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Preparatory Certificate practice questions

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Question 1Fundamentals and Core Concepts

In project management fundamentals, what does the term 'scope' primarily define?

  1. The sequence of activities on the critical path
  2. The work that must be performed to deliver the agreed product or service Correct answer.
  3. The total budget approved for the project
  4. The organizational chart of the delivery team

Explanation

Scope describes the boundaries of the project: the specific deliverables and the work required to produce them. Budget, schedule, and staffing are separate constraints that are planned around the defined scope.

Question 2Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager records that a product must be delivered by 31 March with a fixed budget of 200,000 and a team of six. These statements are best described as which element of a project?

  1. Risks
  2. Constraints Correct answer.
  3. Deliverables
  4. Assumptions

Explanation

Fixed dates, fixed budgets, and fixed staffing levels limit the options available to the project and are therefore constraints. Assumptions are things believed true but not confirmed, risks are uncertain events, and deliverables are outputs.

Question 3Fundamentals and Core Concepts

Which document formally authorizes a project and gives the project manager authority to apply organizational resources?

  1. The work breakdown structure
  2. The risk register
  3. The communications plan
  4. The project charter Correct answer.

Explanation

The project charter is the document that formally initiates the project and grants the project manager authority over resources. The other artifacts are planning outputs created after authorization.

Question 4Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A team decomposes a project into progressively smaller work packages. What is the lowest level of this decomposition typically called?

  1. Phase
  2. Portfolio
  3. Work package Correct answer.
  4. Milestone

Explanation

A work breakdown structure breaks scope down until it reaches work packages, the smallest manageable units that can be estimated, assigned, and controlled. Milestones are points in time, phases are higher groupings, and portfolios are collections of projects.

Question 5Fundamentals and Core Concepts

Which statement best describes a project as opposed to ongoing operations?

  1. It repeats the same process indefinitely
  2. It is temporary and produces a unique result Correct answer.
  3. It has no defined start or end date
  4. It is managed only by the finance department

Explanation

A project is defined by its temporary nature and the uniqueness of its output, which distinguishes it from continuous operational work. Operations are ongoing and typically repeat established processes.

Question 6Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A stakeholder has high interest in a project but low influence over its outcome. According to common stakeholder analysis practice, how should engagement effort be prioritized?

  1. Remove the stakeholder from the stakeholder register
  2. Give the stakeholder final approval authority over all decisions
  3. Keep the stakeholder informed and engaged while focusing management effort on high-influence parties Correct answer.
  4. Ignore the stakeholder because influence is low

Explanation

Stakeholder analysis typically maps interest against influence; parties with high interest but low influence should be kept informed and engaged, while management effort concentrates on those who can affect outcomes. Ignoring them or removing them from the register creates avoidable resistance.

Question 7Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project's cost performance index (CPI) is 0.85. What does this indicate?

  1. The project's budget has been formally increased
  2. The project is earning less value than it is spending Correct answer.
  3. The project has completed 85 percent of its scope
  4. The project is ahead of schedule

Explanation

CPI is earned value divided by actual cost; a value below 1.0 means the project is getting less value per unit of cost than planned, indicating a cost overrun. It says nothing directly about schedule or percentage of scope completed.

Question 8Fundamentals and Core Concepts

Which estimating technique derives a duration or cost estimate by using historical data from a similar past project?

  1. Bottom-up estimating
  2. Parametric estimating
  3. Analogous estimating Correct answer.
  4. Three-point estimating

Explanation

Analogous estimating uses actual values from comparable past projects and is fast but less precise. Bottom-up aggregates detailed component estimates, parametric uses statistical relationships, and three-point uses weighted averages of optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely values.

Question 9Fundamentals and Core Concepts

On a network diagram, an activity has an early start of day 5, a duration of 4 days, and a late finish of day 14. What is the total float of this activity?

  1. 4 days
  2. 9 days
  3. 1 day
  4. 5 days Correct answer.

