OMGT 5783
Project Management
Midterm Exam — Complete Study Guide
Edition | Verified Answers
About This Document
This study guide is a complete, organized duplicate of the OMGT 5783 Project Management Midterm Exam
question-and-answer set, restructured into clearly labeled topic sections for efficient review. All answer
choices and verified correct answers are preserved.
Coverage: Project fundamentals, project life cycle, strategy and portfolio management, project scope and
WBS, time and cost estimating, project network analysis, quality management (TQM, Six Sigma, Lean/5S),
and DMAIC.
How to use: Each section opens with key concept summaries followed by exam questions with the correct
answer clearly identified. Read the summary first, then test yourself with the Q&A pairs.
Total sections: 9 | Topics covered: 120+ exam questions | Source: Verified 2025/2026 actual exam
Section 1: Project Management Fundamentals
This section covers the definition of a project, characteristics of project managers, the two dimensions of project
management, the project life cycle, and what drives demand for PM today.
1.1 Key Concept Summaries
Project: A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. Does NOT include
repetitive, same/similar work (e.g., production of automobile tires).
Program: A series of coordinated, related multiple projects that continue over an extended time to achieve a goal.
Example: developing a new residential area that includes six custom homes.
Portfolio: A collection of projects managed together for strategic benefit. Many small projects create the need for
multi-project management.
Project Manager: Manages nonrepetitive, temporary activities. Responsible for time, cost, and performance
trade-offs. Works with outsiders (vendors/suppliers). Does NOT oversee existing operations.
Two Dimensions of PM: Technical (WBS, schedules, budgets, status reports) and Sociocultural (leadership,
teamwork, negotiation, managing customer expectations, dealing with politics).
Iterative & Incremental Delivery: Components or features of the project are delivered one at a time throughout
the project duration (Agile PM approach).
Multitasking: Starting and stopping work on one task to go work on another, then returning — leads to
inefficiency.
Project Sponsor: High-ranking manager who endorses and lends political support; instrumental in approving and
supporting a project to completion.
1.2 Driving Forces Behind PM Demand
• Knowledge explosion and increased customer focus
, • Compression of the product life cycle (averaging 6 months to 3 years in high-tech)
• Increased product complexity and innovation
• Increasing need for concurrent multi-project management
• More sustainable business practices
• NOT a driving force: Declining need for product customization (this is wrong)
• NOT a driving force: Organizations doing more work in-house instead of outsourcing
1.3 Traditional vs. Agile PM
Traditional Best for HIGH predictability — well-known scope, processes, and technology.
PM Requires thorough up-front planning. Uses predictability as its foundation.
Agile PM Best when project scope is UNKNOWN or UNSTABLE. Uses iterative and incremental
delivery. Appropriate when technology or requirements are not fully known.
1.4 Exam Questions — Project Fundamentals
Q: Project management is NOT limited to which sector?
A: Private sector — PM is used everywhere including government, nonprofits, and international
organizations.
Q: Which is NOT a characteristic of a project?
A: For internal use only — this is NOT a defining characteristic. Characteristics include: established
objective, specific time/cost/performance requirements, clear beginning and end, something never been
done before by that company.
Q: Which activity is the best example of a project?
A: Writing a policy manual — it is unique and temporary. Producing automobiles, processing insurance
claims, overseeing customer requests, and monitoring product quality are NOT projects.
Q: A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result is a:
A: Project
Q: Which is NOT one of the stages of a project life cycle?
A: Identifying — the four correct stages are: Defining, Planning, Executing, Closing.
Q: Which of the following is NOT typical of a project manager?
A: Overseeing existing operations — PMs manage temporary, nonrepetitive activities.
Q: Project managers are expected to ensure appropriate trade-offs between time, cost, and ________
requirements.
A: Performance
Q: Which is NOT true about project management?
A: It focuses primarily on technical processes — PM has both technical AND sociocultural dimensions.
Q: Iterative and incremental delivery means:
A: Components or features of the project product or service are delivered one at a time throughout the
duration of the project.
Q: Which is NOT part of the 'sociocultural dimension' of PM?
A: Resource allocation — this belongs to the technical dimension. Sociocultural includes: managing
customer expectations, leadership, dealing with politics, negotiation.
Q: Which is NOT part of the 'technical dimension' of PM?
