CompTIA Project+ Practice Test

During the planning phase, how should a project manager ensure task scheduling is correct?

1. Advise the SME that the work must be completed in less than 120 hours.

2. Consult with others on the team for their estimates.

3. Further decompose the task to no more than 80 hours.

4. Increase the estimate to ensure work is completed on time.

The correct answer is: Further decompose the task to no more than 80 hours.

To ensure that task scheduling is correct during the planning phase, further decomposing a task to a more granular level of detail—such as breaking it down into segments of no more than 80 hours—helps in enhancing the accuracy of estimates and making it easier to assign and monitor progress. This approach allows for a better understanding of the work involved, potential challenges, and resource allocation. By segmenting larger tasks into smaller components, the project manager can facilitate clearer communication and increase accountability, as well as identify risks at a more manageable level. When tasks are broken down, team members can provide more accurate estimates of how long each segment will take, leading to increased confidence in the overall project timeline. Smaller tasks can also be tracked individually, making it easier to identify delays or issues early and adjust workloads or timelines accordingly. Options that suggest arbitrary time limits, such as advising a subject matter expert on a maximum number of hours needed for completion, do not consider the realistic scope of work and may lead to rushed or compromised results. Simply consulting with team members for their estimates can enhance accuracy but does not provide the proactive, structured approach of further decomposing tasks. Increasing estimates to ensure work completion can create a false sense of security, potentially leading to complacency and overlooking