Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

PROJECT HR MANAGEMENT MCQs

1. You have been assigned as project manager on what could be a “bet the company”
project. You realize that to be successful you need to exercise maximum control over
project resources. Which form of project organization should you establish for this
project?
a. Strong matrix
b. Projectized
c. Project coordinator
d. Weak matrix

2. Which of the following is a ground rule for project team building?

a. Perform frequent performance appraisals
b. Ensure that each team member reports to his or her functional manager in
addition to the project manager
c. Start early
d. Try to solve team political problems

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

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 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

3. Project A is being administered using a matrix form of organization. The project

manager reports to a senior vice president who provides visible support to the project. In
this scenario, which of the following statements best describes the relative power of the
project manager?
a. The project manager will probably not be challenged by project stakeholders.
b. In this strong matrix, the balance of power is shifted to the functional line
managers.
c. In this tight matrix, the balance of power is shifted to the project manager.
d. In this strong matrix, the balance of power is shifted to the project manager.

4. You are leading a team to recommend an equitable reward and recognition system for
project managers. Before finalizing the plan, you want to ensure that executives
understand the basic objective of reward systems. This objective is to—
a. Be comparable with the award system established for functional managers to
indicate parity and to show the importance of project management to the
company
b. Make the link between project performance and reward clear, explicit, and
achievable
c. Motivate project managers to work toward common objectives and goals as
defined by the company
d. Attract people to join the organization’s project management career path

5. Which of the following factors contributes the most to team communication?

a. External feedback
b. Performance appraisals
c. Smoothing over of team conflicts by the project manager
d. Collection

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

6. You are managing a virtual team. The project has been under way for several months,
and you believe your team members do not view themselves as a team or a unified group.
To help rectify this situation, you should—
a. Ensure that every member of the project team uses e-mail as a form of
communication
b. Mandate that the team follow the vision and mission statement of his or her
organization
c. Enhance communications planning
d. Provide team members with the latest in communications technology and
mandate its use

7. Major difficulties arise when multiple projects need to be managed in the functional
organizational structure because of—
a. The level of authority of the project manager
b. Conflicts over the relative priorities of different projects in competition for
limited resources
c. Project team members who are focused on their functional specialty rather than
on the project
d. The need for the project manager to use interpersonal skills to resolve conflicts
informally

8. The team you have organized for your new project consists of three people who will
work full-time and five people who will support the project on a part-time basis. All team
members know one another and have worked together in the past. To ensure a successful
project start-up, your first step should be to—
a. Meet with each team member individually to discuss assignments
b. Prepare a responsibility assignment matrix and distribute it to each team
member
c. Distribute the project plan and WBS to the team
d. Hold a project kickoff meeting

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

9. Your organization is characterized by hierarchical organizational structures with rigid

rules and policies and strict supervisory controls. Individual team members are not
expected to engage in problem solving or use creative approaches to plan and execute
work; management does that. Your organization is characterized by which one of the
following theories?
a. Ouchi’s Theory
b. McGregor’s Theory X
c. Maslow’s self-esteem level
d. Vroom’s Expectancy Theory

10. As you prepare your human resource plan, you need to determine the skill and capacity
required to complete the activities in the project. This should be documented in the—
a. Roles and responsibilities section
b. Staffing management plan
c. Staff acquisition section
d. Compliance section

11. The primary result of effective team development is—

a. Improved project performance
b. An effective, smoothly running team
c. An understanding by project team members that the project manager is
ultimately responsible for project performance
d. Enhancement of the ability of stakeholders to contribute as individuals and
team members

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

12. The team members on your project have been complaining that they do not have any
sense of identity as a team because they are located in different areas of the building. To
remedy this situation, you developed a project logo and had it printed on T-shirts to
promote the project, but this action has not worked. Your next step is to—
a. Initiate a newsletter
b. Create an air of mystery about the project
c. Establish a “team meeting room”
d. Issue guidelines on how team members should interact with other stakeholders

13. The project team directory is an output from which of the following processes?
a. Develop project team
b. Acquire project team
c. Develop human resource management plan
d. Manage project team

14. You realize that leadership without management or management without leadership
probably will produce poor project results. Which one of the following key
responsibilities best represents project leadership?
a. Developing a vision and strategy, and motivating people to achieve them
b. Getting things done through other people
c. Using charismatic power to motivate others even if they do not like the work
d. Using all types of power, as appropriate, as motivational tools

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

15. Given that you are neighbors, you and the CEO of your company have established a
friendly personal relationship. Recently your company appointed you project manager for
a new project that is crucial to achieving next year’s financial targets. Which type of
power available to project managers might you be able to rely upon?
a. Referent
b. Reward
c. Formal
d. Expert

16. You have been a project manager for seven years. You now are managing the
construction of a new facility that must comply with the government’s newly issued
environmental standards. You want to ensure that your team members are able to select
methods to complete various activities on the project without needing to involve you in
each situation. As you prepare your human resource management plan, you should
document this information in which of the following—
a. Roles and responsibilities section
b. Resource assignment matrix
c. Resource breakdown structure
d. Staffing management plan

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

17. It is important on all projects to determine when and how human resources will be met.
Assume that you are managing a project to assess methods for streamlining the regulatory
approval process for new medical devices in your government agency. Because the
agency has undergone downsizing during the past three years, subject matter experts are
in short supply. You must determine whether the needed subject matter experts can be
acquired from inside the agency or whether you must use contractors. This information
should be documented in the—
a. Make-or-buy decisions in the procurement management plan
b. Contracts management plan
c. Staffing management plan
d. Resource management plan

18. In both the weak and strong matrix organizational structures, the primary condition
leading to conflict is—
a. Communication barriers
b. Conflicting interests
c. Need for consensus
d. Ambiguous jurisdictions

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

19. As project manager, you are primarily responsible for implementing the project
management plan by authorizing the execution of project activities. Because you do not
work in a projectized organization, you do not have direct access to human resource
administrative activities. Therefore you need to—
a. Outsource these functions
b. Prepare a project team charter that is signed off by a member of the human
resources department to delineate responsibilities
c. Ensure that your team is sufficiently aware of administrative requirements to
ensure compliance
d. Ask the head of human resources to approve your project human resource plan
personally

20. Constant bickering, absenteeism, and substandard performance have characterized the
behavior of certain members of your team. You have planned an off-site retreat for the
team to engage in a variety of activities. Your primary objective for investing time and
money in this event is to improve—
a. Team performance
b. Morale
c. Quality
d. Individual performance

21. Two team members on your project often disagree. You need a conflict resolution
method that provides a long-term resolution. You decide to use which one of the
following approaches?
a. Confronting
b. Problem solving
c. Collaborating
d. Smoothing

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

22. Which of the following is an enterprise environmental factor that may influence the
development of the human resource management plan?
a. The organizational structure of the performing organization
b. Poor communication among team members
c. Ambiguous staffing requirements
d. Team morale

23. As a project manager, you believe in using a “personal touch” to further team
development. One approach that has proven effective toward this goal is—
a. Creating a team name
b. Providing flexible work time
c. Issuing a project charter
d. Celebrating special occasions

24. Your project has been under way for some time, but indicators show that it is in trouble.
You have observed all the following symptoms of poor teamwork in your project team
EXCEPT—
a. Frustration
b. Excessive meetings
c. Lack of trust or confidence in the project manager
d. Unproductive meetings

