Mixed Deck — All CPP Topics Flashcards

What is the key difference between 'incremental' and 'iterative' delivery in Agile?

Answer: Incremental adds new pieces; iterative refines existing pieces through repeated cycles

Incremental delivery adds functionality in layers, while iterative delivery repeatedly revisits and refines work based on feedback.

Earned Value (EV) in project performance measurement represents:

Answer: The budgeted cost of work actually performed

EV is the budgeted cost of work that has actually been completed, serving as the core metric linking schedule and cost performance.

What is the relationship between project scope & requirements management and overall Certified Project Professional professional competency?

Answer: It is an essential component that strengthens the overall competency framework

Project Scope & Requirements Management is an essential component of the CPP competency framework, strengthening overall professional capability and credibility.

What is a 'Definition of Ready' (DoR) in Agile?

Answer: Conditions a backlog item must meet before being pulled into a sprint

The DoR ensures backlog items are sufficiently understood and refined before a team commits to them in Sprint Planning.

What is 'active listening' and why is it critical for project managers?

Answer: Fully concentrating, understanding, and responding to the speaker to ensure accurate comprehension

Active listening ensures the project manager captures both explicit and implicit messages, reducing miscommunication risks.

In benefits management, a 'benefits realization plan' should include:

Answer: The expected benefits, measurement metrics, realization timeline, and benefit owner accountabilities

A benefits realization plan defines what benefits are expected, how and when they will be measured, and who is accountable for achieving them.

Which scheduling concept refers to the process of assigning specific dates to project activities after network analysis is complete?

Answer: Time-phasing

Time-phasing assigns calendar dates to activities and resources, distributing project work across the schedule timeline after network logic is established.

Which element is MOST important when preparing a communication for a technically non-expert executive stakeholder?

Answer: High-level summary focusing on business impact, risks, and decisions needed

Executive stakeholders need concise, business-focused information to make decisions, not technical detail.

Which metric best indicates the strategic alignment of a project portfolio?

Answer: Percentage of portfolio investment mapped to strategic objectives

The proportion of investment tied to strategic objectives directly measures how well the portfolio advances organizational strategy.

A project manager is using parametric estimating to estimate activity durations. Which scenario best illustrates this technique?

Answer: Calculating that installing 200 units will take 400 hours based on a known rate of 2 hours per unit

Parametric estimating uses a statistical relationship between historical data and project variables (e.g., units × rate) to calculate activity durations.

When applying the precedence diagramming method (PDM), which dependency type allows a successor activity to start only after the predecessor has been completed?

Answer: Finish-to-Start (FS)

Finish-to-Start (FS) is the most common dependency type, where the successor cannot begin until the predecessor activity is fully complete.

A project manager needs to recognize a virtual team member's exceptional performance. Which approach has the GREATEST motivational impact in a virtual context?

Answer: Publicly acknowledging the contribution in front of the full team during a live meeting

Public recognition during a live team meeting replicates the social visibility of in-person praise and has stronger motivational impact than private or anonymous recognition.

The scope management plan does NOT typically include:

Answer: The project's specific list of deliverables

The specific list of deliverables belongs in the project scope statement, not the scope management plan, which describes processes rather than specific outputs.

When using a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), the 100% rule means:

Answer: The WBS captures 100% of the work defined in the scope statement

The 100% rule states that the WBS includes 100% of the work defined by project scope and captures all deliverables including project management.

The To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI) answers which question?

Answer: What cost efficiency must the project achieve on remaining work to meet the budget?

TCPI tells the project manager the required cost performance ratio on all remaining work to hit the target budget (BAC or EAC).

A change that is approved but never implemented would be identified during:

Answer: Configuration status accounting and audit activities

Configuration status accounting tracks the implementation status of approved changes, and audits verify that approved changes were actually executed.

What is the critical path in project scheduling?

Answer: The sequence of tasks with zero float that dictates project duration

The critical path is the longest sequence of activities in a project schedule that must be completed on time for the project to finish by its due date. Any delay to a task on the critical path will directly delay the entire project, as these tasks have zero float (slack).

A project manager notices stakeholders keep requesting small additions during sprints. The BEST preventive action is:

Answer: Implement a formal change control process and enforce it consistently

Implementing and enforcing a formal change control process ensures all scope additions are properly evaluated, approved, and resourced.

How does procurement & contract management contribute to professional excellence in CPP certification?

Answer: It enhances competency, improves outcomes, and supports continuous professional growth

Procurement & Contract Management is integral to CPP professional excellence, directly enhancing competency and driving measurable improvement in practice outcomes.

A CPP practitioner is designing a knowledge management system for a global project with teams in five countries. What is the MOST critical design consideration?

Answer: Ensuring cultural sensitivity, language accessibility, and consistent taxonomies

Global KM systems must account for cultural differences in knowledge sharing norms, language barriers, and consistent classification to enable cross-border retrieval.