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Quizzes > Business & Finance

Time Management MCQ: PERT, CPM and Scheduling

Quick, free quiz to check PERT, CPM, and critical path method skills. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Jonathan RodriguezUpdated Aug 23, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art style quiz graphic with clock calendar checklist question mark icons layered on teal background.

This quiz helps you strengthen project time management, from PERT and CPM to building workable schedules, and spot gaps before an exam or milestone. For a broader foundation, try the project management fundamentals quiz, or take a quick time management test. To avoid common traps, check the time management pitfalls quiz.

Which chart visually displays activity start and finish dates using horizontal bars along a timeline?
Work breakdown structure
Gantt chart
Network diagram
Responsibility assignment matrix
A Gantt chart uses horizontal bars to represent activity durations against a calendar timeline, making it easy to see start and end dates. It is commonly used in project time management to track progress and schedule activities. Other tools like the WBS provide structure but not a timeline view.
In schedule network analysis, what does a 'lead' allow you to do?
Define resource availability constraints
Extend the duration of an activity
Start a successor activity before the predecessor finishes
Delay the successor activity after the predecessor finishes
A lead enables the successor activity to begin before its predecessor has fully completed, effectively overlapping activities to shorten the schedule. This is the opposite of a lag, which delays the successor. Project managers use leads to fast-track schedules when possible.
What is a milestone in project scheduling?
A tangible deliverable produced by the project
A major work package requiring several tasks
A document outlining task responsibilities
A zero-duration event marking a significant point
A milestone is a scheduled event with zero duration that signifies a key point or achievement in the project timeline. It does not consume resources or time but serves as a checkpoint. Milestones help teams and stakeholders track progress and important deliverables.
Which type of dependency is also known as 'hard logic'?
Discretionary dependency
Internal dependency
Mandatory dependency
External dependency
A mandatory dependency is a hard logic relationship that is legally or contractually required or inherent to the nature of the work (e.g., pour foundation before erecting walls). Discretionary, external, and internal dependencies are more flexible or imposed by management choice.
Which estimating technique uses historical information from similar projects to forecast activity durations?
Parametric estimating
Analogous estimating
Bottom-up estimating
Three-point estimating
Analogous estimating relies on actual data from previous, similar projects to estimate the duration or cost of current activities. It is less time-consuming but also less accurate than parametric or bottom-up methods.
What does 'total float' represent in a project schedule?
The time an activity can be delayed without affecting its immediate successor
The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project finish date
The buffer time added to critical path activities
The difference between earliest start and latest start
Total float is the amount of time an activity can slip before it delays the project's overall completion date. It is calculated as the difference between the late finish and early finish (or late start and early start). Activities on the critical path have zero total float.
What does the 'critical path' in a schedule network diagram indicate?
The shortest path through the network
The longest sequence of activities determining the minimum project duration
The path with the most resource allocations
The path with the greatest total float
The critical path is the longest duration path through the network of activities and defines the shortest time possible to complete the project. Any delay on this path directly impacts the project finish date. It is computed using forward and backward pass techniques.
What is the primary objective of resource leveling in schedule management?
Identify critical path resources
Adjust resource usage without changing the schedule
Resolve resource over-allocations by delaying activities within float limits
Compress the schedule by adding resources
Resource leveling adjusts activity start and finish dates to address resource conflicts or over-allocations by using available float. This can delay non-critical activities but is done without changing the project scope. Crashing or fast tracking is used to compress schedules.
Which schedule compression technique adds cost by allocating additional resources to critical path activities?
Scope reduction
Resource smoothing
Crashing
Fast tracking
Crashing shortens the schedule by adding resources or overtime to critical path tasks at an additional cost. Fast tracking overlaps phases without extra cost but increases risk. Resource smoothing adjusts within float, and scope reduction changes deliverables.
What does 'fast tracking' entail in project scheduling?
Overlapping activities that were originally planned in sequence
Delaying non-critical activities to free resources
Allocating more budget to critical tasks
Extending activity durations to improve quality
Fast tracking involves performing activities in parallel that were initially scheduled in sequence to shorten the overall project duration. While it can reduce time, it also increases the risk of rework or conflicts.
In PERT, how do you calculate the expected duration of an activity?
(4×Optimistic + Most Likely + Pessimistic) ÷ 6
(Optimistic + 2×Most Likely + Pessimistic) ÷ 4
(Optimistic + 4×Most Likely + Pessimistic) ÷ 6
(Optimistic + Most Likely + Pessimistic) ÷ 3
PERT uses a weighted average to account for uncertainty: expected duration = (O + 4×M + P) / 6. This formula gives more weight to the most likely estimate.
Which diagramming method uses arrows to represent activities and nodes to represent events?
