Project Management l CHAPTER 13

TRUE/FALSE
13.1

PERT and CPM are quantitative analysis tools designed to schedule and control large projects.
ANSWER: TRUE

13.2

PERT is a deterministic analysis tool allowing for precise times of activities within a project.
ANSWER: FALSE

13.3

PERT had its beginnings in a military department of the United States.

ANSWER: TRUE

13.4

CPM is a probabilistic analysis of managing a project.

ANSWER: FALSE

13.5

An event is a point in time that marks the beginning or ending of an activity.

ANSWER: TRUE

13.6

A network is a graphical display of a project that contains both activities and events.
ANSWER: TRUE

13.7

The optimistic time is the greatest amount of time that could be required to complete an activity.
ANSWER: FALSE

13.8

PERT is a network technique similar to CPM, but PERT allows for project crashing.
ANSWER: FALSE

13.9

The most likely completion time of an activity is used to represent that activitys time within a
project.
ANSWER: FALSE

13.10

The expected completion time and variance of an activity is approximated by the normal
distribution in a PERT analysis.
ANSWER: FALSE

13.11

PERT was developed for a project for which activity or task times were uncertain.
ANSWER: TRUE

13.12

CPM was developed for use in managing projects which are repeated and about which we have
good information as to activity or task completion times.
ANSWER: TRUE

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13.13

With PERT, we are able to calculate the probability of finishing the project on a particular day.
ANSWER: TRUE

13.14

With CPM, we are able to calculate the probability of finishing the project on a particular day.
ANSWER: FALSE

13.15

A PERT or CPM network shows activities and activity sequences.

ANSWER: TRUE

13.16

One of the most difficult aspects of using PERT is defining the activities so that they have
measurable/observable starts and finishes.
ANSWER: TRUE

13.17

Before drawing a PERT or CPM network, we must identify each activity and their predecessors.
ANSWER: TRUE

13.18

The three time estimates employed in PERT are: optimistic time, average time, and pessimistic
time.
ANSWER: FALSE

13.19

In the PERT process, if an activity has zero variance it must be on the critical path.
ANSWER: FALSE

13.20

Given the variability of the activity completion time, the original critical path we identify in our
PERT analysis may not always be the actual critical path as the project takes place.
ANSWER: TRUE

13.21

In PERT, the activity completion times are modeled using the beta distribution.
ANSWER: TRUE

13.22

In PERT, the earliest finish time in one activity will always be the earliest start time of the
following activity.
ANSWER: FALSE

13.23

In PERT, the earliest start time for an activity is equal to the latest of the earliest finish times of
all of its immediate predecessors.
ANSWER: TRUE

13.24

One of the limiting assumptions of PERT is that for any activity to start, all of its immediate
predecessors must be complete.
ANSWER: TRUE

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13.25

One of the limiting assumptions of PERT is that all activities must be completed at some time
during the project.
ANSWER: TRUE

13.26

One of the most significant benefits of PERT is that it forces the project manager to sit down and
plan the project in great detail and thus come to an understanding of relationships between the
activities.
ANSWER: TRUE

13.27

Slack is the time an activity can be delayed without impacting the completion time of the project.
ANSWER: TRUE

13.28

It is never possible to delay an activity without impacting the project completion time.
ANSWER: FALSE

13.29

The variance of the project completion time is equal to the sum of the variances of all the
activities.
ANSWER: FALSE

13.30

In PERT, we assume that the project completion time can be modeled by the normal distribution.
ANSWER: TRUE

13.31

One PERT/COST assumption is that money is spent at a constant rate over the time taken to
complete an activity.
ANSWER: TRUE

13.32

PERT helps the project manager understand both which activities must take place and which
funds must be expended.
ANSWER: FALSE

13.33

A limitation of PERT/COST is the assumption that money is spent at a constant rate over the
time taken to complete the project.
ANSWER: FALSE

13.34

In CPM, we assume that the cost to complete the task is a linear function of the time to complete
the task.
ANSWER: TRUE

13.35

In CPM, crashing an activity which is not on the critical path increases the cost of the project.
ANSWER: TRUE

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13.36

In CPM, if we are going to crash an activity, we should crash it to the maximum extent possible.
ANSWER: FALSE

*13.37

In CPM, crashing an activity which is not on the critical path reduces the cost of the project just
as much as crashing one on the critical path.
ANSWER: FALSE

