Practice Test

This practice test is designed to simulate PMI®’s 200-question PMP® certification

exam.
INSTRUCTIONS: Note the most suitable answer for each multiple-choice
question in the appropriate space on the answer sheet.

1. You recently took over a relatively new project expected to last another seven
years. The previous project manager completed most of the WBS. When you
begin to define the project activities, you realize that the WBS work packages
expected to occur in the next year are planned in detail, but the work
packages for later in the future (three years or more) are not planned with
much detail, if any detail at all. You determine—
a. It is a major problem. The WBS is incomplete and you need to redefine
the project scope to complete the project schedule.
b. It is a problem that must be resolved quickly. The previous project
manager was not done with the WBS, and you must stop the project to
complete the WBS in sufficient detail.
c. It is not a problem at this time. The previous project manager was using
the rolling wave planning technique, so you are able to continue defining
the activities.
d. It is not a problem at this time. You can only plan what you know. You
plan to communicate to the project sponsor that the WBS is not sufficient
to plan the whole project and that the sponsor can worry about the
details.

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258 ◾ PMP® Exam Preparation: Test Questions, Practice Test, and Simulated Exam

2. You are managing a project to transform your organization into one that
is more customer centric as your executives realize they no longer can
assume existing customers will stay with your firm given offerings by
the competition. You and your team identified over 300 stakeholders and
classified them. You realize 45 are influential but negative to the project. You
then prepared your stakeholder engagement plan. Now, you find you are
addressing concerns from these stakeholders plus others, and it consumes
most of your time. However, it is important because—
a. You want to increase their support and minimize resistance
b. The stakeholders only wish to work with you
c. You need committed stakeholders to ensure your project continues
d. You realize your project has the greatest chance for success if it operates
in a projectized environment, and stakeholder support is paramount

3. On your project to construct a new runway for your City’s airport, you
are in the process of selecting sellers for various parts of this project. You
have conducted your make-or-buy analysis and have issued Requests for
Proposals. Before accepting a proposal, you decide to—
a. Review invoicing and payment information
b. Set up a multi-disciplinary review team
c. Use analytical techniques
d. Establish a system to control claims

4. Requirements always are a concern to ensure stakeholder needs are met.

Your organizational leaders even have noted the importance of capturing
the right requirements to help ensure project success. They have set up
a business analysis group, and everyone in it is certificated in business
analysis. Since your project is one that has captured your senior manager’s
attention, the importance of collecting the right requirements and avoiding
scope creep is emphasized by your sponsor and other key stakeholders. A
business analyst is working with you and your team in collaborative way. As
you wok to collect requirements you first focus on—
a. Involving as many key stakeholders as possible through interviews and
questionnaires
b. Recognizing the appropriate level of service requirements
c. Determining problems and identifying business needs
d. Performing the requirements activities quickly

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5. The project life cycle, management reviews, and the development approach
in the Develop Project Management Plan process are—
a. Enterprise environmental factors
b. Organizational process assets
c. Part of the project management plan
d. Part of the organization’s management practices

6. You are managing a project that has five subcontractors. You must monitor
contract performance, make payments, and manage provider interfaces. One
subcontractor submitted a change request to expand the scope of its work.
You decided to award a contract modification based on a review of this
request. All these activities are part of—
a. Control Procurements
b. Conduct Procurements
c. Form Contract
d. Configuration Management

7. Your project management plan has been approved, and since your company
follows a stage-gate approach, you are now in the executing phase. You
have collected a lot of data, and these data are viewed as—
a. Ones set forth in the PMIS
b. The lowest level of detail to derive information
c. Ones recommended through a survey of your stakeholders to assess their
key communications requirements
d. A major part of the project management plan

8. Assume you are managing a small project with a budget of $50,000 to

redesign how training is conducted in your organization. Your team has
three people who work on the project part time and are subject matter
experts. Your project charter has been approved, and now you are working
on your project management plan. You know a best practice is to have a
kick-off meeting so you—
a. Use it to involve your team in the planning process
b. Use it when the plan is approved, and you move into the executing
phase
c. Use it to discuss team skills and roles and responsibilities
d. Use it at the beginning of each phase in the project for team building

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 9. While working as the project manager on a new project to improve overall
ease of use in the development of a railroad switching station, you have
decided to add a subject matter expert who specializes in ergonomics to
your team. She has decided to observe the existing approach as you and
your team work to define requirements for the new system. This method is
also called—
a. Mentoring
b. Coaching
c. Job shadowing
d. User experimentation

10. In addition to providing support to the project, Manage Quality also

provides an umbrella for—
a. Plan-do-check-act
b. Improvement of quality planning
c. Project management maturity
d. Work performance information

11. As you manage the railroad switching station project, you are concerned that
the business analyst who was responsible for preparing the WBS may have
overlooked some parts of the project. In order to see if the WBS requires
enhancements you decide to—
a. Perform a cause-and-effect diagram
b. Meet with your sponsor
c. Use an affinity diagram
d. Review the accompanying WBS Dictionary with a member of the PMO

12. Assume that you are managing a project in which 80% has been outsourced
to various sellers. In terms of contract administration, a key aspect is—
a. Having a contract administrator assigned to your core team and reports
to you
b. Ensuring there are few, if any, claims
c. Considering the sellers as members of the project team
d. Managing the interfaces among the sellers

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13. Manual and automated tools can support configuration management
and change management. The use of the specific tools supports project
stakeholder needs, which include organizational and environmental
consideration and/or constraints. Since your project involves the
development of flying cars in congested urban areas, you believe you should
use both configuration and change control. In configuration control, your
last step is to—
a. Determine specific responsibilities
b. List the approved configuration identification
c. Perform verification and audit on each configuration item
d. Ensure the composition of a project’s configuration items is correct

14. You need to outsource the testing function of your project. Your
subcontracts department informed you that the following document must be
prepared before conducting the procurement—
a. Make-or-buy analysis
b. Procurement management plan
c. Evaluation methodology
d. Contract terms and conditions

15. Assume you are working to Monitor and Control Project Work. A useful tool
and technique is—
a. Monitoring and reporting methods
b. Requirements traceability matrix
c. Variance analysis
d. Influence diagrams

16. You are pleased to be managing a project to enhance and upgrade the
landfill system in your city. Nothing has changed since it was first created
more than 20 years ago. You prepared your business case along with your
sponsor, and the project is authorized because of a—
a. Sustainability
b. Customer request
c. Social need
d. Ecological impact

17. To identify inefficient and ineffective policies, processes, and procedures in

use on a project, you should conduct—
a. An inspection
b. A process analysis
c. Benchmarking
d. A quality audit

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18. Your project management office implemented a project management
methodology that emphasizes the importance of integrated change control.
It states that change requests may include—
a. Indirect changes
b. Defect repairs
c. Informal from executives
d. Ones that do not impact baselines

19. Since projects involve change, change requests then will be needed. Every
documented change request must be approved by a responsible person,
who is—
a. The project manager or the sponsor
b. A member of the CCB
c. Identified in the change management plan
d. Identified in the project management plan

20. A number of tools and techniques are helpful in the Perform Integrated
Change Control process. You have a CCB on your project, and with it, you
plan to use—
a. Configuration management software
b. A project management information system
c. Project status review meetings
d. Change control meetings

21. Having worked previously as a software project manager, you were pleased
to be appointed as the project manager for a new systems integration project
designed to replace the existing air traffic control system in your country.
You found a requirements traceability matrix to be helpful on software
projects, so you decided to use it on this systems integration project. Using
such a matrix helps to ensure that each requirement—
a. Adds quality and supports the organization’s quality policy
b. Adds business value as it links to business and project objectives
c. Sets forth the level of service, performance, safety, security, and
compliance
d. Shows the impact to other organizational areas and to entities outside of
the performing organization

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22. You are working on a complex project in the medical device field. You
have about 55 internal stakeholders and a very large number of external
stakeholders with the regulatory and consumer interest groups along with
the medical profession. You need to be aware of their risk tolerances as they
are examples in the Direct and Manage Project Work process of—
a. The need to review the stakeholder management plan early in the
process
b. Enterprise environmental factors
c. Organizational process assets
d. The importance of classifying stakeholders as to interest and influence

23. Working in the Perform Integrated Change Control process, you want to
study the impact of the change on the project’s scope. Therefore, you need
to consider the—
a. Scope change control system
b. Basis of estimates
c. Requirements traceability matrix
d. Performance management baseline

24. Your company has over the past two years changed its methodologies and
now is using agile. You are working to Manage Quality on your project.
Therefore, your focus is on—
a. Using Pareto analysis
b. Concentrating on small batch systems
c. Analyzing cost-benefit periodically
d. Determining quality metrics

25. You are working to validate the scope of your project to ensure it meets
acceptance criteria. You also are working on Control Quality. Therefore, you
want to—
a. Ensure processes are performed completely in parallel
b. Both processes only use inspection as a tool and technique
c. Ensure Control Quality is concerned with meeting quality requirements
for the deliverables
d. Ensure Validate Scope typically precedes Control Quality

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26. There are a number of activities for administrative closure of the project or a
phase. The first one is—
a. Transitioning the product or service to end users, the customer, or an
operations group
b. Measuring the completeness of the project’s deliverables against the
requirements
c. Making sure all the activities necessary to satisfy exit criteria for a phase
or the entire project are followed
d. Holding a lessons-learned session with interested stakeholders

27. You are in the process of performing managing quality on your project’s
product and find that some requirements are not as complete as they
should be, which causes rework and adds costs to your overall project. One
approach to decide your next steps is—
a. Determining the cost of quality
b. Using a checklist
c. Finding solutions for these issues and other challenges
d. Comparing the cost of rework to the life-cycle costs of the project

28. Assume you are working on a complex project, with team members located
in four countries. Your company is striving to be the first to market with a
new medical device that if a patient requires a stent, he or she will never
require another one. Your project is in the top three in the company’s
portfolio, and executives are reviewing it closely. You have a number of
unknown unknowns on this project, which means—
a. You are conducting assumptions analysis using a subject matter expert.
b. You are holding bi-weekly reviews to identify emergent risks.
c. You are analyzing variability risks.
d. You have added an expert in risk management to your team.

29. Assume your organization has changed its project management methodology
so it is focused on an agile/adaptive environment. This change took time to
implement since people tend to resist change, but now some are recognizing
its value. You decided that since you had your PMP to become certified as
well in agile. Now you are using an agile approach on your project. In this
approach, you—
a. Need to spend less time defining requirements early on your project
b. Use affinity diagrams to capture a variety of requirements and then
categorize them in the later stages
c. Use business analyst in which this person has complete requirements
responsibility
d. Apply approaches such as ensuring requirements are stable from the start

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30. You are executing your organizational transformation project to move
toward a managing-by-project culture. To do so effectively, you want to
connect people to people, so they can work together and create new
knowledge as this project continues. Your goal is to share tacit knowledge
and also integrate the knowledge of your diverse team. It is an innovative
and complex project. To help you in this area, you decide to use—
a. Lessons learned register
b. Work shadowing
c. Employee development and training records
d. Organizational learning

31. An approach to provide insight into the health of the project and to identify
any areas that require special attention is to—
a. Conduct periodic status reviews
b. Prepare regular status and progress reports
c. Prepare forecasts of the project’s future
d. Continuously monitor the project

32. Although your company’s project life cycle does not mandate when a
project review should be conducted, you believe it is important to review
performance at the conclusion of each phase. The objective of such a review
is to—
a. Determine how many resources are required to complete the project
according to the project baseline
b. Adjust the schedule and cost baselines based on past performance
c. Obtain customer acceptance of project deliverables
d. Determine whether the project should continue to the next phase

33. In the performing project stage of team development, it now is time for the
project manager to—
a. Evaluate performance
b. Empower the team
c. Celebrate success
d. Improve trust

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34. Assume that your actual costs are $1,000; your planned value is $1,200; and
your earned value is $1,500. Based on these data, what can be determined
regarding your schedule variance?
a. At −$300, the physical progress is being accomplished at a slower rate
than is planned, indicating an unfavorable situation.
b. At +$300, the situation is favorable, as physical progress is being
accomplished ahead of your plan.
c. At +$500, the situation is favorable, as physical progress is being
accomplished at a lower cost than was forecasted.
d. At −$300, you have a behind-schedule condition, and your critical path
has slipped.

35. You are concerned because when you did your stakeholder engagement
assessment matrix, one of the stakeholders you classified as leading seems
to now lack interest in your project. This stakeholder, your Chief Financial
Officer, is someone you consider critical to success. You have been
monitoring stakeholder engagement throughout the project. You realize
you need to meet with this stakeholder personally and have a meeting
scheduled. You want to see if the Chief Financial Officer feels you need
to modify your stakeholder engagement strategies and plan. During this
meeting you plan to—
a. Focus on whether he feels too much or not enough information is
provided
b. Ask open-ended questions and use active listening
c. Inform him of the project’s cost status to ensure he still will provide the
funds needed in your cost management plan
d. Make a presentation about the entire project

36. The CPI on your project is 0.44, which means that you should—
a. Place emphasis on improving the timeliness of the physical progress
b. Reassess the life-cycle costs of your product, including the length of the
life-cycle phase
c. Place emphasis on improving the productivity by which work was being
performed
d. Recognize that your original estimates were fundamentally flawed, and
your project is in an atypical situation

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37. Assume your organization is adopting the use of agile, but before it is used
on all projects, you are testing its use on your project. Even though agile has
different methods, you must prepare a cost estimate. The best approach to
use is—
a. Agile release planning
b. An analogous estimate
c. A high-level cost forecast
d. Guidelines from the project’s governance committee

38. Which of the following tools and techniques is used in the Close Project or
Phase process?
a. Project management methodology
b. Work performance information
c. Expert judgment
d. Project management information system

39. Assume you have prepared your cost estimate to update the technology for
your liquefied natural gas pipeline, which was constructed ten years ago.
Now, you are working to develop you budget. But you have some funding
limits to consider as you do so, which means you—
a. Follow your financial framework
b. Have imposed date constraints
c. Acquire additional funds from outside sources
d. Use retained earnings to cover short-term gaps

40. Your company, noted for its use of innovative technology in its work, is also
noted for exceeding its budget. On your project, you have been asked by the
executive team to keep costs under control. You are focusing your attention
on—
a. Informing your stakeholders of approved change requests and their costs
b. Using earned value and following the 50/50 rule
c. Focusing on work performance information as you begin your work to
control your project costs
d. Involving stakeholders to ensure change requests are decided as quickly
as possible

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41. While managing a large project in your organization, you realize that
your project team requires training in contract administration because you
will be awarding several major contracts. After you analyze your project
requirements and assess the expertise of your team members, you decide
that your team will need a one-week class in contract administration. This
training should—
a. Commence following guidelines in the resource management plan
b. Commence as scheduled and stated as part of the procurement
management plan
c. Be scheduled if necessary after performance assessments are prepared
and after each team member has had an opportunity to serve in the
contract administrator role
d. Commence as scheduled and stated in the team development plan

42. Assume that on your project, you are using earned value management.
You also are conducting performance reviews. You recognize, though, that
an important aspect of cost control is determining the cause and variance
compared to the cost baseline. You have found that—
a. The most frequently analyzed measurements are CPI and SPI
b. The milestone method is the most accurate way to assess performance
using earned value
c. Graphical techniques will enhance how the information is received
d. The range of acceptable variances will tend to decrease over time

43. Your project sponsor has asked you, “What do we now expect the total job
to cost?” Given that you are using earned value, you should calculate the—
a. To-complete performance index
b. Estimate to complete
c. Estimate at completion
d. Budget at completion

44. One key reason that the Develop Project Charter process is so important is
that it—
a. Documents the boundaries of the project
b. States the methods for acceptance of the project’s deliverables
c. Describes the project’s characteristics
d. Links the project to the organization’s strategic objectives

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45. Your company has been awarded a contract for project management
consulting services for a major government agency. You were a member
of the proposal writing team, are PMP® certified, and you are the project
manager. You are now working to prepare your project management
plan, which is to be submitted in one week. You decided to use some
interpersonal and team skills to help develop your plan. While a number are
possible, you selected—
a. Conflict management
b. Active listening
c. Networking
d. Political awareness

46. Assume you had a phase gate meeting with your Governance Board for your
project to develop the next generation radar system as part of the nation’s
airspace modernization program. At this meeting, the Board approved your
project management plan. However, as you begin to execute your plan, an
organizational process asset to consider is—
a. Sustainability
b. Cost and budget management
c. Legislation and regulations
d. Performance management data base

47. Consider the data in the table below. Assume that your project consists
only of these three activities. Your estimate at completion is $4,400.00.
This means you are calculating your EAC by using which of the
following formulas?

