Construction Planning, Management and Estimation MCQ With Answers for JKSSB Junior Engineer (Civil)

Technical · 2026-10-27 · 6 min read

Construction planning and management carried 15 marks in the board's earlier Junior Engineer (Civil) syllabus. It lists network diagrams, PERT and CPM, cost optimisation, contracts and tenders, depreciation, valuation, measurement books, cash books, the functions of management, quality control, inventory control, and estimation and costing. Our guide to the 2026 notice shows where this section fits. This page gives a revision list, worked problems and solved MCQs.

Quick revision list

  • Networks: activity, event, dummy activity, and the activity-on-arrow and activity-on-node forms
  • CPM: earliest start and finish, latest start and finish, total float = LST − EST, free float, and crashing at the cheapest cost slope
  • PERT: expected time te = (to + 4tm + tp) ÷ 6 and variance ((tp − to) ÷ 6)²
  • Contracts: item rate, lump sum, percentage rate and cost plus, with earnest money submitted along with the tender
  • Records: the measurement book for works done, the muster roll for labour attendance and wages, and the cash book for receipts and payments
  • Estimation: plinth area, cubic content and detailed estimates, rate analysis and the bill of quantities
  • Valuation: straight-line depreciation, sinking fund, capitalised value and years' purchase
  • Management: planning, organising, directing and controlling, line and line-and-staff organisations, economic order quantity and ABC analysis

Worked numerical problems

  • PERT: an activity with optimistic time 4 days, most likely 7 days and pessimistic 16 days has te = (4 + 4 × 7 + 16) ÷ 6 = 8 days and variance ((16 − 4) ÷ 6)² = 4
  • Critical path: with A = 3 days, then B = 5 days or C = 4 days in parallel, and then D = 2 days, the path A-B-D takes 10 days and A-C-D takes 9 days. The critical path is A-B-D, and activity C has 1 day of float
  • Float: an activity with earliest finish 9 and latest finish 13 has a total float of 13 − 9 = 4 days
  • Brickwork: a wall 10 m long, 0.23 m thick and 3 m high contains 10 × 0.23 × 3 = 6.9 m³ of brickwork, and plastering both faces covers 10 × 3 × 2 = 60 m²
  • Depreciation: a building costing ₹50 lakh with a scrap value of ₹5 lakh and a life of 50 years loses (50 − 5) lakh ÷ 50 = ₹90,000 a year by the straight-line method
  • Valuation: a property earning a net ₹1,20,000 a year, valued at 6% return, has a capitalised value of 1,20,000 × (100 ÷ 6) = ₹20 lakh
  • Economic order quantity: annual demand 1,200 units, ordering cost ₹100 and holding cost ₹6 per unit per year give √(2 × 1,200 × 100 ÷ 6) = 200 units

Contracts in brief

In an item rate contract the contractor quotes a rate for each item in the bill of quantities, and is paid for the quantities actually measured. A lump sum contract fixes one price for a defined piece of work, which suits works whose scope will not change. A cost plus contract pays the actual cost with a fee, and is used when the scope cannot be fixed in advance. The tender is submitted along with an earnest money deposit, which protects the department if the bidder withdraws.

Common mistakes

  • Calling the shortest path the critical path, when the critical path is the longest
  • Using PERT's expected-time formula with the wrong weights: the most likely time is multiplied by 4, not the pessimistic one
  • Forgetting to deduct the scrap value in straight-line depreciation
  • Mixing up years' purchase (100 ÷ rate of return) with the capitalised value (net income × years' purchase)

Estimation in brief

An estimate is built up from quantities taken off the drawings, such as earthwork, concrete, brickwork and plaster, each multiplied by the rate for that item. The rate comes from a rate analysis, which adds the cost of materials, labour and machinery for one unit of work, and then overheads and profit. Quantities are measured net, with openings deducted, and follow the standard units: cubic metres for concrete and masonry, square metres for plastering and flooring, and running metres for skirting and pipes.

Practise

Work the solved questions below, then read the Junior Engineer (Civil) guide for the dates and the marks for every subject. The other subject pages in this series cover fluid mechanics, mechanics and structures, and RCC.

By Shivam · Written with AI assistance and fact-checked · Questions on this page are original · Editorial policy · Report an error

Practice questions

Q1. CPM stands for:

  1. Cost Planning Method
  2. Critical Path Method
  3. Constant Project Management
  4. Controlled Path Monitoring
Show answer

Critical Path Method — CPM is a network method that finds the longest path through a project.

Q2. The critical path of a project network is:

  1. The longest path through the network
  2. The shortest path
  3. The path with the most activities
  4. The path with the highest cost
Show answer

The longest path through the network — It fixes the minimum project duration.

Q3. The total float of activities on the critical path is:

  1. One day
  2. Equal to the project duration
  3. Negative
  4. Zero
Show answer

Zero — Any delay on a critical activity delays the whole project.