*13.38

One of the drawbacks to using either CPM or PERT to manage an actual project is the amount of
data that must be collected over the life of the project to implement either method.
ANSWER: TRUE

*13.39

In PERT, the variance in completion time is equal to the variance of the most time consuming
activity on the critical path.
ANSWER: FALSE

*13.40

Given the assumptions in PERT, the probability that a project will be completed in less time than
required by the activities on the critical path is approximately 50%.
ANSWER: TRUE

*13.41

One should always wait until an activitys latest start time before commencing the activity.
ANSWER: FALSE

*13.42

Using PERT/COST, one is able to complete the project for less money than using PERT alone.
ANSWER: FALSE

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*13.43

If an activity has 4 days of slack, and we delay it 2 days, the project will also be delayed two
days.
ANSWER: FALSE

*13.44

Gantt and PERT charts provide the same information, just in different formats.
ANSWER: FALSE

*13.45

Gantt charts contain information as to the time taken by each activity, but not the sequential
dependencies of the activities.
ANSWER: TRUE

*13.46

Using PERT/COST as a management tool, it is always possible to bring a project in under

budget.
ANSWER: FALSE

MULTIPLE CHOICE
13.47

The critical path of a network is the

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

shortest time path through the network.

path with the fewest activities.
path with the most activities.
longest time path through the network.
none of the above

ANSWER: d
13.48

In a PERT network, the earliest (activity) start time is the

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

earliest time that an activity can be finished without delaying the entire project.
latest time that an activity can be started without delaying the entire project.
earliest time that an activity can start without violation of precedence requirements.
latest time that an activity can be finished without delaying the entire project.
none of the above

ANSWER: c

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13.49

Slack time in a network is the

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

time consuming job or task that is a key subpart of the total project.
shortest amount of time that could be required to complete the activity.
amount of time that you would expect it would take to complete the activity.
amount of time that an activity can be delayed without delaying the entire project.
none of the above

ANSWER: d
13.50

A network activity is a
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

point in time that marks the beginning or ending of an activity.

time consuming job that is a subpart of the total project.
graphical display of a project.
network technique that allows three time estimates for each activity in a project.
the longest time path through the network.

ANSWER: b
13.51

Which of the following is not a concept associated with CPM?

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

normal time
probability
normal cost
crash cost
deterministic network

ANSWER: b
13.52

PERT
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

assumes we do not know ahead of time what activities must be completed.

allows computation of the programs evaluation.
is a network technique that uses three time estimates for each activity in a project.
is a deterministic network technique that allows for project crashing.
none of the above

ANSWER: c
13.53

CPM
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

assumes we do not know ahead of time what activities must be completed.

is opposite to that of PERT, as it does not consider the network activities.
is a network technique that allows three time estimates for each activity in a project.
is a deterministic network technique that allows for project crashing.
none of the above

ANSWER: d
13.54

Managers use the network analysis of PERT and CPM to help them
(a) derive flexibility by identifying noncritical activities.

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

(b) replan, reschedule, and reallocate resources such as manpower and finances.
(c) plan, schedule, monitor, and control large and complex projects.
(d) all of the above
ANSWER: d
13.55

In contrast to PERT or PERT/cost, CPM

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

is a deterministic network model.

uses crash times and costs.
allows for calculating the least additional cost for shortening the project time.
assumes that the activity times and costs are known with certainty.
all of the above

ANSWER: e
13.56

The expected time in PERT is

(a) a weighted average of the most optimistic time, most pessimistic time, and four times the
most likely time.
(b) the modal time of a beta distribution.
(c) a simple average of the most optimistic, most likely, and most pessimistic times.
(d) the square root of the sum of the variances of the activities on the critical path.
(e) none of the above
ANSWER: a

13.57

Given the following activitys optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic time estimates of 4, 5, and
12 days, respectively, compute the PERT time for this activity.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

5
6
7
12
none of the above

ANSWER: b

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.58

Given the following activitys optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic time estimates of 3, 3, and 9
days, respectively, compute the PERT time for this activity.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

3
4
5
9
none of the above

ANSWER: b
13.59

Given the following activitys optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic time estimates of 4, 8, and
18 days, respectively, compute the PERT time for this activity.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

4
8
9
18
none of the above

ANSWER: c
13.60

Given the following activitys optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic time estimates of 2, 10, and
20 days, respectively, compute the PERT variance for this activity.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

3
6
9
18
none of the above

ANSWER: e
13.61

Given the following activitys optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic time estimates of 4, 12, and
18 days, respectively, compute the PERT variance for this activity.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

2.33
5.44
8.00
64.00
none of the above

ANSWER: b

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.62

Given an activitys optimistic, most likely and pessimistic time estimates of 3, 5, and 15 days,
respectively, compute the PERT standard deviation for this activity.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

2
4
5
15
none of the above

ANSWER: a
13.63

Given the following small project, the critical path is _______ days.
Activity
A
B
C
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

Immediate Time
Predecessor (days)
10
4
A, B
6

10
14
16
20
none of the above

ANSWER: c
13.64

Given the following small project, the critical path is _______ days.
Activity
A
B
C
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

Immediate Time
Predecessor(days)
8
A
4
10

4
10
12
22
none of the above

ANSWER: c

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The following table provides information for questions 13.65 to 13.68.

Table 13-1
The following represents a project
with known activity times. All times
are in weeks.
Activity
ImmediateTime
Predecessor
A
4
B
3
C
A
2
D
B
7
E
C, D
4
F
B
5
13.65

Using the data in Table 13-1, what is the minimum possible time required for completing the
project?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

8
14
25
10
none of the above

ANSWER: b
13.66

Using the data in Table 13-1, what is the latest possible time that C may be started without
delaying completion of the project?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

0
4
8
10
none of the above

ANSWER: c
13.67

According to Table 13-1, compute the slack time for activity D.

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

0
5
3
6
none of the above

ANSWER: a

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.68

Using the data in Table 13-1, compute the latest finish time for activity E.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

4
10
14
25
none of the above

ANSWER: c
The following table provides information for questions 13.69 to 13.72.
Table 13-2
The following represents a project with four activities. All times are
in weeks.
Activity
Immediate
Optimistic
Most
Pessimistic
Predecessor
Time
Likely
Time
Time
A
2
8
14
B
8
8
8
C
A
6
9
18
D
B
5
11
17
13.69

According to the data in Table 13-2, what is the critical path?

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

A, B
A, C
B, D
A, B, C, D
none of the above

ANSWER: c
13.70

According to the data in Table 13-2, what is the minimum expected completion time for the
project?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

18
19
37
11
none of the above

ANSWER: b

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.71

According to Table 13-2, there are four activities in the project. Assume the normal distribution
is appropriate to use to determine the probability of finishing by a particular time. If you wished
to find the probability of finishing the project in 20 weeks or less, it would be necessary to find
the variance and then the standard deviation to be used with the normal distribution. What
variance would be used?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

2
4
8
12
none of the above

ANSWER: b
13.72

According to Table 13-2, there are four activities in the project. Assume the normal distribution
is appropriate to use to determine the probability of finishing by a particular time. What is the
probability that the project is finished in 16 weeks or less (round to two decimals)?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

0.07
0.93
0.43
0.77
none of the above

ANSWER: a
13.73

Consider a project that has an expected completion time of 60 weeks and a standard deviation of
five weeks. What is the probability that the project is finished in 70 weeks or less (round to two
decimals)?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

0.98
0.48
0.50
0.02
none of the above

ANSWER: a

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.74

Your company is considering submitting a bid on a major project. You determine that the
expected completion time is 100 weeks and the standard deviation is 10 weeks. It is assumed that
the normal distribution applies. You wish to set the due date for the project such that there is an
85 percent chance that the project will be finished by this time. What due date should be set?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

108.0
110.4
89.6
85.0
none of the above

ANSWER: b
The following table provides information for questions 13.75 to 13.76.
Table 13-3
Activity
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
13.75

Immediate
Time ES
EF
LS
LF
Predecessor
4
0
4
6
10
5
0
5
0
5
A
3
4
7
10
13
B
8
5
13
5
13
B
3
5
8
14
17
C, D
2
13
15
15
17
C, D
6
13
19
13
19
E, F
2
15
17
17
19

According to Table 13-3, there are eight activities to be completed in a project with known
activity times. How long could activity E be delayed without delaying the completion of the
project?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

3
9
14
17
none of the above

ANSWER: b
13.76

According to Table 13-3, there are eight activities to be completed in a project with known
activity times. What is the minimum possible time required for completing the project?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

