AACE PSP case studies
AACE PSP · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP) is one of the professional certifications offered by AACE International, listed on the association's site alongside the CCP, CEP, EVP and PRMP credentials. It is aimed at practitioners who build, maintain and interpret project schedules - planners, schedulers and project-controls staff who need to demonstrate competence across the full schedule life cycle rather than in a single technique. The AACE PSP case studies are 5 cases and about 2,984 words.
1The Compressed Cure That Broke the Critical Path
A 14-month wastewater pump station upgrade must finish before a regulatory deadline that cannot move. The baseline critical path runs through: site mobilization (10 d) → deep excavation (30 d) → precast wet well delivery (procurement lead 60 d, can start after design freeze) → wet well installation (20 d) → mechanical fit-out (25 d) → commissioning (15 d).
654 words, about 3 min2The Progress Update That Hid a Slipping Path
At the end of month 6 of a 12-month bridge rehabilitation, the schedule update shows: planned value (BCWS) 4.2M, earned value (BCWS of work performed) 3.6M, actual cost 3.9M. The project manager reports SPI = 0.86 and states the project is "behind but recoverable" because the critical path activities-girder fabrication and deck replacement-show only 5 days of slippage against a 20-day float on the schedule summary.
567 words, about 3 min3The Logic That Wasn't There
A scheduler is building the CPM network for a 9-month plant expansion. The team provides the following logic: (a) foundations must finish before steel erection; (b) steel erection must finish before roof decking; (c) roof decking must finish before interior build-out; (d) interior build-out must finish before punch list.
635 words, about 3 min4The Float That Two Parties Claimed
On a design-build highway interchange, the contractor's schedule shows the critical path through bridge girder erection, with 18 days of total float on the paving package. The owner's independent reviewer notes that the paving package float is shared with a utility relocation that the owner controls, and the owner's utility work is forecast to finish 12 days later than planned.
583 words, about 3 min5The Recovery Schedule That Created a New Bottleneck
A 10-month hospital fit-out is 3 months behind at month 7. The recovery plan compresses the remaining mechanical, electrical, and finishes work by overlapping trades and adding a second shift.
545 words, about 3 min