PMI-SP Schedule Compression 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A project manager is crashing a construction project. After crashing activity X by 2 days, the critical path shifts to a new path. What should the project manager do next?
- Stop crashing since the original critical path is now compressed
- Recalculate the network and crash activities on the new critical path (Correct answer)
- Apply fast tracking to all remaining activities
- Update the cost baseline to reflect crashing costs
Correct answer: Recalculate the network and crash activities on the new critical path
When crashing changes the critical path, the PM must recalculate and continue crashing activities on the newly identified critical path.
Question 2: Which scenario represents a situation where NEITHER crashing NOR fast tracking is feasible?
- All critical path activities have external mandatory dependencies that cannot be overlapped and no additional resources exist (Correct answer)
- The project has a fixed deadline with flexible scope
- The sponsor has approved additional budget for overtime
- The project network has multiple near-critical paths
Correct answer: All critical path activities have external mandatory dependencies that cannot be overlapped and no additional resources exist
If activities have hard external constraints preventing overlap and no additional resources are available, both compression techniques are infeasible.
Question 3: During a schedule review, the project manager identifies that two activities can be overlapped by 5 days with a lead time applied. This schedule compression approach is known as:
- Resource crashing
- Fast tracking with lead (Correct answer)
- Lag optimization
- Dependency resequencing
Correct answer: Fast tracking with lead
Applying lead time to allow activity overlap is the mechanism by which fast tracking is implemented in a schedule.
Question 4: A project manager is evaluating crashing options across four critical path activities. Which activity should be crashed FIRST?
- Activity with the longest duration
- Activity with the lowest crash cost per day (Correct answer)
- Activity with the most resource assignments
- Activity with the latest early start date
Correct answer: Activity with the lowest crash cost per day
Crashing the activity with the lowest cost slope (cost per day saved) minimizes additional expenditure for each day of schedule reduction.
Question 5: Fast tracking is MOST appropriate when which condition exists?
- Activities have hard finish-to-finish dependencies with no flexibility
- Downstream activities can begin with preliminary outputs from upstream activities (Correct answer)
- The project budget has been fully expended
- All project resources are already allocated at 100% capacity
Correct answer: Downstream activities can begin with preliminary outputs from upstream activities
Fast tracking works best when downstream activities can start using preliminary or partial outputs, allowing productive overlap.
Question 6: Which compression technique results in an increase in project cost without changing project scope?
- Fast tracking
- Crashing (Correct answer)
- Schedule baselining
- Float consumption
Correct answer: Crashing
Crashing adds resources or overtime to shorten duration, directly increasing costs while keeping scope unchanged.
Question 7: A project manager fast tracks two phases and then discovers that one of the overlapping activities has a mandatory dependency that cannot be started until a regulatory approval is received. What is the BEST course of action?
- Proceed with fast tracking and document the constraint as an assumption
- Revert the fast tracking for that dependency and evaluate crashing instead (Correct answer)
- Escalate to the sponsor to waive the regulatory requirement
- Accept the risk and continue with the original fast-track plan
Correct answer: Revert the fast tracking for that dependency and evaluate crashing instead
Mandatory dependencies cannot be fast tracked; the PM should revert that overlap and explore crashing or other options for that portion of the schedule.
PMI-SP Schedule Compression 3
A project manager is crashing a construction project.
After crashing activity X by 2 days, the critical path shifts to a new path.
What should the project manager do next?