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Exam Review

Key Facts: AACE PSP Exam

100 Qs

Free Practice Questions

OpenExamPrep

119 MCQ + Memo

AACE PSP Format

AACE International

RP 29R-03

Forensic Schedule Analysis

AACE International

RP 52R-06

Time Impact Analysis

AACE International

RP 49R-06

Identifying the Critical Path

AACE International

The current AACE PSP exam allows five hours for 36 Planning questions, 83 Scheduling questions, and one Communication memo. AACE publishes a 70% overall average passing standard, two experience/education eligibility routes, and three-year maintenance through 12 CEUs in at least two categories or re-examination. Use the current Candidate Handbook for logistics and the official PSP Study Guide scope for technical preparation.

Sample AACE PSP Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the AACE PSP exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1What does WBS stand for in project planning, and what is its primary purpose?
A.Work Baseline Schedule — a list of activities used as the project baseline
B.Work Breakdown Structure — a deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the total project scope into smaller, more manageable work packages
C.Weekly Budget Summary — a financial reporting tool
D.Workforce Balancing System — a resource leveling technique
Explanation: The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the total project scope into smaller components. The lowest level is the work package, which can be reliably estimated and scheduled. AACE RP 24R-03 (Project Planning) treats the WBS as the foundation for cost, schedule, and resource integration.
2In a Work Breakdown Structure, what is the lowest level of decomposition called?
A.Activity
B.Work package
C.Deliverable
D.Control account
Explanation: The lowest level of the WBS is the work package — the point at which scope, cost, and duration can be reliably estimated and managed. Activities are then derived from work packages during schedule development. Control accounts sit higher in the WBS as the formal points where scope, schedule, and budget are integrated for management control.
3What does the OBS (Organizational Breakdown Structure) define on a project?
A.The hierarchy of project deliverables
B.The hierarchy of organizational units responsible for performing the work, used to assign accountability and integrate with the WBS to form control accounts
C.The list of equipment and materials required
D.The sequence of project activities
Explanation: The Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS) maps the people and units performing the work. Crossing the OBS with the WBS produces control accounts — the integration points where responsibility, scope, schedule, and budget meet. This intersection is fundamental to performance measurement systems described in AACE RP 24R-03.
4What is a Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) used for?
A.A hierarchy of project risks
B.A hierarchical list of resources by category and type used for planning, estimating, and reporting resource usage
C.A breakdown of customer requirements
D.A list of regulatory requirements
Explanation: The Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) groups required resources hierarchically — for example, labor by trade, equipment by type, and materials by category. It supports resource loading the schedule, building histograms, and rolling up cost. Note that 'RBS' can also refer to a Risk Breakdown Structure depending on context, but in PSP planning it is most commonly the resource hierarchy.
5Which AACE Recommended Practice provides guidance on Forensic Schedule Analysis?
A.RP 14R-90
B.RP 24R-03
C.RP 29R-03
D.RP 49R-06
Explanation: AACE RP 29R-03 'Forensic Schedule Analysis' is the definitive industry guide for analyzing schedule delays after the fact. It catalogs nine implementations grouped as observational versus modeled, additive versus subtractive, and contemporaneous versus modified or retrospective. PSP candidates must recognize 29R-03 as the forensic baseline document.
6In Critical Path Method (CPM), how is Total Float calculated for an activity?
A.TF = LS - ES (or equivalently LF - EF)
B.TF = ES - LS
C.TF = EF + LF
D.TF = Duration - Lag
Explanation: Total Float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed from its early start without delaying project completion. It equals Late Start minus Early Start, or equivalently Late Finish minus Early Finish (TF = LS − ES = LF − EF). Activities with TF = 0 are on the critical path. AACE RP 49R-06 'Identifying the Critical Path' uses this definition.
7How is Free Float calculated between a predecessor activity and its successor in a Finish-to-Start relationship with a lag?
A.FF = LF_predecessor - EF_predecessor
B.FF = ES_successor - EF_predecessor - lag
C.FF = LS_successor - ES_predecessor
D.FF = Duration_successor - Duration_predecessor
Explanation: Free Float is the time an activity can be delayed without delaying the early start of any successor. For an FS relationship: FF = ES_successor − EF_predecessor − lag. Free float is always less than or equal to total float and is used to identify activities whose delay does not consume float on downstream activities.
8Activities A (5 days) → B (10 days) → C (4 days) form a single chain with FS relationships and no lags. What are the Early Start (ES) and Early Finish (EF) of activity C, assuming the project starts on day 0?
A.ES = 14, EF = 18
B.ES = 15, EF = 19
C.ES = 9, EF = 13
D.ES = 10, EF = 14
Explanation: Using the day-numbering convention (project start at day 0): A: ES=0, EF=5; B: ES=5, EF=15; C: ES=15, EF=19. Forward pass propagates EF of the predecessor as the ES of the successor in an FS relationship with no lag. Total project duration is 19 days.
9What does a backward pass through a CPM network calculate?
A.Early Start and Early Finish dates
B.Late Start and Late Finish dates by working backward from the project finish using the latest allowable dates
C.Total cost of each path
D.Resource demand by period
Explanation: The backward pass starts at the project finish (or imposed finish constraint) and propagates Late Finish (LF) and Late Start (LS) values upstream through predecessor relationships. Together with the forward pass, it enables calculation of Total Float (TF = LS − ES) and identification of the critical path (TF = 0).
10Which set of relationships is supported by Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) but NOT by Arrow Diagramming Method (ADM/AOA)?
A.Finish-to-Start only
B.Start-to-Start, Finish-to-Finish, Start-to-Finish, and Finish-to-Start with leads or lags
C.Mandatory and discretionary dependencies
D.External and internal dependencies
Explanation: PDM (Activity-on-Node) supports four relationship types — Finish-to-Start (FS), Start-to-Start (SS), Finish-to-Finish (FF), and Start-to-Finish (SF) — and allows leads and lags. ADM/AOA (Activity-on-Arrow) supports only Finish-to-Start relationships and often requires dummy activities to model logic. PDM is the dominant network technique in modern scheduling software.

About the AACE PSP Exam

The AACE Planning and Scheduling Professional credential assesses experienced practitioners across Conduct Planning Duties, Conduct Scheduling Duties, and Communication Competency. The current exam has 119 simple and scenario multiple-choice questions plus one memo.

Exam sponsor: AACE International. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

36 Planning questions + 83 Scheduling questions + 1 Communication memo

Time Limit

5 hours maximum

Passing Score

70% or higher overall average across the three scored domains

Exam / Certification Fees

USD 525 AACE member / USD 690 non-member / USD 260 resit

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: Not publicly disclosed by AACE International. Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

36 of 119 multiple-choice questions

Conduct Planning Duties

Planning inputs, considerations, scope, goals, phases, breakdown structures, estimate, baseline, forecasts, and risk/recovery planning.

83 of 119 multiple-choice questions

Conduct Scheduling Duties

Schedule inputs, activities, durations, relationships, calendars, loading, quality, baseline maintenance, control, analysis, forecasts, reports, and recovery.

1 memo assignment

Communication Competency

A concise business memo explaining an issue, impact, alternatives, analysis, recommendation, and decision handoff.

Preparing for the AACE PSP Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 70% or higher overall average across the three scored domains
  • Assessment: 36 Planning questions + 83 Scheduling questions + 1 Communication memo
  • Time limit: 5 hours maximum
  • Exam / certification fees: USD 525 AACE member / USD 690 non-member / USD 260 resit Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

AACE PSP: Suggested Study Strategy

1Start with the current PSP Candidate Handbook and official Scope of Knowledge; do not rely on obsolete 56/29/34 question-part descriptions.
2Study RP 14R-90 and RP 10S-90, then use RP 39R-06 for project planning and RP 24R-03 for developing activity logic.
3Master CPM date conventions, relationship endpoints, forward/backward passes, total float, free float, constraints, calendars, and path tracing by hand.
4Practice translating estimate quantities, production rates, resources, procurement, and stakeholder interfaces into credible schedule inputs.
5Study baseline, status, change, forecast, and recovery as separate control concepts; RP 54R-07 concerns Recovery Scheduling.
6Treat RP 29R-03 as non-prescriptive technical guidance whose application depends on contract, facts, law, and records.
7Practice one-page memos that cover the issue, impact, supplied alternatives, analysis, recommendation, and decision handoff.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the current AACE PSP eligibility requirements?

AACE currently requires either eight years of industry-related experience, or four years of industry-related experience plus a four-year industry-related college degree. Candidates must also adhere to AACE’s Canons of Ethics.

What is the current AACE PSP exam format?

The five-hour closed-book exam contains 119 simple and scenario multiple-choice questions—36 in Conduct Planning Duties and 83 in Conduct Scheduling Duties—plus one Communication Competency memo.

What score is required to pass the AACE PSP exam?

AACE states that the three domain scores are averaged and an overall average of 70% or higher is required. Final results are released only as pass or fail.

How much does the AACE PSP exam cost?

As checked October 4, 2026, AACE lists USD 525 for members, USD 690 for non-members, and a USD 260 resit fee. Fees should be reconfirmed on the official PSP page before applying.

What should the PSP memo contain?

AACE’s Certification Board recommends a traditional one-page business memo that states the issue and impact, discusses the alternatives in the prompt, analyzes them, recommends an action, and hands the final decision to the recipient.

How long is the PSP certification valid?

The PSP credential is valid for three years. AACE currently requires 12 CEUs in at least two categories or re-examination for recertification.

Which AACE resources should PSP candidates use?

Use the current PSP Candidate Handbook for logistics, the official PSP Certification Study Guide scope for tested planning and scheduling topics, RP 14R-90 and RP 10S-90 as AACE-recommended references, and other Recommended Practices as supporting technical guidance.