Project management fundamentals — five-question quiz

Question 1

What is the critical path of a project?

Accepted Answer

The longest sequence of dependent tasks that determines the project's minimum duration

Answer

The sequence of tasks with the highest cost

Answer

The path the most senior PM takes through the plan

Answer

The sequence of tasks the sponsor cares about

Question 2

In a RACI chart, what does the R stand for?

Accepted Answer

Responsible — does the work

Answer

Reviewed — checks the work

Answer

Required — must approve

Answer

Reportable — has visibility

Question 3

Which of these is an assumption (not a constraint)?

Accepted Answer

The vendor's pricing won't change before contract signing

Answer

The project must launch before the regulatory deadline of June 30

Answer

The total budget is capped at $250K

Answer

The team must be located in the headquarters time zone

Question 4

Which of these is the most reliable structural defense against scope creep?

Accepted Answer

An explicit, signed exclusions section in the project charter

Answer

A more detailed inclusions list

Answer

A weekly status report

Answer

A larger contingency budget

Question 5

What does a Monte Carlo simulation help you estimate?

Accepted Answer

A probability distribution of possible project end dates given uncertainty in task estimates

Answer

The optimal sequence of tasks to minimize cost

Answer

Whether a project will succeed

Answer

How risky each individual stakeholder is

Five questions, one minute each, no hand-waving