PERT and CPM Project Scheduling for Engineering and Management

Planning and managing complex projects requires a clear, mathematical approach to scheduling, resource allocation, and risk management. This text-based course guides you through the core principles of PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) and CPM (Critical Path Method), which are essential for both professional project managers and engineering exam aspirants. You will transition from basic scheduling concepts to confidently constructing network diagrams, calculating critical paths, and optimizing project durations. By studying detailed text explanations and working through step-by-step mathematical exercises, you will develop the analytical skills needed to solve complex scheduling problems on exams or in real-world scenarios. What you'll learn: - Understand the foundational definitions of activities, events, and network rules. - Construct accurate network diagrams using both Activity-on-Node and Activity-on-Arrow conventions. - Calculate earliest and latest start/finish times to identify the critical path. - Analyze total, free, and independent float to optimize resource allocation. - Apply probabilistic time estimates in PERT to calculate project completion probabilities. - Determine optimal project crashing strategies to reduce duration at minimal cost. - Explore how these classical techniques integrate with modern digital scheduling tools. The course begins with essential terminology and the basic rules of network modeling before advancing to detailed mathematical calculations, probability analysis, and cost optimization. You will progress through structured written examples and practice problems designed to reinforce your analytical skills. This course is designed for beginners, engineering students preparing for competitive exams, and aspiring project managers who want a solid mathematical foundation in project scheduling. No prior experience with network diagrams is required. Start reading today to master the core quantitative methods of project management.