SCM 300 Exam 3 ASU Davila 2026/2027 Practice Questions
and 100% Correct Answers
Module 9: Project Management Foundations (Questions 1–40)
1. What are the four steps of project management according to the SCM 300 course?
- A. Plan, Organize, Lead, Control
- B. Define the Project, Establish Project Priorities, Work Breakdown Structure, Track Project Progress
- C. Initiate, Plan, Execute, Close
- D. Scope, Schedule, Budget, Quality
Answer: B. Define the Project, Establish Project Priorities, Work Breakdown Structure, Track Project
Progress
Explanation: The four steps taught in SCM 300 for project management are: (1) Define the project—
objectives and deliverables, (2) Establish project priorities—cost, time, performance triangle, (3) Work
breakdown structure—break work into smaller units, and (4) Track project progress—using AON
diagrams. These steps provide a structured approach to managing any project.
2. What three elements make up the project priorities triangle?
- A. Quality, Risk, Resources
- B. Cost, Time, Performance
- C. Scope, Schedule, Stakeholders
- D. Input, Process, Output
Answer: B. Cost, Time, Performance
Explanation: The project priorities triangle consists of cost, time, and performance. These three
elements are constantly in tension—focusing more on one pushes you further away from the others.
You cannot fully optimize all three simultaneously.
,3. What are project objectives?
- A. The list of team members and their roles
- B. Measurable goals, expectations, or desired outcomes in budget, time, performance, and quality
- C. The final products delivered to the client
- D. The timeline for each task
Answer: B. Measurable goals, expectations, or desired outcomes in budget, time, performance, and
quality
Explanation: Project objectives are specific, quantifiable targets that define what success looks like. They
include measurable goals related to budget, timeline, performance standards, and quality metrics.
Objectives help guide decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.
4. What are project deliverables?
- A. The budget allocated for the project
- B. Description of services/products to be delivered, including presentations, research, physical items,
or intangible outputs
- C. The names of team members responsible for each task
- D. The project's start and end dates
Answer: B. Description of services/products to be delivered, including presentations, research, physical
items, or intangible outputs
Explanation: Deliverables are the tangible or intangible outputs produced during or at the completion of
a project. They can include presentations, data reports, physical products, software applications, or
other specified outcomes that must be delivered to stakeholders.
5. What is a project milestone?
- A. The total budget for the project
- B. The project's final completion date
,- C. A specific event in a project, such as a decision date, start of a phase, end of a phase, or deadline
- D. The list of all project risks
Answer: C. A specific event in a project, such as a decision date, start of a phase, end of a phase, or
deadline
Explanation: Milestones are significant checkpoints or events that mark important progress points in a
project. They help track progress, establish deadlines, and ensure the project remains on schedule.
Examples include key decision points, phase completions, or critical approval dates.
6. What does AON stand for in project management?
- A. Activity of Node
- B. Activity on Node
- C. Action on Network
- D. Assignment of Nodes
Answer: B. Activity on Node
Explanation: AON (Activity on Node) is a network diagramming technique where each activity in a
project is represented by a node (box or circle), and arrows show the dependencies between activities.
This visual representation helps identify the critical path, slack time, and project duration.
7. What is the critical path in an AON network diagram?
- A. The path with the most activities
- B. The longest path in terms of time through the AON network diagram
- C. The shortest path through the diagram
- D. The path with the highest cost
Answer: B. The longest path in terms of time through the AON network diagram
, Explanation: The critical path is the sequence of activities that takes the longest total time to complete
from project start to finish. This path determines the minimum possible project completion time.
Activities on the critical path cannot be delayed without delaying the entire project.
8. What is slack in project management?
- A. The amount of time an activity costs to complete
- B. The amount of time an activity or path can be delayed without impacting the length of the critical
path
- C. The amount of resources available for an activity
- D. The total project budget
Answer: B. The amount of time an activity or path can be delayed without impacting the length of the
critical path
Explanation: Slack (or float) refers to the amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the
overall project completion date. Activities on the critical path have zero slack, while non-critical activities
have positive slack, allowing for some schedule flexibility.
9. How do you calculate slack for an activity?
- A. Slack = Early Start – Early Finish
- B. Slack = Late Finish – Early Finish
- C. Slack = Late Start – Late Finish
- D. Slack = Total Duration – Critical Path Duration
Answer: B. Slack = Late Finish – Early Finish
Explanation: Slack can be calculated as Late Finish minus Early Finish, or Late Start minus Early Start. Any
activity with zero slack is on the critical path. Positive slack indicates the flexibility available for
scheduling that activity.
