PMI-SP Critical Path Method 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a Finish-to-Start relationship with a lag of 3 days, if the predecessor finishes on day 10, when is the earliest the successor can start?
- Day 10
- Day 11
- Day 13 (Correct answer)
- Day 14
Correct answer: Day 13
With a 3-day lag on a Finish-to-Start relationship, the successor starts 3 days after the predecessor finishes: day 10 + 3 = day 13.
Question 2: A project manager wants to overlap two sequential activities to compress the schedule. Which technique does this represent?
- Crashing
- Fast tracking (Correct answer)
- Resource smoothing
- Monte Carlo analysis
Correct answer: Fast tracking
Fast tracking overlaps activities that were originally planned sequentially, introducing potential rework risk.
Question 3: Which float value measures the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project finish date?
- Free float
- Total float (Correct answer)
- Negative float
- Interfering float
Correct answer: Total float
Total float (also called slack) measures the delay allowed before impacting the project's overall completion date.
Question 4: An activity on the critical path shows negative float of -3 days. What does this indicate?
- The activity has 3 days of schedule reserve
- The project is already 3 days ahead of schedule
- The project cannot finish on time without corrective action (Correct answer)
- The activity is non-critical and can be delayed 3 days
Correct answer: The project cannot finish on time without corrective action
Negative float means the current schedule will not meet the imposed deadline without compression or scope changes.
Question 5: In CPM network analysis, what is the purpose of the backward pass calculation?
- To calculate Early Start and Early Finish dates
- To determine resource requirements for each activity
- To calculate Late Start and Late Finish dates (Correct answer)
- To identify all paths through the network
Correct answer: To calculate Late Start and Late Finish dates
The backward pass starts from the project end date and works backward to determine the Late Start and Late Finish for each activity.
Question 6: A Start-to-Start dependency with a 2-day lead means the successor activity:
- Can start 2 days before the predecessor starts (Correct answer)
- Must start 2 days after the predecessor starts
- Must wait 2 days after the predecessor finishes
- Can finish 2 days before the predecessor finishes
Correct answer: Can start 2 days before the predecessor starts
Lead on a Start-to-Start relationship allows the successor to begin before the predecessor, in this case 2 days before the predecessor starts.
Question 7: On a CPM network diagram, what does an arrow connecting two nodes represent in Activity-on-Arrow (AOA) notation?
- A milestone event
- An activity or task (Correct answer)
- A dependency only (dummy activity)
- The critical path segment
Correct answer: An activity or task
In AOA notation, arrows represent activities while nodes (circles) represent events or milestones.
PMI-SP Critical Path Method 3
In a Finish-to-Start relationship with a lag of 3 days, if the predecessor finishes on day 10, when is the earliest the successor can start?