CEP Project Management & Scheduling 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which scheduling technique is most appropriate during early project phases when full design details are not yet available but a milestone-level timeline is required?
- Detailed CPM network
- Rolling wave planning with milestone schedule (Correct answer)
- Resource-leveled baseline
- S-curve analysis
Correct answer: Rolling wave planning with milestone schedule
Rolling wave planning allows early phases to be planned in detail while future phases are represented at a summary or milestone level, progressively elaborated as information becomes available.
Question 2: A Schedule Variance (SV) of −$50,000 on a construction project means:
- The project has spent $50,000 more than budgeted
- The project is $50,000 worth of work behind the planned schedule (Correct answer)
- The project needs $50,000 more funding
- The project's contingency is $50,000 short
Correct answer: The project is $50,000 worth of work behind the planned schedule
Schedule Variance (SV = EV − PV) of −$50,000 means $50,000 less work has been earned than was planned, indicating schedule slippage measured in cost terms.
Question 3: In project scheduling, the 'hammock activity' is best described as:
- An activity with no predecessors
- A summary activity that spans between two specific points in the schedule and derives its duration from those points (Correct answer)
- An activity on the critical path with zero float
- A milestone with no duration
Correct answer: A summary activity that spans between two specific points in the schedule and derives its duration from those points
A hammock activity is a summary task whose duration is determined by the start of its first dependent activity and the finish of its last dependent activity.
Question 4: When reviewing a contractor's schedule for a large construction project, an owner's estimator should verify that the schedule includes adequate time for which activity that is often underestimated?
- Equipment delivery and owner-furnished material procurement lead times (Correct answer)
- Architect design reviews
- Final punch list only
- Post-completion warranty periods
Correct answer: Equipment delivery and owner-furnished material procurement lead times
Long-lead procurement for equipment and owner-furnished materials is frequently underestimated and can delay construction if not incorporated with accurate lead times in the schedule.
Question 5: Which document formally authorizes the project and provides the project manager with authority to apply organizational resources to project activities?
- Project Management Plan
- Project Charter (Correct answer)
- Scope Statement
- Work Authorization System
Correct answer: Project Charter
The Project Charter formally authorizes the project's existence and grants the project manager the authority needed to commit resources to project work.
Question 6: In a construction project estimate, 'schedule-related costs' such as general conditions and overhead are directly tied to project duration because:
- They are fixed regardless of project length
- They accrue on a time-based rate and increase proportionally as the project duration extends (Correct answer)
- They are only incurred during the construction phase
- They are calculated as a percentage of material costs
Correct answer: They accrue on a time-based rate and increase proportionally as the project duration extends
General conditions costs (supervision, temporary facilities, site utilities) accrue daily and directly increase with project duration, making schedule compression a key cost reduction strategy.
Question 7: A project team is developing a schedule for a design-build contract. Which scheduling approach best accommodates the overlapping of design and construction activities?
- Pure sequential phasing with no overlaps
- Phased fast-track scheduling with design packages released to construction as they are completed (Correct answer)
- Activity-on-Arrow network with mandatory Finish-to-Start logic only
- Milestone-only schedule with no activity detail
Correct answer: Phased fast-track scheduling with design packages released to construction as they are completed
Phased fast-tracking on design-build projects releases completed design packages to construction in sequence, allowing work to overlap and compress the overall delivery schedule.
CEP Project Management & Scheduling 5
Which scheduling technique is most appropriate during early project phases when full design details are not yet available but a milestone-level timeline is required?