PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
Your project is using a predictive approach, and you have just completed the work breakdown structure (WBS). What is the NEXT step in project planning?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse the order of planning processes, thinking cost estimation or risk identification comes immediately after the WBS, when in fact the schedule must be developed first to provide the basis for those estimates.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Sequence the activities and develop the project schedule
After completing the WBS, the next step in a predictive (waterfall) project is to sequence the activities and develop the project schedule. The WBS decomposes deliverables into work packages, but the schedule requires identifying the specific activities needed to produce those work packages, determining their dependencies, and estimating durations. This directly feeds into creating the project schedule, which is the logical next step before cost estimation or risk identification.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Sequence the activities and develop the project schedule
Why this is correct
Following the creation of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), which decomposes project deliverables into manageable work packages and activities, the next logical step in predictive planning is to sequence these activities. This involves determining dependencies and relationships between tasks, which is a prerequisite for developing a realistic and detailed project schedule. Therefore, sequencing activities and subsequently developing the project schedule directly follows the WBS in the planning process flow.
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Define the project scope statement
Why it's wrong here
Defining the project scope statement is a foundational planning process that occurs much earlier than activity sequencing. This critical document establishes the project's boundaries, deliverables, and acceptance criteria, serving as the basis from which the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is subsequently developed. Therefore, defining the scope statement precedes the WBS, rather than following it.
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Identify risks
Why it's wrong here
Initial, comprehensive risk identification typically occurs after the project's scope, schedule, and cost baselines have been largely established. While risk management is an ongoing process, the formal identification of specific risks is more effective when there is a clear understanding of what needs to be done, by when, and for how much. Performing this step immediately after the WBS would be premature for a thorough risk analysis.
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Estimate costs for each work package
Why it's wrong here
Estimating costs for each work package is a subsequent step in the planning process, generally performed after the project schedule has been developed. The schedule provides crucial information regarding activity durations, resource assignments, and sequencing, all of which directly influence the accuracy and detail of cost estimates. Without a developed schedule, cost estimates would lack the necessary foundational data for precision.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to the PMP Exam and Project Management Basics
Key term
Project Management Plan
A formal, approved document that defines how a project is executed, monitored, controlled, and closed, serving as the single source of truth for the project team.
Key term
Work Breakdown Structure
A Work Breakdown Structure is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by a project team to accomplish project objectives and create the required deliverables.
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