Foundations of Project Management Coursera Quiz Answers

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Foundations of Project Management Week 1 Quiz Answers

Quiz 1: Test your knowledge: Learning about careers in project management

Q1. When you review a job listing, which section offers the most insight when deciding if the role is well-suited for you?

Job location
Job salary
Job benefits
Job description

Q2. Which of the following might be part of a job description for an entry-level project manager role?

Our North Coast branch needs a new Junior Project Manager who can channel drive and enthusiasm. You’ll be front and center, hands-on, and contributing your creative energy to high-impact projects.
Our business group is hiring an experienced project management professional who has a broad understanding of solutions and industry best practices.
Our company is seeking a Program Manager with experience managing a team in the Agile framework.
Our leadership team is currently looking for a Senior Project Manager to support our clients in the Life Sciences and Industrial sectors. Correct
The term “Junior” typically refers to a newer role that requires less project management experience.

Q3. Which of the following best exemplifies the progression of a project management career?

Project manager to program manager to portfolio manager
Project manager to portfolio manager to program manager
Program manager to project manager to portfolio manager

Q4. What three types of information can be helpful to include in your search for project management roles?

Skills you’ve acquired in your current or previous position
Essential project management skills like coordination, organization, and leadership
Training you may gain later in your project management career
Common project management-related buzzwords like “process improvement” and “risk management”;

Foundations of Project Management Weekly Challenge 1 Answers

Q1. As someone seeking a project management role, you occasionally meet people in a professional setting to share knowledge and create new business connections. This is an example of what strategy to get a job?

Update resume
Get an internship
Attend local or online networking events
Join LinkedIn

Q2. What did researchers project in 2020 for job growth in the project management field?

Project management-aligned roles will need nearly 90 million people to fill positions by the year 2027.
Project management talent is in high demand in a few countries.
Project managers cannot succeed without a PM certification.
Project management talent is only in high demand in large American cities.

Q3. Fill in the blank: A/An _____ allows you to work for a company on a project-by-project basis but not as a full-time employee.

mentor
salary
contract
internship

Q4. Throughout a project, project managers have to keep project expenses within an expected range. What is this project management responsibility called?

Budgeting and controlling costs
Planning and organizing
Managing tasks
Networking

Q5. Which of the following is a way to define a project? Select all that apply.

A series of tasks that need to be completed to reach a desired outcome
An endeavor with unlimited deliverables from stakeholders
An ongoing process with no defined end date
A unique, temporary pursuit that has a defined beginning and end

Q6. Project managers need to meet each project’s requirements and achieve the desired outcome. To do this, should project managers use the same tools, techniques, and methodologies every day on their projects?

Yes. Project managers should use the same tools, techniques, and methodologies every day—this consistency is key to achieving an optimal outcome.
No. Project managers should use varying tools, techniques, and methodologies throughout a project—this is key to supporting and adapting to a project team.
Maybe. Project managers should adopt whatever tools, techniques, and methodologies that a specific company prefers—this keeps senior management happy.

Q7. Which of the following explains how a project manager best accomplishes their responsibilities? Select all that apply.

Knows what the project team needs to accomplish and when
Establishes the budget after the project begins
Communicates key project milestones to stay on task
Assigns project tasks to the appropriately-skilled stakeholders
Helps the team get what they need to keep the project going

Q8. Fill in the blank: A project is a temporary pursuit, and usually includes a set of _____.

strategic risks
team members
rules for accountability
unique deliverables

Q9. Fill in the blank: It’s likely that you have used project management skills in the past, and these skills are _____ in professional project management.

transferable
uncommon
inapplicable
impracticable

Q10. As someone moving to a new location, you have several tasks. You have to plan for the various expenses like boxes and movers. You also have to clearly label the boxes, and manage all of the tasks leading up to and during the move. Which project management skills does the move require? Select all that apply.

Budget preparation and monitoring
Organizational management
Strong planning and communication skills
Deep technical experience

Foundations of Project Management Week 2 Quiz Answers

Quiz 1: Reflection: Relevant project management roles and companies

Q1. In this module, we discussed how project managers can add value to teams and organizations. In this exercise, you will reflect on the responsibilities of a project manager. Are you ready?

I’m ready!

Q2. Start by creating a list of 5-10 local and remote businesses currently operating that you think would hire project managers.

Start by creating a list of 5-10 local and remote businesses currently operating that you think would hire project managers.