Activity % Complete PV EV AC
A 100 2,000 2,000 2,200
B 50 1,000 500 700
C 0 1,000 0 0

a. EAC = AC/EV × BAC

b. EAC = AC/EV × [work completed and in progress] + [actual (or revised)
cost of work packages that have not started]
c. EAC = AC + Bottom-up ETC
d. EAC = % complete × BAC

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48. Assume you are preparing your stakeholder engagement plan. As you do so,
you want to make sure in the decisions you make that you—
a. Hold meetings with your stakeholders
b. Organize as much information as you can find about each stakeholder
c. Use prioritization/ranking
d. Use voting based on multi-criteria analysis

49. The lessons learned documentation is an output from the—

a. Identify Stakeholders process
b. Develop Project Management Plan process
c. Manage Communications process
d. Plan Communications Management process

50. Your experience has taught you that inappropriate responses to cost
variances can produce quality or schedule problems or unacceptable project
risk. When leading a team meeting to discuss the importance of cost control,
you note that cost control is concerned with—
a. Influencing the factors that create change to the authorized cost baseline
b. Developing an approximation of the costs of the resources needed to
complete the project
c. Allocating the overall cost estimate to individual work items
d. Establishing a cost performance baseline

51. You are pleased to be the project manager for a new video conferencing
system for your global organization. You want it to be one that is easy to
use and is state of the art. As the project manager, you also are the project
leader. You want to create an environment to facilitate team work and
motivate the team with challenges and opportunities. As you do so, you
want to concentrate on—
a. Agreement and trust
b. Political and cultural awareness
c. Negotiation and influencing
d. Decision making

52. You are developing the next generation of your financial management
system. In preparing your project management plan, you decided that you
would use an agile approach rather than the typical waterfall approach your
organization has used in the past. Agile is—
a. Easier to control as the team is co-located
b. An enterprise environmental factor
c. An organizational process asset
d. Useful in obtaining the views of those on the project team

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53. Your company is in the project management training business. In addition,
the company publishes several exam study aids for the PMP® and CAPM®
exam. You have your PMP®, and you have been appointed as the project
manager to make sure your company’s training materials are updated to be
aligned with the new PMBOK® Guide. You must complete your project in
six months. Your schedule is complete, and you are working now to monitor
and control it. Your company is testing agile on your project to consider
whether all of its projects should use it. You need to be concerned about—
a. Revising your schedule baseline
b. Reprioritizing the remaining work plan
c. Adjusting leads and lags
d. Using modeling techniques

54. You are trying to determine whether or not to conduct 100% final system
tests of 500 ground-based radar units at the factory. The historical radar field
failure rate is 4%; the cost to test each unit in the factory is $10,000; the cost
to reassemble each passed unit after the factory test is $2,000; the cost to
repair and reassemble each failed unit after factory test is $23,000; and the
cost to repair and reinstall each failed unit in the field is $350,000. Using
decision tree analysis, what is the expected value if you decide to conduct
these tests?
a. $5.5 million
b. $5.96 million
c. $6.42 million
d. $7 million

55. Motivation is dynamic and complex. The overall success of the project
depends on the team’s commitment to it, which is directly related to
motivation. On your project, you want to create an environment to meet
project objectives, but you want to motivate your team to—
a. Recognize why decisions are made
b. Encourage independent work
c. Provide a high quality of information exchange
d. Promote job satisfaction

56. Each time you meet with your project sponsor, she emphasizes the need for
cost control. To address her concerns, you should provide—
a. Work performance information
b. Cost baseline updates
c. Resource productivity analyses
d. Trend analysis statistics

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57. One output of the Control Costs process is cost forecasts, which is when—
a. Modifications are made to the cost information used to manage the
project and are communicated to stakeholders
b. Trend analyses are performed and communicated to stakeholders
c. A budget update is required and communicated to all stakeholders
d. A calculated EAC value or a bottom-up EAC value is documented and
communicated to stakeholders

58. You work for an electrical utility company and will be managing a project
to build a new substation that will serve a new industrial park. This project
was authorized because of a business need, and you have a defined
business case for it. Not to be overlooked in the early stage of this project is
the—
a. Benefits management plan
b. Options to address the business problem
c. Identification of critical success factors
d. Decision criteria for various courses of action

59. You are about to close your project. In doing so you are using trend
analysis, which is—
a. A form of data analysis
b. A way to show corrective actions taken on the project
c. A method of assessing the usefulness of causal analysis
d. An approach that also involves expert judgment

60. In order to manage risk appropriately on your project, you want to know the
thresholds of your key stakeholders for risk, which is—
a. Stated in the risk register
b. The risk appetite
c. Explained in the risk report
d. Used to prepare the RBS

61. You are following a collaborative approach as you lead you team and are
conducting a team assessment in addition to individual assessments. The
performance of a successful team is measured in terms of—
a. Project commitment
b. Achieving project objectives
c. Enhanced ability to work as a team
d. Effective decision making

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62. Your project is considered very risky. You plan to perform numerous what-if
scenarios on your schedule using simulation software that will define
each schedule activity and calculate a range of possible durations for each
activity. The simulation then will use the collected data from each activity
to calculate a distribution curve (or range) for the possible outcomes of
the total project. Your planned approach is an example of which of the
following techniques?
a. PERT
b. Monte Carlo analysis
c. Linear programming
d. Concurrent engineering

63. In Monitor Communications, you want to ensure the communications needs

of stakeholders are met. It then is useful to—
a. Review the communications strategy
b. Negotiate with stakeholders
c. Conduct ad hoc meetings
d. Establish a knowledge management repository

64. You and your team are preparing your program management plan. While
much of your plan reflects plans developed in other processes, one plan that
often is overlooked is the—
a. Benefit realization plan
b. Knowledge management plan
c. Staffing management plan
d. Configuration management plan

65. Lessons learned are important throughout project management. In fact, your
lessons-learned register is updated as an output of the manage stakeholders
engagement process, so it contains—
a. Root causes of issues
b. Effective conflict management approaches
c. Effective and ineffective approaches
d. Approved changes

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66. Each project is unique. Assume you are managing a project and are in the
process of developing your schedule for it. However, your Enterprise Project
Management Office has mandated a detailed methodology that must be
followed on all projects. You have asked for a waiver as you are managing
a project in which you need specific subject matter experts available at
specific times. In the Estimate Activity Duration process, you need to
consider—
a. Adding more lags
b. Doubling the number of needed resources
c. Use of resource leveling
d. Use of resource smoothing

67. As stakeholders engage with the project, your goal is to monitor stakeholder
relationships and tailor strategies by modifying engagement strategies and
plans. As the project manager, this means you should—
a. Revise the stakeholder matrix
b. Review the roles of the stakeholders
c. Update the project management plan
d. Update the stakeholder engagement plan

68. Once you were appointed project manager and worked to prepare your
charter and project management plan, you realized monitoring and
controlling transcended the project. You realized change is common on
projects, and you wanted to exploit and embrace it. This meant you—
a. Required configuration management
b. Updated the cost baseline
c. Updated the project management plan
d. Could use a project management information system (PMIS)

69. Assume you are new to your company and you are working as a project
manager to make your IT department more customer centric. You worked
with you team and identified the key stakeholders. Now, you are preparing
your stakeholder engagement plan. You realize additional information about
the environment in which the company works would be helpful, so you
decide to—
a. Review the organizational process assets
b. Consult the communications management plan
c. Ask some experts
d. Use your supportive stakeholders from the stakeholder engagement
matrix

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70. Assume your project is to last three years. You know you will have a lot of
stakeholders who are interested in just one phase of your project, and also
during this time, you expect some team members will move to advance their
careers, and new team members will join the project. As you prepare your
project management plan—
a. Once it is complete, you next will baseline it
b. It needs to be robust
c. You need to ensure it has a stakeholder threshold
d. It needs to be comprehensive since it is prepared one time

71. Activity attributes are used to extend the description of the activity and
to identify its multiple components. In the early stages of the project, an
example of an activity attribute is—
a. Activity classification
b. Activity description
c. Predecessor and successor activities
d. Activity name

72. You are working on a new project in your city to construct an

environmentally friendly landfill. The existing site is so undesirable that
many residents have moved to other neighboring cities because of their
proximity to it. However, even though the project has the support of the
public, you need to have a number of hearings with the city’s government
before you are authorized to begin work. As you are in the planning phase
of the project, you are waiting for these hearings to be scheduled and held
before you can begin site preparation. These hearings are an example of—
a. A milestone
b. An external dependency
c. An item to be scheduled as a fragnet
d. A mandatory dependency

73. You are working on a project and want to know how many activities in the
previous month were completed with significant variances. You should use
a(n)—
a. Control chart
b. Inspection
c. Scatter diagram
d. Trend analysis

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74. During your project, designed to last three years, to produce flying
automobiles in certain parts of your country to avoid extreme traffic
congestion, you know team members will not be on your project the
entire time. Therefore, your goal with your team members and your
contractors is to focus on managing project knowledge. You want to avoid a
misperception, which is—
a. Using tangible deliverables
b. Creating an atmosphere of trust
c. Focusing on codified explicit knowledge
d. Realizing it is essential to have a co-located team

75. Two of your team members, who are subject matter expert in Cloud
computing, are having a technical conflict. While you lack their detailed
level of expertise in this area, you do know enough about it to discuss their
concerns and hopefully resolve the conflict they are having. Your goal is to
harmonize relationships meaning you are using which conflict resolution
approach?
a. Avoiding
b. Accommodating
c. Compromising
d. Collaborating

76. Assume after working for a year with a team of four people to assist you,
your project to convert all of the organizational process assets in the
company to ones that can be easily accessed electronically is complete.
You are now closing your project. As you do so, you realize many project
documents will be updated. Of particular importance is the—
a. Assumption log
b. Lessons learned register
c. Issue log
d. Risk register

77. You are working on a mega construction project located in the middle of a
jungle. Much of the work is outsourced. Your company is known for being
a leader in the field and also in project management. You are using the
Building Information Model. This means you—
a. Can award contracts quickly
b. Are able to manage the Conduct Procurements process more effectively
c. Can reduce construction claims
d. Will not require warranties

20
78. You are beginning a new project staffed with a virtual team located across
five different countries. To help limit conflict and misunderstandings
concerning the justification, objectives, and high-level requirements of the
project among your team members and their functional managers, you ask
the project sponsor to prepare a—
a. Memo to team members informing them that they work for you now
b. Project charter
c. Memo to functional managers informing them that you have authority to
direct their employees
d. Human resource management plan

79. You want to make sure that when you complete your project to merge two
large government agencies in your country that everyone will be pleased
with your overall result. While this project is a major undertaking, and
many people fear they will lose their jobs in the process, your goal is to
have a quality project once you and your team finish the work. Quality is
everyone’s responsibility. To best Control Quality, you need to—
a. Detect and control any defects or issues before you finish the project
b. Maintain engagement with all stakeholders during the project
c. Start by preparing system or process flowcharts and then use them
d. Ensure the culture of the two organizations is committed

80. Many different factors can influence the project team. As the project
manager and leader, one should be aware of
a. Staffing management methods
b. Options broadening
c. Organizational change management
d. Multiplying options by shuttling between the specific and the general

81. Recently, your company introduced a new processing system for its
products. When you did so, you outsourced 75% of the work as you and
your team focused on involving the internal stakeholders in the process and
preparing them for the changes. To handle the outsourcing successfully, you
need to—
a. Use inspections
b. Focus on short-term gains, so stakeholders can see value
c. Create value for your team and for the suppliers
d. Ensure supplier conform to requirements

21
82. As the project manager, you are negotiating with functional managers and
other project managers to staff your project with the required levels of
expertise. To determine the most appropriate criteria to select your team,
you decided to—
a. Use expert judgment
b. Establish a virtual team
c. Set clear expectations
d. Use multi-criteria decision analysis

83. On your manufacturing project, management realizes that immediate

corrective action is required to the material requirements planning (MRP)
system to minimize rework. You lack the needed resources and costs are
now overrunning the budget. To implement the necessary changes, you
should follow—
a. The resource acquisition policy
b. The resource management plan
c. Agreements
d. A defined integrated change control process

84. You are the project manager on a project to improve traffic flow in the
company’s parking garage. Increasingly a lot of accidents have occurred as
people are in a hurry, and often there has been road rage. Your plan is to
achieve customer satisfaction with your new approach. You do not want
problems after your work is complete and you decide to—
a. Help anticipate how problems occur
b. Use questionnaires and surveys
c. Show the results of your process
d. Forecast future outcomes

85. You are working on an international project in which some of your 25

team members will be working in a country in which your company lacks
previous experience. As you work to negotiate for people to work on your
project, since you work in a matrix structure, you realize you need to—
a. Provide special consideration to external policies
b. Assess the culture of this new country
c. Review personnel administration policies
d. Focus on communications planning

22
86. Schedule control is one important way to avoid delays. While planning and
executing schedule recovery, one tool available to you for Control Schedule
is—
a. Changing the schedule management plan
b. Immediately rebaselining
c. Adjusting leads and lags
d. Holding performance reviews

87. You have been the project manager for your nuclear submarine project
for four years. While you did not assume this position until the project
management plan had been prepared and approved, you find you spend
a significant amount of time collecting data and communicating. You also
spend time reviewing the impact of project changes and implementing ones
that have been approved. Often you have had to modify a non-conforming
product, which means you are spending time on—
a. Corrective actions
b. Updating the project’s requirements
c. Updating the traceability matrix
d. Defect repair

88. You were assigned recently as the project manager of a program

management office project to implement a new enterprise-wide scheduling
system for use throughout your company. You identify the need for a project
charter to provide you with appropriate authority for applying resources,
completing the project work, and formally initiating the project. Who should
issue the project charter?
a. The project manager—you
b. The customer
c. Someone external to the project
d. A member of the training and development department as they will own
the training on the new system

89. Your customer has expressed an interest in becoming more involved on

your project, and you believe it would be desirable, so the customer and his
representatives get to know you and your team better and can establish a
great working relationship. You have decided to—
a. Include your customer as you gather requirements
b. Provide your customer with copies of the plans for your project before
the governance board approves them
c. Invite your customer and his team to project meetings
d. Use a social media approach with a common platform

23
90. You are managing a construction project located in a desert to build a new
way to generate electrical power. It is in this remote location as stakeholders
will not know about it and become negative toward it if it were near their
homes. To ensure physical resources arrive as specified, the project manager
must—
a. Avoid a large expenditure of resources
b. Follow the project schedule
c. Specify in detail the problem and use problem solving to solve it
d. Identify and deal with resource shortages

91. You are working to control resource use on your manufacturing project,
which requires different types of physical resources. You want to allocate
and use the necessary materials in a timely and effective way. Fortunately,
your organization specializes in this area and has a knowledge repository
available, which is easy to access and use. It includes—
a. Process analysis
b. Industry-specific resources
c. Resource configurations
d. Total productive maintenance

92. You are preparing your cost estimate for your project in robotics. Already,
some competitors have learned about this product, and they want to be
possible purchasers of the project when it is complete. You consider this to
be an opportunity, which means—
a. Your cost estimate’s accuracy rate should be from −5% to +10%
b. You need to reduce activity costs as much as possible
c. Your estimate should include the cost of financing
d. You should include indirect costs in your estimate

93. You are planning a project and want to account for how the project will
be managed in the future. While building your cost performance data, you
want to provide guidance for when the project is later executed, because
you know that different responses are required depending upon the degree
of variance from the baseline. For example, a variance of 10 percent might
not require immediate action, whereas a variance of 20 percent will require
more immediate action and investigation. You decide to include the details
of how to manage the cost variances in the—
a. Cost management plan
b. Change management plan
c. Performance measurement plan
d. Variance management plan

24
94. Assume that you are managing a project team. Your team is one in which
its members confront issues rather than people, establish procedures
collectively, and is team oriented. As the project manager, which of the
following represents your team’s stage of development?
a. Storming
b. Norming
c. Adjourning
d. Performing

95. You are finalizing your project and after two years, you are ready to close it.
Before doing so, you need to—
a. Manage knowledge transfer
b. Ensue you met your planned success criteria
c. Conduct a review with your three contractors
d. Resolve all risks

96. You are working on a project and want to identify the cause of problems you
are having as you Control Scope. You wonder if you need to tailor some of
the processes in your organization to better meet your project’s ability to be a
success. You realize in the area of Control Scope it is not necessary as—
a. More inspections can be done
b. Informal scope control related practices are used
c. You have work performance information to review
d. You can use walkthroughs

97. You are working on a construction project in a city different from your
headquarters’ location. You and your team have not worked in this city, City
B, previously, and you lack knowledge of the local building codes. You had
a team member review the codes, and he said they were in far greater detail
than those in your city, City A. In addition, your new project in City B is
to take three years to complete and will use some unproven technology.
Plus, your company wants you to follow agile, so you decided to collect
requirements in user stories. In this situation, your best scheduling approach
is—
a. Agile release planning
b. On-demand scheduling
c. Iterative scheduling with a backlog
d. Critical chain

25
98. Assume that you are managing a project that once completed will take
your company into new markets. Since it is so significant, it has the interest
of executive managers and other key internal stakeholders. You know for
success, the marketing department will play a key role. You and your team
identified them as key stakeholders. You met with the Chief Marketing
Officer, and she indicated she would support the project. However, each
time you have had a status review meeting with the executive group,
except for the first meeting, the Chief Marketing Officer has not attended
subsequent meetings. She also has not sent someone from her staff. This
situation shows the importance of—
a. Executive support
b. The need to escalate this issue to your sponsor
c. Maintaining the stakeholder register
d. Engaging stakeholders at certain stages

99. The nature of project work is such that it inevitably changes. You know this
is the case on your software project as you were about 50% done when the
company announced all software work was to be done using agile, even
work in progress, and your project was using waterfall. You now believe
it is time to ensure your stakeholders have not changed, and you want to
monitor and assess stakeholder engagement levels. You decide to—
a. Review work performance information
b. Hold some meetings
c. Use subject matter experts
d. Reevaluate your power/interest grid

100. Communications develops the relationships for successful project outcomes.

They can vary from short e-mails to formal meetings and presentations.
There are two parts to successful communications. The first part is—
a. Preparing the communications management plan
b. Determining whether stakeholders are internal or external
c. Assessing cultural differences
d. Developing a communications strategy

101. You are in the early stages of a project to manufacture disposable medical
devices. You are preparing your schedule management plan for your project.
As you do so, you plan to use—
a. Alternative analysis
b. The business case
c. Different types of dependencies
d. Your project management information system

26
102. You are managing a two-year project to transform your company, so it is
more customer facing. No longer will work be done in silos, and instead,
cross-functional teams will be used. The goal is the customer will know
exactly whom to contact in the company with a question and will not have
to make a number of calls to find the right person. Since this approach is
one of the company’s strategic priorities, the project management plan—
a. Requires subsidiary plans from the other nine knowledge areas to be part
of the plan
b. Relies on organizational assets to complete it
c. Needs stakeholder buy it at all levels to ensure success
d. Should be consistent with the portfolio management plan

103. You are managing a two-year project to transform your company, so it is

more customer facing. No longer will work be done in silos, and instead,
cross-functional teams will be used. You are preparing your communications
management plan. It should contain—
a. Stakeholder directory
b. Resources for communications activities
c. Updates to the project management plan
d. Updates to the project schedule

104. Obviously as a project manager, you will be making decisions throughout

the project. A guideline for decision making is—
a. Active listening skills to ensure all points of view are heard
b. Focus on the vision of the project
c. Gather relevant or critical information
d. Focus on goals to be served

105. You and your sponsor are working on your project charter. It is important
since you are working a totally functional organization, but for this project
to be considered a success, you need people on your team that work in
these functional departments. To make sure the functional managers will
sign off on the charter and commit the resources you need at the time you
need them, you decide to—
a. Conduct interviews
b. Have meetings
c. Convene a focus group
d. Bring in a facilitator and conduct a brainstorming session

27
106. Your company has changed to an agile environment, and you are managing
your first project using agile methods. After obtaining your certification in
agile, you know through your studies of it plus the training your company
provided that an effective way to Monitor Risks is to—
a. Review the overall risk effectiveness of the project
b. Follow the requirements management plan
c. Have fallback plans ready
d. Accelerate knowledge sharing

