Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Prep Course 2 - Types of Exam Questions

Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Prep Course 2 - Types of Exam Questions

Slide 1 Types of Exam Questions Looking Glass Development, LLC (303) 663-5402 / (888) 338-7447 4610 S. Ulster St. #150 Denver, CO 80237 information@lookingglassdev.com

Slide 2 Types of Questions Two Right Answers Remember, what would you do first. Made up Terms Failing to know the key terms & acronyms will = failure.

Slide 3 Types of Questions Two Right Answers During your daily standup, a teammate reports that they are struggling with a critical task that is causing the project backlog item to be delayed. What should you do? A. Immediately inform the sponsor and key stakeholders. B. Evaluate alternatives with the team. C. Trust the team to handle it. D. Keep pushing ahead as there is nothing you can do.

Slide 4 Types of Questions Situational Questions Molly works for a large multi-national organization that manufactures steel as a project coordinator. He organization is matrixed. She is responsible for three different projects, each with teams of ten to 20 team members who are also assigned to multiple projects. Yesterday she received an email from the vice president of stamped products complaining that one of her three projects was failing to meet the customer s expectations, and they had sent notification of their intent to cancel the contract. What is the most likely cause of this problem? A. The customers in question were not involved early enough in the process. B. Customer sign-off was not obtained for the scope statement. C. Scope definition happened too late in the process. D. The customer did not read their e-mail.

Slide 5 Types of Questions Extraneous Information You are the project coordinator for a textile manufacturing company that is based in Southeast Asia. Your project s original budget was $648,000 USD, and you have already spent $462,000 USD. You currently have a CPI of 0.86 and an SPI of 0.62. Your project has an EV of US $399,000 and an ETC of $288,316. You are more than halfway through your project, and have a TCPI of 0.86. Your sponsor has just requested a major shift in project scope; what should you do? A. Try to convince the sponsor to change their mind. B. Agree to implement the changes immediately. C. Evaluate the changes for impacts to the cost and schedule. D. Stop the project until the issue is resolved.

Slide 6 Types of Questions Understanding vs. Memorization At lunch you are sitting with a new employee within the organization. They are an experienced scrum master and commenting about how frustrated they are with the organizational requirement to use a Work Breakdown Structures for their projects especially early in the process when requirements are so poorly defined. You comment that a properly done WBS is similar to an FBS and an important tool for project success even early in the project. Which of the following statements best justifies this statement? A. The WBS is a great communication tool. B. A well formed WBS provides a strong visualization of the product of the project across its phases. C. A well formed WBS is similar to a FBS allowing for task assignments. D. The WBS allows for progressive elaboration using placeholder work packages.

Slide 7 Types of Questions Questions With Invented Terms Your boss wants to know what cost performance measures your team must achieve to complete the project within the original budget. Which of the following do you provide to her? A. The Cost Performance Index B. The To-Complete Performance Index C. The Remaining Budget Ratio D. The Estimate For Completion

Slide 8 Types of Questions Answers With More than One Component According to the PMBOK Guide, how stringently must a project manager ensure that all the defined process interactions occur? A. Interactions within the planning process are dependent on the nature of the project, and so there is a great deal of flexibility. B. Interactions within the planning process are not dependent on the nature of the project and are only depend on the PMBOK Guide, so there is not significant flexibility. C. Interactions within the planning process group are not dependent on the nature of the project but there is significant flexibility based on the definitions in the PMBOK Guide. D. None of the above is true.

Slide 9 Recurring Themes PMI isms There is a basic assumption that you keep historical records for all your projects. You must understand the process of project management (what to do first, second, etc.). You must not only understand the topics, but also why you should care about them. Everything should be coordinated with the stakeholders of a project and expectations managed.

Slide 10 Recurring Themes PMI isms All roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined. A project plan is not a Gantt chart. A WBS is not an org chart but is a wonderful and key element of successful project management. Project managers are awesome and are very skilled. PMI does not support gold plating (adding extra functionality). Expert judgment and bottoms up is preferred. Environmental factors are influencing the project.

Slide 11 The Exam Why People Fail Belief that they can pass the test from their experience (not studying). A lack of PM experience. Failure to read the questions. Failure to read all of the choices. Not trusting their knowledge. Nervousness.

Review Questions: 1. Which of the following is a type of exam question you should expect? A. Two right answers B. Situational questions C. Extraneous information D. All of the above 2. Which of the following is not an assumption made by PMI? A. There is a basic assumption that you keep historical records for all your projects. B. You must memorize the exact process of project management (what to do first, second, etc.). C. You must not only understand the topics but also why you should care about them. D. Everything should be coordinated with the stakeholders of a project and expectations should be managed. 3. Which of the following is not a basic belief of PMI? A. All roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined B. A project plan is not a Gantt Chart C. A WBS is not an org chart but is a wonderful and key element of successful project management D. All of the above are PMI beliefs 4. Which of the following is a basic belief of PMI? A. PMI does not support gold plating (adding extra functionality) B. Expert judgment and bottoms up is preferred C. Environmental factors are influencing the project D. All of the above 5. Which of the following is a common reason why people fail the PMP exam? A. Belief that they can pass the test from their experience (not studying) B. A lack of PM experience C. Failure to read the questions D. All of the above

Answer Key: 1. D Answer D: The PMP Exam is attempting to test both knowledge and understanding of a global standard and generally accepted practice within the profession requiring a number of question types. 2. B Answer B: PMI does not want you to simply memorize process. It is much more critical that you understand the processes and know how to apply them. 3. D Answer D: Each of these are basic assumptions made by PMI. 4. D Answer D: Each of these are basic assumptions made by PMI. 5. D Answer D: Each of these are common reasons why people fail the PMP exam.