IPA FE Subject A sample Question 42

A question IPA Japan published in 基本情報技術者試験科目A サンプル問題問42, translated into English. ITPEC is based on the same exams.

Which of the following is a general characteristic of a project life cycle?

a)The number of development staff is largest at the start of the project, decreases as the project progresses, and increases again when the project nears completion.b)The degree of influence that stakeholders can exert on the deliverables of the project without changing the cost is greatest just before the project is completed.c)The closer the project is to completion, the smaller the degree to which changes and corrections of errors affect the project.d)Risk decreases as the project nears completion.

Explanation

Risk decreases as the project nears completion — uncertainty is greatest at the start and shrinks as the work is done and decisions are fixed.

PMBOK lists the characteristics shared by most project life cycles:

•Cost and staffing are low at the start, peak while the work is carried out, and drop quickly as the project closes.
•Risk and uncertainty are greatest at the start and fall as deliverables are completed and accepted.
•Stakeholders' ability to influence the final product without significantly changing the cost is greatest at the start and falls as the project progresses.
•The cost of changes and of correcting errors rises sharply as the project nears completion.

Answer (d)

Why not others:

•(a) — staffing is low at the start, peaks in the middle and falls toward the end; it neither starts at its maximum nor rises again at the end
•(b) — stakeholders' influence without a change in cost is greatest at the start; just before completion it is smallest
•(c) — the impact of changes and error corrections grows as completion approaches, because more finished work has to be redone

Key rule: Over a project's life, risk and stakeholder influence fall while the cost of change rises; staffing and cost follow a low, high, low curve.

Project Management · AI-written, may contain errors

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This question comes from the past questions IPA Japan publishes, translated into English by ITPEC Practice. ITPEC Practice is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with IPA or ITPEC. See the original paper (PDF) or Report an issue.