Baseline Management Flashcards
7 cards from real PMI-SP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Baseline Management flashcards as text
A project experiences scope creep that was never formally approved. How does this affect the schedule baseline?
Answer: The baseline remains unchanged and actual performance will appear worse than planned
Unapproved scope additions cause actual durations to exceed the baseline without an authorized baseline change, making performance metrics misleading.
What is the purpose of a baseline review meeting held at major project milestones?
Answer: To assess whether the current baseline remains realistic or requires a formal change
Milestone baseline review meetings evaluate whether the approved baseline still reflects achievable targets or if a formal re-baselining is warranted.
A contractor's activity is running 3 weeks late due to a client-caused delay. The contractor submits a claim for a time extension. Which baseline artifact supports this claim?
Answer: The original approved schedule baseline showing planned dates
The original approved schedule baseline establishes the contractual planned dates, providing the reference point needed to substantiate a delay claim.
Re-baselining is most appropriate when:
Answer: Scope, cost, or schedule changes are so significant that the original baseline is no longer meaningful for control
Re-baselining is justified only when changes are so fundamental that the original baseline cannot serve as a meaningful performance measurement benchmark.
Which term describes the practice of updating a schedule baseline to remove or hide past negative variances?
Answer: Baseline gaming or baseline manipulation
Resetting a baseline solely to eliminate unfavorable variances is called baseline gaming or manipulation and is an unethical practice that distorts performance data.
A project has a Schedule Performance Index (SPI) of 0.82 against its baseline. What does this indicate?
Answer: The project is completing work at 82% of the planned rate — it is behind schedule
An SPI of 0.82 means the project is only achieving 82 cents of planned work for every dollar of time elapsed, indicating it is behind the baseline.
When integrating cost and schedule baselines into a performance measurement baseline (PMB), what additional element is included?
Answer: Management reserve
The Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB) integrates scope, schedule, and cost baselines; management reserve is held outside the PMB for unknown risks.