CSM Project Management & Resource Allocation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A software project is experiencing resource contention between two parallel workstreams. Which technique best resolves scheduling conflicts without extending the overall deadline?
- Resource leveling
- Resource smoothing (Correct answer)
- Fast tracking
- Crashing
Correct answer: Resource smoothing
Resource smoothing adjusts activities within float to resolve contention without altering the project end date, unlike resource leveling which may extend it.
Question 2: In a software project using a responsibility assignment matrix (RAM), the 'A' in RACI stands for:
- Advisor
- Accountable (Correct answer)
- Assigned
- Approver
Correct answer: Accountable
Accountable (A) designates the single person who owns the outcome and is answerable for task completion, distinct from those Responsible for doing the work.
Question 3: Which project scheduling technique identifies the sequence of tasks that determines the minimum project duration?
- Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
- Critical Path Method (CPM) (Correct answer)
- Gantt chart analysis
- Work breakdown structure decomposition
Correct answer: Critical Path Method (CPM)
CPM identifies the longest path through the network of project activities, determining the shortest possible project duration.
Question 4: A CSM is managing a team where a senior developer is over-allocated at 140% capacity for three consecutive weeks. The FIRST corrective action should be:
- Immediately hire a contractor
- Reassign lower-priority tasks to under-utilized team members (Correct answer)
- Ask the developer to work overtime indefinitely
- Remove features from scope without stakeholder approval
Correct answer: Reassign lower-priority tasks to under-utilized team members
Reassigning tasks to under-utilized team members is the least disruptive first step that balances load without additional cost or scope changes.
Question 5: What does a negative Schedule Variance (SV) indicate in Earned Value Management?
- The project is under budget
- The project is ahead of schedule
- The project is behind schedule (Correct answer)
- The project has exceeded its quality targets
Correct answer: The project is behind schedule
SV = EV − PV; a negative value means less work has been accomplished than planned, indicating the project is behind schedule.
Question 6: Which resource allocation strategy is most appropriate when software project deadlines are fixed and resources can be added?
- Resource leveling
- Crashing (Correct answer)
- Scope reduction
- Schedule compression via lag adjustment
Correct answer: Crashing
Crashing adds resources to critical path activities to shorten duration when the deadline is immovable, though it increases cost.
Question 7: A software manager discovers that a key architect will be unavailable for six weeks mid-project due to planned leave. This risk should be addressed in which planning artifact?
- Change control log
- Resource management plan (Correct answer)
- Quality assurance checklist
- Stakeholder register
Correct answer: Resource management plan
The resource management plan documents how resources will be acquired, managed, and released, including contingency strategies for planned absences.
CSM Project Management & Resource Allocation 2
A software project is experiencing resource contention between two parallel workstreams.
Which technique best resolves scheduling conflicts without extending the overall deadline?