Odds are you will encounter a question that goes something like this:
Q. Which of the following statements about Earned Value is false?
A. may be used by the team to explain the project status to the Customer
B. is associated with some of the tools or techniques used in Control Costs
C. can be difficult to compute in some projects if measuring progress is a challenge
D. is related to Cost and not Schedule
The tendency with this type of question is to step into the trap – you read an answer that is a true statement of the term, select it, and move on. Bummer. You just got snagged. Now you are hanging upside down, 20 feet in the air, in the middle of the jungle, all alone. (That was a metaphor and not a description of the Testing Center…I promise.)
What makes this type of question difficult is that you have to approach it very carefully. Spot the trap. Let the word “false” serve as a yellow flag to you. Now, read each answer and ask yourself “is this a TRUE or FALSE statement?” One of the four statements should be FALSE. That’s the answer you want to choose. Go with the FALSE answer!
Here’s another tip: the exam question may be very subtle in how it displays the word “false”…or it may scream it in all caps… “FALSE”. You have to read carefully – be on the lookout for the word. No daydreaming allowed.
By the way, what answer did you select for the hypothetical question above? I’m going with D, not because it’s true but because it’s false, and that’s what the question asked. Wow! It’s tricky, isn’t it?! I believe these tests should be sponsored by Red Bull. My humble opinion.