Explanation

Total float equals late finish minus early finish. The early finish is early start plus duration minus one in day-based counting, or day 8; late finish of day 14 minus early finish of day 9 gives 5 days of float in the standard convention. Either way the float is 5 days.

Question 10Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A risk register entry shows a probability of 30 percent and an impact of 40,000. What is the expected monetary value of this risk?

  1. 1,200
  2. 12,000 Correct answer.
  3. 40,000
  4. 70,000

Explanation

Expected monetary value is probability multiplied by impact: 0.30 times 40,000 equals 12,000. This figure is used to compare risks and justify response spending.

Question 11Fundamentals and Core Concepts

Which risk response strategy involves shifting the impact of a threat to a third party, for example through insurance?

  1. Transfer Correct answer.
  2. Mitigate
  3. Exploit
  4. Accept

Explanation

Transferring a risk shifts financial or contractual consequences to another party, commonly through insurance, warranties, or fixed-price contracts. Mitigation reduces probability or impact, acceptance retains the risk, and exploitation is a strategy for opportunities.

Question 12Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A quality approach that focuses on preventing defects by building quality into processes rather than inspecting at the end is best described as which concept?

  1. Quality audit
  2. Quality inspection
  3. Quality assurance Correct answer.
  4. Quality control

Explanation

Quality assurance is process-oriented and aims to prevent defects by ensuring the right processes are used. Quality control and inspection are product-oriented and detect defects after work is performed.

Question 13Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project team member reports a problem to the project manager who then decides the solution and instructs the team. Which leadership style is being demonstrated?

  1. Democratic
  2. Autocratic Correct answer.
  3. Servant
  4. Laissez-faire

Explanation

An autocratic leader makes decisions with little or no team input and issues directions. Democratic leaders consult the team, laissez-faire leaders give wide autonomy, and servant leaders prioritize enabling team members.

Question 14Fundamentals and Core Concepts

According to common team development models, during which stage do team members typically experience conflict over roles and approaches?

  1. Performing
  2. Storming Correct answer.
  3. Forming
  4. Norming

Explanation

In the storming stage, members begin to assert opinions and conflict often arises over roles, goals, and working methods. Forming is polite orientation, norming establishes agreement, and performing focuses on delivery.

Question 15Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager wants to communicate a complex technical decision to a non-technical sponsor. Which approach is most appropriate?

  1. Delay communication until the next annual report
  2. Send the full technical specification without summary
  3. Summarize the decision, its impact, and the rationale in accessible language Correct answer.
  4. Delegate the communication to a junior engineer

Explanation

Effective communication adapts format and content to the audience; a sponsor needs the decision, its implications, and the reasoning in accessible terms. Sending raw specifications or delaying communication undermines understanding and decision-making.

Question 16Fundamentals and Core Concepts

In a matrix organization, what is a characteristic of a strong matrix structure?

  1. There is no designated project manager
  2. The project manager has considerable authority over resources and priorities Correct answer.
  3. Functional managers hold all authority over project work
  4. Projects are managed only by external contractors

Explanation

In a strong matrix, the project manager has significant authority, often controls budget and resources, and may have dedicated project staff. Weak matrices favor functional managers, and a pure functional structure may lack a project manager entirely.

Question 17Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager identifies that a supplier may deliver a critical component late. Which document should record this issue along with its probability, impact, and planned response?

  1. The risk register Correct answer.
  2. The resource calendar
  3. The scope statement
  4. The project charter

Explanation

The risk register captures identified risks with their probability, impact, and planned responses, making it the appropriate record. The charter, scope statement, and resource calendar serve different planning purposes.

Question 18Fundamentals and Core Concepts

Which change control principle applies when a stakeholder requests a modification to an approved deliverable?

  1. Evaluate the change through the integrated change control process before deciding Correct answer.
  2. Implement the change immediately to satisfy the stakeholder
  3. Ask the functional manager to decide without documentation
  4. Reject all changes after the baseline is set

Explanation

Approved baselines are changed through integrated change control, which assesses impact on scope, schedule, cost, and quality before a decision is made. Immediate implementation, blanket rejection, or undocumented decisions all undermine control.