Q3. Consider the businesses on your list, and then add types of responsibilities you think these project managers would have. Write 2-3 sentences.

Consider the businesses on your list, and then add types of responsibilities you think these project managers would have. Write 2-3 sentences.

Q4. Choose one of the businesses on your list, and provide an example of how you think a project manager can help that business. Write 1-2 sentences.

Consider the businesses on your list, and then add types of responsibilities you think these project managers would have. Write 2-3 sentences

Quiz 2: Test your knowledge: Learning more about project manager roles and responsibilities

Q1. Fill in the blank: _____ is how a project manager makes use of productivity tools and creates processes. The project manager may need to use certain tools and processes to do tasks like create a schedule and share information.

Budgeting and controlling costs
Planning and organizing
Managing tasks
Removing unforeseen barriers

Q2. Fill in the blank: _____ is how a project manager keeps track of the team’s workload, ensures that things are getting done within a set period of time, and demonstrates progress to people outside the immediate team, like stakeholders.

Managing tasks
Planning and organizing
Removing unforeseen barriers
Budgeting and controlling costs

Q3. Fill in the blank: _____ is how a project manager oversees the financial components of a project and mitigates project issues and risks as they come up.

Managing tasks
Budgeting and controlling costs
Removing unforeseen barriers
Planning and organizing

Q4. Fill in the blank: A cross-functional project team is a team that has _____.

diverse skill sets and works toward individual goals
similar skill sets and works toward a common goal
diverse skill sets and works toward a common goal
similar skill sets and works toward individual goals

Quiz 3: Test your knowledge: Acquiring the core skills of a successful project manager

Q1. Which of the following is true of project managers’ experience? Select all that apply.

They need to be an expert in the project’s field
They need to be familiar with project management tools
They need to know every single detail about the project at all times
They need to know how to manage a budget
They need to have a lot of technical knowledge about the project
They need to have a lot of experience within the organization running the project

Q2. Which skill should a project manager use when dealing with change and ambiguity?1 point

Flexibility
Effective organizational skills
Enabling decision-making
Escalating risks

Q3. Using tools such as a digital calendar and a spreadsheet to track team tasks is evidence of what project management skill?

Enabling decision-making
Flexibility
Communicating and escalating
Effective organizational skills

Q4. Which of the following flexible planning strategies can help a project manager during times of unpredictability? Select all that apply.

Rely on the knowledge of key stakeholders rather than trusting the expertise of team members.
Calculate float in the schedule.
Plan for risks and challenges.
Assess external constraints.

Quiz 4: Reflection: Influence without authority

Q1. In this exercise, you will read a scenario and comment about how you would react to the situation. Then, you will list and describe skills that make a project manager successful. Start by considering the following scenario:

A co-worker is responsible for researching and providing you with a list of potential venues for a retirement party. For the last three weeks, they have been telling you they will complete the list by “the end of the week (EOW).” When you check in with them at the beginning of each of the weeks, they tell you they didn’t get around to completing it but that it will be done by the current week.

How might you influence this situation without authority? Write 2-3 sentences.

Q2. Write a list of the most valuable interpersonal skills required to be a successful project manager and describe how each skill contributes to a project manager’s success. Write and describe at least four skills.

Foundations of Project Management Weekly Challenge 2 Answers

Q1. Suppose that as a project manager, you assign tasks to the team members who can best complete them. What project management value does this represent?

Prioritization
Effective communication
Delegation
Optimism

Q2. As a project manager, you direct the activities your team needs to accomplish within a set period of time. You also control the team’s workload to ensure the activities are getting done on time. Which project management responsibility does this represent?

Managing the budget
Managing tasks
Removing unforeseen barriers
Utilizing productivity tools

Q3. As a project manager on a product team, your stakeholders ask you to help the marketing team come up with a strategy to attract customers. What project management responsibility does this represent?

Ensure that issues and risks are tracked and visible.
Hold all team members accountable for their assigned tasks.
Help teammates adopt the right workflows and project management styles.
Collaborate with other teams at the organization.

Q4. What is an example of measuring progress for a cross-functional team?

Setting up effective tools so the team can easily work together
Defining key items and encouraging team members to ask s
Learning what makes team members feel supported and giving positive feedback
Recording milestones and documenting when tasks are completed

Q5. You’re a project manager on a team that is improving a product. When inspecting the project, you discover a defect. What action can you take that will simultaneously communicate and escalate the newly-found problem?

