TOPIC: Free PMP Exam Sample Question of the Week

Hello everyone! Here is this week's free PMP exam sample question from the PM Exam Simulator.

You are managing a nationwide telecom network deployment project. You learned that you are unable to start any civil works before obtaining a government agency's permit, which could take months. The project deadlines are aggressive and you might face penalties if you don't meet them. Obtaining the government agency's permit prior to civil works on any site is an example of which of the following?

A. Mandatory Dependency
B. External Dependency
C. Project Constraint
D. Project Requirement

---

HINT: All of the choices are correct in a way but considering the relationship of the permit to the civil work will yield only one correct choice.

---

All our questions are updated to the latest PMBOK® Guide standard. Stop by at www.pm-prepcast.com/freesimulator and try the PMP Exam Simulator free for 3 days. We also offer 110 free questions at www.free-pm-exam-questions.com . We are a trusted and experienced education provider.

Answer and Explanation:
The correct answer is B.

The question asked you about the relationship between civil works and the government agency permit to perform these works. When we are talking about relationships between activities we are talking about dependencies between the tasks. Obtaining the permits will definitely be in your project's scope of work and will also be a part of your contract. Therefore, it is considered a mandatory dependency. Similarly, as you have to fulfil this requirement it is both a project constraint and a project requirement. Most importantly, as obtaining the permit and the lead time to do so is beyond your control, it is an external dependency, which is the best answer to this question given the scenario.

Hi, I'm a bit confused.

You mention obtaining the permits will definitely be in your project's scope of work and will also be part of your contract. " Therefore, it is considered a mandatory dependency. " but then the bottom of the answer says "Similary" and that is what is throwing me off because it also says it'a an external." Most importantly, as obtaining the permit and the lead time to do so is beyond your control, it is an external dependency, which is the best answer to this question given the scenario."

So can a dependency be both mandatory and external? So what exactly in the PMBOK makes it B.

The PMBOK guide says:

- Mandatory dependencies. Mandatory dependencies are those that are legally or contractually required or inherent in the nature of the work.
- External dependencies. External dependencies involve a relationship between project activities and non-project activities. These dependencies are usually outside the project team’s control.


Thank you!

Mike,

A task may be both mandatory AND external. They are not mutually exclusive.

The reason that the external nature of this task is most significant is because the project team has extremely limited ability to affect the timing of the completion of that task. It is not generally a simple matter to get a government permit done faster/sooner/more-efficiently. In this case, the risk associated with this task not being completed in a timely manner is the possibility of penalties for missed deadlines (which could happen if the permit takes longer than planned).

I hope this helps....

Tracy

Hi, I'm a bit confused.

You mention obtaining the permits will definitely be in your project's scope of work and will also be part of your contract. " Therefore, it is considered a mandatory dependency. " but then the bottom of the answer says "Similary" and that is what is throwing me off because it also says it'a an external." Most importantly, as obtaining the permit and the lead time to do so is beyond your control, it is an external dependency, which is the best answer to this question given the scenario."

So can a dependency be both mandatory and external? So what exactly in the PMBOK makes it B.

The PMBOK guide says:

- Mandatory dependencies. Mandatory dependencies are those that are legally or contractually required or inherent in the nature of the work.
- External dependencies. External dependencies involve a relationship between project activities and non-project activities. These dependencies are usually outside the project team’s control.


Thank you!