Cambridge A Level Information Technology (ICT): Project management (9626) – Practice Questions

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, for revision and practice on this content. They are not reproduced past-paper questions, and they do not replicate the exam’s exact structure, question count or mark tariffs – examination boards hold copyright in their own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers from your board or school.

These questions cover topic 15, Project management (sections 15.1–15.3) of the Cambridge International AS & A Level Information Technology 9626 syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027 (version 3). This is A Level only content. The syllabus states that Paper 3 (Advanced Theory) questions are based on sections 12–21, and calculators are not allowed in Paper 3, so every calculation here is done by hand. All questions can be answered on paper.

Learn the content first with the study guide and the revision notes. The course hub is Cambridge A Level IT, the 9626 checklist lists every outcome, and a free diagnostic shows where to start.

Questions

1. A gym chain plans a project to introduce a members’ mobile app. State three things that should be identified during project initiation. [3]

2. The gym app project has been approved.

(a) Describe what happens during the project planning stage. [2] (b) Explain why a review is conducted when the project closes. [3]

3. During execution of the gym app project, the manager monitors the project.

(a) Describe how progress is monitored against time, cost and quality. [3] (b) State one way the manager reports progress to stakeholders. [1]

4. A design agency has staff in three different cities. Compare desktop and web-based project management software for this agency. [4]

5. Describe how project management software supports:

(a) the allocation of resources [2] (b) communication. [2]

6. An activity in a project network has an earliest start time of day 6, a duration of 4 days and a latest finish time of day 13.

(a) Calculate the float of the activity. [1] (b) The activity starts 2 days late. Explain the effect on the project’s finish date. [2]

7. A shop is building a new website. Its Gantt chart is shown below (■ = planned work, ◆ = milestone).

Task	Wk 1	Wk 2	Wk 3	Wk 4	Wk 5	Wk 6	Wk 7	Wk 8
W1 Write content	■	■	■
W2 Take photos		■	■
W3 Build pages				■	■	■
W4 Set up hosting				■
W5 Test site							■	■
W6 Launch								◆

(a) State the tasks being worked on in week 2. [1] (b) State how long the project is planned to take. [1] (c) W5 cannot start until W3 is finished. At the end of week 5, only one-third of W3 is complete. Explain the effect on the project. [3] (d) Give one disadvantage of a Gantt chart for managing this project. [1]

8. Describe these components of a PERT chart:

(a) a work breakdown structure (WBS) [2] (b) a milestone [1] (c) a dependency. [1]

9. A team is developing a mobile app. The activities are:

Activity	Duration (days)	Depends on
P Plan	3	–
Q Design interface	4	P
R Write server code	7	P
S Write app code	5	Q
T Test	3	R, S
U Write user guide	2	Q
V Launch	1	T, U

(a) Describe the PERT chart for this project, listing every arrow. [2] (b) Calculate the earliest start and finish time of each activity and state the minimum project duration. [3] (c) Calculate the float of R and of U. [2] (d) State the critical path. [1] (e) R takes 3 days longer than planned. Explain the effect on the project. [2]

10. Explain how a project manager can use critical path analysis for:

(a) authorising work [2] (b) costings [2] (c) allocating resources. [2]

11. A software company with teams in two countries is deciding whether to use collaborative, web-based project management software for its projects. Evaluate this decision. [8]

Answers

1. Any three, one mark each: objectives [1]; resources required [1]; success criteria [1]; stakeholders and their needs; project scope; a high-level schedule. [3] Examiner insight: “State” needs only the item named; three items from the same idea (three different objectives) count once.

2. (a) Resources are planned in detail: who does each task, with which equipment, at what cost. [1] Tasks are scheduled: each task’s duration and dependencies are set and start and end dates fixed, for example in a Gantt chart. [1] (b) To check whether the objectives and success criteria were met [1]; to compare actual time and cost with the plan [1]; to record what went well or badly so future projects are planned better. [1] [5] Examiner insight: High-level schedules belong to initiation; a planning answer must describe detailed, task-level work to score.

3. (a) Time: actual progress is compared with the schedule, such as on a Gantt chart. [1] Cost: actual spending is compared with the budget. [1] Quality: deliverables are tested against agreed standards. [1] (b) Regular progress reports or meetings with the client. [1] [4] Examiner insight: Each of time, cost and quality needs its own point; a single sentence about “checking progress” covers only one.

4. Web-based software is accessed through a browser from any city, whereas desktop software is installed on one computer. [1] Web-based gives all three offices one live version of the plan; desktop files must be sent between offices and can go out of date. [1] Desktop works without internet access; web-based needs a reliable connection. [1] Web-based usually has ongoing subscription fees and data held by a third party; desktop keeps data on the agency’s own computer. [1] [4] Examiner insight: “Compare” needs both types in each point; separate lists about each type gain less.

