Deck 14: Project Planning and Scheduling

Question 1

Estimating the time required for each task is an example of a ______ management decision in project management.

A)planning
B)scheduling
C)control
D)a and b
E)b and c

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Project management requires:

A)Scheduling,planning,and controlling
B)Quantitative skills
C)Behavioral skills
D)All of the above

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following statements is incorrect about the PERT method of project scheduling?

A)PERT requires three time estimates for scheduling a given activity.
B)PERT assumes that the actual activity times are distributed according to the beta probability distribution.
C)PERT assumes that the statistical variation in total project completion times can be computed by multiplying variances along the critical path.
D)None of the above

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The advantage(s)of the network method over the Gantt chart is (are)that:

A)The network method is easy to use and quite widely understood.
B)The network method shows precedence relationships explicitly when compared to Gantt charts.
C)Network methods are less costly to use.
D)a and b
E)b and c

Question 5

CPM network scheduling assumes a second order (non-linear)time-cost tradeoff exists.

Question 6

Which of the following statements about CPM is true?

A)CPM is an example of a variable time project scheduling method.
B)The CPM method is well suited when activity times are expected to vary a lot.
C)The CPM method is well suited when activity times are fairly constant and can be reduced by spending more money.
D)The CPM method is well suited for R&D projects and for scheduling computer systems.
E)None of the above

Question 7

A network-based project scheduling method that requires three time estimates for each activity is:

A)PERT
B)CPM
C)Gantt chart
D)a and b
E)None of the above

Question 8

The project management concept that can be best applied to situations such as R&D,computer systems design,and military invasions is:

A)PERT
B)CPM
C)Gantt chart
D)a and c
E)None of the above

Question 9

Multiple critical paths can exist under CPM because:

A)There is more than one way to complete the project
B)Different network paths exist,each with the same total time
C)Great flexibility of activity sequences is available
D)None of the above

Question 10

Controlling a project does NOT entail:

A)Monitoring costs,time,and performance
B)Adhering to the budget
C)Correcting the plan as necessary
D)None of the above

Question 11

"Slack" refers to the difference between:

A)Late and early times
B)Finish and start times
C)Observed and predicted times
D)Optimistic and pessimistic times
E)None of the above

Question 12

A forward pass of the above network indicates that the early start time of activity 4-5 is:

A)4
B)5
C)3
D)None of the above

Question 13

An assumption of PERT is:

A)Activity times are constant.
B)Uncertainty of individual time estimates exists.
C)Distribution of project completion times and probability that each activity is on the critical path can be computed.
D)b and c

Question 14

A forward pass is required while computing the early start and early finish times of activities.

Question 15

Which of the following statements is true about a critical path?

A)A critical path consists of activities for which early start time equals late start time.
B)The activities along the critical path take the longest time.
C)A critical path consists of activities for which early finish time equals late finish time.
D)There is no slack in the activities along the critical path.
E)All of the above

Question 16

The early start and late start times are equal for an activity on the critical path of a network.

Question 17

The purpose of performing a forward pass is to:

A)Identify the critical path
B)Determine the early start and the early finish times
C)Determine the late start and the late finish times
D)Determine the slack available in the process
E)All of the above

Question 18

The job of the project manager is to:

A)Control all costs
B)Control those costs directly controllable by the project organization
C)Control costs,schedule,and performance of the project
D)Keep within the budget,no matter what
E)b and c

Question 19

Gantt charts are effective if:

A)Activities are highly interconnected
B)Activity times are random
C)The project contains simple activity sequences
D)All of the above

Question 20

The advantage(s)that Gantt chart has over the network method is (are):

A)A Gantt chart is easy to use and quite widely understood.
B)Gantt charts show precedence relationships explicitly when compared to network scheduling.
C)Gantt charts are less costly to use.
D)a and b
E)a and c

Question 21

A work-breakdown structure is used in the scheduling activity of project management.

Question 22

PERT assumes that the statistical variation in total project completion times can be computed by adding the standard deviations along the critical path.