25. You are the project manager for a two-year project that is now beginning its second year.
The mix of team members has changed, and there is confusion as to roles and
responsibilities. In addition, several of the completed work packages have not received
the required sign-offs, and three work packages are five weeks behind schedule. To gain
control of this project, you need to—
a. Rebaseline your original human resource plan with current resource
requirements
b. Change to a projectized organizational structure for maximum control over
resource assignments
c. Work with your team to prepare a responsibility assignment matrix
d. Create a new division of labor by assigning technical leads to the most critical
activities

26. You are part of a team that is working to develop a new medical implant device. Your
project manager is an expert in medical implantation devices, yet he continually seeks
opinions from the team about a wide variety of project and product issues. Team
members often run project meetings while he sits silently at the head of the table. Which
one of the following best characterizes his leadership style?
a. Laissez-faire
b. Team directed
c. Collaborative
d. Shared leadership

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

27. The major difference between the project coordinator and project expeditor forms of
organization is that—
a. Strong commitment to the project usually does not exist in the project expeditor
form of organization
b. The project coordinator cannot personally make or enforce decisions
c. The project expeditor acts only as an intermediary between management and
the project team
d. The project coordinator reports to a higher-level manager in the organization

28. Which one of the following represents a constraint on the acquire project team process?
a. Preassignment of staff to the project
b. Recruitment practices of the organizations involved
c. Use of outsourcing
d. Team member training requirements

29. According to Herzberg’s Motivator-Hygiene Theory, when achievement, recognition,

responsibility, and advancement, or promotion, are not present, employees will—
a. Become alienated with the organization and leave
b. Lack motivation but will not be dissatisfied with their work
c. Lack motivation and become dissatisfied with their work
d. Become dissatisfied only if they do not receive salary increases

30. Objectives for conducting performance appraisals during the course of a project can
include all the following EXCEPT—
a. Initial establishment of roles and responsibilities
b. Discovery of unknown and unresolved issues
c. Development of individual training plans
d. Establishment of goals for future time periods

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

31. Your organization is adopting a project-based approach to business, which has been
difficult. Although project teams have been created, they are little more than a collection
of functional and technical experts who focus on their specialties. You are managing the
company’s most important project. As you begin this project, you must place a high
priority on—
a. Creating an effective team
b. Identifying the resources needed to finish the project on time
c. The best way to communicate status to the CEO
d. Establishing firm project requirements

32. In organizing a project, a project manager must deal with conflict. Which statement is
TRUE regarding conflict in projects?
a. A matrix form of organization can produce a lack of clear role definitions and
lead to ambiguous jurisdictions between and among functional leaders and
project managers
b. Sources of conflict include project priorities, PERT/CPM schedules, contract
administrative procedures, and type of contract
c. Conflict is to be avoided whenever possible
d. Strong matrix project managers have few human resource conflicts, because
they can dictate their needs to functional managers

33. The chances for successful completion of a multidisciplinary project are increased if
project team members are—
a. Problem oriented
b. Politically sensitive to top management’s needs
c. Focused on individual project activities
d. Focused on customer demands

34. The terms strong matrix, balanced matrix, and weak matrix when applied to the matrix
structure in project organization refer to the—
a. Ability of the organization to achieve its goals
b. Physical proximity of project team members to one another and to the project
manager
c. Degree of the project manager’s authority
d. Degree to which team members bond together

35. The key way for a project manager to promote optimum team performance in project
teams whose members are not collocated is to—
a. Build trust
b. Establish a reward and recognition system
c. Obtain the support of the functional managers in the other locations
d. Exercise his or her right to control all aspects of the project

36. Hierarchical-type charts are a tool and technique for use in human resource planning.
Which one of the following is helpful in tracking project costs and can be aligned with
the organization’s accounting system?
Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir
Dec-15
Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

a. RACI
b. RAM
c. RBS
d. OBS

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

37. When choosing the most appropriate form of project organization, the first step is to—
a. Create the WBS and let it determine the project organizational structure
b. Produce a project management plan and determine the functional areas
responsible for each task
c. Refer to the project charter developed by top management
d. Develop a project schedule, including a top-down flowchart, and identify the
functional areas to perform each task

38. Conflicts in which following three areas represent the majority of all project conflicts?
a. Personalities, cost objectives, and schedules
b. Cost objectives, administrative procedures, and scarce resources
c. Scarce resources, scheduling priorities, and personal work styles
d. Personal work styles, project priorities, and cost objectives

39. Which of the following qualifications is the most important for a project manager?
a. Supervisory experience
b. Negotiation skill
c. Education in a technical field
d. Ability to work well with others

40. Determining the method and the timing of releasing team members should be included in
the—
a. Staff acquisition plan
b. Human resource plan
c. Staffing management plan
d. Project training plan

41. You are working on an upgrade to a call distribution system for a call center, however
you are finding it extremely difficult to get the proper resources assigned and tasks
completed because the Call Center Manager is in control of the budget. You have just
realized that you work in what type of an organization:
a. Balanced Matrix
b. Functional
c. Strong Matrix
d. Projectized

42 The most long-lasting conflict resolution is caused by which of these techniques?

a. Smoothing
b. Confrontation
c. Compromising
d. Forcing

43. In which stage of team development are team members more likely to be independent?
a. Storming
b. Influencing
c. Adjourning
Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir
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 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

d. Forming

44. Colocation is also referred to as:

a. Strong matrix
b. Weak matrix
c. Tight matrix
d. Balance matrix

Answer Key

1. b. Projectized
In a projectized organizational structure, all project team members report directly and
solely to the project manager. He or she has complete control over these resources and,
therefore, exercises more authority over them than when in any other project
organizational structure. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 25

2. c. Start early
Starting the team-building process early in the project is crucial for setting the right
tone and preventing bad habits and patterns from developing. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 514

3. d. In this strong matrix, the balance of power is shifted to the project manager.
The project manager’s ability to influence project decisions increases the higher up he
or she—and the person to whom he or she reports—is placed in the organization. In the
strong matrix, the project manager’s authority ranges from moderate to high.
[Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 22

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

4. b. Make the link between project performance and reward clear, explicit, and achievable
Reward and recognition systems are formal management actions that provide an
incentive to behave in a particular way, usually with respect to achieving certain goals.
Such systems are described in the staffing management plan. A best practice is to give
the team recognition throughout the life cycle [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 266 and 277

5. d. Collocation
Collocation is the placement of team members in the same physical location to
enhance their ability to perform as a team, primarily through increased communication
as well as improved working relationships and productivity. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 277, 532

6. c. Enhance communications planning

Because the dispersed project team does not share the same physical space each day,
the possibility for misunderstandings, isolationism, difficulty in sharing information,
and the cost of technology can be key issues. The project manager must enhance
communications planning in the virtual team as it requires even more communication
than collocated teams. Additional time also may be needed to set expectations,
determine how best to resolve conflicts, involve people in making decisions,
understand cultural differences, and share credit for success.[Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 271

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

7. b. Conflicts over the relative priorities of different projects in competition for limited
resources
When a finite group of resources must be distributed across multiple projects, conflicts
in work assignments will occur. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 282–283, 518

8. d. Hold a project kickoff meeting

An indispensable tool in project management, the kickoff or launch meeting is held at
the outset of the project and is designed to get the project rolling. The meeting provides
the opportunity not only to present the project charter and discuss the project’s goals
and objectives but also to establish rapport among team members. [Executing]

