PMI-SP Time Estimating & Resource Allocation 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A project team is using bottom-up estimating. What is the PRIMARY characteristic of this approach?
- Estimates are based on similar past projects
- Work packages are estimated individually and rolled up to total (Correct answer)
- A single expert provides the overall estimate
- Statistical models calculate durations from variables
Correct answer: Work packages are estimated individually and rolled up to total
Bottom-up estimating decomposes work into the smallest components, estimates each individually, and aggregates them for a total estimate.
Question 2: Resource allocation in a schedule is considered balanced when:
- All resources are assigned to critical path tasks only
- No resource is assigned more work than its available capacity (Correct answer)
- Each resource works the same number of hours per day
- Resources are shared equally across all project phases
Correct answer: No resource is assigned more work than its available capacity
Balanced resource allocation means no resource is over-allocated beyond its available capacity at any point in the schedule.
Question 3: What is the purpose of management reserve in the context of time estimating?
- To account for identified risks with quantified probability
- To provide buffer for unknown-unknown risks that may extend the schedule (Correct answer)
- To pad individual activity estimates for team convenience
- To store extra budget for approved scope changes
Correct answer: To provide buffer for unknown-unknown risks that may extend the schedule
Management reserve is set aside for unknown risks (unknown-unknowns) that cannot be planned for and may unexpectedly extend the schedule.
Question 4: When estimating activity durations, which factor is MOST important to capture in the activity attributes?
- The project sponsor's preferred timeline
- Assumptions and constraints influencing the estimate (Correct answer)
- The number of team members who reviewed the estimate
- The cost baseline for the activity
Correct answer: Assumptions and constraints influencing the estimate
Recording assumptions and constraints in activity attributes ensures the basis for the estimate is documented and traceable during schedule management.
Question 5: Which scheduling constraint is MOST likely to force resource leveling to push a task past its late finish date?
- Finish-to-start dependency
- Resource over-allocation (Correct answer)
- Mandatory start date
- External dependency
Correct answer: Resource over-allocation
Resource over-allocation is the primary driver for resource leveling, which may delay tasks beyond their late finish date, creating negative float.
Question 6: A schedule has contingency reserves applied to individual activities. These reserves are meant to handle:
- Scope creep approved by the change control board
- Known risks identified in the risk register (Correct answer)
- Unknown risks outside the project manager's control
- Team member turnover and replacement costs
Correct answer: Known risks identified in the risk register
Contingency reserves are allocated for identified known-unknown risks quantified during risk analysis and included in the schedule baseline.
Question 7: In a resource-constrained schedule, which activity should typically receive resource priority when two tasks compete for the same resource?
- The activity with the highest cost estimate
- The activity with the least total float (Correct answer)
- The activity assigned to the most senior resource
- The activity with the most predecessors
Correct answer: The activity with the least total float
Activities with the least total float are closest to becoming critical and should receive resource priority to avoid jeopardizing the project end date.
PMI-SP Time Estimating & Resource Allocation 4
A project team is using bottom-up estimating.
What is the PRIMARY characteristic of this approach?