Question 1

A deliverable is:

Accepted Answer

Deliverable is an output produced by the project.

Question 2

RACI stands for:

Accepted Answer

RACI assigns responsibility and accountability.

Question 3

Monitoring and control is mainly used to:

Accepted Answer

It tracks progress vs baselines and corrects deviations.

Question 4

Stage-gate (phase review) is mainly used to:

Accepted Answer

Stage-gate reviews decide whether to continue, rework, or stop.

Question 5

Baselines are used for:

Accepted Answer

Baselines are references for performance measurement.

Question 6

The classic triple constraint includes:

Accepted Answer

Triple constraint = scope, time, cost (often with quality implied).

Question 7

TELOS is related to:

Accepted Answer

TELOS represents feasibility types (Technical, Economic, Legal, Operational, Schedule).

Question 8

Which is NOT a typical risk response for threats?

Accepted Answer

Exploit is for opportunities (positive risks), not threats.

Question 9

Cost baseline is:

Accepted Answer

Cost baseline is approved budget used for control.

Question 10

Quality in projects mainly means:

Accepted Answer

Quality is meeting requirements and customer expectations.

Question 11

EVM integrates:

Accepted Answer

EVM integrates scope + schedule + cost in one performance view.

Question 12

CCB stands for:

Accepted Answer

CCB reviews and decides on change requests.

Question 13

WBS is mainly a:

Accepted Answer

WBS decomposes deliverables into manageable components.

Question 14

Critical path is the:

Accepted Answer

Critical path determines minimum project duration.

Question 15

Activities on the critical path have:

Accepted Answer

Critical activities typically have zero slack/float.

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of operations?

Accepted Answer

Operations are ongoing and repetitive (e.g., daily support).

Question 17

Expected time in PERT is:

Accepted Answer

PERT expected time formula is weighted average.

Question 18

Configuration management mainly helps to:

Accepted Answer

It controls versions of deliverables and tracks changes.

Question 19

Matrix organization is characterized by:

Accepted Answer

Matrix structure has dual authority reporting lines.

Question 20

A project is best defined as:

Accepted Answer

Projects are temporary and produce a unique product/service/result.

Question 21

What is change control?

Accepted Answer

**Change control** is a formal process to evaluate and approve/reject changes to baselines.

Question 22

What is a work package?

Accepted Answer

A **work package** is the lowest-level WBS component that can be assigned and estimated.

Question 23

Define project life cycle.

Accepted Answer

A **project life cycle** is the series of phases a project passes through from start to finish.

Question 24

Define cost baseline.

Accepted Answer

**Cost baseline** is the approved time-phased budget used for control.

Question 25

What is a deliverable?

Accepted Answer

A **deliverable** is a tangible output produced by the project.

Question 26

Define a project.

Accepted Answer

A **project** is a temporary endeavour to create a **unique** product, service, or result.

Question 27

State the 100% rule.

Accepted Answer

WBS should include **100% of the work** defined by the scope (no missing work).

Question 28

Expand RACI.

Accepted Answer

**Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed**.

Question 29

What is scope statement?

Accepted Answer

A **scope statement** defines project boundaries—what is included and excluded.

Question 30

Expand EVM.

Accepted Answer

**Earned Value Management**.

Question 31

Explain who are stakeholders and why they are important.

Accepted Answer

Stakeholders are individuals/groups who affect or are affected by the project (customer, sponsor, team, suppliers). They are important because their expectations define success, they provide approvals/resources, and unmanaged stakeholders can cause delays/conflicts.

Question 32

What is a stage-gate (phase review) and why is it used?

Accepted Answer

A **stage-gate** is a review at the end of a phase to decide **go/no-go**, rework, or stop. It is used to control cost/time and prevent continuing weak projects.

Question 33

Explain business case and mention any three contents.

Accepted Answer

A business case justifies the project. Contents (any three): problem/opportunity, objectives/benefits, cost estimate, options and recommendation, risks/assumptions, high-level timeline. It supports approval decisions.