Track daily product improvement tasks of team members in a spreadsheet.
Ask team members about how customers interact with the product.
Implement more functional tools so the issue doesn’t occur again.
Have a meeting with stakeholders to make them aware of product problems.

Q6. As a project manager, you learn that the stakeholders are changing the nature of the project and the team’s deliverables will change as a result. You aren’t sure how this will affect the team’s tasks. How will you handle this ambiguity and deliver the news to the team?

Tell them the vague updates from stakeholders so they know all the information that you do
Tell them there’s nothing you can do because the stakeholders fund the project
Tell them you care about the challenges they are facing and are there to support them
Tell them you’re upset with the changes and you didn’t make the decision

Q7. Suppose you have two teammates who disagree on the best way to complete a task. Which interpersonal skill can you use to help them resolve their disagreement?

Conflict mediation
Positive attitude
Understanding motivations
Negotiation

Q8. As a project manager impacting an organization, you want to break down barriers to help your team succeed. Which of the following would a project manager do to break down barriers?

Encourage stakeholders to provide feedback on new product features.
Write clear goals for the project in the project’s documentation.
Provide support for the team as they try new approaches to find solutions.
Keep the project within the budget approved by leadership.

Q9. Fill in the blank: In project management, a _____ is a person or an organization that defines the project requirements. They also may set important guidelines, such as the budget and deadlines.

customer
teammate
competitor
vendor

Q10. Which of the following are examples of how a project manager empowers their team? Select all that apply.

Delegates project responsibilities
Uses team members’ input in project planning and execution
Asks team members to get approval before communicating directly with stakeholders
Allows team members to make some decisions for the project

Q11. To be an effective project manager, what important actions/steps should you take?

Limit communication between team members so they can complete their work
Confirm team members handle the documentation and organization necessary to finish the project
Gain mastery over every detail of a project at all times
Ensure team members understand the team’s objectives and their individual tasks

Foundations of Project Management Week 3 Quiz Answers

Quiz 1: Test your knowledge: Understanding the project life cycle

Q1. What are some potential consequences of rushing through the initiation phase of a project? Select all that apply.

Impact to quality
Impact to the budget
Impact to the timeline
Impact to previous projects

Q2. Imagine that a project manager has just begun working on a project for a trucking logistics company. The customer wants to see a proposal as soon as possible, but it is taking the project manager longer than expected because he needs more input from stakeholders and the project team. What should the project manager do to turn the project into a success?

Tell the customer he will need four to six weeks to formulate a proposal.
Ask the customer for more time to consult with stakeholders and the project team to deliver an accurate cost and timeline proposal.
Research the cost and timeline for similar projects at other trucking logistics companies and share that information with the customer.
Immediately provide the customer the most recent comparable cost and timeline estimate for the work.

Q3. What are the main phases of the project life cycle? Select all that apply.

Initiate the project
Make a plan
Define project roles
Execute and complete tasks
Close the project

Q4. What are three benefits of closing a project?

Celebrate the team’s success
Remove any obstacles that come up
Evaluate what worked and what didn’t work
Share the team’s accomplishments with people outside the team

Quiz 2: Test your knowledge: Analyzing the different project phases

Q1. What is the project manager’s primary job in phase three (execute and complete tasks) of the project life cycle?

Monitor the project team as they complete tasks and break down any barriers
Step in to complete tasks when the team falls behind
Build out the project schedule to properly manage resources, budget, and timeline
Document lessons the team learned during the project

Q2. Phase two of the project life cycle (make a plan) includes which two of the following tasks?

Determine the purpose and mission of the project
Break down any barriers that would slow or stop the team from completing tasks
Identify milestones and tasks
Set the project schedule

Q3. During which phase of the project life cycle does a project manager hand off all remaining deliverables?

Execute and complete tasks
Initiate the project
Make a plan
Close the project

Q4. Imagine a project manager oversees their company’s transition to a new financial management system. They determine that the project goal is to make the financial portal easier for employees to use. They also identify key stakeholders and outline project objectives. During which phase of the project life cycle do these activities take place?

Make a plan
Initiate the project
Close the project
Execute and complete tasks

Foundations of Project Management Weekly Challenge 3 Answers

Q1. Which term refers to the process of initiating a project, making a plan, executing and completing tasks, and closing a project?

Project management methodology
Agile methodology
Project life cycle
Waterfall methodology.

