CPE Project Planning & Scheduling Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) network, which relationship type allows a successor activity to start before its predecessor finishes?
- Finish-to-Start (FS)
- Start-to-Start (SS) (Correct answer)
- Finish-to-Finish (FF)
- Start-to-Finish (SF)
Correct answer: Start-to-Start (SS)
A Start-to-Start (SS) relationship allows the successor to begin before or as soon as the predecessor starts, enabling overlapping work.
Question 2: Which scheduling technique uses three time estimates (optimistic, pessimistic, most likely) to calculate expected activity durations?
- Critical Path Method (CPM)
- Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) (Correct answer)
- Monte Carlo Simulation
- Resource Leveling
Correct answer: Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
PERT uses a weighted average of three time estimates (O + 4M + P) / 6 to account for uncertainty in activity durations.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a Hammock activity in project scheduling?
- To represent a milestone with zero duration
- To summarize a group of activities spanning between two points (Correct answer)
- To identify the longest path through the network
- To allocate resources across multiple projects
Correct answer: To summarize a group of activities spanning between two points
A Hammock activity is a summary activity whose duration is determined by the start of one activity and the finish of another, spanning multiple sub-activities.
Question 4: When applying fast-tracking to a project schedule, what is the primary risk introduced?
- Increased project cost due to premium labor rates
- Rework resulting from performing activities in parallel that were planned sequentially (Correct answer)
- Loss of critical path visibility
- Scope creep from accelerated deliverables
Correct answer: Rework resulting from performing activities in parallel that were planned sequentially
Fast-tracking overlaps activities that were originally planned in sequence, increasing the risk of rework if the predecessor's output changes.
Question 5: A project has a Total Float of 0 days on several activities. What does this indicate?
- Those activities have unlimited scheduling flexibility
- Those activities lie on the critical path (Correct answer)
- Those activities are near-critical and require monitoring
- Those activities have free float equal to total float
Correct answer: Those activities lie on the critical path
Activities with zero Total Float are on the critical path; any delay in them will directly delay the project finish date.
Question 6: Which technique specifically addresses resource over-allocation by shifting activities within their available float?
- Schedule Compression
- Resource Smoothing
- Resource Leveling (Correct answer)
- Crashing
Correct answer: Resource Leveling
Resource Leveling adjusts start and finish dates to resolve over-allocations, often extending the project end date beyond the original schedule.
Question 7: In schedule network analysis, what is the significance of a 'Near-Critical Path'?
- It is the second longest path and has the same duration as the critical path
- It has small total float and could become critical if activities are delayed (Correct answer)
- It contains activities with the highest resource consumption
- It represents the path with the most schedule risk due to uncertainty
Correct answer: It has small total float and could become critical if activities are delayed
Near-critical paths have small but non-zero total float and warrant close monitoring because minor delays can make them the new critical path.
CPE Project Planning & Scheduling Techniques 2
In a Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) network, which relationship type allows a successor activity to start before its predecessor finishes?