PMI-SP® Syllabus — Learning Objectives by Domain

Use this syllabus as your PMI‑SP® coverage checklist. Work domain-by-domain and practice immediately after each task set.

What’s covered

• Schedule Strategy (14%)
• Schedule Planning and Development (31%)
• Schedule Monitoring and Controlling (35%)
• Schedule Closeout (6%)
• Stakeholder Communications Management (14%)

Schedule Strategy (14%)

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Task 1 — Establish project schedule configuration management policies and procedures

• Define how schedule data is stored, versioned, and retrieved (naming conventions, repositories, access controls).
• Set baseline control expectations, including what constitutes a baseline change vs an update.
• Establish schedule change control workflow (requests, impact analysis, approvals, implementation, and logging).
• Maintain an audit trail so schedule changes are traceable to approvals and reasons.
• Align schedule configuration management with contractual, regulatory, and organizational requirements.
• Prepare schedule artifacts for future audits, claims, or forensic schedule analysis.

Task 2 — Develop schedule approach to define schedule requirements

• Assess project characteristics (complexity, delivery method, contract type) that influence scheduling approach.
• Identify enterprise environmental factors and organizational process assets that constrain or guide scheduling.
• Select an appropriate scheduling method (predictive, agile, hybrid, rolling wave) for the project context.
• Determine the required level of detail (activity granularity) based on reporting cadence and decision needs.
• Define schedule reporting needs, including milestone reporting, lookaheads, and performance metrics.
• Document schedule assumptions, constraints, and requirements for stakeholder agreement.

Task 3 — Establish scheduling policies and procedures to develop the schedule management plan

• Define schedule methodology, tool selection criteria, and key tool parameters (calendars, coding, constraints).
• Set variance thresholds and escalation triggers for schedule performance monitoring.
• Define activity definition and status rules so progress reporting is consistent across teams and vendors.
• Specify schedule analysis techniques to be used (critical path/float analysis, trend analysis, what-if scenarios).
• Define EVM-related scheduling rules where applicable (progress measurement, control accounts, PMB alignment).
• Establish approval requirements for baselining and for significant schedule changes.

Task 4 — Develop scheduling-related components for project management plans

• Integrate schedule development and control activities into the overall project management process.
• Align scheduling with scope planning (WBS, deliverables, acceptance criteria) and change control governance.
• Coordinate schedule and cost integration needs (cost loading, control accounts, PMB considerations).
• Incorporate scheduling needs into resource, quality, risk, and procurement management planning.
• Define schedule inputs/outputs for communications management (reports, cadence, audiences).
• Ensure plan components support consistent schedule decision-making across stakeholders.

Task 5 — Provide scheduling objectives, roles, and procedures to the team

• Communicate scheduling objectives, goals, and success criteria to project team members and stakeholders.
• Clarify the scheduler’s role and the responsibilities of activity owners in planning and status reporting.
• Explain the schedule update process (cadence, cutoffs, required data, definitions) and how issues are raised.
• Set expectations for how dependencies, constraints, and changes are proposed and approved.
• Establish routines (status meetings, lookahead planning) that support effective schedule participation.
• Promote data quality discipline so actuals and forecasts are reliable for analysis.

Schedule Planning and Development (31%)

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Task 1 — Develop the WBS, OBS, control accounts, and work packages to ensure completion of project scope

• Build a deliverable-oriented WBS that reflects the scope statement and contractual commitments.
• Define control accounts and work packages that support schedule/cost integration and governance.
• Align the WBS to the organizational breakdown structure (OBS) to clarify ownership and accountability.
• Validate decomposition level with SMEs so work is neither too vague nor unnecessarily granular.
• Use a WBS dictionary (or equivalent) to make work package boundaries and acceptance criteria clear.
• Ensure the structure supports roll-up reporting and baseline control.

Task 2 — Define activities and milestones to identify and document the work to be performed

• Decompose work packages into schedulable activities aligned to scheduling policies and procedures.
• Define milestones (internal and contractual) and specify the conditions for milestone completion.
• Document activity descriptions, deliverables, and responsible owners so status updates are meaningful.
• Apply consistent naming and coding standards to support reporting, filtering, and analysis.
• Ensure activities are measurable and can be statused using defined progress measurement techniques.
• Confirm activity granularity aligns to reporting cadence and decision needs.

