Deck 5: Developing the Schedule

Question 1

At the beginning of every project, it is possible to estimate the durations for all activities with a high level of confidence regarding their accuracy.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The project control process starts with establishing a baseline plan that shows how the project scope will be accomplished on schedule and over budget.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The sponsor or customer often states the project required completion time in the project charter, RFP, or contract.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

A consistent time base, such as hours or days or weeks, should be used for all the estimated durations of activities in a network diagram.

Question 5

The project team can progressively elaborate the estimated durations as more information is known or becomes clear to allow for more accurate estimated durations.

Question 6

A Gantt chart is the often the name for the network diagram tool for planning and scheduling.

Question 7

Padding estimates with the vision of becoming a hero when the activities are completed in less time than estimated is not a good practice.

Question 8

The estimated duration for an activity must be based on the estimated quantity of resources required to perform the activity.

Question 9

This longest path in the overall network diagram is called the network path.

Question 10

It is a good practice to have the person who will be responsible for performing a specific activity estimate the duration that other resources would need to complete that activity.

Question 11

The estimated activity resources will also be used later for estimating activity costs and determining the project budget.

Question 12

The contractor may not want to commit to completing the project by a specific date until the customer has approved the contract.

Question 13

The latest finish time for a specific activity must be the same as or earlier than the earliest of all the latest start times of all the activities emerging directly from that specific activity.

Question 14

The estimated resources required for an activity will influence the estimated duration to perform the activity.

Question 15

If the total slack is zero, the activities on the path do not need to be accelerated but cannot be delayed.

Question 16

Each organization or subcontractor responsible for a group or type of activities should always designate an inexperienced individual to estimate the durations for all the activities for which the organization or subcontractor is responsible.

Question 17

The estimated duration should be aggressive, yet unrealistic.

Question 18

For large projects that involve several hundred people performing various activities over several years, it is practical to have each person estimate activity durations at the beginning of the project.

Question 19

One way to determine which activities make up the critical path is to find which ones have the least slack.

Question 20

Playing the game of inflating estimated durations in anticipation of the project manager negotiating shorter durations is a good practice.

Question 21

It is necessary to monitor the progress to ensure that everything is going according to the plan.

Question 22

It is important to know what types of resources are available, in what quantities, and during what time periods to determine

A) that the project team will be larger than necessary to complete the project
B) how to enter resources into a project management information system.
C) if the right types of resources will be available in sufficient quantities during the time periods that the project requires.
D) that the project will be less expensive than estimated.

Question 23

When estimating the types and quantities of resources required for each specific activity, it is valuable to involve a person who

A) is hired by the customer to be a consultant regardless of experience on the type of project.
B) has expertise or experience with the activity to help make the estimate.
C) has experience negotiating contracts.
D) has the most experience using a project management information system.

Question 24

A change in the estimated duration of any activity on that path will cause a corresponding change in the slack for that path.

Question 25

The estimated duration for each activity must be the total elapsed time-

A) the time for the work to be done plus any associated waiting time.
B) the time for the task plus the planning time for the project.
C) the time required for the work times the number of resources assigned to the project.
D) the time for the task plus the time to review and accept the deliverable.

Question 26

If an organization or subcontractor has performed similar projects in the past and has kept records of how long specific activities actually took, these historical data

A) can be used as a guide in estimating the durations of similar activities for future projects.
B) have no value for the current project.
C) should be stored in files.
D) should be shared with the customer after the contract is signed to show that the contractor can complete the project.

Question 27

People sometimes perform to expectations, their effort will expand to fill the whole number of scheduled days allotted,

A) even if the number of resources assigned to the task is reduced.
B) even if the activity could have been performed in a shorter time.
C) even if part of the time for the task is waiting time.
D) even if the activity could have been performed in a longer time.

Question 28

Changes requested early in the project always have less impact on schedule and budget than if they are requested later in the project.

Question 29

The estimated types and quantities of resources required for an activity together with the availability of those resources will influence the

A) estimated duration for how long it will take to perform the activity.
B) project scope document description.
C) project's acceptance criteria.
D) actual costs of work performed.

Question 30

Having the person who will be responsible for performing a specific activity estimate the duration for that activity __________ from that person and _________ that may be introduced by having one person estimate the durations for all of the activities.

