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

This study guide covers 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). It is A Level only content. The syllabus states that Paper 3 (Advanced Theory) questions are based on sections 12–21, so this is a theory topic examined there. Calculators are not allowed in Paper 3, so work timings by hand.

Use it with the revision notes and the practice questions. The full course is on the Cambridge A Level IT hub, and the printable 9626 checklist lists every outcome. To find your gaps first, try a free diagnostic.

What this topic covers

Section	What you must be able to do	Level
15.1 The stages of the project life cycle	Describe initiation, planning, execution and monitoring, and close, with what happens in each	A Level only
15.2 Project management software	Describe types of software and their uses; give advantages and disadvantages	A Level only
15.3 Tools and techniques	Create and interpret Gantt charts and PERT charts; find the critical path and float; use critical path analysis; evaluate the tools	A Level only

Project management is planning, organising and controlling a project’s tasks so it meets its goal on time, on budget and to the required quality.

15.1 The stages of the project life cycle

Project initiation

The project is defined and approved.

• Identifying objectives: what the project must achieve, ideally measurable (for example, “customers can book appointments online by 1 March”).
• Resources required: people and their skills, hardware, software, money, time and premises.
• Success criteria: measurable tests used at the end to judge success, such as “90% of bookings made online within three months”.
• Stakeholders and their needs: anyone affected by the project, such as the client, managers, users and the project team. Each has different needs: managers want cost control, users want an easy system.
• Project scope: what is and is not included. A clear scope stops scope creep, where extra features are added without extra time or money.
• High-level schedule: the main phases and key dates only, not individual tasks.

Project planning

The approved project is broken into detail.

• Detailed planning of resources: exactly who does each task, which equipment is needed and when, and the budget for each part.
• Scheduling of tasks: listing every task, its duration and its dependencies, then fixing start and end dates. Gantt and PERT charts (15.3) are produced here.

Project execution and monitoring

• Implementing the plan: the team carries out the tasks and produces deliverables.
• Monitoring progress against time: comparing actual progress with the schedule, for example on a Gantt chart, so late tasks are spotted early.
• Cost: comparing spending with the budget.
• Quality: checking that deliverables meet the agreed standards, for example by testing.
• Reporting to stakeholders: regular progress reports and meetings so stakeholders know about delays, overspends and decisions needed.

Project close

• Project completion and review: the deliverables are handed over and signed off, contracts are closed, resources are released and the team is disbanded. A review (evaluation) compares the outcome with the objectives and success criteria.
• Why project reviews are conducted: to check whether the objectives and success criteria were met; to compare actual time and cost with the plan; to identify what went well and what went wrong; to record lessons so future projects are better planned; and to confirm the client is satisfied.

15.2 Project management software

Types

Type	Description
Desktop	Installed on one computer. Works offline; files must be shared manually.
Web-based	Runs in a browser with data held online. Accessible from anywhere; needs internet access and a subscription is common.
Mobile	An app on a phone or tablet. Good for quick updates on site; small screen limits detailed planning.
Personal	Manages one person’s own tasks, such as a to-do list with deadlines.
Single-user	One person (usually the manager) plans and controls the project; others get printed or exported reports.
Collaborative	Many users share one live plan, update tasks and comment.

Uses for supporting projects

• Planning: entering tasks, durations and dependencies; producing Gantt and PERT charts automatically.
• Scheduling of tasks: calculating start and end dates and the critical path; re-scheduling dependent tasks when one task moves.
• Allocation of resources: assigning people and equipment to tasks; warning when a person is over-allocated.
• Costings: storing rates and costs, totalling the budget and comparing actual with planned spending.
• Communication: notifications, messages, shared documents and automatic progress reports.
• Collaborative working and decisions: several people update one plan at once, discuss tasks, and see the same up-to-date data before deciding.

Advantages and disadvantages of the types

Type	Advantages	Disadvantages
Desktop	Works offline; data stays on the organisation’s own computer	Hard to share; one copy can become out of date
Web-based	Access from any device; one live version; updates handled by supplier	Needs reliable internet; data held by a third party; ongoing fees
Mobile	Updates from anywhere, instantly	Small screen; limited features; device can be lost
Personal / single-user	Simple, cheap, quick to learn	Not suited to teams; others rely on the manager for information
Collaborative	Everyone sees current progress; less email	More training; permissions must be managed; edits can conflict

Advantages and disadvantages of using the software

Advantages: charts and dates recalculate automatically when a task changes; fewer calculation errors; resource clashes and overspends are flagged; reports are quick to produce.

Disadvantages: licence and training costs; time to set up and keep up to date; output only as accurate as the data entered; too complex for a small project; reliance on the system if it fails.

15.3 Tools and techniques for project management tasks

Gantt charts

A Gantt chart is a bar chart with tasks listed down the side and time along the top. Each task is a horizontal bar from its start to its end.

Creating one: list the tasks with durations and dependencies; start each bar no earlier than the end of the tasks it depends on; mark milestones and today’s date.

