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

To reconstruct a CPM schedule electronically and determine the critical path, the following are essential:

Detailed listing of working days for each calendar (Option A): Ensures accurate scheduling across varying work periods.

Predecessor and successor relationships (Option B): Establishes logic and dependencies.

Tabular data including early/late dates (Option D): Necessary for computing float and identifying the critical path.

Assigned party responsibility (Option C) is important for resource management but not required to calculate the critical path​​.

Defining the execution plan is the foundational step in creating a CPM schedule. This involves understanding the project's scope of work and outlining how it will be executed to meet project objectives.

Option A (bar chart) is a visualization step but does not address planning the sequence or scope execution.

Option C (resources) comes later in schedule development after the scope and plan are defined.

Option D (logic diagram) is a subsequent step that relies on the execution plan​​.

The PSP Study Guide emphasizes scope and execution planning as critical first steps​.

 Volume of Concrete per Column:

Each column requires 2,000 cubic feet of concrete.

 Lift Bucket Capacity:

Each lift bucket holds 40 cubic feet.

 Calculate Number of Lifts per Column:

Number of Lifts = Volume of Concrete ÷ Bucket Capacity = 2,000 ÷ 40 = 80 lifts.

 Cross-Verification:

Option B (50 lifts): Incorrect. Miscalculates required lifts.

Option C (5 lifts): Incorrect. Unrealistic for 2,000 cubic feet.

Option D (20 lifts): Incorrect. Underestimates.

Option A (80 lifts): Correct.

 Crashing is a technique to reduce project duration by allocating additional resources to critical path activities. The most critical factor when crashing a schedule often pertains to external constraints that could severely disrupt progress.

 Avoiding adverse weather conditions, such as the 2023-2024 winter/wet season, is paramount since such conditions can render activities impossible or highly inefficient.

 The PSP Study Guide emphasizes that constraints, such as environmental conditions, play a pivotal role in project planning and execution. Managing these constraints effectively through schedule adjustments like crashing is critical to project success.

 Financial incentives (bonus or penalties) and cost minimization, while important, typically take secondary priority when natural constraints risk derailing the project timeline entirely (PSP Guide, Section 1.2.4 – Project Variables and Constraints).

 Understanding the Problem:

The question asks which risk cannot be estimated using only a resource-loaded schedule.

A resource-loaded schedule contains detailed information about activities, resources (labor, materials, equipment), and their associated costs but does not provide external information unrelated to project resources.

 Analysis of Each Option:

A. Delay due to SDOT's other projects:

This risk depends on external factors beyond the control or visibility of the resource-loaded schedule, such as project interactions, priorities, or resource allocation managed by SDOT (the State Department of Transportation).

A resource-loaded schedule cannot estimate this delay, as it does not account for external dependencies or priorities outside the project's scope.

This is the correct answer.

B. Delay due to labor shortage:

A resource-loaded schedule tracks labor availability and allocation. By analyzing resource constraints, it can estimate potential delays due to labor shortages.

This risk can be estimated using the schedule.

C. Liquidated damages on the SDOT contract:

Liquidated damages are linked to project delays. A resource-loaded schedule can estimate the delay impact and calculate potential damages based on contract terms.

This risk can be estimated.

D. Cost overruns due to cement shortage:

Cement shortages directly affect the material resource allocations in the schedule. A resource-loaded schedule can estimate cost overruns by analyzing material usage and constraints.

This risk can be estimated.

 Final Answer and Justification:

Option A is correct because a resource-loaded schedule cannot consider or predict delays caused by external projects managed by other entities like SDOT.

All other risks relate to project resources or scheduling, which can be analyzed using a resource-loaded schedule.

 Study Guide Reference:

Refer to the PSP Certification Study Guide, Chapter 2 – Scheduling, sections on Schedule Maintenance and Risk Analysis (p. 209), and Resource-Constrained Scheduling (p. 163).

AACE Recommended Practice 57R-09: "Integrated Cost and Schedule Risk Analysis" provides additional insights into risks measurable through schedules.

 Mitigating Late Completion:

A procurement agent could monitor and expedite long-lead equipment, reducing delivery delays that often affect project timelines.

 Evaluation of Other Options:

A: Hiring a senior project manager may not address the specific issue.

B: Self-performing may not resolve procurement delays.

D: Better structural steel drawings relate to design, not equipment delays.

 Verification with PSP Guidelines:

PSP emphasizes early identification and mitigation of procurement risks (Ref: PSP Study Guide, Chapter 2B: Procurement and Supply Chain Management).