Task 3 — Estimate activity durations to develop an overall schedule model

• Select estimating techniques appropriate to uncertainty and available data (analogous, parametric, three-point).
• Elicit SME input and use historical performance data to produce realistic duration estimates.
• Use PERT or three-point estimates to capture uncertainty and expected duration values where appropriate.
• Distinguish duration from effort and adjust estimates for resource availability and productivity.
• Document assumptions, constraints, and basis of estimate so estimates can be reviewed and improved.
• Validate estimates with stakeholders and refine when planning details change.

Task 4 — Sequence activities to develop a logical, dynamic schedule model

• Identify and justify dependencies (mandatory vs discretionary) and ensure they reflect real work constraints.
• Use appropriate relationship types (FS/SS/FF/SF) and apply leads/lags responsibly.
• Incorporate external and cross-program dependencies and define how they will be monitored.
• Apply constraints from calendars, geography, contracts, and approvals without breaking schedule logic.
• Validate the network so it is logically complete (no open ends) and supports critical path calculation.
• Review sequencing with SMEs to confirm feasibility and remove unrealistic logic.

Task 5 — Identify critical and near-critical path(s) to meet project delivery date requirements

• Calculate and interpret critical path and float values to identify what drives key milestone dates.
• Identify near-critical paths and assess sensitivity to delays, rework, or resource constraints.
• Use critical chain thinking where appropriate to account for resource constraints and buffering strategies.
• Use probabilistic methods (PERT, Monte Carlo outputs) to understand schedule uncertainty and confidence levels.
• Prioritize management attention and mitigation actions based on criticality and schedule risk exposure.
• Communicate critical path drivers clearly to stakeholders and activity owners.

Task 6 — Develop the RBS, determine resource availability, and assign resources to define the resource constrained schedule

• Create a resource breakdown structure (RBS) and resource pools that reflect roles, teams, and suppliers.
• Collect resource calendars, availability, productivity assumptions, and constraints from functional managers.
• Assign resources to activities and estimate effort where needed to support realistic durations.
• Identify overallocation, skill bottlenecks, and resource conflicts that affect schedule feasibility.
• Coordinate resource commitments across stakeholders to reduce planning churn and last-minute changes.
• Document resource assumptions and constraints so they are visible during decision-making.

Task 7 — Adjust schedule model to calculate the resource constrained schedule

• Apply resource leveling or smoothing to address overallocations and capacity constraints.
• Evaluate schedule compression options (crashing, fast-tracking) and their impacts on cost and risk.
• Reconcile schedule dates with budget constraints and other known limitations without breaking logic integrity.
• Recalculate the schedule and re-check critical/near-critical paths after resource and constraint changes.
• Propose alternatives (phased delivery, scope trade-offs, staffing strategies) to meet milestone deadlines.
• Document decisions and impacts so stakeholders understand why dates changed.

Task 8 — Align schedule with overall program plan or integrated master plan (IMP)

• Map project milestones and deliverables to program-level objectives and integrated master plans/schedules.
• Identify integration points and inter-project dependencies that could drive or constrain the project schedule.
• Align scheduling cadence, baseline governance, and reporting formats to program requirements.
• Participate in integrated change control so upstream/downstream impacts are evaluated consistently.
• Ensure coding and structure choices support roll-ups and cross-project visibility where required.
• Communicate schedule risks and impacts to program leadership early and clearly.

Task 9 — Analyze major milestones against the SOW/contract/MOU to assess required deadlines

• Identify contractual milestones and delivery obligations from the SOW, contract, or MOU.
• Validate that schedule assumptions, logic, and constraints support the required milestone dates.
• Compare planned milestone dates to deadlines and highlight gaps, risks, and dependencies driving them.
• Develop mitigation options or negotiation inputs when deadlines are not feasible under current constraints.
• Document the rationale and evidence behind milestone date commitments for governance and auditability.
• Escalate schedule feasibility concerns using defined thresholds and approval pathways.

Task 10 — Perform schedule risk analysis to determine milestone achievability within risk tolerances

• Identify uncertainty drivers and risk events that influence schedule performance and milestone dates.
• Build and run quantitative what-if scenarios or Monte Carlo simulations using appropriate inputs and assumptions.
• Interpret results (confidence levels, percentile dates, ranges) relative to risk tolerances and commitments.
• Identify high-impact activities and paths that most influence delivery dates and exposure.
• Recommend mitigation actions and appropriate schedule reserves/buffers based on analysis outputs.
• Communicate schedule risk results and implications in a decision-ready format for stakeholders.

Task 11 — Obtain consensus to establish an approved baseline schedule

• Facilitate stakeholder review to confirm scope coverage, logic correctness, and feasibility of dates.
• Confirm assumptions, constraints, dependencies, and milestone definitions are understood and accepted.
• Secure approvals from customer/sponsor/PM/team according to governance and contract requirements.
• Freeze and version the approved baseline schedule and preserve evidence of approval.
• Communicate baseline expectations to activity owners and stakeholders, including update cadence and thresholds.
• Define how future changes will be requested, analyzed, approved, and reflected in baselines.