Q4. The expected time of an activity in PERT is:

  1. (to + tm + tp) ÷ 3
  2. (to + 2tm + tp) ÷ 4
  3. (to + 4tm + tp) ÷ 6
  4. (4to + tm + tp) ÷ 6
Show answer

(to + 4tm + tp) ÷ 6 — Here to is optimistic, tm most likely and tp pessimistic.

Q5. The variance of an activity time in PERT is:

  1. (tp − to) ÷ 6
  2. ((tp − to) ÷ 6)²
  3. (tp + to) ÷ 6
  4. (tp − to)²
Show answer

((tp − to) ÷ 6)² — The standard deviation is (tp − to) ÷ 6.

Q6. The total float of an activity is:

  1. Latest start time minus earliest start time
  2. Earliest finish minus latest start
  3. Earliest start minus latest finish
  4. Duration minus the earliest start
Show answer

Latest start time minus earliest start time — Total float = LST − EST, which also equals LFT − EFT.

Q7. Free float is the delay possible in an activity without affecting:

  1. The project cost
  2. The latest finish of the project
  3. The critical path
  4. The earliest start of the succeeding activity
Show answer

The earliest start of the succeeding activity — Free float is the spare time that does not disturb the following activity.

Q8. A dummy activity in a network:

  1. Consumes time but no resource
  2. Is always on the critical path
  3. Consumes no time or resource and shows a logical link
  4. Shows the final activity
Show answer

Consumes no time or resource and shows a logical link — Dummies keep the logic of the network correct.

Q9. A Gantt chart shows:

  1. Costs against quantities
  2. Activities as bars against time
  3. Events as circles with arrows
  4. Only the critical path
Show answer

Activities as bars against time — It is a bar chart of the project schedule.

Q10. In crashing a project, activities are shortened:

  1. By adding resources at extra cost
  2. By removing the critical path
  3. By reducing quality
  4. Without any extra cost
Show answer

By adding resources at extra cost — The activity with the lowest cost slope on the critical path is crashed first.

Q11. In an item rate contract, the contractor is paid:

  1. A fixed total whatever the quantity
  2. The actual cost plus a fee
  3. A percentage of the final bill
  4. For the measured quantity of each item at the quoted rate
Show answer

For the measured quantity of each item at the quoted rate — Payment follows the measurement book.

Q12. In a lump sum contract:

  1. Each item is paid at a unit rate
  2. The contractor is paid cost plus a fee
  3. A fixed total price is agreed for the defined work
  4. Payment is by the day
Show answer

A fixed total price is agreed for the defined work — It suits work whose scope is clear and will not change.

Q13. In a cost plus contract, the contractor is paid:

  1. A fixed total price
  2. The actual cost plus a fee
  3. A unit rate for each item
  4. Only the cost of materials
Show answer

The actual cost plus a fee — It is used when the scope cannot be fixed in advance.

Q14. Earnest money is deposited along with a tender in order to:

  1. Show the bidder's seriousness, and it is liable to forfeiture if the bidder withdraws
  2. Pay for the materials in advance
  3. Reduce the tender rate
  4. Replace the security deposit
Show answer

Show the bidder's seriousness, and it is liable to forfeiture if the bidder withdraws — It protects the department against frivolous bids.

Q15. The measurement book is used to record:

  1. The attendance of labour
  2. The cash received
  3. The stock of materials
  4. The measurements of work done
Show answer

The measurements of work done — Payments to contractors are made from the measurements in it.

Q16. The muster roll is used to record:

  1. The measurements of work
  2. The stock of materials
  3. The attendance and wages of labour
  4. The tender rates
Show answer

The attendance and wages of labour — It lists the daily attendance and the wages due.

Q17. A plinth area estimate is prepared from:

  1. The detailed drawings of each item
  2. The plinth area multiplied by the plinth area rate
  3. The cubic content of the building
  4. The cost of the last project
Show answer

The plinth area multiplied by the plinth area rate — It is an approximate estimate used at the early stage.

Q18. The bill of quantities lists:

  1. The items of work with their quantities and rates
  2. Only the labour employed
  3. The depreciation of the plant
  4. The schedule of payments only
Show answer

The items of work with their quantities and rates — Contractors quote rates against the items in it.

Q19. The straight-line depreciation per year is:

  1. Cost ÷ life
  2. (Cost + scrap value) ÷ life
  3. Cost × rate of interest
  4. (Cost − scrap value) ÷ life
Show answer

(Cost − scrap value) ÷ life — The same amount is written off each year.

Q20. The capitalised value of a property is:

  1. Net annual income divided by the years' purchase
  2. Gross income multiplied by the life
  3. Net annual income multiplied by the years' purchase
  4. Cost minus depreciation
Show answer

Net annual income multiplied by the years' purchase — Years' purchase is 100 ÷ the rate of return in per cent.

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