MHIC Scheduling and Project Management — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A contractor uses a Gantt chart to plan a kitchen renovation. What does a Gantt chart primarily display?
- The budget allocation for each phase of work
- The sequence and duration of project tasks over a timeline (Correct answer)
- The organizational hierarchy of workers on the job
- The square footage breakdown of each work area
Correct answer: The sequence and duration of project tasks over a timeline
A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that displays project tasks along a timeline, showing each task's start date, duration, and end date. It allows a contractor to visualize the entire project schedule at a glance.
Question 2: Which scheduling method identifies the longest sequence of dependent tasks that determines the minimum possible project completion time?
- Gantt chart analysis
- PERT analysis
- Critical Path Method (CPM) (Correct answer)
- Float time scheduling
Correct answer: Critical Path Method (CPM)
The Critical Path Method (CPM) identifies the longest chain of dependent tasks — the critical path — whose combined duration sets the earliest possible project completion date. Any delay on the critical path delays the entire project.
Question 3: In project scheduling, 'float' (also called 'slack') refers to:
- Contingency money held in reserve for cost overruns
- The amount of time a task can be delayed without delaying the overall project completion date (Correct answer)
- The overlap period when two subcontractors work in the same area simultaneously
- The difference between the original bid price and the actual project cost
Correct answer: The amount of time a task can be delayed without delaying the overall project completion date
Float (or slack) is the scheduling flexibility available to a non-critical task — the amount of time it can slip without pushing back the project's final completion date. Tasks on the critical path have zero float.
Question 4: When a client requests additional work not included in the original contract scope, a contractor should:
- Perform the work as a goodwill gesture to maintain the client relationship
- Obtain a signed change order documenting the scope and price before proceeding (Correct answer)
- Absorb the cost if it is less than 10% of the original contract value
- Stop all work until an entirely new contract is negotiated
Correct answer: Obtain a signed change order documenting the scope and price before proceeding
Any change to the original contract scope must be documented in a written change order, signed by both parties, before the additional work begins. This protects the contractor's right to be paid for the extra work and prevents scope creep disputes.
Question 5: A 'punch list' in construction project management is:
- The list of subcontractors scheduled to be paid at project completion
- A log of OSHA safety violations recorded during the project
- A list of remaining deficiencies or incomplete items to be corrected before final acceptance (Correct answer)
- The original scope of work described in the signed contract
Correct answer: A list of remaining deficiencies or incomplete items to be corrected before final acceptance
A punch list is a document created near project completion listing items that do not conform to contract specifications or that remain incomplete. The contractor must address all punch list items before the owner grants final acceptance and releases final payment.
Question 6: When scheduling subcontractors for a bathroom renovation, which sequence correctly reflects standard construction order?
- Painting → Tile installation → Plumbing rough-in → Drywall
- Plumbing rough-in → Electrical rough-in → Drywall → Tile → Painting (Correct answer)
- Drywall → Plumbing rough-in → Tile installation → Electrical rough-in
- Tile installation → Drywall → Plumbing rough-in → Painting
Correct answer: Plumbing rough-in → Electrical rough-in → Drywall → Tile → Painting
Rough-in work (plumbing and electrical) must be completed and inspected before walls are closed with drywall. Finish work — tile, then painting — comes last. Reversing this order forces costly tear-outs to access hidden systems.
MHIC Scheduling and Project Management
A contractor uses a Gantt chart to plan a kitchen renovation.
What does a Gantt chart primarily display?