Schedule Flashcards
A project manager is informed Midway through project planning that she was given an accurate data regarding new regulations affecting the required end date of a project. She may need to make a few adjustments, but she thinks she can still manage the project to complete it before the regulations take affect. She confirms this by analyzing the sequence of activities with the least amount of scheduling flexibility. What technique is she using?
Critical Path Method
A design engineer us helping to endure that the dependencies within her area of expertise are properly defined on the project. The design of several deliverables must be complete before manufacturing cab begin. This is an example of ehat tupe of dependency?
Mandatory dependency
Your sponsor and stakeholders have made it clear they wish to be kept informed on the project status. There are many aspects of the project on which you will report, and you want to choose the most appropriate tool to use in each case. Which of the following are generally illustrated better by bar charts than network diagram?
- Logical relationships
- Critical paths
- Resource trade-offs
- Progress and status
Progress or status
A heuristic is best described as:
- Control tool
- Scheduling nethod
- Planning tool
- Generally accepted rule
Generally accepted rule. Examples are cost per line of code and cost per square foot of floor space
Lag means
- The amount of time and activity can be delayed without delaying the project finish date
- The amount of time and activity can be delayed Without delaying the early start date of its successor.
- Waiting time
- The product of a forward and backward pass
Waiting time
A project manager is new to the company but has 10 years of project management experience. She is giving a medium sized project and is asked to plan so it is finished as quickly as possible because the company has a large list of projects to complete in the coming year. She will be given another project to manage as soon as she has this one baseline. She needs report on the longest time the project will take. Which of the following is the best project management tool to use to determine?
- Work breakdown structure
- Network diagram
- Bar chart
- Project charter
Network diagram
Which of the following is correct?
- The critical path helps prove how long the project will take
- There can be only one critical path
- The network diagram will change every time the end date changes
- A project can never have negative float
The critical path helps prove how long the project will take
The edge of project team you are managing is responsible for developing one of the five different components of a complex enterprise solution. Your PMO representative tells you she’s concerned because your team is using a larger story points unit than the other four teams. What should you do?
- Tell the PMO that this is the story point your team has chosen, and it doesn’t matter how large it is relative to other teams
- Ask your team lead to coordinate that story point metric with the other teams to ensure that the different components interface smoothly
- Explain to the PMO that the size of each team story point doesn’t matter since this is just a theoretical concepts, not a real word metric
- Show the PMO Why your story point has to be larger, since you’re part of the solution has more complex requirements than the others
Tell the PMO that this is a story point your team has chosen, and it doesn’t matter how large it is relative to the other teams.
A new project managers walking you through the schedule she has created for her project. She asks you about the duration of a particular mile stone, so she knows how to properly schedule it. What will you tell her about a milestones duration?
- It is shorter than the duration of the longest activity
- It is shorter than the activity it represents
- It has no duration
- It is the same length as the activity it represents
It has no duration
Which of the following best describes the relationship between standard deviation and risk?
- There is no relationship
2. Standard deviation tells you if the estimate is accurate - Standard deviation tells you how uncertain the estimate is
- Standard deviation tells you if the estimate includes a pad
Standard deviation tells you how uncertain the estimate is
You have identified a diverse group of stakeholders, and you will need to report information in a variety of ways to meet their different communication needs. When will you use a milestone chart instead of a bar chart?
- Project planning
- Reporting to team members
- Reporting to management
- Risk analysis
Reporting to management
To help them determine the schedule baseline, the team has drafted a network diagram. The project manager add the time estimates for each activity to establish the critical path for the project. They discovered the project has three critical paths. Which of the following best describes how this discovery will affect the project?
- It makes it easier to manage
- It increases the project risk
- It requires more people
- It makes it more expensive
It increases the project risk
The team is working on a project to develop or procure A customized software package that will be used by delivery drivers for a new chain of pizza restaurant. There are multiple stakeholders on this project. Because of other ongoing projects to design, build and equip brick and mortar restaurant locations, you are informed that there is no rush to complete the software development work. If project time and cost are not as important as the number of resources used each month, which of the following is the best thing to do?
- Perform a Monte Carlo analysis
- Fast track the project
- Perform resource optimization
- Analyze the lifecycle costs
Perform resource optimization
The organization is committed to rolling out a new smart phone accessory at an industry trade show in six months. The sponsor has made it clear that this product, to be created by your project team, must meet a long list of requirements, adhere to high quality standards, and most importantly, be ready in time for the tradeshow. The sponsor has promised to commit as many resources as necessary for you to complete the project within these constraints. Your project manager plan results and her project schedule that is too long. If the project network diagram cannot change but you have extra personnel resources, what is the best thing to do?
- Fast track the project
- Level the resources
- Crash the project
- Perform Monte Carlo analysis
Crash the project
A project managers in the middle of executing a large construction project when he discovers the time needed to complete the project is longer than the time available. What is the best thing to do?
- Cut product scope
- Meet with management, and tell them the required it cannot be met
- Work overtime
- Determine options for schedule compression, and present management with the recommended options
Determine options for schedule compression, and present management with the recommended options
Your team worked hard throughout project planning, thoroughly defining and estimating each activity required to complete the work. The resulting network diagram supported the end date that was approved by the team, management and the stakeholders. As work has progressed, most milestones have been met. On two occasions, workarounds were needed to deal with the occurrence of unidentified risk events. With continued attention to detail, you have been successful in keeping the project on schedule and within budget. No, an opportunity is identified that can only be realized if the project is completed two days ahead of schedule. Which of the following is the best thing to do when asked to complete a project two days earlier than planned?
A. Tell senior management that the projects critical path does not allow the project to be finished earlier
B. Tell your manager
C. Meet with the team to look at options for crashing or fast tracking the critical path
D. Work hard and see what the project status is next month
Meet with the team to look at options for crashing or fast tracking the critical path
Although the customer agreed to the original project schedule, they are now asking for an earlier project finish. They are being pressured by their own customers. The project managers sponsor thinks finishing early is not only a viable option but also a good idea for your organization Because it will enable you to start another project sooner. In attempting to complete the project faster, the project manager looks at the cost associated with crashing Each activity. The best approach to crashing would also include looking at the:
A. Risk impact off crashing each activity.
B. Customers opinion of which activities to crash.
C. Sponsors opinion of which activities to crash and in what order.
D. Project lifecycle phase in which the activity is due to occur

Risk impact of crashing each activity
During project planning, you estimate the time needed for each activity and then total the estimate to create the project estimate. You commit to completing the project by this date. What is wrong with the scenario?
A. The team did not create the estimate, and estimating takes too long using that method.
B. The team did not create the estimate, and a net diagram was not used.
C. The estimate is too long and should be created by management.
D. The project estimate should be the same as the customers required completion date
The team did not create the estimate, and a network diagram was not used
Your new project is faced with challenging deadlines and an anxious customer. After consulting with the team, you have a short the customer that the best way to develop the required features on time will be to follow an agile approach. The customer agrees to this somewhat reluctantly, since he is not familiar with agile. However, the next week he hears that your team has spent “two whole days“ doing T-shirt sizing of the product features, and yet they still haven’t produced a viable scheduled model. He calls you into his office to explain how this is justified, given the limited time available. What do you say?
A. Agile developers don’t plan when the work will be finished, they just start the work and get as much done as they can before the deadline.
B. Agile teams need to develop quick, coarse grained estimates to do just enough planning to get the work started.
C. The agile approach means doing as little planning as possible so the team can focus on what they do best, delivering value.
D. There is still too much uncertainty about the product features to develop a schedule model yet; the team will do that later
Agile team needs to develop a quick, course grained estimates to do just enough planning to get the work started
You are a project manager on a $5 million software development project. While working with your project team to develop a network diagram, you notice a series of activities that can be worked in parallel but must finish in a specific sequence. What type of activity sequencing method is required for these activities?
A. Precedence diagraming matter
B. Arrow diagram in method
C. Critical path method
D. Operational diagraming method
Precedence diagraming method
You are a project manager on a $5 million software development project. While working with your project team to develop a network diagram, your data architect suggest that quality could be improved if the data model is approved by senior management before moving on to other design elements. They support the suggestion with an article from a leading software development journal. Which of the following best describes this type of input?
A. Mandatory external dependency
B. Discretionary external dependency.
C. External regulatory dependency
D. Heuristic
Discretionary external dependency
Your Ezra project team is updating a mobile alert aggregator for social media updates and trending news items. The team that tells you that this week they plan to hold the planning poker session for the user stories in the upcoming release. What does this tell you?
A.they are trying to find out how long it will take to complete the first iteration.
B. They are determining when this release will be ready to deploy.
C. They are estimating how long it will take to develop and test this release.
D. They are evaluating the relative size in story points of the stories for this release
They are evaluating the relative size in story points of the stories for this release
A project manager has received activity duration estimates from his team. Which of the following does he need an order to complete their develop schedule process?
A. Earned value analysis.
B. Schedule change control system
C. Trend analysis
D. Reserves
Reserves
As part of the Estimate Activity Duration process, —— are created to cover identified and unknown schedule risks. All the other items are parts of Control Schedule and occur after the Develop Schedule process.
Reserves
Our project manager is taking over a project from another project manager during project planning. If the new project manager wants to see what the previous project manager planned for managing changes to the schedule, it would be best to look at the:
A. Communications management plan
B. Update management plan
C. Staffing management plan
D. Schedule management plan
Schedule management plan
As part of a project managers due diligence, reviews the schedule, focussing on each activity as its start time approaches. He also monitors activities as they progress. He is currently looking at An activity that has an early start (ES] of day 3, a late start [LS] of the 13, an early finish “ES“ of day 9, and a late finish “LF“ of day 19. In all likelihood, this activity:
A. Is on the critical path
B. Has a lag
C. It’s progressing well
D. Is not on the critical path
It’s not on the critical path
The project is calculated to be completed four days after the desired completion date. You don’t have access to additional resources. The project is low risk, the benefit cost ratio is expected to be 1.6, and the dependencies are preferential. Under these circumstances, what is the best thing to do:
A. Cut resources from an activity.
B. Make more activities concurrent
C. Move resources from the preferential dependencies to the external dependencies
D. Remove an activity from the project
Make more resources concurrent
On the two-year agile project you are managing, the teams velocity for the first eight sprints is 43, 24, 47, 35, 24, 34, 30, and 32. Should you be worried about these results?
