PMP:CAPM:PMI-ACP:Certification Exam Prep Blog

PMP Tricky Questions

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 11:34:00 +0000

PMP Tricky Questions

These Questions were compiled from the 'I want to be a PMP' Linkedin group. The answers are not given purposely. Click on the question to see it bigger.

PMP exam - You prepared hard but what you do in 4 hours matters most !!

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 04:34:00 +0000

1. Read all options, then choose the answer. Focus on the words 'not' , 'except' and double negatives.

2. Go by your first instinct, don't change the answer. During review convince yourself if you want to change the answer.

3. Allocate time for review of marked questions.

4. If a questions seems tough, guess the answer , click it, then mark it for review and move on.

5. Go for easy ones first and answer them. It will increase your confidence that you are progressing well.

6. Take the exam in agile way, in iterations. 'Know' all the questions quickly to stop worrying about the questions. In 1st iteration answer easy ones. Mark all other questions. Note down the question numbers of calculation questions. In 2nd iteration answer calculation questions. In 3rd iteration answer other pending questions.

7. When you work out the answer on paper (e.g. EVM or network diagram questions) write the question number and then work out the answer. The question number will help you review your steps (look for matching number on screen and paper) and answer later. Look for smart solutions. Don't start doing the lengthy steps just because you know them.

8. Sitting straight will help you concentrate during the exam.

9.Take breaks based on milestones . After 100 questions, after 200 questions (take a snacks break),come and do the pending questions and reviews.

10. Keep yourself motivated. Replace any negative thought with a positive thought. Think of treat to your friends/friends once you pass the exam. Visualize 'Congratulations, you have passed' on the monitor during the breaks.

PMP:CAPM - 4 Terms 1 Term Puzzle

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Tue, 31 May 2016 06:15:00 +0000

Identify the Project Management term depicted by these Project Management terms

Click on the picture to enlarge it !

one

Highlight between brackets to see the answer:
Answer: (Deliverable created in the first process and moves across 2nd and 3rd processes becomes accepted deliverable when it comes as input to the last process )
two

Answer: (Scope baseline consists of the first 3 and it is output of the last one)
three

Answer: (These are part of 7 basic quality control tools)
four

Answer: (These are part of 7 Quality Management and Control tools)
five

Answer: (Conflict resolution methods)
six

Answer: (These are powers of PM)
seven

Answer: (These belong to RACI chart )
eight

Answer: (These are factors of stakeholder analysis)
nine

Answer: (These are stakeholder engagement levels)
ten

Answer: (These are team building stages by Bruce Tuckman)

Read next:

PMP:CAPM:ACP - 3 ways to overcome fear of failure

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Sat, 30 Apr 2016 07:29:00 +0000

Let's first understand that fear of failure is imaginary. It is actually more damaging than failure.

It is a constant negative force which stops people from taking action.

It curbs growth.

It makes people postpone what needs to be done.

Let me get to the point straight.

In the case of PMP/CAPM/ACP aspirants, fear of failure stops them from taking the exam after completing the 35 contact hours training.

They say if I fail the exam, I'll lose the money. Instead of focusing on the benefits after clearing the exam, they focus on money loss in failing the exam.

How to deal with the fear of failure. These 3 ways will help in dealing with that.

PMP:CAPM - 2 Mnemonics in Quality Management

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 07:45:00 +0000

At CATALYSTS, we love mnemonics, as it is a memory aid. Human memory words by association. To keep a list of terms in memory you need to associate with pictures or other easy and common words. People who do memory records use the power of visualizing. They remember the many things that are shown to them in the same order with the help of visualizing.

Mnemonics works by associating a list of terms with another word or phrase. The more crazy the mnemonic is, the more easy it is, to remember and recollect (of course this is important) the related terms.

Though mnemonic involves the use of words, we use pictures portraying the mnemonic. This will help to easily recollect the mnemonic. The first time you frame a mnemonic and try to recollect it the very next day you might fail to recollect it. After all, success is a group of failures. Second time you try you will improve a little bit. Third time you will get full correct. After that it stays there for a long time.

Check out these 2 mnemonics related to Quality Management.
1.7 QC tools

2. 7 Quality Management and Control tools

We are proud to say that at CATALYSTS, we have mnemonic for the Tools and Techniques of all the 47 processes.

Hope you love these mnemonics. If you need a mnemonic for any PMP related list of terms, please post in the comment.

PMP:CAPM - Preview of PMBOK® Version 6

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Sat, 02 Apr 2016 06:52:00 +0000

MS Project - 11 Useful options to set in MS Project 2013

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 14:45:00 +0000

These options will be handy when you create schedules on MS Project 2013.