13
15
17
19
33

ANSWER: d
The following table provides information for questions 13.77 to 13.79.
Table 13-4

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

Activity
A
B
C
D
E
13.77

Immediate
Predecessor
A
A
B, C

Optimistic
4
2
2
5
6

Most
Likely
5
5
8
5
7

Pessimistic
6
8
14
5
8

Average
5
5
8
5
7

Standard
Deviation
0.333
1.000
2.000
0.000
0.333

Variance
0.111
1.000
4.000
0.000
0.111

According to Table 13-4, there are five activities in a PERT project. Which activities are on the
critical path?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

A,B,C,D,E
A,C,E
B,D
A,B,C,D
none of the above

ANSWER: b
13.78

According to Table 13-4, there are five activities in a PERT project. What is the variance of the
critical path?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

5.222
4.222
1.222
0
none of the above

ANSWER: b
13.79

According to Table 13-4, there are five activities in a PERT project. If the normal distribution
were used to find the probability of finishing this project in 24 weeks or less, what mean and
variance would be used?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

20 and 4.222
30 and 5.222
20 and 5.222
30 and 4.222
none of the above

ANSWER: a

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.80

The critical path of a network is the

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

path with the least variance.

path with zero slack.
path with the most activities.
path with the largest variance.
none of the above

ANSWER: b
13.81

In a PERT network, the latest (activity) start time is the

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

earliest time that an activity can be finished without delaying the entire project.
latest time that an activity can be started without delaying the entire project.
earliest time that an activity can start without violation of precedence requirements.
latest time that an activity can be finished without delaying the entire project.
none of the above

ANSWER: b
13.82

Slack time in a network is the

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

time consuming job or task that is a key subpart of the total project.
shortest amount of time that could be required to complete the activity.
amount of time that you would expect it would take to complete the activity.
amount of time that an activity can be delayed without delaying the project.
none of the above

ANSWER: d
13.83

To do a PERT analysis of a project,

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

we must know the sequence in which tasks are to be performed.

we must know the number of tasks in the project.
we must know the time estimates for each activity.
we must compute an expected time for each activity.
all of the above

ANSWER: e
13.84

For which of the following projects are we more likely to use PERT than CPM as a management
tool?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

performing maintenance in a chemical plant

building a new hotel complex
developing a new space vehicle
constructing a new factory
building a new highway

ANSWER: c

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.85

PERT
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

assumes we do not know ahead of time the specific amount of time an activity will require.
allows time/cost trade-offs.
is a probabilistic network technique that allows for project crashing.
is a deterministic network technique that allows for project crashing.
none of the above

ANSWER: a
13.86

In PERT,
(a) an activity may not start until all activities scheduled for an earlier time have finished.
(b) we can have no more than two activities taking place simultaneously.
(c) after the project has begun, it is possible for a path other than the original critical path to
become critical.
(d) we assume that the time to complete an activity is described by the normal distribution.
(e) none of the above
ANSWER: c

13.87

Which of the following is incorrect? In PERT,

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

we assume that all activities are completed.

an activity may not start until all activities scheduled for an earlier time have finished.
we assume that all activities have definable start and end points.
we assume that the time to complete an activity is described by the beta distribution.
none of the above

ANSWER: b
13.88

In PERT, we assume that

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

the times to complete individual activities are known with certainty.

all activities are carried out by staff from our own organization.
the total cost of a project is independent of the time to complete the project.
the total time to complete all activities on the critical path is described by a normal
distribution.
(e) none of the above
ANSWER: d

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.89

CPM
(a) assumes that we know ahead of time all activities which must be completed.
(b) assumes that we may obtain additional resources or move existing resources from one
activity to another.
(c) is an important technique when we are planning a project similar to projects we have
completed in the past.
(d) is a deterministic network technique that allows for time/cost trade-offs.
(e) all of the above
ANSWER: e

13.90

In CPM,
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

an activity may start before its immediate predecessors have finished.

no more than two activities may be performed simultaneously.
the total cost of completing an activity in the crash time is higher than the normal cost.
when we crash an activity, we complete the activity in the minimum possible time.
none of the above

ANSWER: c
13.91

Managers use the network analysis of PERT and CPM to help them
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

identify the need for contingency plans by identifying critical activities.

learn more about the actual times required to complete the activities.
understand the relationship between the various activities.
all of the above
(a) & (c) only

ANSWER: d
13.92

In contrast to CPM, PERT

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

is a deterministic network model.