107. You are the project manager for a major logistics installation project and
must obtain specific services from local sources external to your project.
You are working now to prepare your project charter and decided to consult
with some experts in—
a. Benefits realization
b. Contracts and procurement
c. Organizational strategy
d. Assumptions analysis

108. Assume you are finally in the Close Project phase after almost two years on
your project. You are holding a series of meetings, one of which is—
a. Configuration management
b. Reporting
c. Requirements traceability review
d. Contractor assessments for the qualified seller list

109. You are working on a project to upgrade the existing fiber-optic cables in
your province. You have identified your stakeholders and now are preparing
your stakeholder engagement plan. To assist you as you do so, you know
your managers prefer visual representation of any possible information on
any topic, so you decide to use—
a. Stakeholder efficiency factors
b. Mind mapping
c. The leaders from your stakeholder engagement matrix
d. Root-cause analysis

28
110. You are working extremely hard to manage the engagement of your
stakeholders. You hold extensive meetings with those whom you have
classified as leading, so they can assist you in changing resistors to be at
least neutral. You also are using a variety of forums to connect with them
and to continually identify new stakeholders. You decided to adapt agile
since it is a software project and hold sprint planning meetings plus daily
stand-up meetings with your team. Lately, even though the team had been
working well together, and you consider it to be in the performing stage for
whatever reason, they now are storming, and team members are becoming
resistant stakeholders. You need to—
a. Use conflict resolution skills
b. Meet with each person and find out if the person still wants to be on the
team
c. Refer to the team charter
d. Use active listening

111. You have had five contractors working for you on your legacy systems
conversion project, which has taken two years. Finally, you have finished
your work, users seem pleased with your results, and you are closing your
project. However, before doing so, you need to close your contracts. This
means you need to consider—
a. Statement of work in the contract
b. Technical documentation
c. Product description
d. Organizational process assets

112. After two years, you developed a new approach to mentor people before
they joined the company to determine if they would enjoy working there,
and then if they were hired, you assigned a mentor to work with them.
People seem pleased with the results of your work, and you now need to—
a. Reassign staff
b. Update your records
c. Transfer your work to human resources
d. Involve stakeholders

29
113. You decided to implement a team-based reward and recognition for your
project, and the team members agreed in the project’s ground rules that
were established. However, while your sponsor liked the idea, the human
resources department states individual performance appraisals must be done.
It is now time to close the project. As the project manager, you decide to—
a. Evaluate performance when a team member completes work on his or
her deliverable or activities
b. Release resources when the project is in the closing phase
c. Follow the person’s Individual Development Plan
d. Talk with the person’s functional manager

114. Your company is embarking on a project to launch a new product delivery

service. You are the project manager for this project, and you have
developed your charter working with your sponsor and some other key
stakeholders. As you prepared your charter, you realized you also should
prepare a(an)—
a. Summary milestone schedule
b. List of overall risks
c. Assumption log
d. Assessment of financial resources required

115. Assume you are working on a software project to implement a new

warehouse management system. Since your team is collocated, your sponsor
felt it was a perfect project to test whether agile methods are appropriate for
the company. As you work to do this project, you realize it is necessary to—
a. Have high emotional intelligence
b. Emphasize collaboration
c. Use key performance indicators
d. Have regular communications

116. You are preparing your project resource plan. In it, you will use some chart
techniques to help determine resource requirements. As the project manager,
you know it is your responsibility to spend time in acquiring, managing,
motivating, and improving your team. You also know that—
a. A kickoff meeting is recommended.
b. Involving team members in planning is beneficial.
c. If ground rules are set, the number of conflicts and changes will be
lessened.
d. Rewards and recognition will be handled smoothly throughout the
project.

30
117. Team building should be ongoing throughout the project life cycle. However,
it is hard to maintain momentum and morale, especially on large, complex
projects that span several years. One guideline to follow to promote team
building is to—
a. Use it to build a collaborative working environment
b. Conduct team building at specific times during the project through off-
site meetings
c. Engage the services of a full-time facilitator
d. Develop the project schedule with times set aside for team building

118. You have been assigned as the project manager for a major project in your
company where the customer and key supplier are located in another
country. You have been working on your project for six months. Recently,
you traveled to this country, and at the conclusion of a critical design review
meeting, which was highly successful, you realized you were successful in
building a high-performing team. You had your own team members, who
work in a weak matrix structure, on a conference call during this meeting.
Although it was difficult to reach agreement on some key issues, you
therefore relied on your interpersonal skills in—
a. Facilitation
b. Conflict resolution
c. Influencing
d. Decision making

119. You feel fortunate to be assigned as the project manager on a multi-phase

project that was requested by your company’s key customer. It has the
interest of the senior executives, and it was approved by the organization’s
portfolio oversight group. As you begin to work on this multi-phase project,
a best practice is to—
a. Periodically review the business case
b. Establish a Governance Board to conduct the phase reviews
c. Use project audits
d. Focus on realizing benefits

120. Because risk management is relatively new on projects in your company,

you decide to examine and document the effectiveness of the risk
management process. You therefore—
a. Conduct a risk audit
b. Hold a risk status meeting
c. Ensure that risk is an agenda item at regularly scheduled staff meetings
d. Reassess identified risks on a periodic basis

31
121. Thinking back to lessons that your company learned from experiences
with its legacy information systems during the Y2K dilemma, you finally
convinced management to consider Software as a Service. You worked with
your sponsor as you prepared your business case, and it was approved. Now
you are working to develop your project charter. To ensure you are able to
attain the key resources you need at the they are needed you recognize—
a. You need to communicate actively with the functional managers
b. You first need a verified stakeholder list
c. Conflict management skills are useful
d. Expert judgment should not be forgotten

122. On your systems development project, you noted during a review that the
system had less functionality than planned at the critical design review.
For example, too many defects were identified. This finding suggests that
during the Monitor Risks process you should use which following tools and
techniques?
a. Risk reassessment
b. Variance analysis
c. Technical performance analysis
d. Reserve analysis

123. You have found as you Monitor Risks that some risks have not been closed,
and some secondary risks have occurred but have not been documented.
You decide you should—
a. Issue a change request
b. Conduct an audit
c. Hold a meeting
d. Review work performance information

124. Assume you are working on a mega project to upgrade every bridge in your
state. You have outsourced most of the work given the estimated bridges of
varying sizes approaches 3,000. You have 250 contractors, and many of them
have some subcontractors. In this situation as the buyer, you realize—
a. An effective contact type is the fixed-price-incentive
b. You may accept more risks
c. You can transfer risks to the contractors
d. You need a team member who can be dedicated to resolving claims

32
125. A structured review of the seller’s progress to deliver project scope and
quality within cost and schedule is known as a(n)—
a. Procurement performance review
b. Procurement audit
c. Inspection
d. Status review meeting

126. Within your company’s portfolio, your project is ranked in the top five in
terms of importance of the 60 projects under way. You are working in your
construction company and now are preparing your quality management
plan. While quality is critical to success, you are determining the cost of
quality and have divided the costs into the costs of conformance and those
of nonconformance. An example of a cost of nonconformance is—
a. Destructive testing loss
b. Warranty work
c. Time to do it right
d. Inspections

127. Assume you are developing your project charter and decided to review
enterprise environmental factors. An example is—
a. Workmanship standards
b. Organizational processes
c. Monitoring and reporting methods
d. Results of previous project selection decisions

128. Each project is unique, and not all methodologies will fit every team. Assume
you are managing your project to develop the world’s largest wooden roller-
coaster as a tourist attraction for your city. You are working to develop your
team, so it is in the performing stage. As you review how resource management
policies are used in your company, you realize you need to consider—
a. Matrix management
b. Diversity
c. Resource management methods
d. Required skills

129. On your project as you prepare your stakeholder engagement plan, you
decided it would be worthwhile to prepare a stakeholder engagement
assessment matrix. You realized by doing so, you could—
a. Update the stakeholder register
b. Consult with experts
c. Assigning a team member to work with stakeholders in each category
d. Direct the right level of communications to the stakeholders

33
130. Assume you are identifying your stakeholders. You want to use a three-
dimensional model, so you decide to—
a. Combine the power/influence grid with the power/influence grid
b. Use a salience model
c. Use a stakeholder cube
d. Establish three directions of influence

131. Work completed, key performance indicators, technical performance

measures, start and finish dates of schedule activities, number of change
requests, number of defects, actual costs, and actual decisions are examples
of work performance data, which are an output of—
a. Project Plan Development
b. Risk Control
c. Monitor and Control Project Work
d. Direct and Manage Project Work

132. Two team members on your current construction project are engaged in a
major argument concerning the selection of project management software.
They refuse to listen to each other. However, this conflict now is causing
schedule delays. The most appropriate conflict resolution approach for you
to use in this situation is—
a. Accommodating
b. Compromising
c. Collaborating
d. Forcing

133. You are preparing your project management plan to ensure the safety of
camel milk in your country. As you prepare your project management plan,
you want to ensure that the starting point for it is—
a. The business case
b. The project charter
c. Organizational process assets
d. The selected project life cycle

34
134. A key member of your project has deep technical skills and many years
of experience in the company. However, she felt she should be the project
manager. When you became the project manager instead, her morale
deteriorated. You worked with her to obtain her ideas whenever there were
issues and commended her work to others. But her morale is so low, and
she is constantly complaining. Now you notice her morale is so poor that it
is affecting other team members, and there are numerous negative conflicts
you need to resolve. You have decided you need to reassign this staff
member and have worked with your PMO manager to do so. Your next step
is to—
a. Meet with this team member and inform her of your decision
b. Inform the team she is moving to a new position but recognize her
contributions to them
c. Issue a change request
d. Work with human resources and then meet with this team member

135. You are performing a stakeholder analysis on your project, and you are
working with your team to ensure you do not omit a key stakeholder. Your
objective in doing this analysis is to—
a. Prepare a stakeholder register
b. Determine the model you plan to use to classify the stakeholders
c. Assess how certain stakeholders are likely to respond in certain situations
d. Identify all potential stakeholders and their relevant information

136. Before considering a project closed, what document should be reviewed to

ensure that project scope has been satisfied?
a. Project scope statement
b. Project management plan
c. Project closeout checklists
d. Scope management plan

137. You have just been promoted to be a mega project manager in your
company. The project will be using outsourcing, and some agreements are in
place and signed. Your project is in three different locations. You want to be
effective in controlling the procurements on your project. You decided to—
a. Hold daily meetings with each seller
b. Acquire a systems integration contractor
c. Follow an adaptive approach
d. Determine the variance thresholds to be used in the project

35
138. Although you have closed your project, you still have some outputs even
though your deliverables have been met, the administrative closure tasks
have been completed, and the project plan has met its objectives. You now
need to—
a. Validate the models used for future projects through variance analysis
b. Improve the metrics used through trend analysis
c. Assess the schedule objectives to see if benefits were achieved
d. Analyze the interrelationships for future projects

139. You have a conflict on your team but have enough time to resolve it, and
you want to maintain future relationships. Thankfully, there is mutual trust,
respect, and confidence among the parties involved. You decide to use
collaborating to resolve this conflict. In using this approach, your first step
should be to—
a. Separate people from the problem
b. Identify the causes of the conflict
c. Establish ground rules
d. Explore alternatives

140. You are working hard to make sure the guidelines in your communications
management plan are not only followed but are used. You realize language
is a major factor in communications activities, especially with global teams
or teams that are comprised of people from different cultural groups. A first
step in this process in Monitor Communications in this area is to—
a. Hold a meeting
b. Review the stakeholder register
c. Determine the number of languages used
d. Evaluate stakeholder involvement

141. Validate Scope works hand-in-hand with Control Quality and generally
follows Control Quality. A tool and technique used in Validate Scope that is
not used in Control Quality is—
a. Decision making
b. Inspection
c. Statistical sampling
d. Variance analysis

36
142. Assume your project is considered to be extremely important to your
company as it is for its top client. You have been given the authority to
assign resources to the project as you set up your team. An important
criterion is—
a. Experience
b. Ability
c. Knowledge
d. Skills

143. You are a goal-oriented project manager who is more interested in work
accomplishment than relationship building. This indicates that you tend to
resolve conflicts primarily through the use of—
a. Smoothing
b. Compromising
c. Collaborating
d. Forcing

144. You are working on a long-term project that has a number of benefits to its
customers and users. Therefore, as the project manager, one of your first
steps was to identify the stakeholders that were critical to project success.
You decided to use focus group sessions, which are—
a. Interviews with key stakeholders
b. Part of questionnaires and surveys
c. A cross-functional group
d. A form of the Delphi approach

145. There are many different techniques for effective communications. As you
know communications represents about 90% of the project manager’s time,
you want to select the most appropriate one to use. You decide to focus on—
a. The choice of media
b. Mentoring
c. Communication styles assessment
d. Team building

37
146. Assume you and your team have prepared your risk management plan,
identified, analyzed, and prepared your risk responses, and documented
these data in your risk register. Now it is time to Implement Risk Responses.
With all the planning you have done, it is time to manage the risks.
You have decided that several agreed-upon risk responses were not
implemented, and the risk occurred, but nothing was done. You realize the
problem was the cost of implementing the response against the stakeholders’
risk thresholds. Now you should—
a. Review the risk thresholds with your sponsor
b. Have each risk owner contact affected stakeholders about the risk they
are managing
c. Issue a change request
d. Update assumptions and constraints

147. The key output of Identify Stakeholders that documents identification

information, assessment information, and classification is the—
a. Stakeholder management plan
b. Communications plan
c. Stakeholder register
d. Communications log

148. An example of a tool and technique to create and connect people to

information in Manage Project Knowledge is—
a. Library services
b. Storytelling
c. Discussion forums
d. Knowledge fairs

149. A key output from Estimate Costs—

a. Cost baseline
b. Cost of quality assumptions
c. Reserve analysis
d. Basis of estimates

150. A contract as a type of agreement typically is used when a project is being

performed for an external customer. Agreements of all types are used as an
input to—
a. Develop Project Charter
b. Develop Project Team
c. Plan Procurement Management
d. Conduct Procurements

38
151. As you prepare to close your project, which of the following is an input to
the Close Project or Phase process?
a. Work performance information
b. Expert judgment
c. Accepted deliverables
d. Change requests

152. Maintaining the scope baseline is the main benefit of the process of Control
Scope. As you work to avoid scope creep on you project, you want to focus
on determining the cause and degree of difference from this baseline and
project performance. To do so, you decide to—
a. Establish scope guidelines
b. Set up and follow a requirements traceability matrix
c. Set up scope categories
d. Use trend analysis

153. Assume you have been working with your sponsor to prepare you charter,
and you plan to present it to your Steering Committee on Friday. You are
managing a software project, and the business need stated that you should
use agile for the first time in your company rather than waterfall. In the
Develop Project Charter process, this is then—
a. A tool and technique
b. Part of the enterprise environment factors as an input to this process
c. A high-level requirement
d. Stated in the strategic plan as a tool and technique in this process

154. Procurement documents are used in the Identify Stakeholder process

because they—
a. Are an enterprise environmental factor and an input to the process
b. Are an organizational process asset and an input to the process
c. Note key stakeholders as parties in the contract
d. Serve as a way to prioritize and classify stakeholders

155. You completed your stakeholder analysis. You also are working on a project
that is small, and it is scheduled to last four months with a budget of $50,000
US. You have identified 30 stakeholders and now want to categorize them.
You decide to—
a. Use an impact/influence grid
b. Prioritize them
c. Use a salience model
d. Determine their directions of interest

39
156. Working on a two-year project, you know you will face a number of
problems, gaps, inconsistencies, and conflicts. Having been a project
manager for the last five years, you know they will occur unexpectedly and
may affect project performance so, you decide to—
a. Use an assumption log
b. Use an issue log
c. Focus on effective use of change requests
d. Realize you will need to update project documents

157. You are working on a project that needs approval from your City Council
and the courts, because the project is one with significant environmental
and social impacts. Although many consumer groups are advocates of this
project, others are opposed to it. Hearings are scheduled to resolve these
issues and to obtain the needed permits to proceed. In preparing your
resource plan, you decide to designate a person as the court liaison, which
is an example of a—
a. Role
b. Responsibility
c. Required competency
d. Ability of the team member to make appropriate decisions

158. Assume you are managing an international project. Your team is located in
Atlanta, Georgia, US; Berlin, Germany; and Melbourne, Australia. You and
your sponsor are located in Paris, France; and your customer is located in
Athens, Greece. Recognizing the different locations of the stakeholders in
your project in its initial stages, a best practice to follow in terms of working
toward business value as you identify your stakeholders is to—
a. Determine who decides the project is a success
b. Determine how and when project benefits will be delivered
c. Establish the project culture with a focus on excellent stakeholder
relationships
d. Identify basic cultural characteristics on your project

159. As a project manager, you recognize the importance of actively engaging

key project stakeholders on a project. First however, as you identify your
stakeholders, you should—
a. Focus on relationships necessary to ensure success
b. Review your project charter
c. Review the communications management
d. Focus on each stakeholder’s power relevant to the project

40
160. You decided as you prepare your communications management plan for
your project to reorganize your organization to document in it fundamental
activities of effective communications activities and develop effective
communication artifacts that you need to—
a. Rely more on the stakeholder engagement matrix
b. Include an issue log
c. Understand as much as possible about the communications receiver
d. Include communications data in the PMIS

161. As you prepare your project’s quality management plan, you identified the
various roles and responsibilities you need so your project achieves the
customer’s requirements, and they are satisfied with it. However, you work
in a matrix organization, and you are concerned that even with your project
charter, you may not have the needed resources available when you need
them. Therefore, you realize—
a. You need strong negotiation skills to work with the leaders of the various
functional departments
b. Management is responsible for providing needed resources
c. You should design some experiments to see when you can use less
experienced people and present your results to the management team
d. You should work with your program sponsor to acquire the resources

162. You are managing a major international project that involves multiple teams
in different locations. You are preparing your quality management plan for
your project. The different people working in different geographic locations
is a(n)—
a. Constraint
b. Easily overcome with your configuration management plan
c. Organizational process asset
d. Enterprise environmental factor

163. Infrastructure and engineering projects are increasing since the economy
has been stagnant except for the past six months. Many multi-billion dollar
projects are common, and you are leading one for your company. Many
procurements are international. As the seller, you want to—
a. Obtain a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract
b. Avoid the need to compensate the buyer for buyer preparations
c. Advertise in trade publications
d. Work with the buyer for discounts

