Tools and Documentation practice questions

$222,222

Using the cost performance index (CPI = EV ÷ AC = 0.9), the estimate at completion assumes the current cost efficiency persists: EAC = BAC ÷ CPI = $200,000 ÷ 0.9 = $222,222. This satisfies the stem's constraint that the project continues at the same cost performance, rather than the atypical-variance formula.

Project charter

The project charter formally authorises the project's existence and grants the project manager authority to commit organisational resources. It is the document that legitimises the project and the manager's resourcing decisions, exactly as the stem describes.

Kanban board

A Kanban board visualises continuous workflow through status columns such as 'To Do', 'In Progress' and 'Done', with no fixed iterations. The stem describes exactly those columns, so Kanban is the board type in use.

Pareto chart

A Pareto chart ranks causes by frequency and displays them as descending bars, applying the 80/20 principle to highlight the few problems causing most defects. This directly satisfies the requirement to identify and prioritise quality issues.

Cause-and-effect diagram

A cause-and-effect diagram, or fishbone, organises potential root causes of a problem into categories such as people, process and materials. It supports identifying which causes contribute to quality issues, complementing the Pareto chart's prioritisation role.

Actual cost (AC)

Actual cost (AC) is one of the three inputs to estimate at completion, representing money spent to date. Combined with earned value and planned value, it drives EAC forecasts, satisfying the requirement to identify metrics used in the calculation.

Budget at completion (BAC)

BAC supplies the total planned budget for the project, which EAC formulas use as the baseline value adjusted by cost performance. Without BAC, no EAC variant can be computed, since every formula either divides BAC by CPI or adds remaining work to it.

Cost performance index (CPI)

The cost performance index measures cost efficiency as earned value divided by actual cost, and it feeds the EAC formula EAC = BAC ÷ CPI when current variances are expected to persist. This satisfies the stem's requirement for a metric used in calculating estimate at completion.

Burnup and burndown charts

Correct: Burnup shows completed work and total; burndown shows remaining work.

Statement of Work (SOW)

SOW defines the work to be procured.

Contract

The contract is the legally binding agreement with the selected seller, specifying terms, pricing and obligations. It sits within the procurement management plan because that plan governs how contracts are awarded, administered and closed, satisfying the stem's requirement for procurement documents.

Project charter

The project charter is the document that formally authorises the project's existence and explicitly names the project manager, granting them authority to apply organisational resources. This directly satisfies the stem's requirement for both formal authorisation and assignment of the project manager.

The shortest possible project duration

The critical path is the longest sequence of dependent activities, so its total duration equals the shortest possible time to complete the project. It satisfies the stem directly: any delay on a critical-path task extends the overall schedule, since zero float exists there.

Project management plan

The project management plan integrates all subsidiary plans — scope, schedule, cost, quality, resource, communications, risk and procurement management — into a single consolidated document. This directly satisfies the stem's requirement, distinguishing it from individual baselines or standalone subsidiary plans.

Request for Proposal (RFP)

An RFP is a solicitation document issued to prospective sellers, inviting proposals against stated requirements. It sits within the procurement management plan's scope because that plan governs how the project will acquire goods and services, including which solicitation instruments will be used.

Statement of Work (SOW)

A Statement of Work defines the deliverables, scope and acceptance criteria for contracted work. It belongs in the procurement management plan because that plan specifies how sellers will be engaged, and the SOW is the core artefact describing exactly what the seller must provide.

Run chart

A run chart plots data points chronologically with a centre line, revealing trends, shifts and patterns over time. This directly exposes special-cause variation, such as seven consecutive points on one side, distinguishing it from random common-cause variation within the process.

Control chart

A control chart plots sequential process data against statistically derived control limits, distinguishing common-cause variation within those limits from special-cause variation signalled by points outside them or non-random patterns. This directly satisfies the stem's requirement to separate the two cause types, unlike tools that merely categorise or tally defects.

The person who performs the work

In a RACI matrix, "Responsible" designates the person who actually performs the work and completes the task, satisfying the stem's need to clarify stakeholder A's role. This differs from "Accountable", which owns the outcome and holds final decision authority, and from "Consulted" or "Informed", which involve advice or updates only.

4 sprints

Dividing the 120-point backlog by the team's velocity of 30 story points per sprint yields exactly four sprints, satisfying the assumption of no scope changes or velocity variation. This direct calculation matches the stated capacity, so no buffer or partial sprint is required.

Jira

Jira supports both Gantt chart views and Kanban boards within one platform, satisfying the hybrid requirement for waterfall scheduling alongside agile task flow. Its native timeline and board configurations let a single project host both methodologies, avoiding the need to maintain separate tools for each workstream.

Monday.com

Monday.com provides native Gantt chart and Kanban views within one platform, letting a hybrid project switch between waterfall scheduling and agile task flow without add-ons or separate licences. This directly satisfies the stem's requirement for both views in a single tool, avoiding integration overhead between two products.

Histogram

A histogram groups defect data into frequency bars across categories or time buckets, exposing the distribution and concentration of rising defects. It satisfies the stem's need to analyse an increasing defect pattern by revealing which ranges or causes dominate, complementing run and control charts.

Run chart

A run chart plots data points in time order, so the upward drift in defect counts becomes visible as a trend rather than isolated values. This directly satisfies the stem's increasing-defects-over-time constraint, since trend detection requires sequential plotting, which a histogram alone cannot show.

Control chart

A control chart plots defect data over time with upper and lower control limits, distinguishing normal variation from signals such as trends, runs, or points beyond limits. This directly addresses the stem's increasing-defect pattern by flagging when the process drifts out of statistical control.

Special cause variation

Points beyond the upper control limit signal special cause variation, because assignable, non-random factors have shifted the process. Common cause variation stays within the calculated limits and reflects inherent process noise. The stem's out-of-limit points therefore satisfy the definition of special cause, demanding investigation rather than statistical process adjustment.

Accountable

Accountable is the RACI role holding ultimate ownership of a task's outcome, and exactly one person should carry it per activity. The matrix cannot function without this designation, making it one of the three roles the question requires.

Consulted

Consulted is one of the four RACI roles, covering stakeholders whose input is sought before decisions or work are finalised. The matrix requires all four designations, so including Consulted alongside Responsible, Accountable and Informed completes the required set.

Responsible

Responsible is the person who actually performs the work.

Pareto chart

A Pareto chart ranks defect categories by frequency, applying the 80/20 principle so improvement effort targets the few causes producing most problems. This directly satisfies the stem's requirement to prioritise improvement efforts among quality control results.

Control chart

A control chart plots process data over time against upper and lower control limits, distinguishing common-cause variation from special-cause variation. This identifies when a process is unstable, supporting root-cause investigation of defects in the quality control results reviewed.

Cause-and-effect diagram

A cause-and-effect diagram, or Ishikawa, arranges potential causes under categories such as people, process, machine and materials to trace a defect back to its source. This directly fulfils the stem's requirement to identify root causes.

Stakeholder analysis matrix

A stakeholder analysis matrix is a tool used to categorize stakeholders based on their interest and influence, and to document communication preferences. It helps the PM determine how to engage each stakeholder. The document described includes interest, influence, and communication details, which are the core elements of this matrix, making it the correct answer.