requires all activities to be completed.
assumes that activity costs are unknown.
can identify activities which may, but do not necessarily, lie on the critical path.
all of the above

ANSWER: d

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13.93

The expected time in PERT is

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

greater than the most likely time.

equal to the most likely time.
less than the most likely time.
could be any of the above.
none of the above

ANSWER: d
13.94

Given the following activitys optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic time estimates of 3, 7, and
11 days, respectively, compute the expected time for this activity.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

5
6
7
12
none of the above

ANSWER: c
13.95

Given the following activitys optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic time estimates of 3, 5, and
13 days, respectively, compute the expected time for this activity.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

3
4
5
6
none of the above

ANSWER: d
13.96

Given the following activitys optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic time estimates of 1, 9, and
17 days, respectively, compute the PERT time for this activity.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

4
8
9
18
none of the above

ANSWER: c

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13.97

Given the following activitys optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic time estimates 3, 6, and 9
days, respectively, compute the PERT variance for this activity.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

3
1
9
6
none of the above

ANSWER: b
13.98

Given the following activitys optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic time estimates of 3, 5, and
13 days, respectively, compute the PERT variance for this activity.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

2.5
5.4
8.0
2.8
none of the above

ANSWER: d
13.99

Given the following activitys optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic time estimates of 7, 9, and
15 days, respectively, compute the PERT variance for this activity.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

6.0
2.7
8.0
1.8
none of the above

ANSWER: d
13.100

The project described by:

Activity
A
B
C
D
E

Immediate
Predecessor
A
A
B, C
D

166

Time
(days)
10
4
6
7
5

Project Management l CHAPTER 13

is best represented by which of the following networks?

(a)

(b)
B

Start

D
Finish

A
C

Start

(d)
B

D
Start

Finish

A
C

The project described by:

Activity
A
B
C
D
E

Immediate Time
Predecessor(days)
A
A
B, C
C

has a critical path of length:

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

Finish

21 days
14 days
23 days
32 days
none of the above

ANSWER: c

167

10
4
6
7
5

D
Finish

A
C

ANSWER: b
13.101

D
C

(c)
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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.102

The project described by

Activity
A
B
C
D
E

Immediate Time
Predecessor(days)
A
B, C
D

6
2
8
5
7

has a critical path of length

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

15 days
20 days
17 days
18 days
none of the above

ANSWER: b
The following table provides information for questions 13.103 to 13.108.
Table 13-5
The following represents a project with known
activity times. All times are in weeks.
Activity
Immediate
Time
Predecessor
A
4
B
3
C
A
2
D
B
7
E
C, D
4
F
B
5
G
E, F
4
13.103

Using the data in Table 13-5, what is the minimum possible time required for completing the
project?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

8
12
18
10
none of the above

ANSWER: c

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.104

Using the data in Table 13-5, what is the latest possible time that C may be started without
delaying completion of the project?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

0
4
8
10
none of the above

ANSWER: c
13.105

Using the data in Table 13-5, compute the slack time for activity D.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

0
5
3
6
none of the above

ANSWER: a
13.106

Using the data in Table 13-5, compute the latest finish time for activity E.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

4
10
14
25
none of the above

ANSWER: c
13.107

Using the data in Table 13.5, determine the latest time activity A can be started without delaying
the project completion.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

4
3
8
6
none of the above

ANSWER: a

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.108

Using the data in Table 13.5, determine the latest time activity A can be finished and not delay
any activity?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

4
0
8
5
none of the above

ANSWER: c
The following table provides data for questions 13.109 to 13.112.
Table 13-6
Activity
A
B
C
D
E
F
13.109

All activity times are in weeks.

Immediate
Optimistic
Most Likely
Predecessor
Time
Time
2
8
8
8
A
6
9
B
5
11
C, D
3
3
B
5
6

Pessimistic
Time
14
8
18
17
9
7

According to the data in Table 13-6, what is the critical path?

