CAPM Practice Question: Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts
A project manager is estimating the duration of an activity. The optimistic estimate is 4 days, the pessimistic is 12 days, and the most likely is 6 days. Using the PERT three-point estimate, what is the expected duration?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often mistakenly use a simple average (add all three and divide by 3) instead of the weighted PERT formula, leading them to choose 7.33 days.
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
✓
6.67 days
The PERT three-point estimate formula is (Optimistic + 4×Most Likely + Pessimistic) / 6. Plugging in the values: (4 + 4×6 + 12) / 6 = (4 + 24 + 12) / 6 = 40 / 6 = 6.67 days. This weighted average gives more influence to the most likely estimate, providing a realistic expected duration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
6.67 days
Why this is correct
Correct PERT calculation: (4 + 4*6 + 12)/6 = 6.67.
- ✗
12 days
Why it's wrong here
This is the pessimistic estimate.
- ✗
7.33 days
Why it's wrong here
This would be the simple average.
- ✗
6 days
Why it's wrong here
This is the most likely estimate.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This CAPM question is part of Courseiva's 487-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on CAPM
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A project manager is estimating activity durations. The team provides three estimates: optimistic 10 days, pessimistic 20 days, most likely 14 days. Using the PERT beta distribution, what is the expected duration?
medium- A.14 days
- B.14.67 days
- C.15 days
- ✓ D.14.33 days
Why D: PERT expected = (O + 4M + P)/6 = (10 + 4*14 + 20)/6 = (10 + 56 + 20)/6 = 86/6 = 14.33 days.
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.