AACE-PSP Exam Format | Course Contents | Outline | Syllabus | Objectives

AACE-PSP Exam Syllabus & Study Guide

Before you start practicing with our exam simulator, it is essential to understand the official AACE-PSP 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.

1. Planning Fundamentals - Planning principles - Planning process - Project planning lifecycle - Strategic planning - Tactical planning - Operational planning - Integrated project planning - Project phases - Phase planning - Front-end planning - Planning objectives - Planning methodologies - Planning deliverables - Planning documentation - Planning assumptions - Planning constraints - Planning inputs and outputs - Planning development - Planning maintenance - Dynamic planning process - Planning scalability - Planning integration 2. Project Scope & Work Definition - Scope definition - Scope management - Scope of work (SOW) - Project objectives - Deliverables definition - Work package development - Work authorization - Scope decomposition - Project breakdown structures - Project coding structures Breakdown Structures - Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) - Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS) - Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) - Cost Breakdown Structure (CBS) Responsibility Mapping - Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) - Responsibility allocation - Control accounts - Accountability mapping 3. Scheduling Fundamentals - Scheduling principles - Scheduling process - Scheduling lifecycle - Schedule development - Schedule maintenance - Schedule control - Schedule forecasting - Schedule analysis - Integrated schedules - Baseline schedules - Master schedules - Detailed schedules - Milestone schedules - Execution schedules - Shutdown schedules - Rolling-wave planning - Time management - Sequence development - Schedule logic 4. Critical Path Method (CPM) CPM Concepts - Critical Path Method - Critical activities - Critical path identification - Longest path - Near-critical paths - Float analysis - Schedule calculations Network Logic - Logic relationships - Network diagrams - Activity sequencing - Dependency relationships - Logic ties - Leads and lags - Logic constraints - Open ends - Dangling activities Schedule Calculations - Forward pass - Backward pass - Early start (ES) - Early finish (EF) - Late start (LS) - Late finish (LF) - Total float - Free float - Negative float 5. Schedule Development Activity Development - Activity definition - Activity coding - Activity attributes - Milestones - Hammock activities - Level of detail - Activity sequencing Duration Estimating - Duration estimation - Productivity rates - Historical data usage - Expert judgment - Three-point estimating Calendars - Project calendars - Resource calendars - Work periods - Shift calendars - Holiday calendars Constraints - Mandatory constraints - Soft constraints - Hard constraints - Date constraints 6. Scheduling Techniques & Methods - Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) - Arrow Diagramming Method (ADM) - Gantt charts - Bar charts - Time-scaled logic diagrams - Milestone charts - Line of balance - Rolling-wave scheduling - Agile scheduling concepts - Resource-driven scheduling - Time-driven scheduling 7. Resource Scheduling - Resource loading - Resource allocation - Resource planning - Resource balancing - Resource leveling - Resource smoothing - Resource optimization - Crew balancing - Labor loading - Equipment scheduling - Material constraints - Productivity analysis 8. Schedule Updating & Maintenance - Progress measurement - Schedule updates - Progress reporting - Statusing - Actual dates - Remaining duration - Forecasting - Reforecasting - Trend analysis - Variance analysis - Performance measurement - Schedule revisions - Baseline management - Revision control - Change incorporation 9. Schedule Analysis Analytical Techniques - Schedule quality analysis - Logic analysis - Float analysis - Criticality analysis - Schedule diagnostics - Risk analysis - Sensitivity analysis - Trend analysis Delay Analysis - Delay identification - Delay classification - Excusable delays - Non-excusable delays - Compensable delays - Concurrent delays - Time impact analysis (TIA) - Window analysis - As-planned vs as-built analysis - Forensic schedule analysis 10. Schedule Recovery & Compression - Schedule compression - Crashing - Fast tracking - Acceleration methods - Recovery schedules - Mitigation planning - Schedule optimization - Recovery planning - Corrective actions 11. Earned Value Management (EVM) EVM Concepts - Earned Value Management - Planned Value (PV) - Earned Value (EV) - Actual Cost (AC) - Cost Performance Index (CPI) - Schedule Performance Index (SPI) Forecasting Metrics - Estimate at Completion (EAC) - Estimate to Complete (ETC) - Variance at Completion (VAC) Integrated Controls - Cost-loaded schedules - Integrated cost and schedule control - Performance measurement baseline 12. Risk & Uncertainty - Schedule risk - Uncertainty analysis - Contingency planning - Monte Carlo concepts - Risk-adjusted schedules - Risk mitigation - Probabilistic scheduling - Confidence analysis 13. Schedule Communication & Reporting Communication Topics - Schedule communication - Executive reporting - Stakeholder communication - Schedule narratives - Reporting formats - Dashboard reporting - Memo writing The PSP exam includes: - communication memo writing, - workplace scenarios, - written schedule analysis, - and recommendation development. 14. Practical Applications & Scenario Analysis - Real-world scheduling applications - Construction scheduling - EPC project scheduling - Infrastructure project controls - Industrial project planning - Schedule-driven decision making - Multi-project scheduling - Integrated project controls Official sources emphasize: - practical exercises, - scenario-based questions, - and workplace applications. 15. Project Controls Integration - Total Cost Management (TCM) - Project controls framework - Integrated project controls - Cost and schedule integration - Performance management - Project governance - Control systems - Baseline management - Forecasting systems