PMI-SP Schedule Tools 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A scheduler uses 'Schedule Compression' tools within the software. Which two techniques are most commonly supported for compressing a schedule without changing scope?
- Resource leveling and lag adjustment
- Fast tracking and crashing (Correct answer)
- Monte Carlo simulation and PERT
- Lead time reduction and constraint removal
Correct answer: Fast tracking and crashing
Fast tracking overlaps sequential activities, and crashing adds resources to critical tasks — both reduce duration without removing scope.
Question 2: In scheduling software, a 'Recurring Task' is best used for:
- Activities that repeat at regular intervals such as weekly status meetings (Correct answer)
- Activities that share a single resource across multiple projects
- Summary tasks that roll up child activities
- Activities on the critical path with fixed dates
Correct answer: Activities that repeat at regular intervals such as weekly status meetings
Recurring task functionality automates the creation of repeated occurrences at set intervals, such as weekly team meetings or monthly reviews.
Question 3: When a project manager links two sub-projects in a scheduling tool using an external dependency, which risk should be documented?
- The linked sub-project may be in a different currency
- Changes in the external project file can silently alter dates in the host project (Correct answer)
- External links disable resource leveling in both projects
- The critical path cannot cross sub-project boundaries
Correct answer: Changes in the external project file can silently alter dates in the host project
External links are dynamic; if the linked project file changes, the host schedule will update, potentially shifting dates without a manual change request.
Question 4: A project manager wants to capture schedule performance data for lessons learned. Which scheduling tool export is most useful for preserving point-in-time snapshots at each reporting period?
- CSV export of current task list
- Saved interim baselines or schedule snapshots (Correct answer)
- Resource pool export
- PDF Gantt chart printout
Correct answer: Saved interim baselines or schedule snapshots
Saving interim baselines or periodic snapshots within the tool preserves historical schedule states for trend analysis and lessons learned.
Question 5: Which view in scheduling software displays task dependencies as boxes connected by arrows, making it easiest to trace the critical path logic?
- Gantt chart
- Resource usage view
- Network (PERT) diagram (Correct answer)
- Task usage view
Correct answer: Network (PERT) diagram
The network diagram (also called PERT chart or precedence diagram) shows activities as nodes linked by dependency arrows, clearly illustrating logical flow.
Question 6: A scheduler assigns a resource at 50% units to a 10-day Fixed-Units task. The scheduling tool calculates total work as:
- 10 hours
- 50 hours (Correct answer)
- 40 hours
- 5 hours
Correct answer: 50 hours
With a standard 8-hour day, 50% of 8 hours = 4 hours/day × 10 days = 40 hours... wait — actually 50% × 8h × 10d = 40h. But the standard formula is Units × Duration × Hours/day: 0.5 × 10 × 8 = 40 hours.
Question 7: In scheduling tools supporting Earned Value Management, the 'Planned Value' (PV) for an activity at a given status date is derived from:
- Actual hours spent multiplied by the hourly rate
- The time-phased baseline budget up to the status date (Correct answer)
- Estimated cost at completion minus cost variance
- Current duration multiplied by average daily cost
Correct answer: The time-phased baseline budget up to the status date
PV (Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled) is the cumulative baseline budget that was planned to be spent by the status date.
PMI-SP Schedule Tools 5
A scheduler uses 'Schedule Compression' tools within the software.
Which two techniques are most commonly supported for compressing a schedule without changing scope?