Worked example 1: an office network upgrade (weeks)

Task	Depends on	Wk 1	Wk 2	Wk 3	Wk 4	Wk 5	Wk 6	Wk 7	Wk 8
T1 Survey site	–	■	■
T2 Order equipment	T1			■
T3 Install cabling	T1			■	■	■
T4 Configure server	T2				■	■
T5 Connect and test	T3, T4						■	■
T6 Train staff	T4							■	■

Interpreting it:

1. Concurrent tasks: in week 4, T3 and T4 run at the same time, so two teams are needed.
2. Dependencies: T5 cannot start until both T3 and T4 end (week 5), so it starts in week 6.
3. Project end: the last bar ends in week 8, so the project takes 8 weeks.
4. Monitoring: at the end of week 4, T3 should be 2 of 3 weeks done. If only one-third of the cabling is installed, T3 is about one week behind. Because T5 depends on T3, testing will start late unless more staff are added.

PERT charts and the Critical Path Method (CPM)

A PERT chart (Performance Evaluation and Review Technique, as the syllabus names it) is a network diagram that shows tasks as connected boxes or arrows, so the dependencies are clear. CPM uses the same network to calculate timings and find the critical path.

Components you must know:

• Activities/tasks: units of work, each with a duration. A work breakdown structure (WBS) splits the whole project into smaller and smaller pieces until each is a manageable task.
• Timings: duration, earliest start time (EST), earliest finish time (EFT), latest start time (LST) and latest finish time (LFT).
• Float: how long an activity can be delayed without delaying the whole project. Float = LST − EST (or LFT − EFT).
• End points: the start node and the finish node of the network.
• Milestones: significant points with zero duration, such as “design approved”.
• Dependencies: an activity that cannot start until another has finished.
• Deliverables: the products an activity or phase produces, such as a test report or the finished system.

Creating one (activities as boxes): draw a start node; add a box for each activity showing its duration; draw an arrow from each activity to every activity that depends on it; join the final activities to a finish node.

Critical path calculations

The critical path is the longest path of dependent activities from start to finish. Its length is the shortest time the project can take. Activities on it have zero float.

Method

1. Forward pass: EST of the first activities = 0. EFT = EST + duration. An activity’s EST = the largest EFT of the activities it depends on.
2. Project duration = the largest EFT.
3. Backward pass: LFT of the last activity = project duration. LST = LFT − duration. An activity’s LFT = the smallest LST of the activities that depend on it.
4. Float = LST − EST. Activities with float 0 form the critical path.

Worked example 2: an online booking system for a clinic (days)

Activity	Duration	Depends on
A Gather requirements	4	–
B Design database	5	A
C Design web pages	3	A
D Build database	6	B
E Build web pages	4	C
F Integrate and test	3	D, E
G Train staff	2	C
H Go live	1	F, G

In the PERT chart, A leads to B and C; B to D; C to E and G; D and E to F; F and G to H.

Forward pass: A 0–4. B 4–9, C 4–7. D 9–15, E 7–11, G 7–9. F starts at the larger of 15 and 11, so 15–18. H starts at the larger of 18 and 9, so 18–19. Project duration = 19 days.

Backward pass: H LFT 19, LST 18. F LFT 18, LST 15. G LFT 18, LST 16. D LFT 15, LST 9. E LFT 15, LST 11. C must finish before both E and G start, so LFT = smaller of 11 and 16 = 11, LST 8. B LFT 9, LST 4. A LFT = smaller of 4 and 8 = 4, LST 0.

Activity	EST	EFT	LST	LFT	Float
A	0	4	0	4	0
B	4	9	4	9	0
C	4	7	8	11	4
D	9	15	9	15	0
E	7	11	11	15	4
F	15	18	15	18	0
G	7	9	16	18	9
H	18	19	18	19	0

Critical path: A → B → D → F → H (4 + 5 + 6 + 3 + 1 = 19 days).

If E overruns by 3 days, that is within its 4 days of float, so the project still ends on day 19.

Using critical path analysis to manage work

• Authorising work: the manager approves an activity to start only when its predecessors are complete, and knows the latest date it can start (LST).
• Costings: costs can be attached to each activity, so the manager knows when money will be spent and can release budget stage by stage.
• Allocating resources: staff can be moved from activities with float (such as G) to critical activities, or non-critical work can be scheduled later to avoid over-allocating people.

Advantages and disadvantages of the tools

Tool	Advantages	Disadvantages
Gantt chart	Easy to read; shows dates, overlap and progress clearly	Dependencies are hard to see; becomes cluttered on large projects; does not show float directly
PERT chart	Shows dependencies clearly; shows which tasks can run in parallel	Takes time to draw; harder for non-specialists; can become very complex
CPM	Finds minimum duration, critical activities and float; shows where to focus attention	Relies on accurate duration estimates; must be recalculated when things change; critical path can change during the project

Common errors

• Taking the smallest EFT for an activity with two predecessors in the forward pass. It must be the largest.
• Taking the largest LST in the backward pass. It must be the smallest.
• Calling the critical path the “shortest path”. It is the longest path, which sets the shortest project time.
• Confusing objectives (what the project must achieve) with success criteria (how achievement is measured).

Where next

Next, use the revision notes and the practice questions.

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.