By adding five additional days to Activity F, the project will now take 35 days to complete.

Answer options C, A, and D are incorrect. These are not the valid answers.

Noise is anything that disrupts the communication method such as static on the telephone line, distracting conversations, or misunderstandings.

Answer option A is incorrect. Static is an example of noise, but it is not part of the communication model.

Answer option D is incorrect. A barrier to communication is when communication cannot happen under the present conditions.

Answer option B is incorrect. A deterrent is not a valid part of the communication model.

This is an example of a parametric estimate. This estimate type uses a parameter, such as four hours of painting per hotel room, and multiplies this value across the total number of units, such as 1,500 rooms. A parametric estimate is an estimate that uses a parameter to predict the costs of the project, such as cost per network drop or cost per software license. Parametric estimating technique utilizes the statistical relationship that exists between a series of historical data and a particular delineated list of other variables.

Answer option C is incorrect. An analogous estimate type uses a similar project's duration as a basis for the current project's estimate duration.

Answer option B is incorrect. A definitive estimate type accounts for the duration or costs of each work package in the WBS.

Answer option D is incorrect. A bottom-up estimate, also known as a definitive estimate, accounts for the duration or costs of each work package in the WBS.

Performance reports are distributed through the push technique. This means that the project manager distributes the reports regularly through a mechanism, such as email.

Answer option C is incorrect. One-to-one technique describes a conversation between two people.

Answer option B is incorrect. Many-to-many technique describes a conversation between many people.

Answer option D is incorrect. A pull technique describes the recipients of the report "pulling" the information, such as from a Website.

The estimate at completion (EAC) formula is the Budget at Completion (BAC)/Cost Performance Index (CPI). In this instance, the CPI is .78 and the BAC is $344,000. Cathy's project isn't doing too well.

Answer option D is incorrect. This value represents the estimate to complete for the project.

Answer option B is incorrect. This value represents the negative cost variance.

Answer option A is incorrect. This value represents the negative value the project will have once all the work is completed.

Your schedule variance is -$33,750. You can find this by using the formula earned value-minus planned.

Answer option C is incorrect. Cost is not the largest variance in the project.

Answer option A is incorrect. Cost is not the largest variance in the project (it is -$8,000).

Answer option D is incorrect. -$20,000 is the variance at completion for the project.

The fax machine is the encoder of the message. The communication model shows the traversal of information between two hosts, known as the sender and the receiver. The key components of the model are as follows: Encode: It is used to crypt or code the message into a language that is understood by others. Decode: It is used to decrypt the message back into the meaningful codes. Message and feedback message: It is the output of encoding. Noise: It is referred to anything, which interferes with the transmission and understanding of the message. Medium: It is the method used to convey the message. In the communication process, it is the duty of the sender to send clear and complete information to the receiver so that it is properly received by the receiver, and for confirming that it is properly understood. The duty of the receiver is to make sure that the information received is understood and acknowledged properly. A failure in communication can negatively impact the project.

Answer option C is incorrect. The sender is the person sending the message.

Answer option D is incorrect. The medium is the telephone lines between the two fax machines.

Answer option B is incorrect. The transporter is not a valid term for the communication model.

The project will need $1,087,497.74 more to complete. This formula, the estimate to complete, is estimate at completion minus the actual costs. Here,

CPI = EV/AC

= (0.40*2,208,456)/725,000

= 1.21846, and

ETC = EAC - AC

= (BAC/CPI) - AC

= (2,208,456/1.21846) - 725,000

= 1,812,497.74 - 725,000

= 1,087,497.74

The estimate to complete (ETC) is the expected cost needed to complete all the remaining work for a scheduled activity, a group of activities, or the project. ETC helps project managers predict what the final cost of the project will be upon completion. The formula for the ETC is EAC- A

C. The EAC is BAC/CPI.

Activity B is not on the critical path and it has a total of four days of float. If Activity B takes a total of eight days, it will consume three days of float. However, the total duration of the path ABEHJ may not exceed 26 days, as this is the total duration for the project. Although Activity H has a total of four days of float available, the consumption of three days of float on this path will reduce the total float for Activity H to just one day. If Activity H is delayed by more than one day, then the project will be late.

Answer option D is incorrect. There is one day of float still available for Activity H.

Answer options A and C are incorrect. These are not the valid answers, as there is just one day of float available for Activity H.

The consultant is an example of expert judgment, as he is helping you and the project team to create the project elements. Expert judgment is a technique based on a set of criteria that has been acquired in a specific knowledge area or product area. It is obtained when the project manager or project team requires specialized knowledge that they do not possess. Expert judgment involves people most familiar with the work of creating estimates. Preferably, the project team member who will be doing the task should complete the estimates. Expert judgment is applied when performing administrative closure activities, and experts should ensure the project or phase closure is performed to the appropriate standards.

Answer option A is incorrect. The consultant may be considered a direct expense because the fees can only be assigned to your project work, but this is not the best choice for the question.

Answer option B is incorrect. An external requirement is not a valid choice for this question.

Answer option C is incorrect. A temporary resource is not a valid project management term.

The Integration Change Control process is a part of Project Integration Management knowledge area group. It falls under the Monitoring and Controlling process group. Monitoring and controlling is a process group or stage that starts when the project is in the executing stage. This process overlaps the executing stage. Monitoring and controlling consists of those processes performed to observe project execution so that potential problems can be identified in a timely manner and corrective action can be taken, when necessary, to control the execution of the project. The key benefit is that project performance is observed and measured regularly to identify variances from the project management plan. Monitoring and controlling includes: Measuring the ongoing project activities (where we are). Monitoring the project variables (cost, effort, ...) against the project management plan and the project performance baseline (where we should be). Identify corrective actions to properly address issues and risks (How can we get on track again). Influencing the factors that could circumvent integrated change control so only approved changes are implemented. In multi-phase projects, the monitoring and controlling process also provides feedback between project phases, in order to implement corrective or preventive actions to bring the project into compliance with the project management plan. What is Project Integration Management? 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.

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.

This is an example of a fragment network. By adapting the network template to the current project and just using a portion of the template, the template is fragmented. A schedule network diagram template is used to speed up the preparation of networks of project activities. It comprises of the whole project, or a portion of the project activity. The various parts or portions of a project schedule network diagram are known as a subnetwork or a fragment network. When projects have related necessities and components, project managers can develop more efficient network diagrams by using the schedule network diagram templates.

Answer option D is incorrect. Parametric is an estimating technique that uses a parameter, such as $199 per installation, for a group of installation activities.

Answer option A is incorrect. Analogous estimates use historical information to predict the cost or duration of the current project.

Answer option B is incorrect. While this term, sometimes, describes a task within the project network diagram that does not connect to other paths, it is not a valid term.

Performance report is an input of monitor and control project work. Reports are prepared by the project team detailing activities, milestones, and problems. A performance report is made by the project team detailing activities, milestones, problems, accomplishments, and identified issues. Performance reports are used to report some key information as follows: Current status Scheduled activities Significant accomplishment for the period Forecasts Issues

Answer option B is incorrect. It is the tool and technique used for monitoring and controlling project work.

Answer options A and D are incorrect. These are the outputs to monitor and control project work.

Vendor performance, while important, is not part of the work performance information. Management is interested in the how well the project is performing, what activities are currently underway, and what's been completed to date.

Answer option A is incorrect the project's performance on schedule should be reported

Answer option C is incorrect as management is interested in what activities have been started and finished.

Answer option D is incorrect as management does want to know the percent of completion for the in-progress activities

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

Answer option A is incorrect. Work performance information is an input to the control schedule process and includes information on project progress and activity start and finish information.

Answer option C is incorrect. The project management plan is an input to the control schedule process.

Answer option B is incorrect. The project schedule is an input to the control schedule process.

The activity attributes initially include the Activity ID, WBS ID, and the Activity Name, but it can evolve over time to include other components about the work. Activity attributes are an output of the Define Activity process. These attributes refer to the multiple components that frame up an activity. The components for each activity during the early stages of the project are the Activity ID, WBS ID, and Activity name. At the later stages, the activity attributes include Activity codes, Predecessor activity, activity description, logical relationship, successor activity, leads and lags, imposed dates, and constraints and assumptions. Activity attributes are used for schedule development and for ordering, selecting, and sorting the planned schedule activities in a number of ways within reports.

Answer option B is incorrect. A project management plan is a formal document that defines how the project is being monitored, controlled, and executed. It is not the best answer.

