PERT PRACTICE QUESTION
QUESTION1: ECOLOGIX WASTE RECYCLING HUB PROJECT
EcoLogiX Ltd. has been awarded a government contract to build a community waste-
recycling hub that will sort plastic, paper, and organic waste. The facility will include
a sorting line, composting area, storage, and a community awareness center.
The project manager is using PERT to estimate the timeline and ensure the project is
completed within 11 months.
Activity Duration Estimates (Months)
Task Activity Description O M P Predecessor(s)
Project Kick-Off & Environmental
A 1 2 3 —
Clearances
B Site Preparation & Groundworks 1 2 4 A
C Procurement of Sorting Machinery 2 3 6 A
D Construction of Sorting Facility 3 4 7 B
E Composting Area Construction 2 3 5 B
F Installation of Sorting Machinery 1 2 3 C, D
G Electrical & Conveyor System Setup 1 2 4 D
H Full System Testing & Commissioning 1 2 3 F, G
Community Awareness & Education
I 1 2 3 H
Launch
a) Calculate the Expected Time (TE) for each task using the PERT formula:
b) Draw a network diagram for the project using the predecessor data.
c) Determine the critical path for the project.
d) Compute ES, EF, LS, LF, and Slack for every activity.
e) Evaluate how a 2-month delay in Task C (Procurement of Sorting Machinery)
would affect:
i. The critical path
ii. The overall project completion time
iii. Resource allocation for downstream tasks (F, H, I)
QUESTION 2: MEDLINK RURAL HEALTH CLINIC EXPANSION
MedLink is expanding three rural clinics with new rooms, sanitation, and improved
medical equipment.
Activity Duration Estimates (Months)
Task Predecessor(s) Activity OT MT PT
A — Site Preparation 1 2 3
Procurement of Medical
B A 1 3 6
Equipment
Construction of New
C A 2 4 6
Rooms
Sanitation System
D C 1 2 4
Installation
Electrical & Plumbing
E C 2 3 5
Work
F B, E Equipment Installation 1 2 3
Quality & Safety
G D, F 1 2 3
Inspection
Staff Orientation &
H G 1 2 3
Handover
a) Calculate the Expected Time (ET)
b) Draw network diagram
c) Identify critical path
d) Calculate ES/EF/LS/LF & slack
e) State and explain in detail 3 risks associated with this project
QUESTION 3: SMARTEDU INC.: ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORM
DEVELOPMENT
SmartEdu Inc., an edtech startup, is developing a new online learning platform. The
project involves research, design, development, testing, and launch activities. Below
are the estimated times for each task:
Optimistic Most Pessimistic
Task Description
(O) Likely (M) (P)
Market Analysis &
A 2 weeks 4 weeks 6 weeks
Requirement Gathering
B UI/UX Design 3 weeks 5 weeks 8 weeks
C Backend Development 4 weeks 7 weeks 10 weeks
D Frontend Development 3 weeks 6 weeks 9 weeks
E Integration & System Testing 2 weeks 4 weeks 7 weeks
User Acceptance Testing
F 1 week 2 weeks 4 weeks
(UAT)
G Platform Launch & Training 1 week 2 weeks 3 weeks
a) Calculate the Expected Time (TE) for each task using the PERT formula:
b) Construct a network diagram for the project using logical dependencies between
tasks.
c) Indicate the critical path of the project.
d) Create a Gantt chart showing the timeline for all tasks.
e) Calculate the (ES), (EF), (LS), (LF) and Slack Time for each activity.
f) Explain different ways in which SmartEdu Inc. can manage the triple constraints in
this project, giving practical examples.
QUESTION 4: CASE STUDY: AQUAPURE SA – CLEAN WATER
FILTRATION PROJECT
AquaPure SA is an environmental engineering company partnering with a
humanitarian NGO to provide clean, safe drinking water to 60 rural villages affected
by drought. The initiative involves establishing a water filtration unit, drilling
boreholes, installing distribution systems, and training local maintenance teams.
To meet the target within 14 months, the project manager, Ms. Naledi, is applying the
Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) to plan the project timeline,
identify critical activities, and efficiently allocate resources.
The following table provides the optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic duration
estimates for each project activity.
Activity Duration Estimates (in Months)
Most
Task Activity Description Optimistic Pessimistic
Likely
Project Mobilization & Regulatory
A 1 2 4
Approvals
B Geological Surveys for Boreholes 1 3 5
Procurement of Filtration
C 2 3 6
Components
D Construction of Filtration Facility 3 5 7
E Borehole Drilling in Villages 2 4 6
F Assembly of Filtration Units 1 2 4
Piping & Distribution Network
G 3 4 6
Installation
Water Quality Testing & System
H 1 2 3
Calibration
I Community Training & Handover 1 2 3
QUESTIONS
1a) Propose the task dependencies for the project above to ensure it remains within
the 14-month total time allocation. (Students must list predecessors for each activity.)
1b) Calculate the Expected Time (TE) for each task using the PERT formula:
1c) Construct a network diagram for the project. (Using the dependencies from part a.)
1d) Identify the critical path.
1e) Calculate the Slack time, ES, LS, EF, and LF for each activity.
1f) Assess three potential risks the project manager should consider while executing
the AquaPure SA clean-water project.