Question 19Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager is comparing two vendors and wants to weight multiple criteria such as price, quality, and delivery time. Which tool is most suitable?

  1. A Gantt chart
  2. A burn-down chart
  3. A weighted scoring model Correct answer.
  4. A resource histogram

Explanation

A weighted scoring model assigns weights to criteria and scores each option, producing a comparable total. Gantt charts show schedules, resource histograms show resource usage, and burn-down charts track remaining work.

Question 20Fundamentals and Core Concepts

What distinguishes a project management office (PMO) that is described as 'controlling'?

  1. It has no relationship to project governance
  2. It directly manages every project in the organization
  3. It provides templates and training only when requested
  4. It has a moderate degree of control and requires compliance with specific frameworks Correct answer.

Explanation

A controlling PMO requires projects to comply with specific methodologies, templates, and governance while leaving day-to-day management to project managers. Supportive PMOs offer guidance on request, and directive PMOs manage projects directly.

Question 21Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager notices the critical path has no float. What is the most significant implication for schedule management?

  1. These activities consume the most resources
  2. These activities can be performed in any order
  3. Any delay on these activities will delay the project finish date Correct answer.
  4. These activities are optional for the deliverable

Explanation

Activities on the critical path have zero total float, so any delay to them directly extends the project completion date unless the schedule is compressed. Criticality relates to timing, not to resource consumption or optionality.

Question 22Fundamentals and Core Concepts

Which of the following best describes the purpose of a lessons-learned register during a project?

  1. To document only the final customer acceptance
  2. To record knowledge and improvement opportunities throughout the project for future use Correct answer.
  3. To replace the risk register after closure
  4. To list contractual penalties for late delivery

Explanation

Lessons learned capture knowledge, successes, and improvement opportunities continuously, not only at closure, so future projects benefit. They do not record contractual penalties, substitute for acceptance records, or replace the risk register.

Question 23Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project has a planned value of 100,000, an earned value of 80,000, and an actual cost of 90,000. Which conclusion is supported?

  1. The project is behind schedule and over budget
  2. The project is on schedule and on budget
  3. The project is behind schedule and under budget Correct answer.
  4. The project is ahead of schedule and under budget

Explanation

Earned value of 80,000 is below planned value of 100,000, indicating the project is behind schedule. Actual cost of 90,000 is above earned value of 80,000, so the project is spending more than the value earned, meaning it is over budget.

Question 24Fundamentals and Core Concepts

Which activity belongs to the project closing process group?

  1. Creating the work breakdown structure
  2. Developing the project charter
  3. Estimating activity durations
  4. Obtaining formal acceptance of deliverables and archiving project records Correct answer.

Explanation

Closing includes formal acceptance of deliverables, releasing resources, and archiving records. Charter development is initiating, the work breakdown structure is planning, and duration estimating is planning.

Question 25Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager is leading a geographically distributed team across time zones. Which practice best supports effective virtual team performance?

  1. Establishing clear communication norms, shared tools, and regular structured meetings Correct answer.
  2. Relying solely on informal hallway conversations
  3. Avoiding documented communication to save time
  4. Scheduling all meetings without agendas to encourage spontaneity

Explanation

Virtual teams perform better with explicit communication norms, shared collaboration tools, and structured meetings with clear purposes. Informal hallway contact, avoiding documentation, and agenda-free meetings increase misunderstanding across distance and time zones.

Question 26Fundamentals and Core Concepts

Which document formally authorizes the existence of a project and gives the project manager authority to apply organizational resources to project activities?

  1. The project management plan
  2. The work breakdown structure
  3. The benefits management plan
  4. The project charter Correct answer.

Explanation

The project charter is the document issued by the sponsor or initiating authority that formally recognizes the project and empowers the project manager to commit organizational resources. It precedes and is distinct from the project management plan, which describes how the work will be executed.

Question 27Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager is defining the boundaries of what the project will and will not deliver. Which document element primarily establishes those boundaries?

