Project Management Assessment

Data School | Project Management Assessment
 

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Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Please enter the best option in the boxes provided.

1. Why is it important to define the project scope?
 

A.     Because it’s a standard project management deliverable

B.     To have a paper trail of the project boundaries

C.      To remind stakeholders what they agreed to and to prevent scope creep

D.     Because it’s needed for project contracts

ABILITY: 1.1 Facilitate execution of project modules

 

2. Why is it important to define a project’s purpose, scope and justification?
 

A.     So the project team knows what work to do

B.     So the customer can decide which project manager to assign to the project

C.      So the customer or sponsor can decide whether to approve the project

D.     So the customer can create the project charter

ABILITY: 1.1 Facilitate execution of project modules

 

3. Which of the following statements about the project life cycle is incorrect?
 

A.     Planning involves activities that acquire the resources to staff and develop work within the project constraints

B.     The project team officially start work to develop the project plan in the initiating phase

C.      In the closing phase, the client officially accept that the project is complete

D.     Monitoring and controlling activities happen through all project phases in the life cycle

 

ABILITY: 1.1 Facilitate execution of project modules

 

4. All the following statements concerning project scope are true except which one statement?
 

A.     Project scope describes the boundaries of the project, what is included in the scope of the project.

B.     Defining project scope ensures that any additional requests for change goes through the change management process.

C.      Project scope should be generic so that it provides flexibility for all parties in the project.

D.     Project scope reminds stakeholders what was agreed upon.

 

ABILITY: 1.1 Facilitate execution of project modules

 

 

 

5. Project objectives help you flesh out a project by ____ and ____.
 

A.     Defining project scope; identifying the best approach to use to achieve the goal and objectives

B.     Breaking the goal down into its components; identifying the work that needs to be done to deliver those components

C.      Describing the challenges the organization faces; identifying what must be done to address those challenges

D.     Defining the project deliverable; identifying the work needed to complete deliverables

 

ABILITY: 1.1 Facilitate execution of project modules

 

6. Which of the following statements about the work breakdown structure (WBS) is correct?
 

A.     The WBS is created starting from small work packages and organizing them into larger components

B.     The WBS helps with scoping the project and by defining boundaries

C.      The WBS helps with tracking project progress but do not need to be measurable

D.     The WBS helps a project manager estimate how long a project will take by adding up the estimates of small chunks.

 

ABILITY: 1.2 Implement project plans based on the understanding of project

objectives and project scope

 

7. You have been appointed to lead a project to overhaul the current securities settlement and depository system, and this is unchartered territory for your exchange. In past technology implementations, a turnkey approach is preferred but your management believes that a customized solution is required this time around. Your CTO is asking for an estimate into the time and cost for the whole project. Among the options listed in the following, choose the best approach to estimate the time and cost for the project
 

A.     Use previous turnkey implementations as a foundation for the estimate

B.     Use the bell curve approach, obtain quotations for several vendors, and choose an estimate that provides an acceptable probability of success

C.      Estimate based on the number of work packages created in the work breakdown structure.

D.     Ask a vendor to provide a quotation and adopt the proposed time and cost

 

ABILITY: 1.2 Implement project plans based on the understanding of project

objectives and project scope

 

 

 

 

 

8. Monitoring project work is a crucial part of project management to check how well the project is doing. Which of the following statements about monitoring is incorrect?
 

A.     Monitoring against the tasks in a work breakdown structure can reflect if a project is progressing in a timely manner, faster than expected, or show signs of delay

B.     There is a need for a project manager to decide what metrics to key, what to measure, and how to report results to decision makers

C.      Tracking provides a more accurate picture of the progress and labour costs, but usually requires a lot more effort for collection that delay projects

D.     Tracking occur in parallel with project execution and can include other actual costs such as travel, fees, and training

 

ABILITY: 1.3 Utilise appropriate methods and tools to track and drive progress

of projects against set plans and timelines

 

9. Your project performance review shows that your project’s current planned value is $25,000, the actual cost is $30,000 and the earned value is $22,000. Which of the following statements is correct about your project?
 

A.     This signifies that the spending in the project is prudent, thus having earned value lower than planned value

B.     The project is ahead of schedule

C.      There is a need to pick up the pace of the project yet manage the budget

D.     The product is under budget

 

ABILITY: 1.3 Utilise appropriate methods and tools to track and drive progress

of projects against set plans and timelines

 

10. Given a scenario that a data scientist must finish cleaning a data set before moving on to the next stage of analysis, this is an example of a _______________ relationship.
 

