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PMI-SP practice questions

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Question 1Schedule Strategy

A project has highly uncertain scope, a co-located cross-functional team, and a customer who wants frequent demonstrations of working deliverables. Which scheduling approach best fits these conditions?

  1. Linear scheduling method with continuous resource crews
  2. Critical chain project management with project buffers
  3. Critical path method with a detailed activity network
  4. Iterative release planning with fixed timeboxes Correct answer.

Explanation

Iterative, timeboxed release planning suits evolving scope because it plans in short increments and produces frequent demonstrable deliverables. CPM and CCPM both assume a more stable, definable network of activities, while linear scheduling is designed for repetitive linear work such as pipeline or roadway construction.

Question 2Schedule Strategy

A project manager needs to document the scheduling methodology, the level of accuracy for duration estimates, and the rules for measuring schedule performance. Which document should contain this information?

  1. The schedule baseline
  2. The project charter
  3. The activity resource requirements
  4. The schedule management plan Correct answer.

Explanation

The schedule management plan describes how the schedule will be developed, estimated, monitored, and controlled, including methodology, estimation accuracy, and performance measurement rules. The charter provides only a high-level summary schedule, while the baseline and resource requirements are outputs rather than planning rules.

Question 3Schedule Strategy

Which characteristic distinguishes a milestone from a scheduled activity?

  1. It must be linked with a start-to-finish relationship.
  2. It has a duration equal to the sum of its predecessor activities.
  3. It consumes labor and material resources.
  4. It has zero duration and marks a significant point or event. Correct answer.

Explanation

A milestone represents a significant point in time and is normally scheduled with zero duration. It does not consume resources or carry a calculated duration, and it can be linked using any appropriate dependency type.

Question 4Schedule Strategy

A finish-to-start relationship between Activity A and Activity B carries a lag of four days. What does this mean for the schedule?

  1. Activity B may start four days before Activity A finishes.
  2. Activity A must finish four days before Activity B starts. Correct answer.
  3. Activity A and Activity B must start four days apart.
  4. Activity B can finish four days before Activity A finishes.

Explanation

In a finish-to-start relationship, the successor cannot start until the predecessor finishes; adding a lag of four days means the successor starts four days after that finish. Thus Activity A finishes, four days pass, and then Activity B starts.

Question 5Schedule Strategy

Which path through a project schedule network determines the shortest possible project duration?

  1. The critical path Correct answer.
  2. The longest path in terms of number of nodes
  3. The path with the fewest activities
  4. The path with the greatest total float

Explanation

The critical path is the longest-duration path through the network, and its length defines the shortest possible time in which the project can finish. It normally has the least total float, often zero.

Question 6Schedule Strategy

An approved version of the schedule model that is used to compare actual performance against plan is called the:

  1. Schedule baseline Correct answer.
  2. Project calendar
  3. Work performance baseline
  4. Schedule management plan

Explanation

The schedule baseline is the approved version of the schedule model against which actual schedule performance is compared. Changes to it are managed through integrated change control.

Question 7Schedule Strategy

A project manager plans the near-term work in detail while leaving work further in the future at a higher level. Which technique is being used?

  1. Rolling wave planning Correct answer.
  2. Crashing
  3. Decomposition of the entire scope at project start
  4. Fast tracking

Explanation

Rolling wave planning is iterative: work that is about to be performed is planned in detail, while later work remains at a higher level until more information is available. It is a form of progressive elaboration.

Question 8Schedule Strategy

A project calendar in the schedule model is used to define:

  1. The cost accounts assigned to each activity
  2. The dates on which the project charter was approved
  3. The organizational breakdown structure for resources
  4. The working days, shifts, and nonworking periods available for activities Correct answer.

Explanation

A project calendar specifies the working days, shifts, holidays, and other nonworking periods that determine when activities can be scheduled. Resource calendars may further refine availability for specific resources.

Question 9Schedule Strategy

A project manager wants to begin construction five days before design is fully complete. Which relationship should be used in the schedule network?

  1. A start-to-start relationship with a lag of five days
  2. A finish-to-finish relationship with a lag of five days
  3. A finish-to-start relationship with a lead of five days Correct answer.
  4. A start-to-finish relationship with a lag of five days

Explanation

A finish-to-start relationship with a lead, sometimes modeled as a negative lag, allows the successor to begin before the predecessor finishes. In this case construction can start five days before design completion.

