PJM 6135 Final Exam | Full Questions and
Answers | 2026/2027 Updated | 100% Correct
- Northeastern University.
Practice Question Bank & Answer Rationale
THIS PACK CONTAINS
100 exam-style multiple-choice questions. Each question includes the correct answer and a complete
rationale for focused revision.
COVERAGE
Comprehensive final examination covering the full project management lifecycle: integration, scope, schedule,
cost, quality, resource, communications, risk, procurement, and stakeholder management, with emphasis on
PMBOK 7th edition principles, agile/hybrid delivery, Earned Value Management, and contemporary PM
practices.
STUDY GUIDE
Recommended duration: 3 hours. Passing target: 80% (Grade B or higher).
HIGHP - Page 1 of 33
,1. A project manager is leading a software implementation project using a hybrid
approach. The sponsor requests a formal document that authorizes the project, names the
project manager, and grants authority to apply organizational resources. Which document
should the project manager produce?
[ ] A. Project Management Plan
[ ] B. Project Charter
[ ] C. Business Case
[ ] D. Work Breakdown Structure
CORRECT: B. Project Charter
The Project Charter formally authorizes the project, identifies the project manager, and grants the PM
authority to apply organizational resources. The Project Management Plan describes how the project will be
executed, while the Business Case justifies the investment and the WBS decomposes deliverables.
2. During scope planning, the team decomposes project deliverables into smaller, more
manageable components until the work packages can be estimated and controlled. Which
technique are they performing?
[ ] A. Rolling wave planning
[ ] B. Decomposition
[ ] C. Requirements traceability
[ ] D. Product analysis
CORRECT: B. Decomposition
Decomposition is the subdivision of project deliverables and project work into smaller, more manageable
components (work packages). Rolling wave planning is progressive elaboration over time, requirements
traceability links requirements to deliverables, and product analysis translates product requirements into
deliverables.
3. A project has the following data: Planned Value (PV) = $200,000; Earned Value (EV) =
$160,000; Actual Cost (AC) = $180,000. What are the Cost Performance Index (CPI) and
Schedule Performance Index (SPI), and what do they indicate?
[ ] A. CPI = 0.89, SPI = 0.80 - project is over budget and behind schedule
[ ] B. CPI = 1.13, SPI = 1.25 - project is under budget and ahead of schedule
[ ] C. CPI = 0.89, SPI = 0.80 - project is under budget and ahead of schedule
[ ] D. CPI = 1.13, SPI = 1.25 - project is over budget and behind schedule
CORRECT: A. CPI = 0.89, SPI = 0.80 - project is over budget and behind schedule
CPI = EV/AC = 160,000/180,000 = 0.89 (<1, over budget). SPI = EV/PV = 160,000/200,000 = 0.80 (<1,
behind schedule). Options B and D incorrectly invert the ratios, and C misinterprets the indices.
HIGHP - Page 2 of 33
,4. A project manager is using a critical path method (CPM) schedule. The critical path has
a total duration of 45 days. A non-critical activity has 6 days of total float. If that activity is
delayed by 4 days, what is the impact on the project completion date?
[ ] A. Project completion is delayed by 4 days
[ ] B. Project completion is delayed by 2 days
[ ] C. No impact on the project completion date
[ ] D. Project completion is delayed by 6 days
CORRECT: C. No impact on the project completion date
As long as the delay (4 days) is less than the total float (6 days), the non-critical activity does not affect the
project completion date. Only delays exceeding total float would push the critical path and delay the project.
5. A quality management plan specifies that a product must meet a 99.5% defect-free
standard. Which quality tool is most appropriate for identifying the most frequent sources
of defects in a manufacturing process?
[ ] A. Control chart
[ ] B. Pareto diagram
[ ] C. Scatter diagram
[ ] D. Affinity diagram
CORRECT: B. Pareto diagram
A Pareto diagram is a histogram ordered by frequency that highlights the most significant defects (the 80/20
rule). Control charts monitor process stability over time, scatter diagrams show correlation between variables,
and affinity diagrams group ideas.
6. A project team is distributed across three time zones. The project manager wants to
ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, and dissemination of project
information. Which knowledge area does this describe?