9. b. McGregor’s Theory X
McGregor observed two types of managers and classified them by their perceptions of
workers. Theory X managers thought that workers were lazy, needed to be watched
and supervised closely, and were irresponsible. Theory Y managers thought that, given
the correct conditions, workers could be trusted to seek responsibility and work hard at
their jobs. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 263

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

10. a. Roles and responsibilities section

Roles and responsibilities are listed in the human resource plan. This section describes
roles and authority, responsibility, and competency or the skill and capacity required to
complete project activities. When team members do not have the required
competencies, project performance may be jeopardized and the project manager must
have proactive responses to handle these situations. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 264

11. a. Improved project performance

Improved project performance not only increases the likelihood of meeting project
objectives, it also creates a positive team experience contributing to the enhancement
of team capabilities. It results in improved teamwork, enhanced people skills and
competencies, motivated employees, reduced staff turnover rates, and improved overall
team performance. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 273

12. c. Establish a “team meeting room”

Collocating team members, even on a temporary basis, enhances communications,
thereby contributing to improved project performance. In addition, the “team meeting
room” (often called a ‘war room’) provides a sense of identity to the project team and
raises the visibility of the project within the organization. Creating a newsletter is
simply applying another organizational process asset, which typically has proven
ineffective. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 277

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

13. b. Acquire project team

The project team directory is part of project staff assignments, an output from the acquire project
team process. Other outputs are resource calendars and updates to the project management plan.
[Executing] PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 272

14. d. Developing a vision and strategy, and motivating people to achieve them
Leadership involves developing a vision of the future and strategies to achieve that
vision, positioning people to carry out the vision, and helping people energize
themselves to overcome any barriers to change. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 284, 513–514

15. a. Referent
Referent power is based on a less powerful person’s identification with a more
powerful person. This type of power is useful in terms of persuasion and helps the
project manager exert influence over individuals from whom he or she needs support.
[Planning]

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

16. a. Roles and responsibilities section

Authority refers to the right to apply project resources, make decisions, and sign
approvals. Examples include selecting methods to complete activities, quality
acceptance, and responding to variances in the project. The individual authority of each
team member should match their individual responsibilities. This is documented in the
roles and responsibilities section in the human resource management plan. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 264

17. c. Staffing management plan

The staffing management plan is part of the human resource management plan. One
section of it involves staff acquisition. Among other things, this section includes
whether the human resources will come from within the organization or from external,
contracted sources. These data then help to plan the acquisition of project team
members. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 265

18. d. Ambiguous jurisdictions

Ambiguous jurisdictions exist when two or more parties have related responsibilities,
but their work boundaries and role definitions are unclear. This situation is found
frequently in weak and strong matrix organizations because of the “two-boss” concept.
[Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 23

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

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 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

19. c. Ensure that your team is sufficiently aware of administrative requirements to ensure
compliance
A projectized work environment is unusual because project managers rarely have
every function under their control. But compliance with administrative requirements,
government regulations, union contract provisions, and other constraints is a
consideration in human resource management. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 22, 267

20. a. Team performance

Team development leads to improved team performance, which ultimately results in
improved project performance. Improvements in team performance can come from
many sources and can affect many areas of project performance. For example,
improved individual skill levels such as enhanced technical competence may enable
team members to perform their assigned activities more effectively. Team devel-
opment efforts have greater benefit when conducted early but should take place
throughout the project life cycle. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 274, 278

21. c. Collaborating
Collaborating or problem solving is an effective technique for managing conflict when
a project is too important to be compromised. It involves incorporating multiple ideas
and viewpoints from people with different perspectives and offers a good opportunity
to learn from others. It provides a long-term resolution. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 283, 518

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

22. a. The organizational structure of the performing organization

Enterprise environmental factors can influence the develop human resource
management plan process. The organizational structure of the performing organization
determines whether the project manager’s role is a strong one (as in a strong matrix) or
a weak one (as in a weak matrix). Other examples of enterprise environmental factors
are the organization’s culture, geographic dispersion of team members, existing human
resources, personnel administration functions, and marketplace conditions. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 260

23. d. Celebrating special occasions

Project managers can show interest in their team members by celebrating occasions
such as birthdays, anniversaries with the organization, and special achievements. Other
approaches include being supportive, being clear, learning some information about
each team member, and being accessible. Through observation and conversation, the
project management team monitors indicators such as progress toward project
deliverables, accomplishments that are a source of pride for team members, and
interpersonal issues. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 277, 282, 514

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

24. b. Excessive meetings

The problem is not too many meetings, but unproductive ones. The purpose of project
meetings is to focus the skills and resources of the project team on project
performance. Meetings that are considered “gripe sessions” or a time for the project
manager to “lay down the law” are demoralizing to the team. [Executing]

25. c. Work with your team to prepare a responsibility assignment matrix

The responsibility assignment matrix defines project roles and responsibilities in terms
of work packages and activities. It can be used to show who is a participant, who is
accountable, who handles review, who provides input, and who must sign off on
specific work packages or project phases. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 262

26. d. Shared leadership

Shared leadership is more than participatory management or collaboration; it involves
letting the project team take over as much of the leadership role as it will accept.
[Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 294, 513–514

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

27. d. The project coordinator reports to a higher-level manager in the organization

The relative position of the project coordinator in the organization is thought to lead to
an increased level of authority and responsibility. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 23

28. b. Recruitment practices of the organizations involved

Staff assignments in organizations are governed by the policies, procedures, or
guidelines of individual components. These policies will constrain the project
manager’s actions in acquiring a project team. The more familiar the project manager
is with such policies, the easier it will be for him/her to assemble a team. Such
recruitment practices are examples of personnel administration policies; an enterprise
environmental factor, which is an input to acquire project team. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 268

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

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 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

29. c. Lack motivation and become dissatisfied with their work

Herzberg advanced the theory that hygiene factors, such as the poor attitude of a
supervisor, lead to dissatisfaction but not usually to decreased motivation. When
motivators, such as responsibility and recognition, are lacking, they lead to job
dissatisfaction, but when such motivators are present, they tend to motivate a person in
the performance of his or her work. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 263

30. a. Initial establishment of roles and responsibilities

Project performance appraisals are a tool and technique for the manage project team
process and are used, among other objectives, to reclarify roles and responsibilities. It
is critical that team members receive positive feedback in what might otherwise be a
hectic environment. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 282

31. a. Creating an effective team

An effective team is critical to project success, but such a team is not born
spontaneously. In early project phases, it is vitally important for the project manager to
place a high priority on initiating and implementing the team-building process.
[Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 273–274

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

32. a. A matrix form of organization can produce a lack of clear role definitions and lead to
ambiguous jurisdictions between and among functional leaders and project managers
Matrix management is useful but complex, involving difficult communication because
of the use of borrowed and often part-time resources who are spread throughout the
organization. [Executing]
PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 22–23

33. a. Problem oriented

Problem-oriented people tend to learn and use whatever problem-solving techniques
appear helpful. Although the project manager must be politically sensitive, team
members need not have developed this skill to the extent required of the project
manager; and rather than focusing on individual activities, team members should take a
systems approach focusing on the entire project. [Executing]

34. c. Degree of the project manager’s authority

In a strong matrix organization, the balance of power shifts toward the project
manager. In a weak matrix organization, the balance of power shifts toward the
functional or line manager. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 22

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

35. a. Build trust

Team members who are physically separate from one another tend not to know each
other well. They have few opportunities to develop trust in the traditional way, and
they tend to communicate poorly with one another. Trust then must become the
foundation upon which all team-building activities are built. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 271, 517–518

36. c. RBS
The resource breakdown structure (RBS) is a variation of the organizational
breakdown structure (OBS) and is used to show which work elements are assigned to
individuals and other resource categories. As an example, it can show all crane
operators and cranes even though they may be scattered throughout the OBS and WBS,
which can help to track project costs. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 261

37. b. Produce a project management plan and determine the functional areas responsible for
each task
All effort on a project starts from the project management plan, which details the work
that must be accomplished. It is a key input as the human resource management plan is
developed [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 259

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

38. c. Scarce resources, scheduling priorities, and personal work styles

Although all areas listed contain potential conflicts, the majority of all conflict in a
project environment is caused by scarce resources, scheduling priorities, and personal
work styles. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 282

39. d. Ability to work well with others

Project management requires getting things done through people who generally do not
report directly to the project manager. The ability to influence project team members,
as well as other key stakeholders, is crucial for success. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 16–17, 513

40. c. Staffing management plan

The staffing management plan is a document that describes when and how human
resources will become part of the project team and when they will return to their
organizational units. It addresses how staff members will be acquired, how long they
will remain on the project, how and when they will be released, training needs, and
other important aspects of forming and disbanding the team. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 265–266

41. b. Functional

42. b. Confrontation

43. a. Forming

44. d. Tight matrix

Colocation of project team at a single place is known as tight matrix or War Room

Project Human Resource Management Test -2

Q: 1. A RACI matrix is one way to show roles and responsibilities on your project. What
does RACI stand for?
1. Responsible, Approve, Consult, Identify
2. Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed
3. Retain, Approve, Confirm, Inform
4. Responsible, Accountable, Confirm, Inform

Q: 2. Everybody does what Tom says because he and the president of the company are
golfing buddies. What kind of power does he hold over the team?
1. Legitimate
2. Reward
3. Punishment
4. Referent

Q: 3. What’s the most effective approach to conflict resolution?

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir
Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

1. Smoothing
2. Confronting
3. Compromise
4. Withdrawal

Q: 4. Two of your team members are having a disagreement over which technical solution
to use. What’s the first thing that you should do in this situation?
1. Consult the technical documents.
2. Tell the team members to work out the problem themselves.
3. Ask the team members to write up a change request.
4. Meet with the team members and figure out what’s causing the disagreement.

Q: 5. Joe is a project manager on a large software project. Very late in his project, the
customer asked for a huge change and wouldn’t give him any more time to complete
the project. At a weekly status meeting, the client demanded that the project be
finished on time. Joe told the client that he wasn’t going to do any more status
meetings until the client was ready to be reasonable about the situation. Which
conflict resolution technique was he using?
1. Forcing
2. Compromise
3. Withdrawal
4. Confronting

Q: 6. You’ve just completed your resource histogram. What process are you in?
1. Acquire Project Team
2. Develop Project Team
3. Plan Human Resource Management
4. Manage Project Team

Q: 7. Which of the following describes Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

1. You can’t be good at your job if you don’t have a nice office.
2. You need to feel safe and accepted to want to be good at your job.
3. Your boss’s needs are more important than yours.
4. The company’s needs are most important, then the boss’s, then the employee’s.

Q: 8. Jim and Sue are arguing about which approach to take with the project. Sue makes
some good points, but Jim gets frustrated and storms out of the room. What conflict
resolution technique did Jim demonstrate?
1. Withdrawal
2. Confronting
3. Forcing
4. Smoothing

Q: 9. Tina is a project manager who micromanages her team. She reviews every
document they produce and watches when they come and go from the office. Which
kind of manager is she?
Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir
Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

1. Theory X
2. Theory Y
3. Theory Z
4. McGregor manager

Q: 10. Which of the following is NOT one of the top sources of conflict on projects?
1. Resources
2. Technical opinions
3. Salaries
4. Priorities

Q: 11. Which of the following is an example of the “halo effect”?

1. When a project manager is good, the team is good, too
2. The tendency to promote people who are good at technical jobs into managerial
positions
3. When a project manager picks a star on the team and always rewards that
person
4. When a technical person does such a good job that no one can find fault with
her

Q: 12. You are working on a construction project that is running slightly behind schedule.
You ask the team to put in a few extra hours on their shifts over the next few weeks
to make up the time. To make sure everyone feels motivated to do the extra work,
you set up a $1,500 bonus for everyone on the team who works the extra hours if the
deadline is met. What kind of power are you using?
1. Legitimate
2. Reward
3. Expert
4. Referent

Q: 13. Two team members are having an argument over priorities in your project. One
thinks that you should write everything down before you start doing any work,
while the other thinks you can do the work while you finish the documentation. You
sit both of them down and listen to their argument. Then you decide that you will
write most of it down first but will start doing the work when you are 80% done
with the documentation. What conflict resolution technique are you using?
1. Forcing
2. Confronting
3. Smoothing
4. Compromise

Q: 14. What is a war room?

1. A place where managers make decisions
2. A room set aside for conflict management
3. A room where a team can sit together and get closer communication
4. A conflict resolution technique
Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir
Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

Q: 15. You are writing a performance assessment for your team. Which process are you
in?
1. Develop Project Team
2. Acquire Project Team
3. Manage Project Team
4. Plan Human Resource Management

Q: 16. You are working in a matrix organization. You don’t have legitimate power over
your team. Why?
1. They don’t report to you.
2. They don’t trust you.
3. They don’t know whether or not they will succeed.
4. You haven’t set up a good bonus system.

Q: 17. Tom is using an organization chart to figure out how he’ll staff his project. What
process is he performing?
1. Plan Human Resource Management
2. Acquire Project Team
3. Develop Project Team
4. Manage Project Team

Q: 18. You’re a project manager on an industrial design project. You’ve set up a reward
system, but you’re surprised to find out that the team is actually less motivated than
before. You realize that it’s because your rewards are impossible to achieve, so the
team doesn’t expect to ever get them. What motivational theory does this
demonstrate?
1. Herzberg’s Hygiene Theory
2. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
3. MacGregor’s Theory of X and Y
4. Expectancy Theory

Q: 19. You’re managing a software project when two of your programmers come to you
with a disagreement over which feature to work on next. You listen to the first
programmer, but rather than thinking through the situation and gathering all the
information, you decide to go with his idea. Which conflict resolution technique did
you use?
1. Compromise
2. Forcing
3. Confronting
4. Smoothing

Q: 20. Your client comes to you with a serious problem in one of the deliverables that will
cause the final product to be unacceptable. Your team members look at his complaint and
feel that it’s not justifiable, and that the product really does meet its requirements. What’s
the first thing that you do?
Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir
Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

1. Confront the situation by making the change that needs to be made in order to
satisfy the client.
2. Explain to the client that the solution really is acceptable.
3. Work with the client and team members to fully understand the problem before
making a decision.
4. Write up a change request and send it to the change control board.

ANSWERS KEY TEST –II

1. Answer: B
When you think about how you organize the work on your project, the RACI chart makes sense.
Being responsible for a specific task or area of work means you’re the one who’s on the hook if
it doesn’t get done. Being accountable means you might not be doing it directly, but you have
influence over it. Some people need to be consulted but don’t get involved in the work, while
others should just be kept informed of status.

