Time Estimating & Resource Allocation Flashcards

Which estimating technique is MOST appropriate early in a project when detailed scope information is not yet available?

Answer: Analogous estimating

Analogous estimating uses expert judgment and historical data from similar projects, making it suitable when detailed information is limited in early phases.

A project scheduler needs to assess schedule risk across multiple paths. Which technique uses duration probability distributions to simulate thousands of possible outcomes?

Answer: Monte Carlo simulation

Monte Carlo simulation runs thousands of iterations using statistical distributions of activity durations to produce a probability distribution of project completion dates.

An activity requiring 160 hours of effort is assigned to two resources working in parallel at 100% capacity each. If each resource works 8 hours per day, what is the activity duration?

Answer: 10 days

Two resources working in parallel provide 16 hours per day combined, so 160 hours / 16 hours per day = 10 days duration.

What is the key difference between effort and duration in activity estimating?

Answer: Effort is the total work hours required; duration is the elapsed calendar time

Effort measures the total amount of work (person-hours) needed, while duration measures the calendar time from start to finish including non-working time.

When applying the critical chain method, buffers are placed at the end of the project to protect which schedule element?

Answer: The project completion date

Critical chain adds a project buffer at the end of the critical chain to protect the project's final completion date from uncertainty in individual activities.

A resource is assigned to five projects simultaneously. Which tool would BEST help the project scheduler identify the impact on a specific project's schedule?

Answer: Multi-project resource histogram

A multi-project resource histogram shows resource demand across all projects over time, making it easy to spot over-allocations affecting any single project.

Which statement BEST describes the relationship between activity sequencing and resource allocation in schedule development?

Answer: Activity sequencing defines dependencies; resource allocation may further constrain the sequence

Activity sequencing establishes logical dependencies, but resource constraints can impose additional limitations that alter when activities can actually be performed.