SMSTS Project Planning and Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is a key output of the pre-construction planning phase for a complex project?
- Completion certificate
- Site logistics plan (Correct answer)
- Defects liability schedule
- Final account statement
Correct answer: Site logistics plan
A site logistics plan, developed during pre-construction, maps out access, storage, welfare, and material flow before work starts.
Question 2: Float (or slack) in a project programme refers to:
- The allowance built into the budget for cost overruns
- The amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the end date (Correct answer)
- The number of spare workers available on site
- The tolerance in structural measurements
Correct answer: The amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the end date
Float is the scheduling flexibility available for non-critical activities before they affect the overall project completion date.
Question 3: A site manager notices that groundworks are running two weeks behind. What is the FIRST appropriate action?
- Immediately inform the HSE
- Analyse the cause and assess impact on the programme (Correct answer)
- Dismiss the groundworks subcontractor
- Suspend all site activities
Correct answer: Analyse the cause and assess impact on the programme
The first step is to analyse the cause of the delay and assess its impact on the critical path and overall programme before deciding on recovery actions.
Question 4: Resource levelling in project planning is used to:
- Ensure all workers are paid equally
- Smooth peaks and troughs in resource demand over the project duration (Correct answer)
- Calculate the cost of materials per week
- Identify the highest-risk activities
Correct answer: Smooth peaks and troughs in resource demand over the project duration
Resource levelling adjusts the schedule to reduce peaks and troughs in resource requirements, making demand more consistent.
Question 5: Under CDM 2015, the Principal Designer's key role during the pre-construction phase is to:
- Supervise all construction work on site
- Plan, manage, monitor, and coordinate health and safety in the design phase (Correct answer)
- Prepare the site safety induction
- Issue permits to work
Correct answer: Plan, manage, monitor, and coordinate health and safety in the design phase
The Principal Designer manages and coordinates H&S aspects during design, ensuring designers cooperate and pre-construction information is compiled.
Question 6: Which type of contract places most of the cost risk with the contractor rather than the client?
- Cost-plus (reimbursable) contract
- Fixed-price (lump sum) contract (Correct answer)
- Framework agreement
- Target cost contract
Correct answer: Fixed-price (lump sum) contract
Under a fixed-price lump sum contract, the contractor bears the risk of cost overruns because the agreed price does not increase if costs exceed estimates.
Question 7: The purpose of a Method Statement for a high-risk activity is to:
- Replace the need for a risk assessment
- Describe in detail how the work will be carried out safely (Correct answer)
- Record accidents after they occur
- Obtain planning permission from the local authority
Correct answer: Describe in detail how the work will be carried out safely
A method statement provides a step-by-step description of how a task will be performed, incorporating the risk assessment's control measures.
SMSTS Project Planning and Management 3
Which of the following is a key output of the pre-construction planning phase for a complex project?