Question 10Schedule Strategy

A project is behind schedule. The project manager decides to perform testing in parallel with development rather than sequentially. What is this technique and its primary risk?

  1. Fast tracking; it increases rework and integration risk. Correct answer.
  2. Crashing; it increases the cost of the project.
  3. Scope reduction; it lowers the quality requirement.
  4. Resource leveling; it reduces resource availability.

Explanation

Fast tracking compresses the schedule by overlapping activities that were originally planned in sequence. It can shorten duration without necessarily adding cost, but it increases the risk of rework, coordination problems, and integration defects.

Question 11Schedule Strategy

Resource leveling is applied to a schedule whose critical path has a resource conflict. What is the most likely result?

  1. The schedule will be shortened because resources are used more efficiently.
  2. The critical path will remain unchanged and total float will increase.
  3. All activity durations will be reduced to match resource availability.
  4. The project duration may increase, and the critical path may change. Correct answer.

Explanation

Resource leveling resolves resource over-allocation by adjusting activity start and finish dates, often delaying work. When the conflict affects the critical path, the project duration can increase and the critical path may shift to another sequence of activities.

Question 12Schedule Strategy

How does the critical chain method differ from traditional critical path method scheduling?

  1. It ignores activity dependencies and focuses only on resource availability.
  2. It aggregates safety into buffers and schedules to the resource-constrained critical chain. Correct answer.
  3. It removes all lags and leads from the network.
  4. It eliminates the need for a project buffer by using activity-level float.

Explanation

Critical chain scheduling accounts for resource constraints and consolidates individual activity safety into project, feeding, and resource buffers. The critical chain is the longest resource-constrained path through the network.

Question 13Schedule Strategy

Why should a project manager monitor near-critical paths in addition to the critical path?

  1. They always contain the most expensive activities.
  2. They are excluded from earned value calculations.
  3. They have more float than the critical path and therefore need compression.
  4. They have little total float, so small delays can make them critical. Correct answer.

Explanation

Near-critical paths have low total float and can become critical if their activities are delayed. Monitoring them provides early warning and supports proactive schedule control.

Question 14Schedule Strategy

A project manager adds a 15-day schedule contingency reserve to the project to cover identified schedule risks. Where should this reserve generally be managed?

  1. Assigned to the critical path as a lead
  2. Added as a mandatory finish constraint on the last activity
  3. Held at the project level and controlled by the project manager Correct answer.
  4. Distributed evenly across all activities as extra duration

Explanation

Schedule contingency reserve is typically held at the project level to cover known schedule risks and is controlled by the project manager. It should not be hidden inside individual activity duration estimates.

Question 15Schedule Strategy

An activity has an optimistic duration of 4 days, a most likely duration of 6 days, and a pessimistic duration of 14 days. Using the PERT weighted average, what is the expected duration?

  1. 7 days Correct answer.
  2. 9 days
  3. 6 days
  4. 8 days

Explanation

The PERT weighted average is (Optimistic + 4 × Most Likely + Pessimistic) ÷ 6. Substituting gives (4 + 24 + 14) ÷ 6 = 42 ÷ 6 = 7 days.

Question 16Schedule Strategy

A project manager uses a schedule network template from a similar completed project. What is the main benefit and caution?

  1. It eliminates the need to define project scope.
  2. It removes the need to assign resources.
  3. It speeds schedule development, but dependencies and durations must be validated for the new project. Correct answer.
  4. It guarantees the new project will follow the same critical path.

Explanation

Templates can accelerate schedule development by providing a reusable network structure. However, the template must be tailored because dependencies, durations, calendars, and resource assumptions may differ on the new project.

Question 17Schedule Strategy

An activity is assigned a start-no-earlier-than constraint that is later than its logical predecessor allows. What is the most likely effect on the schedule?

  1. It converts the activity into a milestone.
  2. It can delay the activity and consume or create negative float. Correct answer.
  3. It removes the activity from the critical path permanently.
  4. It automatically shortens the project duration.