Answer option D is incorrect. The roles and responsibilities matrix records the work and the person to record the work, but does not offer additional information such as locale for the work, level of effort, and other information.

Answer option C is incorrect. The Schedule Management Plan defines how the schedule will be created, executed, and controlled.

The schedule baseline is the only output of the develop schedule process among these answers. The three other outputs of the Develop Schedule Process are: project schedule, schedule data, and project document updates.

Answer option D is incorrect. Activity duration estimates are an output of the Estimate Activity Duration process.

Answer option A is incorrect. Work performance information is an input of the Control Schedule process.

Answer option C is incorrect. Resource calendars are an input to the Develop Schedule process.

A three-point estimate requires that each activity be estimated for its optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic duration. Once the three estimates have been created, an average of the duration estimates is found and this is the recorded duration for the project work.

Answer option A is incorrect. This is not a complete explanation of a three-point estimate.

Answer option C is incorrect. This is a definition of PERT, a similar time estimating technique.

Answer option D is incorrect. This is definition of PERT, but this answer uses the term GERT so it is not a valid choice.

An activity is the effort needed to complete a work package. The activities are linked to the work packages in the WBS. An activity is the element of work performed throughout the various stages of a project. It is a group of people, communications, processes, and work items that correspond to a joint effort to achieve a goal. An activity is a way to manage the work collectively with others in any organization. The create WBS process identifies the deliverables at the lowest level in the WBS, called the work package. Project work packages are divided into smaller elements known as activities, which correspond to the work required to complete the work package.

Answer option D is incorrect. This is a definition of all the work that the project team and manager must complete in order to complete the total activity list.

Answer options A and C are incorrect. These are not valid definitions of an activity.

Conformance to schedule is a required adherence for the project's schedule. In this instance, the project manager must not allow the schedule to slip more than five percent.

Answer option B is incorrect. This is the description of the schedule performance index.

Answer option D is incorrect. This is the description of the cost performance index.

Answer option C is incorrect. This is not a valid statement about the project performance.

Rolling wave planning is a technique to plan and do the most imminent project work before moving onto the details that are far off in the project schedule and project plan. Rolling wave planning is a technique for performing progressive elaboration planning where the work to be accomplished in the near future is planned in detail at a low level of the work breakdown structure. The work to be performed within another one or two reporting periods in the near future is planned in detail as work is being completed during the current period.

Answer option D is incorrect. Decomposition is the process of breaking down work packages into the activity list.

Answer options A and C are incorrect. These are not valid project management terms.

The estimate at completion can be calculated by dividing the budget at completion by the cost performance index. Here,

CPI =EV/AC

= (0.40*2,208,456)/725000

= 1.21846

EAC = BAC/CPI

= 2,208,456/1.21846

= 1,812,498

What is Estimate at Completion (EAC)? Estimate at Completion (EAC) is a field that displays the final cost of the project including the actual costs and the forecast of remaining costs based on the cost performance index (CPI) so far. The formula used to calculate this estimate is as follows: ACWP+(BAC-BCWP)/CPI

According to the PMBOK, Gina will not need the WBS directly, but will rely on the scope baseline. A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) in project management is a tool that defines a project and groups the project's discrete work elements in a way that helps organize and define the total work scope of the project. A WBS element may be a product, data, a service, or any combination. WBS also provides the necessary framework for detailed cost estimating and control along with providing guidance for schedule development and control.

Answer option A is incorrect. The scope baseline is an input to define the project activities.

Answer option D is incorrect. Enterprise environmental factors are an input to define the project activities.

Answer option B is incorrect. Organizational process assets are an input to define the project activities.

The graphic shown in the figure is a communications bull's eye. The project manager must keep the project within the boundaries defined by the bull's eye or he will need to generate a performance report. This is an example of management by exception because the project manager only communicates with management when there is an exception, or variance, within the project.

Answer options C, B, and D are incorrect. These are not valid terms for the communications bull's eye.

The critical path is the path in the project network diagram with the longest duration. In project management, a critical path is the sequence of project network activities which add up to the longest overall duration. This determines the shortest time possible to complete the project. Any delay of an activity on the critical path directly impacts the planned project completion date (i.e. there is no float on the critical path). This project actually has two critical paths. Path ACGIJ takes 23 days. Path ACGHJ also takes 23 days. When Activity I decreases by three days the critical will still take 23 days to complete as Path ACGHJ remains a critical path.

