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2.2.5

Domain 2 of 3 · Process · task

Schedule management on the PMP® exam

Scheduling for the PMP starts with choosing the kind of schedule that fits the project, and only then gets to float and dates. A network diagram serves a predictive project, a velocity-based release forecast serves an agile one, and a hybrid project often runs both; how the exam outline spreads its items across those approaches is on predictive, agile and hybrid.

Exam
PMP
Domain
Process
Domain weight
41%
Packages
14
Updated
Oct 13, 2026

01The task, read as a scheduler's job description

The outline's task for this topic is to plan and manage the schedule, and its enablers run like a checklist: plan the schedule to suit the approach, coordinate it with other projects and operations, estimate with milestones, dependencies and story points, lean on benchmarks and historical data, then baseline it, run it and analyze variation (PMI® Examination Content Outline, paraphrased). PMI weights only the domain, Process at 41% as of October 2026; spread evenly over its ten tasks, schedule management comes to about 4.1% of the exam. That share is our estimate, and the task borrows heavily from its neighbors.

Predictive work leans on the network: activities, dependencies, the critical path and float, and durations built from three-point estimates. Agile work swaps the network for a ranked backlog, relative sizing and measured throughput, and the artifacts behind that are on agile estimation and artifacts. Hybrid projects mix the two, typically a fixed milestone sitting at the end of iterative work.

Schedule performance measured in money, schedule variance and the schedule performance index (SPI), is part of earned value management. The neighboring Process task, quality management, competes for the same calendar: reviews and tests take schedule time, and cutting them is how a compressed plan buys itself rework.

02Four schedule terms that get swapped

Resource leveling
Reshuffles activities so demand fits the resources you actually have. It may push work, critical work included, to later dates, so the finish date can move. Reach for it when the resource limit is the hard constraint.
Resource smoothing
Evens out peaks in demand using only the float that already exists. The critical path and the end date stay put, which also means it cannot clear every overallocation.
Schedule baseline
The approved version of the schedule that progress is measured against. It changes only through change control.
Schedule forecast
Your current best estimate of when the work will finish, based on progress so far. It can move every week without touching the baseline.

03Float is the room smoothing works in

Fig. 1 · gantt
012345Sign lease addendumRun network cablingOrder furnitureAssemble furnitureMove weekendwk
A five-week office move. Lease, cabling and the move weekend form the critical path (green); the furniture chain has one week of float, and that week is all the room smoothing gets.

04Float, crashing and forecasts

Network tables, crash costs and velocity data all turn up in this set, alongside one plain call about which document holds the answer.

Work packages 14

  1. WP 01Historical data for a work package shows one extreme outlier. Which estimating approach and documentation practice yields the most reliable result?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AThe lowest value is the most optimistic data point, and omitting assumptions leaves nobody able to judge the estimate.
    2. BOne extreme outlier drags an average, and a flat 10% padding hides the uncertainty rather than stating it.
    3. CThrowing away usable history wastes the best evidence available; one outlier is a reason to handle it, not to discard everything.
    4. DCorrect: the median resists the outlier, the parametric rate uses the remaining history, and a documented range shows the uncertainty.
  2. WP 02A project is behind schedule. The team must compress the schedule by 6 days at minimum cost. Activities A, B, and C can be crashed. Given the table, which combination achieves the target at lowest cost?

    Exhibit for WP 02

    ActivityNormal DurationCrash DurationCost per Day
    A10 days7 days$2,000
    B8 days5 days$1,500
    C12 days9 days$3,000

