AACE-CST Exam Information and Outline
Certified Scheduling Technician (CST)
Syllabus Update Checked on: November 9, 2026
AACE-CST Exam Syllabus & Study Guide
Before you start practicing with our exam simulator, it is essential to understand the
official AACE-CST exam objectives. This course outline serves as your roadmap.
The information below reflects the 2026 syllabus defined by
AACE.
Below are complete topics detail with latest syllabus and course outline, that will help you good knowledge about exam objectives and topics that you have to prepare. These contents are covered in questions and answers pool of exam.
- Exam Format
- 100 multiple-choice questions
- Duration: up to 3 hours
- Open book: AACE CST Primer and PSP Study Guide (in binder)
- Battery-operated calculator permitted
- Passing score: 70% overall
- Domain 1: Input & Data (19%)
- Project scope, contract documents and specifications
- Work breakdown structure (WBS) and organizational breakdown structure
- Activity identification and coding structures
- Resource, calendar and constraint data
- Gathering input from project stakeholders
- Domain 2: Creating Schedule (48%)
- Activity definition and sequencing
- Precedence diagramming method (PDM)
- Relationship types: FS, SS, FF, SF; leads and lags
- Duration estimating
- Productivity rates and quantities
- Calendars and working time
- Critical Path Method (CPM)
- Forward and backward pass calculations
- Early/late start and finish dates
- Total float and free float; critical and near-critical paths
- Resource loading and leveling
- Cost loading the schedule
- Schedule levels of detail and baseline development
- Activity definition and sequencing
- Domain 3: Maintain Schedule (15%)
- Progress measurement and status updating
- Percent complete and remaining duration
- Schedule revisions and change control
- Delay identification and recovery schedules
- Domain 4: Input & Deliverables (18%)
- Schedule reports, bar charts and look-ahead schedules
- Earned value and schedule performance metrics
- Schedule quality checks and analysis
- Communicating schedule information to stakeholders