PMI-SP Progress Tracking 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A project's Estimate to Complete (ETC) is calculated as EAC - AC. This formula is used when:
- Past performance is expected to continue at the current CPI
- The original estimate is considered fundamentally flawed and a new estimate is prepared (Correct answer)
- All remaining work will be performed at the budgeted rate
- The project scope has been reduced
Correct answer: The original estimate is considered fundamentally flawed and a new estimate is prepared
ETC = EAC - AC applies when the project team produces a new bottom-up estimate for remaining work, replacing the original flawed estimate.
Question 2: During a schedule review, you find that several activities have 'actual start' dates entered but no 'actual finish' dates and no percent complete values. What problem does this create?
- It understates the budget at completion
- It overstates remaining float and masks true schedule status (Correct answer)
- It causes negative lag in successor activities
- It eliminates the need for a baseline comparison
Correct answer: It overstates remaining float and masks true schedule status
Activities with actual starts but no progress data leave their remaining duration and float unchanged, giving a falsely optimistic view of schedule status.
Question 3: Which reporting format best communicates schedule trend data to executive stakeholders who need a quick overview?
- Detailed network diagram
- Resource-loaded Gantt chart
- Dashboard with key performance indicators (KPIs) (Correct answer)
- WBS dictionary
Correct answer: Dashboard with key performance indicators (KPIs)
Dashboards with KPIs (such as SPI, milestone status, and trend arrows) provide executives a concise, visual summary without overwhelming detail.
Question 4: A schedule update reveals that a previously non-critical path now has zero float. A scheduler should:
- Immediately issue a change request to reduce project scope
- Flag the path as a new critical path and increase monitoring frequency (Correct answer)
- Compress the critical path using fast-tracking
- Rebaseline the schedule to reflect current conditions
Correct answer: Flag the path as a new critical path and increase monitoring frequency
A path with zero float has become critical and any further delay on it will delay the project end date, requiring heightened monitoring and proactive management.
Question 5: Which variance threshold approach sets pre-defined acceptable ranges and triggers escalation only when exceeded?
- Exception reporting (Correct answer)
- Status reporting
- Monte Carlo analysis
- Trend analysis
Correct answer: Exception reporting
Exception reporting focuses management attention on variances that exceed defined thresholds, reducing noise from minor deviations and highlighting significant issues.
Question 6: When comparing a schedule update to the original baseline, which condition indicates that scope creep may have affected the schedule?
- More activities exist in the current schedule than in the baseline (Correct answer)
- The critical path duration has decreased
- SPI is greater than 1.0
- Actual costs are lower than planned
Correct answer: More activities exist in the current schedule than in the baseline
New activities not in the original baseline suggest added scope, which is a hallmark of scope creep that can inflate schedule duration and resource demands.
Question 7: A scheduler is asked to calculate the Independent Estimate at Completion (IEAC). Which formula is used?
- IEAC = AC + (BAC - EV) / CPI (Correct answer)
- IEAC = BAC - EV
- IEAC = EV / PV × BAC
- IEAC = AC + ETC
Correct answer: IEAC = AC + (BAC - EV) / CPI
IEAC = AC + (BAC - EV) / CPI projects the final cost by extrapolating current cost efficiency (CPI) over the remaining budgeted work.
PMI-SP Progress Tracking 5
A project's Estimate to Complete (ETC) is calculated as EAC - AC.
This formula is used when: