Unit 11: Tracking Progress - Practice Quiz

INT416 — Software Project Management Laboratory 60 Questions
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1 What is a project baseline?

Saving a baseline Easy
A. A list of completed project activities
B. A report of current project expenses
C. A record of available project resources
D. A saved copy of the approved project plan

2 When is a project baseline usually saved?

Saving a baseline Easy
A. Whenever a resource is added
B. Before project work begins
C. Only after the project ends
D. After every task is completed

3 Which information is commonly stored in a baseline?

Saving a baseline Easy
A. Completed reports and meeting minutes
B. Calendar colors and screen layouts
C. Task notes and user passwords
D. Planned dates, work, and costs

4 Why should a baseline be saved?

Saving a baseline Easy
A. To compare the plan with performance
B. To remove all task dependencies
C. To assign every task automatically
D. To hide unfinished project activities

5 What does a positive finish variance usually indicate?

Compare actual values to the baseline estimates Easy
A. The task finished earlier than planned
B. The task finished later than planned
C. The task used fewer resources
D. The task had no baseline

6 Which pair of values is used to check whether a task started on time?

Compare actual values to the baseline estimates Easy
A. Actual Work and Baseline Work
B. Actual Start and Baseline Start
C. Actual Finish and Baseline Finish
D. Actual Cost and Baseline Cost

7 If the actual cost is greater than the baseline cost, the task is:

Compare actual values to the baseline estimates Easy
A. Under budget
B. Ahead of schedule
C. Exactly on plan
D. Over budget

8 Which field shows the difference between current cost and baseline cost?

Compare actual values to the baseline estimates Easy
A. Cost Variance
B. Duration Variance
C. Start Variance
D. Work Variance

9 Why is a project schedule updated during execution?

Updating the project schedule Easy
A. To prevent tasks from being completed
B. To remove all assigned resources
C. To record current progress and changes
D. To delete the original project goal

10 Which value can be entered to show how much of a task is complete?

Updating the project schedule Easy
A. Constraint Type
B. Baseline Start
C. Resource Rate
D. Percent Complete

11 What does entering an actual finish date indicate?

Updating the project schedule Easy
A. The task has been delayed
B. The task has started
C. The task has been deleted
D. The task has been completed

12 Which date represents the point up to which project progress is being reported?

Updating the project schedule Easy
A. Creation date
B. Status date
C. Deadline date
D. Baseline date

13 Which command is most suitable for entering progress for one selected task?

Update task and project Easy
A. Update Task
B. Change Working Time
C. Update Project
D. Set Baseline

14 What can be entered when updating a task?

Update task and project Easy
A. Actual duration
B. Toolbar position
C. File password
D. Window color

15 What is the Update Project command commonly used to do?

Update task and project Easy
A. Change the software license
B. Update progress for multiple tasks
C. Rename every project resource
D. Customize all visible toolbars

16 What happens when a task is marked as complete?

Update task and project Easy
A. It is treated as completed
B. It is treated as not started
C. It is returned to the baseline
D. It is removed from the schedule

17 Why would a user customize a toolbar?

Customizing toolbars and fields Easy
A. To increase every task's duration
B. To remove all project dependencies
C. To replace the saved project baseline
D. To access frequently used commands quickly

18 What is a custom field used for in a project management tool?

Customizing toolbars and fields Easy
A. Deleting the entire project schedule
B. Storing additional project information
C. Changing the computer operating system
D. Creating automatic resource accounts

19 Which action adds a field to a task table?

Customizing toolbars and fields Easy
A. Remove a resource
B. Delete a baseline
C. Insert a column
D. Close the project

20 Which type of field is suitable for storing a simple Yes or No value?

Customizing toolbars and fields Easy
A. Date field
B. Text field
C. Flag field
D. Cost field

21 A project schedule has been reviewed and formally approved, but no work has started. What should the project manager do next to support future variance analysis?

Saving a baseline Medium
A. Mark all scheduled tasks as on track
B. Save the schedule as an interim plan
C. Replace planned dates with actual dates
D. Save the approved schedule as a baseline

22 The original baseline must be retained, but an approved major revision also needs to be tracked. Which action is most appropriate?

