PMP Practice Questions #142
As the Project Manager of a software development project, you’re preparing for a release planned after four iterations. The release is estimated to involve 100 story points. After the second iteration, you review the release burndown chart and find the actual line 20 points above the target line. What does this observation suggest about the release’s progress?
A) The release is progressing faster than expected.
B) Additional scope has been introduced to the release.
C) The release is lagging behind the planned schedule.
D) The team’s productivity is below the initial estimation.
Analysis
In the scenario where, during the review of a release burndown chart for a software development project, it’s observed that the actual line is 20 points above the target line after two iterations into a four-iteration plan involving 100 story points, it suggests deviations in project progress. Here’s a breakdown of the options and the analysis of each:
Analysis of Options:
Option A: The release is progressing faster than expected. This interpretation misunderstands the significance of the burndown chart’s positioning. A burndown chart plots the remaining work against time. Being above the target line signifies that there is more work left than planned at this stage, indicating a slower pace, not faster progress. The essence of a burndown chart is to visually represent the work left (y-axis) over time (x-axis). Hence, if the actual line is above the expected trajectory, it means the project team has completed less work than anticipated, leading to a lag in the planned schedule, not an acceleration.
Option B: Additional scope has been introduced to the release. While this is a plausible scenario that could explain why the project is behind schedule (since adding scope would increase the amount of work needed to complete the release), it is not the only reason the project could be lagging. Without specific information indicating that scope was indeed added, this remains a speculative conclusion.
Option C: The release is lagging behind the planned schedule. This option directly addresses the observation from the burndown chart. Being 20 points above the target line means that the project has completed less work than planned by this stage, indicating a lag in the schedule.
Option D: The team’s productivity is below the initial estimation. This option suggests that the team has not been able to work at the expected rate, contributing to the lag. While it’s a possible factor, it doesn’t provide a comprehensive understanding of why the project is behind without considering other potential issues like added scope or unforeseen impediments.
Conclusion: Given the provided analysis, Option C is the most straightforward and accurate interpretation of the data from the release burndown chart. It directly addresses the outcome indicated by the chart: the project is not progressing as quickly as planned, suggesting the team is behind schedule. This conclusion is grounded in the fundamental purpose of a burndown chart, which is to track work completion against planned progress over time.
The examination of the burndown chart’s actual line being above the target line after two iterations highlights a shortfall in achieving the planned work, underscoring the importance of agile practices in monitoring project progress and making necessary adjustments.
PMP Exam Content Outline Mapping
| Domain | Task |
|---|---|
| People | Task 6: Plan and manage schedule |
Topics Covered
- Release Tracking
- Burndown Chart
