Deck 9: Project Scheduling: Pertcpm

Question 1

For an activity with more than one immediate successor activity, its latest-finish time is equal to the

A) largest latest-finish time among its immediate successors.
B) smallest latest-finish time among its immediate successors.
C) largest latest-start time among its immediate successors.
D) smallest latest-start time among its immediate successors.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The critical path

A) is any path that goes from the starting node to the completion node.
B) is a combination of all paths.
C) is the shortest path.
D) is the longest path.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

PERT and CPM are applicable only when there is no dependence among activities.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The earliest start time rule

A) compares the starting times of all activities for successors of an activity.
B) compares the finish times for all immediate predecessors of an activity.
C) determines when the project can begin.
D) determines when the project must begin.

Question 5

Arcs in a project network indicate

A) completion times.
B) precedence relationships.
C) activities.
D) the critical path.

Question 6

Slack equals

A) LF - EF.
B) EF-LF.
C) EF - LS.
D) LF - ES.

Question 7

Which is not a significant challenge of project scheduling?

A) deadlines exist.
B) activities are independent.
C) many employees could be required.
D) delays are costly.

Question 8

To determine how to crash activity times

A) normal activity costs and costs under maximum crashing must be known.
B) shortest times with crashing must be known.
C) realize that new paths may become critical.
D) All of the alternatives are true.

Question 9

Which of the following is always true about a critical activity?

A) LS = EF.
B) LF = LS.
C) ES = LS.
D) EF = ES.

Question 10

PERT and CPM

A) are most valuable when a small number of activities must be scheduled.
B) have different features and are not applied to the same situation.
C) do not require a chronological relationship among activities.
D) have been combined to develop a procedure that uses the best of each.

Question 11

Critical activities are those that can be delayed without delaying the entire project.

Question 12

Activities following a node

A) can begin as soon as any activity preceding the node has been completed.
B) have an earliest start time equal to the largest of the earliest finish times for all activities entering the node.
C) have a latest start time equal to the largest of the earliest finish times for all activities entering the node.
D) None of the alternatives is correct.

Question 13

In deciding which activities to crash, one must

A) crash all critical activities.
B) crash largest-duration activities.
C) crash lowest-cost activities.
D) crash activities on the critical path(s) only.

Question 14

Activities with zero slack

A) can be delayed.
B) must be completed first.
C) lie on a critical path.
D) have no predecessors.

Question 15

For an activity with more than one immediate predecessor activity, which of the following is used to compute its earliest finish (EF) time?

A) the largest EF among the immediate predecessors.
B) the average EF among the immediate predecessors.
C) the largest LF among the immediate predecessors.
D) the difference in EF among the immediate predecessors.

Question 16

Which of the following is a general rule for crashing activities?

A) Crash only non-critical activities.
B) Crash activities with zero slack.
C) Crash activities with the greatest number of predecessors.
D) Crash the path with the fewest activities.

Question 17

Activities G, P, and R are the immediate predecessors for activity W. If the earliest finish times for the three are 12, 15, and 10, then the earliest start time for W

A) is 10.
B) is 12.
C) is 15.
D) cannot be determined.

Question 18

Activities K, M and S immediately follow activity H, and their latest start times are 14, 18, and 11. The latest finish time for activity H

A) is 11.
B) is 14.
C) is 18.
D) cannot be determined.

Question 19

To calculate an activity's latest finish time, you should consider its

A) predecessors' latest finish times
C) successors' earliest start times
B) predecessors' latest start times
D) successors' latest start times

Question 20

When activity times are uncertain,

A) assume they are normally distributed.
B) calculate the expected time, using (a + 4m + b)/6.
C) use the most likely time.
D) calculate the expected time, using (a + m + b)/3.

Question 21

A cookie recipe gives the following numbered steps.
Although the steps are numbered, they do not always reflect immediate precedence relationships. Develop a table that lists the immediate predecessors for each activity.

Question 22

The linear programming model for crashing presented in the textbook assumes that any portion of the activity crash time can be achieved for a corresponding portion of the activity crashing cost.

Question 23

The length of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the project completion time is the slack.

Question 24

The variance in the project completion time is the sum of the variances of all activities in the project.

Question 25

Crashing refers to an unanticipated delay in a critical path activity that causes the total time to exceed its limit.

Question 26

The earliest finish time for the final activity is the project duration.

Question 27

The project manager should monitor the progress of any activity with a large time variance even if the expected time does not identify the activity as a critical activity.

Question 28

Constraints in the LP models for crashing decisions are required to compare the activity's earliest finish time with the earliest finish time of each predecessor.

Question 29

The latest finish time for an activity is the largest of the latest start times for all activities that immediately follow the activity.

Question 30

It is possible to have more than one critical path at a time.

Question 31

The difference between an activity's earliest finish time and latest finish time equals the difference between its earliest start time and latest start time.

Question 32

A path through a project network must reach every node.

Question 33

From this schedule of activities, draw the PERT/CPM network.

Question 34

The earliest start time for an activity is equal to the smallest of the earliest finish times for all its immediate predecessors.

Question 35

When activity times are uncertain, total project time is normally distributed with mean equal to the sum of the means of all of the critical activities.

Question 36

All activities on a critical path have zero slack time.

Question 37

Generally, the more serial (as opposed to parallel) relationships present in a project network, the less time will be required to complete the project.

Question 38

A critical activity can be part of a noncritical path.

Question 39

When activity times are uncertain, an activity's most likely time is the same as its expected time.

Question 40

From this PERT/CPM network, determine the list of activities and their predecessors.

Question 41

Joseph King has ambitions to be mayor of Williston, North Dakota. Joe has determined the breakdown of the steps to the nomination and has estimated normal and crash costs and times for the campaign as follows (times are in weeks).
Joe King is not a wealthy man and would like to organize a 16-week campaign at minimum cost. Write and solve a linear program to accomplish this task.

Question 42

Use the following network of related activities with their duration times (weeks) to complete a row for each activity under the column headings below.

Question 43

Use the following network of related activities with their duration times (weeks) to complete a row for each activity under the column headings below.

Question 44

A project network is shown below. Use a forward and a backward pass to determine the critical path, and then fill out the table below. Activity times are in weeks. Now assume that the times listed are only the expected times instead of being fixed times. Is the probability of being finished in more than 28 weeks more or less than 50%?

Question 45

A project network is shown below. Use a forward and a backward pass to determine the critical path, and then fill out the table below. Activity times are in weeks. Now assume that the times listed are only the expected times instead of being fixed times. Is the probability of being finished in fewer than 25 weeks more or less than 50%?

Question 46

A senior MIS design class project team has developed the following schedule of activities for their project, using their best estimate of completion times. Both written and oral reports are required. Draw the project network. Can they complete the project in the 38 class days remaining until the end of the semester?

Question 47

The critical path for this network is A - E - F and the project completion time is 22 weeks. If a deadline of 17 weeks is imposed, give the linear programming model for the crashing decision.