PMP EXAM QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (7TH EDITION)
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) - Answers -
The PMI publication that defines widely accepted project management practices. The
CAPM and the PMP exam are based on this book.
Application Areas - Answers -The areas of expertise, industry, or function where a
project is centered. Examples of application areas include architecture, IT, health care,
and manufacturing.
Business Value - Answers -A quantifiable return on investment. The return can be
tangible, such as equipment, money, or market share. The return can also be intangible,
such as brand recognition, trademarks, and reputation.
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) - Answers -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 - Answers -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 - Answers -A product, service, or result created by a project. Projects can
have multiple deliverables.
General management skills - Answers -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 - Answers -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 - Answers -The ability to interact, lead, motivate, and manage
people.
Subprojects - Answers -A smaller project managed within a larger, parent project. They
often contracted work whose deliverable allows the larger project to progress.
Triple Constraints of Project Management - Answers -Also known as the Iron Triangle.
This theory posits that time, cost, and scope are three constraints that every project
has.
,Work Performance Data - Answers -Raw data, observations, and measurements about
project components. This is gathered and stored in the project management information
system.
Work Performance Information - Answers -This is the processed and analyzed data that
will help the project manager make project decisions.
Work Performance Reports - Answers -The formatted communication of work
performance information. They communicate what's happening in the project through
status reports, memos, dashboards, or other modalities.
Balanced Matrix Structure - Answers -An organization where organizational resources
are pooled into one project team, but the functional managers and the project managers
share the project power.
Cultural Norms - Answers -They describe the culture and the styles of an organization.
Examples, such as work ethics, hours, view of authority, and shared values, can affect
how the project is managed.
Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEF) - Answers -Conditions that affect how the
project manager may manage the project. They come from within the project, such as
policy, or they be external to the organization, such as law or regulation.
Functional Structure - Answers -An organization that is divided into functions, and each
employee has one clear functional manager. Each department acts independently of the
other departments. A project manager in this has little to no power and may be called a
project coordinator.
Governance framework - Answers -This describes the rules, policies, and procedures
that people within an organization abide by. This not only addresses the organization,
but also address portfolios, programs, and projects. Regarding portfolios, programs, and
projects the governance framework addresses alignment with organizational vision, risk
management, performance factors, and communication.
Hybrid Structure - Answers -An organization that creates a blend of the functional,
matrix, and project- oriented structures.
Multidivisional Structure - Answers -Describe organizations that have duplication of
efforts within the organization, but not within each department or division of the
organization. Project manager has little authority in this structure and the functional
manager controls the project budget.
Organic or simple - Answers -Describes a loosely organized business or organization.
There likely aren't big formal departments and people work alongside one another
regardless of roles and titles. The project manager likely has little control over the
project resources and may not be called a project manager.
,Organization Process Assets - Answers -They include organizational processes,
policies, procedures, and items from a corporate knowledge base. They are grouped
into two categories to consider: processes, policies and procedures, and organizational
knowledge bases.
Organizational Knowledge Repositories - Answers -They are the databases, files, and
historical information that you can use to help better plan and manage your projects.
This is an organizational process asset that is created internally to your organization
through the ongoing work of operations and other projects.
Organizational System - Answers -A system can create things by working with multiple
components that the individual components could not create if they worked alone. The
structure of the organization and the governance framework creates constraints that
affect how the project manager makes decisions within the project. This directly affects
how the project manager utilizes their power, influence, leadership, and even political
capital, to get things done in the environment.
Project Management Office (PMO) - Answers -A business unit that centralizes the
operations and procedures of all projects within the organization. This can be
supportive, controlling, or directive.
Project-Oriented structure - Answers -An organization that assigns a project team to
one project for the duration of the project life cycle. The project manager has high-to-
almost-complete project power.
Strong Matrix Structure - Answers -An organization where organizational resources are
pooled into one project team, but the functional managers have less project power than
the project manager.
Virtual Organization - Answers -Uses a network structure to communicate and interact
with other groups and departments. A point of contact exists for each department and
these department point of contact receive and send all messages for the department.
Weak Matrix Structure - Answers -An organization where organizational resources are
pooled into one project team, but the functional managers have more project power
than the project manager.
Active Listening - Answers -The message receiver restates what's been said to fully
understand and confirm the message and it provides an opportunity for the sender to
clarify the message if needed.
Active Problem Solving - Answers -This begins with problem definition. Problem
definition is the ability to discern between the cause and effect of the problem. Root-
cause analysis looks beyond the immediate symptoms to the cause of the symptoms—
which then affords opportunities for solutions.
, Avoiding Power - Answers -The project manager refuses to act, get involved, or make
decisions.
Charismatic Leadership - Answers -The leader is motivating, has high energy, and
inspires the team through strong convictions about what's possible and what the team
can achieve. Positive thinking and a can-do mentality are characteristics of this kind of
person
Expert Power - Answers -The project manager has deep skills and experience in a
discipline (for example, years of working in IT helps an IT project manager better
manage IT projects).
Ingratiating Power - Answers -The project manager aims to gain favor with the project
team and stakeholders through flattery.
Informational Power - Answers -The individual has power and control of the data
gathering and distribution of information.
Interactional Leadership - Answers -The leader is a hybrid of transactional,
transformational, and charismatic leaders. This person wants the team to act, is excited
and inspired about the project work, yet still holds the team accountable for their results.
Guilt-Based Power - Answers -The project manager can make the team and
stakeholders feel guilty to gain compliance in the project.
Leadership - Answers -This is about aligning, motivating, and inspiring the project team
members to do the right thing, build trust, think creatively, and to challenge the status
quo.
Laissez-faire Leadership - Answers -The leader takes a "hands-off" approach to the
project. This means the project team makes decisions, takes initiative in the actions,
and creates goals. While this approach can provide autonomy, it can make the leader
appear absent when it comes to project decisions.
Management - Answers -This utilizes positional power to maintain, administrate, control,
and focus on getting things done without challenging the status quo of the project and
organization.
Media Selection - Answers -Based on the audience and the message being sent, the
media should be in alignment with the message.
Meeting Management - Answers -Meetings are forms of communication. How the
meeting is led, managed, and controlled all influence the message being delivered.
Agendas, minutes, and order are mandatory for effective communications within a
meeting.