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Unit 12: Use a PERT analysis to estimate task durations - Practice Quiz

INT416 — Software Project Management Laboratory 60 Questions
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1 What does PERT stand for?

About the PERT analysis Easy
A. Project Estimation and Reporting Tool
B. Program Execution and Resource Tracking
C. Project Evaluation and Risk Testing
D. Program Evaluation and Review Technique

2 What is the main purpose of a PERT analysis?

About the PERT analysis Easy
A. To assign employees to departments
B. To calculate software license costs
C. To estimate uncertain task durations
D. To design the project interface

3 Which three duration estimates are normally used in PERT?

About the PERT analysis Easy
A. Planned, actual, and remaining
B. Optimistic, expected, and pessimistic
C. Daily, weekly, and monthly
D. Minimum, maximum, and completed

4 What does the optimistic duration represent?

About the PERT analysis Easy
A. The time needed under favorable conditions
B. The time needed under difficult conditions
C. The time already spent on the task
D. The time needed under normal conditions

5 What does the pessimistic duration represent?

About the PERT analysis Easy
A. The time recorded before planning
B. The time needed under ideal conditions
C. The time needed under unfavorable conditions
D. The time assigned to project meetings

6 Why does PERT use more than one duration estimate?

About the PERT analysis Easy
A. To create several versions of each task
B. To assign multiple managers to a task
C. To divide every task into three phases
D. To account for uncertainty in task duration

7 Which estimate describes the duration most likely to occur under normal conditions?

About the PERT analysis Easy
A. Expected duration
B. Remaining duration
C. Optimistic duration
D. Pessimistic duration

8 What are the default PERT weights for optimistic, expected, and pessimistic estimates?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Easy
A. , , and
B. , , and
C. , , and
D. , , and

9 Which formula represents the default PERT duration calculation?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Easy
A.
B.
C.
D.

10 Which duration estimate has the greatest influence when the default PERT weights are used?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Easy
A. Optimistic estimate
B. Remaining estimate
C. Expected estimate
D. Pessimistic estimate

11 A task has optimistic, expected, and pessimistic durations of , , and days. What is its default PERT duration?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Easy
A. days
B. days
C. days
D. days

12 A task has optimistic, expected, and pessimistic durations of , , and days. What is its default PERT duration?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Easy
A. days
B. days
C. days
D. days

13 A task has an optimistic duration of days, an expected duration of days, and a pessimistic duration of days. What is the default PERT duration?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Easy
A. days
B. days
C. days
D. days

14 What should be entered before calculating a PERT duration for a task?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Easy
A. Three completion dates
B. Three duration estimates
C. Three resource names
D. Three project budgets

15 If all three PERT estimates are days, what is the default weighted duration?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Easy
A. days
B. days
C. days
D. days

16 What is the effect of increasing the weight of the pessimistic estimate?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Easy
A. The result always becomes the expected duration
B. The result moves closer to the optimistic duration
C. The result ignores all duration estimates
D. The result moves closer to the pessimistic duration

17 What happens when the optimistic, expected, and pessimistic estimates are given equal weights?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Easy
A. They contribute equally to the result
B. Only the expected estimate is used
C. Only the optimistic estimate is used
D. Only the pessimistic estimate is used

18 Which set of weights makes the optimistic estimate more influential than the other estimates?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Easy
A. Optimistic , expected , pessimistic
B. Optimistic , expected , pessimistic
C. Optimistic , expected , pessimistic
D. Optimistic , expected , pessimistic

19 Why might a project manager change the default PERT weights?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Easy
A. To remove every dependency from the schedule
B. To reflect a different level of confidence in each estimate
C. To convert all tasks into project milestones
D. To change the names of all project resources

20 With custom weights of , , and , what type of calculation is performed?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Easy
A. An equal arithmetic average
B. A pessimistic-only estimate
C. A default weighted estimate
D. An optimistic-only estimate

21 A project manager is uncertain whether a task will take 5, 8, or 17 days depending on conditions. Why is PERT analysis suitable for estimating this task?

About the PERT analysis Medium
A. It removes uncertainty by fixing the task at 8 days
B. It calculates duration entirely from the assigned resource cost
C. It selects only the shortest available duration estimate
D. It combines optimistic, expected, and pessimistic duration estimates

22 A task has an optimistic estimate of 10 days, an expected estimate of 7 days, and a pessimistic estimate of 14 days. What should the project manager review first?

About the PERT analysis Medium
A. The pessimistic estimate is greater than the expected estimate
B. The expected estimate is less than the pessimistic estimate
C. The three estimates are expressed in the same time unit
D. The optimistic estimate is greater than the expected estimate

23 Using the default PERT weights, what is the calculated duration for a task with optimistic, expected, and pessimistic estimates of 4, 7, and 16 days?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Medium
A. 10 days
B. 9 days
C. 8 days
D. 7 days

24 A task has estimates , , and days. What duration will the default PERT calculation produce?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Medium
A. 10 days
B. 12 days
C. 11 days
D. 9 days

25 Using the traditional PERT approximation, what is the standard deviation of a task whose optimistic and pessimistic estimates are 4 and 16 days?

