PM Test Center

Your project team currently consists of you and three others. If you add one more individual to the team, making a total of five people, how many more communication channels will you have?

A. 3
B. 4
C. 6
D. 10

Answer: B. 4
Communication channels are calculated by n(n-1)/2. That means, if you have four people (like the example), you have six channels [4(4-1)/2 = 4(3)/2 = 12/2 = 6]. Alternatively, you can simply draw four dots on a page and draw a line from each dot to every other dot. That may be a challenge if you have, say, a forty person team. Anyway, the question asks for how many more channels. Therefore, if four people have six channels and five people have ten channels, the difference is four.

Key components of a basic communication model are:

A. Encode, message and feedback-message, medium, noise, decode
B. Sender, message, receiver
C. Inputs, tools & techniques, outputs
D. Sender, encode, message and feedback-message, decode, receiver

Answer: A. Encode, message and feedback-message, medium, noise, decode
According to the PMBOK®, key components are encode, message and feedback-message, medium, noise, decode. All other choices are “noise”.

According to the PMBOK®, which of the following is not a management skill used by project managers for communicating?

A. Presentation skills
B. Resolving conflict
C. Negotiating
D. Writing skills

Answer: B. Resolving conflict
Management skills used by project managers include but are not limited to presentation skills, negotiating, writing skills, and public speaking Resolving conflict is an interpersonal skill.

Contracts should typically be communicated through:

A. Informal written
B. Informal verbal
C. Formal written
D. Formal verbal

Answer: C. Formal written
Formal written communication should be used for project documents such as project charters, project plans, and contracts. As a general rule, if it needs sign-off, then you should take a formal written method. Most project communication, however, will fall into the other categories. These could include email (informal written), meetings (informal verbal), and presentations (formal verbal).

As the project manager responsible for creating forecasts, you tend to utilize time series methods for predicting outcomes. Reports you typically use are:

A. Monte Carlo simulation, P&I matrix
B. Linear regression analysis, non-linear regression analysis
C. Probability estimates, Delphi method
D. Earned value, moving average

Answer: D. Earned value, moving average
Examples of time series methods are earned value, moving average, extrapolation, linear prediction, trend estimation, and growth curve.

The main output of the Report Performance process is:

A. Performance reports
B. Stakeholder register
C. Project charter
D. Communications management plan

Answer: A. Performance reports
Performance reports provide status and progression for the project to various stakeholders.

The main output of the Identify Stakeholders process is:

A. Performance report
B. Stakeholder register
C. Project charter
D. Communications management plan

Answer: B. Stakeholder register
The stakeholder register contains all the details regarding project stakeholders. It is used as an input for other communication processes.

What is the only output of the Distribute Information process?

A. Organizational process assets updates
B. Communications management plan
C. Stakeholder register
D. Performance reports

Answer: A. Organizational process assets updates
Organizational process assets updates is the only output of the Distribute Information process.

Types of stakeholder analysis models include all of following except:

A. Influence/satisfaction grid
B. Influence/impact grid
C. Power/interest grid
D. Power/influence grid

Answer: A. Influence/satisfaction grid
Common stakeholder analysis models are power/interest grid, power/influence grid, influence/impact grid, and salience mode.

When managing stakeholder expectations, a project manager should apply management skills when appropriate. Which of the following is not a management skill?

A. Presentation skills
B. Negotiating
C. Overcoming resistance to change
D. Writing skills

Answer: C. Overcoming resistance to change
Overcoming resistance to change is an interpersonal skill, not a management skill.