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AC is the most expensive at $3,000 a day: 3 x 3,000 + 3 x 1,500 = $13,500.
    2. BA can be crashed only 3 days (10 to 7), so 6 days on A is not possible.
    3. CCorrect: use the cheapest days first: B 3 days x 1,500 = 4,500, then A 3 days x 2,000 = 6,000, for 6 days at $10,500.
    4. DB can be crashed only 3 days (8 to 5), so it cannot supply all 6.
  3. WP 03Backlog grew and team capacity dropped. Fixed market date is approaching. What is the best action?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AThe market date is fixed, so extending the timeline gives up the constraint the release has to meet.
    2. BMoving the committed date unilaterally abandons the fixed constraint without exploring what scope can still be delivered.
    3. CForecasts should rest on measured velocity; an arbitrary cut is no more accurate than the old figure.
    4. DCorrect: with the date fixed, scope is the variable. Agree with the product owner which items move out, and set a trigger to reforecast if velocity keeps falling.
  4. WP 04A project team has been using velocity as a metric to forecast completion dates for their iterative project. After several iterations, they notice that velocity is consistently lower than initially estimated. What should the project manager do to improve forecast accuracy?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AOvertime may raise output briefly but is not sustainable and distorts velocity.
    2. BLowering quality to go faster creates technical debt and rework.
    3. CCorrect: forecast from empirical data; observed velocity from completed iterations predicts future throughput better than initial estimates.
    4. DHolding to initial estimates despite actual data keeps forecasts knowingly wrong.
  5. WP 05In a construction project, review the following table to determine the duration of the critical path, considering the listed tasks and their dependencies.

    Exhibit for WP 05

    TaskDependencyDuration (Weeks)
    Site PreparationNone2
    Foundation LayingSite Preparation3
    FramingFoundation Laying4
    Electrical WorkFraming2
    PlumbingFraming3
    Interior FinishingElectrical Work, Plumbing2

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. A10 weeks leaves out part of the longest chain: site preparation, foundation, framing, plumbing and interior finishing.
    2. B11 weeks follows electrical work (2 + 3 + 4 + 2) and leaves out interior finishing; plumbing is also longer than electrical.
    3. C8 weeks is shorter than site preparation, foundation and framing alone (9 weeks), so it cannot be the critical path.
    4. DCorrect: site preparation 2 + foundation 3 + framing 4 + plumbing 3 + interior finishing 2 = 14 weeks; plumbing (3) is longer than electrical (2), so it sets the path.
  6. WP 06Schedule contingency was allocated via Monte Carlo. Which release rule set best governs contingency use?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. ARelease on request alone has no objective criteria and drains contingency early.
    2. BA 50% consumption rule is arbitrary and unrelated to whether risks actually occurred.
    3. CReleasing at any delay uses the buffer for normal variation instead of the identified risks.
    4. DCorrect: contingency is tied to identified risks, so release it only when a risk trigger is confirmed or a mitigation proves effective.
  7. WP 07A project manager needs to deliver a complex project with fixed deadlines. The team has identified that some activities will take longer than initially estimated. Which schedule compression technique involves performing activities in parallel that would normally be done in sequence?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AResource leveling adjusts start dates to resource limits; it does not overlap activities.
    2. BAdjusting leads and lags can tighten logic, but the technique for running sequential work in parallel is fast tracking.
    3. CCrashing adds resources to shorten activities rather than overlapping them.
    4. DCorrect: fast tracking runs normally sequential activities in parallel, trading time for added rework risk.
  8. WP 08A project manager is planning the schedule for a complex project. Which technique helps identify the sequence of activities that determines the project duration and any potential delays?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AMonte Carlo simulation models the range of possible finish dates; it does not by itself define the driving sequence.
    2. BResource leveling resolves resource conflicts rather than identifying the driving sequence.
    3. CRolling wave planning details near-term work progressively; it does not find the longest path.
    4. DCorrect: the critical path method finds the longest path of dependent activities, which sets the minimum project duration.
  9. WP 09During project execution, the team discovers that a critical deliverable is behind schedule. Using the critical path method, what is the BEST action to take?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AThe critical path is a result of the network logic; it cannot be redefined to exclude a late activity.
    2. BCorrect: when a critical activity slips, compress it, by overlapping work or adding resources, after weighing the added risk and cost.
    3. CAdding scope makes the delay worse.
    4. DLowering quality standards is not an acceptable way to recover time.
  10. WP 10A project has completed 40% of its planned work and has spent $120,000 of its $250,000 budget. The planned value (PV) at this point is $100,000. What is the project's Schedule Performance Index (SPI)?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. A0.83 is EV / AC, which is the CPI, not the SPI.
    2. B0.48 relates spend to total budget, which is not a schedule measure.
    3. CCorrect: EV = 40% × $250,000 = $100,000, and SPI = EV / PV = $100,000 / $100,000 = 1.0, so the project is on schedule.
    4. D1.2 divides AC by PV; actual cost belongs in cost measures, not in SPI.
  11. WP 11You are managing a construction project that depends on the timely delivery of specialized equipment. To prevent potential delays due to supplier logistical issues, you need to determine when and where each piece of equipment is scheduled to be delivered and used on-site. Which project document should you consult to gather this information?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AThe risk management plan defines how risks are managed, not when equipment is delivered or used.
    2. BCorrect: the project schedule shows when each activity and its resources are needed, so it tells you when equipment must arrive.
    3. CThe stakeholder register lists people and their interests, not delivery timing.
    4. DThe procurement management plan describes how purchasing is done, not the dates each item is needed.
  12. WP 12What is the formula to calculate Schedule Variance (SV) in Earned Value Management?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. APV − EV reverses the sign, so a project behind schedule would show a positive variance.
    2. BAC − PV mixes cost and plan and is not an earned value measure.
    3. CEV − AC is cost variance, not schedule variance.
    4. DCorrect: SV = EV − PV; a negative result means less work has been earned than planned by this date.
  13. WP 13Evaluate the EVM data provided in the table. Determine the project's current schedule status and identify the most cost-effective activity to crash.