2. Answer: D
NOT E
Did you choose punishment? People might be afraid of punishment from the president of the
company if they don’t agree with Tom. But since Tom isn’t the one who would punish them, it’s
referent power. The power is here is referent. People are reacting to Tom’s relationship to the
president of the company, not his own authority.

3. Answer: B
Confronting does sound like it would be negative, but it just means solving the problem. If you
actually solve the problem, there’s no more reason for people to fight at all. That’s always the
best way to deal with a conflict. Any of the other options could lead to more problems later.

4. Answer: D
This is a classic “have-a-meeting” question! You should always gather the information you need
before you make any kind of decision.

5. Answer: C
Joe decided that the best tactic was to refuse to talk to the client anymore—that’s withdrawing.
It’s also probably not going to solve the problem.

6. Answer: C
You create the histogram as part of the Staffing Management plan. It’s the main output of the
Plan Human Resource Management process.

7. Answer: B
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs says that your safety and acceptance are a prerequisite for your
being able to do your best.
8. Answer: A
Jim took his ball and went home. That’s withdrawal.

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

9. Answer: A
A micromanager is a Theory X manager. Tina believes that all employees need to be watched
very closely, or they will make mistakes.

10. Answer: C
You definitely need to know what causes conflicts on projects. Resources, technical opinions,
priorities, and personalities all cause people to have conflicts, and there’s a good chance you’ll
get a question on that!

11. Answer: B
Just because someone is good at a technical job, it doesn’t mean he will be good at management.
The jobs require very different skills.

12. Answer: B
You are motivating the work by offering a reward for it. People might be motivated by the bonus
to put in the extra time even if they would not have been motivated by the deadline alone.

13. Answer: D
Both of them had to give something up, so that’s a compromise.

14. Answer: C
War rooms are part of colocation. It’s a way to keep your entire team in one room so they don’t
have any communication gaps.

15. Answer: A
Developing the team is where you evaluate performance and set up motivational factors. Manage
Project Team is where you solve conflicts.

16. Answer: A
In matrix organizations, team members usually report to their functional managers. A project
manager never has legitimate power over the team in those situations.

17. Answer: A
Tom’s project is at the very beginning—he’s using the organization chart as a tool to figure out
who’s going to be assigned to his team.
NOT E
Don’t forget that there are two org charts—one for the company, and one for the project.

18. Answer: D
Expectancy Theory says that people get motivated only by rewards that they can achieve, and
that are fair. If you set up a reward system that selects people who don’t deserve rewards, or that
has rewards that are unattainable, then it will backfire and cause people to resent their jobs.

19. Answer: B
Whenever you choose one side over another without thinking or actually finding the root cause
of the problem, you’re forcing a solution on it. This is not a good way to solve problems!
Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir
Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

20. Answer: C
Any time there’s any sort of conflict, the first thing you need to do is gather all the information.
And that’s especially true when there’s a disagreement between the client and the team! You’d
better have your facts straight in such a charged situation.

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT MCQs

1. As project manager, you plan to conduct a “kickoff” meeting at which you will discuss all
the following EXCEPT—
a. Establishing working relationships and standard formats for global
communication
b. Reviewing project plans
c. Establishing individual and group responsibilities and accountabilities
d. Discussing specific legal issues regarding the contract

2. One purpose of the communications management plan is to provide information about the—
a. Methods that will be used to convey information
b. Methods that will be used for releasing team members from the project when
they are no longer needed
c. Project organization and stakeholder responsibility relationships
d. Experience and skill levels of each team member

3. Project managers for international projects should recognize key issues in cross-cultural
settings and place special emphasis on—
a. Establishing a performance reporting system
b. Using good communication planning
c. Establishing and following a production schedule for information distribution
to avoid responding to requests for information between scheduled
communications
d. Using translation services for formal, written project reports

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

4. You are managing a project with team members located at customer sites on three different
continents. As you plan communications with your stakeholders, you should review—
a. Stakeholder management plan
b. Stakeholder register
c. Communications model
d. Communications channels

5. Having worked previously on projects as a team member, you are pleased to now be the
project manager to develop a new process to ensure that software projects in your IT
Department are considered a success and are not late or over budget. However, many of
your team members are new to the organization. As you work to establish a high-
performing team, you realize the importance of—
a. Mentoring
b. Coaching
c. Moving quickly through the forming and storming stages
d. Safeguarding information

6. As a project manager, you try to use empathic listening skills to help understand another
person’s frame of reference. In following this approach, you should—
a. Mimic the content of the message
b. Probe, then evaluate the content
c. Evaluate the content, then advise
d. Rephrase the content and reflect the feeling

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

7. Statements of organizational policies and philosophies, position descriptions, and

constraints are examples of—
a. Formal communication
b. Lateral communication
c. External communication
d. Horizontal communication

8. You have decided to organize a study group of other project managers in your organization
to help prepare for the PMP® exam. What type of communication activity are you
employing in your efforts to organize this group?
a. Horizontal
b. Vertical
c. Official
d. External

9. Your company CEO just sent you an e-mail asking you to make a presentation on your
project, which has been in progress for 18 months, to over 50 identified internal and
external stakeholders. You have been conducting such presentations and holding meetings
regularly on this important project. You should begin by—
a. Defining the audience
b. Determining the objective
c. Deciding on the general form of the presentation
d. Circulating issues to be discussed

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

10. You are responsible for a project in your organization that has multiple internal customers.
Because many people in your organization are interested in this project, you realize the
importance of—
a. Conducting a stakeholder analysis to assess information needs
b. Performing communications planning early
c. Determining the communications requirements of the customers
d. Having an expert on communications management an customer relationship
management on your team

11. Project managers spend a great deal of time communicating with the team, the
stakeholders, the client, and the sponsor. One can easily see the challenges involved,
especially if one team member must communicate a technical concept to another team
member in a different country. The first step in this process is to—
a. Encode the message
b. Decode the message
c. Determine the feedback loops
d. Determine the medium

12. On your project, scope changes, constraints, assumptions, integration and interface
requirements, and overlapping roles and responsibilities pose communications challenges.
The presence of communication barriers is most likely to lead to—
a. Reduced productivity
b. Increased hostility
c. Low morale
d. Increased conflict

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

13. The most common communication problem that occurs during negotiation is that—
a. Each side may misinterpret what the other side has said
b. Each side may give up on the other side
c. One side may try to confuse the other side
d. One side may be too busy thinking about what to say next to hear what is being
said

14. You finally have been appointed project manager for a major company project. One of your
first activities as project manager will be to create the communications management plan.
As you match the stakeholder with the appropriate communication methods for that
stakeholder, you could use any one of the following methods EXCEPT—
a. Interactive communications
b. Passive communications
c. Pull communications
d. Push communications

15. As an output of plan communications, it may be necessary to update the project documents,
which include the—
a. Stakeholder register
b. Corporate policies, procedures, and processes
c. Knowledge management system
d. Stakeholder management plan

16. Sample attributes of a communications management plan include which one of the
following?
a. Roles
b. Responsibilities
c. Ethics
d. Authority

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

17. The process of conferring with others to come to terms or reach an agreement is called—
a. Win-win
b. Negotiation
c. Getting to “yes”
d. Confrontation

18. The key benefit of the control communications process is to—

a. Sharing best practices with other project teams in the organization with lessons
learned
b. Ensuring the information needs of stakeholders are met
c. Ensuring an optimal information flow among communication participants
d. Providing stakeholders with information about resolved issues, approved status,
and project status

