Project Planning and Monitoring Schedule Management & Time Planning 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the Critical Path Method (CPM) determine in a project schedule?
- The most expensive sequence of tasks in the project
- The longest sequence of dependent activities that determines the minimum project duration (Correct answer)
- The tasks with the highest probability of delay
- The sequence of activities requiring the most resources
Correct answer: The longest sequence of dependent activities that determines the minimum project duration
CPM identifies the longest path through the project network, which determines the earliest possible project completion date and shows which activities have zero float.
Question 2: In project scheduling, what is 'float' (also called slack)?
- The total contingency reserve set aside for unexpected costs
- The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project end date (Correct answer)
- The buffer time automatically added to each task estimate
- The overlap period between two concurrently running project phases
Correct answer: The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project end date
Float represents scheduling flexibility for a non-critical activity — it can be delayed by that amount without affecting the overall project completion date.
Question 3: Which scheduling tool displays project tasks as horizontal bars plotted against a timeline?
- Network diagram
- PERT chart
- Gantt chart (Correct answer)
- Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Correct answer: Gantt chart
A Gantt chart represents tasks as horizontal bars across a calendar timeline, making it easy to visualize durations, start/end dates, and task sequencing at a glance.
Question 4: What is a 'finish-to-start' dependency in project scheduling?
- A successor activity can only start after the predecessor activity has finished (Correct answer)
- A successor activity must finish before the predecessor can start
- Both activities must start at the same time
- Both activities must finish at the same time
Correct answer: A successor activity can only start after the predecessor activity has finished
Finish-to-start is the most common dependency type, where the successor activity cannot begin until the predecessor activity is fully complete.
Question 5: Which duration estimation technique uses the formula (Optimistic + 4 × Most Likely + Pessimistic) ÷ 6?
- Analogous estimating
- Parametric estimating
- PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) (Correct answer)
- Reserve analysis
Correct answer: PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique)
PERT applies a weighted average formula that gives four times the weight to the most likely estimate, producing an expected duration that accounts for uncertainty.
Question 6: What is a project schedule baseline?
- The minimum acceptable project end date approved by stakeholders
- The approved version of the schedule used to measure and monitor performance (Correct answer)
- The earliest possible start date calculated for each project activity
- The average completion time drawn from similar historical projects
Correct answer: The approved version of the schedule used to measure and monitor performance
The schedule baseline is the formally approved project schedule that serves as the reference point against which actual schedule performance is measured throughout execution.
Question 7: Which diagramming method places activities inside nodes (boxes) and uses arrows to represent dependencies between them?
- Resource histogram
- Responsibility assignment matrix
- Precedence diagramming method (PDM) (Correct answer)
- Stakeholder register
Correct answer: Precedence diagramming method (PDM)
PDM (Activity on Node) places each activity in a box and uses arrows to show the dependency relationships, and supports all four dependency types (FS, FF, SS, SF).
Project Planning and Monitoring Schedule Management & Time Planning 1
What does the Critical Path Method (CPM) determine in a project schedule?