PMI-SP Baseline Management 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which change control process step ensures that a schedule baseline change is properly evaluated before approval?
- Direct implementation by the project manager
- Impact analysis reviewing cost, schedule, scope, and risk implications (Correct answer)
- Immediate update to the project schedule
- Verbal approval from the sponsor
Correct 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.
Question 2: A scheduler is asked to create a time-phased budget. What baseline is being referenced?
- Scope baseline
- Risk baseline
- Cost baseline (S-curve) (Correct answer)
- Quality baseline
Correct 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.
Question 3: A project team wants to compress the schedule baseline duration without changing scope. Which technique directly shortens the critical path?
- Monte Carlo simulation
- Resource leveling
- Crashing or fast-tracking (Correct answer)
- Rolling wave planning
Correct answer: Crashing or fast-tracking
Crashing (adding resources) and fast-tracking (overlapping activities) are schedule compression techniques that reduce critical path duration.
Question 4: After a major approved change, the project manager updates only the working schedule but not the formal baseline. What problem does this create?
- Resources become over-allocated
- Performance measurement comparisons become invalid because the baseline no longer reflects authorized work (Correct answer)
- The project charter must be reissued
- Risk probability increases
Correct 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.
Question 5: A client requests that several low-priority activities be deferred to a later phase. How should the schedule baseline be adjusted?
- Delete the activities permanently from the baseline
- Submit a formal change request; upon approval, update the baseline to reflect the deferral (Correct answer)
- Move the activities in the working schedule without a change request
- Keep the baseline unchanged and track the deferral informally
Correct 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.
Question 6: Which scheduling tool best visually shows whether activities are ahead or behind the baseline at a point in time?
- Network diagram
- Tracking Gantt chart with baseline bars (Correct answer)
- Resource histogram
- RACI matrix
Correct 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.
Question 7: An approved change request extends the project finish date by 6 weeks. The project manager updates the baseline. What must also be updated?
- Only the Gantt chart
- The project charter, budget baseline, and communications plan as needed (Correct answer)
- Only the risk register
- Only the team's task assignments
Correct 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.
PMI-SP Baseline Management 4
Which change control process step ensures that a schedule baseline change is properly evaluated before approval?