Answer option A is incorrect. The duration of the critical path did not increase.

Answer option D is incorrect. The duration of the path ACGIJ will decrease to 20 days but the critical path will remain at 23 days.

Answer option B is incorrect. The critical path did not reduce to 17 days.

The schedule variance is found by subtracting the planned value from the earned value. The earned value is the percentage of the project completeness multiplied by the BAC. Planned value is the percentage of where the project should be at this time multiplied by the BAC. In this example, EV = 40% of BAC = 260,000, and PV = 50% of BAC = 325,000 SV = 260,000 - 325,000 = -65,000

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 options B, C, and A are incorrect. These are not valid calculations of the schedule variance.

The Precedence Diagramming Method uses both predecessors and successors as nodes in the project network diagram. The PDM approach is the most common network diagram approach used.

Answer option C is incorrect. Dependency determination identifies the order of the project work.

Answer option B is incorrect. The schedule network template is a tool that uses a previous project network diagram as a base for the current project network diagram.

Answer option D is incorrect. Activity on the node places activities on circles within a network diagram. It is an example of the precedence diagramming method.

The communications management plan will define who will receive what information.

Answer option B is incorrect. The project sponsor may be a recipient but the project communications management plan is the best selection.

Answer option A is incorrect. Functional management is not the best choice in a projectized structure.

Answer option D is incorrect. The project customer may receive a copy of the report, but the project communications management plan should direct the communications.

The main function of the schedule model is to provide a useful 'road map' that can be used by the project manager and the project team to assist them in completing the project fruitfully. A well-developed schedule model is an active tool used to predict at what time the project work that remains to be completed can reasonably be completed. The schedule model allows the project team to look at the performance of the project to date, and use that data to make more accurate projections about the future.

When the project manager relies on consultants or the project team (or both), it is an example of expert judgment. Expert judgment is a technique based on a set of criteria that has been acquired in a specific knowledge area or product area. It is obtained when the project manager or project team requires specialized knowledge that they do not possess. Expert judgment involves people most familiar with the work of creating estimates. Preferably, the project team member who will be doing the task should complete the estimates. Expert judgment is applied when performing administrative closure activities, and experts should ensure the project or phase closure is performed to the appropriate standards.

Answer option C is incorrect. This is not an example of decomposition.

Answer option B is incorrect. This is not an example of rolling wave planning.

Answer option A is incorrect. This is not an example of using a project template.

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.

If Activity D increases by six days, the duration of the project will not change. There is 11 days of float available for Activity D so it may delay by six days without affecting the project end date. What is float?

Float or total float (TF) is the total amount of time that a schedule activity may be delayed from its early start date without delaying the project finish date, or violating a schedule constraint. It is calculated by using the critical path method technique and determining the difference between the early finish dates and late finish dates.

Answer options A, B, and C are incorrect. These are not valid answers for the question.

Discrete effort is a term used to describe the work that can be measured and traced to the components in the work packages. It is the actual work to create the project deliverables. Discrete effort refers to the particular work effort that can be identified and traced as having a direct tie to the final completion of the project- related work breakdown structure components and the deliverables. It is necessary that all the efforts have a specific measurable end product or end result.

Answer options A, D, and C are incorrect. These are not valid definitions of discrete effort.

The planned value is forty-five percent of the project's BAC, or $1,055,543. Planned value (PV) is the authorized budget assigned to the schedule work to be accomplished for a schedule activity or work breakdown structure component. It serves as a baseline against which actual performance is measured. The theory of planned value is of vital importance to the project management team and it is important to keep careful track of this. The term planned value can also be in some situations referred to by the project management team and the project management team leader as the budgeted cost of work scheduled (BCWS).

Answer option D is incorrect. $938,260 is the project's earned value.

Answer option A is incorrect. $950,000 is the project's actual costs.

Answer option B is incorrect. $2,375,000 is the project's estimate at completion.

A phase is a combination of associated activities that represent a distinct stage within a project. A phase can have distinct start and finish dates and include several stages of planning and work. Each project has a defined scope of work, such as a unique product or service. Some examples of phases within the scope of work for a project plan are conceptual engineering, pre-construction, and engineering.

Answer option A is incorrect. Concrete is an activity, not a project phase.