A. No; this looks like fairly typical data for an agile teams velocity
B. No; velocity is just used to track effort, not to evaluate performance
C. Yes, because velocity has been unusually low for the last four sprints
D. Yes; the team needs to stabilize their velocity soon so they can start planning
No this looks like fairly typical data for an agile team’s velocity
A project manager for a small construction company has a project that was budgeted $430,000 over a six week period. According to the schedule, this project should have cost $60,000 to date. However, it has cost $90,000 to date. The project is also behind schedule, because the original estimates for not accurate. Who has the primary responsibility to solve this problem?
A. Project manager
B. Senior management
C. Project sponsor
D. Manager of the project management office
Project manager
The WBS, estimate for each work package, and the network diagram are completed. The next thing for the project manager to do is:
A. Sequence the activities
B. Validate that they have the correct scope
C. Create a preliminary schedule and get the teams approval
D. Complete risk management
Create a preliminary schedule and get the teams approval
You are the project manager for a new product development project that has four levels in the work breakdown structure. The natural diagram and duration estimates have been created, and a schedule has been developed and compressed. Which schedule management activity should you do next?
A. Control the schedule
B. Determine dependencies
C. Analogously estimate the schedule
D. Gain approval
Gain approval
Senior management is complaining that they are not able to easily determine the status of ongoing projects in the organization. Which of the following types of reports would help provide summary information to senior management?
A. Detail cost estimates
B. Project management plans
C. Bar charts
D. Milestone reports
Milestone reports
Rearranging resources so that a constant number of resources is used each month is called:
A. Crashing
B. Floating
C. Levelling
D. Fast tracking
Levelling
In managing your first agile project, you are trying to decide how to best keep the sponsor another key stakeholders updated about the teams progress. Do you want to use one or more of the agile tools that your team is already maintaining for their own use, rather than asking the team members to create any additional status reports or project documentation. Which agile tool should you use for this purpose?
A. The project roadmap and story maps
B. The task board with WIP limits
C. The velocity burn down matrix
D. The cumulative flow diagram
The cumulative flow diagram
This diagram shows your stakeholders the product features complete, in progress, and remaining as well as any changes in total scope. This makes it a powerful tool for tracking and forecasting the delivery of value there is no such thing as “velocity burn down matrix” and the other two options don’t track progress over time
Cumulative flow diagram
The team is helping the project manager estimate activities on their project. They are experienced and skilled, and many members have been with the company for some time. There are several activities they need to estimate that haven’t been previously done by the company. What is the best method of estimating these activities?
A. Analogous estimating
B. Three point estimating
C. Monte Carlo analysis
D. Parametric estimating
Three point estimating
This type of estimating can be used when you have done similar work previously. It uses top-down estimating techniques. It’s a form of expert judgement
Analogous estimating
It is a schedule development technique
Monte Carlo analysis
This type of estimating includes the use of history and productivity rates for the work
Parametric estimating
This type of estimating is used because it allows you to estimate in a range: optimistic, pessimistic and most likely
Three point estimating
During project executing, a large number of changes are made to the project. Several of the change requests have come from the customer, significantly changing the functionality of the originally requested product. Six project team members have been reassigned by management to a higher priority project, and they have been replaced. As project work has progressed, many of the identified risks have occurred and have been successfully mitigated. However, three contingency plans have been adjusted and will be implemented if identified risks recur during the remainder of the project. The project manager should:
A. Wait until all changes are known, and then print out a new schedule
B. Make sure the project charter is still valid
C. Change the schedule baseline.
D. Talk to management before any changes are made
Make sure the project charter still valid
Midway into project execution, one of your senior project team members is leaving the company. Due to a delay in filling the position, you have decided to assign the affected tasks to two less experienced employees. Which factor would most strongly affect the duration of their assigned tasks?
Law of diminishing returns Student syndrome Number of resources Parkinson's law
In the Estimate Activity Duration process, a change to the assigned resource will usually affect the duration, but this is not a simple “straight-line” or linear relationship. Sometimes, the intrinsic nature of the work (such as physical constraints) will take a predetermined amount of time to complete. Other factors for consideration include the law of diminishing returns (for a single increased investment such as resources or overtime), the number of resources (accounting for experience and risks associated with crashing), advances in technology (such as automation and more efficient materials and processes), and motivation of staff (considering student syndrome and Parkinson’s law). The number of resources affects the duration of the newly assigned tasks since the project manager is accounting for both the availability of resources and their level of experience. Adding more resources typically increases risk, due to knowledge transfer, learning curve, and additional coordination required to manage work. Therefore, of the choices provided, number of resources is likely the factor that would most strongly affect the duration of the assigned tasks.
You work with your team to sequence activities on the project you are leading. You are looking for the factors, constraints, and potential dependencies among project activities that can influence the way activities are sequenced, as well as help you understand the relationship between activities and the need for leads and lags. Where could you find this information?
Project schedule
Work breakdown structure
Basis of estimates
Assumption log
The scenario states that you are performing the Sequence Activities process. The assumption log, an input to this process, contains information that can influence the way activities are sequenced, as well as the relationship between activities, and the need for leads and lags. This information may result in the identification of new project risks that may impact the project schedule. Assumptions that affect activity sequencing may be specified in several places: the project charter, the WBS dictionary, the activity list, etc. The assumption log is used to centralize this information into one project document and capture all assumptions and constraints throughout the project lifecycle, making the assumption log the best answer to the question asked. The incorrect answer choices represent project artifacts that are not among the inputs to the Sequence Activities process described in the scenario.
Which of the following is accurate regarding the Estimate Activity Resources process?
It produces project resource calendars as the output. This process is coordinated independent of the Estimate Cost process. It determines dependencies that may require a lead or lag to define the relationship. It involves determining what and how many resources to use.
The estimate activity resources process determines what and how many resources will be used. This process is closely coordinated with the estimate costs process. Activity leads and lags are not determined during this process.
The following table is an activity list that includes the duration and predecessor for a series of project activities. What is the duration of the critical path?
Activity A - Duration 2 - Predecessor - Start
Activity B - Duration 4 - Predecessor - A, E
Activity C - Duration 6 - Predecessor - A
Activity D - Duration 3 - Predecessor - B, C
Activity E - Duration 7 - Predecessor - Start
Activity F - Duration 2 - Predecessor - E
End - Duration (-) - Predecessor - D, F
Using the critical path method may require drawing a project schedule network diagram, or listing all the possible the sequences of paths with the given activities, then adding up the duration, and knowing which path constitutes the critical path.
Given the activity list shown, you can see that:
Start serves as predecessor for both A and E, creating a divergence into two paths.
Activity A serves as predecessor for both B and C, creating another divergence.
Activity E serves as a predecessor for both B and F, creating another divergence.
The project schedule network diagram is as follows.
Path - Start A C D End - Durations 2+6+3 = 11
Path - Start A B D End - Durations 2+4+3 = 9
Path - Start E B D End - Durations 7+4+3 = 14
Path - Start E F End - Durations 7+2 = 9
The resulting list of paths with their aggregated duration is below. The critical path is Start-E-B-D-End, and the duration of the critical path with the data given is 14.
A project with both Schedule Performance Index (SPI) and Cost Performance Index (CPI) of 0.80. The project is currently:
Ahead of schedule and under budget Behind schedule and under budget Behind schedule and over budget Ahead of schedule and over budget
SPI: 0.8<1 means project is behind schedule, CPI: 0.8<1 means project cost is over budget
During a work breakdown structure meeting, you have decomposed the deliverables into work packages and created your WBS dictionary. However, you now want to decompose the work packages to assist you in estimating, executing, and controlling the project. These decomposed work packages are:
Control Accounts Milestones Work packages can't be decomposed into smaller units Activities
Activities represent the effort needed to complete a work package and are an output of the define activities process. During this process, the work packages are further decomposed into project activities.
In a pharmaceutical project, human trials are to start soon. The CEO is thrilled about the success of the trials up to this point. She announces that the size of the patient pool for the trials should double from the one originally planned and results tracked in the new system launching this week. What should the project manager do first?
Adjust the scope baseline to reflect the increased trial size Communicate the change of direction with the stakeholders Ramp up production to match the demand of the CEO Consider what might be included in a change request
The scenario implies the project manager is concerned with the Control Schedule process on a project managed using agile approaches. Such projects leverage the prioritization of the work on the product backlog to influence and control the project’s schedule and iterations. Due to the iterative nature of agile managed projects, the schedule is controlled in some manner during iteration planning - which occurs between iterations. In the scenario, the prototype work and the other project tasks may all worked on concurrently and with equal importance. Reprioritizing the items on the product backlog allows the project manager and the project team to control the work scheduled for the upcoming iteration. So if the prototype work is of more focus in the near team schedule, the backlog should be prioritized accordingly.
While developing your project schedule, you have asked everyone to provide a list of planned vacations over the next three months, and you have applied this information to the tasks that each person is responsible for. What also needs updating?
Resource Calendars Lags Schedule Variances Leads
Resource calendars indicate when resources can work on the project. This project document must be updated to reflect the working and nonworking time of the project resources.
