Project Management and Engineering Ethics
This domain tests planning, cost and schedule control, and the professional conduct expected of a licensed engineer. Questions mix calculation with judgement.
Core rules
- A WBS decomposes scope into deliverable packages; each activity gets durations and dependencies to build the network.
- The critical path is the longest path through the network; its float is zero, so any delay there delays completion.
- Earned value: CPI = EV/AC and SPI = EV/PV. CPI below 1 means over budget; SPI below 1 means behind schedule.
- Forecast cost at completion: EAC = BAC/CPI when current performance continues.
- Change control requires documented approval before work proceeds; verbal instructions are confirmed in writing.
- Ethics: protect public safety and health above all, work only within competence, disclose conflicts of interest, keep client information confidential, and sign and seal only work you have actually supervised.
Worked example
A project has BAC = 400,000, PV = 200,000, EV = 180,000, and AC = 200,000. CPI = 180,000 / 200,000 = 0.90; SPI = 180,000 / 200,000 = 0.90. The work is both over cost and behind schedule. EAC = 400,000 / 0.90 = 444,000. The forecast overrun is about 44,000 unless corrective action changes the trend.
Traps
Swapping CPI and SPI formulas, or dividing by PV for cost performance, is common. Do not assume crashing or fast-tracking is free or risk-free: both add cost or risk. On ethics items, the answer that protects the public and discloses the issue usually outranks loyalty to an employer or client.