PMP ExamStudy Topic
PMP Planning, Delivery and Control Study Guide
Study scope, dependencies, risk, quality, cost measures, change decisions, and handover through original project-planning scenarios.
Topic Overview
Connect scope to evidence of completion
Requirements describe what is needed; acceptance criteria make the expected result observable. Decomposing deliverables into manageable components helps reveal missing work. A traceability record can connect a requirement to its source, implementation, and verification so that changes and gaps are easier to assess.
Draw dependencies before calculating dates
Sequential tasks add duration along a path, while parallel paths can proceed at the same time if resources allow. The longest required path controls the earliest finish under the stated assumptions. Float describes flexibility in a schedule model, not an instruction to delay work. A resource assigned simultaneously beyond capacity can make an otherwise logical network infeasible.
Keep uncertainty separate from observed problems
A possible future supplier delay is a risk. A damaged component already received is an issue. Risks need owners, responses, and monitoring; issues need current action and may generate additional risks. A prototype can reduce uncertainty, while removing an optional source of exposure may avoid a particular risk. Neither action proves that all project risk disappears.
Use measures with their correct units
For earned-value exercises, write the specified formula before substituting numbers. Cost performance index compares earned value with actual cost. A schedule variance measured in value units does not directly state calendar delay. Expected monetary value combines probability and consequence for analysis; the actual outcome may be very different from that weighted average.
Control changes and finish the transition
When a requested change affects an approved baseline, assess impacts and follow the project's agreed decision process. Internal verification and customer acceptance may be separate obligations. At handover, confirm operational ownership, necessary information, training, and outstanding items. Capture useful lessons while the work is ongoing so that current activities can benefit.
- Adding parallel path durations as though all work were sequential.
- Treating a future risk as an event that has already occurred.
- Converting a value-based schedule variance directly into calendar days.
- Assuming an internal check automatically satisfies formal acceptance.
- Changing a baseline without the required impact assessment and decision.
Checkpoint Quiz
Test your understanding of PMP Planning, Delivery and Control
These questions are for study practice only and are not official exam questions.
1. A 4-day task must finish before a 3-day task can start. A separate 5-day task begins at the same time as the first task. All tasks must finish. With no other constraints, what is the minimum duration?
2. A report shows earned value of $60,000 and planned value of $75,000. Schedule variance is defined as earned value minus planned value. What is schedule variance?
3. A work breakdown structure is being prepared for a building renovation. Which organizing principle best supports scope definition?
4. A project adds qualified resources to shorten a critical activity and estimates the added cost. What schedule-compression approach is being considered?
5. A deliverable passes internal technical checks, but formal customer acceptance has not occurred. Which statement is most accurate?
6. A schedule activity may finish up to two days later without delaying the project under the current network assumptions. What does that two-day amount represent?
7. A team must choose between two suppliers. Agreed criteria include quality, delivery reliability, support, and price. What approach supports a defensible selection?
8. A team discovers a useful way to reduce review delays halfway through a project. When should that learning be shared?
9. A requested feature would change an approved baseline. The project has an agreed change-control process. What should the manager do before authorizing implementation?
10. A cost report shows earned value of $80,000 and actual cost of $100,000. The exercise defines cost performance index as earned value divided by actual cost. What is the index?
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a risk and an issue?
A risk is uncertain; an issue is an existing condition requiring attention. An issue can create new future risks, but the current problem should not be hidden as only a possibility.
What does the critical path show in a simple network?
It identifies the longest required path and therefore the earliest project finish under the model's assumptions. Resource constraints and later changes may require further analysis.
Why do measurable acceptance criteria matter?
They give reviewers a common basis for deciding whether the deliverable meets the agreed need. Vague descriptions allow different people to apply incompatible standards.
What belongs in a useful handover?
Confirmed ownership, support information, training needs, transition acceptance, and visibility of unresolved items help operations use and sustain the delivered result.