A.     Start-to-Start

B.     Finish-to-Finish

C.      Start-to-Finish

D.     Finish-to-Start

 

ABILITY: 1.3 Utilise appropriate methods and tools to track and drive progress

of projects against set plans and timelines

 

11. Which of the following statements is NOT an aim of the change management process?
 

A.     To determine if changes in resource allocation is required.

B.     To ensure that changes are documented and evaluated

C.      To achieve the deliverables included in the scope of the project

D.     To decide whether to add a change request to the requirements list.

 

ABILITY:

1.4 Identify risks to the success of projects or modules and manage the risks

1.8 Monitor costs, timescales and resources used and take basic corrective actions in case of misalignment

 

12. Projects in organizations are often done in teams. Typically, teams go through several stages before they are truly productive. Which of the following, and in the correct order, best depicts the stages of group formation?
 

A.     Initiating, Knowing, Storming, Working

B.     Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing

C.      Grouping, Storming, Standardizing, Performing

D.     Forming, Brainstorming, Levelling, Delivering

 

ABILITY: 1.5 Collaborate and communicate effectively with relevant internal

and external stakeholders related to the projects

 

13. How is the Project Scope document used in the project closure process?
 

A.     Provides a baseline for changes requested over the course of the project

B.     To determine if there are fraudulent claims in the project

C.      Used as a basis to compare what was achieved in the project against the original project documentation

D.     To describe the risks of the project that may derail the project in terms of timeline

 

ABILITY: 1.7 Track project deliverables against project schedules

 

14. You are leading a project team with three system analysts, Tom, Joe, Mary. The project is currently in the system design phase and you have assigned each analyst to work on one of the tasks, i.e., Tom is assigned to User Interface Design, Joe is assigned to Object-oriented Design, and Mary is assigned to Database Design. With the following Gantt chart, select the statement that is correct:

 

 

A.     Tom has fallen ill on 13 Nov but will be back on 14 Nov 2009 to complete the work. This will result in a delay in the completion of Systems Design

B.     Joe has reported sick on 11 Nov 2009 and will be back after 7 working days. Mary will not be able to proceed with Database Design on 13 Nov 2009 and there will be an impact on the completion of System Design

C.      Systems Designs will take 18 days to complete.

D.     Approval of Systems Design can be done on 15 Nov 2009.

 

ABILITY: 1.7 Track project deliverables against project schedules

 

 

 

Section 2: Short Answer Questions

15. Describe briefly TWO scenarios that can cause a project scope creep.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABILITY: 1.4 Identify risks to the success of projects or modules and manage the risks

 

16. You have been appointed to lead a project that harnesses blockchain technology in an attempt to detect and prevent money laundering. This is your bank’s first foray into blockchain and the management is willing to invest heavily despite the technology’s infancy. Since your team lacks expertise in this area, the management is receptive to contract a vendor to implement this. Identify three possible risks to the project.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABILITY: 1.4 Identify risks to the success of projects or modules and manage the risks

 

17. Describe one benefit and one potential problem of conducting stakeholder analysis
 

 

 

 

 

ABILITY: 1.5 Collaborate and communicate effectively with relevant internal and external stakeholders related to the projects

18. You have just started managing a project to help automate the processes in your company. Before the project was handed to you, the previous project manager mentioned that the project team was in the performing stage and was working efficiently. Soon after assuming your new position, you decide to make some changes to the team working procedures to make communication flow more freely. However, you soon discovered that the project team is in serious conflict.

 

Suggest a possible reason for the project team’s current behaviour. Also, propose a way to resolve this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABILITY: 1.5 Collaborate and communicate effectively with relevant internal and external stakeholders related to the projects

19. Explain the importance of preparing a Human Resources plan and identifying key members early in a project.
 

 

 

 

 

ABILITY: 1.6 Deploy resources to different parts of the projects for efficient and effective completion

20. Explain how a Gantt Chart can be used to evaluate progress of a project.
 

 

 

 

 

 

ABILITY: 1.7 Track project deliverables against project schedules

 

 

 

21. Based on the project management triangle (Scope, Cost, Time, Quality), explain the possible corrective actions for the following scenarios:
 

Scenario Corrective action
Scope creep  

 

Project is over budget  

 

Project is behind schedule  

 

 

ABILITY: 1.8 Monitor costs, timescales and resources used and take basic corrective actions in case of misalignment

 

END OF ASSESSMENT