Saving a baseline Medium
A. Overwrite the original Baseline
B. Clear the original baseline fields
C. Save the revision in Baseline1
D. Store the revision as actual values

23 A manager needs a temporary snapshot of only the current start and finish dates. Which feature should be used?

Saving a baseline Medium
A. Save a complete baseline
B. Update the entire project
C. Create a recurring task
D. Save an interim plan

24 Two approved tasks were added after the project baseline was saved. Their baseline fields are blank, and existing baseline values must remain unchanged. What should the manager do?

Saving a baseline Medium
A. Delete and recreate the project baseline
B. Copy actual dates into baseline fields
C. Baseline only the newly added tasks
D. Rebaseline every task in the project

25 A task has a baseline cost of $50,000 and a current cost of $56,000. Using , what is its cost variance?

Compare actual values to the baseline estimates Medium
A.
B.
C.
D.

26 A milestone's current finish date is four working days later than its baseline finish date. What does its finish variance indicate?

Compare actual values to the baseline estimates Medium
A. A positive variance of four days
B. A positive variance in task cost
C. A negative variance of four days
D. A zero variance in task duration

27 A completed task had 100 baseline work hours but required 120 actual work hours. What is the work variance?

Compare actual values to the baseline estimates Medium
A. hours
B. hours
C. hours
D. hours

28 Which view is most useful when a manager wants to visually compare current task bars with baseline task bars?

Compare actual values to the baseline estimates Medium
A. Tracking Gantt view
B. Calendar view
C. Network Diagram view
D. Resource Sheet view

29 At the status date, a task is 40% complete, but some of its unfinished work is still scheduled before that date. What update best reflects reality?

Updating the project schedule Medium
A. Move all completed work after the status date
B. Replace the baseline with the current schedule
C. Reset the task to zero percent complete
D. Reschedule unfinished work after the status date

30 A task has started, and the team now estimates that five working days remain. Which value should be updated to improve the forecast?

Updating the project schedule Medium
A. Remaining Duration
B. Actual Finish
C. Baseline Duration
D. Baseline Finish

31 A finish-to-start predecessor actually finishes two days late. If scheduling is automatic, what should normally happen to its successor?

Updating the project schedule Medium
A. Its start should move according to the dependency
B. Its baseline start should move by two days
C. Its duration should decrease by two days
D. Its actual start should be entered automatically

32 All tasks progressed exactly as scheduled through the reporting date. Which project-level update is most efficient?

Updating the project schedule Medium
A. Reschedule all work after the reporting date
B. Save the current schedule as a new baseline
C. Enter an actual finish for every project task
D. Update work as complete through the reporting date

33 A task was scheduled to begin on Monday but actually began on Wednesday. Which field should be updated first to record this fact?

Update task and project Medium
A. Constraint Date
B. Deadline Date
C. Actual Start
D. Baseline Start

34 A task has been completed, and its exact completion date is known. Which update most accurately records its status?

Update task and project Medium
A. Enter the Actual Finish date
B. Set the Deadline to that date
C. Change the Baseline Finish date
D. Move the Status Date to that date

35 A task is estimated to be halfway through its scheduled duration, but only 30% of its assigned labor hours have been completed. Which pair of values best represents this situation?

Update task and project Medium
A. 30% Complete and 30% Work Complete
B. 30% Complete and 50% Work Complete
C. 50% Complete and 30% Work Complete
D. 50% Complete and 50% Work Complete

36 A resource has performed 24 hours of work on an unfinished task and estimates 16 hours remain. Which values provide the most useful update?

Update task and project Medium
A. Actual Work = 40 and Remaining Work = 0
B. Baseline Work = 16 and Remaining Work = 24
C. Actual Work = 24 and Remaining Work = 16
D. Baseline Work = 24 and Actual Work = 16

37 A project manager wants users to select task risk from only Low, Medium, or High. Which customization is most appropriate?

Customizing toolbars and fields Medium
A. A custom number field with a formula
B. A custom text field with a lookup table
C. A baseline field with graphical indicators
D. A duration field with a recurring value

38 A manager wants a task field to display red, yellow, or green icons according to cost variance. Which configuration should be used?

Customizing toolbars and fields Medium
A. A toolbar with grouped commands
B. A baseline field with date constraints
C. A resource field with manual sorting
D. A custom field with graphical indicators

39 A command used several times each day is buried in a menu. How can the manager improve access without changing project data?