A) takes more effort, creates a problem
B) gives the status of the project, sets best practices
C) generates a commitment , avoids any bias
D) elevates the placement perception, creates errors

Question 31

When estimating resources for activities to estimate the activity's duration, the

A) availability of each resource has to be taken into account.
B) name of each resource has to be taken into account.
C) cost of each resource has to be taken into account.
D) security clearance of each resource has to be taken into account.

Question 32

When the customer requests a change, the contractor or project team should estimate the impact on the project schedule and budget and then go ahead with the work without customer approval.

Question 33

An updated project schedule can be generated regularly that forecasts whether the project will finish ahead of or behind its required completion time.

Question 34

In many cases, especially for smaller projects, most activities involve people resources-that is,

A) all the people who are employed by the project sponsor.
B) all the people who are employed by the project contractor.
C) the members of the project team who may be utilized full time or part time during the project.
D) the stakeholders for the project.

Question 35

Throughout a project, changes may occur that have an impact on the schedule.

Question 36

The amount of slack should determine the priority with which these concentrated efforts are applied.

Question 37

Once this baseline plan is agreed upon by the customer and the contractor or project team, the project work can be performed.

Question 38

Project management is a proactive approach to controlling a project to ensure that the project objective is accomplished, even when things do not go according to plan.

Question 39

When considering the availability of resources, it may be necessary to make some assumptions, such as

A) the unemployment rate in the community.
B) the ability to hire additional individuals with the appropriate expertise in time for when they will be required to work on a project.
C) the number of project deliverables.
D) the type of organizational structure of the sponsor.

Question 40

Changes might be initiated by the customer or the project team, or they might be the result of an unanticipated occurrence.

Question 41

Latest start time is calculated by

A) subtracting the activity's estimated duration from the activity's succeeding activity's latest finish time: LS = LF succeeding activity - Estimated Duration.
B) adding the activity's estimated duration to the predecessor of the activity's latest start time: LS = LS predecessor + Estimated Duration.
C) subtracting the activity's estimated duration from the activity's latest finish time: LS = LF- Estimated Duration.
D) adding the activity's estimated duration to the activity's latest finish time: LS = LF+ Estimated Duration.

Question 42

Calculate the earliest finish for Task D if one of its predecessors, Task A, finishes on day 3, its other predecessor, Task C, finishes on day 4, and the duration of Task D is 2 days.

A) day 6
B) day 3
C) day 4
D) Cannot be calculated based upon information given.

Question 43

Calculate the earliest start for Task D if one of its predecessors, Task A, finishes on day 3, its other predecessor, Task C, finishes on day 4, and the duration of Task D is 2 days.

A) day 6
B) day 3
C) day 4
D) Cannot be calculated based upon information given.

Question 44

Throughout the performance of the project, some activities will take longer than their estimated duration, others will be done in less time than their estimated duration, and

A) many will take no time to complete.
B) many will not be completed.
C) others are to be done by two project teams.
D) a few may conform to the estimated duration exactly.

Question 45

Calculate the latest start for Task B if its predecessor, Task A, finishes on day 3, its succeeding activity, Task E, has a latest start of day 7, and the duration of Task B is 2 days.

A) day 5
B) day 3
C) day 7
D) Cannot be calculated based upon information given.

Question 46

Calculate the latest finish for Task B if its predecessor, Task A, finishes on day 3, its succeeding activity, Task E, has a latest start of day 7, and the duration of Task B is 2 days.

A) day 5
B) day 3
C) day 7
D) Cannot be calculated based upon information given.

Question 47

Calculate the latest finish for Task D if one of its successors, Task F, has a latest start on day 9, its other successor, Task E, has a latest start on day 10, and the duration of Task D is 2 days.

A) day 9
B) day 10
C) day 12
D) Cannot be calculated based upon information given.

Question 48

Calculate the earliest finish for Task B if its predecessor, Task A, finishes on day 3 and the duration of Task B is 2 days.

A) day 5
B) day 3
C) day 1
D) Cannot be calculated based upon information given.

Question 49

In order to establish a basis from which to calculate a schedule using the estimated durations for the activities, it is necessary to

A) say who has responsibility for the first task.
B) enter the tasks into a project management information system.
C) select an estimated start time and a required completion time for the overall project.
D) edit the calendars for the resources in the project management information system.

Question 50

Latest start time (LS) is the latest time by which a specific activity must be

A) started in order for the entire project to be finished by its required completion time.
B) started in order for the entire project to be started by its required completion time.
C) finished in order for the entire project to be finished by its required completion time.
D) finished in order for the entire project to be started by its required completion time.

