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PSP Paper – 1
PP.1 To develop a work breakdown structure for a project you can consider to use
the Delphi technique. What is the Delphi technique?
A. A simulation technique.
B. A mathematical analysis.
C. A constrained optimization method.
D. A consensus technique.

PP.2 The WBS helps the team of FOCUS! It is an excellent tool for communications
and the basic for developing realistic estimates. You can best describe a WBS as a
tool for the tracking of the:
A. The schedule of the project
B. The assigned resources
C. The project costs.
D. The project scope.

PP.3 Prior to developing the detail schedule for any project you are required to
develop a WBS for the project. In general for a project the WBS is?
A. A description of the product component and subcomponents.
B. A correct breakdown of the project reporting structure.
C. S structure that defines the scope baseline for the project.
D. A structure that defines work assignments by organizations.

PP.4 Every project has a unique deliverable which is usually very complex in
nature. What is the process of splitting a deliverable into smaller more manageable
parts?
A. The 100% rule.
B. Scope decomposition.
C. Activity definition.
D. Activity lists.

PP.5 While accomplishing the scope of any project, many categories of resources
are required. Which KEY factor should you consider when adding a required
resource to your project?
A. The impact the resource will have on the cost of the project.
B. The impact the resource will have on the duration of the project.
C. The impact the resource will have on the resource histograms.
D. Whether the resource type and quantity considered is available, and its
impact on the cost and duration of the project.

PP.6 As the project manager of a very large project under construction you are
required to report periodically to the senior management on the progress of the
project. What item below will you consider as a basis of the project to report your
progress on the project budget, project schedule, resource allocation and the scope
definition?

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A. Precedence diagramming method.

B. The approved Project character.
C. Work breakdown Structure.
D. Project management plan.

PP.7 Prior to developing the detail schedule for any project you are required to
develop a WBS for the project. The process of creating a WBS results in:
A. A detail project schedule
B. Team buy-in
C. A project completion date
D. A list of risks

PP.8 Creating the WBS can help the project manager manage the project scope very
effectively. Which of the following DOES NOT describe how far each element in WBS
should be broken down?
A. Result is the work package which should yield a deliverable.
B. Result is the work package which cannot be logically subdivided further.
C. Result is the work package which can be accomplished by one person.
D. Result in the work package for which the cost and time can be realistically
estimated.

PP.9 A scheduler working on a complex project schedule, decides to create a WBS

which has 4 levels. Going from Level 3 to Level 4 in the work breakdown structure
can result in:
A. Less estimating accuracy for the deliverables.
B. Better control of the project deliverables.
C. Can create a lower status reporting costs
D. A greater likelihood that it would create a scope gap or scope duplication.

PP.10 Creating the WBS can help the project manager manage the project scope
very effectively. The key reason to creating and using a WBS is to?
A. Understand, Plan and Organize the project scope effectively
B. To prevent the scope gaps and slippage.
C. Provide a basis for estimating and reporting the project.
D. All of the above

PP.11 While scheduling a project, you have determined the duration for your project
is 18.5 months with a standard deviation of 1.2 months. What technique will you
use to determine the confidence level and the probability of completing the project
on a specific day?
A. PERT formula.
B. The Monte Carlo simulation.
C. The Probability analysis.
D. The Variance analysis.

PP.12 Regarding a project schedule using the CPM method which of the following
statement is true?
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A. Both the PERT and CPM can be used to establish the critical path of the
project.
B. Both PERT and CPM can be used to establish the project duration.
C. PERT uses probabilistic duration estimates while CPM uses deterministic
duration estimates.
D. All of the above.

PP.13 While updating the project schedule you compute the difference between an
activity’s schedule completion and actual completion. This is called:
A. The earned value for the activity.
B. The Schedule variance.
C. The Schedule performance index.
D. The Project variance.

PP.14 Developing a Bar chart or performing Manual activity sequencing is most

effective in the planning of?
A. A very large project which requires good reporting needs.
B. For Small projects with limited tasks.
C. For effective management of High value projects.
D. For use on low-priority projects.

PP.15 What are dummy activities?

A. Represented by the arrows in AOA diagram which represent activities with
low cost, less resources and zero duration.
B. Arrows in ADM which represent dependencies between nodes without real
activities.
C. These are dummy activities used in ADM technique to represent the delay
or the waiting time required between the actual activities.
D. These are activities in PDM which are not required to be performed by
team members.