Customizing toolbars and fields Medium
A. Save the command values in a baseline
B. Insert the command as a custom task field
C. Assign the command as a task constraint
D. Add the command to the Quick Access Toolbar

40 A custom field and view created in one project must be reused in several other project files. Which feature is designed for this purpose?

Customizing toolbars and fields Medium
A. Resource Leveling
B. Organizer
C. Task Inspector
D. Update Project

41 A project manager saved the approved plan in Baseline. After a change request, the revised plan must be retained for comparison without losing the original commitment. What is the most appropriate action?

Saving a baseline Hard
A. Overwrite Baseline and export the original plan to a report
B. Save the revised plan in Baseline1 and retain Baseline unchanged
C. Copy the revised dates into the Actual Start and Actual Finish fields
D. Save an interim plan from Start into Finish fields

42 A new approved task is inserted after the original baseline was saved. Its baseline data must be added, and affected summary-task baseline totals must be recalculated without replacing baseline values for unrelated detailed tasks. Which operation best satisfies this requirement?

Saving a baseline Hard
A. Save an interim plan for selected tasks and roll values to assignments
B. Save Baseline for the entire project without summary roll-up
C. Save Baseline for selected tasks and roll values to all summary tasks
D. Save Baseline1 for selected tasks and delete the original Baseline

43 A delayed task currently starts on day 18, while its Baseline Start is day 12. The manager overwrites the original Baseline with the current schedule. No actual fields are edited. What is the immediate result?

Saving a baseline Hard
A. Start Variance becomes zero, while recorded actual values remain unchanged
B. Start Variance becomes six days, while Actual Start changes to day 18
C. Start Variance becomes zero, while all task progress returns to zero
D. Start Variance remains six days, while actual values are deleted

44 A scheduler needs a lightweight snapshot of planned start and finish dates but does not need historical work or cost values. Which feature is the best fit?

Saving a baseline Hard
A. A custom date table containing current and baseline costs
B. An interim plan copied into available Start and Finish fields
C. A status-date update applied to every incomplete task
D. A full baseline copied into Actual Start and Actual Finish

45 A task has Baseline Start at working day 10, current Start at working day 13, Baseline Duration of 8 days, current Duration of 10 days, and Actual Duration of 4 days so far. What are its Start Variance and Duration Variance?

Compare actual values to the baseline estimates Hard
A. Start Variance = 3 days; Duration Variance = 2 days
B. Start Variance = 4 days; Duration Variance = 2 days
C. Start Variance = 3 days; Duration Variance = -4 days
D. Start Variance = 13 days; Duration Variance = 6 days

46 A task has Baseline Cost of $80,000, Actual Cost of $50,000, and Remaining Cost of $45,000. Assuming current Cost equals Actual Cost plus Remaining Cost, what cost variance is shown against the baseline?

Compare actual values to the baseline estimates Hard
A. $45,000 favorable
B. $15,000 unfavorable
C. $30,000 favorable
D. $35,000 unfavorable

47 At the status date, a project has earned value and actual cost . Which interpretation of cost performance is correct?

Compare actual values to the baseline estimates Hard
A. , indicating work is over budget
B. , indicating work is under budget
C. , indicating work is behind schedule
D. , indicating work is ahead of schedule

48 A completed task started two working days later than its Baseline Start but finished exactly on its Baseline Finish because its execution duration was reduced. Which variance pattern is most consistent with the result?

Compare actual values to the baseline estimates Hard
A. Negative Start Variance and zero Duration Variance
B. Zero Start Variance and positive Finish Variance
C. Positive Start Variance and zero Finish Variance
D. Zero Start Variance and negative Finish Variance

49 A manager uses Update Project to mark work complete through the status date. Some tasks span that date but have no separately reported actuals. What is the principal scheduling risk?

Updating the project schedule Hard
A. The tool may remove dependencies from tasks crossing the status date
B. The tool may overwrite all baseline values with status-date values
C. The tool may convert every incomplete task into a milestone
D. The tool may assign progress according to the planned schedule rather than reported performance

50 An in-progress task has completed work before the status date and unfinished work scheduled before that date. The manager selects Reschedule uncompleted work to start after the status date. What should normally happen?

