CAPM Practice Question: Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts
A project team is working on a software development project. The project manager notices that the team is spending too much time on unplanned work, resulting in delays to the critical path. What technique should the project manager use to reduce unplanned work and improve focus?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse schedule compression techniques (crashing, fast tracking) with schedule protection techniques, failing to recognize that unplanned work requires a buffer-based approach like CCPM rather than simply accelerating planned activities.
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
✓
Implement critical chain project management.
Critical chain project management (CCPM) is specifically designed to protect the critical path from disruptions like unplanned work by inserting buffers (e.g., feeding buffers, project buffer) and enforcing a 'relay race' work ethic. This technique reduces multitasking and focuses the team on completing tasks in priority order, directly addressing the root cause of delays from unplanned work.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Apply crashing to the critical path activities.
Why it's wrong here
Crashing adds resources to speed up, but doesn't reduce unplanned work.
- ✗
Perform resource leveling to smooth resource usage.
Why it's wrong here
Resource leveling may delay the project, not reduce unplanned work.
- ✗
Use fast tracking to overlap activities.
Why it's wrong here
Fast tracking may increase rework and unplanned work.
- ✓
Implement critical chain project management.
Why this is correct
Critical chain focuses on resource constraints and buffers, reducing unplanned work.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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