Pass the AACE International AACE Certification CCP Questions and answers with CertsForce

The equivalent value of an investment alternative in today's dollars is referred to asNet Present Worth (NPW)or Net Present Value (NPV). NPW is the difference between the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows over a period of time. It is a standard method used in capital budgeting to evaluate the profitability of an investment or project. By discounting future cash flows to the present value using the cost of capital, NPW provides a measure of how much value an investment is expected to add in today's terms.

To determine the uniform annual payment required to repay a loan, we use the capital recovery factor formula, which is:

A=P×(i(1+i)n(1+i)n−1)A = P \times \left(\frac{i(1+i)^n}{(1+i)^n-1}\right)A=P×((1+i)n−1i(1+i)n​)

Where:

AAA is the annual payment

PPP is the loan amount ($100,000)

iii is the interest rate per period (10% or 0.10)

nnn is the number of periods (10 years)

Plugging in the values:

A=100,000×(0.10(1+0.10)10(1+0.10)10−1)A = 100,000 \times \left(\frac{0.10(1+0.10)^{10}}{(1+0.10)^{10}-1}\right)A=100,000×((1+0.10)10−10.10(1+0.10)10​)

Calculating this gives:

A≈16,578A \approx 16,578A≈16,578

So, the correct answer isB. $16,578.

In project management, theCritical Path Method (CPM)is used to determine the longest path of planned activities to the end of the project. This path determines the shortest possible duration to complete the project. Thelongest pathin CPM is defined by the sequence of activities that have zero float (slack) and must be completed on time to avoid delaying the project.

Key Points:

Milestone Activities:

Milestones are significant points or events in the project timeline, representing the completion of a major phase or segment of the project.

They do not consume time or resources themselves and do not have a duration, so they do not contribute to the calculation of the longest path. Instead, they are used as reference points to mark significant events or deadlines within the project.

Activities with Lag:

Lags are intentional delays between activities, and while they can influence the start and finish of subsequent tasks, they do contribute to the determination of the longest path if those activities are on the critical path.

Activities with Short Durations:

Activities with short durations may still be on the critical path, as they can be linked sequentially to other critical tasks, thereby affecting the overall project duration.

Constraints, Resource Leveling, and Interruptible Activities:

These factors can affect the timing of activities and may extend or compress the critical path depending on the specific resource and scheduling constraints.

Conclusion:The correct answer isA. Milestone activitiesbecause these activities, being non-duration tasks, do not contribute to the calculation of the longest path. The focus should be on the tasks that consume time and resources and are interlinked in a way that affects the project's completion date.

Given Scenario:

A major theme park is in the preliminary stages of construction, requiring detailed estimation for costs involving new technology.

Steps:

Identify what information is needed for a Class 2 definitive estimate.

Class 2 estimates are more detailed and require specific data, including soil data, detailed construction drawings, and quantity takeoffs.

Answer:A. Soil data, detailed construction drawings, quantity takeoffs, minimum contingency detailed indirect costs, detailed engineering estimates

Forensic Schedule Analysis (FSA) often compares the planned progress (as-planned) with the actual progress (as-built). This method helps identify variances and delays by analyzing how the actual construction compares with what was originally planned. This comparison is crucial in understanding deviations from the schedule and assessing the impact of delays.

Rate of returnis a measure of profitability, as it indicates the percentage of profit earned on an investment relative to its cost. It is a key indicator of the efficiency with which a company uses its capital to generate profits. The other options (Annual Dividends, Total Assets, Annual Sales) are financial metrics but do not directly measure profitability. Therefore, the correct answer isA. Rate of return.

Given Scenario:

The scenario involves a unit price contract between the owner and the contractor.

A unit price contract stipulates that the owner will pay the contractor for the actual quantities used at the bid unit rates. Typically, the contractor agrees to perform at or below the bid unit rate, while the owner may account for the possibility that the quantities could exceed the estimated range. The scenario best fits with the concept that:

The contractor can perform at or below the bid unit rate.

The owner recognizes that quantities may vary but are expected to be within an estimated range.

When taking over an unfinished schedule, the first task should be toupdate the remaining duration for each activity. This step is crucial because it provides a current and accurate view of how much work is still needed to complete the project. Once the remaining durations are updated, other calculations, such as recalculating the critical path or early start/finish, will be more accurate. Therefore, the correct answer isC. Update the remaining duration for each activity.

To calculate the total percentage increase in steel prices over three years, we compound the inflation rates for each year:

Year 1: 2.5%

Year 2: 2.5%

Year 3: 3.0%

The formula to calculate the total percentage increase is:

Total Increase=(1+Rate Year 1)×(1+Rate Year 2)×(1+Rate Year 3)−1\text{Total Increase} = (1 + \text{Rate Year 1}) \times (1 + \text{Rate Year 2}) \times (1 + \text{Rate Year 3}) - 1Total Increase=(1+Rate Year 1)×(1+Rate Year 2)×(1+Rate Year 3)−1 Total Increase=(1+0.025)×(1+0.025)×(1+0.03)−1\text{Total Increase} = (1 + 0.025) \times (1 + 0.025) \times (1 + 0.03) - 1Total Increase=(1+0.025)×(1+0.025)×(1+0.03)−1 \text{Total Increase} = 1.025 \times 1.025 \times 1.03 - 1 \approx 1.082 - 1 = 0.082 \text{ or 8.2%}

So, the correct answer isB. 8.2%.

Quantitative data refers to numerical data that can be ordered and ranked, which allows the calculation of measures of central tendency such as means, medians, and modes. Qualitative data, which describes categories or labels, does not allow for such numerical calculations. Thus, the correct answer isA. Only quantitative data can have means, medians, and modes, as these require number rankings.