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

A, C, E
B,F
B, D, E
A, B, C, D, F
none of the above

ANSWER: c
13.110

According to the data in Table 13-6, what is the minimum expected completion time for the
project?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

18
19
37
11
none of the above

ANSWER: e

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.111

According to Table 13-6, there are six activities in the project. Assume the normal distribution is
appropriate to use to determine the probability of finishing by a particular time. If you wished to
find the probability of finishing the project in 21 weeks or less, it would be necessary to find the
variance and then the standard deviation to be used with the normal distribution. What variance
would be used?
(a) 5
(b) 4
(c) 8
(d) 12
(e) none of the above
ANSWER: a

13.112

According to Table 13-6, there are six activities in the project. Assume the normal distribution is
appropriate to use to determine the probability of finishing by a particular time. What is the
probability that the project is finished in 20 weeks or less (round to two decimals)?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

0.41
0.91
0.13
0.09
none of the above

ANSWER: d
13.113

Consider a project that has an expected completion time of 50 weeks and a standard deviation of
9 weeks. What is the probability that the project is finished in 57 weeks or less (round to two
decimals)?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

0.68
0.78
0.22
0.32
none of the above

ANSWER: b

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13.114

Your company is considering submitting a bid on a major project. You determine that the
expected completion time is 150 weeks and the standard deviation is 10 weeks. It is assumed that
the normal distribution applies. You wish to set the due date for the project such that there is a 95
percent chance that the project will be finished by this time. What due date should be set?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

108.0
160.4
166.5
135.0
none of the above

ANSWER: c
The following table provides information for questions 13.115 to 13.117.
Table 13-7
Activity
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
13.115

Immediate Time
Predecessor
4
5
A
3
B
8
B
2
C, D
3
C, D
7
E, F
2

ES

EF

LS

LF

0
0
4
5
5
13
13
16

4
5
7
13
7
16
20
18

7
0
10
5
16
15
13
18

10
5
13
13
18
18
20
20

How long could activity E be delayed without delaying the completion of the project?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

7
16
11
18
none of the above

ANSWER: c
13.116

How long could activity F be delayed without delaying the project?

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

2
3
14
16
none of the above

ANSWER: a

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.117

What is the minimum possible time required for completing the project?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

14
20
17
20
none of the above

ANSWER: d
The following table provides information for questions 13.118 to 13.120.
Table 13-8
Activity
Immediate
Predecessor
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
13.118

A
A
B, C
B
D, E
G, F

Optimistic
2
2
1
5
6
12
1
1

Most
Likely
3
5
2
5
7
12
5
4

4
8
9
5
8
12
9
8

Which activities are part of the critical path?

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

A, B, E, G, H
A, C, E, G, H
A, D, G, H
B, F, H
none of the above

ANSWER: b
13.119

What is the variance of the critical path?

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

Pessimistic

5.222
4.364
1.362
5.144
none of the above

ANSWER: d

173

Average
3
5
3
5
7
12
6
4

0.333
1.000
1.330
0.000
0.333
0.000
1.333
1.167

2
0.111
1.000
1.780
0.000
0.111
0.000
1.780
1.362

Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.120

If the normal distribution were used to find the probability of finishing this project in 24 weeks or
less, what mean and variance would be used?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

20 and 5.144
23 and 5.144
23 and 5.222
20 and 4.222
none of the above

ANSWER: b
*13.121 Which of the following best presents the project defined below?

(a)

Activity
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
(b)

Predecessor
A
B
D&C
B
E
A

C
E

E
Start

(c)

G
F

(e)

(d
)

Finish

Start

Finish

Start

C
E

Start

Finish
B

none of the above

ANSWER: c

*13.122 Assume a particular activity has an optimistic time of 10 weeks, a most likely time of 12 weeks,
and an expected time of 14 weeks. What is its pessimistic time?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

12 weeks
18 weeks
26 weeks
30 weeks
none of the above

ANSWER: c
*13.123 Assume a particular activity has an expected time of 24 weeks, a pessimistic time of 30 weeks,
and a most likely time of 27 weeks. What is the optimistic time?

174

Finish

Project Management l CHAPTER 13

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

10 weeks
8 weeks
7 weeks
12 weeks
none of the above

ANSWER: e
*13.124 Assume an activity has the following times: optimistic = 10 weeks, most likely = 25 weeks,
pessimistic = 40 weeks. What is the expected time?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

10 weeks
25 weeks
40 weeks
30 weeks
none of the above

ANSWER: b
The following figure (Fig 13.1) is to be used as data for problems 13.129 13.135.
Figure 13-1
A
T=3

C
T=6

Start

F
T=4

H
T=7

E
T=5
B
T=5

D
T=4

G
T=6

*13.125 Given the network in Figure 13.1, the critical path is

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

A,C,F,H
B,D,E,F,H
A,C,E,G,H
B,D,G,E,F,H
none of the above

ANSWER: b

175

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

*13.126 Given the network in Figure 13.1, the time to complete those activities on the critical path is
expected to be
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

20
22
25
26
none of the above

ANSWER: c
*13.127 Given the network shown in Figure 13.1, assume that completion of A is delayed by two days.
What other activities are impacted?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

B
D
E
C
none of the above

ANSWER: d
*13.128 Given the network shown in Figure 13.1, assume that completion of B is delayed by two days.
What happens to the project?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

The critical path is extended by two days.