Task 12 — Establish the Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB) to enable performance measurement and management

• Time-phase work and budgets so the schedule supports performance measurement at appropriate control points.
• Integrate schedule and cost baselines through control accounts and progress measurement methods.
• Define mapping between work packages and activities so earned value calculations are consistent and traceable.
• Set up progress measurement techniques suitable for the work (0/100, 50/50, percent complete, etc.).
• Validate that the PMB supports reporting needs (SV/SPI, milestone tracking, trend analysis).
• Ensure baseline configuration management supports re-baselining and historical comparisons when approved.

Schedule Monitoring and Controlling (35%)

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Task 1 — Collect activity status to update and review project progress

• Define status collection cadence, cutoffs, and required data elements for activity owners.
• Collect and validate actual start/finish dates, remaining duration, and percent complete (as applicable).
• Update the schedule model and recalculate critical path and forecast dates after status is entered.
• Identify slippage, variance trends, and near-term constraints using the updated schedule.
• Validate that reported progress is consistent with observable work and completion criteria.
• Communicate required corrective actions and ownership when progress deviates from plan.

Task 2 — Collect resource information to report utilization and availability

• Collect resource usage data and compare actual utilization to plan (hours, crews, productivity).
• Update resource calendars and future availability to keep forecasts realistic.
• Identify resource conflicts and overallocations and coordinate adjustments with functional managers.
• Adjust remaining duration and forecasts when productivity or staffing assumptions change.
• Produce utilization and availability reports that inform schedule decisions and trade-offs.
• Track resource-driven schedule risks and escalate when constraints threaten milestones.

Task 3 — Perform schedule analysis and audit to identify and report schedule status, changes, impacts, or issues

• Apply schedule quality checks (logic integrity, constraints, float health, missing links, out-of-sequence work).
• Audit subcontractor schedules for alignment with the integrated master schedule and contractual requirements.
• Identify unrealistic progress updates or planning assumptions that distort forecast dates.
• Analyze impacts of changes on milestones and critical paths and document the findings clearly.
• Recommend corrective actions (logic fixes, re-planning, resource shifts, mitigations) based on analysis.
• Preserve evidence and documentation to support traceability and potential forensic schedule analysis.

Task 4 — Identify alternative execution options to optimize the schedule

• Build what-if scenarios to compare sequencing, resourcing, and delivery strategies under constraints.
• Evaluate schedule compression options and quantify impacts on cost, quality, and risk exposure.
• Assess effects on critical and near-critical paths and on key contractual milestones.
• Recommend an option based on objective criteria and stakeholder priorities (deadline, cost ceiling, risk).
• Present alternatives with assumptions, benefits, risks, and decision points in clear stakeholder language.
• Iterate scenarios quickly as constraints change and new information emerges.

Task 5 — Incorporate approved risk mitigation activities to establish a new PMB

• Translate risk responses into scheduled activities with owners, durations, resources, and dependencies.
• Ensure mitigation activities are logic-linked so their impact on forecasts is visible and measurable.
• Route mitigation-driven changes through formal change control and obtain required approvals.
• Update the schedule and baseline (when approved) and preserve baseline history for comparison.
• Track mitigation effectiveness by monitoring changes in schedule risk exposure and milestone confidence.
• Communicate PMB changes and expectations so stakeholders understand the new plan.

Task 6 — Update schedule model and document baseline changes to maintain accuracy and support forensic analysis

• Implement approved changes and re-baseline when governance requires it, while preserving prior baselines.
• Maintain a change log with reason, approval evidence, and quantified schedule impacts.
• Store periodic schedule snapshots to support variance trending and historical analysis.
• Follow configuration management procedures so schedule artifacts are accessible and auditable.
• Support delay analysis/forensic methods by keeping records of baseline, updates, and as-built performance.
• Ensure the current schedule remains logically sound and reflects actual execution conditions.

Schedule Closeout (6%)

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Task 1 — Obtain final acceptance of the contractual schedule components

• Confirm all contractual schedule deliverables have been produced, reviewed, and accepted.
• Coordinate with sponsor/customer and the project manager to close schedule-related obligations.
• Ensure outstanding schedule changes, claims, or discrepancies are resolved or documented for closure.
• Document formal acceptance and approvals for final schedule components.
• Provide final schedule artifacts needed for transition, operations, or warranty support.
• Verify closure aligns to governance and contract closeout requirements.

