PMP certification exam study guide
QUESTIONS & SOLUTIONS(GRADED A)
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) - ANSWER A PMI publication that
defines widely accepted project management practices. The CAPM and PMP exam are based on this
book.
Application areas - ANSWER The areas of expertise, industry, or function where a project is centered.
Examples of application areas include architecture, IT, healthcare, or manufacturing.
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) - ANSWER A person who has slightly less project
management experience than a PMP, but who has qualified for and then passed the CAPM examination.
Cultural and social environment - ANSWER Defines how a project affects people and how those people
may affect the project. Cultural and social environments include the economic, educational, ethical,
religious, demographic, and ethnic composition of the people affected by the project.
Deliverable - ANSWER A product, service, or result created by a project. Projects can have multiple
deliverables.
General management skills - ANSWER These include the application of accounting, procurement, sales
and marketing, contracting, manufacturing, logistics, strategic planning, human resource management,
standards and regulations, and information technology.
International and political environment - ANSWER The consideration of the local and international laws,
languages, communication challenges, time zone differences, and other non-collocated issues that affect
a project's ability to progress.
Interpersonal skills - ANSWER The ability to interact, lead, motivate, and manage people.
Iron Triangle of Project Management - ANSWER A triangle with the characteristics of time, cost, and
scope. Time, cost, and scope each constitute one side of the triangle; if any side of the Iron Triangle is
, not in balance with the other sides, the project will suffer. The Iron Triangle of Project Management is
also known as the Triple Constraints of Project Management, as all projects are constrained by time,
cost, and scope.
Physical environment - ANSWER The physical structure and surroundings that affect a project's work.
A series of activities to create a unique product or service by a specific date is best described as which
one of the following?
A. A program
B. An operation
C. A project
D. A subproject - ANSWER C. A project is a temporary endeavor to create a unique product, service, or
result. Deadlines and cost constraints are tied to the project. A is incorrect because programs are a
collection of projects working toward a common cause. B is incorrect because operations are ongoing
activities of an organization. D, a subproject, describes a project that is part of and supports a larger
project.
Which of the following is likely to be part of an operation?
A. Providing electricity to a community
B. Designing an electrical grid for a new community
C. Building a new dam as a source of electricity
D. Informing the public about changes at the electrical company. - ANSWER A. Providing electricity to a
community is the best example of operations, as it is an ongoing activity. B, C, and D are all examples of
projects, as they are temporary and create a unique product, service, or result.
Of the following, which one is the best examples of progressive elaboration?
A. It is the process of decomposing the work into small, manageable, tasks.
B. It is the process of taking a project from concept to completion.
C. It is the process of taking a project concept to a project budget.
D. It is the process of identifying the business needs of a potential project. - ANSWER B. According to the
PMBOK, progressive elaboration means developing in steps and then continuing by increments. Choice A
describes the process of breaking down the project scope into the task list. C is not a valid choice for this
, question. D is part of determining if a project should be chartered and is not the best answer for this
question.
Your organization would like to create a new product based on market research. This new product will be
created by a project. This is an example of which one of the following reasons to launch a new project?
A. Organizational need
B. Customer request
C. Market demand
D. Legal requirement - ANSWER C. Projects can be created for a number of reasons, and this example
supports the market demand choice. A, an organizational need, is a project to satisfy an internal need. B
is incorrect because no specific customer asked for this new product. D is incorrect because there is no
legal requirement to create the new product.
A program is which one of the following?
A. A very large, complex project.
B. A collection of small projects with a common goal.
C. A collection of projects with a common objective.
D. A collection of subprojects with a common customer. - ANSWER C. best describes a program. A
program is a collection of projects working together to gain benefits by managing the projects as a group
rather than on an individual basis. A, B, and D are not attributes of programs, as projects within a
program neither are necessarily small nor are they subprojects.
Who manages programs?
A. Management
B. Project sponsors
C. Project managers
D. Program managers - ANSWER D. Programs are managed by program managers. A, B, and C are
incorrect choices.
You have an excellent idea for a new project that can increase productivity by 20% in your organization.
Management, however, declines to approve the proposed project because too many resources are
already devoted to other projects. You have just experienced what?
A. Parametric modeling