Tim is the project manager for a shopping mall construction project which is in its fourth month of execution. According to the project contract, Tim can only issue project invoices when the project is 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% complete in terms of the approved project schedule. Recently the 25% milestone has been reached and Tim is ready to issue his first invoice. According to the contract, the project must be completed in 12 months. What is the project’s SPI?
0. 33 1. 33 0. 25 0. 75
Since the 25% schedule milestone has been achieved, the project’s earned schedule (ES) is 25%. Further the project is in its third month of execution so the actual time is 33.33% (i.e. 4 months / 12 months). SPI = ES/AT = 25% / 33.33% = 0.75.
If a project has a To Cost Performance Index (TCPI) of 0.90, this means that:
90% of the work planned to date has been completed The project can spend money at a rate 10% lower than planned to meet the project budget 90% of the budget planned to date has been spent The project can spend money at a rate 11% higher than planned and still meet the project budget
The To Complete Performance Index (TCPI) is the efficiency needed to finish the project on budget. If it is smaller than 1, that means that we have more money left on the budget than the remaining Planned Value (PV) to achieve. Therefore, in theory, we can spend more money yet can still finish the project on budget. (However, in reality, it is generally preferred to finish the project under budget. A TCPI smaller than 1 is a good sign that the project is going healthy.)
Jane is worried about her project because many of her tasks are moving slowly, and two critical tasks may slip. She conducts a thorough resource analysis and finds out that there are five people who will be free next week. She would like to assign those people to finish her tasks early and prevent the project completion date from slipping. This is an example of:
Fast tracking Crashing Management reserves Resource Leveling
Adding more resources to scheduled tasks in order to compress the task durations is called crashing.
In a project, Activity A has a duration of four days and begins on the morning of Monday the fourth. The successor Activity, B, has a Finishto-Start (FS) relationship with A. The Finish-to-Start relationship has two days of lag, and Activity B has a duration of three days. If Saturday and Sunday are non-working days, which of the following statements is true?
Activity B will be completed by the end of the day on Thursday, the 14th Total elapsed days (completing both activities) is seven days Activity B will be completed by the end of the day on Tuesday, the 12th Activity B will be completed by the end of the day on Friday, the 15th.
Activity a has a duration of 4 days and completes by end of the day on thursday, 7th. There is a 2-day lag, and since saturday and sunday are non-working, activity b can begin only on tuesday, 12th. Activity b has a duration of 3 days and completes by end of the day on thursday, 14th.
To define the logical relationship among dependencies accurately, a project manager is determining which ones require a lead or a lag. Which of the following correctly describes leads or lags?
A lag allows acceleration of the successor activity. A lag directs a delay in the predecessor activity. A lead allows a successor activity to be delayed. A lead allows an acceleration of the successor activity.
To define the logical relationship among dependencies accurately, the project management team determines which ones require a lead or a lag. A lead allows an acceleration of the successor activity.
Analogous Estimating is an estimation technique that uses the values of parameters such as scope, cost, budget, and duration from a previous similar activity as the basis of activity. It is frequently used for estimation when there is a limited amount of information about the project. This is a form of:
Precision Estimation Gross value estimation Function point estimation Fixed point estimation
Analogous estimating is a gross value estimating technique. It is most reliable when the previous activities are similar in fact and not just in appearance, and the project team members preparing the estimates have the needed expertise.
While developing the project schedule, you find that the completion of a successor activity depends on the completion of its predecessor activity. What is this dependency called?
Finish-to-Finish Start-to-Finish Finish-to-Start Start-to-Start
In a finish-to-finish dependency, the completion of the successor activity depends upon the completion of its predecessor activity.
Which process is MOST responsible for managing changes to the schedule components of the Project Management Plan?
Develop Project Management Plan Develop Schedule Create WBS Control Schedule
The control schedule is the process of managing the changes to the schedule baseline to achieve the project management plan.
You are the project manager for the construction of a new thin-crust pizza vending machine. You take all the information gathered in the project management plan to date and begin to develop a project schedule. When you reach the activity labeled as 6.5.3, you are unsure if a refrigeration specialist is needed for the installation of the cooling mechanism for the pizza dough. What project document would you reference in order to get information on the resources required for installing the cooling mechanism? Select one Mark question Resource calendar Resource management plan Procurement management plan Activity attributes
Activity attributes is a project document containing the resource requirements for a particular activity. The activity attributes for activity 6.5.3 would indicate what credentials, if any, are required to install the cooling mechanism. The resource requirements project document would also be a good answer, but since resource requirements are not provided as a choice, activity attributes is the best answer to the question asked.
A project manager had originally planned to use both of the company's industrial 3D printers simultaneously for a project but has just learned that one of them will be unavailable. The project manager adjusts the schedule so that the components are created sequentially using the one remaining 3D printer. Unfortunately, this action affects the critical path and delays the planned finish date of the project. What tool or technique has the project manager used in this situation? Select one Mark question Crashing Fast tracking Resource smoothing Resource leveling
Resource leveling is a resource optimization technique in which start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource constraints with the goal of balancing the demand for the resources with the available supply. Resource leveling can often cause the original critical path to change which is what happened in the scenario described. Adjusting the schedule to accommodate the loss of one of the 3D printers is an example of resource leveling. Therefore, of the choices provided, it can be reasonably assumed that the project manager performed resource leveling.
You have a schedule activity that can be delayed without delaying the early start date of any subsequent activities. This is an example of:
Free Float Lag Float Lead Float Total Float
The question given is the definition of free float.
You are working on a software development project in which specialized resources are required to perform some tasks. You estimate these resources are necessary during the project’s executing phase. However, your estimation fails to account for these resources are available for only limited hours in the executing phase. What should you do to make schedule changes to deal with the limited availability?
Select one Mark question
Update the schedule baseline
Perform an impact analysis
Update the project schedule
Communicate to customers and update the baseline
A project manager must be responsible and must communicate truthful information to customers. However, a project manager must perform an impact analysis before getting approval from the customer and making changes. Thus, the correct choice here is to perform an impact analysis. The schedule and schedule baseline should be updated after analyzing the impact and getting customer approval. [pmi code of ethics and professional responsibility] [project schedule management]
You are managing a heavy equipment manufacturing project that involves many mechanical, electrical, and IT staff. Your team prepared a schedule network diagram using duration estimates with dependencies and constraints. Your team also calculated the critical path for the project using late and early values. Today, your project office has indicated to you that some of the resources you had planned for the project will be unavailable. To deal with this, you explore the possibility of modifying the schedule to account for limited resources. What is your best possible step in such a situation?
Select one Mark question
Apply leads and lags to develop a viable schedule
Recalculate critical path after applying the resource constraints
Use crashing or fast tracking to level resources across the project
Perform Resource Leveling to account for limited resources
The critical path method is used to prepare a schedule network diagram. A network diagram is prepared initially, and the critical path is then calculated. Availability of resources is entered, and a resourcelimited schedule is prepared. Hence, recalculating the critical path using the critical path method after applying the resource constraints is the next best step.
Activity attributes extend the description of the activity by identifying various components associated with the activity. Typically, how many attributes are associated with each activity?
Select one Mark question
They should be between five and ten.
The number of attributes depends on the activity duration.
They should be fewer than five.
The number of attributes varies by application area.
Activity attributes can vary by application area. Components for each activity change over time. Initially they may include activity id, WBS id, and activity name. Later, they may include activity codes, activity description, predecessor activities, successor activities, logical relationships, leads, lags, resource requirements, imposed dates, constraints, and assumptions.
Which of the following is an output of the Define Activities process? Select one Mark question Project schedule activity diagrams Resource calendar Milestone list Activity duration estimates
A milestone list is a valid output of the define activities process.
While planning the schedule for your project, you frequently refer to the project calendar. The project calendar is:
Select one Mark question
A calendar that establishes the dates on which project deliverables go to the customer.
A calendar containing the days on which various meetings are scheduled with the project team.
A calendar containing the list of days on which the project team members will be on leave or take an “off.”
A calendar of working days or shifts that establishes those dates on which schedule activities are worked.
A project calendar is a calendar of working days or shifts that establishes those dates on which schedule activities are worked. It also establishes non-working days that determine dates on which schedule activities are idle, such as holidays, weekends and non-shift hours.
The project management team expects that during the course of the project there could be delays in component delivery due to strikes, changes to the permitting processes, or extensions of specific engineering durations. What analysis could be helpful in preparing contingency and response plans to mitigate these issues? Select one Mark question Schedule compression Variance analysis Contingency analysis What-If scenario analysis
What-if scenario analysis is used to assess the feasibility of the project schedule under adverse conditions. This is an analysis of the question “what if the situation represented by scenario ‘x’ happens?” it is used in preparing contingency and response plans to mitigate the impact of adverse conditions.
Progressive elaboration is least applicable to which of the following processes? Select one Mark question Control Schedule Create WBS Develop Schedule Estimate Activity Durations
Progressive elaboration applies when only a certain amount of information is available initially, and additional information is obtained as the project or phase progresses. It is the progressive detailing of the project management plan and relates more closely to the processes from the planning process group.
The critical path method (CPM) calculates the theoretical early start and finish dates and late start and finish dates. The difference between the late and early start of a task is a: Select one Mark question Free float Feeding buffer Danger zone Total float
The difference between the early and late finish of a task is called the total float for that task. Total float is the amount of time that a scheduled activity can be delayed from its early start date without delaying the project finish date.
Ron is a project manager handling an alternate water-supply project. During a project performance review, he notices the following: (i) Activity A, on the critical path, is delayed by four days. (ii) Activity B, not on the critical path, is delayed by nine days. (iii) Activity C, on the critical path, is delayed by two days. (iv) Activity D, not on the critical path, is delayed by five days. In what sequence should Ron prioritize his efforts in addressing these delays?