Navigate to File / Options for setting these options.

Save:
Don't show the backstage when opening or saving the files :Check.
Auto-save every: Set value (e.g. 30 minutes)
Save to Computer by default: Check.
Default file location: Set the directory

Schedule:
New task created: Change to Auto scheduled
Auto link inserted or moved tasks: Check.

General:
Default view: Set the most used view here as the default view.

Advanced:
General: Open last file on startup: Check.
Quickly access this number of Recent projects: Set the number.
EVM related options:
Default task Earned Value method: Set % complete or physical % complete.
Baseline for EVM: Set the baseline.

MS Project - 7 Steps to do EVM in MS Project 2013

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 14:32:00 +0000

Note: The navigation is given for the MS Project 2013.

Step 1: Create the project plan by entering tasks with predecessors, assigning resources, updating resource sheet with the cost details etc.

Step 2: Create a Baseline for the project. (Navigation: Project/Set Baseline/Set Baseline)

Step 3: Update the Actual start dates / % complete.
(Navigation: From Gantt chart screen, View/Tables/Tracking)

Step 4: Update the Status date. The PV calculation depends on the status date.
(Navigation: Project/Status date/Select Status date)

Step 5: Check the EVM values like PV, EV and AC.
(Navigation: View/Tables/More Tables/Earned Value)
The EAC (Estimate At Complete) is calculated by AC+(BAC-EV)/CPI i.e.
ACWP+(Baseline Cost – BCWP)/CPI. VAC = BAC – EAC.

Step 6: Check the Cost Performance Index (CPI).
(Navigation: View/Tables/More Tables/Earned Value Cost Indicators)

Step 7: Check the Schedule Performance Index (SPI):
(Navigation: View/Tables/More Tables/Earned Value Schedule indicators)

MS Project - different variants

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Sun, 13 Mar 2016 14:07:00 +0000

This post covers the different variants of MS Project like Standard, Online , Project Server etc.

MS Project - What was new?

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Sun, 13 Mar 2016 13:36:00 +0000

There are different versions of MS Project. This post covers the features which were introduced newly in the different versions of MS Project like 2007,2010,2013 and the latest 2016.

PMP:CAPM - Word Clouds - Knowledge Area - wise

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 13:40:00 +0000

We love Word Clouds as much as we love Words and Clouds. These are Word Clouds with terms related to the various topics of the PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) on which the PMP/CAPM exams are based on.

Introduction

Integration management

Scope management

Time management

Cost management

Quality management

HR management

Communication management

Risk management

Procurement management

Stakeholder management

Hope you like these PMP/CAPM Word Clouds. Please leave your comments with suggested words to be uploaded to these clouds. :)

PMP:CAPM - Crossword 2

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Sun, 21 Feb 2016 14:10:00 +0000

Click on the crossword picture below to enlarge it!!

Answers:
Across:
1. CPI (Cost Performance Index)
2. CRASHING
4. EXPERT
5. HISTOGRAM (also called as Barchart)
7. EMV (Expected Monetary Value)
Down:
1. COACHING
3. SPI (Schedule Performance Index)
4. EVM (Earned Value Management)
6. TREE

PMP:CAPM - Crossword 1

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 02:23:00 +0000

Try this Crossword puzzle with PMP:CAPM terms. Scroll down for the answers.

Click on the crossword picture below to enlarge it!!

Answers:
Across:
2. CLAIM
4. SALIENCE MODEL
6. CHECK SHEET
7. GOLD PLATING
Down:
1. QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
2. COLOCATION
3. SCOPE STATEMENT
4. SCOPE CREEP
5. RISK REGISTER

PMP:CAPM - EVM Quiz

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 14:25:00 +0000

Check out the below links before you try to answer these EVM questions.

EVM formula explained with Wall example

EVM formula animated

Quiz created by Vasi with GoConqr

PMP:CAPM - CPM Questions & Answers

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 02:06:00 +0000

Check out Critical Path Method to answer these questions.
http://theknowledgecatalysts.blogspot.in/2016/01/pmpcapm-critical-path-method-cpm.html

Q1. CPM:

Q1. CPM Answer:

Q2. CPM:

Q2. CPM Answer:

Q3. CPM:

Q3. CPM Answer:

Q4. Find the Free Float & Total Float:

Q4. Free Float & Total Float Answer:

Q5. Find the Free Float & Total Float:

Q5. Free Float & Total Float Answer:

PMP:CAPM - Picture Puzzle 9 - Mixed

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 01:19:00 +0000

Identify the Project Management(PMP/CAPM) terms depicted by these pictures

Click on the picture to enlarge it !

one

Highlight between brackets to see the answer:
Answer: (1-Unknown Unknown,2-Start to Start,3-Tuckman's ladder(team stages),4-negative float,5-mitigate,6-total float,7-law of diminishing returns)

CAPM - Infographics: CAPM in numbers

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 09:13:00 +0000

ACP - Infographics: ACP in numbers

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 09:11:00 +0000

PMP - Infographics: PMP in numbers

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 09:06:00 +0000

PMP - PMP® and PMBOK® Challenge!!

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 07:04:00 +0000

PMP® and PMBOK® Challenge!!

Find these numbers related to PMP® and PMBOK®!

Each number mean something. Your challenge is to find that something. There can be many things related to a given number. If your answer is closest to our answer, you can score a point for you. Answers will be revealed on 8th Feb 2016.Alternately you can add few numbers to the puzzle (through the comments) and enhance the challenge.

Answers:
2 types of scope, Product scope & Project scope
2 types of Cost of Quality
3 point estimate
3 types of PMO
3 types of dependencies.
3 types of Cost estimates
4 types of task dependencies.
4 hours. PMP exam duration.
5 Process Groups
5 current version of PMBOK

7. rule of 7 in Control chart.
7 Quality control tools
7 Quality management & Control tools
7 % questions from Closing Process Group
10 Knowledge Areas
11 Tools & Techniques of Collect Requirements
13 % questions from Initiating Process Group
24 % questions from Planning Process Group
25 Pretest Questions which wont be scored
25 % questions from Monitoring & Controling Process Group

31 % questions from executing Process Group
47 Processes
100 % rule in WBS
129 $129. PMI membership fee
175 Scored Questions
200 Questions in the PMP exam
405 $404. PMP exam fee for members

555 $555. PMP exam fee for non members

PMP:CAPM - Picture Puzzle 8 - Collect Requirements tools & techniques

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Sat, 30 Jan 2016 02:07:00 +0000

Identify the Project Management(PMP/CAPM) terms - Collect Requirements tools & techniques, depicted by these pictures

Click on the picture to enlarge it !

one

Highlight between brackets to see the answer:
Answer: (1-Interview,2-Focus Group,3-Facilitated workshop,4-Benchmarking,5-Group decision making skills,6-Group creativity skills,7-Prototyping,8-Document Analysis,9-Observation,10-Questionairres & Surveys,11-Context Diagram)

PMP:CAPM - Picture Puzzle 7 - Find these Quality Management terms

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 02:46:00 +0000

Identify the Project Management(PMP/CAPM) terms depicted by these pictures

Click on the picture to enlarge it !

one

Highlight between brackets to see the answer:
Answer: (1-Check sheet,2-Pareto chart,3-Flow chart,4-Scatter diagram,5-Fishbone diagram,6-Control chart,7-Histogram)
two

Answer: (1-PDPC(Process Decision Program Chart,2-Affinity Diagram,3-Matrix diagram,4-Activity Network Diagram,5-Prioritization Matrices,6-Tree Diagram,7-Interrelationship Digraph)

PMP:CAPM: - Picture puzzle 6

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Sun, 17 Jan 2016 03:56:00 +0000

Identify the Project Management(PMP/CAPM) terms depicted by these pictures

Click on the picture to enlarge it !

one
Identify these Risk Management terms!

Highlight between brackets to see the answer:
Answer: (1-Decision tree,2-Tornado diagram,3-Expected Monetary Value,4-Sensitivity analysis,5-Montecarlo simulation)
two
Identify these reasons why Projects are done!

Answer: (1-Market demand,2-Customer request,3-Technological advancement,4-Legal,5-Environmental considerations,6-Business needs,7-Social needs)

PMP:CAPM - Leads and Lags

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 03:45:00 +0000

What are Leads and Lags?
Leads and Lags used in the project schedule development.

Leads
Lead is the amount of time a successor activity can be advanced with respect to a predecessor activity.

Lags
Lag is the amount of time a successor activity can be delayed with respect to a predecessor activity.

Activity dependencies with Leads and Lags
Leads and Lags can be applied on any of the activity dependencies like Start to Start (SS), Start to Finish (SF), Finish to Start (FS) and Finish to Finish (FF).

In the above example, both red and blue activities are of 2 days duration. There is Finish to Start dependency between them. If you apply a Lag of 1 day(FS+1), blue activity will start after a gap of 1 day. If you apply a Lead of 1 day(FS-1), blue activity will start one day earlier before the completion of red itself, becoming a parallel activity.

