P6 & MS Project Proficiency Flashcards

In MS Project, what is the result of setting a task's 'Task Type' to 'Fixed Work' and then changing its duration?

Answer: Duration changes and Work stays constant, so resource Units adjust automatically

With Fixed Work, the amount of work is locked, so changing duration forces MS Project to recalculate the resource units needed to complete that fixed amount of work.

In P6, which export format is most commonly used to transfer a schedule between P6 and other scheduling software while preserving logic, resources, and calendars?

Answer: XER (Primavera Exchange Format)

The XER format is P6's native exchange file that preserves project data including activity relationships, resource assignments, calendars, and codes for import into another P6 instance or compatible tool.

In MS Project, what does the 'Critical' field (Yes/No) indicate for a task?

Answer: The task has zero or negative total float and lies on the longest path to the project finish

MS Project marks a task as Critical when its total float is at or below the 'Tasks Are Critical If Slack Is Less Than Or Equal To' threshold (default = 0), meaning any delay extends the project.

In P6, what is the difference between 'Budgeted Units' and 'Remaining Units' for a resource assignment?

Answer: Budgeted Units reflect the baseline plan; Remaining Units reflect the forecast to complete the unfinished work

Budgeted Units are the planned resource hours at baseline, while Remaining Units are the current estimate of hours still needed to finish the activity.

Which MS Project feature enables a project manager to link two separate project files so their timelines and dependencies are visible in a single consolidated view?

Answer: Master Project / Subproject insertion

Inserting project files as subprojects into a Master Project file creates a consolidated schedule view that shows all tasks and allows cross-project dependency linking.

In P6, what does enabling 'Out-of-Sequence Progress' as 'Progress Override' mean for an in-progress activity whose predecessor is not yet complete?

Answer: P6 ignores the predecessor constraint and allows the activity to progress based solely on reported actuals

Progress Override ignores open predecessor logic for in-progress activities, allowing the schedule to reflect actual progress without being held back by incomplete predecessors.

In MS Project, what is the purpose of the 'Deadline' field on a task, and how does it differ from a 'Must Finish On' constraint?

Answer: Deadline is a soft target that displays a marker and negative float warning without forcing the schedule; Must Finish On is a hard constraint that locks the date

A Deadline is a non-constraining target that shows a marker on the Gantt and generates a missed-deadline indicator without altering schedule calculations, while Must Finish On hard-pins the task date.