PP.16 Which of the following is usually not handled as a constraint while developing
a detail project schedule?
A. Laws and regulations.
B. Limits of authorization.
C. Team preferences.
D. Physical site constraints.

PP.17 During project updates which of the following should not be a valid reason for
establishing a revised baseline in a project?
A. The owner instructed Scope changes.
B. An approved Variation with a major Cost impact to the project.
C. A Major schedule changes due to Force Majeure condition.
D. New information indicating that the basis for the original project schedule
and cost estimates was incorrect.

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PP.18 Which of the following statements regarding diagramming methods used for
creating the project schedule is not true?
A. PDM is based on the AON network.
B. ADM is the same as AOA.
C. GERT is the same as System Dynamics Model.
D. GERT is used for sequence resulting in loops and System Dynamic Model
is an example of conditional diagramming methods.

PP.19 While developing the project plan the assumptions and the basis for the plan
are very important elements and hence should be recorded. Why should
assumptions be documented?
A. Assumptions might prove to be wrong. Knowing which assumptions were
incorrect allows baseline adjustments in case of project crisis.
B. Assumption analysis is a valuable tool and technique of Risk Identification.
C. Assumptions limit the project management team's options for decision
making.
D. In case of schedule or budget overruns, the documentation of assumptions
supports a clear assignment of responsibility.

PP.20 Which of the following is true regarding the definition of a project?

A. A project is a unique service undertaken to create a temporary product.
B. A project is the process of creating a product within a specific time.
C. A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product
or service.
D. A project is a temporary undertaking to create a unique endeavor or
service.

PP.21 A summary level activity in a network logic diagram is often referred to as a?

A. A Work package.
B. A Control Account.
C. A Project Milestone.
D. A hammock Activity.

PP.22 Performance reporting is very essential component on the monitoring phase

of the project. It is done to provide stake holders with information about the impact
of the resources consumed on?
A The project objectives and deliverables
B The project budget.
C The productivity and the actual duration of the tasks
D All of the above.

PP.23 Performance report should be updated for each monitoring period and
communicated which should primarily include which of the following?
A The project status for cost, time and resources
B Actual project progress
C The forecast for the remaining period
D All the above.
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PP.24 Variance analysis is very important process meant to investigate the reasons
for any deviations and to capture the lessons learned on any project. It involves
comparing actual project results to?
A The Planned results.
B The published industry standards readily available.
C The performance results on other similar projects.
D Both A and B above.

PP.25 While preparing for a monthly project meeting you want to update the team
about the performance against the project schedule. You calculate the task
achievements as follows: planning has a BCWS of $20,000 and a BCWP of $25,000,
testing has a BCWS of $17,000 and BCWP of $15,000, and design has a BCWS of
$34,000 and a BCWP of $42,000. As a whole your project is:
A. 15% ahead of schedule
B. You have achieved 86.59% of your planned schedule
C. 15% behind schedule, but over budget
D. 15% behind schedule.

PP.26 The unique identifier or the codes assigned to each item of a WBS are often
known collectively as?
A. The work package codes
B. The cost codes
C. The code of accounts
D. The activity codes

PP.27 Which of the following is NOT an example of a type of schedule report?

A. A Gantt chart
B. A Milestone schedule
C. An updated fishbone diagram
D. A detail Network diagram

PP.28 What is the primary purpose of a milestone chart?

A. To show task dependencies.
B. To show resource constraints.
C. To show significant events in the project such as completion of key
deliverables.
D. To highlight the critical path.

PP.29 While creating a project schedule which Time Management Process would
identify the specific activities that must be performed to produce the deliverables in
the WBS identified and documented?
A. Activity Sequencing
B. Activity Definition
C. Schedule Development
D. Activity Duration Estimating

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PP.30 A period of time in work weeks which includes non-working days are called:
A. The Elapsed Time
B. The total Duration
C. The data date
D. Earned Time

PP.31 The amount of time that any activity can be delayed from its early start date
without delaying the project completion date is called:
A. Negative Float
B. Free Float
C. Total Float
D. The Activity Lag

PP.32 What are you likely to see as an activity is delayed in a schedule with must
finish on constraint and no slack?
A. Idle resources
B. Reduction in the Lag available
C. Increase in Free float
D. Negative float

PP.33 Given the following estimates for an activity which was never performed in
the past: Optimistic 3 days, Pessimistic 9 days, and most likely 6 days, what is the
PERT weighted average?
A. 6 days
B. 4 days
C. 6.3 days
D. 6.1 days

PP.34 Given the following estimates for an activity which was never performed in
the past: Optimistic 3 days, Pessimistic 9 days, and most likely 6 days, what is the
standard deviation?
A. 0.6
B. 2
C. 1
D. 0.5

PP.35 Crashing the schedule is an effective duration compression technique. In

crashing the schedule, your focus would be on?
A. Accelerating the tasks one at a time
B. Optimize the resource usage
C. Accelerating the performance of tasks on the critical path.
D. Conduct trade-off between time and cost with an attempt to reduce cost.

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PP.36 In order to calculate the late start and late finish dates for a set of tasks, you
must do?
A. An analysis of the critical path
B. A forwards pass
C. A backwards pass
D. Schedule update

PP.37 While developing a detail project schedule, a modification of a logical

relationship that allows an acceleration of the successor task is represented by?
A. Fast tracking of the schedule
B. Lag time
C. Negative Lag
D. Lead time.

PP.38 In a project schedule developed using the network method, What is critical
path?
A. The shortest path through the network, which represents the longest
amount of time in which a project can be completed.
B. The path with zero or minimum float.
C. The longest path through the network, which represents the shortest
amount of time in which a project can be completed.
D. Both B and C above.

PP.39 The Time Management Process that involves identifying and documenting
interactivity dependencies is called:
A. Activity Definition
B. Activity Duration Estimating
C. Activity Dependencies
D. Activity Sequencing

PP.40. A project network diagram that uses nodes to represent activities and arrows
to show the activity dependencies and do not allow the formation of logic loops is
called?
A. AOA
B. AON
C. ADM
D. GERT

PP.41 While updating the project status at the end of six month for a 1 year,
$50,000 project, the analysis shows that the BCWS is $25,000; the BCWP is
$20,000 and the ACWP is $15,000. Based on the above information what can be
stated regarding the project performance to date:

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A. The project is behind schedule and over cost.

B. The project is ahead of schedule and under cost.
C. The project is ahead of schedule and over cost.
D. The project is behind schedule and under cost.

PP.42 As a project manager of a construction company, you always prefer to do

concrete curing during the weekend holiday, because no work can be done on the
building for 2 days while the concrete curing is being done. This helps you decrease
the:
A. Waiting Time
B. Elapsed Time
C. Project Schedule
D. The project float

PP.43 All the following statements about float are correct except:
A. Float refers to amount of time an activity can be delayed from its early
start without delaying the project finish date.
B. Float changes as the project progresses and as changes are made to the
project plan
C. Float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying
early start of any immediately following activity.
D. Float can also be referred to as Slack, Total Float or Path Float.

PP.44 While performing the project schedule update, the number of critical paths in
the project increases, but the overall duration of the project remains same, what is
the impact on the project?
A. Crashing will be required to complete project on time.
B. Fast tracking will be required to complete project on time.
C. Increase the resource allocation to reduce the duration and reduce the
number of critical paths.
D. Risk of the project increases.

PP.45 After having created the activity list from the WBS, the next step would be to
estimate the activity durations. All the following are inputs to Activity Duration
Estimating process except?
A. Constraints and Assumptions
B. Resource Requirements
C. Resource productivity
D. Mandatory and Discretionary Dependencies

PP.46 A small project consist of 6 activities which are listed below. All the activities
have a finish to start dependency. What is the minimum time required to complete
entire project?
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A. 13 Months
B. 8 Months
C. 39 Months
D. None of the above

PP.47 In the example given under question 46 above, you are considering to reduce
the duration of the project and while crashing the schedule which activity would be
the first choice?
A. Task M
B. Task p
C. Task Q
D. None of the above

PP.48 In the example given under question 46 above, you are considering to reduce
the duration of the project by crashing the schedule. What is the minimum
duration in which the project can be completed after crashing?
A. 13 Months
B. 8 Months
C. 39 Months
D. None of the above

PP.49 In the example given under question 46 above, if the project was scheduled
using the normal duration what is the total cost of the project?
A. $11,500
B. $ 22,400
C. $ 10,900
D. None of the above

PP.50 In the example given under question 46 above, there is constraint that the
project must finish on 20 months what is the total cost of the project?
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A. $11,500
B. $ 11,175
C. $ 10,900
D. None of the above

PP.51 A Gantt chart is useful in determining?

A. The level of effort of each task
B. When each task starts and stops
C. How the tasks are related to each other
D. What resources are to be assigned to each task.

PP.52 You are updating the project progress to report the status and note that
28,000 hours have been scheduled, 25,000 hours have been earned and 26,000
hours paid. The correct conclusion regarding the project status is?
A. The project is operating at a favorable cost efficiency ratio.
B. the project is spending more than planned
C. the project is behind schedule
D. the project is ahead of schedule.

PP.53 The _____________ task relationship is defined by the activity duration.

A. Start-to-start
B. Finish-to-finish
C. Start-to-finish
D. The Early start date

PP.54 The Critical Path Method of scheduling is:

A. A mathematical analysis technique for schedule development
B. A technique that uses weighted averages to calculate project duration
C. A technique that uses sequential network logic for schedule development
D. A technique that allows for probabilistic treatment of both network logic
and activity duration estimates

PP.55 A resource calendar is a resource pool which provides:

A. The unit cost for each resource
B. What are the resources are available, at what times and in what patterns
C. Performance of the pool resources
D. Duration of the project

PP.56 Constraints do not include:

A. Impacts of weather
B. Organizational structure of the performing organization
C. Collective bargaining
D. Expected staff assignments
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PP.57 While developing a project schedule using Precedence diagramming method

(PDM), which of the following dependencies would be used:
A. Finish-to-start
B. Start-to-start
C. Finish-to-finish
D. All of the above

PP.58 While developing a project schedule using Arrow diagramming method (PDM),
which of the following dependencies would not be used:
A. Start-to-Finish
B. Start-to-Start
C. Finish-to-Finish
D. None of the above

PP.59 The main difference between the two types (ADM and PDM) of the critical
path method (CPM) of scheduling is the:
A. Arrow diagramming method (ADM) is a more accurate method.
B. Arrow diagramming method (ADM)-a deterministic method whereas the
precedence diagramming method (PDM) is a probabilistic method.
C. Precedence diagramming method (PDM) is a deterministic method whereas
the arrow diagramming method (ADM) is a probabilistic method.
D. Placement of the activity on the logic diagram line.

PP.60 One way to shorten your project schedule is to assign three developers to
each activity in the project design phase instead of two. Although you are
considering this approach, your design phase project team would double in size as
a result. This approach tends to?
A. Reduce productivity
B. Increase productivity
C. Reduce the need for quality auditing, thereby reducing overall resource
costs
D. Improve production proportionately more than the increase in resources.

PP.61 In the first attempt in resource leveling the project schedule, what would you
expect to occur?
A. For the number of required resources to increase during certain time
periods of the project.
B. For the number of required resources to decrease during certain time
periods of the project.
C. For the overall project duration to increase.
D. All of the above.

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Correct Answers
PP.1 – D
PP.2 – D
PP.3 - C
PP.4 - B
PP.5 - D
PP.6 - C
PP.7 - B
PP.8. -C
PP.9. -B
PP.10 -D
PP.11. -B
PP.12 -D
PP.13 –B
PP.14 –B
PP.15 –B
PP.16 –C
PP.17. –B
PP.18. –C
PP.19. –B
PP.20. –C
PP.21. –D
PP.22 – D
PP.23 – D
PP.24. –A
PP.25 – A
PP.26. –C
PP.27 – C
PP.28. –C
PP.29 – B
PP.30 – A
PP.31 – C
PP.32. –D
PP.33 –A
PP.34. –C
PP.35. –C
PP.36 –C
PP.37. –D
PP.38. –D
PP.39. –D
PP.40. –B
PP.41. –D
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PP.42. –B
PP.43. –C
PP.44. –D
PP.45. –D
PP.46. –C
PP.47. –D
PP.48. –B
PP.49. –C
PP.50. –B
PP.51. –B
PP.52. –C
PP.53. –C
PP.54. –C
PP.55. –B
PP.56. –A
PP.57. –D
PP.58. –D
PP.59 –D
PP.60. –A
PP.61. –D

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