Question 51

Total Slack is sometimes called

A) drift.
B) ride.
C) float.
D) sink.

Question 52

Earliest finish time (EF) is the earliest time by which a specific activity can be completed, calculated

A) by subtracting the activity's estimated duration from the earliest finish time of the activity's predecessor: EF = EF predecessor - Estimated Duration.
B) by subtracting the activity's estimated duration to the activity's earliest start time: EF = ES - Estimated Duration.
C) by adding the activity's estimated duration to the earliest start time of the activity's succeeding activity: EF = ES succeeding activity + Estimated Duration.
D) by adding the activity's estimated duration to the activity's earliest start time: EF = ES + Estimated Duration.

Question 53

The ES and EF times are determined by calculating forward-that is, by

A) adding all the times together for the project.
B) working through the network diagram from the beginning of the project to the end of the project.
C) calculating the optimistic and pessimistic times for the project.
D) working through the network diagram from the end of the project to the beginning of the project.

Question 54

Total slack for the project is the difference between

A) LF time of last activity and the project required completion time.
B) EF time of last activity and the project required completion time.
C) ES time of last activity and the project required completion time.
D) LS time of last activity and the project required completion time.

Question 55

Calculate the latest start for Task D if one of its successors, Task F, has a latest start on day 9, its other successor, Task E, has a latest start on day 10, and the duration of Task D is 2 days.

A) day 8
B) day 7
C) day 12
D) Cannot be calculated based upon information given.

Question 56

The earliest start time for a specific activity must be _________ the latest of all the earliest finish times of all the activities leading directly into that specific activity.

A) earlier than
B) the same as
C) the same as or later than
D) later than

Question 57

Earliest start time (ES) is the earliest time at which a specific activity can begin

A) calculated on the basis of the project estimated start time and the estimated durations of preceding activities.
B) calculated on the basis of the project estimated finish time and the estimated durations of preceding activities.
C) calculated on the basis of the project estimated start time and the estimated durations of succeeding activities.
D) calculated on the basis of the project estimated start time and the estimated durations of approaching activities.

Question 58

Calculate the earliest start for Task B if its predecessor, Task A, finishes on day 3 and the duration of Task B is 2 days.

A) day 5
B) day 3
C) day 1
D) Cannot be calculated based upon information given.

Question 59

With projects for which there is a high degree of uncertainty about the estimated durations for activities, it is possible to use three time estimates:

A) an original estimate, a petrified estimate, and a most likely estimate.
B) an optimistic estimate, a pessimistic estimate, and a most likely estimate.
C) an optimized estimate, a primary estimate, and a most likely estimate.
D) an opportunity estimate, a pragmatic estimate, and a most likely estimate.

Question 60

Latest finish time (LF) is the latest time by which a specific activity must be

A) started in order for the entire project to be finished by its required completion time.
B) completed in order for the entire project to be finished by its required completion time.
C) started in order for the entire project to be started by its required completion time.
D) completed in order for the entire project to be started by its required completion time.

Question 61

Positive slack indicates the maximum amount of time

A) that the activities on the critical path should be accelerated to complete the project by the required completion time.
B) that each of the activities in the project can be delayed without jeopardizing completion of the project by the required completion time.
C) that the activities with the positive slack should be accelerated to complete the project by the required completion time.
D) that the activities on a particular path can be delayed without jeopardizing completion of the project by the required completion time.

Question 62

Total slack is calculated for each of the activities by finding the difference between

A) the ES of the activity and the LF of the activity or the difference between the EF and LS of the activity.
B) the EF of the activity and the LS of the activity or the difference between the ES and LF of the activity.
C) the EF of the activity and the LF of the activity or the difference between the ES and LS of the activity.
D) the ES of the activity and the LF of the activity or the difference between the ES and LF of the activity.

Question 63

As the project progresses, the actual finish times (AFs) of completed activities will determine

A) the earliest start and earliest finish times for the remaining activities in the network diagram, as well as the total slack.
B) the earliest start and earliest finish times for the completed activities in the network diagram, as well as the total slack.
C) the latest start and latest finish times for the remaining activities in the network diagram, as well as the total slack.
D) the latest start and latest finish times for the completed activities in the network diagram, as well as the total slack.

