Project management acronyms: PERT stands for which of the following?

Introduction / Context:
PERT is a probabilistic project scheduling technique developed to manage projects with uncertain activity times. It uses optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic estimates to model durations and evaluate schedule risk.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Activity time estimates include a, m, b (optimistic, most likely, pessimistic).
• Beta distribution assumption for activity times; independence across activities (simplifying).
• Directed acyclic network of activities with precedence constraints.

Concept / Approach:
PERT computes expected duration te = (a + 4m + b) / 6 and variance = ((b − a) / 6)^2 for each activity, then identifies the critical path using expected durations. It allows calculation of project completion probabilities using the central limit approximation for the sum of variances along the critical path.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Sensitivity analysis checks how path variability affects project risk; Monte Carlo simulation can validate PERT assumptions for complex networks.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Other expansions are incorrect or mix unrelated terms; the standard expansion is “Programme Evaluation and Review Technique.”

Common Pitfalls:
Ignoring path mergers and variance underestimation; assuming deterministic resource availability in a probabilistic schedule.

Final Answer:
Programme Evaluation and Review Technique