Free PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) Practice Question
A project manager is using the PERT technique to estimate the duration of a critical activity. The optimistic estimate is 10 days, and the pessimistic estimate is 22 days. What is the standard deviation for this activity?
The correct answer is 2 days. The standard deviation in PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) is calculated using the formula: σ = (Pessimistic - Optimistic) / 6. In this case, we have:
σ = (22 - 10) / 6 = 12 / 6 = 2 days
This calculation is important because it helps project managers understand the variability in their estimates. A higher standard deviation indicates more uncertainty in the activity duration. In this case, a standard deviation of 2 days suggests a moderate level of uncertainty in the estimate.
The other answers are incorrect because they either use the wrong formula or misapply the given information. For example, 4 days would result from not dividing by 6, while 1 day and 3 days are arbitrary values that don't correspond to the correct calculation.
Learn More
AI Generated Content may display inaccurate information, always double-check anything important.
What are the optimistic and pessimistic estimates in PERT?
Why is standard deviation important in project management?
What is PERT and how is it used in project management?
This question's topic:
PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) /
Process
Report Issue
Oh snap!
Loading...
Loading...
Join premium for unlimited access and more features