41
164. You realize risk management is a continuous process in project management
as it is impossible to identify all risks. However, even though every member
of your 12-person team has had training in risk management, some of the
planned responses were not implemented. As the project manager, you are
trying to determine why it was not done as planned. You decide to—
a. Ensure your team knows the level of accepted risk appetite
b. Conduct a cause-and-effect analysis
c. Hold a meeting with your team to brainstorm ideas to fix the problem
d. Set aside more budget as a contingency reserve

165. Assume you issued a Request or Proposal to update a shopping center in

your city. Once you issued it, but before you awarded an agreement, a
number of sellers asked questions. You decide to—
a. Issue an amendment
b. Capture all questions and provide written responses to them to the sellers
that posed them
c. Hold a bidder conference
d. Withdraw the Request for Proposal and instead issue a Request for
Information

166. Assume you are preparing your procurement management plan. One way to
best manage and monitor the procurement is to—
a. Have a meeting
b. Use your risk register
c. Review the requirements document
d. Use your stakeholder register

167. Your project is considered to be one that is not predictable and has high
variability. This is due to it being the first project in your aerospace company
to venture into being a leader in space exploration and not just a bystander.
Your firm is determined to lead the competition. In this environment as you
plan needed resources for this project, you need—
a. A collocated team
b. Dedicated funding with a financial framework
c. Agreements for fast supply
d. Access to the people in the company with the competencies you need

42
168. Assume you are working on a complex project in your organization,
which is in process of converting to agile methods. You are preparing
your resource management plan and decided since agile is desired, a self-
organizing team would be ideal. In such a team, you need to plan to—
a. Use an adaptive project life cycle
b. Focus on networking and professional development
c. Have subject matter experts available when you need them
d. Acquire generalized specialists

169. While you have worked as a project manager for ten years, you are new to
your current organization. In the past, your organization was informal in
terms of plans to prepare and processes to follow. Your new organization,
however, requires that each project have a resource management plan.
You are unsure of the primary effort level required to meet the project’s
objectives. You decide to—
a. Hold meetings
b. Use experts
c. Develop a RACI chart and review it with your sponsor
d. Use your WBS and develop a hierarchical organization chart

170. An intentional activity to ensure future performance of project work is

aligned with the project management plan is—
a. Preventive action
b. Corrective action
c. Implemented change requests
d. Work performance information

171. There are numerous actions and activities as part of administrative closure to
satisfy completion of exit criteria from a phase or when the project is closed.
Assume on your project, you had four different contractors. To assist you as
you close your project you—
a. Review agreements
b. Audit project success or failures
c. Determine the contractors to be on the approved qualified vendor list
d. Set up your lessons learned repository

43
172. As a project manager, not only must you be a leader, but you also must have
outstanding skills in communicating. The importance of communications
cannot be overstated even if you are working in an agile environment, which
is what is used in your organization. Therefore, a key consideration is—
a. Having an effective and efficient flow of communications between
stakeholders
b. Having an environment with an emphasis on transparent communications
with your stakeholders
c. Having resources available to ensure your stakeholders have access to
needed information in a timely way
d. Ensuring communications management policies, operating procedures,
and processes are followed

173. Assume you are managing a project, and your project management plan
has been approved. Your project has a high level of change associated with
it. There is active and ongoing stakeholder involvement. This means you
probably are working with a(n)—
a. Adaptive life cycle
b. Iterative life cycle
c. Incremental life cycle
d. Predictive life cycle

174. You are working to introduce formalized project management in your

medical center, which is state-of-the-art. While it has done projects and has
some under way, thus far they have been done in an ad hoc fashion. You
were hired to move the center into a formal project management approach
since you have your PMP, so you decided the best approach to demonstrate
the value of project management was to use this culture change as a project.
Now, you are preparing your project management plan. Because you know
many people will resist this culture change, you decide to—
a. Focus on the needed technical skills to develop the plan
b. Gather data through focus groups
c. Meet with people on project teams to see if they want to work with you
d. First prepare a template for your plan

175. You are working to identify the stakeholders on your project. It is large
and will last three years to develop a second location for your technology
company. You know from academic research that—
a. You need to determine your stakeholders’ desired level of participation
b. Contact information for each identified stakeholder is required
c. You should perform an assessment to see how each stakeholder might
react in certain situations
d. Correct identification may lead to project success

44
176. Assume your project communication management plan has been approved
by your sponsor and the members of your Steering Committee. You are
managing a global project and have team members working virtually in four
continents and stakeholders in numerous locations. Your next step is to—
a. Set up an information management system
b. Select communications technology
c. Determine performance reporting methods
d. Select a communications model

177. Although your project team is working virtually, you are striving to make it
a high-performing team. You held a virtual kickoff meeting to ensure there
was a shared project vision. You now see that team members are addressing
the work to be done, but they do not seem to be collaborating. You realize
the team is—
a. Concerned about their formal roles and responsibilities
b. Independent
c. Forming
d. Storming

178. Since your project is large and is to last three years to develop a second
location for your technology company, you realize you have a large number
of stakeholders, both positive and negative. You have completed your
stakeholder analysis and have determined you have at least 155 stakeholders.
Your next step is to categorize them, so you and your team spend your time
later engaging with the key stakeholders that are critical to success. You
decide to use—
a. A stakeholder cube
b. A power/influence grid
c. Prioritization
d. Directions of influence

179. Unknown unknowns seem to be more prevalent in environments and

projects that are complex, seem to have many changes, and may be using
destructive technologies. This means there is an increasing acceptance of
these emergent risks leading to the need for project resilience on projects.
Recognizing this may be the case on your complex project, you want to—
a. Promote an integrated approach to project risk management
b. Use warning lists
c. Use influence diagrams
d. Emphasize flexible processes

45
180. You realize that most people feel ’knowledge is power’, it is hard to
convince them that instead ’knowledge sharing is power’. Working on an
innovative project that will last two years so your University can offer a PhD
program in project management, you recognize you need to Manage Project
Knowledge. As you work to do so, you should review the—
a. Project team assignments
b. Locations of team members
c. Organizational, stakeholder, and customer culture
d. Resource breakdown structure

181. You are working to put in a high-speed railroad line for passengers in a
densely populated area in your country. Its goal is to be fast and fun to ride.
It will connect three cities that now by car can take approximately six hours
to drive to from the first point to the last point. Since it is new, you will be
outsourcing much of the work. You got a number of responses from sellers
for this work and using your source selection criteria, you have selected the
one you think will provide the best product. You now want to—
a. Establish a partnering agreement to reduce the possibility of a lot of
claims and change orders
b. Add risk management to the agreement
c. Have a team member who will work with your procurement department
and the seller on any key issues
d. Set up earned value

182. One key interpersonal skill used to Manage Stakeholder Expectations is—
a. Observation
b. Building trust
c. Compromise
d. Networking

183. You are a project manager leading the construction project of a new garbage
incinerator. Local residents and environmental groups are opposed to this
project because of its environmental impact. Management agrees with your
request to partner with a third party that will be responsible for providing
state-of-the-art “air scrubbers,” to clean the exhaust to an acceptable level.
This decision will delay the project but will allow it to continue. It shows
you are using which risk response strategy?
a. Passive acceptance
b. Active acceptance
c. Mitigation
d. Transference

46
184. After a year and a half, it is now time for you to close your construction
project, and you had 15 contractors. First, you are working on closing
procurements. For future lessons learned as you do so, you review the—
a. Benefits realization plan
b. ‘As-built’ plans
c. Risk register
d. Issue log

185. Working in the systems integration field, you are primarily responsible for
coordinating the work of numerous contractors. Your current project is
coming to an end, and you are closing it. You have 15 major contractors as
well as a variety of other sellers. Now that you are closing contracts, you
should—
a. Conduct a trend analysis
b. Use earned value to assess lessons learned
c. Ask each contractor to meet with you individually at its own expense
d. Review the business case

186. Most projects focus on risks that are uncertain and may or may not occur,
which are risks such as a seller is no longer in business, requirements
change after the design is complete, or contractors want to change existing
processes. However, increasingly in project management many projects also
have to identify non-event risks. Assume you must do so on your project.
An example of a non-event risk is—
a. The customer decides to terminate your contract
b. A system test failure
c. Inherent systems complexity
d. One negative but powerful stakeholder does not attend meetings

187. You are identifying possible risks to your project concerning the
development of a nutritional supplement. You want to aid your team in idea
generation, so you decide to use—
a. Documentation review
b. Probability/impact analysis
c. Checklist analysis
d. Prompt lists

47
188. Managing five contractors on your project for a new stadium in your City
that can be used for baseball and for football and can be easily converted
for either sport is a challenge along with managing your 15-person project
team. You have prepared your communications management plan for this
process, and you feel your team is finding it useful. Given the nature of this
project and the numerous stakeholders involved, you want to ensure the
planned communications activities and documents have the desired effect.
You want to make sure—
a. The artifacts are being updated monthly
b. The right message with the right content is delivered to the right audience
c. If a project communications audit would be beneficial
d. The risk register is updated

189. You are awarding another contract to serve as an integration contract on

your stadium project. It has generated a lot of interest from potential sellers,
and you now expect a number of proposals. Since you have never managed
or awarded a systems integration contract before, you need to upgrade your
interpersonal skills in—
a. Leadership
b. Negotiation
c. Decision making
d. Political awareness

190. In Monitor Risk, a burndown chart is an example of—

a. Communicating whether the remaining reserve is adequate
b. Displaying the number of resources involved in risk management
c. Presenting the analysis of findings from a risk audit
d. Showing the number of emergent risks and regularly identified risks to
monitor

191. Your firm specializes in roller-coaster construction. It plans to bid on a soon

to be released RFP to build the world’s most “death-defying” roller coaster.
You know that such a roller coaster has never been built before, and that
this would be a high-risk project. As the buyer, you are determining your
source selection criteria, You decide to use—
a. Qualifications
b. Quality and technical
c. Sole source with a proven seller to you firm
d. Quality and cost based

48
192. Work performance information in Control Scope can include—
a. Recommended preventive or corrective action considered through change
requests
b. Categories of changes received
c. Templates to the configuration management plan to see if they were used
d. Ways to communicate scope changes

193. You want to ensure on your project that you focus on learning reviews
before, during, and after the project. You are interested in the Manage
Project Knowledge process as you believe your legacy conversion project
will have a long-lasting impact on your company. These learning reviews are
a(n)—
a. Organizational process asset
b. Project document
c. Enterprise environmental factor
d. Interpersonal skill

194. You recognize the importance of a lessons-learned register on any project.

As you work to Manage Project Knowledge on your project to increase
talent retention in your company, so there is less turnover and develop
existing talent, a best practice to follow is to—
a. Create it early in the project
b. Recognize it is an output of the Manage Project Knowledge process
c. Consider it as a standard organizational procedure as an organizational
process asset
d. Consider it as a deliverable

195. Products, services, and results in the marketplace are an input to which one
of the following processes?
a. Plan Procurement Management
b. Conduct Procurements
c. Control Procurements
d. Close Procurements

49
196. Each project can benefit from stakeholder involvement; however, it is in
both the project manager’s and the teams’ best interest to ensure that all
project stakeholders have positive attitudes toward the project and its goals
and objectives. Working as a project manager, you have a number of key
stakeholders on your project. The stakeholder who provides funds and/or
resources to the project is the—
a. Owner
b. Program manager
c. Director of the project management office
d. Contributor

197. Assume you are managing a contract for your project for a new generation
of nuclear missiles. You realize since this project is complex, and will last
four years, during this time, you will acquire a lot of information. You
want to Manage Project Knowledge, and in doing so, you to decide to plan
project communication based on the project and that of your company. This
interpersonal skill is—
a. Networking
b. Facilitation
c. Active listening
d. Political awareness

198. Assume you are working to award an agreement as you develop an

approach to make it easier to navigate all the various systems in the
company to promote knowledge transfer. Before doing so, you should
review the—
a. Stakeholder management plan
b. Bid documents
c. Negotiation approach
d. Requirements traceability matrix

50
199. Your project is being conducted in a series of phases, and reviews are held
to determine if the project has met the criteria to go forward to the next
phase. Your executives decided to adopt this approach to make it easier to
cancel a project if it no longer added business value to the company and
before it began to cost too much to continue it. You just learned today your
project passed the concept phase, and next is the test phase. Throughout
the project you have found your lessons-learned register to be especially
useful as you work to Manage Project Knowledge. It includes, among other
things, the impact, actions, and the proposed actions associated with various
situations. As you move to the test phase, it means—
a. You need to update your knowledge management plan
b. The lessons-learned register becomes an organizational process asset
c. The search terms to locate information in the lessons-learned register, or
the meta data, require updates
d. Safeguards on the intellectual property developed thus far need to be
emphasized further

200. Assume you are working for a major airline in your country. Your project
is to increase the timeliness in boarding flights even if people have a lot
of carry-on luggage and also to install free Wi-Fi regardless of where one
sits in the plane. You have identified your stakeholders and prepared your
stakeholder register. In your stakeholder register, you should include—
a. Assumptions
b. Where the stakeholder has the most influence
c. Stakeholder communications needs
d. Stakeholder risks

51
Answer Sheet

52
1. a b c d 21. a b c d

2. a b c d 22. a b c d

3. a b c d 23. a b c d

4. a b c d 24. a b c d

5. a b c d 25. a b c d

6. a b c d 26. a b c d

7. a b c d 27. a b c d

8. a b c d 28. a b c d

9. a b c d 29. a b c d

10. a b c d 30. a b c d

11. a b c d 31. a b c d

12. a b c d 32. a b c d

13. a b c d 33. a b c d

14. a b c d 34. a b c d

15. a b c d 35. a b c d

16. a b c d 36. a b c d

17. a b c d 37. a b c d

18. a b c d 38. a b c d

19. a b c d 39. a b c d

20. a b c d 40. a b c d

53
41. a b c d 61. a b c d

42. a b c d 62. a b c d

43. a b c d 63. a b c d

44. a b c d 64. a b c d

45. a b c d 65. a b c d

46. a b c d 66. a b c d

47. a b c d 67. a b c d

48. a b c d 68. a b c d

49. a b c d 69. a b c d

50. a b c d 70. a b c d

51. a b c d 71. a b c d

52. a b c d 72. a b c d

53. a b c d 73. a b c d

54. a b c d 74. a b c d

55. a b c d 75. a b c d

56. a b c d 76. a b c d

57. a b c d 77. a b c d

58. a b c d 78. a b c d

59. a b c d 79. a b c d

60. a b c d 80. a b c d

54
 81. a b c d 101. a b c d

82. a b c d 102. a b c d

83. a b c d 103. a b c d

84. a b c d 104. a b c d

85. a b c d 105. a b c d

86. a b c d 106. a b c d

87. a b c d 107. a b c d

88. a b c d 108. a b c d

89. a b c d 109. a b c d

90. a b c d 110. a b c d

91. a b c d 111. a b c d

92. a b c d 112. a b c d

93. a b c d 113. a b c d

94. a b c d 114. a b c d

95. a b c d 115. a b c d

96. a b c d 116. a b c d

97. a b c d 117. a b c d

98. a b c d 118. a b c d

99. a b c d 119. a b c d

100. a b c d 120. a b c d

55
121. a b c d 141. a b c d

122. a b c d 142. a b c d

123. a b c d 143. a b c d

124. a b c d 144. a b c d

125. a b c d 145. a b c d

126. a b c d 146. a b c d

127. a b c d 147. a b c d

128. a b c d 148. a b c d

129. a b c d 149. a b c d

130. a b c d 150. a b c d

131. a b c d 151. a b c d

132. a b c d 152. a b c d

133. a b c d 153. a b c d

134. a b c d 154. a b c d

135. a b c d 155. a b c d

136. a b c d 156. a b c d

137. a b c d 157. a b c d

138. a b c d 158. a b c d

139. a b c d 159. a b c d

140. a b c d 160. a b c d

56
161. a b c d 181. a b c d

162. a b c d 182. a b c d

163. a b c d 183. a b c d

164. a b c d 184. a b c d

165. a b c d 185. a b c d

166. a b c d 186. a b c d

167. a b c d 187. a b c d

168. a b c d 188. a b c d

169. a b c d 189. a b c d

170. a b c d 190. a b c d

171. a b c d 191. a b c d

172. a b c d 192. a b c d

173. a b c d 193. a b c d

174. a b c d 194. a b c d

175. a b c d 195. a b c d

176. a b c d 196. a b c d

177. a b c d 197. a b c d

178. a b c d 198. a b c d

179. a b c d 199. a b c d

180. a b c d 200. a b c d

57
Answer Key

1. c. It is not a problem at this time. The previous project manager was

using the rolling wave planning technique, so you are able to continue
defining the activities.
Rolling wave planning provides progressive detailing of the work to be
accomplished throughout the life of the project. Decomposition is a tool
and technique in Create WBS and recognizes rolling wave planning
may be needed for deliverables or subcomponents that will not be
accomplished until much later in the project. In this case, the team
waits until more information about the deliverable or subcomponent is
available. This approach is rolling wave planning. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 160
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 2

2. a. You want to increase their support and minimize resistance

During the Manage Stakeholder Engagement process, its benefit is
that it enables the project manager to increase support and minimize
resistance from stakeholders. This process involves communicating
and working with stakeholders to meet their needs and expectations.
[Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 523
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 7

58
3. a. Review invoicing and payment information
Invoicing and payment information as well as financial policies and
procedures are one of the organizational process assets to review as
an input to Conduct Procurements. The selected seller(s) will want to
know how to submit invoices and also know when they will be paid,
often dictated by the terms and conditions in the type of agreement.
[Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 486
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 1

4. c. Determining problems and identifying business needs

A greater focus on requirements is an emerging trend in project
management. Increasingly in the global world in which project work
is done, more organizations are using business analysts to help define,
manage, and control requirements activities. A business analyst is
assigned to this team in this question. For success, the business
analyst and the project manager need to work collaboratively and
understand each other’s role. Through this collaboration, the first step
is to determine the problems and understand the business needs. It
is followed by identifying and recommending solutions. Then, the
requirements are elicited, documented, and managed, and finally the
goal is to implement them successfully. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 132
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 2

5. c. Part of the project management plan

Most of the components in the project management plan are produced
in other processes than in Project Integration Management. These
three are ones that are prepared during this part of Project Integration
Management. The project life cycle describes the phases in the
project from initiating to closing; the development approach describes
whether it is one that is predictive, iterative, agile, or a hybrid; and
the management reviews are the times in the project in which the
project manager and other stakeholders will review progress to see
if performance is as expected or if preventive or corrective action is
needed. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 88
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 7, Task 11

59
6. a. Control Procurements
The purpose of Control Procurements is to ensure that the contractual
requirements are met by the seller. This objective is accomplished by
managing procurement relationships, monitoring contract performance,
making changes and corrections to contracts if appropriate, and closing
contracts. In this process, change requests are an output and are
processed for review and disposition through the Perform Integrated
Change Control process. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 499
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 7

7. b. The lowest level of detail to derive information

Work performance data are an output of the Direct and Manage Project
Work process. They are the raw observations and measurements
identified during activities being performed to do the project work.
Therefore, they are often viewed as the lowest level of detail from
which to derive information by other processes. The data are gathered
and then passed to the controlling processes of each process area for
further analysis. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 95
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 7, Task 2

8. a. Use it to involve your team in the planning process

Meetings are a tool and technique in the Develop Project Management
Process when the project management plan is prepared. A kick-off
meeting tends to be used when the plan is complete, and the executing
process begins. However, in this situation, it is a small project. The
kick-off meeting thus is recommended shortly after initiating is
complete since there is usually only one team responsible for planning
and executing. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 66
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 7, Task 11

60
 9. c. Job shadowing
Observation/conversation are an interpersonal and team skill tool
and technique in the Collect Requirements process. They provide a
way to view individuals in their environment and to see how they
perform their jobs or tasks and carry out processes. It is helpful in
situations in which people may have difficulty or are reluctant to state
their requirements. Another term for this approach is job shadowing
and usually is done by an observer viewing the person performing
his or her job. It can also be done by a ‘participant observer’ who is
performing a process or procedure to experience how it is done to
uncover hidden requirements. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 145
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 2

10. a. Plan-do-check-act
The plan-do-check act cycle is the basis for quality improvement
and efficiency. It was defined by Shewhart and modified by Deming.
Quality Management focuses on quality improvement, which also
includes total quality management, Six Sigma, and Lean Six Sigma.
These techniques improve project management quality and the quality
of the product, service, or result. Quality improvement methods are a
tool and technique in Manage Quality. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 275, 296
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 3

11. c. Use an affinity diagram

In Manage Quality, an affinity diagram is a data representation tool and
technique. This diagram is used to generate ideas that can be linked
to form organized patterns of thought about a problem. Using them
in project management, one can enhance the creation of the WBS by
using it to give structure to the decomposition of scope. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 293
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 3

61
12. d. Managing the interfaces among the sellers
The Control Procurements process involves managing procurement
relationships, monitoring contract performance, and making changes
and corrections to contracts as needed. On a large project with multiple
sellers as in this question, a major aspect is managing the interfaces
among the sellers. Many organizations have contract administration as
an administrative function separate from the project organization. While
a procurement administrator may be on the core team, typically this
person reports to someone other than the project manager in a different
department. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 494
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 7

13. c. Perform verification and audit on each configuration item

Configuration management is an integral part of the Perform Integrated
Change Control process. The first step is to identify the specific
configuration item. The next step is to record and report the status of
each configuration item. The answer is the last step. The verification
and audits ensure the project’s configuration item is correct. It also
ensures any corresponding changes are registered, assessed, approved,
tracked and implemented correctly. The purpose is to ensure the
functional requirements defined in the formal configuration documents
are met. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 118
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 8, Task 2

14. b. Procurement management plan

The procurement management plan contains the activities to be done
in the procurement process regardless of whether it is an international,
national, or local bid. If it is financed externally, the funding sources
and availability should be aligned with the procurement management
plan and project schedule. It may be formal or informal, detailed or
broadly framed based on the project needs. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 475
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 7

62
15. c. Variance analysis
Variance analysis reviews the differences or variances between
planned and actual performance it also can be conducted in each
of the Knowledge Areas, but in Monitor and Control Project Work,
it reviews variances from an integrated perspective considering cost,
time, and resource variance in relationship to each other. The objective
is to have an overview view of variance on the project such that if
required preventive or corrective action can be taken. [Monitoring and
Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 111
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

16. d. Ecological impact

The business case is created in this question primarily as a result of
an ecological need. Answer b refers to a customer request such as an
electrical utility authorizing a project to build a new substation to serve
a new industrial park. Answer c relates to a social need such as a non-
governmental organization in a developing country to provide portable
water systems plus other items to communities suffering from high rates
of cholera. Other reasons are a market demand, an organizational need,
a technological advance, competitive forces, material issues, stakeholder
demands, political changes, economic changes, business process
improvements, or a legal requirement. Sustainability does not apply.
The business case is an input to the Develop Project Charter process.
[Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 9, 78
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 4, Task 1

63
17. d. A quality audit
A quality audit is a tool and technique in the Manage Quality process.
It is primarily used to determine whether the project team is complying
with organizational and project policies, processes, and procedures.
It identifies good and best practices being implemented; areas of
nonconformity, gaps, and shortcomings; good practices introduced
or implemented in similar projects or in the industry; ways to offer
assistance positively to improve process implementation to help the
team increase productivity; and highlights of the audit are placed in the
lessons-learned repository. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 247
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 7, Task 3

18. b. Defect repairs

Change requests are an input to the Perform Integrated Change Control
process. They also may include corrective action and preventive action
and updates to formally controlled documents or deliverables if they
reflect additional ideas or content. Sometimes performance against
baselines may be affected, but the project manager is responsible for
making these decisions. If the change requests do affect baselines,
additional information is required. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 117
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 2

19. d. Identified in the project management plan

Usually, the project manager or the project sponsor can approve or
reject a documented change request. At times, a Change Control Board
(CCB) is used, which later may require customer or sponsor approval
unless they are on the CCB. Regardless, the responsible person
is identified in the project management plan or by organizational
procedures. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 96
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2017, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

64
20. d. Change control meetings
Meetings, referred to as change control meetings, are a tool and
technique in Integrated Change Control. Often, a project will set up
a CCB, which has the responsibility for meeting and reviewing the
change requests, and approving, rejecting, or deferring them. Assessing
the impact of the change is part of the meeting, and alternatives
may be discussed and proposed. Finally, the decision of the CCB
is communicated to the required user or group. The CCB also may
review configuration management activities. Decisions of the board
are documented and agreed upon by appropriate stakeholders and
are documented in the change management plan. The CCB decisions
are documented to stakeholders for information and follow-up actions.
[Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 120
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 2

21. b. Adds business value as it links to business and project objectives

The requirements traceability matrix is a grid that links requirements
to their origin and traces them throughout the life cycle. It is an output
in Collect Requirements. This approach helps to ensure that each
requirement adds value as it links to the business and project objectives.
It also tracks requirements during the life cycle to help ensure that the
requirements listed in the requirements document are delivered at the
end of the project. It provides a structure to manage changes to product
scope. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 148
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 2

22. b. Enterprise environmental factors

They are an input to the Direct and Manage Project Work process, and
as an example, the stakeholder risk tolerances are allowable percent
of cost overruns. Other examples of enterprise environmental factors
are organizational, cultural, management practices and sustainability;
and infrastructure such as existing facilities and capital equipment.
[Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 93
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 7, Task 7

65
23. c. Requirements traceability matrix
Three project documents to consider since they are inputs to Perform
Integrated Change Control are the basis of estimates [another possible
answer to this question], the risk report, and the requirements
traceability matrix. It is useful because it helps assess the impact of the
change on the project’s scope. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 116
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 2

24. b. Concentrating on small batch systems

Agile methods involve frequent quality and review steps that are built
into the project. They focus on small batch systems in order to uncover
inconsistencies and quality issues as early in the project as possible
when the overall life cycle costs are low. A number of retrospectives
also are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the quality processes, so
improvement can be made. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 276
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 3

25. c. Control Quality is concerned with meeting the quality requirements for
the deliverables
Validate Scope focuses on accepting project deliverables. Control
Quality is one way to ensure the correctness of the deliverables and
meeting the quality specifications for the deliverables, which is why
Control Quality typically is done before Validate Scope. Further,
the verified deliverables obtained from Control Quality have been
reviewed with the customer or sponsor to ensure they are completely
satisfied and have received formal acceptance from the customer or
sponsor. In the Validate Scope process, verified deliverables are a
tool and technique used to ensure project deliverables are completed
and checked for correctness through Control Quality. [Monitoring and
Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 164–165
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 8, Task 3

66
26. c. Making sure all the activities necessary to satisfy exit criteria for a phase
or the entire project are followed
Administrative activities are necessary to close the project or a phase.
The answer is the first activity to do to satisfy completion of the
exit criteria for the phase or the project. The second administrative
activity is to ensure contractual agreements are completed; followed
by transferring the project’s products, services, or results to the next
phase or productions or operations; collecting suggestion for improving
organizational policies and procedures; and last but not least measuring
stakeholder satisfaction. [Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 123
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 7

27. c. Finding solutions for these issues and other challenges

Problem solving is a tool and technique in Manage Quality. It involves
finding solutions for issues or challenges. It includes gathering
additional information, using critical thinking, being creative, and
using quantitative and logical approaches. Often, problems can arise
from Control Quality or through audits. They may be associated with
a process or a deliverable. Problem solving with a structured approach
tends to result in a long-lasting solution. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 295
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 3

28. b. You are holding bi-weekly reviews to identify emergent risks.

Project resilience is an emerging trend in risk management with the
increase in unknown unknowns. These risks are recognized after they
occur, which means the best way to handle them is through project
resilience. One way to do so especially in the Monitor Risks process
is to have frequent reviews of early warning signs such that any
emergent risks can be identified and then managed as soon as possible.
[Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 399
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 4

67
29. a. Need to spend less time defining requirements early on your project
In an agile environment, especially if the requirements are evolving,
the scope may not be understood at the beginning of the project. Using
agile methods then less time is spent trying to define and agree on
scope early in the project. More time instead is spent in establishing the
process for ongoing discovery and refinement. This approach tends to
mean there is a gap between the real business requirements and the
business requirements that were stated when the project was approved.
With agile, it focuses on building and reviewing prototypes and release
versions to refine requirements. Scope then is defined and redefined
throughout the project, and requirements constitute the backlog.
[Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 133
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 2

30. b. Work shadowing

There are a number of tools and techniques in Manage Project
Knowledge. Some key words in this question are diversity, innovation,
and complexity. Therefore, since the project represents a new way of
working, work shadowing is an excellent tool and technique to use. In
it you or a member of your team can observe how a key stakeholder
does his or her work under the current policies and procedures to
learn what they will need to do to change to the new methods and the
person’s level of resistance involved. The other answers are from inputs
to this process or other tools and techniques in it. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 103
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6

31. d. Continuously monitor the project

The Monitor and Control Project Work process is performed
throughout the project. Monitoring includes collecting, measuring, and
disseminating performance information and assessing measurements
and trends to effect process improvement. Continuous monitoring
is important because it provides insight into the project’s health,
highlighting areas that may require special attention. [Monitoring and
Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 107
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

68
32. d. Determine whether the project should continue to the next phase
The review at the end of a project phase is called a phase gate. It
also may be called a stage gate, phase review, kill point, or phase
entrance or phase exit. In this review, the project’s performance and
progress are compared to the project and business documents such as
the business case, project charter, project management plan, and the
benefits management plan. The purpose of this review is to determine
whether the project should continue to the next phase, continue with
modification, end the project, stay in the phase, or repeat the entire
phase or parts of it. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 21
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 4, Task 5

33. b. Empower the team

In the performing stage of team development according to the Tuckman
model, the team functions as a well-organized group. They work
interdependently and work through issues smoothly and effectively.
The project manager then can empower the team to participate in
decision making and take ownership of the decisions to improve team
productively and achieve more effective and efficient results. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 338
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

34. b. At +$300, the situation is favorable, as physical progress is being

accomplished ahead of your plan.
Schedule variance is calculated as EV – PV, or $1,500 – $1,200 = +$300.
Because the SV is positive, physical progress is being accomplished at a
faster rate than planned. It is a useful metric as it can indicate when a
project is failing behind or is ahead of its baseline schedule and should
be used along with critical path analysis. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 226
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 8, Task 1

69
35. b. Ask open-ended questions and use active listening
The Monitor Stakeholder Engagement process is ongoing throughout
the project. This situation shows a leading stakeholder, the Chief
Financial Officer, has lost interest. The process suggests a number of
interpersonal and team skills to use, one of which is active listening.
At the meeting with this key stakeholder, the project manager
should formulate some open-ended questions to ask. Then, he or
she uses active listening to reduce any misunderstandings and any
miscommunication. Since the goal is to continue to ensure this
stakeholder is in the leading category, as a next step the project
manager should request another meeting and explain strategies to
modify the stakeholder engagement strategy to accommodate the Chief
Financial Officer’s concerns. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 534
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1
36. d. Recognize that your original estimates were fundamentally flawed, and
your project is in an atypical situation
CPI = EV/AC. It is considered the most critical earned value
management metric since it measures the cost efficiency for the
completed work. The CPI is useful for determining project status and
provides a basis to estimate project cost and schedule outcomes. A CPI
of 0.44 means that for every dollar spent, you are only receiving 44
cents of progress. Therefore, something is not correct with how you
planned your project, or your original estimates were fundamentally
flawed, and your project is in an atypical situation. You might want to
reconsider a formal “replan” and/or take a new baseline of your project.
[Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 263
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

37. c. A high-level cost forecast

Projects with a high degree of uncertainty or if the scope is not fully
defined may not benefit from detailed cost calculations because there
are frequent changes. In an agile environment, lightweight estimates
can be used to generate a high-level cost of project labor costs, which
can be adjusted when changes are made. A detailed estimate is then
used for a short-term planning horizon. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 235
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 3

70
38. c. Expert judgment
Expert judgment is used as a tool and technique in Close Project or
Phase to consider individuals or groups with specialized knowledge
or training in management control, audit, legal and procurement, and
legislation and regulation. [Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 126
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 1

39. b. Have imposed date constraints

In the Develop Budget process, funding limit reconciliation is a tool
and technique. In it the expenditure of funds is reconciled with the
commitment of funds for the project. If there is a variance between
the funding limits and the planned expenditures, it may mean
the rescheduling of some work to level out the expenditures. It is
accomplished by placing imposed date constraints on work in the
project’s schedule. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 253
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 3

40. a. Informing your stakeholders of approved change requests and their costs
A number of activities are involved in the Control Costs process. The
key to its effectiveness is in managing the approved cost baseline and
any changes to it. Since change is inevitable on projects, it is a best
practice each time there is an approved change to notify stakeholders of
the costs to implement it, which tracks to this question as management
is interested in a focus on controlling costs. Often stakeholders wish to
see a cost forecast using the EAC. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 209
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

41. a. Commence following guidelines in the resource management plan

Training is a tool and technique for the Develop Project Team process.
The resource management plan has a section on training in terms of
training for team members. Training includes activities designed to
enhance team member competencies, as in this example in contract
administration. A variety of types of training methods can be used.
Scheduled training takes place according to the resource management
plan. Unplanned training also can be used. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 342
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

71
42. d. The range of acceptable variances will tend to decrease over time
Variance analysis, along with trend analysis, is examples of performance
reviews, a tool and technique in Control Costs. The most frequently
analyzed measurements are cost and schedule variances. Cost
performance measurements are used to assess the magnitude of
variation to the original cost baseline. It is necessary to determine the
cause and degree of variance relative to the baseline, but over time, the
percentage range of acceptable variation will decrease as stakeholders
see more work is being accomplished. They also will be less likely to
terminate the project recognizing its sunk costs and the work completed
to date. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 262
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

43. c. Estimate at completion

EAC is the expected total cost to complete all work expressed as the
sum of the actual costs to date and the estimate to complete [ETC] or
the expected cost to finish all remaining work. It can be calculated
several different ways. To use it effectively the project team must predict
what it will take for the ETC based on experience to date. It may differ
from the budget at completion. It is a data analysis tool and technique
in this process. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 264–265
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

44. d. Links the project to the organization’s strategic objectives

The project charter not only authorizes a project, it shows how the
project is linked to the strategic objectives of the organization, creates
an ongoing record of the project, and shows the organization is
committed to the project. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 75
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 1

72
45. a. Conflict management
Interpersonal and team skills are a tool and technique in the Develop
Project Management Plan process. Other examples are facilitation
and meeting management. In conflict management the objective is to
bring diverse stakeholders into alignment on all parts of the project
management plan. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 86
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 7, Task 11

46. d. Performance measurement data base

The performance measurement data base is an organizational process
asset that is used to collect and make available measurement data on
processes and products. The other answers are examples of enterprise
environmental factors or expert judgment, other inputs to Direct and
Manage Project Work. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 94
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 7, Task 2

47. c. EAC = AC + Bottom-up ETC

This formula assumes that all of the remaining work is independent
of the burn rate incurred thus far. AC is $2,900 + [$500 + $1,000].
The $500 is from Activity B, and the $1,000 is from Activity C. This
bottom-up approach builds on the actual costs and experience incurred
for the work completed and requires a new estimate to complete the
remaining work. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 264–265
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

48. c. Use prioritization/ranking

Decision making is a tool and technique in Plan Stakeholder
Engagement. Prioritization/ranking is used as an approach to ensure
stakeholder requirements are prioritized and ranked. The purpose is to
make sure the stakeholders with the most interest and highest influence
are prioritized at the top of the list. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 521
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 7, Task 13

73
49. c. Manage Communications process
Lessons learned documentation is an output of the Manage
Communications process as the lessons-learned register. It includes
information on communications challenges encountered and how they
could have been avoided and approaches that worked well and areas
that need improvement in managing communications. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 387
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6
50. a. Influencing the factors that create change to the authorized cost
baseline
The Control Costs process is concerned with ensuring that requested
changes have been acted upon, managing actual changes if and when
they occur, ensuring cost expenditures do not exceed authorized
funding, monitoring cost and work performance, preventing
unapproved changes from being included in the reported cost or
resource use, informing stakeholders of all approved changes and their
costs, and bringing expected cost overruns within acceptable limits.
[Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 259
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1
51. a. Agreement and trust
In the Acquire Team process, the project manager is identifying, motivating,
maintaining, leading and inspiring the team to meet project objectives.
Teamwork is a critical factor in project success. High team performance is
characterized by agreement and trust among team members. The project
manager can promote working relationships in a climate of mutual trust.
Feelings of trust and agreement among the team members raises morale,
lowers conflict, and increases teamwork. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 337–338
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 1
52. b. An enterprise environmental factor
Enterprise environmental factors can influence how the project
management plan is developed. While there are several to consider,
one is the project management body of knowledge for the vertical
market such as construction or a focus area - in this case agile software
development. Other examples in this category are environmental, safety,
or risk as a focus area. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 84
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 7, Task 11
74
53. b. Reprioritizing the remaining work plan
There are a number of areas in Control Schedule if agile is used. While
one is the answer to this question, others are: comparing the project’s
current status by comparing the total amount of work delivered and
accepted against the estimated amounts of work for the time cycle;
conducting retrospectives or lessons learned to correct processes
and possibly make improvements; determining the rate deliverables
are produced, validated, and accepted in a given time per iteration;
determining if the project schedule has changed; and managing actual
changes as they occur. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 224
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

