Civil Engineering PE Project Planning and Estimating 3

Question 1

Which scheduling technique is most appropriate when activity durations are uncertain and probabilistic estimates are needed?

Accepted Answer

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique)

Answer

CPM (Critical Path Method)

Answer

Gantt chart scheduling

Answer

Linear scheduling method

Question 2

A project manager wants to compress a schedule by adding resources to critical path activities. This technique is called:

Accepted Answer

Crashing

Answer

Fast-tracking

Answer

Resource leveling

Answer

Schedule compression

Question 3

In a PERT analysis, an activity has an optimistic duration of 4 days, a most likely duration of 7 days, and a pessimistic duration of 16 days. What is the expected duration?

Accepted Answer

8.0 days

Answer

7.0 days

Answer

9.0 days

Answer

7.5 days

Question 4

What is the primary purpose of a construction contingency allowance in a project estimate?

Accepted Answer

To account for foreseeable but uncertain scope items

Answer

To cover contractor profit margin

Answer

To pay for design changes requested by the owner

Answer

To fund project overhead and administration

Question 5

Which document formally authorizes a project and identifies the project manager's authority?

Accepted Answer

Project charter

Answer

Project scope statement

Answer

Work breakdown structure

Answer

Project management plan

Question 6

Life-cycle cost analysis for a bridge includes initial construction cost of $5M, annual maintenance of $50,000, and a major rehabilitation at year 25 costing $1.5M. Using a discount rate of 4%, which factor is needed to find the present worth of the year-25 rehabilitation?

Accepted Answer

Single payment present worth factor (P/F)

Answer

Uniform series present worth factor (P/A)

Answer

Capital recovery factor (A/P)

Answer

Uniform gradient present worth factor (P/G)

Question 7

A project WBS is best described as a:

Accepted Answer

Deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of project scope

Answer

Bar chart showing activity sequences and durations

Answer

List of all project risks and their probabilities

Answer

Network diagram showing critical path activities