Select one Mark question
First Activities C and D, and then Activities A and B
First Activities A and B, and then Activities C and D
First Activities A and C, and then Activities B and D
First Activities A and D, and then Activities B and C
An important part of schedule control is deciding if schedule variation requires corrective action. Activities on the critical path get first priority for immediate action. Larger delays on activities not on the critical path may not require immediate attention since they may not affect the overall project schedule. Hence, ron will first deal with the delays on the critical path and then tackle the delays on the other paths.
Your boss is giving you a rough outline of the scope, constraints, and risks involved in a prospective client’s project. The project is highly similar to another project you are currently closing. The sponsor wants to know how long this project would take your team to complete. You think your team may need two months, but what should your answer be?
Select one Mark question
“If it truly resembles this project we are closing, it could be six to ten weeks.”
“Give us two months. We will knock it out just like the project that we are closing now.”
“Considering the uncertainty in scope, I estimate three months.”
“Let me run some numbers in a simulation, and get back to you tomorrow.”
Considering your immediate experience of a similar project, you should give an estimate in the form of a range. As a component of a schedule management plan, the level of accuracy specifies the acceptable range used in determining realistic duration estimates. The range accounts for risk contingencies. These contingencies may be some threats of delay or opportunities to gain efficiencies and accelerate the schedule. A project in the initiation phase (which is the case in this scenario) might have a rough order of magnitude estimate in the +/-50% range. If you would estimate 8 weeks is most likely, a rough range of 4 to 12 weeks is reasonable. But that range is not among your answer choices. Later, as more information becomes available, estimates could narrow to a range of +/-10%. In the scenario provided, you have a team that is experienced in this kind of project, making the narrower range of six to ten weeks the best of the available choices.
You are leading a project to develop a new web application. Together with your project team you reprioritize the product backlog, determine velocity for the past iterations, and adapt your work plans accordingly. Additionally, you facilitate retrospectives every two weeks. Which of the following processes describes the work you are performing? Select one Mark question Manage Quality Develop Schedule Control Schedule Monitor Risks
Adaptive life cycles, such as the agile approach, use short cycles to undertake work, review the results, and adapt as necessary. These cycles provide rapid feedback on the approaches and suitability of deliverables and generally involve iterative scheduling. The project described in the scenario is using an agile approach as evidenced by the use of the retrospectives, a backlog, and iterations. When an agile approach is used, Control Schedule is concerned with conducting retrospectives to correct and improve processes, reprioritizing the backlog, determining the velocity in the current iteration, and adjusting the plans accordingly. Therefore, of the choices provided, the work you are performing is best described by the Control Schedule process.
The project manager and the team decide that the project will be divided into five-week iterations with two weeks in between for retrospectives and iteration planning. Where is this documented? Select one Mark question Project charter Agile Practice Guide Schedule management plan Schedule network diagrams
How the project is to manage and lay out its schedule is part of what is included in the schedule management plan. The Plan Schedule Management process pulls together and determines how the project is to manage the time and scheduling of a project. That schedule management plan can contain many components dependent on the project, the needs of the project, and the extent of documentation and thoroughness of the project and the project organization. In this scenario, the inclusion of the timeboxing format of the iterations would definitely be involved. Projects managed in an agile methodology aim to retain a consistent and repeatable iteration pattern. Those decisions and other relevant information are documented in the schedule management plan.
You are managing a project that involves work on a film shoot. The editing activity can happen only after the film is shot. The best description of the logical relationship between the editing and shooting of the film is: Select one Mark question Finish-to-Finish (FF) Start-to-Finish (SF) Finish-to-Start (FS) Start-to-Start (SS)
This is a situation where the editing activity can happen only after the film shooting has been completed. Hence, the logical relationship between the two tasks is Finish-to-Start (FS).
As a project manager, you are in the process of preparing the project schedule for the project. Which of the following accurately depicts the sequence of your activities before you began to prepare the project schedule?
Select one Mark question
Estimate Activity Durations, Sequence Activities, Develop Schedule
Define Activities, Estimate Activity Durations, Sequence Activities
Sequence Activities, Estimate Activity Durations, Define Activities
Sequence Activities, Estimate Activity Durations, Develop Schedule
The correct sequence of processes in the schedule management knowledge area is: plan schedule management, define activities, sequence activities, estimate activity durations, develop schedule, and control schedule.
Which of these is accurate regarding the Develop Schedule process?
Select one Mark question
Schedule network analysis is a technique carried out once the schedule is approved.
Schedules are optimized such that all noncritical activities have a zero total float.
Schedule compression shortens the project schedule while changing the project scope.
The critical path method is a schedule network analysis technique that is performed using the schedule model.
The critical path method is a schedule network analysis technique that is performed using the schedule model.
The accurate statement regarding the develop schedule process is that the critical path method is a schedule network analysis technique that is performed using the schedule model. The other statements are not accurate.
During a presentation to management, you want to display the project schedule with only the key deliverables displayed. What is the correct tool for this purpose? Select one Mark question Critical path network Project schedule network diagram Critical chain diagram Milestone chart
Milestone chart
A milestone chart displays only the key deliverables and is simple and easy to understand.
You have recently taken over a troubled automobile project, which has gone out of control. The project team missed many deadlines, and stakeholders were displeased with the project’s progress. As an experienced project manager, your first priority is to align the schedule with the project plan. You would like to use what-if scenario analysis to see how various factors affected the project schedule so you can develop a plan to reduce the impact of adverse conditions on the project schedule in the future. What would be your next course of action be, once you determine the factors that created schedule overruns?
Select one Mark question
Update activity lists to incorporate new activities into the schedule
Develop project schedule network diagrams to determine the total slack
Prepare a resource breakdown structure to identify resources used
Generate change requests for a corrective action
Generate change requests for a corrective action
You are in the process of determining the status of the project schedule and investigating the factors that caused schedule changes. From this scenario, you are currently in the control schedule process. What-if analysis is used in the control schedule process to see how various factors influence the schedule. One output of this process is to generate change requests to correct the schedule. Hence, you should generate a change request for the required corrective action.
As part of Define Activities, you are looking at dependencies used to define the sequence among the activities. Which of these is not a valid type of dependency? Select one Mark question Linked dependency External dependency Discretionary dependency Mandatory dependency
Linked dependency
Linked dependency is not a valid type of dependency. The other three choices are valid types of dependencies.
You work with your team to sequence activities on the project you are leading. You are looking for the factors, constraints, and potential dependencies among project activities that can influence the way activities are sequenced, as well as help you understand the relationship between activities and the need for leads and lags. Where could you find this information? Select one Mark question Project schedule Work breakdown structure Basis of estimates Assumption log
The scenario states that you are performing the Sequence Activities process. The assumption log, an input to this process, contains information that can influence the way activities are sequenced, as well as the relationship between activities, and the need for leads and lags. This information may result in the identification of new project risks that may impact the project schedule. Assumptions that affect activity sequencing may be specified in several places: the project charter, the WBS dictionary, the activity list, etc. The assumption log is used to centralize this information into one project document and capture all assumptions and constraints throughout the project lifecycle, making the assumption log the best answer to the question asked. The incorrect answer choices represent project artifacts that are not among the inputs to the Sequence Activities process described in the scenario.
Midway through a project, a project manager determined the project was running far behind schedule. If the project manager needs to shorten the project schedule without changing the project scope, which of the following schedule compression techniques could he use? Select one Mark question Last Tracking Reserve Analysis Forecasting Crashing
Crashing Crashing is a technique that can be applied to compress the project schedule without changing the project scope. Another option is fast tracking.
You are attempting to estimate the resources required to assemble the server racks in the new data center you are building. It has occurred to you that you may be able to compress the schedule if you use power tools instead of hand tools to build the racks and if you employ individuals who have worked on this brand of rack in the past. According to PMBOK, considering multiple options for estimating is an example of what type of resource estimating technique? Select one Mark question Robust estimating Top Down Estimating Bottom Up Estimating Alternative Analysis
Alternative Analysis
In this scenario, you are looking for alternative ways to compress the schedule by using experienced resources and power tools instead of hand tools. This is an example of alternative analysis.
Which of the following is accurate regarding the Estimate Activity Resources process?
Select one Mark question
It produces project resource calendars as the output.
This process is coordinated independent of the Estimate Cost process.
It determines dependencies that may require a lead or lag to define the relationship.
It involves determining what and how many resources to use.
The estimate activity resources process determines what and how many resources will be used. This process is closely coordinated with the estimate costs process. Activity leads and lags are not determined during this process.
A construction project requires that government environmental hearings be held prior to site preparation. What kind of dependency is this? Select one Mark question External dependency Discretionary dependency Soft logic Optional dependency
This is called an external dependency. It involves a relationship between project and non-project activities (for example, government environmental hearings).
Which of these precedence relationships is most commonly used in the Precedence Diagramming Method? Select one Mark question Finish-to-Finish Start-to-Finish Finish-to-Start Start-to-Start
Finish-to-start relationships indicate that the next task is not able to start until the one preceding it is completed. This is the most commonly used type of activity relationship.
Mandatory dependencies are those that are inherent in the nature of the work being done. They often involve physical limitations, such as on a construction project when it is impossible to erect the superstructure until the foundation is built. According to the PMBOK, a mandatory dependency is also: Select one Mark question Soft logic Fixed logic Unilateral dependency Hard logic
Mandatory dependencies are also referred to as hard logic.
In a Finish-to-Start relationship between predecessor and successor activities, a project manager decides to schedule a successor activity five days before its predecessor is complete. This is accomplished by providing five days of: Select one Mark question Lead Fast-tracking Load Lag
A lead allows an early start of the successor activity.