A: Problem solving — this is sociocultural. Technical includes: status reports, budgets, schedules, WBS.
Q: WBS, schedules, and budgets are tools from which dimension?
A: Technical dimension
, Q: The two dimensions of project management processes are:
A: Technical and Sociocultural
Q: Which dimension creates a temporary social system within a larger org to combine divergent professionals?
A: Sociocultural
Q: Project management is ideally suited for a business environment requiring all EXCEPT:
A: Repeatability — PM is suited for accountability, innovation, flexibility, and speed, NOT repetitive
operations.
Q: Project management is being driven by:
A: Knowledge explosion and increased customer focus
Q: In today's high-tech industries, the product life cycle is averaging _______ to 3 years.
A: 6 months
Q: A professional organization for project managers is:
A: Project Management Institute (PMI) — grew from 93,000 in 2002 to 565,000+
Q: Starting and stopping work on one task to work on another is known as:
A: Multitasking
Q: High-ranking managers who endorse and lend political support for a specific project are:
A: Project sponsors
Q: Agile PM involves _____ whereas traditional PM involves _____.
A: Iterative and incremental delivery; upfront planning with high predictability
Q: When project scope and/or technology are not fully known or stable, the best method is:
A: Agile-driven project management
Q: Projects with high predictability are best suited for:
A: Traditional project management
Section 2: Project Life Cycle
The project life cycle passes sequentially through four stages. Knowing what happens at each stage is heavily
tested.
2.1 The Four Stages
1. DEFINING Project objectives established; teams formed; major responsibilities assigned; project
goals, specifications, and responsibilities defined. FIRST stage of the project life cycle.
2. PLANNING Schedule and budget determined. Traditional PM requires predictability at this stage.
3. EXECUTING Major portion of actual project work (physical and mental) performed. Status reports,
changes, and forecasts created here.
4. CLOSING Product delivered to customer; staff and resources released; training of customer
occurs. FINAL stage.
2.2 Exam Questions — Project Life Cycle
Q: Correct order of stages within the project life cycle:
A: Defining → Planning → Executing → Closing
Q: The project's schedule and budget are determined in the ________ stage.
A: Planning
Q: Training the customer and releasing staff/resources occurs in the ________ stage.
Project Management
Midterm Exam — Complete Study Guide
Edition | Verified Answers
About This Document
This study guide is a complete, organized duplicate of the OMGT 5783 Project Management Midterm Exam
question-and-answer set, restructured into clearly labeled topic sections for efficient review. All answer
choices and verified correct answers are preserved.
Coverage: Project fundamentals, project life cycle, strategy and portfolio management, project scope and
WBS, time and cost estimating, project network analysis, quality management (TQM, Six Sigma, Lean/5S),
and DMAIC.
How to use: Each section opens with key concept summaries followed by exam questions with the correct
answer clearly identified. Read the summary first, then test yourself with the Q&A pairs.
Total sections: 9 | Topics covered: 120+ exam questions | Source: Verified 2025/2026 actual exam
Section 1: Project Management Fundamentals
This section covers the definition of a project, characteristics of project managers, the two dimensions of project
management, the project life cycle, and what drives demand for PM today.
1.1 Key Concept Summaries
Project: A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. Does NOT include
repetitive, same/similar work (e.g., production of automobile tires).
Program: A series of coordinated, related multiple projects that continue over an extended time to achieve a goal.
Example: developing a new residential area that includes six custom homes.
Portfolio: A collection of projects managed together for strategic benefit. Many small projects create the need for
multi-project management.
Project Manager: Manages nonrepetitive, temporary activities. Responsible for time, cost, and performance
trade-offs. Works with outsiders (vendors/suppliers). Does NOT oversee existing operations.
Two Dimensions of PM: Technical (WBS, schedules, budgets, status reports) and Sociocultural (leadership,
teamwork, negotiation, managing customer expectations, dealing with politics).
Iterative & Incremental Delivery: Components or features of the project are delivered one at a time throughout
the project duration (Agile PM approach).
Multitasking: Starting and stopping work on one task to go work on another, then returning — leads to
inefficiency.
Project Sponsor: High-ranking manager who endorses and lends political support; instrumental in approving and
supporting a project to completion.
