PMI-SP Schedule Tools 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which scheduling tool feature allows a project manager to model 'what-if' scenarios by changing durations or resource assignments without affecting the baseline?
- Resource leveling
- Monte Carlo simulation
- Schedule simulation (Correct answer)
- Baseline comparison
Correct answer: Schedule simulation
Schedule simulation (including what-if analysis) lets planners test scenarios without altering the saved baseline.
Question 2: In a scheduling tool, a 'lag' on a Finish-to-Start dependency means the successor activity:
- Must start before the predecessor finishes
- Can start a specified time after the predecessor finishes (Correct answer)
- Must finish at the same time as the predecessor
- Starts immediately when the predecessor finishes
Correct answer: Can start a specified time after the predecessor finishes
A positive lag delays the successor's start by the specified amount after the predecessor's finish.
Question 3: A scheduling tool shows a task with 'Total Float = 0' and 'Free Float = 0'. What does this indicate?
- The task has discretionary dependencies
- The task is on the critical path (Correct answer)
- The task has resource conflicts
- The task is a milestone
Correct answer: The task is on the critical path
Zero total float means any delay to this task directly delays the project end date, placing it on the critical path.
Question 4: Which report type in scheduling software shows the distribution of costs or work across time periods?
- Gantt chart
- Network diagram
- Time-phased report (Correct answer)
- Milestone report
Correct answer: Time-phased report
Time-phased reports spread cost or resource data across calendar periods, enabling earned value and cash flow analysis.
Question 5: When a scheduling tool applies 'resource leveling,' it primarily resolves resource conflicts by:
- Reducing resource units assigned to over-allocated tasks
- Delaying task start dates to smooth resource demand (Correct answer)
- Splitting tasks into smaller sub-tasks
- Removing non-critical resources from the project
Correct answer: Delaying task start dates to smooth resource demand
Resource leveling delays tasks (extending the schedule) to eliminate over-allocation while keeping resource limits intact.
Question 6: A project scheduler uses the 'Critical Chain' feature in scheduling software. Which constraint does this method primarily address that traditional CPM does not?
- Calendar exceptions
- Resource contention across tasks (Correct answer)
- Fixed milestone dates
- Baseline variances
Correct answer: Resource contention across tasks
Critical Chain extends CPM by explicitly accounting for resource dependencies that can shift the longest path.
Question 7: In scheduling tools, 'hammock activities' are used to:
- Represent recurring tasks within a phase
- Summarize duration and cost of a span of activities below them (Correct answer)
- Flag activities with mandatory constraints
- Link activities across different sub-projects
Correct answer: Summarize duration and cost of a span of activities below them
A hammock activity spans from the start of the first linked activity to the finish of the last, summarizing the encompassed work.
PMI-SP Schedule Tools 2
Which scheduling tool feature allows a project manager to model 'what-if' scenarios by changing durations or resource assignments without affecting the baseline?