54. c. $6.42 million

Test: $5M + $960K + $460K = $6.42M; Don’t Test: $7M. Decision tree
analysis is a tool and technique as part of Perform Quantitative Risk
Analysis to elect the best of several alternative courses of action. It is
evaluated by calculating the expected monetary value. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 435
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 5, Task 10

55. b. Encourage independent work

In the Develop Team process, motivation is one of the interpersonal
and team skills to use. Although people are motivated differently,
the objective of motivation in this process is to provide a reason for
someone to act. Teams are motivated if they can be empowered to
participate in decision making and if they are encouraged to work
independently. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 341
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

56. a. Work performance information

The project’s work performance information includes information as
to how the project work is performing compared to the cost baseline.
Variances in the work performed and the cost of the work are evaluated
at the work package and the control account levels. It documents and
communicates the CV, CPI, EAC, TCPI, and VAC in work performance
reports. It is an output of Control Costs. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 268
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1
75
57. d. A calculated EAC value or a bottom-up EAC value is documented and
communicated to stakeholders
Cost forecasts are another output of Control Costs, and the EAC is used
to show the expected total costs of completing all work expressed as
the sum of the actual cost to date and the estimate to complete. The
EAC is a calculated value or a bottom-up EAC is used. [Monitoring and
Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 269
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

58. a. Benefit management plan

The other answers are covered in the business case and its development.
The benefit management plan is critical as it describes how and
when the project’s benefits will be delivered and ways to measure
them. Benefits are outcomes of actions, behaviors, products, services,
or results, which provide value to the organization and the project’s
intended beneficiaries. Developing this plan is done early in the project’s
life cycle to define the target benefits to be realized. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 69
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 4, Task 7

59. a. A form of data analysis

Data analysis techniques are tools and techniques used in Close Project
or Phase. Trend analysis is an example of one approach as it can
be used to validate the models used in the organization to improve
performance on future projects. [Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 126
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 5

60. b. The risk appetite

The risk appetite is an output from Plan Risk Management. It is also
recorded in the risk management plan. It is significant as it states the
stakeholders’ measurable risk thresholds around each project objective.
These individual thresholds then determine the acceptable level of
overall risk thresholds around a project objective. They also are used
in defining the probability and impact definitions used to evaluate and
prioritize individual project risks. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 407
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 10

76
61. b. Achieving project objectives
Team assessments are an output of Develop Team. After some
development efforts, such as training, and team building are
implemented, the project manager conducts informal or formal team
assessments of the team’s effectiveness. Expected team development
activities are supposed to increase the team’s performance, which then
leads to the likelihood of meeting the project’s objectives. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 343
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

62. b. Monte Carlo analysis

Simulation is a tool and technique for the Develop Schedule process as
it models the combined effects of individual project risks and any other
sources of uncertainty to help evaluate the probability of achieving
the project’s objectives. Monte Carlo analysis is the most commonly
used simulation technique. When it is used, risks and other sources of
uncertainty are used to calculate possible schedule outcomes for the
project. It calculates multiple work package durations with different
sets of activity assumptions, constraints, issues, or scenarios using
probability durations to determine the probability of achieving a certain
project finish date. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 213–214
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 4

63. d. Establish a knowledge management repository

Even if the origination has a defined project management methodology
to follow, each project is unique. A tailoring consideration is knowledge
management. It is useful in the Monitor Communications process to set
up a knowledge repository. Setting it up is the easy part. For it to be
used, it needs up-to-date content that is easy to locate. Also, in Monitor
Communications, the project management information system is a
tool and technique. The knowledge repository can be part of it since
it consists of standard tools for the project manager to capture, store,
and distribute information to stakeholders following guidelines in the
communications management plan. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 365, 382
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

77
64. d. Configuration management plan
This plan is one that is prepared during the Develop Project
Management Plan process and is an additional component to the
plan. It is used to describe how information about the project items,
and which items, will be recorded and updated. The purpose is to
ensure the product, service, or result of the project is consistent and/or
operative. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 88
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 7, Task 11

65. c. Effective and ineffective approaches

In the Manage Stakeholder Engagement process, a lessons-learned
register is an output. This register is updated with both effective and
ineffective approaches used in managing stakeholder engagements. It
purpose also is to use it on this project and future projects. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 539
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 7

66. b. Doubling the number of needed resources

The Estimate Activity Duration process provides an estimate of the
amount of work to complete an activity and the resources estimated to
do so. In this question, you know you need key SMEs to be available
at certain times, and resources tend to be scarce when specialization
is concerned. In estimating durations, the number of resources needed
must be considered. While increasing the number of resources to twice
the original number can be done, it may not always reduce the time
by half; it may even require extra time because of risk. Additionally, at
some point too many resources may even increase duration because
of knowledge transfer, the learning curve, additional coordination, and
possibly other factors. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 197
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 4

78
67. c. Update the project management plan
If there are changes to the stakeholder engagement strategy and plans,
as an output of the Monitor Stakeholder Engagement process, affected
sections of the project management plan are updated because of these
changes. Examples are the resource management, communications
management, and stakeholder engagement plans. In the resource
management plan, team responsibilities for stakeholder engagement
may need updates. In the communications management plan, the
communications strategy may need updates and in the stakeholder
engagement plan, information about the stakeholder community may
need updates as different stakeholders are interested in different phases
of the project. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 535
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

68. c. Updated the project management plan

In the Monitor and Control Project Work process, updates to the project
management plan are one of its outputs. Changes identified in this
process may affect the overall project plan. If updates to this plan are
needed, they are processed with a change request [another output]
through the organization’s change control process. [Monitoring and
Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 97
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 2

69. c. Ask some experts

The key words in the question are new to the company. Expert
judgment then is a useful tool and technique in Plan Stakeholder
Engagement. While the experts can provide advice on a variety of
topics, they are especially helpful in the power and politics structures
inside and outside the organization and in the environmental and
cultural inside and outside of the organization. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 131
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 7, Task 13

79
70. b. It needs to be robust
The project management plan is the document used to define the
project work. It therefore needs to be robust enough to respond to
changes in the project environment, which probably will occur in
this situation since the project is to last three years. This agility may
result in more information as the project progresses, and the project
management plan is not baselined immediately as updates to this plan
may be required many times. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 83
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 7, Task 11

71. d. Activity name

Activity attributes are an output of the Define Activity process. The
components for each activity evolve over time. In the initial stages of
the project, they include the activity ID, WBS ID, and the activity name.
Later, when completed, they may include activity codes, description,
predecessor and successor activities, logical relationships, leads and lags,
resource requirements, imposed dates, constraints, and assumptions.
[Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 186
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 4

72. b. An external dependency

Some dependencies are external ones, and they involve a relationship
between project activities and non-project activities. In sequencing
activities, the project management team must determine which
dependencies are external as they are usually outside of the team’s
control. Other examples of dependencies, a tool and technique
in Sequence Activities, are mandatory, discretionary, and internal.
[Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 191–192
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 4

80
73. d. Trend analysis
Trend analysis is used in many control processes in project
management. As a tool and technique in the data analysis category
in Control Schedule, trend analysis examines the performance of the
project over time to determine whether performance is improving
or deteriorating. Graphical analysis techniques are valuable in trend
analysis to understand performance to date and to compare it to future
performance goals in the form of completion dates. [Monitoring and
Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 227
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

74. c. Focusing on codified explicit knowledge

In the Manage Project Knowledge process, it is a common
misperception that the key to managing project knowledge is to only
document it, so it can be shared. Another misperception is managing
project knowledge consists solely of only codified, explicit knowledge
can be shared in this way; however, codified explicit knowledge
lacks context and then can easily lead to different interpretations as
to its meaning and usefulness. While it can be shared, it may not
be understood or applied as desired. Tacit knowledge, on the other
hand, has context built into it, but it is difficult to codify. This means
it resides in the heads of the people involved and is then shared
through conversations and interactions between them. Surveys, if
well-constructed by the knowledge management specialist and the
people involved, and one-on-one discussions between the knowledge
management specialist and the people involved are other methods to
use. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 100
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6

75. b. Accommodating
Accommodating or smoothing is the preferred conflict resolution
approach in this situation. In it, areas of agreement are emphasized
rather than areas of difference. By doing so, one’s position is conceded
to that of the needs of the other person in this situation with the goal of
maintaining harmony and relationships, the key words in this question.
[Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 349
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

81
76. b. Lessons learned register
In closing the project, the first output is project document updates.
They may be marked as final versions since the project is closed. The
lessons learned register is the one of particular importance since it
is then finalized and includes information on the project, as in this
example, or phase closure. This final lesson learned register may
include information on benefits management, accuracy of the business
case, project and development life cycles, risk and issue management,
and stakeholder engagement. [Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 127
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 1

77. c. Can reduce construction claims

There are numerous advances in tools in procurement management.
Online tools are more prevalent and helpful for the buyer and the seller.
In the construction and infrastructure field, the building information
model is a software tool that has proven to save significant amounts
of time and money. It enables a substantial reduction in construction
claims, which then reduces the schedule and budget set aside for
claims. Many organizations and governments throughout the world are
mandating its use. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 463
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 7

78. b. Project charter

Although the project charter cannot stop conflicts from arising, it can
provide a framework to help resolve them, because it describes the
project manager’s authority to apply organizational resources to project
activities. It is prepared by the project sponsor, as in this situation,
and often in collaboration with the project manager as hopefully the
project manager has been assigned and can participate. Regardless it is
developed prior to the start of project planning. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 77, 81
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 4, Task 5

82
79. a. Detect and control any defects or issues before you finish the project
There are five levels of increasingly effective quality management. The
answer is the second one as you want to detect and control defects before
deliverables are given to the customer. This is done as part of Control
Quality. The Control Quality process has related costs, which primarily are
appraisal costs and internal failure costs. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 275
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 3

80. c. Organizational change management

Organizational change management can influence team behavior.
Change is not only limited to changes at the project level but also to
changes at the organizational level. Rather than being concerned about
solely managing changes to scope, time, cost, and quality, the project
manager must embrace a broader approach and be aware of changes
at the organizational level. These changes are strategic and may mean
a change in the project’s priority because of a new strategic objective
that makes it less important; mergers or acquisitions such as the new
company may have a similar project under way or recently completed;
and the constant need to do more with less meaning the need to cut the
budget or the number of resources, to list a few. The project manager
needs to broaden his or her sphere of influence and work closely with
members of the portfolio group or the strategic planning group to learn
about any possible changes and then how to exploit and adapt them to
benefit the project rather than taking a negative view. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 309
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

81. c. Create value for your team and for the suppliers
Quality is everyone’s responsibility including suppliers. The work done by
suppliers must be of the highest possible quality. Your goal to achieving
success in this area is to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with
the suppliers ideally with long-term relationships. This mutually beneficial
relationship then reduces your work to Control Quality and is an
emerging practice in quality management. It enhances the ability for your
organization and that of the suppliers’ organizations to create value for
each other, enhances joint responses to customer needs and expectations,
and optimizes costs and resources. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 275
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 3

83
 Answer Key ◾ 351

82. d. Use multi-criteria decision analysis

As a tool and technique in Acquire Resources, this approach enables
criteria to be able to be developed and used to rate or score potential
team members. The criteria are weighted given the team’s requirements
including items such as availability, cost, experience, ability, knowledge,
skills, attitude, and international factors. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 332
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

83. d. A defined integrated change control process

During the Control Resources process, change requests are an output.
If changes occur in this process or when recommended corrective or
preventive actions impact components of the project management plan,
the project manager issues a change request. It is processed as defined
in the Perform Integrated Change Control process. [Monitoring and
Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 306
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 3

84. b. Use questionnaires and surveys

In Control Quality, questionnaires and surveys are a data gathering
technique. They are used to obtain data about customer satisfaction
after the product or service is finished. Costs identified in these
questionnaires and surveys may be considered external failure costs
in the cost of quality, and if they occur, they then can have cost
implications for the organization [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 303
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 3

85. a. Provide special consideration to external policies

Interpersonal and team skills are a tool and technique in the Acquire
Resources process. They are primarily focused on negotiation as the
project manager must negotiate with functional managers for resources.
In this situation, part of your team will be located in a new country
to your company. Given that no one has worked there before, special
consideration is given to external negotiating policies, practices,
processes, guidelines, and legal criteria. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 332
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

84
86. d. Holding performance reviews
Performance reviews are a data analysis tool and technique in Control
Schedule. Their purpose is to measure, compare, and analyze schedule
performance against the schedule baseline. They may review actual
start and finish dates, percent complete, and remaining schedule
duration for work that is under way. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 227
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

87. d. Defect repair

During the Direct and Manage Project Work process, work performance
data are collected, actioned, and communicated. This process requires
review of the impact of project changes and the implementation of
proposed changes, one of which is defect repair. It is an intentional
activity to modify a nonconforming product or project component.
Work performance information is an output of this process; other
examples are work completed, KPIs, technical performance resources,
actual start and finish dates of schedule activities, story point compiled,
deliverable status, schedule, process, number of change requests, actual
costs incurred, and actual durations. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 95
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 7, Task 1

88. c. Someone external to the project

The charter is issued by an entity external to the project, such as a
sponsor, a program manager, a PMO, or a portfolio management chair
or an authorized representative. The initiator or sponsor should be
at a level such that he or she can provide funding and commit to the
project. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 77
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 6

85
89. c. Invite your customer and his team to project meetings
An emerging trend in communications management is to include
stakeholders in project meetings. In this approach, external
stakeholders, such as the customer, are invited as well as other
stakeholders inside the organization. It is also a practice common
in agile processes in which during the daily stand-up meetings, any
achievements and issues from the previous day are discussed, and the
team discusses plans for the current day. Customer involvement may be
useful in resolving issues that have occurred. [Executing]
PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 364
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6

90. d. Identify and deal with resource shortages

The Control Resources process is concerned with physical resources
and is performed throughout the project. Updating resource allocation
requires knowing the actual resources that have been used, and
the resources that still are needed. The project manager reviews
performance to date. He or she then identifies resource shortages in a
timely way. Since much of the physical resources are acquired through
contracts/agreements, including leasing, the project manager also tracks
the resources that are no longer required to close the contract or end
the lease. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 355
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

91. c. Resource configurations

Controlling physical resources involves allocating and using material,
equipment, and supplies needed for the project for its successful
completion. Organizations that use a large amount of physical resources
should have data on resources needed now and in the future. They also
should have resource configurations, the answer to this question, that
will be required to meet the demands and the supply of the resources.
Successful project manager are ones who can manage and control
needed physical resource effectively; otherwise, it is a source of risk to
the project. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 310
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

86
92. b. You need to reduce activity costs as much as possible
This question shows an opportunity has been recognized, which means
the risk register is being used as it is an input in project documents
to the Estimate Costs process. It should be reviewed to as it contains
details of project risks that have been identified and prioritized and
need risk responses, which tend to involve costs. It provides detailed
information that can be used to estimate costs. Risks, whether threats
or opportunities, have an impact on both activity and overall project
costs. In this example, it is a potential opportunity that can benefit the
business depending on the response action selected as it may reduce
directly activity costs or accelerate the schedule. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 242
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 3

93. a. Cost management plan

The management and control of costs focuses on variances. The cost
management plan includes control thresholds, also called variance
thresholds. Certain variances are acceptable, and others, usually
those falling outside a particular range, are unacceptable. The actions
taken by the project manager for all variances are described in the
cost management plan. These thresholds are typically expressed as
percentage deviations from the baseline plan. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 239
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 3

94. b. Norming
There are four stages of team development: forming, storming, norming,
and performing in the original team development model developed by
Tuckman; later adjourning was added as a fifth stage. In the norming
stage team members begin to work together, adjusting their work habits
and behaviors to support the team. The team members learn to trust
each other. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 338
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

87
95. a. Manage knowledge transfer
As you close your project, you cannot overlook the importance of
knowledge transfer. Each person on the project brings knowledge assets
and acquires others as he or she works on the project. By managing
knowledge transfer, you are focusing on sharing knowledge for other
projects under way or to be done in the future. It differs from collecting
lessons learned, also important in closing, as its focus is on knowledge
transfer and sharing knowledge, not hoarding it. [Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 123
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 5

96. b. Informal scope control related practices are used

In this situation you are wondering whether you need to tailor some
approaches in your project management methodology as they may
not be needed. Tailoring considerations in Scope Management need to
consider several areas, one of which is validation and control. In this
area, the organization may have existing formal or informal validation
and control related policies, procedures, and guidelines so tailoring is
not needed. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 133
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

97. c. Iterative scheduling with a backlog

Iterative scheduling with a backlog is an emerging trend in developing
a schedule. It is a form of rolling wave planning based on an adaptive
life cycle and an agile approach in product development. Requirements
are documented in user stories and are prioritized and refined before
construction. Product features use time-based periods of work. Multiple
teams can work concurrently to develop a large number of features
with few interconnected dependencies. This approach also is open to
changes throughout the development life cycle. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 177
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 5, Task 4

88
98. d. Engaging stakeholders at certain stages
While the other answers are good practices, this answer is part of the
Manage Stakeholder Engagement process. It shows the necessity of
engaging stakeholders at appropriate project stages to obtain, confirm,
and maintain their continual commitment to the project. If a key
stakeholder is missing meetings, it is critical for the project manager to
meet with this stakeholder and find out his or her concerns and actively
listen. If the stakeholder has concerns, then the project manager should
address them and see if he or she can regain the stakeholder’s support.
[Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 524
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 7

99. b. Hold some meetings

In the Monitor Stakeholder Engagement process, meetings are a
tool and technique. They include status meetings, standup meetings
retrospectives, and any others listed in the stakeholder engagement
plan. These meetings are held to monitor and assess stakeholder
engagement levels. They can be face to face or virtual. [Monitoring and
Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 535
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 8, Task 1