  1. The configuration management plan
  2. The requirements traceability matrix
  3. The project scope statement Correct answer.
  4. The scope baseline

Explanation

The project scope statement describes the project scope, major deliverables, assumptions, and constraints, and explicitly records what is excluded from scope. The scope baseline packages the scope statement with the WBS and WBS dictionary, but the boundary description itself originates in the scope statement.

Question 28Fundamentals and Core Concepts

In a project with a predictive life cycle, which characteristic distinguishes it from an adaptive life cycle?

  1. Deliverables are demonstrated to stakeholders at the end of each timebox
  2. Scope is delivered in frequent increments with heavy customer involvement
  3. Detailed scope is defined early and changes are managed through formal control Correct answer.
  4. Requirements are progressively elaborated and prioritized each iteration

Explanation

A predictive (waterfall) life cycle defines detailed scope as early as possible and manages changes through formal integrated change control. Incremental delivery, iterative elaboration, and timeboxed demonstrations are hallmarks of adaptive or agile approaches.

Question 29Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager needs to record who is accountable for each work package and who provides input. Which tool is designed for this purpose?

  1. The organizational breakdown structure
  2. The resource histogram
  3. The responsibility assignment matrix of cost accounts
  4. The RACI chart Correct answer.

Explanation

A RACI chart is a type of responsibility assignment matrix that maps activities or work packages to roles and labels each as responsible, accountable, consulted, or informed. It clarifies accountability and input relationships among stakeholders.

Question 30Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager is developing the cost baseline and must decide how to treat a known future expense that is not yet allocated to a specific work package. Which reserve category applies?

  1. Management reserve
  2. Sunk cost
  3. Cost of quality
  4. Contingency reserve Correct answer.

Explanation

Contingency reserves are set aside for identified risks and known unknowns, and they are included in the cost baseline. Management reserve covers unknown unknowns and sits outside the cost baseline but within the overall project budget.

Question 31Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager is preparing a stakeholder engagement plan and wants to classify stakeholders by both their power to impose their will and their urgency and legitimacy of claim. Which model fits this classification?

  1. The power/interest grid
  2. The influence/impact grid
  3. The salience model Correct answer.
  4. The stakeholder cube

Explanation

The salience model classifies stakeholders by power, urgency, and legitimacy, producing categories such as definitive, dominant, and dependent stakeholders. The power/interest grid uses only two dimensions and does not incorporate urgency or legitimacy.

Question 32Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager is building a network diagram and needs to represent an activity whose start depends on the completion of two predecessor activities. Which relationship type describes this dependency?

  1. Finish-to-start with a lag Correct answer.
  2. Finish-to-finish
  3. Start-to-finish
  4. Start-to-start with a lead

Explanation

When a successor cannot begin until two predecessors finish, the dependency is finish-to-start; a lag may be added to delay the successor further. Start-to-start, finish-to-finish, and start-to-finish relationships describe different overlap patterns.

Question 33Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager is estimating activity durations and wants to account for uncertainty by producing an estimate that reflects a weighted average of optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic values. Which technique applies?

  1. Parametric estimating
  2. Bottom-up estimating
  3. Analogous estimating
  4. Three-point estimating Correct answer.

Explanation

Three-point estimating uses optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic estimates to compute an expected duration, often via the PERT weighted average. Analogous and parametric estimating use historical or parametric relationships rather than explicit uncertainty ranges.

Question 34Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager is planning communications and identifies that a regulatory agency requires periodic compliance reports. How should this requirement be classified?

  1. An informal, external communication
  2. An informal, internal communication
  3. A formal, external communication Correct answer.
  4. A formal, internal communication

Explanation

Communication with a regulatory agency is external because the agency lies outside the project organization, and compliance reports are formal because they follow prescribed formats and channels. Internal communications stay within the project team or performing organization.

Question 35Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager is analyzing how much a project's value will change given a change in a key variable such as unit price. Which technique is most appropriate?

