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.

Accepted Answer

D

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) and CPM (Critical Path Method) are project management techniques used to schedule and manage complex projects. Both techniques are applicable to projects where there are dependencies among activities. PERT and CPM help identify the critical path, which is the sequence of activities that must be completed on time in order for the project to be completed within the desired timeframe. Therefore, the statement that PERT and CPM are applicable only when there is no dependence among activities is false.

Question 3

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.

Accepted Answer

The critical path is the longest path in a project network diagram as it determines the minimum amount of time required to complete a project. It includes all activities that are essential to completing the project on time. Other paths may be shorter, but they are not as critical to the overall timeline of the project.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

Activities with zero slack are those that cannot be delayed without delaying the entire project. These activities lie on the critical path of the project, which means they have the longest duration and any delay in their completion will directly affect the project's overall timeline. Therefore, they must be completed first to avoid any delays in the project timeline. Additionally, by definition, activities with zero slack cannot have any slack or float time, which means they cannot be delayed or pushed back.

Question 5

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.

Accepted Answer

All of the alternatives are true. In order to determine how to crash activity times, it is important to know both normal activity costs and costs under maximum crashing, as well as the shortest times with crashing. However, it is also important to realize that new paths may become critical with crashing and need to be taken into account. Therefore, all of the given alternatives are necessary for effective crashing of activity times.

Question 6

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.

Accepted Answer

The earliest finish time (EF) of an activity with more than one immediate predecessor is determined by the largest EF among its immediate predecessors. This is because the activity cannot start until all of its immediate predecessors have finished, and the earliest finish time among them will determine the earliest possible start time for the next activity.

Question 7

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.

Accepted Answer

The latest finish time for activity H is the earliest of the latest start times of activities K, M, and S, which is 11.

Question 8

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.

Accepted Answer

The earliest start time for activity W is determined by the maximum of the earliest finish times of its immediate predecessors (activities G,P, and R). Therefore, the earliest start time for W is 15, which is the maximum of 12, 15, and 10.

Question 9

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.

Accepted Answer

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) and CPM (Critical Path Method) have different strengths and weaknesses. PERT is most useful when there are many uncertainties in the project schedule, while CPM is best suited for projects with well-defined activities and durations. However, both methods have been combined to create a hybrid approach that utilizes the strengths of each method. This approach allows for more accurate scheduling, particularly for complex projects with many interdependent activities.

Question 10

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.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When activity times are uncertain,
A)assume they are...

Question 11

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.

Accepted Answer

If activities were independent, it would actually make scheduling easier as each activity could be worked on concurrently without affecting the others. Deadlines, resource allocation, and delays are all common challenges in project scheduling.

Question 12

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.

Accepted Answer

Crashing activities on the critical path is the most effective strategy for reducing project duration, as this is the path that determines the total project duration. Crashing other activities may not have as much impact on the overall project duration.

Question 13

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.

Accepted Answer

Crashing is a schedule compression technique aimed at reducing project duration for the least incremental cost by adding resources. Activities with zero slack are on the critical path, and crashing these activities can directly reduce the overall project duration. Noncritical activities (A) have slack and crashing them does not affect the project's end date. The number of predecessors (C) is irrelevant to the decision of which activities to crash. Crashing the path with the fewest activities (D) is not a general rule; the focus should be on the critical path, which may not necessarily be the one with the fewest activities.

Question 14

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.

Accepted Answer

Since a node represents a point where multiple activities converge, its activities can only begin when all activities that precede it have been completed. Therefore, option A is incorrect. The earliest start time of activities following the node is determined by the largest of the earliest finish times for all activities entering the node, as this represents the earliest time that all activities will have been completed and the node will be free to begin its activities. This is why option B is correct. Option C is incorrect because the latest start time of activities following the node is determined by the smallest of the latest finish times for all activities entering the node, not the largest of the earliest finish times. Option D is incorrect because at least one of the alternatives is indeed correct.

Question 15

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.

Accepted Answer

The earliest start time rule involves comparing the finish times of all immediate predecessors of an activity to determine the earliest point at which an activity can begin. This ensures that all necessary preceding tasks are completed before a new one starts.

Question 16

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

Accepted Answer

Critical activities are those that cannot be delayed without delaying the entire project.

Question 17

A path through a project network must reach every node.

Accepted Answer

A path through a project network is a sequence of connected activities from start to end, but it does not have to reach every node; some nodes may be part of different, parallel paths.

Question 18

Which of the following is always true about a critical activity?
A)LS = EF.
B)LF = LS.
C)ES = LS.
D)EF = ES.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is always true...

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

Slack is defined as the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the overall project. It is calculated by subtracting the Early Finish (EF) of the activity from the Late Finish (LF) of the activity. Therefore, the correct formula for slack is EF - LF, making B the best choice.

Question 20

Arcs in a project network indicate
A)completion times.
B)precedence relationships.
C)activities.
D)the critical path.

Accepted Answer

Arcs in a project network represent precedence relationships, which indicate the order in which activities must be completed in order for the project to be completed successfully. Therefore, B is the correct choice. A is incorrect because completion times are represented by nodes in the network, not arcs. C is incorrect because activities are also represented by nodes, not arcs. D is incorrect because the critical path refers to the sequence of activities with the longest duration, not to the arcs in the network.

Quiz 13: Project Scheduling: Pertcpm

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

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

The critical path

Activities with zero slack

To determine how to crash activity times

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

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

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

PERT and CPM

When activity times are uncertain,

Which is not a significant challenge of project scheduling?

In deciding which activities to crash,one must

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

Activities following a node

The earliest start time rule

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

A path through a project network must reach every node.

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

Slack equals

Arcs in a project network indicate