You are working as a project manager for a wind-powered vehicle manufacturing project which is in its planning phase. You carefully gathered all your requirements from your key stakeholders and prepared a system requirements specification and project requirements specification. While presenting your specifications to the project team, an enthusiastic project team member started talking about the duration estimates for each activity. Which of the following statements indicates your response to your team member?
Select one Mark question
Scope definition, WBS creation, Quality planning, and Communication planning must be done before estimating durations.
Schedule development and Costs estimation must be done before estimating durations.
Scope definition, WBS creation, Activity definition, and Activity sequencing must be done before estimating durations.
WBS creation and Schedule development must be done after estimating durations.
Estimating activity durations is done during the planning phase of a project. Since you have just developed the requirements, the scope must be defined and the WBS must be created immediately. Based on the wbs, activities must be defined and sequenced. After sequencing, resources and duration for each activity must be estimated. Therefore, explain to your team member which activities must be done before estimating durations: scope definition, wbs creation, activity definition, and activity sequencing.
Jack is the project manager of a project that is halfway through its execution. He is currently looking at the work schedule. He adjusts a few of the schedule milestones and imposes date constraints for some of the work packages. This relates to which of the following processes? Select one Mark question Develop Schedule Control Schedule Control Scope Control Quality
The project is halfway through the execution. Since the project manager is adjusting the project plans, this needs to be a process from the monitoring and controlling process group. Jack is currently performing the control schedule process as he is adjusting the project schedule.
Following is an illustration of a project network activity node that includes some information about activity D. Given the information provided, what is the total float of activity D?
21 - 3 - 23
D
37 - ? - 39
16 2 18 14
To answer this question, the first step is to understand the meaning of the values displayed on the network activity node. The accepted convention is shown below, where:
ES = early start EF = early finish LS = late start LF = late finish
The total float can be calculated using either one of the following two formulas:
Total Float = LF - EF
Total Float = LS - ES
To illustrate, we will use the first formula:
Total Float = LF - EF = 39 - 23 = 16
Here is the project schedule network activity node filled in with the correct answer for total float, 16:
As the project manager of a project, you had estimated certain activity durations before acquiring all project team members. On acquisition, you find that their actual competency levels are much lower than what you anticipated. In such a case, you will:
Select one Mark question
Inform the customer that the project is behind schedule
Ask the project team members to meet the original schedule by putting in overtime, if required
Make changes to activity duration and schedule incorporating the changed competency levels
Make no changes to the schedule
Make changes to activity duration and schedule incorporating the changed competency levels
The appropriate action is to make changes to the project schedule and activity durations depending on the actual competency of the team. Asking the project team members to work overtime or informing the customer that the project is late are too drastic in nature given the stage of the project.
During a work breakdown structure meeting, you have decomposed the deliverables into work packages and created your WBS dictionary. However, you now want to decompose the work packages to assist you in estimating, executing, and controlling the project. These decomposed work packages are:
Select one Mark question
Control Accounts
Milestones
Work packages can’t be decomposed into smaller units
Activities
Activities represent the effort needed to complete a work package and are an output of the define activities process. During this process, the work packages are further decomposed into project activities.
A technique that iterates the project schedule many times to calculate a distribution of possible project completion dates is: Select one Mark question Montford analysis Pareto Cost chart Monte Carlo Analysis Deming Analysis
Monte carlo analysis is a technique that computes or iterates the project cost or the project schedule many times, using input values selected at random from probability distributions of possible costs or durations. In this way, one can calculate a distribution of possible total project costs or completion dates.
In a pharmaceutical project, human trials are to start soon. The CEO is thrilled about the success of the trials up to this point. She announces that the size of the patient pool for the trials should double from the one originally planned and results tracked in the new system launching this week. What should the project manager do first?
Select one Mark question
Adjust the scope baseline to reflect the increased trial size
Communicate the change of direction with the stakeholders
Ramp up production to match the demand of the CEO
Consider what might be included in a change request
The scenario implies the project manager is concerned with the Control Schedule process on a project managed using agile approaches. Such projects leverage the prioritization of the work on the product backlog to influence and control the project’s schedule and iterations. Due to the iterative nature of agile managed projects, the schedule is controlled in some manner during iteration planning - which occurs between iterations. In the scenario, the prototype work and the other project tasks may all worked on concurrently and with equal importance. Reprioritizing the items on the product backlog allows the project manager and the project team to control the work scheduled for the upcoming iteration. So if the prototype work is of more focus in the near team schedule, the backlog should be prioritized accordingly.
The technique most commonly used by project management software packages to construct a project schedule model is: Select one Mark question Node-On-Activity (NOA) Precedence diagramming method (PDM) Finish-to-Start (FS) Activity-In-Node (AIN)
The method used by most project management software packages to construct a project schedule model is precedence diagramming method. This method uses boxes or rectangles, called nodes, to represent activities. It connects the nodes with arrows showing the logical relationships among them.
You are the project manager of a project. As part of the planning process, you use a planning technique to subdivide the project scope and deliverables into smaller, more manageable components. What is this technique called? Select one Mark question Decomposition Rolling wave planning Unit task analysis Arrow Diagramming Method
Decomposition is the process of subdividing the project scope and deliverables into smaller, more manageable components.
Which of these is not an established Estimate Activity Durations technique? Select one Mark question Critical Path Estimation Three Point Estimating Analogous Estimating Parametric Estimating
Analogous, parametric, and three-point estimating techniques are all accepted practices for determining the correct amount of time required for a portion of the project. The critical path analysis techniques evaluate the whole project schedule.
In a textile manufacturing project, a team divided the project work into 35 work packages and assigned a few work packages to the design department for review. After the review, the manager of the design department requested that the team further divide the work packages into more manageable work components for estimating and scheduling resources. Which of the following techniques should the team use to satisfy the manager's request? Select one Mark question The precedence diagramming method Decomposition The bottom-up estimating The parametric estimating
The manager requested the team to divide the work packages into more manageable components for estimating the resources. The define activities process is used to divide the work packages into more manageable activities for estimating, scheduling, and executing the project work. Decomposition is the technique used during this process to divide the work packages into activities.
Which of these processes is not a Project Schedule Management process? Select one Mark question Create WBS Define Activities Sequence Activities Develop Schedule
Create WBS is a process in the project scope management area. The other options are all project schedule management processes.
While developing your project schedule, you have asked everyone to provide a list of planned vacations over the next three months, and you have applied this information to the tasks that each person is responsible for. What also needs updating? Select one Mark question Resource Calendars Lags Schedule Variances Leads
Resource calendars indicate when resources can work on the project. This project document must be updated to reflect the working and nonworking time of the project resources.
You are the project manager responsible for building a 100,000-squarefoot data center. One of the scheduled activities in your plan is to install the Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC) units. However, a raised floor must be installed in the data center before installation of the units can begin. This is an example of what type of precedence relationship? Select one Mark question Start to Finish Start to Start Finish to Finish Finish to Start
Finish to Start
The successor activity, in this case the installation of the crac units, cannot begin until the raised floor in the data center is completed (because the units need to sit on the raised floor). Therefore, this is an example of a finish-to-start relationship.
Calculation of late finish dates and late start dates for the uncompleted portion of the project is called \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Select one Mark question An arrow diagram Schedule compression A forward pass A backward pass
Calculation of late finish dates and late start dates for the uncompleted portion of the project is called a backward pass.
When possible, the detailed project schedule \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ throughout the project to adjust for knowledge gained, increased understanding of the risk, and value-added activities. Select one Mark question Should stand firm Must be avoided Should remain flexible Must be inflated
Should remain flexible
Ideally the detailed project schedule should remain flexible throughout the project to adjust for knowledge gained, increased understanding of the risk, and value-added activities.
You are facing problems decomposing the testing work package into the final activities required to complete the work package. Detailed testing plans and activities cannot be determined until the system is at least 50% developed and more details become available. The system development work package will take at least three months to complete. What is the best way to resolve this problem?
Select one Mark question
Consult the project management plan to determine what to do in this situation
Decompose the system development work package now and decompose the system testing work package later
Break down the project into multiple phases so that the system testing work package goes into the second project phase
Use product analysis techniques such as product breakdown and systems analysis to decompose the system testing work package
Decompose the system development work package now and decompose the system testing work package later
Delaying the decomposition of the system testing work package until later in the project is an example of rolling wave planning. Rolling wave planning is 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. Decomposition may not be possible for a deliverable or sub-component that will be accomplished far into the future. The project management team usually waits until the deliverable or sub-component is agreed on, so the details of the work breakdown structure (WBS) can be developed. Therefore, the best approach is to use rolling wave planning and decompose the system development work package now and then decompose the system testing work package later, when more project information becomes available.
Predicting future performance based on historical events is called \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Select one Mark question Trend analysis Historical analysis Parametric analysis Pareto analysis
Trend analysis is an analytical technique that uses mathematical models to forecast future outcomes based on historical results. It is a method of determining the variance from a baseline of a parameter. It uses prior progress reporting periods’ data to project how much that parameter’s variance from baseline might be at some future point in the project if no changes are made in executing the project
If a project has a To Cost Performance Index (TCPI) of 0.90, this means that:
Select one Mark question
90% of the work planned to date has been completed
The project can spend money at a rate 10% lower than planned to meet the project budget
90% of the budget planned to date has been spent
The project can spend money at a rate 11% higher than planned and still meet the project budget
The To Complete Performance Index (TCPI) is the efficiency needed to finish the project on budget. If it is smaller than 1, that means that we have more money left on the budget than the remaining Planned Value (PV) to achieve. Therefore, in theory, we can spend more money yet can still finish the project on budget. (However, in reality, it is generally preferred to finish the project under budget. A TCPI smaller than 1 is a good sign that the project is going healthy.)
