Foundations of Project Management
Distinguish the containers before answering
A project is a temporary effort with a defined start and end that produces a unique deliverable; operations are ongoing and repetitive. A program is a group of related projects managed together for shared benefits; a portfolio is the full collection of projects and programs aligned to organizational strategy. Questions often give three descriptions and ask you to label them - the trap is reading "related projects" as a portfolio.
Know the five process groups (initiating, planning, executing, monitoring/controlling, closing) and how they differ from project life-cycle phases defined for a specific project (e.g., research, design, build, launch). Process groups repeat and overlap; phases are sequential, project-specific chunks.
The triple constraint - scope, time, cost - is balanced against quality and, in current practice, risk and resources. Expect: "Sponsor adds a feature with no extra budget; which constraint is affected?" (Scope grows; time, cost, or quality must absorb it.)
Organizational structure changes PM authority: functional (little authority), matrix (shared with functional managers - weak/functional matrix means less PM authority, strong matrix means more), project-oriented (most authority). PMO types: supportive (templates, consulting), controlling (compliance with standards), directive (project managers report to the PMO).
A useful rule of thumb for behavioral questions: when asked what the PM should do first, prefer the option that gathers information or documents the issue over one that immediately escalates or re-plans.
Trap to watch
Ethics items are usually simple: disclose conflicts of interest, protect confidential data, and do not accept gifts that could influence decisions.