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Interview Questions
Planning Engineer
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Question-1:
What is a Base Project Schedule?
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Answer:
A baseline is an approved program by
both parties which is used as a bench
mark to measure progress of a project.
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Question-2:
What is a Main Driver of a Project and
how you will get it?
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Answer:
A main driver consist of the major activities
that are driving the project at critical path.
To get it just go to last activity and check its
driving activity, then go to that driving
activity and mark its driving also, same goes
until you reach the first activity. This is
normally done through scheduling software
like Primavera P6, Microsoft Project etc.
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Question-3:
How many baselines are allowed in any
project and which baseline decides the
success or failure of the project?
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Answer:
A project must have minimum one
project baseline & that number can go to
unlimited. But if you find more number
of baselines that means the planning
team is quite inefficient – Avoid it! The
latest baseline defines the success or
failure of any project.
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Question-4:
What are the Key Performance
Indicators – KPI’s?
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Answer: A KPI is type performance measurement on a
particular activity where engaged. KPI’s are
defined by keeping a factor “What matter the
most”. A careful study and analysis is required to
define because it differs from organization to
organization like a critical KPI for you may not
be of nay interest of other same type
organization. It is really a diverse area. Examples
Rubber lining, Concrete Work, Machine Failures
in a Specific Duration, Plantation, Number of
hiring/firings, Training etc. etc.
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Question-5:
What you normally need to develop a
plan?
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Answer:
I need the Contract documents to understand
the scope, the schedule drawings to know
about areas, Bill of Quantity-BOQ including
cost, scheduling software access. Yes, I need to
meet my project team to know about a little
productivity rates if I don’t know in case of any
specific activity.
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Question-6:
How do you define a critical path?
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Answer:
The longest path & the minimum time
required to complete a project. A
combination of activities with total float
as zero are included all.
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Question-7:
How much duration a milestone
activity normally has?
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Answer:
Well, there are different types of
milestones are there like start milestone,
finish milestone etc. but all have ZERO
duration.
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Question-8:
What is the difference between Free Float
& Total Float?
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Answer:
Free Float - amount of time we can delay an
activity without effecting the early start date
of its successor activity. Total Float - amount
of time we can delay an activity from its
early start date without delaying the whole
project finish.
Free float may affect the start of any activity
but total float may affect the duration of
overall project.
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Question-9:
What is the difference between Change
order & Variation order Request?
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Answer:
Technically there is no such a difference.
Change order or Variation request is a change
in scope from contract but as per contract. If
you are much curious which term should be
used the better refer your contract documents.
Personally, I have heard the term Variation
Order but never seen any documentation for.
Everywhere they write a Change Order
Request.
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Question-10:
How to measure progress of a
project?
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Answer:
Normally there are three ways to measure the progress
1)-Man-hours, 2)-Cost & 3)-Quantity
My preferred method is through Man-hours as It is
more logical but I have to comply as per contractual
obligations as most of the companies prefer through
Cost.
By the way, sometimes we have to use all three methods
on a single project to get more intensive project
updated status.
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Question-11:
Have you heard about Kick of Meeting?
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Answer:
Yes, I have handled a number of Kick of Meetings on
different projects & companies. kick-off meeting is
normally the first meeting of all major Stakeholders
including the Project Manger with his team and Owner’s
representatives. Here, we discuss high level overall plans,
things like how we are going to execute and once things get
clearer as project go forward then we do rolling wave
planning.
These meetings can be conducted at new phase start during
the execution of project also.
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Question-12:
What certification & qualification you
have?
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Answer:
I am a Project Management Professional-
PMP certified from Project Management
Institute – PMI. I am a Graduate
Engineer & perusing Master in Project
Management.
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Question-13:
Do you know about CPI?
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Answer:
Yes, it’s a Cost Performance Indicator and it
evaluates the performance in the sense if the
project is under-budget, over-budgeted or
on track. The formula is for CPI is the ratio
of earned value - EV over actual costs – AC
that is CPI =EV/AC
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Question-14:
What do you know about SPI?
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Answer:
It is Schedule Performance Indicator and
indicates the performance of project
work is completed to baseline schedule. It
is calculated by dividing the earned value
by the planned value that is SPI = EV/PV
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Question-15:
What you know about Triple Constraints?
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Answer:
Cost, Time and Scope with quality as the
fundamental theme.
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Question-16:
What are undesirable in any plan?
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Answer:
Constraints, SF (Start to Finish)
relationship, Log lags or leads, Negative
Float etc.
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Question-17:
How to avoid Negative Float in a Baseline
Schedule?
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Answer:
Negative float indicates that the activity is
already delayed. Normally, a constraints is the
culprit of it. Remove all the constraints or use
proper logic -relationships to deal with
it. Also check dangling or out of
sequence activities.
During updating a schedule, a negative float
for some activities is very common. You
cannot avoid unless is going as planned.
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Question-18:
If you are reported 5 SPI, what is means? –
Real Question was Asked to me!
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Answer:
They planner has made a blunder during
calculations.
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Question-19:
What is an S Curve?
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Answer:
Graphical representation of ‘anything’
like Manhours, Cost etc. plotted against
time.
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Question-20:
What do you know about Reflection
Schedule?
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Answer:
Reflection function is always
underestimated but it is really great
feature in Primavera P6 Professional. A
Reflection program is just a copy of the
program to have a look at different
scenarios after making desirable changes.
Once satisfied just merge in the native
program.
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