Explanation

Date constraints override network logic, so a start-no-earlier-than constraint can hold an activity later than its predecessors would require. That can consume float or create negative float if the resulting date conflicts with the project finish target.

Question 18Schedule Strategy

When deciding the level of detail for a schedule, what should guide the project manager?

  1. The number of stakeholders who request daily updates
  2. The requirement to show every work package at the lowest possible level
  3. The control needs of the project and the audience, balanced against maintenance effort Correct answer.
  4. The maximum number of activities the scheduling software can store

Explanation

The schedule should be detailed enough to support monitoring and control for its intended audience without becoming so granular that updating it consumes disproportionate effort. The right level of detail is a management judgment tied to project needs.

Question 19Schedule Strategy

A project has a schedule performance index (SPI) of 0.85. How should this be interpreted?

  1. The project is ahead of schedule and earning more value than planned.
  2. The project has completed 85 percent of its total scope.
  3. The project has accomplished less work than planned at the measurement date. Correct answer.
  4. The project's critical path has no float.

Explanation

SPI is calculated as earned value divided by planned value. A value below 1.0 indicates that less work has been accomplished than was planned for the measurement date.

Question 20Schedule Strategy

Several projects in a portfolio share a small group of specialized engineers. What is the most appropriate scheduling strategy?

  1. Prioritize projects at the portfolio level and allocate shared resources across them. Correct answer.
  2. Assign all specialists to the project with the largest budget.
  3. Let each project manager schedule the specialists independently and resolve conflicts as they arise.
  4. Schedule each project as if unlimited specialists were available.

Explanation

When scarce resources are shared across projects, resource allocation should be coordinated at the portfolio or program level according to priority. This reduces conflicts and aligns resource use with organizational strategy.

Question 21Schedule Strategy

A project has a critical path with zero total float and a near-critical path with two days of float that includes several new, unproven technologies. What is the best scheduling strategy?

  1. Remove the near-critical path from the schedule to simplify progress reporting.
  2. Focus only on the critical path, since near-critical paths cannot affect the finish date.
  3. Crash every activity on the critical path to create float for the near-critical path.
  4. Monitor both paths and manage contingency for the near-critical path, because its uncertainty may consume its float. Correct answer.

Explanation

The near-critical path has little float and high uncertainty, so it can become critical if the new technologies cause delays. A prudent strategy is to monitor both paths and apply contingency or buffer where risk is concentrated.

Question 22Schedule Strategy

A schedule network shows a total float of negative six days on a path. What does this indicate?

  1. The path has six days of spare time before it affects the project finish.
  2. The project has a six-day schedule reserve remaining.
  3. The path's logic requires more time than the imposed project finish date allows. Correct answer.
  4. The activities on the path have been assigned a start-to-finish relationship.

Explanation

Negative total float means the calculated schedule extends beyond an imposed constraint or target finish date. The schedule must be compressed, the constraint relaxed, or scope/logic changed to bring the plan back within the required date.

Question 23Schedule Strategy

In critical chain buffer management, the project buffer is 40 percent consumed while the critical chain is only 25 percent complete. What does this signal?

  1. The critical chain has no remaining activities to perform.
  2. The project is ahead of schedule and buffer can be released.
  3. The buffer is sized too large and should be reduced immediately.
  4. Buffer consumption is outpacing progress, so corrective action is needed. Correct answer.

Explanation

Buffer management compares buffer consumption with progress along the critical chain. When buffer consumption exceeds the proportion of work completed, the project is at risk and the team should investigate and take corrective action.

Question 24Schedule Strategy

A project must shorten its duration by two weeks. The critical path has activities that can be overlapped with moderate rework risk, and crashing options are expensive. Which strategy should be evaluated first?

  1. Extend the project finish date by two weeks.
  2. Crash the most expensive activity on the critical path.
  3. Fast track selected critical path activities where overlap risk is acceptable. Correct answer.
  4. Reduce scope without informing stakeholders.

Explanation

Fast tracking can shorten duration without the direct cost of crashing, provided the overlap risk is understood and acceptable. Crashing is generally considered when fast tracking is insufficient or too risky, and it usually adds cost.

Question 25Schedule Strategy

During project initiating, the sponsor asks for a high-level schedule strategy showing major phases and key milestone dates. Where is this summary schedule typically documented?

