Question 1

If testing cannot be completed any earlier than four days after the prototype has been built, what type of lag exists?
A) Start to Start
B) Start to Finish
C) Finish to Finish
D) Finish to Start
E) Any of these could be correct

Accepted Answer

The answer of If testing cannot be completed any earlier...

Question 2

A purchasing agent is responsible for ordering hardware for a custom home his company is building. The contractor installing the hardware is scheduled to start in 5 working days, but the hardware is on backorder and will not arrive for another 9 working days. Fortunately, the purchasing agent has 10 days of slack; however, he shares this slack with the hardware installer. He will have to let the contractor know that the hardware will be ready 4 days later than expected and that the slack for the installer has been reduced by 4 days. The purchasing agent and the installer share 10 days of
A) free slack.
B) shared slack.
C) total slack.
D) critical slack.
E) functional slack.

Accepted Answer

Total slack refers to the amount of time that a task in a project can be delayed without causing a delay to subsequent tasks or the project completion date. In this scenario, the 10 days of slack that the purchasing agent and the installer share is the total amount of time that the hardware installation can be delayed without affecting the project's completion. This is why it's referred to as total slack.

Question 3

System documentation cannot end until three days after testing has started. This is an example of which kind of lag?
A) Start to Start
B) Start to Finish
C) Finish to Finish
D) Finish to Start
E) Any of these could be correct

Accepted Answer

Start to Finish lag is when the start of one activity dictates the finish of another. In this case, the start of testing dictates when system documentation can be completed, fitting the Start to Finish lag definition.

Question 4

When creating a project network, your primary input source will be the
A) project charter.
B) work packages.
C) risk plan.
D) communication plan.
E) requirements document.

Accepted Answer

Work packages are the primary input source when creating a project network because they break down the project into manageable components, allowing for the detailed planning and scheduling of tasks.

Question 5

The assumption that all immediately preceding activities must be 100% complete is too restrictive in some situations. When an activity is broken down into smaller segments in order to start the succeeding activity sooner, this is called
A) hammock activities.
B) concurrent engineering.
C) a forward pass.
D) dissecting.
E) laddering.

Accepted Answer

Laddering is the technique where an activity is broken down into smaller segments so that the succeeding activity can start sooner, without waiting for the entire preceding activity to be completed. This approach helps in optimizing project schedules and is particularly useful in situations where the assumption of needing all preceding activities to be 100% complete is too restrictive.

Question 6

The backward pass in project network calculations determines all of the following EXCEPT
A) latest time an activity can begin.
B) earliest time an activity can finish.
C) the critical path.
D) how long an activity can be delayed.
E) latest time an activity can finish.

Accepted Answer

The backward pass calculates the latest start and finish times for project activities, identifies the critical path, and determines activity slack (how long an activity can be delayed). It does not calculate the earliest time an activity can finish; that is determined by the forward pass.

Question 7

Which of the following will correctly calculate the total slack in an activity?
A) LS - ES
B) LF - EF
C) LS - LF
D) LF - ES
E) Either LS - ES or LF - EF

Accepted Answer

Total slack in an activity can be calculated either by subtracting the Early Start (ES) from the Late Start (LS) or by subtracting the Early Finish (EF) from the Late Finish (LF). Both methods yield the same result, indicating the amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the project completion date.

Question 8

The likelihood the original critical path(s) will change once the project is initiated is referred to as
A) flexibility.
B) resilience.
C) sensitivity.
D) concurrent engineering.
E) rigidity.

Accepted Answer

Sensitivity in project management refers to how susceptible the project schedule is to changes, including any changes in the critical path(s) once the project has commenced. A project with high sensitivity is more likely to experience changes in its critical path due to variations in task durations, resources, or other influencing factors.

Question 9

If, for some reason, the project must be expedited to meet an earlier date, which of the following actions would the project manager take first?
A) Check to see which activities cost the least.
B) Check to see which activities have the longest duration.
C) Check to see which activities are on the critical path.
D) Check to see which activities have the most slack.
E) Check to see which activities have the highest risk.

Accepted Answer

The critical path method is used to identify the sequence of activities that determine the minimum project duration. Adjusting activities on the critical path can directly impact the project's completion date, making it the first step in expediting a project.

Question 10

A project network provides the basis for
A) organizational authority.
B) completing the effort on time and within budget.
C) scheduling labor and equipment.
D) hierarchical understanding of task relationships.
E) understanding the structural relationships.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A project network provides the basis for
A)...

Question 11

Which of the following correctly calculates the early finish for an activity?
A) LS + DUR
B) ES + DUR
C) LF + DUR
D) ES + SL
E) LF + SL

Accepted Answer

The early finish (EF) of an activity is calculated by adding its early start (ES) to its duration (DUR). This is because the early start represents when an activity can begin, and the duration is how long the activity is expected to take, thus giving the earliest point in time the activity can be completed.

Question 12

The minimum amount of time a dependent activity must be delayed to begin or end is referred to as
A) hammock.
B) laddering.
C) lag.
D) cushion.
E) buffer.

