Level 5 exam — Microsoft Project

Exam — fresh questions

12 questions to validate level 5 with Meriem, a project manager at an engineering & construction (BTP) company in Algiers: master project and consolidation, resource pool, Project web/Planner, templates and best practices, VBA automation.
Answer everything, then click Check: your score and explanations will appear.

5 · Recall

1. What is a master project used for in Microsoft Project?

To consolidate several subprojects for global oversight, each remaining autonomous To permanently merge all project files into a single document To replace expert scheduling with a simple visual tracking table To prevent changes to the original projects once insertion is done

The master consolidates subprojects inserted as summary tasks: each file remains autonomous, and inter-project links coordinate dependencies.

5 · Recall

2. What does a shared resource pool help detect in multi-project settings?

Floating unlinked tasks in each separate project Cross-project overloads caused by the cumulative assignments of one person Fixed costs committed on each project in the portfolio concerned Missing milestones in the initial baseline schedule

The pool consolidates assignments: it reveals that a person requested at 80% on A and 60% on B is overloaded at 140%, which makes arbitration possible.

5 · Recall

3. What is Planner's main limitation compared with Project?

It is not integrated with Teams or the Microsoft 365 ecosystem It requires manual entry of all schedule dates It does not offer advanced scheduling (critical path, resources) It does not allow any visual tracking of task progress

Planner is a light team task tool (Kanban, Teams): no critical path, linked durations, costed resources or budget.

5 · Recall

4. What does a project template (.mpt) capture when you start?

The entire history of a project and its changes The budget actually spent on previous projects The mistakes made, so they can be reproduced identically A model structure (tasks, milestones, calendar, generic resources)

A template (.mpt) is a reusable model project: it lets a similar new project start faster and more accurately, without starting from zero.

5 · Application

5. Meriem inserts an extension schedule into her agency master project. What does this insertion create?

A frozen copy that will never update with the original again A link to the original file, with both staying synchronized A permanent merge that deletes the extension file A simple shortcut with no dependency between tasks

Inserting a subproject creates a link to the original file, not a copy: each .mpp remains openable separately and changes propagate.

5 · Application

6. Meriem sees that a site supervisor is requested at 80% on A and 60% on B in the same week. What does the pool show her?

That he is 100% available on each of the two sites That he must be removed from all projects without further analysis A cross-project overload at 140% that requires arbitration That she will need to recruit and wait until the end of next month

80% + 60% = 140%: the pool reveals the overload caused by the cumulative total, which requires arbitrating priorities or postponing a site.

5 · Application

7. Daily tracking for a small site team is light. Which tool should be preferred?

Desktop Project, to have the critical path and costs Project for the web, only for earned value A shared spreadsheet without responsibility tracking Planner (Kanban), integrated with Teams, for light team tracking

For daily “who does what” tracking, Planner (Kanban, Teams) is enough; Project is reserved for expert scheduling.

5 · Application

8. Meriem wants to apply standard formatting to each new project. What does she do first?

She records a macro with the recorder, without writing code She starts writing a complete VBA program from scratch She gives up, because automating requires being a professional developer She applies the formatting manually each time to be safe

The recorder captures the actions performed once and replays them: it is the no-code entry point for automating a repetitive gesture.

5 · Arbitration

9. Meriem has only one dependency between two projects. What does she choose?

Building a complete master project for this single dependency Merging the two files into one to simplify things later Creating a simple inter-project link, without building a master Leaving the two projects independent and giving up the link

For one or two dependencies, a simple inter-project link is enough; the master project is justified for an overview of a set of projects.

5 · Arbitration

10. Three managers each plan on their own and promise the same expert. What is the right reflex?

Waiting for the first observed overload before taking any action Reserving the expert 100% on the oldest project Removing the resource from all schedules to avoid the conflict Centralizing resources in a pool and arbitrating priorities

The pool consolidates assignments: you see the real workload and arbitrate, rather than discovering the overload too late.

5 · Arbitration

11. Before sharing a schedule, which check is most relevant?

Checking that tasks are linked, with no stray constraints or overloads Adding as many rigid constraints as possible to secure the dates Manually entering all dates to freeze the received schedule Deleting the baseline schedule to avoid variances

The health check verifies that tasks are linked, have few constraints, are baselined and have no floating tasks or forgotten overloads.

5 · Arbitration

12. A colleague wants to automate an action he will perform only once. What does Meriem advise?

Writing a complex VBA macro, because automation always pays off Giving it up: a macro only pays off if the action is repeated Automating anyway, to keep his hand in with the VBA language Delegating the task to an external developer, whatever the cost

You automate what is repetitive: a macro for a single action brings no gain, and it is better to skip it.

What's next?

Score ≥ 80%: you have mastered multi-project management, collaboration and automation in Project — put these reflexes into practice on Meriem's sites.
Score between 50% and 80%: review the section(s) you missed (5.1 master project, 5.2 resource pool, 5.3 Project web/Planner, 5.4 templates and healthy schedule, 5.5 VBA macros), reread the lesson, then retake the test.
Score < 50%: reread all of level 5 while applying each 48h challenge (consolidate two projects, create a pool and arbitrate, choose the right tool, save a template and check, automate a macro) before trying again.
And afterwards? Keep Meriem's reflexes: consolidate to see the whole, pool to arbitrate workload, choose the right tool, capitalize and automate with discernment — that is what takes you from a single project to managing a portfolio.