  1. Expected monetary value analysis
  2. Sensitivity analysis Correct answer.
  3. Monte Carlo simulation
  4. Decision tree analysis

Explanation

Sensitivity analysis determines which individual variables have the greatest effect on project outcomes, often displayed as a tornado diagram. Monte Carlo simulation models the combined effect of many variables, while decision trees and EMV compare discrete alternatives.

Question 36Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager reviews a supplier contract and sees that the buyer pays a fixed fee plus an agreed percentage of the supplier's actual costs. Which contract type is described?

  1. Time and materials
  2. Cost-plus-percentage-fee Correct answer.
  3. Cost-plus-incentive-fee
  4. Firm-fixed-price

Explanation

A cost-plus-percentage-fee contract reimburses allowable costs and adds a fee calculated as a percentage of those costs. Because the fee grows with costs, this type is discouraged in many procurement policies since it reduces the supplier's incentive to control cost.

Question 37Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager wants to ensure that a deliverable meets specified requirements before it is handed to the customer. Which activity is most directly aimed at this?

  1. Quality improvement
  2. Quality assurance
  3. Quality planning
  4. Quality control Correct answer.

Explanation

Quality control monitors and records results of quality activities to assess performance and recommend corrective actions, verifying that deliverables meet requirements before acceptance. Quality assurance focuses on the processes used to produce the deliverables.

Question 38Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager is applying earned value management and finds a schedule variance of zero while the schedule performance index is 1.0. Which interpretation is most accurate?

  1. The project has no remaining work to complete
  2. The project is ahead of schedule and under budget
  3. The project is behind schedule but under budget
  4. The project is on schedule and earned value equals planned value Correct answer.

Explanation

Schedule variance equals earned value minus planned value, and the schedule performance index equals earned value divided by planned value. A variance of zero and an index of 1.0 both mean earned value equals planned value, indicating the project is on schedule in earned value terms.

Question 39Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager is closing a phase and must confirm that all work is complete and accepted. Which activity is most appropriate?

  1. Performing a benefits realization review
  2. Developing the project management plan
  3. Verifying that deliverables are accepted and transferring them to the customer Correct answer.
  4. Updating the risk register with new threats

Explanation

Closing processes confirm that all deliverables have been completed and accepted, and that ownership is transferred to the customer or operations. Benefits realization reviews typically occur after project closure, and updating risks or developing the plan belong to executing and planning.

Question 40Fundamentals and Core Concepts

A project manager is analyzing a situation where a project team member has both functional reporting duties and project reporting duties, and the project manager has limited authority over the team member's performance evaluation. Which organizational structure is most consistent with this situation?

  1. Strong matrix organization
  2. Composite organization
  3. Weak matrix organization Correct answer.
  4. Projectized organization

Explanation

In a weak matrix, the functional manager retains primary authority over resources and performance evaluations, while the project manager coordinates. A projectized structure gives the project manager full authority, and a strong matrix gives the project manager considerable but shared authority.

Question 41Terminology and Definitions

In terminology work, what does the term «concept» designate?

  1. A unit of knowledge created by a unique combination of characteristics Correct answer.
  2. The physical object in the real world to which a term refers
  3. The written form of a term including its capitalization rules
  4. A word or phrase that designates a concept in a specific domain

Explanation

In terminology science a concept is a unit of knowledge, an abstract mental construct formed by a unique combination of characteristics. Terms are the designations of concepts, and referents are the concrete objects in the real world. Keeping concept distinct from term and referent is the foundation of terminological analysis.

Question 42Terminology and Definitions

Which statement best characterizes the relationship between a term and a concept?

  1. A concept is the linguistic label assigned to a term by a standards body
  2. A term and a concept are synonyms and can always be used interchangeably
  3. A term is the underlying idea, while a concept is its spoken form
  4. A term is a designation that refers to a concept within a subject field Correct answer.

Explanation

A term is a verbal designation of a concept, typically used within a specialized subject field. The concept is the mental content, and the term is the linguistic label attached to it. The two are related but not interchangeable, because one is knowledge and the other is language.