About the PERT analysis Medium
A. 1 day
B. 3 days
C. 4 days
D. 2 days

26 Task A has estimates of 5, 8, and 11 days, while Task B has estimates of 2, 8, and 20 days. What can be concluded about their uncertainty?

About the PERT analysis Medium
A. Both tasks have equal uncertainty because each uses three estimates
B. Both tasks have equal uncertainty because their expected values match
C. Task B has greater uncertainty because its estimate range is wider
D. Task A has greater uncertainty because its optimistic value is higher

27 Two sequential tasks have PERT estimates and days. Using default weights, what is their combined estimated duration?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Medium
A. 15 days
B. 13 days
C. 12 days
D. 14 days

28 After PERT durations are calculated in Project, why should the project manager review the critical path again?

About the PERT analysis Medium
A. Critical tasks are always assigned the pessimistic duration estimate
B. The critical path is determined only by optimistic task estimates
C. Calculated durations can change task finish dates and critical status
D. PERT automatically deletes every dependency in the existing schedule

29 A project manager enters three duration estimates for several tasks but does not run the PERT calculation. What is the most likely result?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Medium
A. Every task receives its pessimistic estimate
B. Every task receives its optimistic estimate
C. Project immediately averages all entered estimates
D. The existing task durations remain unchanged

30 A task's default PERT duration is 9 days. Its optimistic estimate is 3 days and its expected estimate is 8 days. What is its pessimistic estimate?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Medium
A. 20 days
B. 19 days
C. 18 days
D. 17 days

31 If the optimistic, expected, and pessimistic weights are changed to 2, 3, and 1, which formula should be used for estimates , , and ?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Medium
A.
B.
C.
D.

32 A task has estimates , , and days. What is its duration when the weights are changed to 2, 3, and 1?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Medium
A. 10 days
B. 8 days
C. 7 days
D. 9 days

33 A manager changes the PERT weights to 1, 1, and 1. What does this change mean?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Medium
A. All three duration estimates contribute equally
B. Only the expected duration contributes to the result
C. The pessimistic estimate receives four times the weight
D. The optimistic estimate is excluded from the result

34 For estimates , , and , how does an equal-weight result compare with the default PERT result?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Medium
A. It is unchanged
B. It is 2 days higher
C. It is 1 day lower
D. It is 1 day higher

35 A project has a high risk of supplier delays. Which weighting change would make calculated durations more sensitive to pessimistic estimates?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Medium
A. Give the expected estimate all of the available weight
B. Increase the optimistic weight relative to the other weights
C. Remove the pessimistic estimate from the calculation
D. Increase the pessimistic weight relative to the other weights

36 A manager changes Project's PERT weights before recalculating a selected group of tasks. What practice supports consistent interpretation of the results?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Medium
A. Use a different time unit for each of the three estimates
B. Document the selected weights and the reason for using them
C. Replace every pessimistic estimate with the expected estimate
D. Remove all task dependencies before running the calculation

37 For estimates , , and , what duration results from weights of 1, 2, and 3?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Medium
A. 9 days
B. 8 days
C. 8.5 days
D. 7.5 days

38 A task has estimates , , and . What duration results from custom weights of 3, 2, and 1?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Medium
A. 8 days
B. 7 days
C. 10 days
D. 9 days

39 Weights of 1, 4, and 1 are replaced by 2, 8, and 2 without changing the task estimates. How will the calculated duration change?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Medium
A. It will equal the expected estimate
B. It will be doubled
C. It will be halved
D. It will remain unchanged

40 A task has estimates , , and . What duration is produced using custom weights of 1, 1, and 2?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Medium
A. 9.25 days
B. 8.25 days
C. 8.75 days
D. 9.75 days

41 A task has optimistic, expected, and pessimistic estimates of 6, 10, and 20 days. Which interpretation of the PERT duration is most accurate?

About the PERT analysis Hard
A. It is the duration that has exactly a 50% probability.
B. It is a weighted estimate rather than a guaranteed completion time.
C. It is a contractual duration that already includes every possible scheduling, resource, and calendar risk.
D. It is the latest date by which the task must finish.

42 Using Project's default PERT weights, what duration is calculated for a task with optimistic, expected, and pessimistic estimates of 5, 11, and 23 days?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Hard
A. 14 days
B. 11 days
C. 13 days
D. 12 days

43 A task's default-weighted PERT duration is 15 days. Its optimistic estimate is 7 days and its pessimistic estimate is 23 days. What expected estimate was entered?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Hard
A. 15 days
B. 14 days
C. 16 days
D. 13 days

44 A project has two parallel paths. Path A contains serial tasks with estimates and days. Path B contains one task with estimates days. Using default PERT weights and ignoring calendars and constraints, what is the expected project duration?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Hard
A. 15 days
B. 13 days
C. 12 days
D. 14 days

45 Tasks X and Y both have a default PERT duration of 10 days. X has estimates , while Y has . Under the classical PERT variance approximation, which conclusion is correct?

About the PERT analysis Hard
A. X has twice Y's variance.
B. X has four times Y's variance.
C. Both tasks have equal variance.
D. Y has four times X's variance.

