CST Baseline & Earned Value Schedule 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which method of measuring earned value assigns 100% credit only when an activity is fully completed?
- Weighted milestones
- Percent complete
- 0/100 rule (Correct answer)
- 50/50 rule
Correct answer: 0/100 rule
The 0/100 rule assigns 0% earned value when work starts and 100% only upon full completion, eliminating partial credit.
Question 2: What does the To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI) represent?
- The cost efficiency achieved to date
- The required cost efficiency to complete remaining work within budget (Correct answer)
- The ratio of budgeted to actual costs
- The percentage of work completed
Correct answer: The required cost efficiency to complete remaining work within budget
TCPI = (BAC - EV) / (BAC - AC), indicating the cost efficiency required for remaining work to meet the BAC.
Question 3: When a project baseline is established, the time-phased budget for each control account is called what?
- Work Breakdown Structure element
- Control Account Plan budget
- Budget at Completion (Correct answer)
- Performance Measurement Baseline spread
Correct answer: Budget at Completion
BAC (Budget at Completion) represents the total authorized budget for each control account or the entire project in the baseline.
Question 4: A project shows CPI = 1.2 and SPI = 0.9. Which statement best describes this situation?
- The project is over budget and ahead of schedule
- The project is under budget but behind schedule (Correct answer)
- The project is on budget and on schedule
- The project is over budget and behind schedule
Correct answer: The project is under budget but behind schedule
CPI > 1.0 means under budget (cost efficient), while SPI < 1.0 means behind schedule.
Question 5: In the context of schedule baselines, what is a 'baseline deviation'?
- A formal change approved through change control
- The difference between current schedule dates and the approved baseline dates (Correct answer)
- A risk response plan for schedule overruns
- An update to the resource allocation plan
Correct answer: The difference between current schedule dates and the approved baseline dates
A baseline deviation is the measured difference between the approved baseline dates and the current forecast or actual dates.
Question 6: Which earned value technique is most appropriate for long-duration, continuous activities with no distinct milestones?
- 0/100 rule
- Apportioned effort
- Level of effort (LOE) (Correct answer)
- Weighted milestones
Correct answer: Level of effort (LOE)
Level of Effort (LOE) is used for support or ongoing activities whose value is measured purely by time elapsed rather than discrete deliverables.
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of establishing a schedule baseline before project execution begins?
- To assign resource leveling constraints
- To provide a fixed reference point for measuring schedule performance (Correct answer)
- To finalize procurement contracts
- To define the project charter
Correct answer: To provide a fixed reference point for measuring schedule performance
The schedule baseline serves as the approved reference against which actual progress is compared to calculate schedule variances.
CST Baseline & Earned Value Schedule 3
Which method of measuring earned value assigns 100% credit only when an activity is fully completed?