5. (a) People and equipment are assigned to tasks [1], and the software warns when someone is over-allocated so work can be moved. [1] (b) Messages and notifications are sent to team members when tasks change [1], and progress reports are generated automatically and shared. [1] [4] Examiner insight: Link each use to what the software does; “it helps communication” restates the question and gains nothing.

6. (a) Float = 13 − 6 − 4 = 3 days. [1] (b) The delay of 2 days is less than the 3 days of float [1], so the project finish date does not change (float left falls to 1 day). [1] [3] Examiner insight: Compare the delay with the float explicitly; the conclusion alone may not be credited.

7. (a) W1 and W2. [1] (b) 8 weeks. [1] (c) W3 should be two-thirds complete by the end of week 5, so it is about one week behind. [1] W5 depends on W3, so testing cannot start in week 7 as planned [1], and the launch will be late unless extra staff or overtime are added to W3. [1] (d) It does not show clearly which tasks depend on which (or the float of each task). [1] [6] Examiner insight: In (c), quantify the delay from the chart before explaining the knock-on effect on dependent tasks.

8. (a) The whole project is split into its main parts [1], and each part is split again until every piece is a manageable task that can be timed and assigned. [1] (b) A significant point in the project with zero duration, such as “design approved”. [1] (c) An activity that cannot start until another activity has finished. [1] [4] Examiner insight: A milestone is a point, not a task; describing it as work done loses the mark.

9. (a) Start → P; P → Q and P → R; Q → S and Q → U [1]; R → T and S → T; T → V and U → V; V → Finish, with each node labelled with its duration. [1] (b) P 0–3, Q 3–7, R 3–10, S 7–12, U 7–9. [1] T starts at the larger of 10 and 12, so 12–15; V starts at the larger of 15 and 9, so 15–16. [1] Minimum duration = 16 days. [1] (c) R: LFT = LST of T = 12, so LST = 5 and float = 5 − 3 = 2 days. [1] U: LFT = LST of V = 15, so LST = 13 and float = 13 − 7 = 6 days. [1] (d) P → Q → S → T → V (3 + 4 + 5 + 3 + 1 = 16). [1] (e) The delay of 3 days exceeds R’s float of 2 days, so R finishes on day 13 and T starts a day late. [1] The project takes 17 days, and the critical path becomes P → R → T → V. [1] [10] Examiner insight: Show the “larger of” comparison where paths join; a bare duration of 16 with no working risks losing the method marks.

10. (a) The manager can see which activities have all their predecessors complete [1], and authorises each one to start no later than its latest start time. [1] (b) Costs are attached to each activity [1], so the manager knows when money will be spent and can release the budget stage by stage. [1] (c) Activities with float can be identified [1], so staff can be moved from them to critical activities, or non-critical work delayed to avoid clashes. [1] [6] Examiner insight: Each part needs a point about the network (predecessors, float, timings) plus its management use; general budgeting answers score half at most.

11. For: both teams see one live plan at the same time, so no out-of-date copies. [1] Tasks, comments and decisions are shared instantly despite time differences. [1] Changes to one task automatically reschedule dependent tasks for both teams. [1] The supplier handles updates, and staff can work from any device. [1] Against: both offices need reliable internet access, and an outage stops access to the plan. [1] Project data is held by a third party, raising security and data protection concerns. [1] Subscription fees, training and setting permissions add cost and time. [1] Conclusion: for teams in two countries the shared live plan outweighs the costs, provided connections are reliable and access rights are controlled. [1] [8] Examiner insight: “Evaluate” needs both sides and a justified conclusion; a list of advantages alone cannot reach the top marks.

Where marks are usually lost

• Taking the smallest EFT in a forward pass where two activities lead into one.
• Taking the largest LST in a backward pass where one activity leads to two.
• Giving a critical path whose durations do not add up to the project duration.
• Saying any delay to a non-critical activity delays the project, without comparing it with the float.
• Reading Gantt progress without quantifying how far behind a task is.
• Placing scope and high-level schedules in planning instead of initiation.
• Writing “it is faster and easier” for software uses instead of naming what the software does.
• Leaving out the conclusion on “Evaluate” questions.

Next steps

• Project management revision notes
• Project management study guide
• Cambridge A Level IT hub and 9626 checklist
• All free 10-minute diagnostics
• Book a free trial class

Official syllabus

Cambridge International AS & A Level Information Technology 9626 syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027, version 3 (published July 2025), Cambridge International, part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Topic 15, Project management, sections 15.1–15.3.