  1. In the detailed schedule network diagram
  2. In the schedule baseline
  3. In the activity resource requirements
  4. In the project charter Correct answer.

Explanation

The project charter includes a high-level summary schedule with major milestones and phase boundaries. The detailed network and schedule baseline are developed later during planning.

Question 26Schedule Strategy

What is the primary purpose of the schedule management plan?

  1. To record the approved start and finish dates for each project activity
  2. To document the actual progress achieved against the approved schedule baseline at each reporting period
  3. To authorize changes to the project's cost and scope baselines
  4. To define how the schedule will be developed, formatted, and controlled Correct answer.

Explanation

The schedule management plan is a subsidiary plan that sets policy for building, formatting, and controlling the schedule, including granularity, units, formats, and control thresholds. It is created during planning and contains rules rather than dated activity data or progress results.

Question 27Schedule Strategy

A milestone schedule is best described as:

  1. A summary listing of significant events and their planned dates Correct answer.
  2. A cost-loaded schedule used to measure earned value by activity
  3. A network diagram showing all activity dependencies and total float values
  4. A bar chart displaying daily resource assignments for each work package

Explanation

A milestone schedule presents significant events and their planned dates without showing durations for ongoing work, which makes it a compact communication and reporting tool. It is derived from the more detailed schedule model and omits activity-level detail.

Question 28Schedule Strategy

A team schedules quality inspections after every installation because the organization has always done it that way, even though no physical or contractual requirement compels the sequence. How is this dependency classified?

  1. Discretionary Correct answer.
  2. Mandatory
  3. External
  4. Finish-to-start relationship

Explanation

Discretionary dependencies, also called preferred or soft logic, reflect a chosen sequence based on organizational practice or judgment rather than a hard physical or contractual requirement. They should be documented because they may be reconsidered when the schedule is compressed.

Question 29Schedule Strategy

Which technique identifies the longest path through a project network and establishes the earliest possible project completion date?

  1. Monte Carlo simulation
  2. Resource leveling
  3. Schedule compression
  4. Critical path method Correct answer.

Explanation

The critical path method performs forward and backward passes through the network logic to find the longest path, which determines the shortest feasible project duration and the float on each path. It is a deterministic technique based on single-point duration estimates.

Question 30Schedule Strategy

Which document captures the assumptions, constraints, and rationale used to develop the project schedule?

  1. The schedule basis Correct answer.
  2. The resource calendar
  3. The work performance baseline
  4. The activity list

Explanation

The schedule basis records the assumptions, constraints, calendars, and reasoning applied when building the schedule so that others can understand and maintain it. It preserves knowledge that is not visible in the network logic itself.

Question 31Schedule Strategy

A customer imposes a completion date earlier than the calculated early finish date of the schedule. Which outcome should the project manager expect?

  1. The imposed date has no effect because logic alone determines dates
  2. The critical path will automatically shorten to meet the imposed date
  3. Total float on every path increases to absorb the difference
  4. The affected paths will show negative float that must be resolved Correct answer.

Explanation

An imposed finish date that is earlier than the calculated early finish creates negative total float on the affected paths because the backward pass starts from the imposed date. The project manager must then compress work, change scope, or renegotiate the date to remove the negative float.

Question 32Schedule Strategy

A program manager must integrate schedules from five contractors into one coherent project schedule. Which strategy best supports this?

  1. Let each contractor maintain an independent schedule with no shared reporting dates
  2. Issue a common scheduling specification with shared milestones and reporting dates Correct answer.
  3. Accept each contractor's native format and merge only the milestone dates
  4. Replace all contractor schedules with a single owner-created detailed schedule

Explanation

Integration across multiple performers requires a common scheduling specification that standardizes milestones, calendars, formats, and reporting dates so the data can be combined and compared reliably. Without that common basis, interfaces and delays between contractors remain hidden.

Question 33Schedule Strategy

A project manager wants to reduce peak resource demand without moving the project completion date. Which technique is appropriate?

  1. Fast tracking
  2. Crashing
  3. Resource leveling
  4. Resource smoothing Correct answer.

Explanation

Resource smoothing adjusts activities within their available float to even out resource demand while preserving the project finish date. It is used when the completion date must not change and sufficient float exists.

