Scope Management Knowledge Area - Questions & Answers

Scope Management Knowledge area is a very important and the easiest knowledge area for the project management professional credential. You can expect 10 to 12 straightforward questions from the scope knowledge area itself. The questions can be very easy or sometimes little bit tricky and wordy. The questions could be mostly around the concept of WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) and the scope baselines. You should be very clear on WBS, WBS dictionary, and project scope statement. PMI® will assess your knowledge based on these points frequently.  Additionally, you should know the concept of decomposition as well for the examination. PMI® can frequently ask the questions based on verify scope and control scope. To make the examination a bit difficult, PMI® can put questions like difference between ‘perform quality control’ and ‘verify scope’. Note that both the processes could be performed simultaneously also. Don’t get confused! Generally, verify scope comes after perform quality control. Let me provide you some tricky questions based on the scope management knowledge area which could be frequently asked by PMI®.

Note: While answering the questions, think that you are well aware of the tools and technique used in creating the WBS and in your real world you are doing all these things for your project.

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1) During project executing, a team member comes to project manager because he is not sure of what work needs to be accomplished on the project. Which of the following documents contains the detailed description of work packages?
A. WBS dictionary.
B. Activity List.
C. Project scope statement.
D. Scope management plan.
Answer: A

Activity List (choice B) may list the work package they relate to, but they do not contain detailed description of the work packages. The project scope statements (choice C) defines the project scope, but it doesn’t describe the work a team member is assigned. The Scope management plan (choice D) describes how scope will be planned, managed and controlled. It doesn’t include a description of each work package. The WBS dictionary defines each element in the WBS. Therefore descriptions of the work packages are in the WBS.

2) During a meeting with some of the project stakeholders, the project manager is asked to add work to the project scope. The project manager had access to correspondence about the project before the project charter was signed and remembers that the project sponsor specifically denied funding for the scope mentioned by the stakeholders’. The BEST thing for the project manager to do is to :
A. Let the sponsor know of the stake holder’s request.
B. Evaluate the impact of adding the scope.
C. Tell the stakeholder the scope cannot be added.
D. Add the work if the time is available in the project schedule.
Answer: C

Based on the information presented, there is no reason to try to convince the sponsor to add the work (choice B and choice D). Though one could let the sponsor know (choice A) the best choice would be to say no. A better choice would be to find the root cause of the problem, but that choice is not listed

3) The Work Breakdown Structure can BEST be thought of as an effective aid for __________ communications. A. Team
B. Project manager
C. Customer
D.Stakeholder.
Answer: D

WBS can be used as a communication tool for all the stakeholders to “see” what is included in the project.

4) Which of the following is the KEY output of Verify Scope process?
A. A more complete Scope management plan.
B. Customer acceptance of project deliverables.
C. Improved Schedule estimates.
D. An improved Project management information system.
Answer: B

The output of Verify Scope process is customer acceptance of the project deliverables. The other choices all happen during project planning, well before the time Verify Scope process takes place.

5) A detailed project schedule can be created only after creating the:
A. Project budget.
B. Work breakdown structure.
C. Project management plan.
D. Detailed risk assessment.
Answer: B

In the Project management process, the project budget (Choice A), project management plan (choice C) and the detailed risk assessment (choice D) come after schedule. The only answer that could be an input is the WBS.

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