Schedule Control

5 minutes 5 Questions

Schedule Control is the process of monitoring and controlling the project schedule during project execution to ensure that project activities are completed within the planned timeframes. This process involves tracking the actual progress of project activities, comparing them with the planned schedu…

Guide to Schedule Control according to the PMBOK Guide Seventh Edition

The concept of Schedule Control, according to the PMBOK Guide Seventh Edition, is a crucial aspect in Project Time Management.

Importance: Schedule Control forms an adaptation plan if the project schedule changes. It helps in keeping the project aligned with its planned schedule, or if necessary, adjusting it. This is important to ensure on-time project completion and to prevent cost overruns.

Concept: Schedule Control involves analyzing the status and progress of a project, and managing changes to the schedule baseline. It requires the use of various tools and techniques including schedule network analysis, critical path method, schedule compression, and performance reviews.

Working: Schedule Control starts with performance measurement, where actual progress is compared with the planned schedule. This results in the identification and quantification of variances, i.e., differences between actual and scheduled performance. The corrective actions are then identified and implemented to adjust the project schedule.

Exam Tips: Questions on Schedule Control often test your ability to evaluate project performance information and use appropriate scheduling tools. You will be expected to understand and analyze variances and to propose corrective actions. It would help to familiarize yourself with tools like schedule network analysis, critical path method, etc. Also, remember the process of schedule control - Measure performance, Identify variance, Determine corrective actions, and Implement the plan.

Test mode:

Exam (Timed)

Practice (With explanations)

Start practice test

PMP - Schedule Control Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Schedule Control

Question 1

During a project, the project manager notices that the team is consistently completing activities behind schedule due to frequent changes in project requirements. What should the project manager do to improve schedule control?

Maintain the original project schedule without any modifications. Implement strict penalties for team members for schedule deviations. Regularly review and adjust the project schedule to accommodate changes in project requirements. Update the project schedule only at major project milestones.

Correct Answer: Regularly review and adjust the project schedule to accommodate changes in project requirements.

The best answer is to regularly review and adjust the project schedule to accommodate changes in project requirements. Frequent changes in project requirements can significantly impact the project timeline. By regularly reviewing and adjusting the schedule, the project manager can adapt to these changes and keep the project on track. Updating the project schedule only at major milestones is not sufficient, as it may not address the ongoing changes in requirements that are causing delays. Maintaining the original project schedule without modifications would ignore the reality of the changing requirements and lead to further delays and potential project failure. Implementing strict penalties for team members is not an effective solution, as the schedule deviations are caused by external factors (changes in requirements) rather than individual performance issues. This approach could also negatively impact team morale and productivity.

Question 2

While managing a digital transformation project, you realize that due to unforeseen technical complexities, the development tasks are taking significantly longer than planned. This has resulted in the project falling behind schedule. As the project manager, what is the best action to take to control the schedule?

Notify stakeholders about the delays and request an extension for the project timeline. Extend the team's working hours to accelerate task completion and meet the original schedule. Analyze the delays and update the project schedule to reflect new deadlines. Analyze the schedule variances and implement corrective actions to mitigate delays.

Correct Answer: Analyze the schedule variances and implement corrective actions to mitigate delays.

As a project manager facing delays due to unforeseen technical complexities, the best course of action is to analyze the schedule variances and implement corrective actions to mitigate delays. This aligns with standard project management practices, where identifying the root causes of delays and taking proactive steps to address them is essential for bringing the project back on track. Simply updating the schedule to reflect new deadlines without attempting to rectify the issues does not control the schedule but merely acknowledges the delays. Requesting an extension from stakeholders without first trying to implement corrective actions may not be well-received and could reflect poorly on project management. Extending the team's working hours could lead to burnout and reduced productivity, and should only be considered after evaluating all other options.

Question 3

The process of monitoring and controlling the project schedule to ensure timely completion of project activities is known as _______ Control.

Time Duration Schedule Activity

Correct Answer: Schedule

The correct answer is 'Schedule Control'. Schedule Control is a crucial process in project management that involves monitoring and controlling the project schedule to ensure timely completion of project activities. This process includes tracking progress, comparing actual performance to the planned schedule, and making necessary adjustments to keep the project on track. 'Time Control' is not the correct term used in project management for this process. While time is a factor in scheduling, the specific term used is 'Schedule Control'. 'Activity Control' focuses more on individual tasks rather than the overall project timeline. While activities are part of the schedule, this term is not comprehensive enough to describe the entire process of monitoring and controlling the project schedule. 'Duration Control' refers more to managing the length of individual activities rather than the overall project schedule. While duration is an important aspect of scheduling, it does not encompass the full scope of schedule control.

🎓 Unlock Premium Access

Project Management Professional + ALL Certifications

🎓 Access to ALL Certifications: Study for any certification on our platform with one subscription
Earn 35 PDUs needed for your PMP certification
10338 Superior-grade Project Management Professional practice questions
Unlimited practice tests across all certifications
Detailed explanations for every question
PMP: 5 full exams plus all other certification exams
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed: Full refund if unsatisfied
Risk-Free: 7-day free trial with all premium features!

Start Your Free 7-Day Trial