Section 6: Quality Management

QUESTION 41
During a team meeting, the team adds a specific area of extra work to the project because they have determined it would benefit the customer. What is wrong in this situation?
A. The team is gold plating.
B. These efforts shouldn’t be done in meetings.
C. Nothing. This is how to meet or exceed customer expectations.
D. Nothing. The project manager is in control of the situation.
Answer: A

Explanation:
This is an example of gold plating. You should provide ONLY what the customer asked for. The team does not know if their change will provide benefit to the customer. Focus efforts on fulfilling the requirements.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 272

QUESTION 42
You are a project manager for a major information systems project. Someone from the quality department comes to see you about beginning a quality audit of your project. The team, already under pressure to complete the project as soon as possible, objects to the audit. You should explain to the team that the purpose of a quality audit is:
A. Part of an ISO 9000 investigation.
B. To check if the customer is following the quality process.
C. To identify inefficient and ineffective policies.
D. To check the accuracy of costs submitted by the team.
Answer: C
Explanation:
Perform Quality Assurance, of which an audit is part, focuses on processes, procedures, and standards.
Though ISO may be thought of as a standard, that is not the only reason an audit would be conducted, and so choice A cannot be best. The seller cannot generally control or review the customer?s process, so choice B cannot be best. Choice D is more representative of a cost audit than a quality audit, and so cannot be the best choice.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 281

QUESTION 43
A project manager is working with quality professionals in the Perform Quality Assurance process of the project. Which of the following activities is being performed?
A. Perform Quality Control
B. Determining if the right processes are being used
C. Determining what processes should be used
D. Evaluating quality against the processes
Answer: B
Explanation:
The Perform Quality Assurance process is the process in which we do quality audits to make sure we are using the correct processes. Choice C describes Plan Quality and choice D describes Perform Quality Control.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 281

QUESTION 44
All of the following are examples of the cost of nonconformance EXCEPT:
A. Rework.
B. Quality training.
C. Scrap.
D. Warranty costs.
Answer: B
Explanation:
Only quality training (choice B) is a cost of conformance to quality. All the other choices are costs of nonconformance to quality.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 276

QUESTION 45
Testing the entire population would:
A. Take too long.
B. Provide more information than wanted.
C. Be mutually exclusive.
D. Show many defects.
Answer: A
Explanation:
The length of time it takes to test a whole population is one of the reasons to take a sample.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 279

QUESTION 46
If a project manager focuses on ensuring that the project satisfies the needs for which it was undertaken, the project manager is involved in:
A. Cost management.
B. Time management.
C. Quality management.
D. Scope management.
Answer: C
Explanation:
The words, “satisfies the needs” are your clue that the answer relates to quality.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 269

QUESTION 47
Which statement BEST explains the phrase “Quality is planned in, not inspected in.”
A. It is more expensive to determine quality by inspection than by planning.
B. Quality activities occur during the planning process group of the project.
C. Quality is part of planning, not inspection.
D. Planning for quality is after the fact.
Answer: A
Explanation:
Quality is addressed during all parts of the project, not just during planning (choices B and C). Planning for quality (choice D) is before the fact, not after the fact.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 272

QUESTION 48
Your company is concerned about improving its project performance. Internal measures have been created and have helped to identify areas needing improvement. Additional measures of performance are still needed. Which of the following would be the BEST thing to do?
A. Calculate the benefit to cost of purchasing a new piece of equipment.
B. Determine the project scope and measures to ensure the scope is met.
C. Perform a root cause analysis on the quality problems that have occurred on the project.
D. Read a project management magazine each month, and look at the results of other companies’ projects to help determine quality measures for future projects.
Answer: D
Explanation:
The question states that internal measures have already been created. Therefore, external ones are needed.
Only choice D helps benchmark externally.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 279

QUESTION 49
Standard deviation is a measure of how:
A. Far the estimate is from the highest estimate.
B. Far the measurement is from the mean.
C. Correct the sample is.
D. Much time remains in the project.
Answer: B
Explanation:
Standard deviation is the measurement of a range around the mean. Therefore, choice B must be the best answer.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 283

QUESTION 50
The project team has created a plan for how they will implement the quality policy. It addresses the organizational structure, responsibilities, procedures, and other information about plans for quality. If this changes during the project, WHICH of the following plans will also change?
A. Quality assurance
B. Quality management
C. Project management
D. Quality control
Answer: C
Explanation:
The plan described is the quality management plan. Since the quality management plan is included in the project management plan, changing the quality management plan will also change the project management plan.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 280