If a project has a Schedule Performance Index (SPI) of 0.90, this means that:
Select one Mark question
90% of the work planned to date has been completed
90% of the project budget has been spent
90% of the budget planned to date has been spent
90% of the work of the whole project has been completed
90% of the work planned to date has been completed
The Schedule Performance Index (SPI) represents the performance of the project in terms of schedule up to the moment. If it is smaller than 1, less than 100% of the scheduled work has been completed to date.
In which of the following situations would it be better to avoid using Analogous Estimating?
Select one Mark question
When the project team members have the needed expertise
When a low value estimate is required
When the previous activities are similar in fact and not just appearance
When an accurate estimate is required
When an accurate estimate is required
Analogous estimating is typically less costly than other estimation techniques but also less accurate. It is most reliable when previous activities are similar in fact and the project team members have the needed expertise. This method should not be used when an accurate estimate is required.
Jane is worried about her project because many of her tasks are moving slowly, and two critical tasks may slip. She conducts a thorough resource analysis and finds out that there are five people who will be free next week. She would like to assign those people to finish her tasks early and prevent the project completion date from slipping. This is an example of: Select one Mark question Fast tracking Crashing Management reserves Resource Leveling
Adding more resources to scheduled tasks in order to compress the task durations is called crashing.
You have been asked to create a graphic display of schedule-related information, listing schedule activities on the left side of the chart, dates on the top, and activity durations as date-placed horizontal bars on the right side. What is such a chart called? Select one Mark question GERT chart PERT chart Gantt chart Hunt chart
Such a chart is called a gantt chart. This is a popular representation of project schedule information. Activity start dates, end dates, durations, dependencies, and milestones are easily depicted on this chart in a graphical manner.
Linda is a first-time project manager and is analyzing a project schedule. She intends to apply resource leveling, and she has the following guidelines on Resource Leveling. Which of these four statements is incorrect?
Select one Mark question
Resource Leveling is necessary when resources have been over-allocated.
Resource Leveling is applied to keep resource usage at a constant level.
Resource Leveling can often cause the critical path to change.
Resource Leveling is applied to a schedule before it has been analyzed by the critical path method.
Resource leveling is a schedule network analysis technique. It is applied to a schedule that has already been analyzed by the critical path method.
You are running one week behind on a project due to a late delivery by a vendor. You are forced to compress your project schedule due to a government-mandated end date that constrains your project. After meeting with your team, the decision is to work several tasks in parallel that were scheduled to be run consecutively. This is an example of: Select one Mark question Fast Tracking Resource Leveling Crashing Risk Acceptance
The example provided is the definition of fast tracking. An example of crashing the schedule is doubling the amount of resources so the task(s) can be done in half the originally scheduled time.
After one year of construction, an office building is scheduled for completion on 30 January. The landscaping work needs to start 15 days prior to the building’s completion. Which of the following relationships most likely represents the relationship of the start of landscaping work to the completion of the office building? Select one Mark question Finish-to-start with a 15-day lead Finish-to-start with a 15-day lag Start-to-finish with a 15-day lead Start-to-finish with a 15-day lag
Finish-to-start with a 15-day lead
The landscaping work needs to start before completion of the office building, so it is a Finish-to-Start relationship. Since it needs to start 15 days before completion of the building, it requires a lead of 15 days. Hence, the answer is finish-to-start with a 15-day lead.
Which of the Project Schedule Management processes involves identifying and documenting dependencies among schedule activities? Select one Mark question Define Activities Develop Schedule Sequence Activities Control Schedule
Sequence activities is the process of identifying and documenting dependencies among schedule activities.
The accuracy of Activity Duration estimates can be improved by considering the amount of risk in the original estimate. The three types of estimates on which three-point estimates are based are:
Select one Mark question
Budgetary, ballpark, and Order of Magnitude
Most likely, likely, and unlikely
Most likely, optimistic, and pessimistic
Best case scenario, expected scenario, and current scenario
The accuracy of activity duration estimates can be improved by considering the amount of risk in the original estimate. The three types of estimates on which three-point estimates are based are: most likely, optimistic, and pessimistic. An activity duration can be estimated using values derived from these three estimated durations.
Due to the unexpected release of a similar product from a competitor, the Widgets International executive team has stepped up the pressure on the product team to release the Widget product three months earlier. The project manager uses what technique to shorten the schedule but maintain the project scope? Select one Mark question Rolling wave planning Schedule network analysis Schedule compression Schedule management planning
Schedule compression is the technique of shortening the project schedule duration without reducing scope.
Analogous Estimating is an estimation technique that uses the values of parameters such as scope, cost, budget, and duration from a previous similar activity as the basis of activity. It is frequently used for estimation when there is a limited amount of information about the project. This is a form of: Select one Mark question Precision Estimation Gross value estimation Function point estimation Fixed point estimation
Analogous estimating is a gross value estimating technique. It is most reliable when the previous activities are similar in fact and not just in appearance, and the project team members preparing the estimates have the needed expertise.
You are the project manager responsible for building a 100,000-squarefoot data center. One of the scheduled activities in your plan is to install the Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC) units. However, before beginning the installation of the units, a raised floor must be installed for the units to bolt to. This is an example of what type of dependency? Select one Mark question Discretionary External Optional Mandatory
This is an example of a mandatory dependency, since the units will be bolted to the raised floor.
While developing the project schedule, you find that the completion of a successor activity depends on the completion of its predecessor activity. What is this dependency called? Select one Mark question Finish-to-Finish Start-to-Finish Finish-to-Start Start-to-Start
In a finish-to-finish dependency, the completion of the successor activity depends upon the completion of its predecessor activity
Which process is MOST responsible for managing changes to the schedule components of the Project Management Plan? Select one Mark question Develop Project Management Plan Develop Schedule Create WBS Control Schedule
The control schedule is the process of managing the changes to the schedule baseline to achieve the project management plan.
You are the project manager for the construction of a new thin-crust pizza vending machine. You take all the information gathered in the project management plan to date and begin to develop a project schedule. When you reach the activity labeled as 6.5.3, you are unsure if a refrigeration specialist is needed for the installation of the cooling mechanism for the pizza dough. What project document would you reference in order to get information on the resources required for installing the cooling mechanism? Select one Mark question Resource calendar Resource management plan Procurement management plan Activity attributes
Activity attributes is a project document containing the resource requirements for a particular activity. The activity attributes for activity 6.5.3 would indicate what credentials, if any, are required to install the cooling mechanism. The resource requirements project document would also be a good answer, but since resource requirements are not provided as a choice, activity attributes is the best answer to the question asked.
A project manager had originally planned to use both of the company's industrial 3D printers simultaneously for a project but has just learned that one of them will be unavailable. The project manager adjusts the schedule so that the components are created sequentially using the one remaining 3D printer. Unfortunately, this action affects the critical path and delays the planned finish date of the project. What tool or technique has the project manager used in this situation? Select one Mark question Crashing Fast tracking Resource smoothing Resource leveling
Resource leveling is a resource optimization technique in which start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource constraints with the goal of balancing the demand for the resources with the available supply. Resource leveling can often cause the original critical path to change which is what happened in the scenario described. Adjusting the schedule to accommodate the loss of one of the 3D printers is an example of resource leveling. Therefore, of the choices provided, it can be reasonably assumed that the project manager performed resource leveling.
Which of these types of precedence relationships is least commonly used in the Precedence Diagramming Method? Select one Mark question Finish to Start Finish to Finish Start to Start Start to Finish
Start to Finish
Start to finish relationships indicate that the next task cannot be completed until the one preceding it has started. This type is not commonly used.
Which technique is NOT commonly used to align the timing of activities with available resources? Select one Mark question Critical Path Method Resource Leveling Resource Smoothing Resource optimization
The critical path method is not a technique commonly used to align the timing of activities with available resources. The critical path method is a technique used to establish a rough timeline fitting the project’s work activities within the deadlines defined in the scope statement.
You and your team have compiled your project’s activity list, determined how the activities should be performed and analyzed the schedule. You are preparing information for the project sponsor to highlight the identified activities that may create a delay in the overall project schedule. Which of the following would be most useful in this situation? Select one Mark question Activity attributes Project calendars Project network diagrams Duration estimates
In this question, project network diagrams would best serve to provide information concerning activities that would possibly create schedule delays. A project network diagram is one of three suggested project schedule models. At a minimum, a project schedule should include planned start dates and planned finished dates for each activity. Network diagrams which include activity date information and critical path activities, display how those activities logically relate to other activities and the overall project time line. A detailed network diagram that includes critical path activities, durations, milestones, and resources could be useful in this situation to highlight the activities that may create a delay in the overall project schedule.
Which of the following is NOT a valid statement regarding the critical path method?
Select one Mark question
The resulting late start and finish dates will be the project schedule baseline.
The flexibility of the schedule is measured by the difference between early and late dates.
A forward pass and backward pass are performed through the project network paths.
The early start and finish dates and late start and finish dates are calculated without factoring in resource limitations.
The resulting late start and finish dates will be the project schedule baseline.
The critical path method is a technique that calculates the earliest and latest possible start and finish times for work activities in a project. It uses the estimated duration of activities and the dependencies among them to determine limits for when each activity can be performed.
There are two activities on your schedule: 1) Install server in lab, and 2) Move server into the data center. However, the second task cannot start until the server has run in the lab for five days without failure. This is an example of what? Select one Mark question Lead Fast Track Lag Crashing
A lag is a modification of a logical relationship that directs a delay in a successor activity. In this case, there is a 5-day delay before the server can be moved into the data center.
You have a schedule activity that can be delayed without delaying the early start date of any subsequent activities. This is an example of: Select one Mark question Free Float Lag Float Lead Float Total Float
The question given is the definition of free float.
You are working on a software development project in which specialized resources are required to perform some tasks. You estimate these resources are necessary during the project’s executing phase. However, your estimation fails to account for these resources are available for only limited hours in the executing phase. What should you do to make schedule changes to deal with the limited availability?
