CAPM Predictive Plan-Based Methodologies Practice Question
A project has a critical path duration of 45 days. Activity X on the critical path can be crashed by 3 days at an additional cost of $500 per day. Activity Y, a non-critical activity with 10 days of float, can also be crashed by 3 days at $600 per day. The project manager wants to reduce the project duration by 3 days at minimum cost. What should the project manager do?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Crash Activity X by 3 days for $1,500
Crashing Activity X on the critical path directly reduces the project duration. Option B is wrong because crashing Activity Y does not reduce the overall project duration since it has float. Option C is wrong because crashing both is unnecessary and more expensive. Option D is wrong because crashing a non-critical activity does not affect the critical path.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Crash Activity X by 3 days for $1,500
Why this is correct
This reduces the critical path by 3 days at the lowest cost.
- ✗
Crash both activities by 3 days for $3,300
Why it's wrong here
Unnecessary and more expensive; only crashing the critical path is needed.
- ✗
Crash Activity Y by 1 day for $600 and Activity X by 2 days for $1,000
Why it's wrong here
Crashing Activity Y provides no duration reduction; this approach is inefficient.
- ✗
Crash Activity Y by 3 days for $1,800
Why it's wrong here
Crashing a non-critical activity with float does not reduce project duration.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CAPM practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CAPM exam.