Deck 15: Project Management

Question 1

The network diagram below shows the five tasks required to complete a project and the associated times for those tasks. Which task has the greatest amount of slack?

A)A
B)B
C)C
D)D
E)E

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following are technological factors affecting the success of a project?

A) Experience and authority of team members.
B) Equipment, facilities, and communications systems.
C) Organizational structure and reward systems.
D) B and C.
E) All of these.

Answer 2

B and C.

Question 3

The forward pass in a critical path algorithm involves:

A)Calculating the late finish and late start for each task.
B)Calculating the late finish and the earliest possible start times for each task.
C)Calculating the earliest possible start and finish times for each task.
D)Calculating the earliest possible start and late start for each task.

Answer 3

Calculating the earliest possible start and finish times for each task.

Question 4

The network diagram below shows the five tasks required to complete a project and the associated times for those tasks. What is the latest start date for task C?

A)2 weeks
B)7 weeks
C)6 weeks
D)5 weeks

Question 5

Nearly all projects seem to go through the same phases and in the following sequence:

A)Planning, definition, execution, completion
B)Definition, planning, delivering, and closing
C)Definition, planning, execution, and completion
D)Selection, planning, delivering and completion

Question 6

Typically the resources required during a project's life are greatest in which stage of its life?

A)Planning
B)Definition
C)Completion
D)Execution

Question 7

The project organizational structure that provides the greatest balance between speed and efficiency is:

A)Matrix organizational structure.
B)Pure project structure.
C)Functional project structure.
D)Line and staff organization structure.

Question 8

Joe Jones is a project manager on a major installation. He has been asked to provide weekly status reports on the project schedule. Joe should consider using which of the following:

A)Gantt chart
B)Crashing reports
C)WBS report
D)Network diagram

Question 9

What is a key factor that must be considered when an organization evaluates the potential of a project?

A)The project's fit with overall organizational strategy.
B)The availability of resources to execute the project.
C)The business justification for investing in the project.
D)All of these.

Question 10

The network diagram below shows the five tasks required to complete a project and the associated times for those tasks. Which of the following identifies the critical path tasks?

A)A, B, D, F
B)A, B, C, D, E, F
C)A, B, E, F
D)A, C, E, F

Question 11

Colson Corp. has planned a simple project having four tasks. The task information for the project is shown below: Does any task have slack? If so, how much?

A)None of the tasks have slack.
B)Task B has 3 days of slack.
C)Task C has 4 days of slack.
D)Task D has 2 days of slack.
E)Task C has 3 days of slack.

Question 12

"Crashing" in a project refers to:

A)Deciding to terminate a project.
B)Attempting to reduce the project scope.
C)Extending the deadline for completion of the project.
D)Speeding up an activity.

Question 13

The network diagram below shows the five tasks required to complete a project and the associated times for those tasks. What is the earliest completion of the project diagrammed?

A)23 weeks
B)24 weeks
C)28 weeks
D)37 weeks

Question 14

Colson Corp. has planned a simple project having four tasks. The task information for the project is shown below: What is the estimated completion time for the project?

A)29 days
B)25 days
C)22 days
D)19 days

Question 15

Why does project management often involve the management of conflict?

A)Projects often compete with routine operations and other projects for resources and personnel.
B)Project managers are under greater pressures than other managers in a firm.
C)Projects are often staffed with personnel who may have greater allegiance to their functional managers than to the project managers.
D)A and C are both correct.

Question 16

A project manager usually has the greatest ability to affect social and technical success factors of a project in what stage of the project?

A)Planning
B)Execution
C)Completion
D)A project manager has equal ability to affect success factors across all stages.

Question 17

Which of the following statements is true of projects?

A)Projects usually involve greater unknowns and uncertainty than repeated routine operations do.
B)Projects are usually more important than repeated routine operations.
C)Once a project plan is made, it is impossible to simultaneously improve the speed, quality, and cost of a project.
D)Technological factors are almost always more important than social factors in affecting project success.

Question 18

Which of the following statements about projects and project management is NOT true?

A) A project is typically a one-time event.
B) Completing a project within budget is the most critical criterion for project success.
C) Projects are typically staffed with people from several different functional areas who may have more loyalty to their function than to the project.
D) B and C.

Question 19

Zanda Corp. has decided that it needs a project team to implement a new ERP system. It wants the system implemented as soon as possible. Given this criterion, Zanda should choose a:

A)Matrix organizational structure.
B)Pure project structure.
C)Functional project structure.
D)Line and staff organization structure.

Question 20

A primary advantage of a functional project organizational structure is:

A)The needs of the project client are prioritized over the needs of the function.
B)A single project manager has full control over the entire project.
C)A functional manager controls both the budget and the schedule.
D)All project team members report to one boss.

Question 21

Task X is expected to take 3 days to complete. The maximum (latest) earliest finish date for any predecessors to task X is 10. Therefore, the earliest finish for task X is:

A)7
B)10
C)13
D)Cannot determine from the information given

Question 22

Project manager Bill Jones has determined that task R has a high variation between "best case" and "worst case" estimated durations. Task R is probably a good candidate for:

A)Close monitoring and frequent status reporting.
B)Buffering.
C)Contingency planning.
D)All of these.

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT a good reason to kill a project?

A)Consistent budget and schedule overruns.
B)Inadequate resources to complete the project successfully.
C)Personnel problems on the project.
D)The project objectives are no longer of value to the firm.

Question 24

The figure below shows the tasks required to complete a project and the expected duration for each task. How long should we expect it to take to complete this project?

A)20 weeks
B)38 weeks
C)21 weeks
D)None of these is correct

Question 25

Why do businesses often NOT pursue the best mix of projects in their project portfolio?

A)Projects are selected based on criteria that are not always consistent with the business strategy.
B)Businesses do not use enough financial metrics in selecting projects.
C)Too much emphasis is placed on feasibility.
D)Selection committees neglect to use a portfolio value matrix.