Select one Mark question
Update the schedule baseline
Perform an impact analysis
Update the project schedule
Communicate to customers and update the baseline
A project manager must be responsible and must communicate truthful information to customers. However, a project manager must perform an impact analysis before getting approval from the customer and making changes. Thus, the correct choice here is to perform an impact analysis. The schedule and schedule baseline should be updated after analyzing the impact and getting customer approval. [pmi code of ethics and professional responsibility] [project schedule management]
You are managing a heavy equipment manufacturing project that involves many mechanical, electrical, and IT staff. Your team prepared a schedule network diagram using duration estimates with dependencies and constraints. Your team also calculated the critical path for the project using late and early values. Today, your project office has indicated to you that some of the resources you had planned for the project will be unavailable. To deal with this, you explore the possibility of modifying the schedule to account for limited resources. What is your best possible step in such a situation?
Select one Mark question
Apply leads and lags to develop a viable schedule
Recalculate critical path after applying the resource constraints
Use crashing or fast tracking to level resources across the project
Perform Resource Leveling to account for limited resources
The critical path method is used to prepare a schedule network diagram. A network diagram is prepared initially, and the critical path is then calculated. Availability of resources is entered, and a resourcelimited schedule is prepared. Hence, recalculating the critical path using the critical path method after applying the resource constraints is the next best step.
Activity attributes extend the description of the activity by identifying various components associated with the activity. Typically, how many attributes are associated with each activity?
Select one Mark question
They should be between five and ten.
The number of attributes depends on the activity duration.
They should be fewer than five.
The number of attributes varies by application area.
Activity attributes can vary by application area. Components for each activity change over time. Initially they may include activity id, WBS id, and activity name. Later, they may include activity codes, activity description, predecessor activities, successor activities, logical relationships, leads, lags, resource requirements, imposed dates, constraints, and assumptions.
A hierarchical structure of project resources organized by category and resource type, used in planning, managing and controlling project work, is: Select one Mark question Organization Breakdown Structure Team structure Resource Breakdown Structure Resource Pool
The resource breakdown structure (RBS) is a hierarchical structure of team and physical resources related by category and resource type.
You are in charge of constructing the Ferris wheel in each town a carnival visits. However, this is something you have never done before, and you are getting different opinions from others on how long it takes. Joe is new and has given you what you believe to be an optimistic estimate of three hours; Bill says it will take 10 hours, which seems too long to you and quite pessimistic. Last, Margie, who is the most experienced at this task, is telling you it will take eight hours. You are not sure whom to believe, so you decide to do three-point estimation (based on beta distribution). Based on this, how many hours will it take you to assemble the Ferris wheel? Select one Mark question 21 hours 8 hours 7 hours 7.5 hours
7.5 hours
The formula for three-point estimate (based on beta distribution) is Estimate = (Optimistic + (Most likely *4) + Pessimistic)/6.
Your company is way behind schedule in the deployment of a government-mandated change to a health care processing system that must be in production by the end of the year. To meet the due date, you and your team have met and decided to hire an additional 50 programmers to work with the existing staff. This is an example of what? Select one Mark question Risk Transference Fast Tracking Crashing Resource Leveling
Crashing is a specific type of project schedule compression technique performed by taking action to decrease the total project schedule duration. Typical approaches to crashing a schedule include reducing activity durations and increasing the assignment of resources.
All the following are tools of the Control Schedule process except: Select one Mark question Parametric estimating Critical Path Method Schedule compression Leads and lags
Leads and lags, schedule compression and critical path method are tools in the control schedule process. Parametric estimating is not a tool of this process.
If you want to compress a project schedule, what are two of the recommended alternatives to consider?
Select one Mark question
Crashing and Fast Tracking
Resource Levelling and What-If Scenario Analysis
Fast Tracking and Schedule Network Analysis
Crashing and Schedule Network Analysis
Crashing and fast tracking can compress the project’s schedule when necessary, but might come at a higher cost and rework potential.
Which of the following is an output of the Define Activities process? Select one Mark question Project schedule activity diagrams Resource calendar Milestone list Activity duration estimates
A milestone list is a valid output of the define activities process.
While planning the schedule for your project, you frequently refer to the project calendar. The project calendar is:
Select one Mark question
A calendar that establishes the dates on which project deliverables go to the customer.
A calendar containing the days on which various meetings are scheduled with the project team.
A calendar containing the list of days on which the project team members will be on leave or take an “off.”
A calendar of working days or shifts that establishes those dates on which schedule activities are worked.
A project calendar is a calendar of working days or shifts that establishes those dates on which schedule activities are worked. It also establishes non-working days that determine dates on which schedule activities are idle, such as holidays, weekends and non-shift hours.
You are a project manager for a new product development project that is in the planning stages. Your project team has just finished creating the activities list and is now in the process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities. While meeting with your project team, you notice that a series of activities can be done in parallel but must finish in a specific sequence. Your team is debating which type of activity sequencing method to use. What would you tell them? Select one Mark question Activities diagramming method Project schedule network diagram Critical path method Precedence diagramming method
Precedence diagramming method
Based on the scenario described, the project team is performing the Sequence Activities process. The precedence diagramming method (PDM) is the most appropriate technique for the team to use in this scenario. PDM is used for constructing a schedule model to show the sequence in which activities are to be performed. PDM can be used to represent four types of dependences or logical relationships graphically, which, in this case, would be a finish-to-finish relationship between activities.
The project management team expects that during the course of the project there could be delays in component delivery due to strikes, changes to the permitting processes, or extensions of specific engineering durations. What analysis could be helpful in preparing contingency and response plans to mitigate these issues? Select one Mark question Schedule compression Variance analysis Contingency analysis What-If scenario analysis
What-if scenario analysis is used to assess the feasibility of the project schedule under adverse conditions. This is an analysis of the question “what if the situation represented by scenario ‘x’ happens?” it is used in preparing contingency and response plans to mitigate the impact of adverse conditions.
Progressive elaboration is least applicable to which of the following processes? Select one Mark question Control Schedule Create WBS Develop Schedule Estimate Activity Durations
Progressive elaboration applies when only a certain amount of information is available initially, and additional information is obtained as the project or phase progresses. It is the progressive detailing of the project management plan and relates more closely to the processes from the planning process group.
If you are working on a project where there is no definite detailed scope, but there are similar projects in the past, what is the correct Estimate Activity Durations tool to use? Select one Mark question Parametric Estimating Analogous Estimating Critical Path Estimation Three Point Estimating
Analogous estimation relies on comparing a project to previous projects that were similar in nature.
A project manager estimates the work to be accomplished in the near term in detail at a low level of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). He estimates work far in the future as WBS components that are at a relatively high level of the WBS. What is this technique called? Select one Mark question Decomposition Rolling wave planning Earned value planning Scope Creep
In rolling wave planning, the work to be accomplished in the near term is estimated in detail at a low level of the work breakdown structure (WBS), while the work far in the future is estimated as wbs components that are at a relatively high level of the wbs. The work to be performed within another one or two reporting periods in the near future is planned in detail during the current period.
The critical path method (CPM) calculates the theoretical early start and finish dates and late start and finish dates. The difference between the late and early start of a task is a: Select one Mark question Free float Feeding buffer Danger zone Total float
The difference between the early and late finish of a task is called the total float for that task. Total float is the amount of time that a scheduled activity can be delayed from its early start date without delaying the project finish date.
Ron is a project manager handling an alternate water-supply project. During a project performance review, he notices the following: (i) Activity A, on the critical path, is delayed by four days. (ii) Activity B, not on the critical path, is delayed by nine days. (iii) Activity C, on the critical path, is delayed by two days. (iv) Activity D, not on the critical path, is delayed by five days. In what sequence should Ron prioritize his efforts in addressing these delays?
Select one Mark question
First Activities C and D, and then Activities A and B
First Activities A and B, and then Activities C and D
First Activities A and C, and then Activities B and D
First Activities A and D, and then Activities B and C
An important part of schedule control is deciding if schedule variation requires corrective action. Activities on the critical path get first priority for immediate action. Larger delays on activities not on the critical path may not require immediate attention since they may not affect the overall project schedule. Hence, ron will first deal with the delays on the critical path and then tackle the delays on the other paths.
Your boss is giving you a rough outline of the scope, constraints, and risks involved in a prospective client’s project. The project is highly similar to another project you are currently closing. The sponsor wants to know how long this project would take your team to complete. You think your team may need two months, but what should your answer be?
Select one Mark question
“If it truly resembles this project we are closing, it could be six to ten weeks.”
“Give us two months. We will knock it out just like the project that we are closing now.”
“Considering the uncertainty in scope, I estimate three months.”
“Let me run some numbers in a simulation, and get back to you tomorrow.”
Considering your immediate experience of a similar project, you should give an estimate in the form of a range. As a component of a schedule management plan, the level of accuracy specifies the acceptable range used in determining realistic duration estimates. The range accounts for risk contingencies. These contingencies may be some threats of delay or opportunities to gain efficiencies and accelerate the schedule. A project in the initiation phase (which is the case in this scenario) might have a rough order of magnitude estimate in the +/-50% range. If you would estimate 8 weeks is most likely, a rough range of 4 to 12 weeks is reasonable. But that range is not among your answer choices. Later, as more information becomes available, estimates could narrow to a range of +/-10%. In the scenario provided, you have a team that is experienced in this kind of project, making the narrower range of six to ten weeks the best of the available choices.