19. The issue log is useful in control communications because it—

a. Provides what has happened and is a platform for subsequent communications
b. Includes the project’s risk register
c. Organizes and summarizes information gathered
d. Serves as an information management system for communications management

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

20. As head of the PMO, you will receive performance reports for all major projects. You
decided to set a guideline for project managers as performance reporting should—
a. Collect work performance information on the status of deliverables
b. Provide earned value data for project forecasting
c. Provide information at an appropriate level for each audience
d. Focus on cost and schedule variances rather than scope, resources, quality, and
risks

21. A simple performance report provides information on—

a. Percent complete
b. Customer satisfaction
c. Unacceptable variances
d. Scope creep

22. Communication is important when setting and managing expectations with the stakeholders.
Which one of the following statements is NOT true regarding the importance of
communications within a project?
a. Communications is one of the single biggest contributors to project success or
failure.
b. Project resources should be spent primarily on communicating information that
leads to project success.
c. Effective communications includes awareness of communication styles,
cultural issues, relationships, personalities, and the context of the situation
d. Listening is part of communicating and is a way to gain insight into problem
areas, managing conflicts, and making decisions.

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

23. In person-to-person communication, messages are sent on verbal levels and nonverbal
levels simultaneously. As a general rule, what percentage of the message actually is sent
through nonverbal cues?
a. 5 percent to 15 percent
b. 20 percent to 30 percent
c. 40 percent to 50 percent
d. Greater than 50 percent

24. As an output from control communications, it may be necessary to update the—

a. Project schedule
b. Forecasts
c. Corporate policies, procedures, and processes
d. Knowledge management system

25. In project communications, the first step in a written communication is to—

a. Analyze the facts and assumptions that have a bearing on the purpose of the
message
b. Gather thoughts or ideas
c. Develop a logical sequence of the topics to be addressed
d. Establish the basic purpose of the message

26. communications management plan includes which one of the following sample contents?
a. Issues
b. Escalation processes, including time frames and the management chains
c. Dimensions
d. Project assumptions and constraints

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

27. Your organization has decided to use project management for all of its endeavors. It has
established a Center of Excellence for Project Management to support the movement into
management by projects and has appointed you as its director. Since you work in a matrix
environment, which of the following types of communications is the most essential for
success?
a. Upward
b. Horizontal
c. Downward
d. Diagonal

28. You have heard recently that the client calls your progress reports the “Code of
Hammurabi” because they seem to be written in hieroglyphics and are completely
indecipherable to all but an antiquities scholar. This situation could have been avoided by—
a. Informing the client at the start of the project about the types of reports they
will receive
b. Using risk management techniques to identify client issues
c. Hiring an expert report writer to prepare standard reports
d. Engaging in communications planning

29. Assume on your project you have identified 250 stakeholders located in three continents
and of these 250, you have determined that 200 of them will be actively involved and
interested in your project. Therefore, as you determine an appropriate communication
method, your best approach is—
a. Elaborate status reports
b. Simple status reports
c. Knowledge repositories
d. E-mails

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

30. You want to ensure that the information you collect showing project progress and status is
meaningful to stakeholders. You want to combine the type and format of the stakeholder’s
information needs with an analysis of the value of the information. You will document this
information in the—
a. Communications register
b. Stakeholder register
c. Stakeholder management plan
d. Communications management plan

31. Work performance information is an output of which process?

a. Manage risks
b. Manage communications
c. Control communications
d. Report performance

32. Assume you want to optimize the work performance reports you will use to manage
communications. You should do so by—
a. Determining the most appropriate choice of communications media
b. Setting different communications techniques for different stakeholder groups
c. Ensuring the information is consistent with regulations and standards
d. Ensuring comprehensiveness, accuracy, and

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

33. Information received from stakeholders concerning project operations can be distributed
and used to modify or improve future performance of the project. This modification or
improvement is done as an update to organizational process assets during which following
process?
a. Plan communications management
b. Distribute information
c. Manage communications
d. Report performance

34. General management skills relevant to the manage communications process include—
a. Operational planning
b. Organizational behavior
c. Setting and managing expectations
d. Influencing the organization

35. Changes in the report formats and lessons learned documents process should trigger
changes to the—
a. Project management plan and performance reporting system
b. Integrated change control system and the communications management plan
c. Monitor and control project process and the project management plan
d. Organizational process assets updates

36. One way to determine how to best update and communicate project performance and respond
to stakeholder information requests is to—
a. Review the effectiveness of the communications management plan
b. Set up a portal
c. Hold meetings
d. Distribute performance reports

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

37. The purpose of work performance data in control communications is to present results of
comparative analysis to the—
a. Performance measurement baseline
b. Communications management plan
c. Stakeholder management plan
d. Deliverable status

38. Because communications planning often is linked tightly with enterprise environmental
factors, which one of the following statements is true?
a. The project’s organizational structure has a major effect on the project’s
communications requirements.
b. Standardized guidelines, work instructions, and performance measurement
criteria are key items to consider.
c. Procedures for approving and issuing
225Project Communications Management work authorizations should be taken
into consideration.
d. Criteria and guidelines to tailor standard processes to the specific needs of the
project should be stated explicitly.

39. You are working on a project with 15 stakeholders. The number of communication channels
on this project is—
a. 15
b. 105
c. 210
d. ◾ 227

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

40. Which of the following formulas calculates the number of communication channels in a
project?
a. nn(–)12
b. n22–1
c. nn21–
d. 221nn–

Answer Key

1. d. Discussing specific legal issues regarding the contract

Conducted after contract award or approval of the project, the kickoff meeting
provides an opportunity for project participants to get to know each other and review
information about the project. It is not a forum to discuss detailed project issues.
[Planning]

2. a. Methods that will be used to convey information

These methods or technologies can include memos, e-mails, and/or press conferences.
They are one of several items to include in this plan. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 296

3. b. Using good communications planning

An effective way to manage cultural diversity on projects is for the project manager to
get to know the team members and to use good communication planning. It is
necessary to consider time zones and language barriers as well as cultural differences
and to include a glossary of common terminology in the communications management
plan. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 290, 296, and 516

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

4. b. Stakeholder register
The stakeholder register is an input to the plan communications management process.
It contains the identified stakeholders including their name, position, location, and role;
their main requirements, expectations, and potential influence; and whether or not they
are supporters, neutral, or resistors of the project. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 291, 398

5. b. Coaching
Many communications skills are common to both general management and project
management. Coaching is one example. It is especially useful to develop the team to
higher levels of competency and performance and helping people recognize their
potential through empowerment and development. It is used to aid team members to
develop or enhance their skills required to achieve project success. [Planning and
Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 288, 519

6. d. Rephrase the content and reflect the feeling

Empathic listening requires seeing the world the way the other person sees it, with the
goal of understanding that person’s views and feelings. Unlike sympathetic listening,
empathic listening contains no element of value judgment. It is essential to listen
actively and effectively and to question and probe ideas to help ensure better
understanding. [Executing]
Covey 2004, 239–243
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 288, 515

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

7. a. Formal communication
Formal communication provides direction and control for project team members and
other employees. They also contain reports, minutes, and briefings and are examples of
organizational process assets used in manage communications and in control
communications. [Executing and Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 287, 300, 306