46 One serial path has an expected duration of 20 days and a total PERT variance of 5 days squared. Under the normal approximation, what is the approximate probability that the path finishes within 23 days?

About the PERT analysis Hard
A. Approximately 0.75
B. Approximately 0.84
C. Approximately 0.91
D. Approximately 0.98

47 For a fixed serial path, the optimistic, expected, and pessimistic durations of every task are added separately and the default PERT formula is then applied to the three totals. How does this result compare with calculating each task's PERT duration first and then adding the results?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Hard
A. The aggregate method is always more optimistic.
B. The results agree only when all tasks have identical three-point estimates and use the same calendar.
C. The two results are equal before rounding.
D. The task-level method is always more pessimistic.

48 Project uses a five-day working week. A task is entered with optimistic days, expected working week, and pessimistic days. What is its default-weighted PERT duration after conversion to working days?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Hard
A. 7 working days
B. 6 working days
C. 4 working days
D. 5 working days

49 A task is mistakenly entered with optimistic, expected, and pessimistic values of 12, 8, and 20 days. What is the most defensible conclusion after default PERT calculation?

Perform a PERT analysis by using the default weights for duration estimates Hard
A. The formula refuses the values because optimistic duration must be the smallest estimate.
B. The formula automatically sorts the estimates into ascending order before applying the default weights.
C. The formula returns exactly 8 days because the expected estimate has the greatest weight.
D. The formula returns about 10.67 days, but the estimate labels should be corrected.

50 Project is configured with custom optimistic, expected, and pessimistic weights of 2, 3, and 1. What duration results from estimates of 5, 9, and 17 days?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Hard
A. 9 days
B. 11 days
C. 8 days
D. 10 days

51 Which custom PERT weight set satisfies Project's requirement that the optimistic, expected, and pessimistic weights total 6?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Hard
A.
B.
C.
D.

52 A task has estimates days. The optimistic weight is fixed at 1, all three weights must total 6, and the desired weighted duration is 12 days. Which expected and pessimistic weights achieve this?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Hard
A. and
B. and
C. and
D. and

53 A task has an expected estimate of 8 days and a pessimistic estimate of 20 days. If one unit of weight is moved from the expected estimate to the pessimistic estimate while the total remains 6, by how much does the PERT duration change?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Hard
A. It increases by 2 days.
B. It increases by 6 days.
C. It increases by 1 day.
D. It increases by 12 days.

54 Task X has estimates and Task Y has . Which statement correctly compares default weights with pessimistic-heavy weights ?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Hard
A. Y is longer under both weight sets.
B. Y is longer by default, but X becomes longer because increasing the pessimistic weight always favors tasks with smaller optimistic estimates.
C. X is longer under both weight sets.
D. X is longer by default, but Y is longer with pessimistic-heavy weights.

55 Parallel paths A and B have aggregate estimates and days. Which path is longer under default weights, and which is longer under custom weights ?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Hard
A. A under default; B under custom
B. B under both weight sets
C. B under default; A under custom
D. A under both weight sets

56 A task's three estimates are 6, 9, and 15 days. Can nonnegative custom weights totaling 6 produce a weighted duration of 16 days?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Hard
A. No, because a weighted average cannot exceed 15 days.
B. No, because custom weighting can produce only integer durations.
C. Yes, by assigning negative weight to the optimistic estimate and compensating with a larger expected weight.
D. Yes, by assigning all six units to the pessimistic estimate.

57 What is the mathematical effect of using custom weights for every task?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Hard
A. The calculated duration includes uncertainty through the optimistic and pessimistic ranges.
B. The calculated duration equals the expected estimate.
C. The calculated duration equals the pessimistic estimate.
D. The calculated duration becomes the simple three-point average.

58 A task was calculated with default PERT weights and now has a duration of 10 days. The user changes the PERT weights but does not run the PERT calculation again. What should be expected?

Perform a PERT analysis by changing the way Project weights duration estimates Hard
A. The duration changes immediately when the weight dialog closes.
B. The duration is recalculated automatically only for tasks currently on the critical path.
C. The duration remains 10 days until PERT is recalculated.
D. The duration changes only after the project file is reopened.

59 Why can a path with a smaller expected PERT duration still present a substantial schedule risk compared with the path identified as critical by expected durations?

About the PERT analysis Hard
A. Critical-path calculations ignore task durations and select the path containing the greatest number of activities.
B. PERT automatically makes every noncritical path critical after resource leveling.
C. A smaller expected duration implies that its pessimistic estimate must also be smaller.
D. Its variance may be large enough to create a meaningful probability of overrun.

60 Before replacing task durations through a PERT calculation, a manager saves a project baseline. Which statement best describes the value and limitation of this action?

About the PERT analysis Hard
A. It converts the deterministic schedule into a full simulation containing probability distributions for resources, costs, calendars, and dependencies.
B. It preserves the three-point estimates but automatically discards every previously entered constraint.
C. It locks all current durations and causes the PERT calculation to update only baseline fields.
D. It preserves baseline values for comparison but does not prevent current durations from changing.
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