Section 3: Scope Management

QUESTION 41
After the kickoff meeting, two team members engage in a casual conversation about the project objectives and deliverables. It is clear they heard different messages during the meeting. One team member is so adamant that the other team member gives up arguing the point. In talking to the project manager, the second team member confirms that the first team member is mistaken. At this point, what is the BEST course of action?
A. The second team member should send the other team member an e-mail describing what he discovered.
B. At the next project meeting, the team member should ask the mistaken team member to describe his interpretation so the project manager can get everyone on the same page.
C. The project manager should send out an e-mail to the team restating the project objectives and deliverables.
D. At the next project meeting, the project manager should spend time reviewing the documented project scope statement for the purpose of identifying this and other false assumptions.
Answer: D

Explanation:
Choice D treats all team members with respect and preserves an individual’s integrity while identifying gaps in the project scope statement. It also allows the project manager to interpret body language of those who misunderstood.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 169

QUESTION 42
The construction phase of a new software product is near completion. The next phases are testing and implementation. The project is two weeks ahead of schedule. What should the project manager be MOST concerned with before moving on to the final phase?
A. Verify Scope
B. Perform Quality Control
C. Performance Reports
D. Control Costs
Answer: A
Explanation:
The Verify Scope process deals with acceptance by the customer. Without this acceptance, you will not be able to move into the next project phase.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 167

QUESTION 43
A software system was accepted by the customer, but has been found to give unexpected results. Which of the following BEST describes what the project manager should do FIRST?
A. Review the customer’s inspection process.
B. Change the activity sequencing.
C. Apologize to the customer.
D. Review the Verify Scope process.
Answer: D
Explanation:
A project manager cannot be responsible for the customer’s inspection process (choice A), only his own. Network diagram changes (choice B) will not affect the root cause of this problem. An apology (choice C) might be in order later, after the root cause is found. The best choice of those provided is to review the Verify Scope process (choice D) as that process deals with acceptance by stakeholders.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 168

QUESTION 44
You are managing a project where your team is physically located with client personnel at a remote location.
There is a high level of interaction between your team and client personnel, and client satisfaction is considered very important. Since the client is expressing a very high level of satisfaction with the project’s progress, your management has indicated no concerns about the project. However, you are behind schedule and over budget. In addition, morale among team members is low, and several team members have talked about quitting. Team members complain regularly about priority adjustments and alteration of activities. The weekly reports you receive about activities completed are often difficult to relate to the WBS and the project management plan. What action should you take to MOST effectively address these problems?
A. You should enforce scope control.
B. You should identify ways to make team members’ work more satisfying using the most applicable motivational theory.
C. You should incur the extra expenses necessary to be on-site to more closely monitor the activities of the project team.
D. You should create a reward and punishment system to ensure that project team members complete activities within the timeframes outlined in the project management plan.
Answer: A
Explanation:
Informal changes to project scope and plan are probably the chief cause of schedule slippage, cost overruns, and project team member frustration. Effective scope control is critical to the success of a project.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 169

QUESTION 45
Which of the following is an important input to the Verify Scope process?
A. Validated deliverables
B. Organizational process assets
C. Accepted deliverables
D. Change requests
Answer: A
Explanation:
Verify Scope is the process of verifying completeness of the work. Therefore, you need deliverables (choice A) to use in the analysis. Organizational process assets (choice B) are an input to earlier parts of the scope management process, but not to the Verify Scope process. Accepted deliverables (choice C) and change requests (choice D) are outputs of the Verify Scope process.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 167

QUESTION 46
Which of the following can create the MOST misinterpretation in the project scope statement?
A. Imprecise language
B. Poor pattern, structure, and chronological order
C. Small variation in size of work packages or detail of work
D. Too much detail
Answer: A
Explanation:
Much of the work on the project is dictated by the project scope statement. Any imprecision in such a key document will lead to differing interpretations.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 158

QUESTION 47
A project manager believes that modifying the project scope may provide added value for the customer. What should the project manager do?
A. Change the scope baseline.
B. Contact the customer to determine if the change adds value.
C. Call a meeting of the change control board.
D. Change the project’s objectives.
Answer: B
Explanation:
The project manager should validate with the customer that the change will add value, and then follow the change process.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 169

QUESTION 48
Which of the following includes the processes required to ensure the project includes all the work and only the work required to complete the project successfully?
A. Cost management
B. Scope management
C. Time management
D. Customer satisfaction management
Answer: B
Explanation:
Scope management ensures that the appropriate scope is done.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 147

QUESTION 49
When should the Verify Scope process be done?
A. At the end of the project
B. At the beginning of the project
C. At the end of each phase of the project
D. During the planning processes
Answer: C
Explanation:
The Verify Scope process occurs during the monitoring and controlling process group, so choices A, B, and D cannot be correct. Verify Scope is done at the end of each phase (the end of design, implementation, etc.) making choice C the best answer.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 167

QUESTION 50
A new project manager is being mentored by a more experienced certified project management professional (PMP). The new project manager is having difficulty finding enough time to manage the project because the product and project scope are being progressively elaborated. The PMP mentions that the basic tools of project management, such as a work breakdown structure, can be used during project executing to assist the project manager. For which of the following can a work breakdown structure be used?
A. Communicating with the customer
B. Showing calendar dates for each work package
C. Showing the functional managers for each team member
D. Showing the business need for the project
Answer: A
Explanation:
A WBS does not show dates or responsibility assignments (choices B and C). Those are included on the bar chart and possibly in the communications management plan. The business need (choice D) is shown in the project charter. Never thought that a WBS could be shown to the customer? Made you think! Of course it could be used for that purpose.
In this situation, the product and project scope are being fine tuned. It would save the project manager time to effectively manage progressive elaboration if the WBS were used to assist. The WBS helps ensure everyone understands the scope of the work.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 163