Task 2 — Evaluate final schedule performance to identify lessons learned and best practices

• Compare planned vs actual milestone dates and analyze how the critical path evolved over time.
• Identify root causes of major variances (scope changes, risk events, productivity, resource constraints).
• Evaluate effectiveness of scheduling approach, tools, policies, and governance practices used.
• Gather stakeholder feedback on schedule communication, visibility, and usefulness for decision-making.
• Document actionable lessons learned and recommendations for future scheduling practices.
• Identify best practices and templates that should be reused across future projects.

Task 3 — Update organizational process assets (OPAs) to improve business processes

• Capture scheduling lessons learned with context, outcomes, and applicability for future projects.
• Update scheduling templates, checklists, coding standards, and audit routines based on findings.
• Recommend process improvements for configuration management, status reporting, and change control.
• Share reusable artifacts with the PMO and functional groups to support consistency and maturity.
• Ensure documentation is searchable, accessible, and maintained according to organizational standards.
• Close the feedback loop by confirming updates are adopted and communicated to relevant teams.

Task 4 — Distribute final schedule reports to stakeholders to facilitate project closeout

• Produce final schedule performance reporting, including milestone outcomes and variance explanations.
• Include appropriate EVM calculations and schedule variance analysis when used on the project.
• Tailor final reports to stakeholder audiences (executive summary vs detailed technical reporting).
• Document corrective actions taken and their outcomes to provide a complete closure narrative.
• Ensure reports are stored in the agreed repository and are accessible for audits or future reference.
• Confirm distribution lists and receipt of final reports per the communications plan.

Task 5 — Archive schedule files to satisfy requirements and prepare for forensic analysis

• Archive the final schedule model, schedule management plan, status reports, and schedule change log.
• Preserve baseline versions and periodic updates/snapshots so historical reconstruction is possible.
• Follow retention, security, and access control requirements for schedule records and evidence.
• Ensure archived artifacts have consistent naming/metadata to support search and retrieval.
• Validate archive completeness against contractual requirements and internal procedures.
• Prepare artifacts for potential audits, claims support, or forensic schedule analysis needs.

Stakeholder Communications Management (14%)

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Task 1 — Develop and foster stakeholder relationships to enhance support for the project schedule

• Identify schedule stakeholders and understand what each group needs to make decisions and remove blockers.
• Build trust through transparent assumptions, constraints, and consistent follow-through on commitments.
• Tailor schedule discussions to stakeholder priorities (scope, deadlines, risk, cost, compliance).
• Facilitate collaboration and resolve conflicts related to priorities, dependencies, and resource constraints.
• Use negotiation and facilitation techniques to align on feasible plans and trade-offs.
• Maintain relationship health through a consistent communication cadence and responsiveness.

Task 2 — Generate and maintain visibility of the project schedule to maintain stakeholder support

• Publish schedule views that stakeholders can actually use (milestones, Gantt summaries, lookaheads).
• Ensure the latest approved schedule is accessible and clearly versioned to avoid confusion.
• Highlight critical path drivers, near-critical risks, and upcoming decision points in visible reporting.
• Maintain visibility after changes by communicating what changed, why, and what it impacts.
• Promote accountability by linking schedule commitments to owners and measurable completion criteria.
• Use consistent formats and cadence so stakeholders can compare status over time.

Task 3 — Provide schedule status updates and impacts of corrective actions to maintain awareness

• Create executive-ready status summaries that report progress, forecast dates, and key risks succinctly.
• Explain impacts of corrective actions on milestones and critical paths (what improves, what still risks).
• Provide variance and trend insights that help leadership choose among options and trade-offs.
• Tailor level of detail and terminology to the audience while preserving accuracy and traceability.
• Document decisions, actions, and follow-ups so commitments and approvals are auditable.
• Communicate constraints and required stakeholder actions clearly when schedule recovery needs support.

Task 4 — Communicate schedule issues to elevate awareness to relevant stakeholders

• Detect schedule issues early using defined thresholds, audits, and trend indicators.
• Escalate issues with clear root cause, quantified impact, and recommended response options.
• Coordinate issue handling with risk and change control processes so responses are governed and tracked.
• Update the schedule model promptly when issue responses are approved and implemented.
• Track issue resolution progress and verify that actions reduce the expected impact.
• Maintain documentation of issues, decisions, and impacts for transparency and auditability.

Tip: If you’re stuck between two answers, choose the one that improves (1) schedule logic integrity, (2) measurement quality, and (3) governance/traceability.