Gantt Chart
Critical Path Method (CPM)
Activity on Arrow (AOA)
Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM)
The Activity on Arrow (AOA) technique uses arrows for activities and nodes for events or milestones. PDM (AON) uses nodes for activities and arrows for dependencies.
What is resource smoothing?
Adjusting activities within their float to optimize resource usage without affecting the project end date
Reassigning tasks to reduce project cost
Allocating extra resources to reduce the project duration
Delaying all non-critical activities to use resources on the critical path
Resource smoothing adjusts the timing of activities within their available float so that resource demand does not exceed resource availability. Unlike leveling, it does not change the project end date.
In critical chain scheduling, what is a project buffer?
Time added at the end of the critical chain to protect the project finish date
A contingency fund for risks
Extra resources allocated to critical tasks
Float between non-critical activities
A project buffer is placed at the end of the critical chain to absorb delays and protect the planned project finish date. It is a key element of critical chain scheduling.
What does the schedule baseline represent?
An initial draft of the schedule subject to change
The approved version of the project schedule used to track performance
A list of all activities and milestones
The resource allocation plan
The schedule baseline is the approved version of the schedule model, which includes start and finish dates for activities. It serves as the reference for measuring actual performance. Changes to it require formal change control.
Which outcome is typically determined by performing schedule network analysis?
Critical path and float values for activities
Resource utilization rates
Cost baseline
Quality metrics
Schedule network analysis calculates the critical path and float for each activity through forward and backward passes. These values are essential for understanding timing and flexibility.
What is Monte Carlo analysis used for in project scheduling?
Determining resource allocation conflicts
Simulating schedule outcomes based on risk and uncertainty
Developing the work breakdown structure
Fast tracking project phases
Monte Carlo analysis runs multiple simulations of the project schedule, incorporating uncertainty in activity durations to estimate the probability of achieving completion dates. It helps in risk-informed schedule planning.
What does a negative float indicate in a project schedule?
Tasks are ahead of schedule
There is excess buffer time
The project is behind schedule or constrained to finish earlier than planned
Resource over-allocation
Negative float arises when schedule constraints or delayed activities push the required finish date before the planned finish date, indicating the project is behind or a hard finish date is imposed. It requires corrective action.
How is the Schedule Performance Index (SPI) calculated in earned value management?
Earned Value (EV) ÷ Planned Value (PV)
Planned Value (PV) ÷ Earned Value (EV)
Actual Cost (AC) ÷ Planned Value (PV)
Earned Value (EV) ÷ Actual Cost (AC)
SPI is calculated as EV divided by PV, showing how efficiently schedule work is accomplished. An SPI less than 1 indicates behind schedule.
What is the key difference between free float and total float?
Total float is always greater than free float
Free float is delay without affecting the successor; total float is delay without affecting project finish
Free float applies only to critical activities
They are the same in all network diagrams
Free float is the amount of delay allowed without impacting the early start of any successor activity. Total float measures delay without impacting the project completion date. Free float is always less than or equal to total float.
What is rolling wave planning in time management?
Progressively elaborating near-term work in detail while planning future work at a high level
Scheduling all work at the start of the project
Crashing and fast tracking schedule activities
Leveling resources across the entire timeline
Rolling wave planning is a form of progressive elaboration where near-term activities are planned in detail while future work is outlined at a higher level. As the project progresses, upcoming work is elaborated.
Which dependency type allows a successor to start a set time after the predecessor starts?
Start-to-Finish
Finish-to-Finish
Start-to-Start with lag
Finish-to-Start
A Start-to-Start dependency with lag means the successor activity can start a specified time after the predecessor activity starts. Lags introduce delays within dependency relationships.
What is a time-phased budget in schedule management?
An estimate of contingency reserves
The total authorized budget without schedule allocation
A budget based on resource costs only
A cost baseline distributed across the project schedule to measure performance
A time-phased budget allocates the approved cost baseline to specific time periods according to the schedule, providing a performance measurement baseline. It helps track budget versus actual spending over time.
In critical chain scheduling, what is the primary purpose of feeding buffers?
Increase total float on the critical path
Reduce activity duration estimates
Protect the critical chain from delays in non-critical paths
Eliminate the need for a project buffer
Feeding buffers are inserted where non-critical chains feed into the critical chain to protect it from delays in those paths. They ensure that disruptions in non-critical activities do not impact the critical chain.
What is the formula for calculating the variance of an activity in PERT analysis?
((Optimistic + Most Likely + Pessimistic) ÷ 6)²
(Pessimistic + Optimistic + Most Likely) ÷ 3
((Pessimistic - Optimistic) ÷ 6)²
(Pessimistic - Optimistic) ÷ 3
In PERT, activity variance is calculated as ((Pessimistic - Optimistic) ÷ 6)², reflecting the spread of the duration distribution. This variance is used to compute the standard deviation and assess overall schedule risk.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Scheduling Techniques -