Question 64

The project control process involves all of the following except

A) regularly gathering data on project performance.
B) comparing actual performance to planned performance.
C) taking corrective action immediately if actual performance is behind planned performance.
D) having social gatherings with the project team.

Question 65

The key to effective project control is measuring actual progress and comparing it to planned progress on a timely and regular basis and

A) taking any needed corrective action immediately.
B) leaving the project to self-correct.
C) fast tracking all the activities in the project until the project is ahead of schedule.
D) making sure the critical path doesn't change.

Question 66

Schedule control involves four steps. Place these steps in their proper order by stating the letter sequence of their proper order.

A) A,B,C,D
B) A,D,C,B
C) D,A,C,B
D) D,A,B,C

Question 67

Schedule control involves four steps. List the four steps in order.

Question 68

If the planned corrective actions do not result in an acceptable schedule, then

A) the project should be terminated.
B) the steps for schedule control need to be repeated.
C) the original project plan was best and should be used.
D) the customer should decide what should be done.

Question 69

Free slack is the amount of time a specific activity can be

A) postponed without delaying the earliest start time of its immediately preceding activities.
B) postponed without delaying the earliest start time of its immediately succeeding activities.
C) accelerated without delaying the latest start time of its immediately succeeding activities.
D) accelerated without delaying the latest finish time of its immediately preceding activities.

Question 70

A concentrated effort to accelerate project progress must be applied to the paths with negative slack to activities that

A) are near term and those with long durations.
B) are short in duration and can be easily completed.
C) have the lowest cost.
D) are scheduled at the end of the project.

Question 71

The estimated duration for each activity is indicated by a bar spanning the period

A) during which the activity is expected to be accomplished.
B) of the part of the activity that has more than one work resource assigned.
C) during which the activity has waiting time for the activity to be accomplished.
D) during which the project is expected to be accomplished.

Question 72

Eliminating negative slack by reducing durations of activities will involve a trade-off in the form of

A) no change in costs and an increase in scope.
B) a decrease in costs and an expansion in scope.
C) an increase in costs or a reduction in scope.
D) an decrease in costs and no change in scope.

Question 73

The total completion time is 25 days. Task A is planned to take seven days. Task B is planned to take five days. Task C is planned to take eight days. The tasks have a serial relationship. Task A takes nine days to be completed instead of seven days. How much slack does the project have now that Task A is finished?

A) Negative 5 days slack.
B) Positive 5 days slack.
C) Positive 16 days slack.
D) Positive 3 days slack.

Question 74

The project control process must occur regularly throughout the project and include all of the following except

A) Record information on changes to the project scope, schedule, and budget.
B) Gather data on actual performance.
C) Having a single inspection of the project's deliverables at the end of the project.
D) Establish regular reporting meetings to compare actual to planned progress.

Question 75

With respect to the project schedule, changes can result in any of the following except

A) the addition or deletion of activities.
B) the initial planning and sequencing of activities.
C) changes to estimated durations for specific activities.
D) a new required completion time for the project.

Question 76

Negative slack indicates a lack of slack over the entire project and the amount of time

A) an activity must be accelerated to complete the project by the required completion time.
B) an activity must be delayed to complete the project by the required completion time.
C) each activity on the critical must be accelerated to complete the project by the required completion time.
D) all activities in the project must be accelerated to complete the project by the required completion time.

Question 77

The total completion time is 25 days. Task A is planned to take seven days. Task B is planned to take five days. Task C is planned to take eight days. The tasks have a serial relationship. How much slack does the project have?

A) Negative 5 days slack.
B) Positive 5 days slack.
C) Positive 17 days slack.
D) Positive 3 days slack.

Question 78

The total completion time is 25 days. Task A is planned to take seven days. Task B is planned to take five days. Task C is planned to take eight days. The tasks have a serial relationship. Task A takes nine days to be completed instead of seven days. What are the ES and EF times for Task B now that Task A is complete?

A) ES = 9, EF = 14
B) ES = 7, EF = 12
C) ES = 5, EF = 14
D) ES = 5, EF = 12

Question 79

Free slack is calculated by finding the lowest of the values of total slack for all the activities entering into a specific activity and then

A) adding it from the values of total slack for the other activities also entering into that same activity.
B) subtracting it from the values of total slack for the other activities succeeding after that same activity.
C) subtracting it from the values of total slack for the other activities also entering into that same activity.
D) adding it from the values of total slack for the other activities succeeding after that same activity.