Q2. Why is it important to initiate a project (phase one) before making a plan (phase two)?

Because executing and completing tasks is crucial to understanding scope, cost, and timeline
Because creating a budget, setting a schedule, and determining roles and responsibilities is crucial to understanding scope, cost, and timeline
Because establishing your team is crucial to have in place before understanding scope, cost, and timeline
Because understanding scope, cost, and timeline is crucial to creating a budget, setting a schedule, and determining roles and responsibilities

Q3. Choose the best definition for a project management methodology.

A project management methodology is a set of guiding laws and measures for owning a project through its life cycle.
A project management methodology is a set of guiding ethical values for operating a project through its life cycle.
A project management methodology is a set of guiding tasks and measurements for owning a project through its life cycle.
A project management methodology is a set of guiding principles and processes for owning a project through its life cycle.

Q4. Which answer best describes the Waterfall project management methodology?

Created in the nineties, the Waterfall methodology refers to being able to move quickly and easily through a project by working on many tasks at once.
Created in the eighties, the Waterfall methodology refers to the sequential ordering of phases, including defining, measuring, analyzing, improving, and controlling.
Created in the seventies, the Waterfall methodology refers to the sequential ordering of phases, including initiating, planning, executing, and closing.
Created in the eighties, the Waterfall methodology refers to being able to move quickly and easily through a project by combining and eliminating tasks.

Q5. As a project manager, your team is launching a new product. Each step to launch the product includes clearly defined tasks. A task won’t begin until another task ends. Also, once the project starts, any changes to the product will be expensive. Which project management methodology is best for this project?

Scrum methodology
Agile methodology
Lean Six Sigma methodology
Waterfall methodology

Q6. The Lean Six Sigma approach includes which of the following phases?

Impact, measure, define, control, analyze
Define, measure, analyze, improve, control
Measure, define, apply, improve, control
Connect, control, impact, apply, analyze

Q7. Which of the following are project manager responsibilities during the planning phase? Select all that apply.

Establish the team
Set the schedule
Create a budget
Get project approval

Q8. When closing a project, in what meeting does the team reflect on what went well and didn’t go well in the project?

Agile perspective
Stakeholder acceptance
Positives and negatives
Retrospective

Q9. In which project phase does it help to ask s such as: “Who are the stakeholders?”, “What skills and resources will the project require?”, and “What are the client’s or customer’s goals?”

Execute the project
Make a plan
Initiate the project
Close the project

Q10. Which project management approach is an Agile framework that delivers products through an iterative process?

Six Sigma
Scrum
Waterfall
Lean

Foundations of Project Management Week 4 Quiz Answers

Quiz 1: Test your knowledge: Understanding organizational structure

Q1. Which of the following scenarios best describes a Classic structure?

Imagine you work at a small marketing agency, and you have just begun a new project. All of the company’s graphic designers work in the Art department and report to the Art Director. However, two of those graphic designers have been assigned to your project, so they will also report to you while working on the project.
Imagine you work alongside a small group of project managers. One of your current projects shares team members with another, ongoing project. To make sure you hit your next milestone, you want your team members to work only on your project for the next two weeks. You decide to meet with your team to discuss your proposal.
Imagine you are managing an important project at a company that requires all orders to go through its shipping department. However, your project is on a tight schedule, and the shipping department has a backlog of orders. You decide to meet with your direct manager to ask for approval to place the order through a third-party vendor. Ultimately, your direct manager has to meet with a vice president to get final approval.

Q2. Why is it important for a project manager in a Matrix organization to clearly define roles and responsibilities? Select all that apply.

Because project managers need to identify their single manager or director
Because project managers can have the same level of authority as functional managers
Because employees may report to more than one person and have multiple responsibilities across teams
Because project managers must get approval from their direct superiors for any decisions they make about day-to-day project activities

Q3. What are some ways that organizational structure can impact the role of a project manager? Select all that apply.

Their level of authority
Their approach to getting approvals
Their access to resources
Their possibility of career growth

Q4. What are some key functions of a Project Management Office (PMO)? Select all that apply.

Creating project documentation, archives, and tools
Strategic planning and governance
Implementing project management best practices
Managing the organization’s income and expenses

Quiz 2: Test your knowledge: Understanding the impact of organizational culture

Q1. Fill in the blank. Organizational culture refers to a company’s _____.

logo and slogan
values and personality
stock price and capital
income and expenditures

Q2. A project manager can learn about an organization’s culture in which of the following ways? Select all that apply.

