7.4: PMP-Style Sample Questions
- Page ID
- 124720
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- Which estimation technique aggregates detailed estimates from individual work packages?
- Analogous estimating
- Parametric estimating
- Bottom-up estimating
- Expert judgment
- The cost baseline includes:
- Management reserves and contingency reserves
- Contingency reserves but not management reserves
- Management reserves but not contingency reserves
- Neither contingency nor management reserves
- A project has EV of $500,000, PV of $550,000, and AC of $525,000. What is the Cost Variance?
- -$50,000
- -$25,000
- +$25,000
- +$50,000
- A CPI of 0.90 indicates:
- The project is 90% complete
- The project is achieving only 90 cents of value per dollar spent
- The project is 10% under budget
- The project will finish 90% of planned scope
- Management reserves are used for:
- Identified risks with planned responses
- Known uncertainties in the cost baseline
- Unforeseen circumstances not identified during planning
- Schedule contingency
- The Estimate at Completion (EAC) using the formula BAC/CPI assumes:
- Future work will match original estimates
- Future work will continue at the current CPI
- Schedule performance will improve
- Additional resources will be added
- Which of the following is an indirect cost?
- Project team labor
- Purchased materials
- Facility overhead allocation
- Contractor payments
- Parametric estimating is most effective when:
- No historical data exists
- Statistical relationships between variables and costs are well-established
- The project is unique with no comparable work
- Detailed scope is unavailable
- A negative Cost Variance (CV) indicates:
- The project is ahead of schedule
- The project is behind schedule
- The project has spent more than the value earned
- The project has earned more value than spent
- Three-point estimating calculates expected cost as:
- The average of optimistic and pessimistic
- The most likely estimate only
- (Optimistic + 4×Most Likely + Pessimistic) ÷ 6
- (Optimistic + Most Likely + Pessimistic) × 3
- Contingency reserves differ from management reserves in that contingency reserves:
- Are larger
- Require executive approval to access
- Are part of the cost baseline and address identified risks
- Cover unknown risks only
- If BAC is $1,000,000 and CPI is 0.80, what is the EAC?
- $800,000
- $1,000,000
- $1,200,000
- $1,250,000
- Earned Value (EV) measures:
- Actual costs incurred
- Budget for scheduled work
- Budget for completed work
- Forecasted final cost
- Which estimation technique is fastest but depends on finding comparable historical projects?
- Bottom-up estimating
- Parametric estimating
- Analogous estimating
- Three-point estimating
- Time-phasing the budget enables:
- Reducing total project cost
- Cash flow planning and earned value analysis
- Eliminating the need for reserves
- Avoiding change control requirements
Answer Key: 1-C, 2-B, 3-B, 4-B, 5-C, 6-B, 7-C, 8-B, 9-C, 10-C, 11-C, 12-D, 13-C, 14-C, 15-B

