General Project Management Fundamentals 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A project manager is crashing the schedule. Which activities should receive additional resources first?
- Activities with the most float
- Critical path activities with the lowest cost to accelerate (Correct answer)
- Activities with the highest risk
- Non-critical path activities
Correct answer: Critical path activities with the lowest cost to accelerate
Crashing adds resources to critical path activities that provide the greatest schedule reduction for the least additional cost.
Question 2: What is the purpose of a RACI chart in project management?
- Track project risks and their owners
- Define roles and responsibilities for project activities (Correct answer)
- Plan communication with stakeholders
- Sequence project deliverables
Correct answer: Define roles and responsibilities for project activities
A RACI chart clarifies who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each project task or deliverable.
Question 3: Which type of dependency between activities is MOST common in project schedules?
- Start-to-Start (SS)
- Finish-to-Start (FS) (Correct answer)
- Start-to-Finish (SF)
- Finish-to-Finish (FF)
Correct answer: Finish-to-Start (FS)
Finish-to-Start means a successor activity cannot start until the predecessor has finished, which is the most common logical relationship.
Question 4: A project is 50% complete, had a budget of $200,000, and has spent $120,000 so far. What is the Cost Variance (CV)?
- -$20,000 (Correct answer)
- $20,000
- -$100,000
- $80,000
Correct answer: -$20,000
EV = 50% × $200,000 = $100,000; AC = $120,000; CV = EV - AC = $100,000 - $120,000 = -$20,000 (over budget).
Question 5: What is a key characteristic that distinguishes a project from ongoing operations?
- Projects require more resources than operations
- Projects are temporary and produce a unique result (Correct answer)
- Projects always have a larger budget than operations
- Projects are managed by senior executives
Correct answer: Projects are temporary and produce a unique result
A project is defined as a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result, unlike repetitive operational work.
Question 6: During which process is the project management plan formally approved and work authorized to begin?
- Develop Project Charter
- Develop Project Management Plan
- Direct and Manage Project Work (Correct answer)
- Perform Integrated Change Control
Correct answer: Direct and Manage Project Work
Direct and Manage Project Work is the executing process where the approved plan is put into action and deliverables are produced.
Question 7: A project manager uses Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to motivate the team. Which need must be satisfied FIRST?
- Esteem needs
- Social/belonging needs
- Safety needs
- Physiological needs (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Physiological needs
Maslow's hierarchy starts with physiological needs (food, shelter, warmth) as the most fundamental, which must be met before higher-level needs.
General Project Management Fundamentals 5
A project manager is crashing the schedule.
Which activities should receive additional resources first?