The start of activity F is delayed by two days.
The start of activity E is delayed by two days.
all of the above
none of the above

ANSWER: d
*13.129 Given the network shown in Figure 13.1, assume that the completion of activity C is delayed by
four days. What changes will take place?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)

The critical path will change to: A, C, B, D, E, F, H.

Activity F will be delayed by four days.
Activity E will be delayed by four days.
Activity G will be delayed by four days.
none of the above

ANSWER: e

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

*13.130 Given the network shown in Figure 13.1 and the following information, what is the variance of
the critical path?
Activity
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H

Expected
time
3
5
6
4
4
4
6
7

Variance
2
3
3
1
1
2
2
2

(a) 16
(b) 7
(c) 9
(d) 8
(e) none of the above
ANSWER: c
*13.131 Given the network shown in Figure 13.1, and the expected times and variance given above, what
is the probability that the project will be completed in 25 or fewer weeks?
(a) 100%
(b) 50%
(c) 66%
(d) 25%
(e) none of the above
ANSWER: b

PROBLEMS
13.132

Draw the PERT network associated with the following activities.

Immediate
Predecessor
A
A
B
B
C
D
E, F

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

ANSWER:

D
G
Start

E
A

Start

13.133

Given:
Activity

Optimistic

A
B
C
D
E
F
G

3
6
2
0.5
6
4
1

Most
Likely

Pessimistic

4
7
3
1
9
5
3

5
14
10
1.5
12
12
11

E
G
Start

D
Start

Determine:
(a) the critical path
(b) the probability that the project will be completed in 22 weeks
ANSWER:
(a) Critical path is B-E-G. Expected time is 21.
(b) Variance for critical path is 5.56, so standard deviation is 2.26. P(X 22) = 0.66.3

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.134

The following represent activities in a major construction project. Draw the network to represent
this situation.
Activity
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
ANSWER:

Immediate
Predecessor
A
B
B
C, D
E
F, G
E
G
Start

D
Start

13.135

A small software development project has five major activities. The times are estimated and
provided in the table below. Find the expected time for completing this project.
Activity
A
B
C
D
E

Immediate a
Predecessor
2

A
4
B
2
C
3

5
6
7
5
3

8
9
10
14
3

(a) What is the expected completion time for this project?

(b) What variance would be used in finding probabilities of finishing by a certain time?

179

Project Management l CHAPTER 13

ANSWER:
(a) expected completion time = 15 (Activities A-C-E)
(b) variance = 1 + 1 + 0 = 2
A

C
E
Start

Start

13.136

A project has an expected completion time of 40 weeks and a standard deviation of 5 weeks. It is
assumed that the project completion time is normally distributed.
(a) What is the probability of finishing the project in 50 weeks or less?
(b) What is the probability of finishing the project in 38 weeks or less?
(c) The due date for the project is set so that there is a 90 percent chance that the project will be
finished by this date. What is the due date?
ANSWER:

13.137

(a) P(X 50) = P(Z 2) = 0.97725

(b) P(X 38) = P(Z 0.4) = 0.34458
(c) Z-value = 1.28 Due date = 40 + 1.28(5) = 46.4

Development of a new deluxe version of a particular software product is being considered. The
activities necessary for the completion of this are listed in the table below.
Activity
A
B
C
D
E
F
G

Normal
Time
4
2
3
8
6
3
4

3
1
3
4
3
2
2

Crash Normal
Crash
Time
Cost
Cost
2000
2600
2200
2800
500
500
2300
2600
900
1200
3000
4200
1400
2000

Immediate
Predecessor
A
B
C
D,E

(a) What is the project completion date?

(b) What is the total cost required for completing this project on normal time?
(c) If you wish to reduce the time required to complete this project by one week, which activity
should be crashed, and how much will this increase the total cost?

