Section 4: Time Management
QUESTION 11
Company A is developing a project similar to one it delivered nearly 12 months earlier. What is the MOST likely approach to defining project activities?
A. Review organizational process assets.
B. Add similar, if not the same, skill sets to the project team.
C. Gather the team for a brainstorming session.
D. Hire a third party expert to avoid mistakes that were encountered during previous projects.
Answer: A
Explanation:
Organizational process assets include historical information. Such information about previous projects should be considered while defining project activities, especially information about errors and omissions on previous projects. Choice B is a subset of choice A. The staff assignments from a previous project are part of organizational process assets, and therefore part of the historical information to consider when planning a similar project.
Source: PMBOK® Guide Page: 134
QUESTION 12
If your project will require redesign after completion of testing, which of the following diagramming techniques would be BEST to use?
A. GERT
B. PERT
C. CPM
D. ADM
Answer: A
Explanation:
GERT is the only diagramming technique that allows loops.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 184
QUESTION 13
Which of the following is generally the MOST CORRECT use of a project network diagram?
A. Showing the project schedule
B. Documenting activity interdependencies
C. Defining project resources
D. Defining the project costs
Answer: B
Explanation:
Project network diagrams are schematic displays of the logical relationships among activities.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 183
QUESTION 14
You are a project manager on a US $5,000,000 software development project. While working with your project team to develop a network diagram, you notice a series of activities that can be worked in parallel but must finish in a specific sequence. What type of activity sequencing method is required for these activities?
A. Precedence diagramming method
B. Arrow diagramming method
C. Critical path method
D. Operational diagramming method
Answer: A
Explanation:
The question implies a finish-to-finish relationship between activities. The arrow diagramming method (choice B) does not support these types of relationships. Choice C is not a diagramming method and choice D is a made-up term.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 183
QUESTION 15
A discretionary dependency is one that is based on:
A. Experience.
B. The needs of someone outside the project.
C. The nature of the work being done.
D. The needs of the project sponsor.
Answer: A
Explanation:
Based on lessons we learned from past projects or from our past experience, we prefer to do activities in a certain order. Choice B refers to external dependencies. Choice C refers to mandatory dependencies. Choice D is not a reason for dependencies.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 184
QUESTION 16
Which of the following includes all of the relationships represented on an activity-on-node diagram?
A. Finish-to-start
B. Finish-to-finish
C. Finish-to-start, start-to-finish, finish-to-finish, start-to-start
D. Start-to-start, start-to-finish
Answer: C
Explanation:
Each of these relationships can be represented on an activity-on-node diagram (also called PDM, or precedence diagramming method).
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 183
QUESTION 17
In an activity-on-node diagram, the nodes represent:
A. Work packages.
B. Activities.
C. Dependencies.
D. Discretionaries.
Answer: B
Explanation:
The nodes depict the activities in the network diagram (choice B).
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 183
QUESTION 18
Free float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the:
A. Project.
B. Completion date required by the customer.
C. Early start of its successor.
D. Project completion date.
Answer: C
Explanation:
By definition, free float (or slack) is the time an activity can be delayed without impacting the early start of its successor.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 197
QUESTION 19
Total float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the:
A. Project.
B. Completion date required by the customer.
C. Early start of its successor.
D. Project completion date.
Answer: D
Explanation:
By definition, the most correct answer here is the project completion date.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 197
QUESTION 20
What is the BEST method of estimating the time for an activity that has never been done by your company before?
A. Analogous estimating
B. Three-point estimating
C. Monte Carlo analysis
D. Parametric estimating
Answer: B
Explanation:
Analogous estimating (choice A) can be used when you have done similar work previously. Monte Carlo analysis (choice C) is a schedule development technique. Parametric estimating (choice D) includes the use of past history and productivity rates for the work, which would not be available if you had not done the activity before.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 191