[ ] A. Stakeholder management
[ ] B. Communications management
[ ] C. Resource management
[ ] D. Integration management
CORRECT: B. Communications management
Communications management includes the processes required to ensure timely and appropriate planning,
collection, creation, distribution, storage, retrieval, management, control, and monitoring of project
information. The other areas address stakeholders, resources, and integration respectively.
HIGHP - Page 3 of 33
, 7. During risk identification, the team uses a technique that involves anonymous idea
generation followed by facilitated discussion to reduce bias. Which technique is being
used?
[ ] A. Delphi technique
[ ] B. Brainstorming
[ ] C. Nominal group technique
[ ] D. SWOT analysis
CORRECT: C. Nominal group technique
The nominal group technique enhances brainstorming with a voting process, often using anonymous idea
generation followed by discussion. The Delphi technique uses anonymous expert consensus over multiple
rounds, brainstorming is open idea generation, and SWOT analyzes strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
and threats.
8. A project manager is evaluating whether to make or buy a component. The make option
has a fixed cost of $50,000 and variable cost of $10 per unit. The buy option costs $15 per
unit. At what quantity are the two options equal?
[ ] A. 5,000 units
[ ] B. 10,000 units
[ ] C. 15,000 units
[ ] D. 20,000 units
CORRECT: B. 10,000 units
Set total make cost equal to total buy cost: 50,000 + 10Q = 15Q -> 50,000 = 5Q -> Q = 10,000 units. Below
10,000 units, buying is cheaper; above, making is cheaper.
9. A project manager is leading an agile team using Scrum. The team wants to estimate
the effort for a set of user stories by comparing them to a known reference story. Which
estimation technique are they using?
[ ] A. Planning poker
[ ] B. Wideband Delphi
[ ] C. Analogous estimation
[ ] D. Three-point estimation
CORRECT: C. Analogous estimation
Analogous estimation uses a known reference story to estimate the effort for similar user stories. Planning
poker and Wideband Delphi are consensus-based techniques using relative sizing, and three-point estimation
uses optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely estimates.
HIGHP - Page 4 of 33
Answers | 2026/2027 Updated | 100% Correct
- Northeastern University.
Practice Question Bank & Answer Rationale
THIS PACK CONTAINS
100 exam-style multiple-choice questions. Each question includes the correct answer and a complete
rationale for focused revision.
COVERAGE
Comprehensive final examination covering the full project management lifecycle: integration, scope, schedule,
cost, quality, resource, communications, risk, procurement, and stakeholder management, with emphasis on
PMBOK 7th edition principles, agile/hybrid delivery, Earned Value Management, and contemporary PM
practices.
STUDY GUIDE
Recommended duration: 3 hours. Passing target: 80% (Grade B or higher).
HIGHP - Page 1 of 33
,1. A project manager is leading a software implementation project using a hybrid
approach. The sponsor requests a formal document that authorizes the project, names the
project manager, and grants authority to apply organizational resources. Which document
should the project manager produce?
[ ] A. Project Management Plan
[ ] B. Project Charter
[ ] C. Business Case
[ ] D. Work Breakdown Structure
CORRECT: B. Project Charter
The Project Charter formally authorizes the project, identifies the project manager, and grants the PM
authority to apply organizational resources. The Project Management Plan describes how the project will be
executed, while the Business Case justifies the investment and the WBS decomposes deliverables.
2. During scope planning, the team decomposes project deliverables into smaller, more
manageable components until the work packages can be estimated and controlled. Which
technique are they performing?
[ ] A. Rolling wave planning
[ ] B. Decomposition
[ ] C. Requirements traceability
[ ] D. Product analysis
CORRECT: B. Decomposition
Decomposition is the subdivision of project deliverables and project work into smaller, more manageable
components (work packages). Rolling wave planning is progressive elaboration over time, requirements
traceability links requirements to deliverables, and product analysis translates product requirements into
deliverables.
3. A project has the following data: Planned Value (PV) = $200,000; Earned Value (EV) =
$160,000; Actual Cost (AC) = $180,000. What are the Cost Performance Index (CPI) and
Schedule Performance Index (SPI), and what do they indicate?