8. a. Horizontal
Communication activities have many potential dimensions to consider in exchanging
information between the sender and the receiver. Horizontal communication occurs
between or among peers, that is, across, rather than up and down, the organization.
[Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 287

9. d. Circulating issues to be discussed

Meetings are held regularly on projects to update and communicate project information
and to respond to requests from stakeholders for the information. Most meetings
consist of stakeholders coming together to resolve problems or make decisions.
Typical meetings begin with a defined list of issues to be discussed, which are
distributed in advance with minutes and other key information relative to the meeting.
[Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 295

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

10. b. Performing communications planning early

On most projects, communications planning should be performed very early such as
when the project management plan is prepared. This approach then allows appropriate
resources, such as time and budget, to be allocated to communications activities.
[Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 290

11. a. Encode the message

As the first step in the basic communication model, it is essential to translate thoughts
or ideas into a language that is understood by others. Then, the message is sent using
various technologies, and the receiver decodes it or translates it back into meaningful
thoughts or ideas. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 293–294

12. d. Increased conflict

Barriers to communication lead to a poor flow of information. Accordingly, messages
are misinterpreted by recipients, thereby creating different perceptions, understanding,
and frames of reference. Left unchecked, poor communication increases conflict
among project stakeholders, which causes the other problems listed to arise. Then, the
project manager must work actively to resolve conflicts so disruptive impacts are
prevented [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 288

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

13. a. Each side may misinterpret what the other side has said
Effective communication is the key to successful negotiation. Misunderstanding is the
most common communication problem. A project manager should listen actively,
acknowledge what is being said, and speak for a purpose. It is essential to listen
attentively ad communicate articulately. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 517

14. b. Passive communications

You can use several different methods to share information. Interactive
communications are multidirectional in nature, such as conferences and meetings. Pull
communications are those methods where the recipient finds the information at their
leisure and gets the information that they want at their discretion. Push
communications is targeted information sent to a select group but does not certify that
the recipient actually has received the information, such as e-mail. Passive
communications is more of a style of delivering the content or receiving the content.
[Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 295

15. a. Stakeholder register

In the plan communications management process the two documents that may be
updated are the project schedule and the stakeholder register. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 297

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

16. b. Responsibilities
The communications management plan should identify the person responsible for
communicating the information and the person responsible for authorizing release of
any confidential information. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 296

17. b. Negotiation
Negotiation if done well increases the probability of project success and involves
conferring with others of shared or opposed interests with a view toward compromise.
Negotiating is required to achieve mutually acceptable agreements between parties.
[Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 288, 517

18. b. Ensuring optimal information flow among all communication participants

While control communications as a process monitors and controls communications
throughout the project to ensure the communication needs of project stakeholders are
met, the key benefit is to ensure an optimal information flow among all communication
participants at any moment in time. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 303

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

19. a. Provides what has happened and is a platform for subsequent communications
The issue log is an input to control communications and is used to document and
monitor issue resolution. It can facilitate communications and ensure a common
understanding of issues. In this process its information provides a repository of what
already has happened in the project and serves as a platform for subsequent
communications to be delivered. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 305

20. c. Provide information at an appropriate level for each audience

Performance reporting is a tool and technique in manage communications.
Performance reports range from simple status reports to more elaborate reports. The
emphasis is to ensure performance reporting provides the needed information for each
audience level. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 301

21. a. Percent complete

A simple status report may show performance information such as percent complete or
status information for each area (scope, schedule, cost, and quality). [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 301

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

22. b. Project resources should be spent primarily on communicating information that leads to
project success
Communications is considered one of the single most powerful indicators of project
success or failure. Effective communications includes an awareness of all types of
filters that may be impeding or straining communications. Listening is vital to good
communications. Resources also should be spent on determining where a lack of
communications can lead to failure. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 289–291

23. d. Greater than 50 percent

Nonverbal cues can be divided into four categories: physical, aesthetic, signs, and
symbols. Many studies have demonstrated that most messages are conveyed through
such nonverbal cues as facial expression, touch, and body motion, rather than through
the words spoken. [Executing]

24. b. Forecasts
Communications control often entails the need to update project documents, including
forecasts, performance reports, and the issue log. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 308

25. b. Gather thoughts or ideas

For any type of communication, the first step in the basic communication model is to
encode, which means the sender translates thoughts or ideas into language [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

26. b. Escalation processes, including time frames and the management chains
Numerous items, including escalation processes, are part of the communications
management plan. Business issues may arise that cannot be resolved at a lower staff
level. During such a time, an escalation process is required to show time frames and
the names of people in the management chain who will work to resolve these issues.
[Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 296

27. b. Horizontal
Horizontal communication is between the project manager and his or her peers and
will be where most of the communications will occur. Accordingly, it is essential for
success in a highly competitive environment and requires diplomacy, experience, and
mutual respect. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 287

28. d. Engaging in communications planning

The communications management plan is prepared during plan communications
management. The plan should include a description of the information to be distributed
such as format, content, level of detail, as well as conventions and definitions to be
used. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 296

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

29. c. Knowledge repositories

Knowledge repositories along with Intranet sites, e-learning, and lessons learned data
bases are examplesof methods of pull communications. They are used for large
volumes of information or for large audiences and require recipients to access
communication content at their own discretion. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 295
30. d. Communications management plan
The project team must conduct an analysis of stakeholder communications
requirements to ensure that stakeholders are receiving the information required to
participate in the project. For example, stakeholders typically require performance
reports for information purposes. Such information requirements should be included in
the communications management plan. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 291 and 296
31. c. Control communications
Work performance information, an output of control communications, organizes and
summaries performance data such as status and progress information on the project at
the level required by stakeholders. This information next is communicated to the
appropriate stakeholders. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 307Project Communications Management ◾ 241

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

32. d. Ensuring comprehensiveness, accuracy, and availability

Work performance reports are an input to manage communications. They are a
collection of project performance and status information used to facilitate discussion
and create communications. They should be comprehensive, accurate, and available in
a timely way. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 299
33. c. Manage communications
Feedback from stakeholders is an example of an organizational process asset to update
as a result of the manage communications process. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 303
34. c. Setting and managing expectations
Communications skills are part of general management skills, and setting and
managing expectations are an example in manage communications. This helps create,
collect, distribute, store, retrieve, and ultimately dispose of project information
according to the communications management plan. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 287–288, 297
35. d. Organizational process assets updates
Any changes in report formats or lessons learned documentation are organizational
process asset updates as an output of control communications. The documentation may
become part of the historical data base for both the project and the organization.
[Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 308242 ◾ PMP® Exam Practice Test and Study
Guide

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

36. c. Hold meetings

Meetings are a tool and technique in control communications. They can be face to face
or online and in different locations and may include not only the project team but also
suppliers, vendors, and other stakeholders. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 307
37. a. Performance measurement baseline
Wok performance data are an input in control communications. These data organize
and summarize information gathered and present the results of comparative analysis to
the performance measurement baseline. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 305
38. a. The project’s organizational structure has a major effect on the project’s communications
requirements.
Enterprise environmental factors undoubtedly will influence the project’s success and
must be considered because communication must be adapted to the project
environment. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 29, 291

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

39. b. 105
The formula for determining the number of communication channels is n(n – 1)/2,
where n = the number of stakeholders: 15(15 – 1)/2 = (15)(14)/2 = 105. It is important
to note that project managers must plan the project’s communications requirements
carefully, limiting who will communicate with whom given the potential for confusion
when multiple communications channels can exist. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 292

40. a. nn(–)12
Where n = the number of stakeholders.

PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT TEST -II

Q: 1. Keith, the project manager of a large publishing project, sends an invoice to his
client. Which communication type is he using?
1. Formal verbal
2. Formal written
3. Informal written
4. Informal verbal

Q: 2. Which of the following is NOT an input to the Plan Communications Management

process?
1. Enterprise environmental factors
2. Organizational process assets
3. Information gathering techniques
4. Project management plan

Q: 3. You take over for a project manager who has left the company and realize that the
team is talking directly to the customer and having status meetings only when there
are problems. The programming team has one idea about the goals of the project,
and the testing team has another. Which document is the FIRST one that you
should create to solve this problem?
1. Communications Management plan
2. Status report
3. Meeting agenda
4. Performance report

Q: 4. You ask one of your stakeholders how things are going on her part of the project
and she says, “things are fine” in a sarcastic tone. Which is the BEST way to describe the
kind of communication that she used?
1. Feedback
2. Active listening
3. Nonverbal
4. Paralingual
Q: 5. You’re managing an industrial design project. You created a Communications
Management plan, and now the team is working on the project. You’ve been
Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir
Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

communicating with your team, and now you’re looking at the work performance
data to evaluate the performance of the project. Which of the following BEST
describes the next thing you should do?
1. Use formal written communication to inform the client of the project status.
2. Compare the work performance data against the time, cost, and scope baselines
and look for deviations.
3. Update the organizational process assets with your lessons learned.
4. Hold a status meeting.

Q: 6. You have five people working on your team, a sponsor within your company, and a
client, all of whom need to be kept informed of your project’s progress. How many
lines of communication are there?
1. 28
2. 21
3. 19
4. 31

Q: 7. Which of the following is NOT an example of active listening?

1. Nodding your head in agreement while someone is talking
2. Restating what has been said to be sure you understand it
3. Asking questions for clarification
4. Multitasking by checking your email during a conversation

Q: 8. Sue sent a message to Jim using the company’s voicemail system. When he received
it, Jim called her back. Which of the following is true?
1. Sue encoded the voicemail; Jim decoded it, and then encoded his feedback
message.
2. Sue decoded her voicemail message; Jim encoded his phone call and decoded
the feedback.
3. Jim sent feedback to Sue, who encoded it.
4. Sue decoded her voicemail message and Jim encoded his feedback.

Q: 9. You’re managing a construction project. Suddenly the customer asks for some
major changes to the blueprints. You need to talk to him about this. What’s the
BEST form of communication to use?
1. Informal written
2. Informal verbal
3. Formal written
4. Formal verbal

Q: 10. Kyle is the project manager of a project that has teams distributed in many different
places. In order to make sure that they all get the right message, he needs to make
sure that his project plan is translated into Spanish, Hindi, French, and German.
What is Kyle doing when he has his communications translated?
1. Encoding
2. Decoding
Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir
Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

3. Active listening
4. Effective listening

Q: 11. There are 15 people on a project (including the project manager). How many lines
of communication are there?
1. 105
2. 112
3. 113
4. 52

Q: 12. Which communication process is in the Monitoring and Controlling process group?
1. Manage Communications
2. None of the communications processes
3. Plan Communications Management
4. Control Communications

Q: 13. You’re working at a major conglomerate. You have a 24-person team working for
you on a project with 5 major sponsors. The company announces layoffs, and your
team is reduced to half its size. How many lines of communication are on your new,
smaller team?
1. 66
2. 153
3. 276
4. 406

Q: 14. You’ve consulted your earned value calculations to find out the EAC and ETC of
your project. Which of the following is the BEST place to put that information?
1. Work performance information
2. Forecasts
3. Quality control measurements
4. Lessons learned

Q: 15. Which of the following is an example of noise?

1. An email that’s sent to the wrong person
2. A project manager who doesn’t notice an important clause in a contract
3. Garbled text and smudges that make a fax of a photocopy hard to read
4. When the team is not paying attention during a status meeting

Q.16 Ann, John, Jack, Suna and Hassan are project team members with Khalid as the PM.
Zubair joins the Project team as new member. How many new channels of
communication will be added due his joining?
a. 10
b. 11
c. 12
d. None of above

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

Answers Key
1. Answer: B
Any communication that can be used for legal purposes is considered formal written
communication. An invoice is a formal document.

2. Answer: C
Information gathering techniques are not part of Plan Communications Management.
NOTE
See the word “technique”? That’s a good indication that it’s a tool and not an input.

3. Answer: A
The Communications Management plan is the first thing you need to create in this situation. It
will help you organize the meetings that are taking place and get everyone on the same page. The
Communications Management plan will help you to streamline communications so that the
customer can use you as a single point of contact, too.

4. Answer: D
Paralingual communication happens when additional information is conveyed by the tone or
pitch of your voice. It’s when you use more than just words to communicate.

5. Answer: B
When you look at work performance data, you’re in the Control Communications process. And
what do you do with the work performance data? You compare it against the baselines to see if
your project is on track! If it isn’t, that’s when you want to get the word out as quickly as
possible.

6. Answer: A
NOT E
A lot of people choose B here. Don’t forget to include yourself! Look out for questions like this
on the exam too.The formula for lines of communication is n x (n – 1) ÷ 2. In this problem there
were seven people named, plus you. (8 x 7) ÷ 2 = 28.

7. Answer: D
All of the other options show the speaker that you understand what is being said. That’s active
listening.
NOT E
Active listening sometimes means saying things like “I agree,” or “can you explain that a little
further?”

8. Answer: A
This question is just asking if you know the definitions of encode, decode, and feedback.
Encoding is making a message ready for other people to understand, while decoding it involves
receiving the message and understanding it. Feedback means letting the sender know that you
got the message.

9. Answer: C
Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir
Dec-15
 Project Human Resource and Communication Management MCQs

NOT E
Any time you see anything about a formal document in communication with a client, it’s formal
written. Any time you are communicating with the customer about the scope of your project, it’s
a good idea to use formal written communication.

10. Answer: A
He has to encode his message so that others will understand it.

11. Answer: A
(15 x 14) ÷ 2 = 105. This one is just asking if you know the formula n x (n–1) ÷ 2.

12. Answer: D
Control Communications is the only Monitoring and Controlling process in Communications
Management.

13. Answer: B
There are now 12 team members, 5 sponsors, and a project manager. That gives you 18 people.
Use the formula: n x (n – 1) ÷ 2 to calculate this: 18 x 17 ÷ 2 = 153.
NOT E
Did you get one of the other answers? Make sure you included the five sponsors and the project
manager!

14. Answer: B
The idea behind forecasts is that you are using the earned value calculations that forecast the
completion of the project to set everyone’s expectations. That’s why you use EAC (which helps
you estimate your project’s total cost) and ETC (which gives you a good idea of how much more
money you think you’ll spend between now and when it ends).

15. Answer: C
There are plenty of ways that communication can go wrong. When you send email to the wrong
person, your communication had trouble—but that’s not noise. Noise is the specific thing that
interferes with the communication. In this case, the garbled text is a
great example of noise.

16. Answer d. None of above

N(N-1) /2 6(6-1)/2: 6 X 5/2: 15
7(7-1)/2 7 X 6/2 : 21
How many added 21-15 :6 Not included in given choices except
none above

Ref: PMI PMBOK –IV Compiled by Malik Bashir

Dec-15