CAE Project Planning & Execution 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A program director learns that a partner organization withdrew from a workforce training project two weeks before launch. The BEST immediate response is to:
- Cancel the program entirely
- Activate the contingency plan documented in the risk register (Correct answer)
- Extend the project timeline indefinitely
- Eliminate the affected learning objectives
Correct answer: Activate the contingency plan documented in the risk register
Activating a pre-planned contingency is the structured response to a materialized risk, minimizing disruption to scope and schedule.
Question 2: Which project planning technique breaks a large adult education initiative into smaller, manageable deliverables by decomposing work hierarchically?
- Critical path method
- Work breakdown structure (Correct answer)
- Delphi technique
- Affinity diagram
Correct answer: Work breakdown structure
A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) decomposes the total project scope into progressively smaller components, making it easier to estimate and assign work.
Question 3: An adult education project is behind schedule, but the budget is healthy. Which schedule compression technique allows activities to overlap that were originally planned sequentially?
- Crashing
- Fast tracking (Correct answer)
- Resource leveling
- Scope reduction
Correct answer: Fast tracking
Fast tracking overlaps sequential activities in parallel, reducing overall project duration without necessarily adding resources or cost.
Question 4: In the context of adult education project management, 'scope creep' most commonly occurs when:
- The budget is reduced mid-project
- Unapproved additions are made to project deliverables over time (Correct answer)
- Key instructors leave before program completion
- Technology platforms are upgraded during delivery
Correct answer: Unapproved additions are made to project deliverables over time
Scope creep is the gradual, uncontrolled expansion of project scope beyond original boundaries, often without corresponding adjustments to time or budget.
Question 5: A CAE candidate is asked to identify the longest sequence of dependent tasks in a project plan. This is referred to as the:
- Work breakdown structure
- Critical path (Correct answer)
- Milestone chart
- Responsibility matrix
Correct answer: Critical path
The critical path is the longest duration path through the project network, determining the earliest possible project completion date.
Question 6: A needs assessment for a new adult literacy program reveals multiple gaps. Which project planning step should DIRECTLY follow the needs assessment?
- Recruit instructors
- Define SMART program objectives (Correct answer)
- Design marketing materials
- Purchase technology licenses
Correct answer: Define SMART program objectives
After identifying gaps through needs assessment, SMART objectives translate findings into specific, measurable targets that guide all subsequent project activities.
Question 7: During project execution, a facilitator notices that learner enrollment numbers are 30% below the projected target. This information should be reported using which process?
- Change control
- Performance reporting (Correct answer)
- Procurement management
- Quality assurance
Correct answer: Performance reporting
Performance reporting communicates actual results against baselines so stakeholders and management can make informed decisions about corrective action.
CAE Project Planning & Execution 3
A program director learns that a partner organization withdrew from a workforce training project two weeks before launch.
The BEST immediate response is to: