Interview Questions for a

Planning Engineer

Ahsan Elahi

(PMI-PMP®) Sr. Project Control/Senior Planner @ Jasara | Planning, Scheduling,

Controlling & Risk Management
November 13, 2024
Interview questions for a planning engineer cover a wide range of
information across all project management fields. The planning engineer
is a pivotal member of any project, with project-related information at
their fingertips, effectively serving as the right hand of the project
manager alongside the project engineer.

Question-1: What is a Base Project Schedule?

Answer: A baseline is an approved program by both parties, used as a
benchmark to measure the progress of a project.
Question-2: What is the Main Driver of a Project and
how do you identify it?
Answer: The main driver comprises the significant activities driving the
project on the critical path. To identify it, trace back from the last activity
to its driving activity, marking each until you reach the first activity. This
process is usually done using scheduling software like Primavera P6 or
Microsoft Project.
Question-3: How many baselines are allowed in any
project, and which baseline determines project
success?
Answer: A project must have at least one baseline, but the number can
be unlimited. Multiple baselines can indicate inefficiency in the planning
team—avoid this. The latest baseline is the one that determines the
project's success or failure.
Question-4: What are Key Performance Indicators
(KPIs)?
Answer: KPIs are performance measurements for specific activities,
defined based on what matters most. They vary by organization.
Examples include machine failure rates, concrete work, training numbers,
etc.
Question-5: What do you need to develop a project
plan?
Answer: Contract documents for scope, schedule drawings for area
insights, Bill of Quantity (BOQ) for costs, scheduling software access, and
team input for productivity rates if needed.
Question-6: How do you define a critical path?
Answer: The longest path and the minimum time required to complete a
project. It consists of activities with zero total float.
Question-7: What is the typical duration of a
milestone activity?
Answer: All milestone types, such as start or finish milestones, have zero
duration.
Question-8: What is the difference between Free
Float and Total Float?
Answer:
 Free Float: The time an activity can be delayed without affecting
the early start of its successor.
 Total Float: The time an activity can be delayed without delaying
the project finish. Free float may impact successor activities, while
total float impacts the entire project timeline.
Question-9: What is the difference between a
Change Order and a Variation Order Request?
Answer: There is no technical difference; both indicate a change in the
contract scope. Always refer to contract documents for the appropriate
term.
Question-10: How do you measure project progress?
Answer: By using man-hours, cost, or quantity. Man-hours are preferred
for logical tracking, though contractual obligations often dictate cost-
based tracking. A combination of methods may be used for
comprehensive status updates.
Question-11: What is a Kick-Off Meeting?
Answer: The initial meeting involving all major stakeholders, including
the project manager and owner representatives, to discuss high-level
plans and execution strategies. Rolling wave planning can follow as the
project progresses.
Question-12: What certifications and qualifications
do you have?
Answer: I am PMP-certified by the Project Management Institute (PMI)
and hold a degree in engineering, currently pursuing a master’s in project
management.
Question-13: Do you know about CPI?
Answer: Yes, it stands for Cost Performance Indicator, which shows if a
project is under-budget, on track, or over-budget. The formula is CPI =
EV/AC (Earned Value/Actual Cost).
Question-14: What is SPI?
Answer: Schedule Performance Indicator, showing how project work is
completed against the baseline. The formula is SPI = EV/PV (Earned
Value/Planned Value).
Question-15: What do you know about Triple
Constraints?
Answer: Cost, Time, and Scope, with quality as the underlying theme.
Question-16: What are undesirable elements in any
plan?
Answer: Constraints, Start-to-Finish relationships, excessive lags or leads,
negative float, etc.
Question-17: How do you avoid negative float in a
baseline schedule?
Answer: Negative float indicates delays. To avoid it, remove constraints
and use appropriate logic/relationships. Address out-of-sequence
activities. Negative float during updates is common unless everything is
on track.
Question-18: What does an SPI of 5 mean?
Answer: This indicates an error in calculations by the planner.
Question-19: What is an S Curve?
Answer: A graphical representation of metrics such as man-hours or
costs over time.
Question-20: What do you know about a Reflection
Schedule?
Answer: A feature in Primavera P6 used to create a copy of the schedule
to test scenarios and merge changes if satisfied.
Question-21: What are ACWP, BCWP, and BCWS?
Answer:
  ACWP: Actual Cost of Work Performed.
 BCWP: Budgeted Cost of Work Performed.
 BCWS: Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled.
Question-22: How do you compare different schedule
updates?
Answer: Using the Claim Digger function in Primavera P6.
Question-23.1: Do you know about Retained and
Over-Ride Logic in Scheduling?
Answer: Retained logic respects original relationships, while progress
override ignores them during updates, potentially shortening the critical
path with illogical results.
Question-24: What is DCMA Scoring?
Answer: A 14-point metric for schedule evaluation, covering logic, leads,
lags, constraints, high float, and other parameters.
Question-25: What do you know about Delay
Analysis Techniques?
Answer: Methods like Impacted as Planned, Windows Analysis, Time
Impact, or As-Built But-For. The contract usually dictates the chosen
method.
Question-26: Difference between Float and Slack?
Answer: They are synonymous.
Question-27: Difference between a Planner and a
Scheduler?
Answer: Planners define activities, durations, and resources with a focus
on the ‘what’ and ‘how’; they typically have engineering backgrounds.
Schedulers focus on ‘when’ and ‘who’ and may not need an engineering
background.
Question-28: Different % complete types in
Primavera P6?
Answer: Physical, Units, and Duration.
Question-29: Different duration types in Primavera
P6?
Answer: Fixed Units, Fixed Duration, Fixed Units/Time, and Fixed
Duration & Units.
Question-30: What is different duration type in Primavera P6?
Answer: Fixed Units, Fixed Units/time, Fixed Duration & Units, Fixed
Duration & Units/Time.
Question-31: What is Productivity?
Answer: Productivity is the efficiency of any working entity. It is measured
as the amount of output for work per hour. Productivity rates define how
efficient a team you have. Formula is Productivity = Output / Input.

Example: Let’s say you have two masons (call A & B) and let’s review their
work for last week. A worked for 50 hours and B for 30 hours. A fixed 5000
blocks & B did 3500 blocks. As a planner, you may like A as it is putting
more output, but let’s check the productivity for both:

Mason A = 5000/50hrs = 100/hour Mason B = 3500/30hrs = 116/hour

Here, B is much more productive than A. Hence, you need to raise the skill
level of A-type masons through proper training, etc.

Question-32: What are the different levels of a Schedule?

Answer: There are different schools of thought to define levels of a
program. Some say there are six levels, others say five, and some even
believe there are only four levels of a program when scheduling.

Here, I will explain the six levels as most of the old-school people still
consider them more logical:

LEVEL-1: Overview Schedule LEVEL-2: Area Wise Schedule LEVEL-3:

Discipline Wise Schedule LEVEL-4: Major Activities Schedule LEVEL-5:
Detailed Activities Schedule LEVEL-6: Micro-detail Activities Schedule

Question-33: What is the difference between Project Planner &

Project Controller?
Answer: A Project Planner handles the planning phase for the project,
including WBS identification, project deliverables, milestones, baseline
creation, budget planning, cash flow, KPIs, and trackers. The planner
prepares the program and establishes an acceptable budget for all
parties.

Project Control assists in ensuring the plan is managed effectively by

providing a risk register, analyzing the critical path, placing mitigation
plans, tracking project KPIs, and ensuring the project runs on time and
within budget. Its focus is on productivity and reports according to
organizational norms.

Question-34: What do you normally present in a Weekly Report?

Answer: It depends on the stakeholders' requirements for a particular
project. Normally, I update the Schedule with proper backup, perform
baseline comparisons, and analyze the Critical Path, highlighting
important activities. I include a three-week lookahead (3WLHS), EVM
reports, S-curves for man-hours, cost, manpower histogram, and
equipment histogram. Additionally, I update the Procurement Schedule in
MS Excel to track materials, with long lead items being monitored and
updated in the baseline schedule.

Question-35: What are the different types of Primavera P6

activities?
Answer:

Task-Dependent: Resources are scheduled based on the activity’s

calendar. Resource Dependent: Resources are scheduled based on
assigned calendars. Level of Effort: Dependent on activities, used for
administrative issues. Start Milestone: Indicates the start of a major phase
or project stage with zero duration. Finish Milestone: Indicates the end of
a major phase or project stage with zero duration.

Question-36: Differentiate between Budgeted Cost and Budgeted

Units?
Answer: Budgeted Cost for an activity is the total budgeted costs of all
resources for that activity, while Budgeted Units refer to the budgeted
work units for the resource assignment on any particular activity.

Question-37: When is the Planning Phase/Stage started for a

Project?
Answer: The planning phase should ideally begin before the initiation
phase ends. However, I believe planning should start as soon as the
project life cycle begins.

Question-38: What is the difference between different Primavera

Scheduling Programs?
Answer: While there are several programs, the three main ones are:

Primavera P6 Professional Primavera P6 EPPM (Web Client) Primavera

Contractor

Primavera Contractor is cost-effective with limited features and is suitable

for smaller projects (limited to 2000 activities). It lacks Enterprise and
Admin menus, Microsoft Project XML file support, and Resource Roles. It
can only be installed standalone.
Primavera P6 Professional and EPPM are more comprehensive:

EPPM has visual aids, supports multiple projects, faster installation, and
requires only one installation for all users. It offers better visualization
tools such as graphs, dashboards, and pivot tables, unlike P6 Professional,
which may require Excel for advanced visuals.

P6 Professional offers greater speed, doesn’t require an internet

connection, and supports up to 100,000 activities.

Question-39: What do you normally see on a Change Order Form?

Answer: A Change Order (CO) Form should include:

Change in Scope – Additions or reductions, even if there’s no monetary

value. Change in Cost – Positive, negative, or zero. Change in Time – Must
plan resources to avoid Liquidated Damages (L.D.). Signatures –
Authorized parties should sign. Date of Change Order – Include the
signature date.

Question-40: Difference between MS Project and Primavera P6?

Answer: While both are useful, Primavera P6 is more powerful:

MS Project allows only 11 baselines per project; Primavera P6 offers

unlimited baselines. Primavera P6 supports multi-user access
simultaneously; MS Project does not. P6 EPPM supports web operation,
enabling use without installing the software. MS Project is more user-
friendly for those familiar with Microsoft products. Primavera P6 requires
training.

Question-41: How do you track Project Progress?

Answer: Progress can be tracked using:

Man-hours Cost Quantities

I prefer using man-hours as it provides better control over resources and

makes tracking effective. Cost tracking can sometimes give a misleading
progress view if high-cost activities are prioritized. Quantities are ideal for
material management but can be challenging for comprehensive tracking.

Question-42: What is Reflection in Primavera P6?

Answer: Reflection is a feature in Primavera P6 used for potential changes
in a project, acting as a what-if scenario. Once changes are reviewed and
approved, they can be merged into the source project. This helps evaluate
options, such as adding resources to catch up on delays.

Question-43: What is the use of Claim Digger in Primavera P6?

Answer: Claim Digger is a function to compare two schedules for changes.
Although previously separate, it is now integrated into P6. It tracks
changes like deleted or added activities, relationships, duration, cost,
units, and percentage complete. Reports can be exported in HTML, CSV,
or text formats.

Question-44: What do you know about Rolling Wave Planning?

Answer: High-level planning is done when a project is in the concept
stage, as detailed resources or teams are not yet available. Rolling wave
planning involves planning at the deliverable level, done on a weekly or
even daily basis at foreman levels.

Question-45: What is the difference between Open-End activity

and a Dangling Activity?
Answer: An activity without predecessor or successor relationships is
called an Open-End activity.
A Dangling Activity may have both predecessor and successor
relationships but is still dangling from one end, leading to inaccurate
critical path and completion date calculations. It behaves similarly to an
open-end activity but is more complex and harder to identify. This
scenario is undesirable in any program and should always be corrected.

Question-46: Is there any difference between a flag and a

milestone in Primavera P6?
Answer: Both milestones and flags are event activities. However, flags
update automatically and cannot be manually altered, whereas
milestones must be updated manually. Flags are considered obsolete in
current versions of Primavera P6.
Question-47: What are the major types of drawings on a
construction project?
Answer: The main types of drawings are:
1. Tender Drawings: Included in the tender documents and issued by
clients for pre-qualified contractors.
2. AFC/IFC Drawings: Approved for Construction (AFC) or Issued for
Construction (IFC) drawings are authorized documents reviewed and
stamped by the client or consultant.
3. Shop Drawings: Detailed contractor or supplier-produced drawings
showing execution details. Approval from clients is necessary before
implementation.
4. As-Built Drawings: Show the final project outcome with all
modifications. Used primarily by maintenance teams.
Question-48: How do you apply for an Extension of Time (EOT) or
conduct a delay analysis?
Answer:
1. Gather delay events per the contract, such as letters, emails,
meeting minutes, or legal documents.
2. Use these events for delay analysis in Primavera P6, following
contract-specific techniques like Impact as Planned, Time Impact
Analysis, As-Planned vs. As-Built, Windows Analysis, etc.
3. Assess overhead costs, equipment warranties, material shelf life,
and present findings.
Question-49: What is the difference between Resource Leveling
and Resource Smoothing?
Answer: Both are resource optimization techniques:
 Resource Leveling: A parent technique that may change project
duration due to resource constraints.
 Resource Smoothing: A child technique using float/slack for
resource distribution without changing project duration.
Question-50: Who are the stakeholders on a project?
Answer: A stakeholder is any entity affected by the project, positively or
negatively. Examples include:
 Client: The sponsor providing project financing.
 PMC: Project Management Consultant.
 PMT: Project Management Team.
 EPC Contractor: Responsible for Engineering, Procurement, and
Construction.
 Contractor and Sub-Contractors: Execute and support the
project.
 Suppliers, Vendors, and Project Team Members.
Question-51: What is Global Change in Primavera P6?
Answer: Global Change automates bulk modifications in P6. It can alter
activity costs, durations, resource assignments, and project expenses, but
should be used with caution.
Question-52: Why is Primavera called “P6”?
Answer: From 1983 to 2004, Primavera releases used the P3 suffix. To
avoid confusion with Sure Trak and other products, the suffix changed to
P6 and has remained.
Question-53: What is the job of a Planning Engineer?
Answer: A Planning Engineer prepares execution plans, monitors and
controls progress, coordinates stakeholders, and facilitates
communication between clients and contractors.
Question-54: How can you become a Planning Engineer?
Answer:
 Obtain an engineering degree.

 Gain field experience to understand project sequences.