1.2 Driving Forces Behind PM Demand
• Knowledge explosion and increased customer focus
, • Compression of the product life cycle (averaging 6 months to 3 years in high-tech)
• Increased product complexity and innovation
• Increasing need for concurrent multi-project management
• More sustainable business practices
• NOT a driving force: Declining need for product customization (this is wrong)
• NOT a driving force: Organizations doing more work in-house instead of outsourcing
1.3 Traditional vs. Agile PM
Traditional Best for HIGH predictability — well-known scope, processes, and technology.
PM Requires thorough up-front planning. Uses predictability as its foundation.
Agile PM Best when project scope is UNKNOWN or UNSTABLE. Uses iterative and incremental
delivery. Appropriate when technology or requirements are not fully known.
1.4 Exam Questions — Project Fundamentals
Q: Project management is NOT limited to which sector?
A: Private sector — PM is used everywhere including government, nonprofits, and international
organizations.
Q: Which is NOT a characteristic of a project?
A: For internal use only — this is NOT a defining characteristic. Characteristics include: established
objective, specific time/cost/performance requirements, clear beginning and end, something never been
done before by that company.
Q: Which activity is the best example of a project?
A: Writing a policy manual — it is unique and temporary. Producing automobiles, processing insurance
claims, overseeing customer requests, and monitoring product quality are NOT projects.
Q: A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result is a:
A: Project
Q: Which is NOT one of the stages of a project life cycle?
A: Identifying — the four correct stages are: Defining, Planning, Executing, Closing.
Q: Which of the following is NOT typical of a project manager?
A: Overseeing existing operations — PMs manage temporary, nonrepetitive activities.
Q: Project managers are expected to ensure appropriate trade-offs between time, cost, and ________
requirements.
A: Performance
Q: Which is NOT true about project management?
A: It focuses primarily on technical processes — PM has both technical AND sociocultural dimensions.
Q: Iterative and incremental delivery means:
A: Components or features of the project product or service are delivered one at a time throughout the
duration of the project.
Q: Which is NOT part of the 'sociocultural dimension' of PM?
A: Resource allocation — this belongs to the technical dimension. Sociocultural includes: managing
customer expectations, leadership, dealing with politics, negotiation.
Q: Which is NOT part of the 'technical dimension' of PM?
A: Problem solving — this is sociocultural. Technical includes: status reports, budgets, schedules, WBS.
Q: WBS, schedules, and budgets are tools from which dimension?
A: Technical dimension
, Q: The two dimensions of project management processes are:
A: Technical and Sociocultural
Q: Which dimension creates a temporary social system within a larger org to combine divergent professionals?
A: Sociocultural
Q: Project management is ideally suited for a business environment requiring all EXCEPT:
A: Repeatability — PM is suited for accountability, innovation, flexibility, and speed, NOT repetitive
operations.
Q: Project management is being driven by:
A: Knowledge explosion and increased customer focus
Q: In today's high-tech industries, the product life cycle is averaging _______ to 3 years.
A: 6 months
Q: A professional organization for project managers is:
A: Project Management Institute (PMI) — grew from 93,000 in 2002 to 565,000+
Q: Starting and stopping work on one task to work on another is known as:
A: Multitasking
Q: High-ranking managers who endorse and lend political support for a specific project are:
A: Project sponsors
Q: Agile PM involves _____ whereas traditional PM involves _____.
A: Iterative and incremental delivery; upfront planning with high predictability
Q: When project scope and/or technology are not fully known or stable, the best method is:
A: Agile-driven project management
Q: Projects with high predictability are best suited for:
A: Traditional project management
Section 2: Project Life Cycle
The project life cycle passes sequentially through four stages. Knowing what happens at each stage is heavily
tested.
2.1 The Four Stages
1. DEFINING Project objectives established; teams formed; major responsibilities assigned; project
goals, specifications, and responsibilities defined. FIRST stage of the project life cycle.
2. PLANNING Schedule and budget determined. Traditional PM requires predictability at this stage.
3. EXECUTING Major portion of actual project work (physical and mental) performed. Status reports,
changes, and forecasts created here.
4. CLOSING Product delivered to customer; staff and resources released; training of customer
occurs. FINAL stage.
2.2 Exam Questions — Project Life Cycle
Q: Correct order of stages within the project life cycle:
A: Defining → Planning → Executing → Closing
Q: The project's schedule and budget are determined in the ________ stage.
A: Planning
Q: Training the customer and releasing staff/resources occurs in the ________ stage.