Ask management questions to better understand what they expect.
Survey employees on how their personal histories might impact their work.
Ask employees about workplace rituals and traditions.
Observe employees within the organization.

Q3. What are three reasons that it is important for project managers to understand a company’s organizational culture?

It can affect many aspects of their projects.
It can help them determine if they want to accept a position with the company.
It can help them avoid bumps in the road when their projects disrupt the status quo.
It can help them set an accurate budget.

Q4. Imagine you are interviewing for a project manager role at a local start-up. You are very interested in the work the organization is doing, but you want to find out more about their culture to make sure the position is a good fit. How could you find out more about the organization’s culture? Select all that apply.

You could ask current employees about their experiences at the company.
You could ask current employees about their employment history at other companies.
You could ask your interviewer questions about the organization’s atmosphere, policies, processes, and stories.
You could ask the HR department about the proposed salary for the role.

Quiz 3: Test your knowledge: Understanding change management

Q1. What are three core concepts of the change management process?

Create a sense of ownership and urgency around the project.
Select the right combination of skills and personalities for the team.
Communicate effectively.
Adopt different change management best practices for each individual project.

Q2. Which of the following project outcomes will most likely require change management in the organization? Select all that apply.

Holding an annual meeting for stakeholders
Adopting a new supply ordering system
Kicking off planning for the next quarter
Installing new scheduling software on employees’ computers

Q3. Which three best practices can help a project manager approach change management on their projects?

Only incorporate change management strategies during the closing phase of the project life cycle.
Use tools to help implement a change.
Practice empathy.
Communicate about upcoming changes.

Q4. How does an organization align its project governance with its corporate governance? Select all that apply.

By avoiding the input of senior stakeholders
By providing stakeholders with timely, relevant, and reliable information
By considering the long-term and short-term interests of the organization
By making thoughtful decisions about which projects to take on and avoiding projects if they don’t have sufficient resources

Foundations of Project Management Weekly Challenge 4 Answers

Q1. Which of the following refers to how a company arranges its employee hierarchy, divides and coordinates job tasks, and enables members of the organization to relate to one another?

Authoritative structure
Organizational structure
Project Management Office (PMO)
Matrix organizational structure

Q2. Which answer best describes a Matrix organizational structure?

It includes an internal group that defines and maintains project management standards across the organization.
It involves reporting to stakeholders across teams in addition to direct managers.
It follows a traditional, top-down reporting structure with a clear chain of command.
It has a linear reporting, which is similar to the structure of a military branch.

Q3. As a project manager, you believe limited access to the necessary people and equipment could cause the project to go past deadline. Which organizational topic could you discuss with your key stakeholder to get the project back on track?

Stakeholder availability
Meeting availability
Report availability
Resource availability

Q4. Which of the following concepts are part of organizational culture? Select all that apply.

A company’s history
A company’s mission
A company’s stock price
A company’s shared values

Q5. Which s can help project managers learn about a company’s organizational culture? Select all that apply.

How do employees prefer to communicate?
Which style of project management does the company use?
When was the organization founded?
How much revenue did the organization earn last year?

Q6. As a project manager, your team created a more efficient reporting dashboard. Now, you’re trying to get the organization to accept and adopt the new dashboard. What organizational process does this situation represent?

Project governance
Project management
Change management
Change adoptance

Q7. What questions can project managers ask themselves in order to help manage change effectively? Select all that apply.

Which influencers in the organization can affect the change?
Which leaders shouldn’t be informed of the change?
How will the organization react to change?
What are the best means of communication to convey the change?

Q8. Fill in the blank: A project manager becomes a _____ at a company—someone who helps an organization transform by focusing on organizational effectiveness.

change agent
contrarian
competitor
traditionalist

Q9. As a project manager, you want to integrate change management into your project. To prepare for the adoption of your recommended changes and to gather information, you incorporate surveys, flowcharts, and culture mapping. These actions represent which change management best practice?

Follow a consistent process
Consider the trends
Use tools
Practice empathy

Q10. What action should a project manager take to ensure effective project governance?

Elicit the input of senior stakeholders since they are decision makers.
Take on projects without sufficient resources to push the team beyond their perceived capabilities.
Prioritize governance trends over the organization’s specific needs.
Treat project governance as separate from corporate governance.

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