 Train in software like Primavera P6 and MS Project.
 Seek project management certifications (e.g., PMP).
  While non-engineers can enter the field, an engineering degree is
preferred by employers.
Question-55: How does P6 calculate total float?
Answer: Total Float = Late Start – Early Start or Late Finish – Early Finish.
Question-56: What is a CPM schedule?
Answer: The Critical Path Method (CPM) identifies critical tasks in a
project schedule. A forward pass calculates early dates, while a backward
pass calculates late dates. The longest path establishes the minimum
project duration.
Question-57: Is the critical path the longest or shortest?
Answer: The critical path is the longest continuous path in terms of
duration and controls the project’s minimum completion time.
Question-58: How would you rate your Primavera P6 skills (1-10)?
Answer: I would rate myself a 6 or 7 compared to my colleagues.
Question-59: How do you spend most of your day?
Answer: I review contractor reports, site engineers’ feedback, and client
comments, participate in construction meetings, prepare minutes of
meetings (MoM), and share summaries with stakeholders.
Question-60: What is the difference between a Revised Plan and a
Recovery Plan?
Answer: A Revised Plan incorporates scope changes or claims
impacting the completion date. A Recovery Plan addresses delays but
ensures the original completion date is maintained.
Question 61: What is Lead and Lag in Primavera P6?
Answer: Lead and Lag are durations used to delay or accelerate the
successor activity. A lag is the time period that delays the start of the
successor activity (a delayed start), whereas a lead is the time period that
allows the successor activity to start earlier (an accelerated start). A lead
is effectively a negative lag.
Question 62: What is Fast Tracking & Crashing?
Answer: Fast Tracking and Crashing are schedule compression
techniques used when a project is behind schedule and a recovery plan is
needed. In Fast Tracking, activities that were originally planned
sequentially are rescheduled to occur in parallel, which increases risk. In
Crashing, additional resources are added to critical path activities to
complete them faster, which requires more budget but involves less risk
compared to Fast Tracking. Contractors should ensure to claim
acceleration costs if requested by the client, as these costs may exceed
the rates in the original contract.
Question 63: Differentiate between Gantt Chart & Network
Diagram.
Answer: Both are project management tools that provide a visual
overview of the project. A Gantt Chart displays activities, tasks, and
events plotted against time, providing details such as start and finish
dates, overlaps, and the entire project as summary bars. The length of
each bar represents the duration of the task. A Network Diagram, on the
other hand, shows the dependencies and flow of activities, helping the
team understand the logical sequence of work.
Question 64: How much float is allowed in any plan?
Answer: There is no strict rule for the amount of float in a project, but a
common guideline is to allow float up to 10% of the total project duration.
For instance, if the total duration is 300 days, 30 days of float is generally
acceptable. If the float exceeds this, adjustments to the P6 logic may be
necessary to optimize it. Float allowances can vary by project.
Question 65: How much Lag is allowed in any plan?
Answer: Lag and lead are generally undesirable in a plan, but sometimes
a small amount is necessary. As a guideline, lag should be less than half
of the total duration of the associated activity. For example, if an activity
has a duration of 14 days, the lag should not exceed 7 days. Proper
sequencing logic can minimize long lags.
Question 66: What to do if a new Project Manager does not
approve of your defined WBS in the approved plan?
Answer: If the Project Manager does not approve of the defined WBS, you
can use the Activity Codes function in Primavera P6 to create an
alternative structure that meets their preferences without needing to alter
the entire plan.
Question 67: What information is of concern in a Project Charter?
Answer: A Project Charter includes high-level, concise information about
the project such as scope, governance, timeline, budget, constraints, and
risks. It is typically a document no longer than six pages, and it is
essential for the team to review and understand the content.
Question 68: What is the difference between Earned Manhours
and Actual Manhours?
Answer: Earned man-hours refer to the estimated amount of work
completed based on progress, while actual man-hours are the hours spent
by the team on the project. For example, if building a wall was estimated
to take 100 man-hours and 4 masons completed 25% of the work in one
10-hour shift, the actual man-hours would be 40 (4 masons × 10 hours),
while the earned man-hours would be 25 (25% of 100).
Question 69: How do you compress (recover) a schedule in
Primavera P6?
Answer: To compress a schedule in Primavera P6, follow these steps:
1. Insert the column to view Total Float.
2. Adjust the logic to reduce float.
3. Use techniques such as making activities parallel (Fast Tracking).
4. Filter the critical path.
5. Reduce durations on critical path activities.
6. Repeat filtering and reducing durations as the critical path may
change.
This iterative process is called Crashing and may require adding resources
to expedite activities. It is used in Recovery Plans, Mitigation Plans, and
Acceleration Plans.

Question 70: Why is Planning important in any project?

Answer: Proper planning is crucial as the initial phase of a project is
highly susceptible to risks. Inadequate planning can lead to significant
negative impacts on project outcomes. Effective planning helps identify
potential issues early, allocate resources efficiently, and set clear
timelines, minimizing risks throughout the project lifecycle.