International Project Management Association (IPMA) Practice Exam

Which activity should be prioritized when implementing crashing?

1. Crash activities with the longest durations

2. Crash activities on the critical path

3. Crash activities with the highest costs

4. Crash any activities at random

The correct answer is: Crash activities on the critical path

When implementing crashing in project management, the primary focus should be on crashing activities on the critical path. The critical path consists of the sequence of tasks that directly determines the project's overall duration; shortening any of these tasks will lead to a reduction in the project's completion time. By prioritizing the crash activities on the critical path, you ensure that you are effectively addressing the areas of your project that will yield the most significant impact on timely delivery. Crashing these activities helps to minimize delays and meet project deadlines, making it a strategic approach to time management in projects. While crashing activities with the longest durations might seem reasonable, not all long-duration activities are on the critical path, and affecting those not critical may not change the project's end date. Similarly, focusing on activities with the highest costs does not necessarily correlate with effective time reduction and may lead to unnecessary expenses without significant benefit. Randomly crashing activities could disrupt the project flow and is unlikely to produce a coherent strategy for managing time effectively. Thus, focusing on the critical path ensures that you are making the most impactful decisions regarding project timelines.