180

Project Management l CHAPTER 13

ANSWER:
(a) Project completion time = 16 (Activities A-D-G)
(b) Total cost = $12,300
(c) Crash D one week at an additional cost of $75

Start

181

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.138

Draw the PERT network associated with the following activities.

Immediate
Predecessor
A
A
B
B
C, E
A, D
F
F
G, H, I

ANSWER:
G

B
Start

182

Finish

Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.139

Given:
Activity

Optimistic
3
6
2
6
4
1
1
2
1

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
A

Most Likely
4
7
3
9
5
3
2
5
4

Pessimistic
5
14
10
12
12
11
9
8
7

H
F

Start

E
D

Finish

Determine:
(a) the critical path
(b) the probability that the project will be completed in 22 weeks
ANSWER:
(a) Critical path is B-E-G-I.
(b) Variance for critical path is 6.33; standard deviation is 2.51. P(X 22) = 0.65

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

13.140

The following table represents activities in a major construction project. Draw the network to
represent this situation.
Activity

Immediate
Predecessor
B
B
A, C
D
E, F
B
G, H

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
ANSWER:
A

G
C

Start

Start

13.141

A small software development project has four major activities. The times are estimated and
provided in the table below. Find the expected time for completing this project.
Activity
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I

Immediatea
Predecessor
2

A
4
B
2
D
3
C
6
E, F 1
C
6
G, H 3

5
6
7
5
3
8
1
10
4

8
9
10
14
3
10
1
14
5

(a) What is the expected completion time for this project?

(b) What variance would be used in finding probabilities of finishing by a certain time?

184

Project Management l CHAPTER 13

ANSWER:
(a) expected completion time = 26
(b) variance = 3.88

(Activities A-C-H-I)

D
E

Start

Finish

C
H

13.142

A project has an expected completion time of 50 weeks and a standard deviation of 7 weeks. It is
assumed that the project completion time is normally distributed.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

What is the probability of finishing the project in 50 weeks or less?

What is the probability of finishing the project in 55 weeks or more?
What is the probability of finishing the project in 44 weeks or less?
The due date for the project is set so that there is a 90 percent chance that the project will be
finished by this date. What is the due date?

ANSWER:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
13.143

P(X 50) = P(Z 0) = 0.5000

P(X 55) = P(Z 0.71) 1 - 0.761 = 0.239
P(X 44) = P(Z 0.857) 1 - 0.804 = 0.196
Z-value = 1.28 Due date = 50 + 1.28(7) 59 days

Development of a new deluxe version of a particular software product is being considered. The
activities necessary for the completion of this are listed in the table below.
Activity
A
B
C
D
E
F
G

Normal
Time
4
5
3
8
6
3
4

Crash
Time
3
3
3
4
3
2
2

Normal
Cost

2,000
2,200
500
2,400
900
3,000
1,700

Crash
Cost

2,600
2,800
500
2,600
1,200
4,200
2,000

Immediate
Predecessor
A
B
C
D,E

(a) If you wish to reduce the time required to complete this project by two weeks, which
activity(ies) should be crashed, and how much will this increase the total cost?
(b) What would be the added cost if you wanted to complete the project in the minimum time
possible?

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Project Management l CHAPTER 13

ANSWER:
(a) Crash D one week at an additional cost of $75, and crash G one week at an additional cost
of $100.
(b) Crash D 4 weeks, G 2 weeks, E 2 weeks, A 1 weeks and B 1 week, for a total additional
cost of $1,700.
A

D
G

Start

Start
B

SHORT ANSWER/ESSAY
13.144

PERT is the acronym for

ANSWER: Program Evaluation and Review Technique

13.145

CPM is the acronym for

ANSWER: Critical Path Method

13.146

In a PERT analysis, how is the optimistic time defined?

ANSWER: the estimated time for an activity, should circumstances go as well as possible (should
have a low probability of actual occurrence)

13.147

In a PERT analysis, how is the most likely time defined?

ANSWER: the best estimate of the time it takes to complete an activity

13.148

In PERT analysis, how is the pessimistic activity time defined?

ANSWER: the estimated time for an activity, based upon unfavorable conditions (should have a
low probability of actual occurrence)

13.149

In PERT/CPM, what is meant by the critical path?

ANSWER: the series of activities in a network that have zero slack or the longest time path
through a network

186