Question 43Terminology and Definitions

What is a «definition» in terminology work?

  1. An example sentence showing how a term is used in running text
  2. A statement that describes a concept by listing its essential characteristics Correct answer.
  3. A translation of a term into a target language
  4. A list of synonyms that can replace the term in a document

Explanation

A terminological definition describes a concept by stating the characteristics that are necessary and sufficient to delimit it. It is not a usage example, a translation, or a synonym list, though those may accompany an entry. The definition should allow the reader to distinguish the concept from related ones.

Question 44Terminology and Definitions

Which of the following is the best example of an «intension» of a concept?

  1. The complete set of characteristics that make up the concept Correct answer.
  2. The frequency with which the term appears in a corpus
  3. The number of languages into which the term has been translated
  4. The set of all objects in the world that the concept covers

Explanation

Intension refers to the set of characteristics that constitute a concept, that is, its content. Extension, by contrast, is the set of objects to which the concept applies. Translation counts and corpus frequency are usage data, not components of intension.

Question 45Terminology and Definitions

A terminologist notes that the concept «vehicle» covers cars, trucks, and buses. This collection of objects is best described as the concept's:

  1. Extension Correct answer.
  2. Intension
  3. Designation
  4. Referent

Explanation

The extension of a concept is the set of all objects to which the concept applies, here the cars, trucks, and buses. Intension is the set of characteristics, while a designation is the term used and a referent is an individual object. The example lists many objects, so it illustrates extension.

Question 46Terminology and Definitions

What distinguishes a «term» from a general-language «word»?

  1. A term is restricted to a specialized subject field and has a defined concept Correct answer.
  2. A term is always a single word, while a word may be a phrase
  3. A word can only appear in dictionaries, while a term appears in texts
  4. A term is always shorter than a general-language word

Explanation

A term is a designation used within a specialized field and tied to a defined concept in that field. Ordinary words belong to general language and may be polysemous without a fixed technical definition. Length, dictionary presence, and single-word status do not separate terms from words.

Question 47Terminology and Definitions

Which pair correctly matches a designation type with its meaning?

  1. Concept: a synonym list for a headword
  2. Definition: the object in the world that a term names
  3. Symbol: a graphic sign that designates a concept by convention Correct answer.
  4. Term: a definition stated in a standards document

Explanation

A symbol is a graphic or other conventional sign that designates a concept, such as a mathematical sign. A term is a verbal designation, a concept is a unit of knowledge, and a definition is a statement of characteristics. The other pairs confuse designations with definitions or concepts.

Question 48Terminology and Definitions

In terminology, «polysemy» refers to which situation?

  1. Several terms designate the same single concept
  2. A term has no definition in the target language
  3. A concept has no term in any language
  4. One term designates several related concepts within a field Correct answer.

Explanation

Polysemy occurs when a single term designates more than one concept, usually related in meaning, within a field. The reverse situation, several terms for one concept, is synonymy. Absence of a term is a lexical gap, not polysemy.

Question 49Terminology and Definitions

A glossary entry lists «hypertension» and «high blood pressure» as two labels for the same concept. This relationship is best termed:

  1. Synonymy Correct answer.
  2. Polysemy
  3. Antonymy
  4. Homonymy

Explanation

Synonymy is the relationship in which two or more terms designate the same concept. Polysemy is the opposite, one term for several concepts, and homonymy involves unrelated concepts sharing a form. Antonymy concerns opposite meanings, so it does not apply here.

Question 50Terminology and Definitions

What is a «homonym» in terminological analysis?

  1. A term that has exactly the same meaning as another term in the same field
  2. A definition that covers two concepts at once
  3. A concept that has no designation in the source language
  4. One of two or more terms that are written or pronounced identically but designate different concepts Correct answer.

Explanation

Homonyms share a written or spoken form but designate different, usually unrelated, concepts, as with «bank» of a river and «bank» as a financial institution. Terms with the same meaning are synonyms. A concept lacking a designation is a lexical gap.