You are leading a project to develop a new web application. Together with your project team you reprioritize the product backlog, determine velocity for the past iterations, and adapt your work plans accordingly. Additionally, you facilitate retrospectives every two weeks. Which of the following processes describes the work you are performing? Select one Mark question Manage Quality Develop Schedule Control Schedule Monitor Risks
Adaptive life cycles, such as the agile approach, use short cycles to undertake work, review the results, and adapt as necessary. These cycles provide rapid feedback on the approaches and suitability of deliverables and generally involve iterative scheduling. The project described in the scenario is using an agile approach as evidenced by the use of the retrospectives, a backlog, and iterations. When an agile approach is used, Control Schedule is concerned with conducting retrospectives to correct and improve processes, reprioritizing the backlog, determining the velocity in the current iteration, and adjusting the plans accordingly. Therefore, of the choices provided, the work you are performing is best described by the Control Schedule process.
You have been asked to determine the early start and finish dates for the activities that make up a project. What would be the BEST technique to use? Select one Mark question Resource Smoothing Resource Leveling What-If scenario analysis Critical Path Method
The critical path method is a technique that calculates the earliest and latest possible start and finish times for work activities in a project.
The project manager and the team decide that the project will be divided into five-week iterations with two weeks in between for retrospectives and iteration planning. Where is this documented? Select one Mark question Project charter Agile Practice Guide Schedule management plan Schedule network diagrams
How the project is to manage and lay out its schedule is part of what is included in the schedule management plan. The Plan Schedule Management process pulls together and determines how the project is to manage the time and scheduling of a project. That schedule management plan can contain many components dependent on the project, the needs of the project, and the extent of documentation and thoroughness of the project and the project organization. In this scenario, the inclusion of the timeboxing format of the iterations would definitely be involved. Projects managed in an agile methodology aim to retain a consistent and repeatable iteration pattern. Those decisions and other relevant information are documented in the schedule management plan.
As you create the Activity List, which technique is recommended for subdividing the project into smaller components called activities? Select one Mark question Deconstruction Decomposition Expert Judgment Rolling Wave Planning
The decomposition technique allows the project manager to create smaller and more manageable pieces of work from the larger work packages.
A manager asked to see a list of milestones in the project. This would be available as an output from the: Select one Mark question Define Activities process Sequence Activities process Define Scope process Estimate Activity Durations process
The milestone list is available as an output from the define activities process.
You have decided to apply Resource Leveling to a project because of a critically required resource being available only at certain times. Which of the following will likely be true?
Select one Mark question
Resource Leveling will over-allocate resources to schedule the project before the deadline.
Resource Leveling can often cause the original critical path to change.
Resource Leveling will require additional resources to complete the project.
Resource Leveling will never alter the original critical path.
Resource levelling can often cause the original critical path to change.
You are managing a project that involves work on a film shoot. The editing activity can happen only after the film is shot. The best description of the logical relationship between the editing and shooting of the film is: Select one Mark question Finish-to-Finish (FF) Start-to-Finish (SF) Finish-to-Start (FS) Start-to-Start (SS)
This is a situation where the editing activity can happen only after the film shooting has been completed. Hence, the logical relationship between the two tasks is Finish-to-Start (FS).
As a project manager, you are in the process of preparing the project schedule for the project. Which of the following accurately depicts the sequence of your activities before you began to prepare the project schedule?
Select one Mark question
Estimate Activity Durations, Sequence Activities, Develop Schedule
Define Activities, Estimate Activity Durations, Sequence Activities
Sequence Activities, Estimate Activity Durations, Define Activities
Sequence Activities, Estimate Activity Durations, Develop Schedule
The correct sequence of processes in the schedule management knowledge area is: plan schedule management, define activities, sequence activities, estimate activity durations, develop schedule, and control schedule.
While sequencing activities for a project, the project management team applied certain discretionary dependencies. This was based on their knowledge of best practices within the project application area. What is the potential risk involved in using such dependencies?
Select one Mark question
They can create fixed float values and create external dependencies.
They can create arbitrary float values and create external dependencies.
They can create arbitrary float values and limit later scheduling options.
They can create arbitrary float values and create mandatory dependencies.
Discretionary dependencies are established based on the knowledge of best practices within a specific application area. This is done to achieve a specific sequence even though there are other options. The risk is that they may cause arbitrary float values and later limit scheduling options because of the specific sequencing chosen.
When is Rolling Wave Planning useful in a project?
Select one Mark question
You should use Rolling Wave Planning to help you determine which activities are more important and to do them first.
You should use Rolling Wave Planning to determine the correct sequencing for long-term items.
You should use Rolling Wave Planning to help you achieve the appropriate level of detail in each work package at the right time.
You should use Rolling Wave Planning to help you organize team members’ activities within a large project group.
Rolling wave planning is a technique used to create a more detailed work plan while keeping the right level of detail for each activity: activities happening sooner have more detail than those further in the future.
Most project management software packages use a method of constructing a project schedule network diagram known as: Select one Mark question Precedence Diagramming Method Just-in-time Method Waterfall Method Agile Method
Precedence Diagramming Method
Pdm uses nodes to represent activities and connects the activities with arrows to show dependencies. The rest of the choices are not valid schedule network diagraming techniques.
A project manager needed to shorten a project schedule and decided to employ crashing, a schedule compression technique. Which of the following activities would not be an example of crashing? Select one Mark question Paying to expedite delivery activities Bringing in additional resources Approving overtime Reducing project scope
Reducing project scope
Schedule compression techniques such as crashing and fast tracking shorten the project schedule without changing the project scope. Approving overtime, bringing in additional resources and paying to expedite delivery activities are valid examples of crashing. Reducing project scope is not a valid example of crashing.
A project manager is estimating the project duration and finds that the only information available to him is a previous project that was quite different from the current one. However, some portions of the previous project were similar to the current one. Which of the following tools is the project manager likely to use to compare current project’s activity durations with the similar previous activities?
Select one Mark question
Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
Analogous estimating
Three-point estimates
Parametric estimating
Analogous duration estimating is used when there is limited information available about a project. This is especially true in the early phases of a project. In such instances, a previous similar project is used as a basis for estimating.
The Create WBS process identifies the deliverables at the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ level in the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). Select one Mark question Tenth Lowest Any Highest
The create WBS process identifies the deliverables at the lowest level in the wbs, the work package. Project work packages are typically decomposed into smaller components called activities, which represent the work that is necessary to complete the work package.
You are working with your team on estimating how much time each activity will take. One of the documents you are using contains information on categories of labor, material, and equipment required to complete your project. You are also interested to see skill levels of your labor, any certifications required, and grade levels of your supplies. Which of the following documents would you primarily refer to for this purpose? Select one Mark question Risk breakdown structure Resource breakdown structure Organizational breakdown structure Work breakdown structure
Resource breakdown structure
Based on the scenario described, the project team is performing the Estimate Activity Durations process. An input to this process is the resource breakdown structure (RBS) which is a hierarchical list of team and physical resources related by category and resource type that is used for planning, managing, and controlling project work. Each descending level represents an increasingly detailed description of the resource until the information is small enough to be used in conjunction with the WBS to allow the work to be planned, monitored, and controlled.
You are managing a project that has a task to translate several pages of a document into Spanish. This is similar to a project done last year when a document was translated into German. You are not sure how long it will take to translate into Spanish, so you look at the project plan from the German translation and use that activity duration for your current project. What type of estimating is this an example of? Select one Mark question Parametric Estimating What-if Scenario Analysis Analogous Estimating Hypothesis
This is an example of analogous estimating, because you went back to an old schedule of a similar project to get the estimate. Parametric estimating would be correct if you used the number of words translated (e.g., translating 1000 words takes 1 hour).
The senior analyst on a project came up with Activity Duration Estimates as follows: Activity A: 10 days + a lag of two days; Activity B: 1 week + a lead of three days. The project manager who reviewed these estimates raised some objections to them. What would they most likely be?
Select one Mark question
The Activity Duration Estimate should have also mentioned the predecessor or successor activity to which the lag or lead is attached.
The analyst should have included percent variance information while mentioning the Activity Duration Estimate. This would indicate a range of possible results.
It is advisable not to mix up units such as days and weeks while coming up with Activity Duration Estimates.
Activity Duration Estimates should not include any lag or lead information.
Activity duration estimates are quantitative assessments of the likely work periods to complete an activity. They do not contain any lag or lead information. Lead and lags are determined during the develop schedule process when schedule network analysis is performed.
James has been managing a hotel construction project on a busy street. He is in the process of estimating activity durations for building walls, and he calculates the most likely estimate as 15 days. If prefabricated material is used, it would take no more than 12 days to finish the work. The work may be delayed and could take up to 18 days if less experienced construction workers build the walls. What is the expected duration of building walls using the three-point estimate? Select one Mark question 12 days 11 days 15 days 16 days
If the engineer is correct, the optimistic estimate can be taken as 12 days. The pessimistic estimate is still 18 days and the most likely estimate is 15 days. Using the pert or the three-point technique, the expected activity duration is calculated using the formula te = (tO + tM + tP)/3, where te is the estimated duration, tO is the optimistic duration, tM is the most likely duration and tP is the pessimistic duration. Hence, tE = (12 + 15 +18)/3 = 15 days.
To control the schedule, a project manager is reanalyzing the project to predict project duration. This is done by analyzing the sequence of activities with the least amount of flexibility. What technique is being used? Select one Mark question Critical Path Method Flowchart Leads and lags Work Breakdown Structure
The critical path of a project is the series of activities that have the least amount of float - usually zero (flexibility).
Which of the following is not an example of parametric estimating?
Select one Mark question
Activity duration estimated based on the actual duration of a similar, previous project.
Activity duration estimated based on the number of labor hours per meter for cable installation.
Activity duration estimated based on the square footage in construction.
Activity duration estimated based on the number of drawings multiplied by the number of labor hours per drawing.
Estimated activity duration based on the actual duration of a previous similar project is an instance of analogous estimating. The other three choices are examples of parametric estimating.