Question 34

Differentiate cost estimation, budgeting and cost control.

Accepted Answer

**Estimation** predicts activity/resource costs, **budgeting** allocates approved costs over time to form a baseline, and **cost control** monitors actuals and takes corrective action to manage overruns.

Question 35

Explain risk identification methods (any three).

Accepted Answer

Methods (any three): brainstorming, expert judgement, checklists from past projects, SWOT analysis, interviews, review of WBS/schedule assumptions. Output is a list of risks for the risk register.

Question 36

Differentiate quality planning, QA and QC with a table.

Accepted Answer

### **Differentiate Quality Planning, QA and QC with table**

- **Quality planning** defines standards/metrics and how to achieve them.
- **Quality assurance (QA)** ensures processes are followed to **prevent defects**.
- **Quality control (QC)** checks deliverables to **detect defects**.

| Item | Focus | Goal | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality planning | standards/metrics | define what quality means | quality plan, checklists |
| QA | process | **prevention** | audits, process compliance |
| QC | product/output | **detection** | inspection, testing |

Thus QA prevents and QC detects, while planning sets the quality targets.

Question 37

Explain project closure and lessons learned with steps/flowchart.

Accepted Answer

### **Explain project closure and lessons learned (with steps)**

**Project closure** formally completes the project.

Steps:
- confirm deliverables and get **acceptance sign-off**
- handover to operations/support
- close contracts and payments
- release resources
- archive documents
- record **lessons learned**

```text
Acceptance → Handover → Close contracts → Release resources → Archive → Lessons learned
```

Lessons learned improve future projects by capturing best practices and mistakes to avoid.

Question 38

Explain stakeholder analysis using power–interest grid with diagram/table.

Accepted Answer

### **Explain stakeholder analysis using power–interest grid (with diagram)**

**Stakeholder analysis** identifies stakeholders and plans how to engage them.

Steps:
1) identify stakeholders
2) assess **power/influence** and **interest**
3) plan communication strategy

Power–interest grid:
- high power/high interest → **manage closely**
- high power/low interest → **keep satisfied**
- low power/high interest → **keep informed**
- low power/low interest → **monitor**

```text
High power
  |  Manage closely  |  Keep satisfied
  |------------------|----------------
  |  Keep informed   |  Monitor
  +---------------------------------> High interest
```

Thus, the grid helps prioritize effort and reduce stakeholder resistance.

Question 39

Explain conflict management techniques with a table and examples.

Accepted Answer

### **Explain conflict management techniques with table**

Conflicts arise due to resource scarcity, schedule pressure, unclear roles, etc.

Common techniques:
- **Avoiding**: postpone/withdraw
- **Accommodating**: give in to preserve relationship
- **Compromising**: middle solution
- **Competing/Forcing**: assert decision quickly
- **Collaborating**: win-win solution

| Technique | When useful |
|---|---|
| Avoiding | low priority, temporary |
| Competing | urgent decision |
| Compromising | quick middle ground |
| Collaborating | best long-term |
| Accommodating | preserve relationship |

Thus PM should select technique based on situation; collaborating is generally preferred.

Question 40

Explain cost estimation techniques with a comparison table.

Accepted Answer

### **Explain cost estimation techniques with a comparison table**

Cost estimation predicts the money required for project activities/resources.

**Techniques**:
- **Analogous**: uses similar past project cost (fast, less accurate)
- **Parametric**: uses rate × quantity (needs reliable data)
- **Bottom-up**: estimates at work package level and rolls up (high accuracy)
- **Three-point**: uses O/M/P to handle uncertainty

| Technique | Speed | Accuracy | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Analogous** | fast | low-medium | early estimate |
| **Parametric** | medium | medium-high | good historical rates |
| **Bottom-up** | slow | high | detailed planning |

Thus the technique is chosen based on project stage and data availability.

Project Management — Question Paper

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