    Recognize key project scheduling tools like Gantt charts, critical path method, and PERT diagrams through targeted project time management MCQs.

  2. Analyze Time Management Principles -

    Examine core concepts such as prioritization, resource leveling, and time buffers to strengthen your understanding in this time management quiz.

  3. Apply Scheduling Strategies -

    Use best practices for sequencing tasks and allocating resources effectively, as tested in the project scheduling quiz questions.

  4. Evaluate Task Dependencies -

    Assess different types of dependencies (finish-to-start, start-to-start) and their impact on project timelines with practical MCQs.

  5. Optimize Project Workflow Efficiency -

    Implement techniques like fast-tracking and crashing to improve schedule performance, reinforced by the project time management practice test.

  6. Reinforce Knowledge with Practice -

    Build confidence by tackling a variety of multiple-choice questions in the project time management quiz and receive instant feedback.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Critical Path Method (CPM) -

    The CPM identifies the longest sequence of dependent tasks to establish the minimum project duration according to PMI's PMBOK Guide (2021). Use the mnemonic SMART - Sequence, Measure, Analyze, Reserve, Track - to solidify each step when you tackle a project time management quiz.

  2. Gantt Chart Analysis -

    Gantt charts visually map task durations and dependencies, making trends and bottlenecks easy to spot for a successful project scheduling quiz (University of Michigan, 2020). Compare baseline bars to actual progress to practice how variances affect your timeline in a project time management practice test.

  3. PERT Three-Point Estimating -

    This method calculates the expected duration using (Optimistic + 4×Most Likely + Pessimistic) ÷ 6, helping you estimate uncertainty in a time management quiz (Kerzner, 2017). Remember "O + 4M + P over 6" to ace project time management MCQs on estimation techniques.

  4. Total and Free Float -

    Total float (LS - ES) and free float (ES of next task - EF of current task) define how long you can delay activities without impacting the critical path (Stanford University, 2019). Keep "LS minus ES = float" as a quick formula to breeze through related time management quiz questions.

  5. Schedule Compression: Fast-Tracking vs. Crashing -

    Fast-tracking overlaps activities and crashing adds resources to shorten duration, but each carries trade-offs - one increases risk, the other cost (PMI, 2021). Quiz yourself on scenarios for both techniques in your project scheduling quiz to build confidence in selecting the right compression strategy.

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