GUIDE TO YOUR MGMT. 658

TOOLS EXAM

Your tools exam will be held onThursday, October 31. It will have two parts:

Part I

The first sixteen questions worth three points each will ask you to interpret output. Please work through the attached Zoo Project problem and bring an electronic file of the baseline project that you create to the exam. You may bring it on a thumb drive or email it to yourself. I will ask you to load that file onto the computer and do various manipulations, then ask questions about the project. I advise that before the exam, you practice opening the file in the classroom, so that you don’t have unfortunate delays on test day.

To allay your fear of making and compounding a data input error, I have provided some check figures for the Zoo Project at the end of this document. I will also give you some check figures during the exam, so that you can have confidence that you are on the right track after you do some of the data manipulation.

Part II

The remaining thirteen questions worth four points each will ask you to relate instructions for creating and manipulating project data with elements of Microsoft Project 2010. You should make sure you are familiar with the icons and instructions from each of the Technical Tip sheets. The best way to prepare is to study the technical tips and their step-by-step instructions. You may NOT bring the tip sheet to the exam. You will have access to MS Project during the exam, but probably not enough time to hunt and search for the answers. You may not use the “Help” function or access the tip sheets on line.

In preparing for this exam, you should study your software tip sheets and practice using MS Project 2010. I highly recommend you work through the practice problems posted on the front page of e-Campus without consulting the solutions, so you can test your own skills and need for practice before the exam.

Be prepared to begin the exam on time. You may write in ink (not green) or pencil. You will have a maximum of an hour and twenty minutes to complete the exam.

The Zoo Project

Activity / Duration / Precedent
Ant / 6 days / Whale, Stingray, Zebra
Baboon / 4 days / Koala
Cat / 2 days / Newt, Quail
Jaguar / 5 weeks / Ant
Koala / 4 weeks / --
Lion / 3 weeks / Koala
Newt / 3 days / Whale
Quail / 4 days / Ant
Whale / 7 days / Baboon
Stingray / 2 weeks / Baboon
Yak / 3 weeks / Jaguar, Newt, Quail
Zebra / 3 days / Lion

Make sure this project BEGINS on MAY 26, 2014. Do not schedule any holidays as non-working days. Assign George (@$25/hr) to work on all activities that last two weeks or fewer. Assign Annette (@$32/hr) to work on all activities that last longer than two weeks. Each non-mammal activity should have fixed costs of $500 (ant, newt, quail, stingray).

Check Figures for Zoo Project:
Start Date: May 26, 2014
End Date: September 18, 2014 (my birthday week!)
Activities in Progress on July 28: Jaguar and Quail
Total Budget: $29,000