Section 4: Time Management

QUESTION 121
As the project manager, you are considering tools and techniques to help control changes to the project schedule. Which of the following would be acceptable options?
A. An online system that routes change requests to the appropriate levels for authorization
B. A paper form that requires a project stakeholder to submit the request in duplicate to the project manager for approval
C. A system that allows rapid approval of all submitted changes
D. An online system that routes changes manually to each required approver followed by impact analysis
Answer: A

Explanation:
A schedule change control system can include the paper, systems, and approvals for authorizing changes.
The project manager is normally not the approval authority (choice B), nor are all changes approved (choice C). Impact analysis (choice D) should be done before approval.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 215

QUESTION 122
A project manager for a small construction company has a project that was budgeted for US $130,000 over a six-week period. According to her schedule, the project should have cost US $60,000 to date. However, it has cost US $90,000 to date. The project is also behind schedule, because the original estimates were not accurate. Who has the PRIMARY responsibility to solve this problem?
A. Project manager
B. Senior management
C. Project sponsor
D. Manager of the project management office
Answer: A
Explanation:
Did you get lost looking at all the numbers presented in this question? Notice that there are no calculations required, simply an understanding of what the problem is. This question describes schedule management, which is a responsibility of the project manager.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 215

QUESTION 123
During the planning processes, activity G was estimated to take 5 days. Activity G is on the critical path. On day 2, it becomes clear that activity G will take 15 days, which will impact the imposed project end date. The project team meets to perform root cause analysis to identify the cause of the variance and to plan schedule recovery with activities performed later in the schedule. Which of the following should ALWAYS be the output of this kind of meeting?
A. Recommended corrective action
B. WBS updates
C. Activity list updates
D. Schedule updates
Answer: A
Explanation:
Corrective action is anything done to bring expected future schedule performance in line with the project management plan. Such action should always be an output, but the other choices may not.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 215

QUESTION 124
Senior management asks the project manager how the project would be affected if two resources were removed from the project. To calculate a response, the project manager should complete:
A. Resource leveling.
B. What-if scenario analysis.
C. Schedule compression.
D. Fast tracking.
Answer: B
Explanation:
Did the use of the word “resources” in the question cause you to select choice A? If so, you were tricked! The situation described is best thought of as what-if analysis.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 211

QUESTION 125
A project is 50 percent complete when a schedule constraint is identified. Which of the following should be done FIRST?
A. Revisit all activities that have not yet started.
B. Use a simulation technique such as Monte Carlo analysis, to calculate a distribution of probable results for the total project.
C. Rebaseline the project management plan to determine impacts on schedule, cost, and scope.
D. Level resources on the remaining activities to determine resource variances.
Answer: B
Explanation:
Simulations can be used to assess the feasibility of meeting scheduled dates under adverse conditions. Choice B would let you know there is a problem before doing any of the other choices.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 211

QUESTION 126
During project executing, the forecasted remaining hours exceed planned remaining hours. Consequently, the project takes on a negative variance. Which analysis method is the project manager likely to use as a measurement tool to validate this information?
A. EV-PV
B. EV/AC
C. EV/PV
D. EV-AC
Answer: A
Explanation:
Earned value (EV) minus planned value (PV) equals schedule variance (SV).
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 248

QUESTION 127
The project is calculated to be completed four days after the desired completion date. You do not have access to additional resources. The project is low risk, the benefit cost ratio (BCR) is expected to be 1.6, and the dependencies are preferential. Under these circumstances, what would be the BEST thing to do?
A. Cut resources from an activity.
B. Make more activities concurrent.
C. Move resources from the preferential dependencies to the external dependencies.
D. Remove an activity from the project.
Answer: B
Explanation:
Cutting resources from an activity (choice A) would not save time, nor would moving resources in the way described (choice C). Removing an activity from the project (choice D) is a possibility, but since the dependencies are preferential and the risk is low, the best choice would be to make more activities concurrent (choice B), as this would have less impact on the project.
Source: PMP Exam Prep Page: 205

QUESTION 128
After analyzing the status of your project, you determine that the earned value (EV) is lower than the planned value (PV). What should you expect as an outcome if this trend continues?
A. The actual cost will be lower than planned.
B. The estimate at completion will be lower than planned.
C. The project will finish behind schedule.
D. The project will finish below the original cost estimate.
Answer: C
Explanation:
If EV is lower than PV, it indicates less work is occurring than was scheduled, resulting in schedule slippage.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 248

QUESTION 129
After analyzing the status of your project, you determine that the project is two weeks behind schedule. You want to recover the original schedule if possible, and there is plenty of remaining budget in the current plan.
What is the BEST option?
A. Crash the schedule.
B. Inform the team that overtime will be required for a short time to recover the schedule.
C. Reduce the project scope with a change request.
D. Compress the testing and quality management portion of the project.
Answer: A
Explanation:
If there is available budget, crashing the schedule is the best option. Overtime is not the first option when it is possible to use project management and crashing techniques.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 206

QUESTION 130
You evaluate your critical path and determine the project will be completed two weeks ahead of management’s expected due date. What should you do?
A. Delay the project for two weeks.
B. Prepare a list of identified risks that did not occur.
C. Pull resources off the critical path to work on noncritical path activities.
D. Add extra features that will enhance the project and require two more weeks to complete.
Answer: B
Explanation:
When the project is completed early, the project manager should report that the project came in ahead of time and explain WHY. This is a success! If there was proper project planning, this should occur because an expected risk did not materialize. Choices A and D are unethical.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 194