Question

Answer: highlight between braces (3.The duration is only 3. For all other networks the duration is 5.)

PMP:CAPM - Critical Path Method (CPM)

noreply@blogger.com (THE KNOWLEDGE CATALYSTS) — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 01:41:00 +0000

The Critical Path Method (CPM) helps in keeping projects on track.

Critical path schedules help in identifying the activities that must be completed on time in order to complete the whole project on time.
They show which tasks can be delayed and for how long without impacting the overall project schedule.
They help in calculating the minimum amount of time it will take to complete the project.
They help in knowing the earliest and latest dates each activity can start on in order to maintain the schedule.

The CPM has 4 key elements...
1.Analyzing the Critical Path
2.Calculation of Early Start & Early Finish
3.Calculation of Late Start & Late Finish
4.Calculation of Float

1. Analyzing the Critical Path
The critical path is the sequence of activities with the longest duration. A delay in any of these activities will result in a delay for the whole project. The duration of each activity is listed in each node in the diagram. For each path, add the duration of each node to determine its total duration.

There are 2 paths in this sample project. Task 1, Task 2 and Task 4 is one path with total duration 1+3+1=5. Task 1, Task 3 and Task 4 is the second path with total duration 1+2+1=4. So in this case, it is very obvious that the top path is the longest path and hence, it is the critical path.

2. Calculation of Early Start & Early Finish

Let us use the technique called the Forward Pass which is used to determine the earliest date an activity can start and the earliest date it can finish. These dates are valid as long as all prior activities in that path started on their earliest start date and didn't slip.

Starting with the critical path, the Early Start (ES) of the first task is zero. The Early Finish (EF) of an activity is its ES plus its duration. Using our earlier example, Task 1 is the first activity on the critical path: ES = 0, EF = 0 + 1 = 1.

You then move to the next task in the path, in this case, Task 2. Its ES is the previous activity's EF. Task 2 ES = 1. Its EF is calculated the same as before: EF = 1 + 3 = 4.For Task 3, ES = 1 and EF = 1+2=3.

If an activity has more than one predecessor, to calculate its ES you will use the activity with the latest EF that means choose whatever is maximum. Task 2 and Task 3 are merging in Task 4. So here we have to choose the maximum of EF of Task 2 (4) and Task 3 (3) as the ES of Task 4. 4 is the maximum and so Task 4's ES = 4. EF of Task 4 is 4+1=5.

3. Calculation of Late Start & Late Finish

Next we use the Backward Pass technique to determine the latest date an activity can start and the latest date it can finish before it delays the project.

You'll start once again with the critical path, but this time, you'll begin from the last activity in the path. The Late Finish (LF) for the last activity in every path is the same as the last activity's EF in the critical path. The Late Start (LS) is the LF - duration.

In our example, Task 4 is the last activity on the critical path. Its LF is the same as its EF, which is 5. To calculate the LS, subtract its duration from its LF. LS = 5 - 1 = 4.

You then move on to the next activity in the path. Its LF is the previous activity's LS. In our example, the next Activity in the critical path is Task 2. Its LF is equal to Task 4's LS. Task 2 LF = 4. Its LS is calculated the same as earlier, by subtracting its duration from the LF. Task 2 LS = 4 - 3 = 1.

Similarly, Task 3 Late Finish and Late Start are calculated as 4 and 2 respectively. If an activity has more than one successor to find its Late Finish you have to choose the minimum of their Late Start. For Task 1’s Late finish, you have to choose the minimum of Late Start of Task 2 and Task 3.

4. Calculation of Float

The activities in the critical path will have 0 float. Now let us find the float for all the activities. If in a path all the activities have 0 float, then that will be a critical path. There can be more than 1 critical path.

Total float is calculated by LS-ES or LF - EF.

For Task 1, TF = 0-0 = 1-1= 0. For Task 2, TF = 1-1 = 4-4 = 0. For Task 4,TF = 4-4=5-5=0.

For Task 3, TF = 2-1 = 4-3 = 1.

Using the critical path diagram from the previous section, Tasks 1, 2, and 4 are on the critical path because they have a float of zero.

The next longest path is Tasks 1, 3, and 4. Since Tasks 1 and 4 are also on the critical path, their float will remain as zero. Task 3 has a float of 1 which makes the path Task 1,3 and 4 noncritical.

Free float of an activity = ES of successor - EF of present activity. (ES of successor - in case of multiple successors choose immediate successor,i.e.the least of the ES of successors).

Only Task 3, has Free float of 1 (4-3). Free float cannot be greater than Total float. For Task 1, 2 and 4 since the Total float is 0, Free float also is 0.