Pass the AACE International Professional Level Certifications PSP Questions and answers with CertsForce

Analyze the Relationship Details:The table shows that Activity 3001 ("Excavation, Dam Site") and Activity 4001 ("Excavation, Spillway") have a Start-to-Start (SS) relationship with a lag of 15 days. A Start-to-Start relationship indicates that the successor activity (4001) can only start after a specified lag period once the predecessor activity (3001) begins.

Understand the Concept of Lag:In scheduling terminology, lag refers to a delay or waiting period between the start (or finish) of one activity and the start (or finish) of a dependent activity. Here, the 15-day lag means that Activity 4001 will commence 15 days after Activity 3001 has started.

Interpret the Relationship:The SS relationship combined with a lag indicates that the two activities (3001 and 4001) are not starting exactly at the same time but are still overlapping or concurrent. This concurrency happens after the lag period elapses.

Verify PSP Study Guide and Relevant Terminology:According to AACE International’s Recommended Practices and the PSP Certification Study Guide:

Start-to-Start relationships are widely used to model overlapping work in schedules where one activity can start before its predecessor is fully complete (PSP Study Guide, Chapter on Scheduling Relationships and Constraints).

Lags provide flexibility to model realistic conditions where tasks start partially overlapping or with delays (PSP Study Guide, Section 2.2.4 Relationships).

Cross-Check the Answer Options:

Option A (Correct): Matches the described logic – "These activities are concurrent with Activity 4001 starting 15 days after the start of Activity 3001."

Option B: Incorrect – Lag is applied to the successor activity, meaning 4001 cannot start earlier than 3001.

Option C: Incorrect – This relationship (SS with a lag) indicates concurrency, not series.

Option D: Incorrect – Though concurrent, the lag makes the start times offset by 15 days, so they do not start at the same time.

References:

PSP Study Guide (2019), Chapter 2A – Schedule Development, Section 2.2.4 – Relationships.

AACE International Recommended Practices, RP 10S-90, "Cost Engineering Terminology."

Total Cost Management Framework, Concepts of Activity Relationships and Scheduling Dependencies.

Activity Overview and Dependencies:

From the provided schedule data, Activity 3001 (Excavation, Dam Site) starts with multiple logical relationships:

Successor activities include SS (Start-to-Start) and FS (Finish-to-Start) dependencies with other tasks.

Specifically, these relationships link 3001 to 4001 (Excavation, Spillway) and 5001 (Drill and Grout, Dam Site).

Normal Schedule Context:

Excluding Activity 1000, we focus on Activity 3001's logical relationships to determine which activities are concurrent.

In the "Normal Schedule", Activity 3001 has a duration of 152 days and overlaps with Activities 4001 (152 days) and 5001 (102 days). Both activities share similar dependencies and durations with Activity 3001, making them concurrent.

Schedule Dependency Analysis:

Concurrent activities are identified by overlapping durations and logical relationships that align their schedules.

Activity 4001 is linked via SS and FF dependencies, ensuring simultaneous start and finish points.

Activity 5001 starts as 3001 progresses (SS and FS dependencies).

Final Answer Validation:

Other listed activities, such as 2003 and 7001 (Answer A) or 2004 (Answer B), are not logically or temporally concurrent based on their dependencies and durations.

Only 4001 and 5001 have concurrent schedules aligning with Activity 3001.

Study Guide Reference:

Planning and Scheduling Professional Certification Study Guide, Chapter 2 – Scheduling, sections on "Dependencies and Constraints" (p. 157) and "Sequencing Activities" (p. 151).

For further insights into identifying concurrency using logical relationships, refer to AACE's Recommended Practice 10S-90: Cost Engineering Terminology.

This structured approach ensures alignment with PSP standards and principles in evaluating concurrent activities in complex schedules.

 Late Start Formula:

Late Start (LS) is calculated as LF−DurationLF - \text{Duration}LF−Duration.

For Activity 11001: LF−25=16Jan2024LF - 25 = 16 Jan 2024LF−25=16Jan2024.

 Cross-Verification with PSP Guidelines:This formula aligns with the PSP methodology for backward pass calculations, where late start is directly computed from late finish and duration values (Ref: PSP Study Guide, Chapter 2A: Schedule Analysis).

Estimate to Complete (ETC) is the forecast of additional costs required to complete the remaining project work.

Option B refers to actual costs incurred (AC).

Option C refers to Estimate at Completion (EAC), which includes both actual costs and ETC.

Option D refers to Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWP).

ETC is a critical concept for forecasting and project control as described in the PSP Study Guide​​.

The use of a winter/wet weather seasonal calendar is essential in planning and scheduling to account for climatic conditions that can impact project timelines. The PSP Study Guide emphasizes identifying project variables, such as environmental conditions, and incorporating them into the project plan to manage risks and constraints effectively. Seasonal calendars help planners predict periods of reduced productivity, increased costs, and potential delays due to adverse weather conditions (PSP Study Guide, Subchapter 1.2.4, "Project Variables").

These calendars are particularly useful for:

Forecasting potential schedule impacts during specific periods.

Enhancing the accuracy of risk management plans (PSP Study Guide, Section 1.3.13, "Risk and Recovery Plan").

Aiding in decision-making regarding resource allocation during slow periods.

 To eliminate Activity B from the critical path, its dependencies must change so that its delay no longer impacts the path's completion time.

 Replacing the A → B relationship with a Finish-to-Finish with Offset (FFO) and adding an FSO (Finish-to-Start with Offset) relationship from A → C allows Activity C to proceed independently of Activity B.

 References: PSP Study Guide, Section 2.2.4 – Relationships and Calculations, explains how relationship types can influence critical path determination.

Understand Activity B's Status:

Activity B has an original duration of 5 days.

As of the data date/status date, the diagram shows progress beyond 5 days.

Review Actual Duration:

The progress bar indicates that 7 days have already been worked on Activity B.

Actual duration as of the status date = 7 days.

Cross-Verification:

Option B: Incorrect. Progress exceeds 3 days.

Option C: Incorrect. Progress is not 0 days.

Option D: Incorrect. Progress is more than 4 days.

Option A: Correct. Matches the observed progress on the diagram.

References:

PSP Study Guide (2019), Section on Network Diagrams and Status Updates.

AACE Recommended Practices, RP 10S-90.

 Role of Project Schedules:

Schedules primarily control time, cost, and resource allocations.

Quality management is related to design specifications and execution standards, not directly managed by schedules.

 PSP Study Guide References:

The guide clarifies the limitations of scheduling tools in managing quality aspects​.

 Conclusion: The correct answer is A, as project schedules do not directly control quality.

Total float is influenced by factors like multiple calendars, start/finish constraints, and preferential logic because these directly affect the calculation of early and late dates.

Option D (front end loading), which involves distributing work to earlier project phases, does not inherently affect float calculations as it primarily pertains to resource or phase management strategies​​.