Schedule Development & Management Flashcards

When a project schedule shows negative float on the critical path, the scheduler should:

Answer: Analyze options to compress the schedule or revise constraints

Negative float signals schedule overrun and requires compression techniques or constraint revision to recover.

Which type of dependency represents a legal, regulatory, or contractual requirement that cannot be changed by the project team?

Answer: Mandatory dependency

Mandatory dependencies are inherent to the work or required by contract and cannot be modified by the team.

A project scheduler uses a Monte Carlo simulation during schedule risk analysis. The primary output used for decision-making is:

Answer: A probability distribution of possible project completion dates

Monte Carlo simulation produces a probability distribution showing the likelihood of completing the project by various dates.

Free float is best defined as:

Answer: The time an activity can be delayed without delaying the early start of any successor

Free float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the early start of its immediate successors.

In a precedence diagramming method (PDM) network, a Start-to-Start relationship with a lag of 2 days means:

Answer: The successor can start 2 days after the predecessor starts

A Start-to-Start with lag 2 means the successor may begin 2 days after the predecessor has started.

Which scheduling technique is most appropriate when the project requires a fixed end date and work must be scheduled backward from that date?

Answer: Backward pass calculation

The backward pass calculates late start and late finish dates by working backward from the project end date.

A schedule variance (SV) of -$15,000 on a project indicates:

Answer: The project is $15,000 behind the planned work

SV = EV - PV; a negative SV means earned value is less than planned value, indicating the project is behind schedule.