Technology & Tools Flashcards
7 cards from real CAM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Technology & Tools flashcards as text
Which pairing correctly matches an EVM data element with its typical source tool?
Answer: ACWP from the ERP/accounting system and activity status from the scheduling tool
Actual costs come from the accounting/ERP system while activity status and dates come from the scheduling tool, and both feed the EVM engine.
During monthly processing, in what order do EVM tool activities generally occur?
Answer: Status the schedule, load actual costs, calculate earned value metrics, then analyze and report
The monthly rhythm is status inputs first, then calculation, then analysis and reporting.
What is the main risk of a CAM maintaining an unofficial 'shadow' spreadsheet forecast that diverges from the EAC in the EVM system?
Answer: Conflicting numbers undermine data integrity and can surface as a compliance finding during surveillance
Divergent shadow data conflicts with the system of record and is a classic surveillance finding against EVMS discipline.
Which tool capability directly supports variance analysis reporting thresholds for control accounts?
Answer: Configurable triggers that flag accounts breaching cost or schedule variance thresholds for narrative analysis
EVM tools apply configured dollar or percent thresholds to flag which control accounts require formal variance narratives.
A program migrates from one EVM cost tool to another mid-contract. What is the CAM's key data concern?
Answer: Preserving historical cumulative performance data and budget log traceability through the conversion
Tool migrations must carry forward cumulative BCWS, BCWP, ACWP, and budget change history intact, or performance trends and traceability are lost.
Why do EVM tools distinguish between the performance measurement baseline (PMB) and a separate forecast schedule or EAC model?
Answer: So performance is measured against the controlled baseline while forecasts can be updated freely with current expectations
The baseline stays controlled for consistent performance measurement, while the forecast is updated regularly to reflect the current estimate.
What advantage does an integrated toolset (shared WBS, single sign-on data flow between schedule, cost, and reporting) give a CAM at month end?
Answer: Fewer manual data transfers, reducing reconciliation errors and cycle time
Integration reduces manual handoffs, cutting reconciliation errors and shortening the monthly close-to-report cycle.