PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
You are the project manager for a large infrastructure project. During a routine check, you discover that the project's SPI is 0.85 and the CPI is 0.90. The project sponsor is concerned about the schedule delay and asks you to compress the schedule without increasing costs. Which technique is BEST suited for this situation?
⚠ Common exam trap
The PMP exam often tests the distinction between fast-tracking (no cost increase, higher risk) and crashing (cost increase, lower risk), and candidates mistakenly choose crashing because it seems more direct, ignoring the cost constraint implied by the CPI.
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
✓
Fast-tracking activities on the critical path
Fast-tracking involves performing critical path activities in parallel rather than sequentially, which can compress the schedule without increasing costs. Since the project has a CPI of 0.90 (over budget) and an SPI of 0.85 (behind schedule), crashing would add costs, making fast-tracking the only schedule compression technique that does not increase costs.
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 the project
Why it's wrong here
Reducing the project scope fundamentally alters the project's deliverables and objectives, requiring a formal change request process. This approach is not a typical schedule compression technique but rather a redefinition of what the project will achieve, which must be formally approved by the sponsor and stakeholders. It may also lead to a failure in meeting the original business need, making it a high-impact decision beyond just schedule adjustment.
- ✓
Fast-tracking activities on the critical path
Why this is correct
Fast-tracking involves performing critical path activities or phases in parallel that would normally be done sequentially. This technique can shorten the overall project duration without necessarily incurring additional direct costs, as it primarily resequences work. However, fast-tracking inherently increases project risk due to potential rework, communication challenges, and quality issues arising from overlapping dependencies.
- ✗
Apply resource leveling to smooth resource usage
Why it's wrong here
Applying resource leveling aims to optimize resource allocation to avoid over-allocation and smooth resource usage across the project timeline. While beneficial for resource management and preventing burnout, resource leveling often extends the project schedule because it prioritizes resource availability over the earliest possible completion dates. Therefore, it is counterproductive when the primary objective is to compress the schedule.
- ✗
Crashing the critical path by adding more resources
Why it's wrong here
Crashing the critical path involves adding or expediting resources to shorten the duration of critical activities, such as authorizing overtime, adding more staff, or paying for expedited delivery. This method almost invariably increases project costs due to the additional resources or premium payments required. Given a constraint against increasing project costs, crashing would be an unsuitable and non-viable schedule compression technique in this scenario.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PMP 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 PMP exam.