Accepted Answer

Lag is the correct term used to describe the minimum amount of time a dependent activity must be delayed to begin or end in project management and scheduling.

Question 13

The requirement for a freshly poured foundation to cure before beginning construction is an example of which of the following type of lag?
A) Start to Start
B) Start to Finish
C) Finish to Finish
D) Finish to Start
E) Any of these could be correct

Accepted Answer

Finish to Start lag is when a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has finished. In this case, construction (successor activity) cannot start until the foundation (predecessor activity) has finished curing.

Question 14

Which of the following is true about hammock activities?
A) They are used to identify the use of fixed resources or costs over a segment of a project.
B) They are a combination of Start to Start and Start to Finish lags.
C) They are activities in which the costs are not subject to change.
D) They are an alternative description for the critical path.
E) They are highly sensitive.

Accepted Answer

Hammock activities are used in project management to aggregate or summarize the use of resources or costs over a segment of a project, rather than being a specific task or work package. They span over a range of tasks, essentially "hanging" between two points in the project schedule, hence the name "hammock."

Question 15

If a project has more than one activity that can begin when the project is to start, a common start node should be used to indicate a clear project beginning on the network. Without a common start node, each path is a
A) critical path.
B) parallel path.
C) dangler path.
D) multiple start path.
E) confused path.

Accepted Answer

A dangler path occurs when there is no common start node, leading to multiple paths that seem to start the project, causing confusion in the network diagram.

Question 16

Which of the following correctly calculates the late start for an activity?
A) EF - DUR
B) ES - DUR
C) LF - DUR
D) ES - SL
E) LF - SL

Accepted Answer

The late start (LS) of an activity in project management is calculated by subtracting the activity's duration (DUR) from its late finish (LF), hence the correct formula is LS = LF - DUR.

Question 17

Concurrent engineering, which has dramatically reduced the development time for new products, relies on what kind of lag?
A) Start to Start lags
B) Start to Finish lags
C) Finish to Finish lags
D) Finish to Start lags
E) Any of these could be correct

Accepted Answer

Concurrent engineering often uses Start to Start lags, allowing different phases of a project to begin simultaneously, thus reducing development time.

Question 18

The forward pass in project network calculations determines all of the following EXCEPT
A) earliest time an activity can begin.
B) earliest time an activity can finish.
C) duration of the project.
D) the critical path.
E) how soon the project can finish.

Accepted Answer

The forward pass calculation helps determine the earliest start and finish times for project activities, the total project duration, and how soon the project can finish, but it does not directly identify the critical path. The critical path is determined by also performing a backward pass to identify the longest path through the project with the least amount of slack.

Question 19

The amount of time an activity can be delayed and yet not delay the project is termed
A) total slack.
B) free slack.
C) critical float.
D) float pad.
E) slip pad.

Accepted Answer

Total slack is the amount of time an activity can be delayed and yet not delay the project.

Question 20

When completing a backward pass, you carry the LS to the next preceding activity to establish the LF, unless the next preceding activity is a burst activity, in which case you select
A) the smallest LS of all its immediate successor activities to establish the LF.
B) the largest ES of all its immediate successor activities to establish the LF.
C) the average LS of all its immediate successor activities to establish the LF.
D) the smallest ES of all its immediate successor activities to establish the LF.
E) the largest LS of all its immediate successor activities to establish the LF.

Accepted Answer

In a backward pass, for a burst activity, you select the smallest LS of all its immediate successor activities to establish the LF to ensure that the activity finishes as late as possible without delaying the project.

Quiz 6: Developing a Project Schedule

If testing cannot be completed any earlier than four days after the prototype has been built, what type of lag exists?

System documentation cannot end until three days after testing has started. This is an example of which kind of lag?

When creating a project network, your primary input source will be the

The assumption that all immediately preceding activities must be 100% complete is too restrictive in some situations. When an activity is broken down into smaller segments in order to start the succeeding activity sooner, this is called

The backward pass in project network calculations determines all of the following EXCEPT

Which of the following will correctly calculate the total slack in an activity?

The likelihood the original critical path(s) will change once the project is initiated is referred to as

If, for some reason, the project must be expedited to meet an earlier date, which of the following actions would the project manager take first?

A project network provides the basis for

Which of the following correctly calculates the early finish for an activity?

The minimum amount of time a dependent activity must be delayed to begin or end is referred to as

The requirement for a freshly poured foundation to cure before beginning construction is an example of which of the following type of lag?

Which of the following is true about hammock activities?

If a project has more than one activity that can begin when the project is to start, a common start node should be used to indicate a clear project beginning on the network. Without a common start node, each path is a

Which of the following correctly calculates the late start for an activity?

Concurrent engineering, which has dramatically reduced the development time for new products, relies on what kind of lag?

The forward pass in project network calculations determines all of the following EXCEPT

The amount of time an activity can be delayed and yet not delay the project is termed

When completing a backward pass, you carry the LS to the next preceding activity to establish the LF, unless the next preceding activity is a burst activity, in which case you select