CST Schedule Compression & Acceleration Techniques

Question 1

What is 'crashing' in the context of schedule compression?

Accepted Answer

Reducing activity durations by adding resources

Answer

Crashing adds resources (labor, equipment, etc.) to critical path activities to shorten their duration, typically at increased cost.

Question 2

Which schedule compression technique involves overlapping activities that would normally be performed sequentially?

Accepted Answer

Fast-tracking

Answer

Fast-tracking overlaps activities normally done in sequence, reducing project duration but increasing risk of rework.

Question 3

What is the primary trade-off when using the crashing technique?

Accepted Answer

Increased cost vs. reduced duration

Answer

Crashing reduces project duration by adding resources, which directly increases project costs.

Question 4

When applying fast-tracking, which type of dependency is most commonly modified?

Accepted Answer

Discretionary finish-to-start dependencies

Answer

Discretionary (soft logic) finish-to-start dependencies are most commonly modified in fast-tracking because they are not technically required.

Question 5

In schedule crashing analysis, the 'crash cost slope' is calculated as:

Accepted Answer

(Crash Cost - Normal Cost) / (Normal Duration - Crash Duration)

Answer

The crash cost slope equals (Crash Cost - Normal Cost) divided by (Normal Duration - Crash Duration), representing the additional cost per unit of time saved.

(CST) Certified Scheduling Technician Practice Test

(CST) Certified Scheduling Technician Practice Test

CST Schedule Compression & Acceleration Techniques