Mary Grace LazoProject Manager| SMITS, Inc.Mandaluyong, Philippines
Hello, I am attending a review session for PMP Certification, though I am not yet going to take it.
We had a practice exam yesterday and we encountered a little confusing question. Just want to get your input regarding this. Here was the question:
The project life cycle differs from the product life cycle in that the project life cycle:
A. Does not incorporate a methodology
B. Is different for each industry
C. Can spawn many projects
D. Describes project management activities
My answer was B, and it was correct based on the answer sheet but we had conflicts with the other on the group because they said the item also applies for Product life cycle, thus it should not be the correct answer. The answer should be D.
Just wanted to know what will be your answer here and why.
I would have chosen D too. It's clearly not the best written question ever! Saving Changes...
Ravi AnandProject Manager| Fujitsu ConsultingPune, India
D Should be the best answer. Project life cycle is always same, whichever project you are using. Product life cycle may be different depends on making the product. And definetly Project life cycle shows different Activity at different Phases of Project. Saving Changes...
Mary Grace LazoProject Manager| SMITS, Inc.Mandaluyong, Philippines
Thank you for your responses. Saving Changes...
Taralyn Frasqueri-MolinaSenior Project Manager| Independent ContractorPasadena, Ca, United States
The project life cycle is not always the same. Even in the context of PMI specific PMP exams, PMI will say that it is up to the project manager and the project delivery team to figure out what life cycle, and what processes in that life cycle, are best for their project. "Always" is too absolute a term.
The reason why D is the correct answer, is because the "project life cycle" is all about laying out the process of "project management activities" laying out how we are going to run this project - creating project plans, risk management plans, change plans, tracking variance, creating scope.
The product life cycle does not describe project management activities, but instead activities needed to introduce a product to a market, promote it, grow it, distribute it and finally take it out of the market when it starts to decline. These are not project management activities. Saving Changes...
Wai Mun KooPMO Director| Intergraph PP&MSingapore, Singapore
B is the right answer. I think this question is just playing with the wordings. PMBOK states that "Project life cycles occur in one or more phases of a product life cycle." In other words, project life cycle is part of the product life cycle, and it also states that "The project life cycle can be determined or shaped by the uniques aspects of the organization, industry and technology employed." So it is obvious that project life cycle is different for each industry based on PMI's definition.
D is wrong and I believe this is just have to do with the wordings. According to PMBOK, "A project life cycle is a collection of generally sequential and sometimes overlapping project phases..." The key word here is, 'project phases' and not 'activities' as in the case of answer D. Life cycle looks at things at project phase level and not down to the activities level which is more likely for a project plan in my opinion. Saving Changes...
Wai Mun KooPMO Director| Intergraph PP&MSingapore, Singapore
And by the way since this is a PMP Certification session, you probably have to base all your arguments around PMI's PMBOK regardless if there are other definitions elsewhere or not. Saving Changes...
Taralyn Frasqueri-MolinaSenior Project Manager| Independent ContractorPasadena, Ca, United States
Choice D isn't about what a project life cycle is made up of (phases), it is about what a project life cycle describes or defines (activities).
Try this with Choice B and see if this makes sense: The PROJECT life cycle differs from the PRODUCT life cycle. They way they differ is that the PROJECT life cycle is different for each industry. Therefore PRODUCT life cycle is NOT different for each industry.
This is saying that for every industry, the product life cycle is exactly the same.
Does that sound correct? Saving Changes...
Wai Mun KooPMO Director| Intergraph PP&MSingapore, Singapore
Taralyn, you are right. Looking at the question again, it is asking about the difference between product and project life cycle. In this case, D should be the difference. Saving Changes...
Taralyn Frasqueri-MolinaSenior Project Manager| Independent ContractorPasadena, Ca, United States
Thanks Wai! But honestly, I don't know what the "official" correct answer is :) I'm treating this like a test question and doing my best guessing. But one day, I hope Mary gets an "official" answer, because I'd really like to know too :) Saving Changes...
Wai Mun KooPMO Director| Intergraph PP&MSingapore, Singapore
I am interested to know too. Perhaps, it could be like what Tim said - clearly not the best written question ever! Saving Changes...