Question 34Schedule Strategy

A project manager inserts a 10-day lag instead of an activity between two tasks. What is the main scheduling concern with this choice?

  1. Lags hide time-consuming work and reduce schedule transparency Correct answer.
  2. Lags are prohibited in critical path networks
  3. Lags cannot be used with finish-to-start relationships
  4. Lags always change the project completion date

Explanation

A lag consumes time in the network without representing any work, so it obscures what is actually happening and makes the schedule harder to validate and control. Where the waiting period involves real effort or review, it is better modeled as an activity with a duration.

Question 35Schedule Strategy

A contingency reserve has been set aside for identified schedule risks. Which statement accurately describes management reserve?

  1. It is held inside the schedule baseline for known risks
  2. It covers unforeseen work and is controlled by senior management Correct answer.
  3. It is added to each activity duration by the performing team
  4. It replaces the need for a schedule contingency reserve

Explanation

Management reserve addresses unforeseen work that is outside the approved baseline and is controlled at a senior level, often requiring approval before use. Contingency reserve, by contrast, covers identified risks and is included within the baseline.

Question 36Schedule Strategy

In critical chain scheduling, where is a feeding buffer placed?

  1. Between each pair of activities on the critical chain
  2. At the start of each non-critical activity to absorb resource delays
  3. At the end of the project to protect the final completion date
  4. Where a non-critical chain merges into the critical chain Correct answer.

Explanation

Critical chain scheduling protects the critical chain with buffers rather than with individual activity padding. A feeding buffer is placed where a non-critical chain joins the critical chain so that delays on the feeding work do not consume critical chain time.

Question 37Schedule Strategy

A project includes custom equipment with a 14-month manufacturing lead time within an overall 20-month duration. Which scheduling strategy is most appropriate?

  1. Place an early procurement milestone and treat delivery as a predecessor Correct answer.
  2. Reduce the lead time by compressing the supplier's manufacturing activity
  3. Assume the equipment arrives on time and track it as a schedule risk
  4. Schedule the equipment purchase at the midpoint of the project timeline

Explanation

Long-lead items can drive the project finish, so the procurement milestone and expected delivery should be planned early and linked logically as predecessors to installation work. This gives visibility to the item on the critical path and allows early action if delivery slips.

Question 38Schedule Strategy

A schedule health review finds that 30 percent of the network relationships are lags. Why is this primarily a concern?

  1. Lags prevent the schedule from being cost-loaded
  2. Lags conceal work and weaken the logic of the network Correct answer.
  3. Lags are valid only on external dependencies
  4. Lags make the critical path impossible to calculate

Explanation

Lags represent elapsed time with no activity assigned, so heavy use hides effort and makes the logic harder to validate, forecast, and control. Schedule quality reviews therefore flag excessive lags, open-ended activities, and hard constraints as indicators of a weakened schedule model.

Question 39Schedule Strategy

Two critical path activities can each be shortened by up to five days. Activity A costs $4,000 per day to compress and Activity B costs $9,000 per day. The project must be shortened by three days. What should the project manager do?

  1. Compress both activities by three days to reduce schedule risk
  2. Compress Activity B by three days at a total cost of $27,000
  3. Compress A by two days and B by one day for a total of $17,000
  4. Compress Activity A by three days at a total cost of $12,000 Correct answer.

Explanation

Crashing shortens the critical path by adding resources, and the lowest cost per unit of time saved should be selected first. Compressing the cheapest critical activity for the full three days costs $12,000, which is less than any mix that uses the more expensive activity.

Question 40Schedule Strategy

A project manager must report the probability that the project will finish by a contractual date. Which technique should be used?

  1. Critical path method
  2. Schedule compression
  3. Monte Carlo simulation Correct answer.
  4. Precedence diagramming

Explanation

Monte Carlo simulation samples activity duration distributions repeatedly to produce a range of possible completion dates and the probability of meeting a target date. Deterministic techniques such as the critical path method yield a single date rather than a probability distribution.

Question 41Schedule Planning and Development

Which document establishes the criteria and processes for developing, monitoring, and controlling the project schedule?

