The correct action is to apply resource smoothing, which delays some activities in Week 2 to earlier or later weeks. This technique is the right choice because it adjusts non-critical activities within their available float to reduce a resource peak—here, from 15 FTEs down to the 12-FTE limit—without altering the critical path or extending project duration or budget. On the CAPM exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish resource smoothing from resource leveling; the key trap is that leveling would also fix the overload but would likely change the critical path and increase duration, which the scenario explicitly forbids. A strong memory tip is to think of smoothing as “shifting within slack” to stay on schedule, while leveling “levels the load” even if it lengthens the timeline.
CAPM Practice Question: Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts
This CAPM practice question tests your understanding of project management fundamentals and core concepts. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Resource Histogram:
Week 1: 10 FTEs
Week 2: 15 FTEs
Week 3: 12 FTEs
Week 4: 8 FTEs
Total available FTEs per week: 12
Cost per FTE: $1000/week
Project budget: $50,000
Refer to the exhibit. The project manager notices that the resource histogram shows a peak of 15 FTEs in Week 2, exceeding the available 12 FTEs. The project manager needs to bring the resource usage within the limit without increasing the project duration or budget. Which action should the project manager take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Apply resource smoothing to delay some activities in Week 2 to earlier or later weeks
Resource smoothing is the correct technique because it adjusts the schedule of activities within their float to level the resource demand without changing the critical path or project duration. In this case, delaying some non-critical activities from Week 2 to earlier or later weeks reduces the peak from 15 FTEs to within the 12-FTE limit while keeping the project duration and budget unchanged.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Reduce the scope of work in Week 2
Why it's wrong here
Reducing scope changes the project deliverables and may not be acceptable.
Apply resource smoothing to delay some activities in Week 2 to earlier or later weeks
Why this is correct
Resource smoothing adjusts activities within their float to keep resource usage within limits without affecting the critical path or duration.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
PMI often tests the distinction between resource smoothing (which does not change duration) and resource leveling (which can extend duration), leading candidates to confuse the two or incorrectly assume that any resource adjustment must increase time or cost.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Resource smoothing is a technique in resource optimization that uses float (total or free) to shift activities without delaying the project's finish date. In practice, a project manager must first identify non-critical activities with available float in Week 2, then reschedule them to periods with lower demand, ensuring the critical path remains unchanged. This approach is often automated in tools like Microsoft Project or Primavera P6, where the resource leveling feature can be set to 'smooth' rather than 'level' to avoid extending the schedule.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts — This question tests Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Apply resource smoothing to delay some activities in Week 2 to earlier or later weeks — Resource smoothing is the correct technique because it adjusts the schedule of activities within their float to level the resource demand without changing the critical path or project duration. In this case, delaying some non-critical activities from Week 2 to earlier or later weeks reduces the peak from 15 FTEs to within the 12-FTE limit while keeping the project duration and budget unchanged.
What should I do if I get this CAPM question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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.
Question Discussion
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