CFB Project Planning & Scheduling 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which document formally authorizes a project and identifies the project manager's authority?
- Project Management Plan
- Project Charter (Correct answer)
- Scope Statement
- Work Breakdown Structure
Correct answer: Project Charter
The project charter officially authorizes the project, names the project manager, and grants authority to apply organizational resources.
Question 2: When sequencing construction activities, a 'Finish-to-Start' (FS) dependency means:
- Both activities must start at the same time
- The successor cannot start until the predecessor finishes (Correct answer)
- The successor must finish before the predecessor can start
- Both activities must finish simultaneously
Correct answer: The successor cannot start until the predecessor finishes
Finish-to-Start is the most common dependency type, requiring the predecessor activity to be complete before the successor begins.
Question 3: A field builder notes that the project's Schedule Performance Index (SPI) is 0.85. What does this mean?
- The project is 15% over budget
- The project is performing at 85% of the planned schedule rate (Correct answer)
- The project will finish 15 days early
- The project has 85% of resources available
Correct answer: The project is performing at 85% of the planned schedule rate
An SPI less than 1.0 means the project is behind schedule; 0.85 indicates only 85 cents of planned work is being accomplished per dollar of scheduled work.
Question 4: Which type of schedule shows tasks as horizontal bars along a timeline and is most commonly used for communicating progress to field crews?
- Network Diagram
- Gantt Chart (Correct answer)
- S-Curve
- Histogram
Correct answer: Gantt Chart
Gantt charts display tasks as horizontal bars against a calendar, making them easy for field crews to read and follow.
Question 5: During project planning, a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is used primarily to:
- Assign responsibility to each subcontractor
- Decompose project scope into manageable deliverables and work packages (Correct answer)
- Identify the critical path through the project
- Estimate the total project cost
Correct answer: Decompose project scope into manageable deliverables and work packages
The WBS breaks the total project scope into smaller, manageable components, providing the foundation for scheduling, costing, and assigning work.
Question 6: A field builder must comply with a contract milestone requiring a building pad to be complete by a specific date. This is an example of:
- A discretionary dependency
- An external constraint imposed on the schedule (Correct answer)
- A resource-driven delay
- A finish-to-finish relationship
Correct answer: An external constraint imposed on the schedule
Contractual milestone dates are external constraints that impose hard schedule boundaries regardless of internal sequencing logic.
Question 7: What is the purpose of a project schedule 'baseline update' as opposed to a simple schedule update?
- A baseline update adds actual hours to completed tasks
- A baseline update formally re-approves the schedule after a significant approved change (Correct answer)
- A baseline update is performed daily by the superintendent
- A baseline update removes all completed activities from the schedule
Correct answer: A baseline update formally re-approves the schedule after a significant approved change
Baseline updates require formal change control approval and reset the performance measurement reference point due to significant approved scope or schedule changes.
CFB Project Planning & Scheduling 3
Which document formally authorizes a project and identifies the project manager's authority?