100. d. Developing a communications strategy

A communications strategy is the first step. It is based on the
project’s needs and those of the stakeholders. Once the strategy is
determined, then the communications management plan is prepared,
which among other things ensures stakeholders receive messages
in various formats and means as defined by the strategy. These
messages constitute the planning process, which is the second part for
successful communications. Using the communications strategy and
the communications management plan then provide the foundation
to monitor the effect of communications and hopefully avoid
misunderstandings and mis-communications. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 362
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 6

89
101. a. Alternatives analysis
In Plan Schedule Management, a tool and technique to use is data
analysis, which includes alternatives analysis. It can include the
scheduling method to use or how to combine different scheduling
methods. It also can include the level of detail for the schedule, the
need for rolling wave planning, and how often the schedule should
be reviewed and updated. Consider a balance between the level of
detail and the amount of time it will take to update it on the project.
[Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 181
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 4

102. d. Should be consistent with the portfolio management plan

Therefore, if the portfolio management plan requires review by the key
stakeholders each time it is revised, the same is the case for when the
project management plan is revised. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 83
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 7, Task 11

103. b. Resources for communications activities

Of the answers to this question, resources are included in the
communications management plan. Resources need to be allocated for
communications activities. Without resources, these critical activities
would not be performed. Also, in this plan while resources include
human resources, they also include time and budget considerations.
[Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 377
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 6

104. d. Focus on goals to be served

Decision making involves the ability to negotiate and influence the
organization and the project management team. This answer is the
first guideline; the other answers refer to items in leadership and
influencing; all are examples of interpersonal skills of the project
manager, a tool and technique in the Manage Team process. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 349
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

90
105. b. Have meetings
All four answers are tools and techniques in the Develop Project
Charter process. However, in this situation, the best answer is to
conduct meetings with the functional department leaders since you
need resources from these groups for project success. These meetings
are useful to discuss the project objectives, success criteria, key
deliverables, high-level requirements, and other information. The
meetings enable you to have an understanding of any concerns these
managers may have and listen to them and provide feedback to enlist
their support. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 80
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 5

106. d. Accelerate knowledge sharing

In an agile environment to Monitor Risk, adaptive approaches are
used through frequent reviews of incremental work products. It also is
necessary to ensure the cross-functional team accelerates knowledge
sharing and ensures risks are understood and managed. Requirements
are updated regularly in order that risks can be reprioritized as the
project progresses. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 400
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 4

107. c. Organizational strategy

Expert judgment is a tool and technique in the Develop Project Charter
process. It is defined as judgment provided based on experience in an
application area, knowledge area, discipline, or industry based on the
specific project. It may be provided by a group or by an individual. In
developing the charter, experts are useful in organizational strategy,
benefit management, technical knowledge of the project’s industry
and area of focus, duration and budget, and risk identification.
Organizational strategy is useful since one purpose of the charter is to
link the project to the organization’s strategic objectives. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 75, 79
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 7

91
108. b. Reporting
Meetings are a tool and technique in the Close Project or Phase process.
They are used to confirm deliverables are accepted, to validate the
exit criteria to realize contact completion, to evaluate stakeholder
satisfaction, to collect lessons learned, to transfer knowledge and
information, and to celebrate success. Close-out reporting meetings are
an example of a type of meeting that may be held. [Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 127
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 7

109. b. Mind mapping

In Plan Stakeholder Engagement, mind mapping is a data representation
tool and technique to consider. It is useful because it visually organizes
information about stakeholders, and it also shows their relationships to
one another. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 521
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 7, Task 13

110. c. Refer to the team charter

In this situation, since the team members are having conflicts and are
stakeholders to engage, you need to meet with the team and remind
them of the team charter, which each team member agreed to follow
and signed. The team charter is the ground rules for the team, a tool
and technique in this process. It contains the expected behavior for the
team members with regard to stakeholder engagement. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 319–320, 528
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 7

111. b. Technical documentation

Procurement documentation requires review before contracts are closed
and later before the project is closed. The procurement documents
are collected, indexed, and filed. It is easy to focus on cost/schedule
information as an example, but technical documentation should not be
overlooked in the process. Such information includes ’as-built" plans/
drawings, "as-developed" documents, manuals, and troubleshooting
as this information can be used for lessons learned and to evaluate
contractors for future contracts. [Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 125
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 3

92
112. c. Transfer your work to human resources
In the Close Process or Phase process, administrative closure
procedures include actions and activities to transfer the project’s
products, services, or results (as in this example) to the next phase or to
production or operations as in this example. Since the project involves
mentoring, the human resource department or unit is the part of the
organization to continue this work. [Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 101
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 2

113. b. Release resources when the project is in the closing phase

The closing process is when all activities across all process groups
are complete. It verifies the project then project work is done, and
the project has met its objectives. While a variety of activities are
performed, one is to and release resources. The other answers are nice
practices to follow. [Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 123
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 2

114. c. Assumption log

The other possible answers are part of the project charter. The
assumption log is the other output of this process. While high-level
assumptions and constraints are typically in the business case, lower
level activity and task assumptions are generated during the project.
They are then placed in this assumption log and used throughout the
project. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 81
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 4

115. b. Emphasize collaboration

In an agile/adaptive environment, collaboration is necessary to boost
productivity and facilitate problem solving. A collaborative team is one
that may facilitate accelerated integration of distinct work activities,
improve communications, increase knowledge transfer, and promote
flexibility in work assignments. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 311
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

93
116. b. Involving team members in planning is beneficial.
The project manager is the leader and manager of the team. Often,
resources are preassigned to the project or have been identified in the
charter. Although roles and responsibilities will be assigned, involving team
members in planning and decision making is beneficial. Their participation
when possible adds their expertise to the project, and most importantly, it
helps strengthen their commitment to the project objectives. [Planning]
PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 309
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 5

117. a. Use it to build a collaborative working environment

Team building consists of activities to enhance the team’s social relations
and build a collaborative and cooperative working environment. Team
building can be part of any meeting even as a five-minute agenda
item. The team-building objective is to help individuals work together
effectively as a team. It is ongoing for project success. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 341
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

118. c. Influencing
All are useful skills for project managers. However, in the Control
Resources process, negotiation and influencing are the two
interpersonal skills tools and techniques to consider. In this situation
influencing was necessary as the project manager has little or no direct
control over team members as they work in a weak matrix. The ability
of the project manager to influence stakeholders in a timely basis is
critical to project success. By using influencing, the project manager
can solve problems and obtain resources needed in a timely way.
[Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 357
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

119. a. Periodically review the business case

The business case is not a one-time document but is used throughout
the project, regardless of whether the project has multiple phases. It helps
measure the project’s success against the project outcomes. It is an input
to the Develop Project Charter process since it describes the information
from a business standpoint to determine whether the expected outcomes
from the project are worth the required investment. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 30, 77
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 2

94
120. a. Conduct a risk audit
The risk audit is a tool and technique in Monitor Risks to evaluate the
effectiveness of the risk management process. The project manager is
responsible for ensuring these audits are done at the frequency defined
in the project risk management plan. They may be part of the regular
project review meeting, may be part of a risk review, or there may be
separate meetings for the risk audit. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 456
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 4

121. c. Conflict management skills are useful

Interpersonal and team skills are a tool and technique in the Develop
Project Charter process; one of them is conflict management skills.
Even if your charter provides you with the authority to acquire the
resources you need, unless you work in a pure projectized structure, it
still is a challenge to get the resources you need when you need them.
Functional managers will be reluctant to give you the key people you
require. These conflict management skills can bring stakeholders into
alignment on various aspects in the charter. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 80
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 5

122. c. Technical performance analysis

Technical performance analysis is a data analysis tool and technique
in Monitor Risks. Its purpose is compare technical performance to
the schedule of technical achievement. It requires the definition of
objective, quantifiable measures of technical performance to help
compare actual results against targets. Example of these measures
are weight, transaction times, number of delivered defects, or storage
capacity. Deviation can help indicate the possible impact of threats or
opportunities. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 456
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 4

95
123. c. Hold a meeting
Meetings are a tool and technique in Monitor Risks. These meetings
can include risk reviews. They are scheduled regularly to evaluate
the effectiveness of risk responses in dealing with both overall and
individual risks. These reviews may identify new risks, identify
secondary risks, reassess existing risks, close outdated risks, close issues
from risks that have occurred, and identify lessons learned. [Monitoring
and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 457
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 4

124. b. You may accept more risks

In procurement management an emerging trend is greater attention
to risk management. No contractor can manage all the risks on a
project. As you work in the Control Procurements process, you will
be required to accept the risks in which the contractor lacks control,
such as changing corporate policies, changing legislative or regulatory
requirements, or other changes external to the project. [Monitoring and
Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 463
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 7

125. a. Procurement performance review

These reviews are a tool and technique in the Control Procurements
process under data analysis, which includes measure, control, and
analyze quality, resources, schedule, and cost performance against
that in the agreement. These reviews also include identifying work
packages that already are behind schedule, over or under budget, or
have resource or quality issues. Inspections and audits, answers b and
c, are specified in the contract and are required by the buyer to verify
compliance in the seller’s work processes or deliverables; they also are
a tool and technique in this process. A status review meeting, answer d,
is an informal session to discuss performance to date. [Monitoring and
Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 498
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 7

96
126. b. Warranty work
Warranty work is an example of the cost of nonconformance. These
costs are divided into internal failure costs and external failure costs.
They are money spent after the project because of project failures.
Other external failure costs are liabilities and lost business. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 283
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 8

127. a. Workmanship standards

Workmanship standards are an example of an enterprise environmental
factor in addition to government or industry standards, quality
standards, and safety standards. The other answers are examples of
organizational process assets, another input to the Develop Project
Charter process. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 78–79
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 1

128. b. Diversity
Many teams are comprised with diverse team members from different
backgrounds and cultures. A diverse team also is useful in working
together to share ideas as diversity can foster collaboration and problem
solving by merging different views into a more effective solution. It is
noted as a reason to tailor how resource management is used on your
team. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 317
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

129. d. Direct the right level of communications to the stakeholders

In Plan Stakeholder Engagement, the stakeholder engagement
assessment matrix is a data representation tool and technique. As in
Identify Stakeholders, it shows the current engagement levels of each
stakeholder as compared to the desired levels for successful project
delivery. In this process, it is used to identify gaps and to direct the
appropriate level of communication needed to engage each stakeholder.
[Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 521–522
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 7, Task 6

97
130. c. Use a stakeholder cube
The stakeholder cube is a data representation tool and technique
in Identify Stakeholders. It refines the three grids and combines the
grid elements into a three-dimensional model. The project manager
and team then use this grid to identify and engage the stakeholder
community. The model has multiple dimensions to improve
how the stakeholder community is shown as it is presented in a
multidimensional way and can help develop communications strategies.
[Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 513
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 3

131. d. Direct and Manage Project Work

Work performance data containing these examples are an output
of Direct and Manage Project Work. They are raw observations and
measurements identified as activities are being performed to complete
the work of the project. These data often are viewed at the lowest
level of detail from which information is derived by other processes.
The data then are gathered as the work is done and passed to the
controlling processes of the various processes for further analyses.
[Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 95
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6

132. d. Forcing
Forcing, or directing, using power or dominance, implies the use of
position power to resolve conflict. It involves imposing one viewpoint
at the expense of another. Project managers may use it when time is of
the essence, when an issue is vital to the project’s well-being, or when
they think they are right based on available information. It offers only
win-lose situations. Although this approach is appropriate when quick
decisions are required or when unpopular issues are an essential part of
the project, it puts project managers at risk. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 349
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

98
133. b. The project charter
The project charter is an input in developing the project management
plan. It is the starting point for initial planning and at a minimum,
the charter defines the high-level information about the project to
be expanded upon in the various parts of the project management
plan. Outputs from other processes, organizational process assets, and
enterprise environmental factors are other inputs to consider. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 83
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 7, Task 11

134. c. Issue a change request

Change requests are an output of the Manage Project Team process.
Staffing changes can affect the rest of the team, even if by choice in this
situation or by an uncontrollable event. When staffing changes affect
the project, such as causing the schedule to slip or the budget to be
exceeded, a change request should be processed through the Perform
Integrated Change Control process. While in this question the change
involved moving the team member to a different assignment, staffing
changes also involve outsourcing the work and replacing team members
who leave. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 350
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

135. d. Identify all potential project stakeholders and their relevant information
Stakeholder analysis is data analysis tool and technique in Identify
Stakeholders. Its purpose is to identify a list of stakeholders and relevant
information about each one. The information may include the position
in the organization, project roles, stakes in the project, expectations,
and attitudes. Stakes may be whether the stakeholders are interested,
have legal or moral rights, have ownership, have specialized ownership,
or are a contributor. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 512
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 3

99
136. b. Project management plan
Project scope is measured against the project management plan. The
project scope statement and scope baseline are subsets of the project
management plan. However, the whole plan and all the baselines
(cost and schedule) need to be met in addition to scope. The project
management plan is the agreement between the project manager and
sponsor and defines what constitutes project completion. [Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 123
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 1

137. c. Follow an adaptive approach

Large projects may use an adaptive approach for some deliverables,
while for others a more stable approach may be used. Given the size
and the geographic locations involved, this situation is one in which an
adaptive approach is more suitable. A governing agreement such as a
master services agreement may be used for the project. The adaptive
approach may be part of an appendix. It shows changes to occur on
adaptive scope without impacting the overall agreement, useful in
Control Procurement. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 465
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 8

138. c. Assess the schedule objectives to see if benefits were achieved

The other answers are variations of the tools and techniques used in
Close Project or Phase. An output is the final report, which provides
a summary of project performance. While it contains many items, it
evaluates the schedule objectives to see if results achieved the benefits
the project was undertaken to address. If the benefits were not met
when the project was closed, then this section indicates the degree to
which they were achieved and estimates what was needed for future
benefit realization. [Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 127–128
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 4

100
139. b. Identify the causes of the conflict
Conflicts are inevitable on projects. They may include scarce resources,
scheduling practices, and personal work styles. However, successful
conflict resolution can result in increased productivity and positive
working relationships. If managed properly, these differences may lead
to enhanced creativity and more effective decision making. In order to
address conflict, people must recognize and acknowledge that conflict
exists. The project manager must be able to identify the causes of the
conflict and then actively manage it to avoid any negative impacts.
Conflicts should be addressed early and usually in private with a direct,
collaborative approach. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 348
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

140. c. Determine the number of languages used

It is often necessary in communications management to tailor how
processes are used. In Monitor Communications, language is a key
consideration. It is easy to consider English as the language preferred
by the team, but with the increase in virtual teams and teams with
people from different cultures, it may not be the preferred language to
use. However, it is necessary to determine how many languages are
used and then determine whether any allowances have been made to
adjust to team members from different language groups. One approach
to consider if diverse languages are spoken by team members as their
primary language is to adopt English but focus on the key 1,000 words
that commonly are used to ensure there are no misunderstandings
based on slang or the use of words that are not used frequently.
[Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 365
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

141. a. Decision making

Both processes use inspection. Validate Scope also uses decision
making tools and techniques. Voting is a decision-making technique
used to reach a conclusion when stakeholders and the project team
perform the validation. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 166
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 3

101
142. c. Knowledge
In this situation, the key word is ‘client’. In acquiring resources for
your team, you can use multi-criteria decision analysis, a tool and
technique in this process. The criteria are used to rate and score
team members and can be weighted to show their importance. All
of the answers to this question are important, but knowledge is the
most critical since it considers whether the team member has relevant
knowledge of the customer, focusing on this question. The knowledge
criterion also involves similar related projects and nuances of the
project environment. Other criteria not shown in the answers include
availability, eliminated since it is a top project in the company, and one
should then be able to acquire the resource; cost, eliminated for the
same reason; attitude, which is desirable to be able to work well with
the team; and international factors, eliminated since the question does
not note it is a global project. Experience, ability, and skills are critical,
but knowledge is selected as it emphasizes the customer. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 332
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

143. d. Forcing
Forcing or directing is represented by a strong desire to satisfy oneself
rather than to satisfy others. It involves imposing one viewpoint at
the expense of another and is characterized by a win-lose outcome
in which one party overwhelms the other. It pushes one’s view at
the expense of others usually through a power position to resolve a
conflict. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 349
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2

144. b. Part of questionnaires and surveys

Questionnaires and surveys are a data gathering technique, a tool and
technique in Identify Stakeholders. Also, in this category are focus
groups, which are used to gauge the attitudes of stakeholders about the
project and enables the project manager and team to learn their level
of support for it and any issues they may have so these issues can be
resolved quickly. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 511
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 3

102
145. a. The choice of media
The choice of media, or the way you deliver the information, is as
important as what you say. It is important to determine when to
communicate in writing versus orally, when to prepare an informal
memo or when to use a formal report, and when to communicate face
to face or by email, as examples. Other examples are when to use push
or pull options and choosing the technology to use. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 381
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6

146. c. Issue a change request

Change requests are an output of Implement Risk Responses. The
key word in the question was cost. Implementing risk responses may
require a change request to the cost and schedule baselines. These
change requests then are processed for review and disposition using the
Perform Integrated Change Control process. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 451
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 5

147. c. Stakeholder register

The stakeholder register is the main output of Identify Stakeholders and
contains all the details known at the time related to the stakeholders
including identification information, assessment information, and
stakeholder classification. The project manager and team should review
the stakeholder register regularly since stakeholder identification is
ongoing throughout the project, and different stakeholders may have
different interests, expectations, or potential influence than those
initially identified. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 514
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 3

148. a. Library services

Of the answers listed, library services are the only tool and technique
to create and connect people to information. These tools are useful to
share simple, unambiguous, and codified explicit knowledge. These tools,
however, can be enhanced by adding some type of information such as
’contact me’, so people can contact the originators and ask for advice as
needed. The other examples are ones to connect people to people to
work together to create new knowledge, share explicit knowledge, and
integrate the team member’s diverse knowledge. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 103
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6

103
149. d. Basis of estimates
Basis of estimates is an output from the Estimate Costs process. It
provides details to support the cost estimate to provide a clear and
understandable approach to how the costs were estimated. Typical
contents include how the estimate was developed, assumptions and
constraints, identified risks as costs were estimated, the range of possible
estimates, and the level of confidence in the final cost estimate. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 247
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 3

150. a. Develop Project Charter

In the Develop Project Charter process, an agreement is an input to
define initial intentions for the project. They may be known as an
understanding or memorandum of understanding, a service level
agreement, letter of intent, a verbal agreement, or an e-mail. Agreements
are an input to the Develop Project Charter process. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 78
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 5

151. c. Accepted deliverables

Accepted deliverables are an input to the Close Project or Phase. They
may include approved product specifications, delivery receipts, and work
performance documents. Partial or interim deliverables may be included
if it is a phased or a canceled project. Other inputs are the project charter,
the project management plan, project documents, business documents,
agreements, procurement documentation, and organizational process
assets. Expert judgment is a tool and technique in this process. [Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 125
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 1

152. d. Use trend analysis

Data gathering is the tool and technique in Control Scope. It
includes variance analysis and trend analysis. Trend analysis reviews
project performance over time to see if performance is improving
or deteriorating. Its focus is to determine the cause and amount of
variance in relation to the scope baseline to be able to determine if
preventive or corrective action is required. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 170
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

104
153. c. A high-level requirement
The project charter formally authorizes the existence of the project and
provides the project manager with the organizational resources for the
project activities. Using agile is an example of a high-level requirement,
which is one of the many items included in the charter. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 81
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 5

154. c. Note key stakeholders as parties in the contract

Contracts are mutually binding agreements that obligate the seller
to provide products services or results and obligates the buyer to
compensate the seller. These contracts or agreements are legal
relationships subject to remedy in the courts. Agreements are an
input to the Identify Stakeholder process. If the project results from a
procurement activity or is based on an established agreement/contract,
the parties in the contract are key project stakeholders. Others, such as
suppliers, are also stakeholders and should be added to the stakeholder
list. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 489, 510
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 3

155. a. Use an impact/influence grid

All four answers are data representation techniques and can help
categorize your stakeholders to help build relationships with them.
The key words in the question is it is a small project. Since it is small,
a power/interest, power/influence, or impact/influence [the answer]
grid are appropriate ways to categorize them. Each of these three grids
categorizes them according to their level of authority, level of concern,
ability to influence the project’s outcomes, or the ability to cause
changes to the project’s planning or execution. These models are used
for small projects or ones with relationships that are relatively simple
between the stakeholders and the project or within the stakeholder
community. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 512
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 3

105
156. b. Use an issue log
An issue log is an output of the Direct and Manage Project Work
process. It lists items such as: issue type, who raised it and when,
description, priority, person assigned to the issue, target resolution
date, status, and the final solution. This issue log can help the project
manager track and manage issues, investigate them, and resolve them;
recognizing issues may occur at any time on the project. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 85
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 1

157. a. Role
The resource plan documents roles, responsibilities, authority, and
competence on the project. A role is the function assumed by or
assigned to a person in the project. The court liaison in this question
is an example of such a role on a project. Other examples are
civil engineer, business analyst, or testing coordinator. Role clarity
concerning authority and responsibilities also should be documented to
help avoid negative conflicts later in the project. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 318–319
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 5

158. b. Determine how and when project benefits will be delivered

In Identify Stakeholders in the first iteration of doing so, business
documents should be reviewed, one of which is the benefits
management plan. The purpose of this plan is to realize the benefits in
the project’s business case. It may include the people who will benefit
the most when the outcomes of the project are complete as they are
stakeholders and beneficiaries. This plan includes a description of
the target benefits, both tangible and intangible, the stakeholders will
realize, how and when the benefits will be delivered, and how the
benefits will be measured. [Initiating]
PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 33, 509
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 7

159. b. Review your project charter

The project charter should be reviewed first as you identify stakeholders
since it includes an identified stakeholder list. The charter also may
contain information on stakeholder responsibilities. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 395
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 8

106
160. c. Understand as much as possible about the communications receiver
There are three fundamental activities of effective communications and
developing effective communications artifacts. One is the answer to
the question. One should understand as much as possible about the
receiver, which includes needs and preferences, rather than relying
on the traditional sender-receiver model. It also is necessary to have
clarity as to the purpose of the communication rather than the push
communications approach, and then to monitor and measure whether
the communications were effective. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 363
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 6

161. b. Management is responsible for providing needed resources

An emerging practice in project quality management is management
responsibility. While the quality management plan states resource roles
and responsibilities, management retains in its requirements for quality
the responsibility to provide suitable resources with adequate capacities.
It also should be noted that quality success requires the participation of
all project team members. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 275
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 8

162. d. Enterprise environmental factor

Enterprise environmental factors and organizational process assets are
both inputs to Plan Quality Management. In this situation, the team is
located in different geographical areas, and geographic distribution is an
enterprise environmental factor to consider. Another one, which fits this
question, is the organizational structure. Enterprise environmental factors
are typically outside of the project manager’s responsibilities. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 280
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 8

163. d. Work with the buyer for discounts

There are many emerging trends in procurement management. This
question points to the need for large projects in different countries.
When these projects involve procurement, it is important for the seller
to work with the buyer prior to officially signing an agreement to take
advantage of discounts through quantity purchases or other special
considerations. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 463
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 1

107
164. a. Ensure your team knows the level of accepted risk appetite
The effectiveness of risk management is related to project success.
Management of risk keeps risk exposure within a defined range,
and if implementing agreed-upon risk responses successfully, it can
reduce negative variation, increase positive variation, and maximize
achieving project objectives. However, to manage risks effectively, the
team needs to know the risk appetite or level of risk exposure that is
acceptable. Measurable risk thresholds can reflect the risk appetite of
the organization and the project stakeholders. These thresholds show
the degree of acceptable variation and should be stated explicitly and
communicated to the project team. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 397–398
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6

165. c. Hold a bidder conference

A bidder conference is a tool and technique in Conduct Procurements.
They also may be called contractor, vendor, or pre-bid conferences. The
purpose is to have a meeting between the buyer and prospective sellers
prior to proposal submittal. All prospective sellers then have a clear and
common understanding, and no bidders receive preferential treatment.
[Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 487
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 1

166. a. Have a meeting

Meetings are a tool and technique in Plan Procurement Management.
Research alone does not provide specific information to formulate a
procurement strategy without influencing information exchange with
potential sellers. However, the buyer organization can collaborate
with potential bidders and may benefit. The sellers also can benefit
to influence a mutually beneficial approach or product. Meetings
then are used to determine strategy for managing and monitoring the
procurement. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 474
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 7

108
167. c. Agreements for fast supply
Projects with high variability as in this question benefit from team
structures that maximize focus and collaboration. Planning for physical
and human resources then is less predictable. In such a situation, you
need agreements for fast supply and team methods in order to control
costs and to achieve the schedule objectives. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 312
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 5

168. d. Acquire generalized specialists

In agile, self-organizing teams are often used. In these teams, the team
functions without centralized control. The project manager may not be
called a project manager in these teams. Instead, the project manager
provides the team with the environment and needed support and trusts
the team to finish the project. In resource planning, successful self-
organizing teams consist of generalized specialists rather than subject
matter experts. These generalized specialists then continuously adapt to
the changing environment. In acquiring these resources, they need to be
people who can accept and even request constructive feedback. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 311
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 5

169. b. Use experts

Although all four answers are tools and techniques in the Plan Resource
Management process, experts are the most appropriate answer. Expert
judgment is a key tool and technique. It especially applies to this
question as it notes expert judgment determines the preliminary effort
level needed to meet project objectives. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 315
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 5

109
170. a. Preventive action
The Direct and Manage Project Work process, among other things,
also includes change requests as an output. They can be submitted
throughout the project, may be submitted by any stakeholder, and
may be initiated from inside or outside the project. They also can
be optional or legally or contractually mandated. They may require
preventive action, the answer to this question, along with corrective
action, defect repair, and updates. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 96
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 7, Task 4

171. a. Review agreements

Agreements are an input to the Close Project or Phase. This situation
had four contractors. The agreements require review since the
requirements for formal procurement closure are defined in the contract
terms and conditions and are in the procurement management plan.
They are especially important to review in complex projects in which
multiple contractors may be managed simultaneously or in sequence.
[Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 125
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 3

172. b. Having an environment with an emphasis on transparent

communications with your stakeholders
While the Manage Communications process covers numerous areas, in
working in an agile environment, posting artifacts that are completed
in a transparent fashion should be done. Holding regular stakeholder
reviews also is recommended to promote communications with
management and stakeholders. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 365
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6

173. a. Adaptive life cycle

The adaptive life cycle is one that is known as agile or change
driven and is set up to respond to high levels of change and ongoing
stakeholder involvement. The detailed scope is defined and approved
before the start of an iteration; they then can be referred to as agile,
iterative, or incremental. Other life cycles are predictive or a hybrid.
[Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 19
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6

110
174. b. Gather data through focus groups
You are new to the organization and introducing formal project
management to it represents a major culture change. Since most people
tend to resist change, you need to determine the extent the people in
the organization are ready for change and will accept it to enable you
to determine how much tailoring you need to do. You can use focus
groups as a data gathering technique to gauge the attitudes of the
people involved and help you as you prepare your project management
plan. With focus groups, you can bring stakeholders together to
discuss your approach and help integrate different parts of the project
management plan. Other data gathering techniques are brainstorming,
checklists, and interviews; tools and techniques in the Develop Project
Management Plan process. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 85
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2017, Planning, 7, Task 11

175. d. Correct identification may lead to project success

Academic research and analysis of high-profile projects that failed
shows the importance of using a structured approach to identify,
prioritize, and engage all stakeholders. One powerful but negative
stakeholder may cause the project to fail. If the project manager can
correctly identify and then later engage stakeholders in an appropriate
way, it may lead to the difference between project success or failure.
[Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 504
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 3

176. b. Select communications technology

In the Manage Communications process the choice of media is a key
technique for communications management. It involves decisions
concerning artifacts to meet the needs of the project. Examples are
when to communicate in writing versus orally, when to prepare an
informal memo rather than a formal report, when to use push or
pull communications, and the choice of technology. Communications
technology also is a tool and technique in Manage Communications.
Factors to consider are the location of the team, the confidentiality
of information to share, resources available to the team, and the
organization’s culture since it affects how meetings and discussions
typically are conducted. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 381, 383
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6

111
177. d. Storming
During the storming stage, the team is addressing the work, technical
decisions, and the project management approach. However, if team
members are not collaborating and open to different ideas and
perspectives, the environment becomes counter­productive. It is the
second stage in the Tuckman team development [forming, storming,
norming, performing, and adjourning] model. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 338
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 7, Task 1

178. c. Prioritization
All the answers are examples of data representation techniques used
to categorize stakeholders. The key words in this project is that it is a
large project, and 155 stakeholders were identified through stakeholder
analysis. Prioritization is recommended when there is a large number
of stakeholders, when the stakeholder community membership would
change frequently, or when the relationship between the stakeholders
and the project team or in the stakeholder community are complex. The
latter two examples also characterize this situation. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 513
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 3

179. d. Emphasize flexible processes

An emerging practice in project risk management is project resilience.
These are risks that only are recognized after they occur. These
emergent risks can be handled through project resilience by the answer
to this question. Other ways to do so are a budget and schedule
contingency for these risks, an empowered project team, frequent
reviews of early warning signs, and input from stakeholders concerning
areas where project scope or strategy can be adjusted if emergent risks
occur. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 399
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 10

112
180. c. Organizational, stakeholder, and customer culture
This answer is an enterprise process asset to consider. People are more
likely to want to share knowledge if they work in a culture that has a
trusting relationship and a no-blame approach or shoot-the-messenger.
Other factors are the value placed on learning and social behavioral
norms. While the geographic locations of the team members are also
an enterprise environmental factor, it does not fit this question, and the
other two possible answers are project documents. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 101
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6
181. b. Add risk management to the agreement
An emerging trend in procurement management is more advanced risk
management. In Conduct Procurements contracts or agreements now
may specify that risk management be performed as part of the contract
for both the buyer and the seller. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 463
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 1
182. a. Observation
Observation/conversation is a key interpersonal and team skill and is
a tool and technique in Manage Stakeholder Engagement. It is useful
to stay in touch with the work and attitudes of the project team and
stakeholders. Such an approach enables the project manager to have a
better understanding of any concerns or issues stakeholders are having
and to be able to then work to resolve them proactively. It also can be
useful in avoiding potential conflicts among the team members or with
any other stakeholders. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 527
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 7, Task 7
183. d. Transference
Risk transfer is shifting some or all negative impact of a threat and the
ownership of the response to the threat to a third party. It does not
eliminate the threat posed by an adverse risk. It simply gives another party
responsibility for it, and the other party is responsible if the risk occurs. It
almost always involves paying a risk premium to the party taking on the
risk. Transfer tools are diverse and include using insurance, performance
bonds, warranties, and guarantees. Agreements also can be used to transfer
ownership and liability for the risk to the third party. It may be prudent to
transfer some work and its concurrent risk back to the buyer. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 443
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 10

113
184. b. ‘As-built’ plans
The key word in the answer is it is a construction program. The project
manager working with contractors needs to review the procurement
documentation. It includes collecting, indexing, and filing information
on contract schedule, scope, quality, and cost performance. It also
includes the contract change management system, payment records,
and inspection reports and cataloging them for future reference. It
also involves ’as-built’ plans/drawings, or ’as-developed’ documents,
manuals, and other technical documentation. The purpose is to use this
information for lessons learned and to evaluate contractors for future
procurements. [Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 125
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 6

185. d. Review the business case

Even though this project was one with a lot of contracts in systems
integration, as the project is closing, the business case is reviewed. It
is reviewed since it documents the business need and the cost/benefit
analysis that were used to justify the project. It is an input in the Close
Project or Phase. [Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 125
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 1

186. c. Inherent systems complexity

There are two classes of non-event risks: variable risks and ambiguity
risks. Inherent systems complexity is an example of an ambiguity
risk. They are described as ones in which uncertainty exists about the
future, or imperfect knowledge affects the project’s ability to fulfill
its objectives. Other examples in addition to the answer are elements
of requirements or the technical solution or future developments in
regulatory frameworks. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 398
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 10

114
187. d. Prompt lists
A prompt list is a tool and technique in Identify Risks as a
predetermined list of risk categories. Its purpose is to aid the project
team in generating ideas when using risk identification techniques.
The categories in the lowest level of the RBS can be used as a prompt
list. Some strategic frameworks such as political, economic, social
technological, legal, environment or volatility, uncertainty, complexity,
ambiguity may be used. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 416
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 10

188. b. The right message with the right content is delivered to the right
audience
In the Monitor Communications process, the purpose is to ensure
stakeholder information needs are met. The goal is an optimal
information flow, which tracks to the answer to this question. Monitor
Communications may require a variety of methods such as stakeholder
satisfaction surveys, collecting lessons learned, observing the team,
reviewing data from the issue log, and evaluating the stakeholder
engagement matrix. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 389
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

189. b. Negotiation
Negotiation is the interpersonal and team skill used in Conduct
Procurements. It is a discussion with the purpose to reach agreement.
Procurement negotiation is needed to clarify the structure, rights, and
obligations of the buyer and the seller. Its goal is mutual agreement
before an agreement is signed. It concludes with a signed agreement
that is executed the buyer and seller. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 488
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 1

115
190. a. Communicating whether the remaining reserve is adequate
Burndown charts are used in reserve analysis, a data analysis tool
and technique in Monitor Risks. Throughout the project negative and
positive risks will occur with budget and schedule reserves needed
to manage them. Reserve analysis then compares the amount of
contingency reserve remaining to the amount of risk remaining to see if
the reserve is adequate. Burndown charts show these data graphically.
[Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 456
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 4

191. b. Quality and technical

There are six commonly used source selection methods. All of the
possible answers are ones to consider. In this situation, it is a high-risk
project, and it is important that the selected seller have an outstanding
quality-based/highest technical proposal score. You a using a RFP. The
sellers are submitting a proposal with both technical and cost details.
Using this method, the technical proposals are first ranked on the
quality of the solution, and then the seller with the highest rating is
invited to negotiate if the technical proposal is acceptable. Then, the
financial proposal can be negotiated and evaluated. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 474
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 7

192. b. Categories of changes received

Work performance information in Control Scope is an output of this
process. It includes information on how the project is performing in
relation to the scope baseline. It also can include the categories of the
changes received, identified scope variances, and their causes, and how
they impact schedule or cost and future scope performance. [Monitoring
and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 170
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and
Controlling, 9, Task 1

116
193. a. Organizational process asset
Learning reviews before, during, and after the project are an example
of formal knowledge-sharing and information-sharing procedures, an
organizational process asset. Identifying, capturing, and sharing lessons
learned from this project and other projects complement these learning
reviews. Organizational process assets are an input to the Manage
Project Knowledge process. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 102
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6

194. a. Create it early in the project

While the lessons-leaned register is an output of the Manage Project
Knowledge process, it is best to create it early. In this process, it also is
an input as it provides information on effective practices in knowledge
management and is a project document. By creating it early, it can be
used by other processes in the project; therefore, providing additional
value. The people working on the project are responsible for capturing
the lessons learned. Knowledge then can be documented by a variety
of methods. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 101–104
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6

195. a. Plan Procurement Management

Enterprise environmental factors, which include marketplace conditions
and products, services, and results, are ones the team needs to be
aware of as they develop plans for purchases and acquisitions. They are
an input to the Plan Procurement Management process. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 470
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 7

196. d. Contributor
Stakeholder analysis is used as a data analysis technique in Identify
Stakeholders. It results in a list of stakeholders, which includes among
other things, their roles on the project. One role is that of a contributor.
This is a person who makes a contribution to the project in terms of
providing funds or other resources, including people, or provides support
for the project in intangible ways. Intangible ways include advocacy in
promoting project objectives or serving as a buffer between the project
and the organization’s power structure and its politics. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 512
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 3

117
197. d. Political awareness
While all of the answers are examples of interpersonal skills in the
Manage Project Knowledge process, political awareness if the one that
relies on helping the project manager plan communications based on
the project and the organization’s political environment. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 104
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6

198. b. Bid documents

Bid documents are a procurement document, an input to Conduct
Procurements. The procurement documents include the RFP, RFI, RFQ,
or other documents sent to sellers for response. They need review
before an agreement can be prepared and signed, [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 485
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 1

199. b. The lessons-learned register becomes an organizational process asset

The lessons-learned register is an output of the Manage Project
Knowledge process. However, at the end of the project or a phase, as
in this situation, the information in the lessons-learned register then
transfers to an organizational process asset. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 104
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 6

200. b. Where the stakeholder has the most influence

The stakeholder register has three main sections: identification
information, assessment information, and stakeholder classification.
This answer is in the assessment information section, which describes
the major requirements, expectations, potential to influence the project
outcome, and the phase of the project where the stakeholder has the
greatest impact or influence. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2017, 515
PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 3

118