[ ] A. CPI = 0.89, SPI = 0.80 - project is over budget and behind schedule
[ ] B. CPI = 1.13, SPI = 1.25 - project is under budget and ahead of schedule
[ ] C. CPI = 0.89, SPI = 0.80 - project is under budget and ahead of schedule
[ ] D. CPI = 1.13, SPI = 1.25 - project is over budget and behind schedule
CORRECT: A. CPI = 0.89, SPI = 0.80 - project is over budget and behind schedule
CPI = EV/AC = 160,000/180,000 = 0.89 (<1, over budget). SPI = EV/PV = 160,000/200,000 = 0.80 (<1,
behind schedule). Options B and D incorrectly invert the ratios, and C misinterprets the indices.
HIGHP - Page 2 of 33
,4. A project manager is using a critical path method (CPM) schedule. The critical path has
a total duration of 45 days. A non-critical activity has 6 days of total float. If that activity is
delayed by 4 days, what is the impact on the project completion date?
[ ] A. Project completion is delayed by 4 days
[ ] B. Project completion is delayed by 2 days
[ ] C. No impact on the project completion date
[ ] D. Project completion is delayed by 6 days
CORRECT: C. No impact on the project completion date
As long as the delay (4 days) is less than the total float (6 days), the non-critical activity does not affect the
project completion date. Only delays exceeding total float would push the critical path and delay the project.
5. A quality management plan specifies that a product must meet a 99.5% defect-free
standard. Which quality tool is most appropriate for identifying the most frequent sources
of defects in a manufacturing process?
[ ] A. Control chart
[ ] B. Pareto diagram
[ ] C. Scatter diagram
[ ] D. Affinity diagram
CORRECT: B. Pareto diagram
A Pareto diagram is a histogram ordered by frequency that highlights the most significant defects (the 80/20
rule). Control charts monitor process stability over time, scatter diagrams show correlation between variables,
and affinity diagrams group ideas.
6. A project team is distributed across three time zones. The project manager wants to
ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, and dissemination of project
information. Which knowledge area does this describe?
[ ] A. Stakeholder management
[ ] B. Communications management
[ ] C. Resource management
[ ] D. Integration management
CORRECT: B. Communications management
Communications management includes the processes required to ensure timely and appropriate planning,
collection, creation, distribution, storage, retrieval, management, control, and monitoring of project
information. The other areas address stakeholders, resources, and integration respectively.
HIGHP - Page 3 of 33
, 7. During risk identification, the team uses a technique that involves anonymous idea
generation followed by facilitated discussion to reduce bias. Which technique is being
used?
[ ] A. Delphi technique
[ ] B. Brainstorming
[ ] C. Nominal group technique
[ ] D. SWOT analysis
CORRECT: C. Nominal group technique
The nominal group technique enhances brainstorming with a voting process, often using anonymous idea
generation followed by discussion. The Delphi technique uses anonymous expert consensus over multiple
rounds, brainstorming is open idea generation, and SWOT analyzes strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
and threats.
8. A project manager is evaluating whether to make or buy a component. The make option
has a fixed cost of $50,000 and variable cost of $10 per unit. The buy option costs $15 per
unit. At what quantity are the two options equal?
[ ] A. 5,000 units
[ ] B. 10,000 units
[ ] C. 15,000 units
[ ] D. 20,000 units
CORRECT: B. 10,000 units
Set total make cost equal to total buy cost: 50,000 + 10Q = 15Q -> 50,000 = 5Q -> Q = 10,000 units. Below
10,000 units, buying is cheaper; above, making is cheaper.
9. A project manager is leading an agile team using Scrum. The team wants to estimate
the effort for a set of user stories by comparing them to a known reference story. Which
estimation technique are they using?
[ ] A. Planning poker
[ ] B. Wideband Delphi
[ ] C. Analogous estimation
[ ] D. Three-point estimation
CORRECT: C. Analogous estimation
Analogous estimation uses a known reference story to estimate the effort for similar user stories. Planning
poker and Wideband Delphi are consensus-based techniques using relative sizing, and three-point estimation
uses optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely estimates.
HIGHP - Page 4 of 33