10. What does it mean to "crash" a project?
- A. To cancel the project entirely
and 100% Correct Answers
Module 9: Project Management Foundations (Questions 1–40)
1. What are the four steps of project management according to the SCM 300 course?
- A. Plan, Organize, Lead, Control
- B. Define the Project, Establish Project Priorities, Work Breakdown Structure, Track Project Progress
- C. Initiate, Plan, Execute, Close
- D. Scope, Schedule, Budget, Quality
Answer: B. Define the Project, Establish Project Priorities, Work Breakdown Structure, Track Project
Progress
Explanation: The four steps taught in SCM 300 for project management are: (1) Define the project—
objectives and deliverables, (2) Establish project priorities—cost, time, performance triangle, (3) Work
breakdown structure—break work into smaller units, and (4) Track project progress—using AON
diagrams. These steps provide a structured approach to managing any project.
2. What three elements make up the project priorities triangle?
- A. Quality, Risk, Resources
- B. Cost, Time, Performance
- C. Scope, Schedule, Stakeholders
- D. Input, Process, Output
Answer: B. Cost, Time, Performance
Explanation: The project priorities triangle consists of cost, time, and performance. These three
elements are constantly in tension—focusing more on one pushes you further away from the others.
You cannot fully optimize all three simultaneously.
,3. What are project objectives?
- A. The list of team members and their roles
- B. Measurable goals, expectations, or desired outcomes in budget, time, performance, and quality
- C. The final products delivered to the client
- D. The timeline for each task
Answer: B. Measurable goals, expectations, or desired outcomes in budget, time, performance, and
quality
Explanation: Project objectives are specific, quantifiable targets that define what success looks like. They
include measurable goals related to budget, timeline, performance standards, and quality metrics.
Objectives help guide decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.
4. What are project deliverables?
- A. The budget allocated for the project
- B. Description of services/products to be delivered, including presentations, research, physical items,
or intangible outputs
- C. The names of team members responsible for each task
- D. The project's start and end dates
Answer: B. Description of services/products to be delivered, including presentations, research, physical
items, or intangible outputs
Explanation: Deliverables are the tangible or intangible outputs produced during or at the completion of
a project. They can include presentations, data reports, physical products, software applications, or
other specified outcomes that must be delivered to stakeholders.
5. What is a project milestone?
- A. The total budget for the project
- B. The project's final completion date
,- C. A specific event in a project, such as a decision date, start of a phase, end of a phase, or deadline
- D. The list of all project risks
Answer: C. A specific event in a project, such as a decision date, start of a phase, end of a phase, or
deadline
Explanation: Milestones are significant checkpoints or events that mark important progress points in a
project. They help track progress, establish deadlines, and ensure the project remains on schedule.
Examples include key decision points, phase completions, or critical approval dates.
6. What does AON stand for in project management?
- A. Activity of Node
- B. Activity on Node
- C. Action on Network
- D. Assignment of Nodes
Answer: B. Activity on Node
Explanation: AON (Activity on Node) is a network diagramming technique where each activity in a
project is represented by a node (box or circle), and arrows show the dependencies between activities.
This visual representation helps identify the critical path, slack time, and project duration.
7. What is the critical path in an AON network diagram?
- A. The path with the most activities
- B. The longest path in terms of time through the AON network diagram
- C. The shortest path through the diagram
- D. The path with the highest cost
Answer: B. The longest path in terms of time through the AON network diagram
, Explanation: The critical path is the sequence of activities that takes the longest total time to complete
from project start to finish. This path determines the minimum possible project completion time.
Activities on the critical path cannot be delayed without delaying the entire project.
8. What is slack in project management?
- A. The amount of time an activity costs to complete
- B. The amount of time an activity or path can be delayed without impacting the length of the critical
path
- C. The amount of resources available for an activity
- D. The total project budget
Answer: B. The amount of time an activity or path can be delayed without impacting the length of the
critical path
Explanation: Slack (or float) refers to the amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the
overall project completion date. Activities on the critical path have zero slack, while non-critical activities
have positive slack, allowing for some schedule flexibility.
9. How do you calculate slack for an activity?
- A. Slack = Early Start – Early Finish
- B. Slack = Late Finish – Early Finish
- C. Slack = Late Start – Late Finish
- D. Slack = Total Duration – Critical Path Duration
Answer: B. Slack = Late Finish – Early Finish
Explanation: Slack can be calculated as Late Finish minus Early Finish, or Late Start minus Early Start. Any
activity with zero slack is on the critical path. Positive slack indicates the flexibility available for
scheduling that activity.
10. What does it mean to "crash" a project?
- A. To cancel the project entirely
