CPP Project Planning & Execution 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a packaging project timeline, 'float' (or slack) refers to:
- The budget reserve for unexpected costs
- The amount of time a task can be delayed without affecting the project end date (Correct answer)
- The number of team members who can perform a task
- The overlap between two parallel activities
Correct answer: The amount of time a task can be delayed without affecting the project end date
Float is the scheduling flexibility available on non-critical tasks before they would delay the overall project.
Question 2: Which project management methodology uses short iterative development cycles called sprints?
- Waterfall
- PRINCE2
- Agile/Scrum (Correct answer)
- Stage-Gate
Correct answer: Agile/Scrum
Agile/Scrum breaks work into time-boxed sprints, enabling frequent reassessment and adaptation.
Question 3: A packaging project manager is calculating Earned Value. If EV = $80,000 and AC = $95,000, the project is:
- Under budget
- On budget
- Over budget (Correct answer)
- Ahead of schedule
Correct answer: Over budget
A Cost Performance Index less than 1.0 (EV < AC) indicates the project is spending more than the value earned.
Question 4: During packaging project execution, a RACI matrix defines which team members are:
- Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each task (Correct answer)
- Required, Available, Critical, and Idle for project tasks
- Ranked, Assigned, Committed, and Integrated into the team
- Reporting, Auditing, Controlling, and Inspecting project deliverables
Correct answer: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each task
A RACI matrix clarifies roles and responsibilities by categorizing team members' involvement in each project activity.
Question 5: Which type of project dependency means Task B cannot start until Task A is complete?
- 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 dependency type, where the successor task begins only after the predecessor finishes.
Question 6: A packaging project has a Schedule Performance Index (SPI) of 0.85. This means the project is:
- 15% ahead of schedule
- 15% behind schedule (Correct answer)
- 85% complete
- Over budget by 15%
Correct answer: 15% behind schedule
An SPI below 1.0 indicates the project is progressing slower than planned relative to the schedule baseline.
Question 7: When a packaging supplier fails to deliver materials on time, the most appropriate first response from the project manager is to:
- Immediately terminate the supplier contract
- Assess impact on project schedule and activate the contingency plan (Correct answer)
- Proceed with production using alternative materials without approval
- Report the delay to regulators
Correct answer: Assess impact on project schedule and activate the contingency plan
Evaluating schedule impact and implementing pre-planned contingencies is the standard project management response to supply disruptions.
CPP Project Planning & Execution 3
In a packaging project timeline, 'float' (or slack) refers to: