I wonder if anybody can help me. I am studying to take the PMP exam mid April. I am studying using Rita Mulcahy and Andy Crowe and PMbok guide.
Issue:
Rita Mulcahy says to assume that proper project management was done unless stated otherwise in all questions. I have been taking this approach when answers questions on practice exams.
However I come across a question in Andy Crowe's book
Question:
The program manager is asking why your project is scheduled to take sixteen months. He claims that previous projects in the organization were able to be completed in less than half of that time. What would the BEST thing to do?
Possible Answers
A) Look for historical information on the previous projects to understand them better
B) Refer the program manager to the schedule management plan
C) Refer the program manager to the project management plan
D) Explain to the program manager that estimates should always err on the side of being too large.
According to Andy Crowe the correct answer is A. However would the PM have taken into account previous schedules for previous projects as he has access to them via OPA's. Assuming this there should be no need to go back to check previous schedules as it would have already been done.
I am just trying to find a definite line I should take on this before I site the exam.
Thanks in advance and best regards,
Simon Saving Changes...
I am not where to start - some exam questions might not be logical or proper but that is quite a big topic.
D is unprofessional practice
A is a good answer since it is possible that you and your team are making a mistake or the past projects do not resemble yours (what the PgM thinks.) so your best action is to review those projects then you can find out whether you are being too conservative or the projects are quite different. Once you do the analysis you can meet with the PgM and explain if you were right - or make adjustments if you made a mistake.
On the specific question you shared, B & C are not good answer because they refer to the Management Plans, which are mostly about managing and not the detailed schedule.
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1 reply by Simon Reid
Mar 11, 2016 2:04 PM
Simon Reid
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Hi Mounir,
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post.
So I take it that you don't agree as a general rule that you should assume correct project managment was followed in PMP exam questions unless the questions states otherwise.
So I take it that you don't agree as a general rule that you should assume correct project managment was followed in PMP exam questions unless the questions states otherwise.
This is my real query.
Best regards,
Simon Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Hello Simon
It is hard to answer because we do not know the real exam questions. If we assume the books like the ones you mentioned are close to reality, then I can say that as a general rule, the exam questions assume correct project management.
However,
(1) this is as a general rule but every rule has exceptions. Some questions that I have seen make you wonder
(2) the questions might be in line with the general rule but the answers can be a bit wacky :) Saving Changes...
Patrick DiceyManager, Customer Project Management| CentralSquare TechnologiesOrlando, Fl, United States
I would use process of elimination on this one:
Simply saying "refer to the schedule/project management plans" wouldn't really answer anybody's question and would be a bit unprofessional to your program manager which eliminates B and C.
Estimates shouldn't always just "error on the side of caution" blindly like D states, so that is certainly incorrect.
This leaves answer A. Yes, you are correct it should have been done already but that doesn't mean that when a senior leader points out a potential dissonance between this project and past projects, that something couldn't have been missed and may be deserving of investigation.
Good luck on the exam!
Patrick
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1 reply by Sharath Sai Maram
Mar 13, 2016 8:18 PM
Sharath Sai Maram
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I would agree with Patrick. As a process of developing a plan, we would definitely look the OPA's and there are chances that you may have over looked some projects done in shorter span.
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
I agree with both Mounir and Patrick and would like to add that in this instance, you need to assume that proper PM was done on the previous projects so yes, you always need to assume proper project management was applied to the things that are not mentioned in the question unless otherwise noted. Saving Changes...
Thanks all for taking the time to reply, it's very much appreciated Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Hello Simon,
i do also agree with my fellow colleauges here and just want to add a few things.
General rules are good as a guideline to follow but don't loose your flexibility while following them.
Use your knowledge, logic and your good judgement.
If you face problems while answering the questions than try to apply the general rules you know and see if they could help you.
There are a lot of different question types in the exam and not every general rule does apply at any question type, so be aware of that.
Please refer to the follwoing guide which may contain some helpful information and guidance for you:
Markus KopkoAI Enabler for Project & Program Mgmt | Founder PMotion.ai / The PM
AI Coach| PMotion.aiHamburg, Hamburg, Germany
previous posting was mine, no glue what happens, i do face some ligin problems via the PMI login and therfore using login with my original credentials ...may be this was the reason ...
However, please do not hestitate to ask any further questions regarding PMP preparations.
Would be glad if i could help.
Regards,
Markus Saving Changes...
Muhammed Nasir KAROFIHead of Department Political and Civic Education| National Orientation Agency Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi, Nigeria
I aligned myself with the previous proponents of 'A' as the correct answer, My take is that the exam is to test your understanding of the proper thing to do. For you to add value as a project manager you have to have baseline to measure against your new approach. The fact that the program manager flagged off the schedule estimates he also must have referred to the documented lessons learned. You should also do the same to validate your schedule and set a new lesson, rather than taking the other options.
Simply saying "refer to the schedule/project management plans" wouldn't really answer anybody's question and would be a bit unprofessional to your program manager which eliminates B and C.
Estimates shouldn't always just "error on the side of caution" blindly like D states, so that is certainly incorrect.
This leaves answer A. Yes, you are correct it should have been done already but that doesn't mean that when a senior leader points out a potential dissonance between this project and past projects, that something couldn't have been missed and may be deserving of investigation.
Good luck on the exam!
Patrick
I would agree with Patrick. As a process of developing a plan, we would definitely look the OPA's and there are chances that you may have over looked some projects done in shorter span.
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