CAPM Schedule Management 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A project manager is creating a network diagram. Activity X has three predecessors that all must finish before X can start. What is this called?
- Burst activity
- Merge activity (Correct answer)
- Milestone
- Hammock activity
Correct answer: Merge activity
A merge activity (or merge point) is one that has two or more predecessor activities, all of which must complete before the activity can begin.
Question 2: Which scheduling technique deliberately omits buffers from individual tasks and instead places a project buffer at the end of the critical chain?
- Critical Path Method
- Critical Chain Project Management (Correct answer)
- Monte Carlo Analysis
- Precedence Diagramming Method
Correct answer: Critical Chain Project Management
Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) removes individual task buffers and places a project buffer at the end of the critical chain to protect the overall deadline.
Question 3: When conducting a schedule variance analysis, a project manager finds SV = -$15,000. What does this mean?
- The project is $15,000 over budget
- The project is $15,000 behind schedule in dollar terms (Correct answer)
- The project is $15,000 ahead of schedule
- The project has saved $15,000 in schedule costs
Correct answer: The project is $15,000 behind schedule in dollar terms
A negative schedule variance (SV = EV − PV) means less work has been accomplished than planned, indicating the project is behind schedule.
Question 4: A project manager wants to identify the longest path through the project network. Which technique is used?
- Resource leveling
- Critical path analysis (Correct answer)
- Monte Carlo simulation
- Precedence diagramming
Correct answer: Critical path analysis
Critical path analysis identifies the longest path through the project network, which determines the shortest possible project duration.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a milestone in project scheduling?
- To estimate activity durations
- To mark significant points or events with zero duration (Correct answer)
- To assign resources to activities
- To compress the project schedule
Correct answer: To mark significant points or events with zero duration
Milestones are significant points or events in the project that have zero duration; they mark major deliverables or decision points.
Question 6: Which type of schedule dependency involves waiting for something outside the project team's control, such as a government permit?
- Mandatory dependency
- Discretionary dependency
- Internal dependency
- External dependency (Correct answer)
Correct answer: External dependency
External dependencies involve relationships between project activities and non-project activities outside the project team's control, such as regulatory approvals.
Question 7: During project execution, the project manager learns that a key resource will be unavailable for two weeks. Which document should be consulted to assess scheduling impact?
- Project charter
- Resource breakdown structure
- Schedule network diagram (Correct answer)
- Responsibility assignment matrix
Correct answer: Schedule network diagram
The schedule network diagram shows activity dependencies and float values, enabling the project manager to assess how a resource absence affects the critical path and project dates.
CAPM Schedule Management 5
A project manager is creating a network diagram.
Activity X has three predecessors that all must finish before X can start.
What is this called?