AACE PRMP flashcards
AACE PRMP · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Schedule planning
- The process that defines project scope, execution strategy, milestones, calendars, coding, resources, risks, and reporting needs before a schedule model is built.
- Work breakdown structure
- A hierarchical decomposition of project scope into manageable deliverables and work packages; the 100 percent rule requires all scope and only scope be represented.
- Activity coding
- Assignment of standardized attributes such as phase, area, responsible party, and work type to activities so schedules can be filtered, grouped, and analyzed consistently.
- Project calendar
- A defined pattern of working and nonworking periods used to calculate activity durations; resource calendars may further limit when assigned resources can work.
- Schedule basis
- A document recording assumptions, exclusions, constraints, calendars, resource plan, risk allowances, and reporting requirements supporting a schedule model and its baseline.
- Milestone
- A significant schedule checkpoint, often zero duration, marking a contractual, approval, handover, or decision event; it has no work but represents a measurable state.
- Open end
- An activity lacking a predecessor or successor, which can distort critical path and float calculations; schedules are reviewed to eliminate unjustified open ends.
- Forward pass
- A CPM calculation that determines each activity's earliest start and finish by moving from project start through logic, using max predecessor finish plus lag.
- Backward pass
- A CPM calculation that determines each activity's latest finish and start by moving from project finish through logic, using min successor start minus lag.
- Total float
- The time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project finish, calculated as late start minus early start or late finish minus early finish.
- Free float
- The time an activity can be delayed without delaying any successor's early start, calculated from the minimum successor early start minus the activity's early finish.
- Resource leveling
- A scheduling technique that adjusts activity timing to resolve resource over-allocation; it may extend the project finish or change the critical path.
- PERT expected duration
- A weighted three-point estimate calculated as optimistic plus four times most likely plus pessimistic, divided by six, used for probabilistic duration planning.
- Schedule baseline
- An approved, controlled snapshot of the schedule model used to measure progress and performance; changes require formal change control and authorized re-baselining.
- Data date
- The status cutoff date through which actual progress is recorded and from which remaining work is forecast; also called the status date.
- Out-of-sequence progress
- Progress recorded on an activity before its predecessor is complete; it requires a documented rule because it can distort logic, float, and forecast dates.
- Schedule update cycle
- The recurring process of collecting actual dates and remaining durations, revising logic and resources, recalculating the schedule, and issuing a controlled update.
- Schedule variance
- A comparison of current or forecast dates with baseline dates; positive time variance usually means later than baseline, depending on the sign convention used.
- Earned schedule SPIt
- A time-based index calculated as earned schedule divided by actual time; values below one indicate schedule behind plan and above one indicate ahead.
- Change control
- A formal process for evaluating, approving, and incorporating schedule changes with traceability; only authorized changes may alter the approved baseline.
- Critical path
- The longest continuous logic path through the schedule network, which determines the calculated project duration; a project can have multiple critical paths.
- Near-critical path
- A logic path with total float small enough that minor progress or logic changes could make it critical; it is monitored for schedule risk.
- Time impact analysis
- A delay analysis method that inserts a fragnet representing an event into a contemporaneous schedule and calculates the event's effect on completion.
- Fragnet
- A small schedule network added to an existing schedule to model a specific change, delay, or scope event for impact analysis.
- Monte Carlo schedule risk
- A probabilistic simulation that samples duration and risk distributions many times to produce a completion-date distribution and confidence levels.
- Concurrent delay
- Independent delays occurring at the same time that affect completion; contractual rules determine responsibility and apportionment, so analysis must document timing and causation.
- Schedule narrative
- A written report explaining status, forecast, variances, critical path changes, risks, and corrective actions so readers can interpret schedule data correctly.
- Milestone trend chart
- A graph plotting forecast milestone dates over successive updates; diverging lines reveal recurring slippage or improvement before final completion is affected.
- Schedule dashboard
- A concise visual summary of key schedule indicators, milestones, critical path, float, and risks tailored to management review and decision-making.
- Forecast completion date
- The projected project finish derived from current progress, remaining durations, logic, calendars, and constraints at the data date.
- Exception reporting
- Reporting that highlights schedule variances beyond defined thresholds, allowing management to focus on deviations rather than every activity detail.
- Confidence level date
- A completion date associated with a probability from schedule risk analysis, such as P50 or P80, used to communicate schedule uncertainty.