Free Practice Questions for AACE International PSP Exam

When planning a contractor's baseline critical path schedule for constructing a high-clearance bridge near an airport, a planner/scheduler must consider documents directly relevant to the project's execution and constraints. Here's the detailed reasoning:

Project Plans and Specifications (Option A):These documents contain the detailed design, materials, and methods necessary for construction. They are indispensable for planning the baseline critical path schedule.

Project Geotechnical Report (Option B):The geotechnical report provides critical information about soil conditions, foundational requirements, and potential challenges, which significantly influence construction sequencing and methods.

Regulations Published by the Government Aviation Agency (Option C):As the project is near an airport, these regulations will likely impose height restrictions, flight path considerations, and safety requirements. Compliance with these regulations is crucial to avoid project delays or legal issues.

Government's Report on Future High-Clearance Bridge Projects (Option D):This document provides information on future projects and does not pertain to the current construction project. It does not provide actionable data or constraints affecting the planning or execution of the baseline critical path schedule for the awarded project.

Conclusion: Option D is the least valuable document in this scenario as it does not contribute directly to the planning or scheduling of the current project.

 Activity Details (7001 - "Permanent Roads"):

Duration: 48 days in the Normal schedule.

Precedence Diagram Information: The schedule correctly reflects the logic and relationships as FS (Finish-to-Start) with successors.

 Total Float and Dates Review:

No discrepancies are provided in the diagram.

Early Start (ES) and Early Finish (EF) align with the planned duration and dependencies.

 Validation:

Total float is not specified as incorrect.

Early Finish dates, while not explicitly displayed, do not contradict the sequence.

Start-to-Start and Finish-to-Finish relationships are correctly oriented.

 Conclusion:The activity is correctly represented with a duration of 48 days.

 The Late Finish (LF) for an activity in CPM is determined by adding the activity’s duration to its Late Start (LS).

 For Activity 9004, if its Late Start is known, adding the activity’s 72-day duration gives the Late Finish date.

 References: PSP Study Guide, Section 2.2.4 – Relationships and Calculations, highlights the importance of forward and backward pass calculations to determine ES, EF, LS, and LF.

 A WBS summary activity aggregates costs of constituent activities (2001 through 2004).

 By summing the costs of activities as outlined in the schedule, the total cost for the WBS summary activity is calculated as $321,000.

 References: PSP Study Guide, Section 1.3.7 – Establish Work Breakdown Structure, elaborates on cost consolidation at WBS levels.

 Impact of Scope Definition on Cost Overruns:

Poor scope definition leads to unrealistic budgets and unforeseen changes, which significantly contribute to cost overruns.

Other factors like change management and WBS definitions are secondary contributors compared to scope inadequacy.

 PSP Study Guide References:

The guide emphasizes scope definition as a critical factor for accurate budgeting and planning​.

 Conclusion: The correct answer is D, as scope definition at the estimate stage has the most frequent and significant impact on cost overruns.

 Key to Duration Accuracy:

A specialized industry handbook offers standardized and validated task durations tailored to the specific context of petrochemical plants.

 Analysis of Options:

Option A: General industry publications may lack specificity.

Option B: Past project schedules provide insight but may not reflect the specific context or updated methodologies.

Option C: The handbook is most relevant as it is tailored to the specific project type.

Option D: Cost estimates are useful for budget alignment but not as precise for duration calculation.

 PSP Study Guide References:

The guide advises leveraging validated industry resources for project-specific accuracy in duration estimation​.

 Conclusion: The correct answer is C, as a specialized industry handbook provides the most reliable and context-specific data for duration estimation.

 Proceeding without completing environmental studies introduces compliance risks, such as legal challenges or project shutdowns. This is not a feasible method for reducing the overall completion time as it contradicts environmental regulations and ethical standards.

 Methods like subcontracting (A) or reallocating resources (B) are feasible, as they leverage resource management.

 References: PSP Study Guide, Section 1.2.3 – Stakeholder Considerations, and Section 1.3.13 – Risk and Recovery Planning, which emphasize compliance with regulations and avoiding unmanageable risks.

 Early Start Constraint:

An early start constraint specifies the earliest date on which an activity can begin, aligning with project constraints or milestones.

It is a planning input and does not dictate actual or remaining durations.

 PSP Study Guide References:

Scheduling constraints, including early start, are critical for establishing realistic schedules and milestones​.

 Conclusion: The correct answer is C, as an early start constraint refers to the planned start date of an activity.