    Exhibit for WP 13

    WBS ElementPlanned Value (PV)Earned Value (EV)Actual Cost (AC)Critical Path StatusCrash Cost / Day
    Foundation$1000$1000$1200Critical$500
    Framing$2000$1500$1500Critical$300
    Plumbing$1500$1000$1000Non-Critical$100
    Electrical$500$500$400Critical$400

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. APlumbing is cheapest per day but non-critical; crashing it does not shorten the project.
    2. BSPI = EV / PV = 4,000 / 5,000 = 0.80, not 1.25, and Plumbing is not on the critical path.
    3. CElectrical is critical but costs $400 a day, more than Framing at $300.
    4. DCorrect: SPI = 4,000 / 5,000 = 0.80, behind schedule. Of the critical activities, Framing has the lowest crash cost at $300 a day.
  14. WP 14A team builds the network shown in the exhibit. All dependencies are finish-to-start. What is the project duration, and how much total float does activity C have?

    Exhibit for WP 14

    ActivityDuration (days)Starts after
    A5-
    B4A, plus a 3-day lag
    C6A
    D3B and C

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. A14 days ignores the 3-day lag: without it A-B-D takes 12 days and A-C-D 14, but the lag pushes A-B-D to 15.
    2. BCorrect: A-B-D runs 5 + 3 (lag) + 4 + 3 = 15 days and A-C-D runs 5 + 6 + 3 = 14, so C can slip 1 day before it delays D.
    3. CThe duration is right, but C's path is a day shorter than A-B-D, so C has 1 day of float and is not critical.
    4. D18 days adds all four durations end to end; B and C run in parallel after A, so the project takes 15 days.

Open a row to answer. Keys: 1–4 or A–D answer, N opens the next row.

05Dates you can stand behind

The outline asks for a schedule coordinated with other projects and with operations, and that is the part a single-project scheduling tool hides. A retailer's systems team may face a change freeze from November into January; a plant may stop for maintenance two weeks a year; a shared test lab may be booked by another program for the whole of March. Each of those is a constraint on your dates, whatever your network says.

Put them in the schedule as constraints or external dependencies with a named owner on the other side, and check them again whenever either plan moves. A milestone that depends on another team's delivery is only as firm as that team's schedule.

A simulated forecast adds a second question: which date to commit. A P50 date is as likely to be missed as met; a P80 date still leaves one simulated run in five finishing late. The right commitment depends on how much schedule risk the sponsor is willing to carry, so ask, then quote the date together with its confidence level and the assumptions behind it. The gap between the two dates is the schedule reserve that buys the extra confidence. How the simulation produces those levels is on expected monetary value.