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
What is a 'baseline at completion' (BAC) in the context of schedule performance?
Answer: The total budgeted cost for all work in the approved baseline
Budget at Completion (BAC) represents the total authorized budget for all work scope as defined in the approved baseline.
A project has multiple approved baselines over its life due to significant scope changes. Which version should be used for current performance reporting?
Answer: The most recently approved baseline
Performance should always be measured against the most recently approved baseline, which reflects the currently authorized scope, schedule, and budget.
A schedule baseline shows a planned finish of Q4. A risk event occurs and adds 8 weeks. The risk was included in the risk register with a contingency reserve. What is the correct baseline action?
Answer: Use the contingency reserve; update only the working schedule until the CCB approves a baseline change if needed
Contingency reserve is meant to handle identified risks; the project manager uses the reserve and only seeks a baseline change if the impact exceeds the reserve.
Which PMI-SP competency area is most directly responsible for maintaining baseline integrity throughout the project lifecycle?
Answer: Schedule control and change management
Schedule control and change management ensure that the baseline is protected from unauthorized changes and updated properly when changes are approved.
A project manager wants to establish a baseline but the WBS is only 60% complete. What is the recommended approach?
Answer: Use rolling wave planning to baseline known near-term work and plan far-term work in detail as it approaches
Rolling wave planning allows a baseline to be set on near-term detailed work while far-term work is elaborated progressively, a recognized PMI best practice.
During project closeout, the scheduler is asked to conduct a baseline variance analysis. What is the primary purpose of this analysis?
Answer: To capture lessons learned about estimating and planning accuracy for future projects
Post-project baseline variance analysis identifies estimation and planning gaps to improve accuracy on future projects, forming a key lessons-learned artifact.
Which of the following is NOT a valid reason to formally re-baseline a project schedule?
Answer: The project team wants to avoid showing a large schedule variance
Re-baselining solely to erase unfavorable variances is unethical and not a valid reason; baselines must reflect authorized changes, not performance problems.