Free Practice Questions for AACE International PSP Exam

Original Completion Date (Normal Schedule):

Project completion is originally set for 03-01-04 (based on all durations and dependencies).

Slippage Details:

Activity 1001: Slipped by 10 days.

Activity 10002: Slipped by 35 days.

Remaining activities retain original durations.

Revised Completion Date Calculation:

Adjust original completion date for the cumulative slippage of 35 days (largest impact).

New completion date = 03-01-04 + 10 days = 03-11-04.

Cross-Verification with Answer Options:

Option A (02-19-04): Incorrect. Ignores slippage.

Option B (03-21-04): Incorrect. Overestimates slippage impact.

Option D (03-20-04): Incorrect. Does not align with the logical sequence.

Option C (03-11-04): Correct. Matches adjusted completion date.

References:

PSP Study Guide (2019), Section 2A – Schedule Development, Subsections on Forward and Backward Pass Calculations.

AACE Recommended Practices, RP 10S-90.

 Understand Free Float:Free float is the time an activity can be delayed without delaying the start of its immediate successor.

 Review Activity F in the Diagram:

Activity F has a successor that starts later, providing room for 2 months of free float.

 Cross-Verification:

Option A: Incorrect. Overestimates the float.

Option B: Incorrect. No float is incorrect for F.

Option C: Incorrect. 1 month is insufficient.

Option D: Correct. Matches the calculated free float for Activity F.

 Logic Organization Requirement:

Activity 6002 is required to begin 10 days after the start of Activity 6001.

A start-to-start (SS) relationship with a 10-day lag effectively captures this requirement.

 Exclusion of Other Options:

Option B: Placing the lag on Activity 6002 introduces unnecessary complexity.

Option C: Start-to-finish relationships are not appropriate for this situation.

Option D: A finish-to-start relationship does not meet the requirement of aligning start times.

 Verification with PSP Guidelines:The PSP Study Guide emphasizes using SS relationships with lags for activities that need staggered starts (Ref: PSP Study Guide, Chapter 2A: Relationships and Lags).

 Explanation of Critical Path:

A network can have multiple critical paths if multiple sequences of activities have zero float.

While it is common to have one critical path, having more than one is possible in complex projects.

 Evaluation of Other Options:

A: Remaining durations exceeding original durations can occur in updated schedules due to delays.

B: Constraints (e.g., finish-to-start, time constraints) can alter longest path calculations.

C: Multiple calendars influence total float when activities use different working days.

 Verification with PSP Guidelines:The PSP Study Guide mentions the possibility of multiple critical paths in large or complex schedules (Ref: PSP Study Guide, Chapter 2A: Critical Path Analysis).

 Understand Total Float:Total float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the project completion date.

 Review the Network Diagram and Logic:

Activity F is not on the critical path, which allows for flexibility.

Analyzing the paths and slack in the diagram confirms that Activity F has the most total float.

 Cross-Verification:

Option A: Incorrect. Activity I is on the critical path with no float.

Option B: Incorrect. Activity C is not the most flexible.

Option D: Incorrect. Activity D has limited slack.

Option C: Correct. Activity F has the maximum total float.

 Delay Analysis:

Analyzing delays contemporaneously ensures accurate understanding of their causes and effects, helping stakeholders mitigate impacts in real time.

Waiting until after the project introduces risks of incomplete or inaccurate records.

 PSP Study Guide References:

Contemporary delay analysis is highlighted as a best practice for effective delay resolution and management​.

 Conclusion: The correct answer is B, as contemporaneous analysis is the most effective way to address project delays.

 Critical Path Analysis:

Critical path activities include proofing, printing, and packaging.

Delays or baseline adherence does not alter the sequence of critical activities.

 Impact Assessment:

No additional changes occur to the baseline critical path in the given scenario.

 Cross-Verification:

Option A: Incorrect. Assumes two path changes.

Option B: Incorrect. Incorrect number of changes.

Option D: Incorrect. Overestimates critical path shifts.

Option C: Correct. Reflects no critical path changes.

 Situation Analysis:

Proofing of the product manual requires 15 additional days.

This impacts the Print Product Manual (Activity F), which is a critical path activity.

 Maintaining the Availability Date:

To prevent delays in the product release (Activity H), the additional 15 days for proofing must be offset.

Reducing the printing duration (Activity F) by 5 days ensures the schedule stays on track.

Expediting other activities like manufacturing or packaging would not directly compensate for the proofing delay.

 Cross-Verification:

Option A: Incorrect. Delaying product release impacts availability.

Option B: Incorrect. Packaging is not a direct predecessor of the product release.

Option D: Incorrect. Delaying manufacturing has no impact on proofing.

Option C: Correct. Expedites the critical path by compensating for the delay.