Updating the project schedule Hard
A. The baseline dates move after the date, while current dates remain fixed
B. The remaining work is deleted, while the task becomes fully complete
C. The entire task moves after the date, including its completed portion
D. Completed work remains in place, while remaining work moves after the date

51 A project has no status date. The manager sets one to the end of the reporting period but performs no other update. Which statement is correct?

Updating the project schedule Hard
A. It changes the reporting reference but does not enter progress or move tasks by itself
B. It automatically marks all work before the date as complete
C. It replaces the baseline date used for every variance calculation
D. It automatically moves all unfinished work beyond the date

52 A successor task actually began before its finish-to-start predecessor was completed. The actual start is verified and must not be falsified. What is the most defensible schedule update?

Updating the project schedule Hard
A. Set both tasks to 100% complete to eliminate the logic conflict
B. Retain the actual start and revise the remaining forecast or network logic
C. Move the predecessor's baseline finish to match the successor's start
D. Delete the actual start so the dependency can determine a later date

53 A task is updated with Actual Duration of 6 days and Remaining Duration of 4 days. Assuming duration-based percent complete and no special calculation overrides, what is the resulting Percent Complete?

Update task and project Hard
A. 60%
B. 67%
C. 150%
D. 40%

54 A task scheduled to finish Friday actually finished Wednesday. The manager enters Wednesday as Actual Finish. Which associated update is logically required?

Update task and project Hard
A. Baseline Finish becomes Wednesday and Finish Variance becomes zero
B. Remaining Work stays unchanged and Percent Complete remains provisional
C. Remaining Duration becomes zero and Percent Complete becomes 100%
D. Actual Start becomes Wednesday and Actual Duration becomes zero

55 A ten-day task has two resources. One resource reports 30 hours of actual work and the other reports 10 hours, although their planned distribution was equal. Which update approach preserves the most accurate history?

Update task and project Hard
A. Enter Actual Work for each assignment and let task totals roll up
B. Enter 40 hours as task Remaining Work and clear assignment actuals
C. Set the task to 50% complete and retain equal assignment distribution
D. Shorten task duration until the total planned work equals 40 hours

56 At the weekly reporting cutoff, the manager has entered verified actuals for individual tasks. All unfinished work scheduled before the cutoff must now be forecast after it. Which sequence is most appropriate?

Update task and project Hard
A. Set the project start date to the cutoff, then recalculate every baseline
B. Overwrite the baseline, then set every task to the same constraint date
C. Set the project status date, then reschedule uncompleted work after it
D. Clear all task actuals, then mark the project complete through the cutoff

57 A custom Number field calculates task risk exposure as Probability multiplied by Impact. At summary rows, management needs the total exposure of all subtasks rather than a recalculation from summary-level inputs. How should summary-row calculation be configured?

Customizing toolbars and fields Hard
A. Copy each subtask value into a custom Text field
B. Roll up the custom field using Average
C. Roll up the custom field using Sum
D. Apply the same formula directly to summary rows

58 A custom field calculates baseline finish slippage, but newly added tasks have no Baseline Finish. The formula displays errors or misleading values for those tasks. What is the most robust design?

Customizing toolbars and fields Hard
A. Test for an unavailable Baseline Finish before calculating the date difference
B. Treat every unavailable Baseline Finish as the project finish date
C. Convert the custom date field into a text lookup table
D. Replace Baseline Finish with Actual Finish for every incomplete task

59 A project requires users to choose a controlled risk category while also displaying a calculated red-amber-green indicator based on numeric exposure. Which field design best separates these requirements?

Customizing toolbars and fields Hard
A. Use one Number field whose lookup list stores unrestricted category names
B. Use a Finish field with a lookup list and baseline-based graphical indicators
C. Use a Text field with a lookup list and a Number field with graphical indicators
D. Use one Text field whose graphical indicator calculates numeric exposure

60 A manager adds the Update Project command to a custom toolbar. Another user claims that updates made from the new button use different scheduling logic from the menu command. Which statement is correct?

Customizing toolbars and fields Hard
A. The toolbar button updates actual fields, while the menu command updates baseline fields
B. The toolbar button invokes the same command; only its user-interface access changes
C. The toolbar button recalculates assignments, while the menu command recalculates tasks
D. The toolbar button bypasses the status date, while the menu command enforces it