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
Which change control process step ensures that a schedule baseline change is properly evaluated before approval?
Answer: Impact analysis reviewing cost, schedule, scope, and risk implications
A thorough impact analysis examining cost, schedule, scope, and risk must precede any approval to change the schedule baseline.
A scheduler is asked to create a time-phased budget. What baseline is being referenced?
Answer: Cost baseline (S-curve)
The cost baseline is a time-phased budget displayed as an S-curve, showing the cumulative planned expenditure over the project duration.
A project team wants to compress the schedule baseline duration without changing scope. Which technique directly shortens the critical path?
Answer: Crashing or fast-tracking
Crashing (adding resources) and fast-tracking (overlapping activities) are schedule compression techniques that reduce critical path duration.
After a major approved change, the project manager updates only the working schedule but not the formal baseline. What problem does this create?
Answer: Performance measurement comparisons become invalid because the baseline no longer reflects authorized work
If the baseline isn't updated after an approved change, comparing actuals to an obsolete baseline produces meaningless performance metrics.
A client requests that several low-priority activities be deferred to a later phase. How should the schedule baseline be adjusted?
Answer: Submit a formal change request; upon approval, update the baseline to reflect the deferral
Any change to authorized scope or schedule dates requires a formal change request and CCB approval before the baseline is updated.
Which scheduling tool best visually shows whether activities are ahead or behind the baseline at a point in time?
Answer: Tracking Gantt chart with baseline bars
A tracking Gantt chart displays both the baseline bars and actual/current bars side by side, making schedule variance immediately visible.
An approved change request extends the project finish date by 6 weeks. The project manager updates the baseline. What must also be updated?
Answer: The project charter, budget baseline, and communications plan as needed
A schedule change often cascades into cost baseline, project charter (if thresholds are exceeded), and communications plan updates to maintain integrated planning.