CAPM Practice Test

In adaptive project management, the focus is on delivering working features that provide incremental value to the customer. Tasks are grouped into iterations that result in functional product increments, enabling continuous feedback and adaptation. Organizing tasks based on team availability, completing documentation first, or balancing workloads does not prioritize value delivery and does not align with the principles of adaptive methodologies.

An approach that allows for iterative development and frequent reassessment of project requirements is most suitable for projects in dynamic environments. This corresponds to an adaptive approach, which emphasizes flexibility and the ability to incorporate changes quickly. The other options describe predictive approaches, which rely on detailed upfront planning and fixed scopes, making them less suitable for projects with evolving requirements.

Monitor and Control Project Work is the process that tracks, reviews, and regulates overall project progress. It includes comparing actual versus planned performance, analyzing variances, and recommending or implementing corrective and preventive actions to keep the project on track. Perform Integrated Change Control focuses on reviewing and approving change requests. Direct and Manage Project Work is concerned with executing the tasks defined in the project management plan and implementing approved changes. Develop Project Management Plan consolidates all subsidiary plans into a single, integrated plan that guides project execution and control.

Coordinating the development of the project management plan by consolidating the subsidiary plans for scope, schedule, cost, quality, resource, communications, risk, procurement, and stakeholder engagement is the core activity of project integration management during planning. This ensures that the individual plans are aligned and work together as a cohesive whole. Drafting a project charter belongs to the initiating process group, creating the work breakdown structure is part of scope management, and Control Quality-the process that verifies deliverables meet requirements-occurs in the Monitoring and Controlling process group, not during execution. Therefore, consolidating the subsidiary plans into an integrated project management plan is the only action that directly addresses the need for overall coordination.

Earned Value Management is used to calculate schedule variance by comparing the earned value (EV) to the planned value (PV). This technique helps project managers determine whether the project is ahead of or behind the planned schedule. Critical Path Method identifies the longest path through the project but does not calculate variances. Resource Leveling adjusts resource allocation without calculating schedule performance, and Risk Analysis evaluates potential project risks but does not measure schedule variance.

A predictive life cycle is most effective when scope, schedule, and cost can be baselined early because requirements are stable and change is costly. Regulatory or contractually mandated requirements that cannot be altered without formal re-approval create exactly that environment, making an upfront, detailed plan the best choice. By contrast, rapidly evolving technology, frequent backlog reprioritization, and incremental funding all point to an adaptive approach where detailed plans are created just-in-time.

A product roadmap is a strategic document that outlines the vision, direction, and progress of a product over time. It communicates planned features and release timelines to stakeholders, ensuring everyone is aligned on the product's future development. It is not a detailed project schedule, a technical specification, or a financial report. Its purpose is to provide a high-level overview of how the product is expected to evolve.

The described document is a risk register, which is used to record and manage potential project risks, including their probabilities, impacts, and response strategies. The stakeholder register records information about stakeholders involved in the project. The issue log tracks current issues that need resolution. The change log records all changes that occur during the project. Therefore, the correct answer is the risk register.

Ordering features by business value while factoring in technical dependencies ensures that the most important capabilities reach customers early without creating blocking issues later. Approaches that focus only on effort, stakeholder requests, or equal distribution ignore relative value or dependency risks and can delay high-impact functionality.

Estimating activity durations is a key activity in the Planning process group. It involves determining the amount of time each project activity will take, which is essential for developing the project schedule.

Developing the project charter is part of the Initiating process group, as it formally authorizes the project. Controlling project costs falls under the Monitoring and Controlling process group, where project performance is measured and necessary changes are made. Closing project contracts is an activity in the Closing process group, which involves finalizing all project activities.

Collecting participants' evaluations regarding the meeting outcomes is the most effective way to assess whether the meeting achieved its objectives. This direct feedback allows the project manager to understand attendees' perspectives on the meeting's usefulness and effectiveness, and identify areas for improvement. Comparing the meeting agenda to the topics discussed can show if planned topics were covered but does not measure the meeting's success in achieving its objectives. Observing participants' body language is subjective and may not accurately reflect the meeting's effectiveness. Noting the number of action items generated indicates productivity but doesn't necessarily reveal if the meeting was successful in meeting its goals.

The correct answer is Coach. As a coach, the project manager guides team members in developing their skills and competencies, especially when adapting to new tools or processes. By providing training and support, the project manager can help the team become proficient with the new software.

Negotiator is not appropriate here since there is no conflict or need for agreement with external parties. Listener is important but insufficient in this scenario as action is needed to assist the team. Initiator involves starting new projects or processes, but the focus here is on helping the team adapt to an existing change.

The stakeholder register is the document used to record detailed information about all stakeholders, including their interests, power, influence, and impact on the project. This helps the project manager plan effective stakeholder engagement strategies. The risk register documents identified risks and their responses, not stakeholder details. The communications management plan outlines how communications will be managed but does not contain stakeholder-specific information. The issue log tracks problems that arise during the project, not stakeholder data.

A third-party vendor that supplies cloud-hosting services is external because it is not employed by the performing organization. The functional manager, project sponsor, and scrum master are all part of the organization's internal staff and therefore represent internal stakeholders.

The project sponsor champions the project at the executive level by providing strategic direction, obtaining or approving funding, and authorizing the project charter. The project team is responsible for executing assigned tasks, producing deliverables, and carrying out quality activities, but it does not secure resources or set strategic direction.

To evaluate schedule performance, we calculate the Schedule Variance (SV) by subtracting the Planned Value (PV) from the Earned Value (EV): SV = EV - PV. In this scenario, SV = $60,000 - $70,000 = -$10,000. A negative Schedule Variance indicates that the project is behind schedule because it has earned less value than planned. Therefore, the project is behind schedule by $10,000 worth of work. The other options are incorrect because they either miscalculate the variance or misinterpret the project's schedule status.

The smallest units in the Work Breakdown Structure that can be assigned and managed are called work packages. A work package is the lowest level of the WBS and represents a discrete piece of work that can be planned, scheduled, and controlled. It allows for precise estimation of costs and durations and facilitates effective assignment to team members. While activities are actions taken to complete work packages, they are detailed in the project schedule and not necessarily represented in the WBS. Deliverables are outputs or products resulting from work packages but are not the smallest units of work themselves. Tasks are often used interchangeably with activities and also do not represent the lowest level in the WBS.

Predictive, plan-based approaches work best when the project's requirements and scope can be fully defined and are unlikely to change after planning. In this situation, the bridge's design and regulatory constraints are fixed, so a detailed upfront plan can be created and baselined. Options that emphasize evolving requirements, frequent increments, or rapid experimentation point to adaptive or hybrid life cycles, not predictive ones.

When reviewing a project's scope, the primary focus should be on ensuring that the work required is clearly defined and agreed upon by stakeholders. A well-defined scope helps prevent scope creep, sets clear expectations, and lays the foundation for planning and executing the project effectively. While team skills, budget verification, and risk assessment are important aspects of project management, they are not the main focus when critiquing the project scope.

Defining the project scope, creating the work breakdown structure (WBS), and developing the project schedule are activities typically performed during the Planning process group. The Planning process group involves outlining how to accomplish the project objectives by establishing the scope, refining goals, and determining the actions needed to achieve those goals. The Executing process group focuses on completing the work defined in the project plan, while Monitoring and Controlling involves tracking the project's progress and making necessary adjustments. The Initiating process group involves starting the project by obtaining authorization and defining initial scope.