CCC CCC Schedule Control & Earned Value Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which critical path method (CPM) concept identifies the longest sequence of dependent activities that determines project duration?
- Critical Path (Correct answer)
- Float or slack
- Resource leveling
- Lead and lag
Correct answer: Critical Path
The critical path is the longest sequence of tasks that determines the minimum project duration; any delay on it directly delays project completion.
Question 2: A cost controller uses a 'Schedule Variance at Completion (SV%)' trending upward toward zero. This means:
- The project is recovering its schedule slippage and moving toward on-time completion (Correct answer)
- Costs are increasing faster than earned value
- The project has been cancelled
- Float on the critical path is increasing
Correct answer: The project is recovering its schedule slippage and moving toward on-time completion
An SV% trending toward zero from a negative position indicates schedule recovery as actual progress catches up to planned progress.
Question 3: What is 'float' (slack) in project scheduling?
- The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project's critical path or end date (Correct answer)
- Overtime budget reserved for recovery
- The difference between EV and PV
- A contingency reserve added to activity durations
Correct answer: The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project's critical path or end date
Float is schedule flexibility — activities with positive float can be delayed or stretched within that window without impacting overall project completion.
Question 4: In EVM, the To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI) measures:
- The cost efficiency required on remaining work to meet the BAC or EAC target (Correct answer)
- The schedule efficiency achieved to date
- The ratio of planned value to actual cost
- The percentage of work completed
Correct answer: The cost efficiency required on remaining work to meet the BAC or EAC target
TCPI = (BAC − EV) ÷ (BAC − AC); a TCPI above 1.0 means future work must be done more efficiently than past work to hit the target.
Question 5: A project's CPI is 0.80. What does this mean for the cost controller?
- For every dollar spent, only $0.80 of budgeted work has been accomplished — the project is over budget (Correct answer)
- The project is 80% complete
- The project is earning $1.25 for every dollar planned
- Schedule performance is 80% of target
Correct answer: For every dollar spent, only $0.80 of budgeted work has been accomplished — the project is over budget
CPI = EV/AC = 0.80 means cost efficiency is below 1.0, indicating the project is over budget relative to the work accomplished.
Question 6: Which scheduling technique allows an activity to start before its predecessor is fully complete?
- Fast-tracking with a Finish-to-Start lag or Start-to-Start relationship (Correct answer)
- Crashing
- Resource leveling
- Monte Carlo simulation
Correct answer: Fast-tracking with a Finish-to-Start lag or Start-to-Start relationship
Fast-tracking uses overlapping activities (often via Start-to-Start or partial predecessor completion) to compress the schedule without adding resources.
CCC CCC Schedule Control & Earned Value Management 2
Which critical path method (CPM) concept identifies the longest sequence of dependent activities that determines project duration?