Mixed Deck — All CST Topics Flashcards

A CST professional encounters an unfamiliar situation while performing cost-loaded schedule integration duties. What is the most appropriate first action?

Answer: Consult relevant standards, guidelines, or a qualified supervisor before proceeding

When facing unfamiliar situations in cost-loaded schedule integration, the most appropriate action is to consult relevant standards, guidelines, or a qualified supervisor. This ensures safety, accuracy, and compliance while building professional knowledge.

What is resource allocation in project management?

Answer: Distributing resources effectively across tasks

Resource allocation in project management involves identifying, assigning, and managing the various resources (e.g., personnel, equipment, materials, budget) required for project tasks. The primary goal is to distribute these resources efficiently and optimally across all tasks. This ensures that every activity has what it needs to be completed on time and within budget, preventing both over-commitment and under-utilization.

In schedule compression, crashing is most effective when applied to activities that have:

Answer: The lowest cost slope (least cost to shorten per unit of time)

Crashing prioritizes critical path activities with the lowest cost slope — the least additional cost per unit of schedule reduction.

When should a schedule contingency reserve be released during a project?

Answer: When a specific risk event occurs and its associated impact is realized

Schedule contingency is released when the risk event it was reserved for actually occurs, ensuring the buffer is used intentionally rather than consumed arbitrarily.

Which tool best helps visualize dependencies between project tasks?

Answer: Network Diagram

A Network Diagram is the best tool for visualizing dependencies between project tasks. It graphically represents tasks as nodes and uses arrows to show the logical relationships and sequence in which tasks must be completed. This visual representation helps project managers understand the flow of work, identify critical paths, and manage the interconnections between various project activities effectively.

In a PDM (Precedence Diagramming Method) network, a Start-to-Start relationship with a lag of 2 means:

Answer: The successor cannot start until 2 days after the predecessor starts

An SS+2 relationship requires the successor to wait 2 days after the predecessor has started before the successor can begin.

What AACE International recommended practice provides guidance on schedule risk analysis?

Answer: AACE RP 57R-09

AACE RP 57R-09 provides a framework for integrated cost and schedule risk analysis, including Monte Carlo simulation methods for project schedules.

A scheduler is reviewing a schedule where the same milestone appears twice — once as a deliverable and once as a contractual event. Which practice should be used?

Answer: Merge them into a single milestone with appropriate predecessor and successor links

Duplicate milestones representing the same event should be consolidated into a single milestone to avoid logical inconsistencies and duplicate reporting.

What distinguishes Primavera P6 in scheduling software?

Answer: Managing large, complex projects across multiple sectors

Primavera P6 is distinguished as a robust enterprise project portfolio management (EPPM) software specifically designed for managing large, highly complex projects and programs across multiple sectors. It offers advanced capabilities for scheduling, resource management, cost control, and risk analysis, making it a preferred choice for industries like construction, engineering, and aerospace where intricate project coordination is essential.

In the context of schedule variance & delay analysis, what role does continuous professional development play for CST practitioners?

Answer: It ensures practitioners remain current with evolving standards, technologies, and best practices

Continuous professional development is essential in schedule variance & delay analysis because it ensures CST practitioners remain current with evolving standards, technologies, and best practices, maintaining competency throughout their careers.

When importing an XER file into Primavera P6, what potential conflict must the scheduler address?

Answer: Activity IDs or project codes may already exist in the database, causing duplicates

Duplicate Activity IDs or project numbers in the receiving P6 database can cause merge conflicts, requiring the scheduler to choose to update or add new records.

What can cause resource overallocation?

Answer: Assigning multiple tasks to a single resource beyond capacity

Resource overallocation occurs when a resource, such as a team member or piece of equipment, is assigned more work than they can realistically complete within a given timeframe. This typically happens when a single resource is scheduled to work on multiple tasks concurrently, exceeding their available working hours or capacity. It leads to burnout, delays, and decreased quality of work.

Which scenario would most likely cause the critical path to shift to a different path during project execution?

Answer: A non-critical activity experiencing a delay greater than its Total Float

When a non-critical activity's delay exceeds its Total Float, that activity and its path become critical, shifting the critical path.

In Primavera P6, what does 'Retained Logic' scheduling option do when an out-of-sequence activity is encountered?

Answer: Retains original logic and does not allow the successor to progress past the predecessor

Retained Logic holds the dependency and prevents a successor from progressing further until its predecessor is complete, even if the successor has already started.

In MS Project, what is the purpose of the 'Split Task' feature?

Answer: It interrupts a task's timeline to reflect a period of no work while preserving total duration

Splitting a task places a gap in its Gantt bar, representing a scheduled interruption in work while keeping the total assigned work unchanged.

In CPM analysis, if Activity G has predecessors Activity E (EF=14) and Activity F (EF=18) using Finish-to-Start relationships, what is Activity G's Early Start?

Answer: 18

When an activity has multiple predecessors, its Early Start is the maximum Early Finish of all predecessors; here, max(14, 18) = 18.

In P6, what is the role of the 'Calendar' assigned to an activity when scheduling calculations are performed?

Answer: It defines the working and non-working days and hours used to calculate the activity's duration in time

The activity calendar defines working hours and non-working periods (weekends, holidays) that P6 uses to convert duration units into calendar-based start and finish dates.

In P6, which schedule compression technique shortens the project duration by overlapping activities that were originally planned in sequence?

Answer: Fast Tracking

Fast tracking overlaps sequential activities (often by adding SS or FF relationships with leads) to compress the schedule without necessarily adding resources.

When a change order adds scope to a cost-loaded schedule, which action must occur to maintain EVM data integrity?

Answer: The PMB must be formally revised to incorporate the authorized budget change

The PMB is revised by transferring budget from management reserve (or adding authorized budget) to the affected control accounts, maintaining the baseline's integrity.

In schedule risk analysis, what does a 'three-point estimate' consist of?

Answer: Optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic duration estimates for an activity

A three-point estimate uses optimistic (O), most likely (M), and pessimistic (P) durations to model activity duration uncertainty for risk analysis.