CPII Project Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a road resurfacing project, the inspector discovers that the contractor's schedule shows a 10-day float on a critical paving activity. What does this indicate?
- The activity has no scheduling flexibility
- The activity can be delayed up to 10 days without affecting project completion (Correct answer)
- The activity is behind schedule by 10 days
- The activity requires 10 additional days of resources
Correct answer: The activity can be delayed up to 10 days without affecting project completion
Float (or slack) represents the amount of time an activity can be delayed without pushing back the overall project completion date.
Question 2: A public infrastructure inspector is reviewing a contractor's earned value analysis. The Cost Performance Index (CPI) is 0.85. What does this mean?
- The project is 85% complete
- For every dollar spent, only $0.85 of work is being accomplished (Correct answer)
- The project is 15% ahead of schedule
- The contractor is spending $0.85 per unit of material
Correct answer: For every dollar spent, only $0.85 of work is being accomplished
A CPI below 1.0 indicates cost overrun — the project is getting less value than the money being spent.
Question 3: Which document formally authorizes a construction project and identifies the project manager's authority?
- Project Management Plan
- Project Charter (Correct answer)
- Statement of Work
- Work Breakdown Structure
Correct answer: Project Charter
The Project Charter is the document that formally authorizes the project and grants the project manager authority to apply resources.
Question 4: An inspector notices the contractor is using a resource-loaded schedule. What is the primary benefit of this scheduling approach?
- It eliminates the need for change orders
- It identifies periods of resource over-allocation or shortages (Correct answer)
- It automatically adjusts for weather delays
- It guarantees the project stays within budget
Correct answer: It identifies periods of resource over-allocation or shortages
A resource-loaded schedule assigns personnel and equipment to activities, revealing peaks or gaps in resource demand over time.
Question 5: During a bridge inspection project, the inspector must evaluate a change order that extends the project duration by 30 days. Which type of schedule delay is this MOST likely classified as?
- Excusable non-compensable delay
- Compensable delay (Correct answer)
- Concurrent delay
- Non-excusable delay
Correct answer: Compensable delay
A compensable delay is caused by the owner or agency and entitles the contractor to both time extension and additional compensation.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a Punch List in public infrastructure project management?
- To document contractor safety violations
- To list incomplete or deficient work items that must be corrected before final acceptance (Correct answer)
- To record daily weather conditions affecting the schedule
- To track material deliveries to the project site
Correct answer: To list incomplete or deficient work items that must be corrected before final acceptance
A Punch List documents remaining deficiencies or incomplete items that must be addressed by the contractor prior to project closeout and final payment.
Question 7: A contractor submits a project schedule using the Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM). Which relationship type indicates that a successor activity cannot start until the predecessor activity finishes?
- Start-to-Start (SS)
- Finish-to-Finish (FF)
- Finish-to-Start (FS) (Correct answer)
- Start-to-Finish (SF)
Correct answer: Finish-to-Start (FS)
Finish-to-Start is the most common PDM relationship, requiring the predecessor to finish before the successor can begin.
CPII Project Management 2
During a road resurfacing project, the inspector discovers that the contractor's schedule shows a 10-day float on a critical paving activity.
What does this indicate?