  1. Project charter
  2. Schedule management plan Correct answer.
  3. Resource calendar
  4. Work breakdown structure

Explanation

The schedule management plan defines the schedule methodology, tools, formats, and control thresholds used throughout the project. It guides how the schedule model is built, maintained, and compared with actual progress.

Question 42Schedule Planning and Development

Decomposing work packages into smaller, schedulable components is the primary purpose of which process?

  1. Estimate activity durations
  2. Sequence activities
  3. Define activities Correct answer.
  4. Develop schedule

Explanation

Define Activities breaks work packages into activities that can be estimated, sequenced, scheduled, and monitored. The other scheduling processes use these activities as inputs for estimating, ordering, and schedule integration.

Question 43Schedule Planning and Development

A project team plans near-term work in detail while keeping long-term work at a higher level. Which technique is being used?

  1. Rolling wave planning Correct answer.
  2. Resource leveling
  3. Fast tracking
  4. Crashing

Explanation

Rolling wave planning is progressive elaboration in which near-term deliverables are planned in detail while future work remains at a broader level. It is useful when project details are expected to become clearer over time.

Question 44Schedule Planning and Development

In the precedence diagramming method, how are activities and dependencies represented?

  1. Arrows show activities; nodes show dependencies
  2. Nodes show activities; arrows show dependencies Correct answer.
  3. Time on horizontal axis; resources on vertical axis
  4. Deliverables decomposed into work packages

Explanation

Precedence diagramming is an activity-on-node technique: nodes represent activities and arrows represent logical relationships between them. The arrow shows dependency, not activity duration or resource usage.

Question 45Schedule Planning and Development

A finish-to-start relationship has a lag of -3 days. What does this mean for the successor?

  1. It must finish 3 days before the predecessor finishes.
  2. It must start 3 days after the predecessor finishes.
  3. It cannot start until 3 days after the predecessor starts.
  4. It can start 3 days before the predecessor finishes. Correct answer.

Explanation

A negative lag acts as a lead and allows the successor to overlap the predecessor. In finish-to-start terms, the successor may start three days before the predecessor finishes.

Question 46Schedule Planning and Development

Which statement correctly distinguishes a mandatory dependency from a discretionary dependency?

  1. Mandatory dependencies are required by contract or physical sequence; discretionary ones are preferred practice. Correct answer.
  2. Mandatory dependencies always connect non-critical activities; discretionary dependencies always connect critical activities.
  3. Mandatory dependencies use leads; discretionary dependencies use lags.
  4. Mandatory dependencies are chosen by the project manager; discretionary dependencies are required by contract.

Explanation

Mandatory or hard dependencies are unavoidable due to contracts, physical constraints, or legal requirements. Discretionary or soft dependencies reflect best practices, preferences, or convenience and may be changed if needed.

Question 47Schedule Planning and Development

The critical path of a schedule network is best described as:

  1. The path that contains all activities with resource conflicts
  2. The longest path through the network, which sets project duration Correct answer.
  3. The path that contains the greatest number of dependent activities
  4. The path with the lowest total duration through the network

Explanation

The critical path is the longest total-duration path through the network and therefore determines the shortest possible project completion time. Activities on it typically have zero or minimum total float.

Question 48Schedule Planning and Development

An activity has early start 10, early finish 16, late start 13, and late finish 19. What is its total float?

  1. 3 days Correct answer.
  2. 6 days
  3. 0 days
  4. 1 day

Explanation

Total float equals late start minus early start, or late finish minus early finish. In this case, 13 - 10 = 3 days and 19 - 16 = 3 days.

Question 49Schedule Planning and Development

Free float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without:

  1. requiring additional resources
  2. exceeding its budgeted cost
  3. delaying the successor's early start Correct answer.
  4. delaying the project finish date

Explanation

Free float measures how long an activity can slip before it affects the early start of any successor. Total float, by contrast, relates to delaying the project finish date.

Question 50Schedule Planning and Development

A project manager adds two experienced programmers to a critical-path coding activity to shorten its duration. Which schedule compression technique is being used?

  1. Resource leveling
  2. Fast tracking
  3. Rolling wave planning
  4. Crashing Correct answer.

Explanation

Crashing adds resources, pays for overtime, or otherwise increases effort to shorten activity duration, usually at increased cost. It is most effective when applied to critical-path activities.