Chapter 6: Project Time Management

Question 1

Decomposition, rolling wave planning, and expert judgement are tools and techniques for which process?

Answer 1

Define Activities

Question 2

The schedule baseline, project schedule, schedule data, project calendars, project management plan updates , and project documents updates are outputs of which project Time Management process?

Answer 2

Develop Schedule

Question 3

How is total float calculated?

How is free float calculated?

Answer 3

LS - ES

LF - EF

Question 4

What is meant by the terms “work effort” and “duration”?

Answer 4

Work effort: The total number of labor units required to complete an activity, typically stated in parson hours, person days, person weeks, etc.
Duration: The number of work periods hat it will take to complete an activity

Question 5

What is reserve analysis?

Answer 5

An analytical technique to determine the essential features and relationships of components in the project management plan to establish a reserve for the schedule duration, budget, estimated cost, or funds for a project.

Question 6

What do the Project Time Management processes ensure?

Answer 6

The timely completion of a project

Question 7

What are the 2 methods for schedule compression?

Answer 7

Crashing: Adding ressources to critical path activities

Fast tracking: Applying a lead to activities that would typically start only after precedent activities are finished

Question 8

What are 3 ways to graphically edict a project schedule?

Answer 8

Network diagram
Bar chart or Gantt chart
milestone chart

Question 9

What does a network diagram show, and what does it not show?

Answer 9

It shows the project’s scheduled activities and the logical relationships among those activities. It might or might not show the duration for each activity
It does not show the start and finish dates of the project, nor the resources needed for the activities.

Question 10

What are 4 types of dependencies?

Answer 10

Mandatory
Discretionary
external
Internal

Question 11

What is the PMI definition of critical path?

Answer 11

The sequence of activities that represents the longest path trough a project, which determine the shortest possible duration.

Question 12

What is rolling wave planning?

Answer 12

An iterative planning technique in which the work to be accomplished in the near term is planned in detail, while the work in the future is planned at a higher level.

Question 13

What are the typical activities of variance analysis?

Answer 13

Look at the baseline and the actual differences
Determine the cause of the differences
Determine whether corrective action is necessary

Question 14

Activity duration estimates and project documents updates are the outputs for which Project Time Management process?

Answer 14

Estimate Activity Durations

Question 15

What are the 7 tools and techniques for the Control Schedule process?

Answer 15

Performance reviews
Project management software
Resource optimization technique
Modeling techniques 
Leads and lags
Schedule compression
Scheduling tool

Question 16

What is resource levelling?

Give an example of a resource levelling heuristic

Answer 16

Resource leveling: A technique in which start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource constraints with the goal of balancing demand for resources with available supply.
Heuristics examples:
Work can be levelled only between resources of the same type or same skill level.
Critical path activities have priority in leveling over noncritical path activities.

Question 17

What are 2 specific types of network diagrams?

Answer 17

AON (activity-on-node)

AOA (activity-on-arrow)

Question 18

What are some risks of crashing or fast-traking a project schedule?

Answer 18

Increase costs
Unrealistic alternatives
Communication challenges

Question 19

What is decomposition?

Answer 19

A technique used for dividing and subdividing the project scope and project deliverables into smaller, more manageable parts.

Question 20

What is the purpose of a resource calendar?

Answer 20

To show when, and for how long, resources (such as equipment, people, and materials) are potentially available

Question 21

Expert judgement, alternatives analysis, published estimating data, bottom-up estimating, and project management software are tools and techniques for which Project Time Management process?

Answer 21

Estimate Activity Resources

Question 22

What are the 6 tools and techniques for the Estimate Activity Durations process?

Answer 22

Expert judgement
Analogous estimating
Parametric estimating
Three-point estimates
Group decision making-techniques
Reserve analysis

Question 23

What are contingency reserves?

Answer 23

A budget within the cost baseline or performance measurement baseline that is allocated for identified risks that are accepted and for which contingent or mitigating response are developed.

Question 24

What are the 6 Project Time Management processes and which Process Groups do they fit in?

Answer 24

Define Activities: Planning
Sequence Activities : Planning
Estimate Activity Ressources: Planning
Estimate Activity Durations: Planning
Develop Schedule: Planning
Control Schedule: Monitoring and Controlling

Question 25

What are the characteristics of the project schedule?

Answer 25

It is calendar based
It has resources assigned
It is signed off as part of the project management plan
It forms the basis for measuring schedule performance

Question 26

What is meant by the terms “lead” and “lag”?

Answer 26

Lead: The amount of time whereby a successor activity can be advanced with respect to a predecessor activity.
Lag: The amount of time whereby a successor activity is required to be delayed with respect to a predecessor activity

Question 27

What are 4 types of dependencies or precedence relationships?

Answer 27

Finish-to-start
Finish-to-finish
Start-to-start
Start-to-finish

Question 28

Which activities have no slack or float?

Answer 28

Typically, the activities on the critical path have no float or slack; therefore, the project manager needs to watch these activities more closely than others that have float or scheduling flexibility.

Question 29

What are the 4 inputs for the Define Activities process?

Answer 29

Schedule management plan
Scope baseline
Enterprise environmental factors
Organizational process assets

Question 30

What are the 3 outputs of the Define Activities process?

Answer 30

Activity list
Activity attributes
Milestone list

Question 31

What is the formula for the three-point estimate, PERT?

Answer 31

Te= (To+4Tm+Tp)/6