PERT

Q.1 In PERT technique, the time estimate of activities and probability of their
occurrence follow

A. Binomial distribution
B. Normal distribution
C. Poisson distribution
D.  -distribution
[ESE-2020]

Q.2 Slack time in PERT analysis

A. Can never be greater than zero

B. Is always zero for critical activities
C. Can never be less than zero
D. Is minimum for critical events
[ESE-2016]

Q.3 It is estimated than an activity can be assigned an optimistic duration of 16

days, a pessimistic duration of 28 days and a most likely duration of 19 days.
What is the expected duration for this activity?

A. 20 days
B. 19 days
C. 22 days
D. 18 days
[ESE-2015]

Q.4 A linear project is split into six identical activities, each having a, m and b
durations of 4, 8 and 10 days, which results in the standard deviation of the
duration for the complete project being X1 days. As an alternative attempt at
project planning, the earlier-split six activities are clubbed as (1st and 2nd), (3rd
and 4th) and (5th and 6th), thus needing to consider only three (now-modified)
activities; and the standard deviation of the duration for the complete project is
now reported as X2 days. What will be the ratio X2/X1?

A. 2/3
 B. 7/6
C. 5/6
D. 1
[ESE-2013]

Q.5 A father, notes that his teenage son uses the telephone. He takes no less
than 5 minutes for a call and sometimes as much as an hour. 20 minutes calls
are more frequent than calls of any other duration. Considered as a PERT
activity a phone call’s expected duration in minutes is

1
A. 20
6

1
B. 22
6

1
C. 24
6

1
D. 26
6

[ESE-2013]

Q.6 Which one of the following relates to determination of critical path in

PERT?

A. Event-oriented slack
B. Activity-oriented slack
C. Event-oriented float
D. Activity-oriented float
[ESE-2013]

Q.7 The Optimistic Time (O), Most likely Time (M) and Pessimistic Time (P)
(in days) of the activities in the critical path are given below in the format O-M-
P. The expected completion time (in days) of the project is
The expected completion time (in days) of the project is _______.

[GATE-2016]

Q.8 What are the different time estimates of an activity and explain how these
time estimates helps in determining the expected time of activity.

[IFS 2015]

Q.9 Differentiate between CPM and PERT.

[IFS 2012]

Differentiate between CPM (critical path method) and PERT.

[IFS 2013]

Q.10 Determine the expected time in weeks for each path of a PERT network
for a construction project. Also compute project completion time, the optimistic
time estimate, most likely time estimate and pessimistic time estimate are
indicate respectively on each activity in the diagram.

[IFS 2001]
Q.11 For data of a small project given below, draw the network diagram and
determine the project completion time based on ‘Expected Time’:

Activity Time(in weeks)

Preceding Succeeding Most likely Optimistic Pessimistic
Event Node Event Node
No. No.
1 2 25 20 36
1 3 28 20 36
2 4 40 30 50
2 5 30 24 48
3 6 16 8 24
4 8 8 4 12
5 7 20 10 30
6 7 20 16 24
7 8 8 4 12

If it is desired to complete the project in 84 weeks, draw a table showing the

Original early event time, late event time and slack and Revised early event
time, late event time. Draw the revised network diagram.

[CSE-2007]

Q.12 What is the difference between CPM and PERT in network analysis?

[CSE-2009]

Q.13 Define PERT and discuss its significance. Explain different time estimates
used in PERT.

[CSE-2015]

Q.14 Define ‘optimistic time estimate’, ‘pessimistic time estimate’ and ‘most
likely time estimate’. Explain how beta distribution is suitable for pert analysis.

[CSE-2018]
Q.15

Identify the critical path in the network as shown in figure and determine the
project completion time. The duration in weeks.

[ESE MAINS 2019]

Q.16 Briefly answer the following:

Differentiate between ‘Optimistic time estimate’ and ‘Pessimistic time

estimate’.

[ESE MAINS 2017]

Q.17 In PERT network, how is the “expected time” of completion of an activity

related to most likely optimistic and the pessimistic times of completion of that
activity?

[ESE MAINS 2014]

Q.18 In a small project, three activities, A, B and C, are on the critical path.
Their optimistic, most likely and pessimistic time durations (weeks) is given
below:

Activity Optimistic Most likely Pessimistic

duration duration duration
A 6 8 11
 B 4 6 8

C 11 15 18

Assuming that the non-critical activities are completed within the time:

(i) What is the probability that the project can be completed in 29 weeks?
(ii) What is the probability that the project can be completed in 27 weeks?

For a probability of 10%, 20% and 30% the Z values may be taken to be –1.26,
–0.84 and –0.53, respectively.

[ESE MAINS 2013]