AACE International Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP) Exam (2026) Practice Exams for AACE International
Prepare for your certification exam today and take a step towards certification success with our AACE International AACE-PSP practice exams. Designed for success, trusted by professionals worldwide.
Practice Exams For
AACE International Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP) Exam
AACE-PSP Practice Exam Overview
Get a clear picture of what's included in your exam preparation, from detailed explanations and updated content to flexible practice options designed around the current certification requirements.
Exam Preparation Overview
Everything you need to know about your practice exam at a glance.
What the AACE PSP exam looks like on test day
The Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP) is AACE International’s credential for planners and schedulers. It combines multiple-choice questions with a written memo, and all three parts count toward one final result.
Exam structure
Eligibility and validity
Candidates need 8 years of industry-related experience, or 4 years of experience plus a 4-year industry-related degree, and must follow AACE’s Canons of Ethics.
The certification stays valid for 3 years. You renew it with 12 CEUs in at least two categories, or by retaking the exam.
Exam fees on the AACE site: US$525 for members, US$690 for non-members, and a US$260 resit fee.
The three domain scores are averaged, so a strong Scheduling result can offset a weaker memo. Check AACE’s PSP page for the latest rules before you apply.
The ideas behind most PSP questions
Scheduling carries about 70% of the multiple-choice questions, so these topics deserve the most practice time.
Critical Path Method (CPM)
CPM finds the longest chain of logically linked activities. That chain sets the earliest possible finish date. Expect forward pass and backward pass questions where you calculate early and late dates by hand.
Float and criticality
Total float is how long an activity can slip without delaying the project finish. Free float is how long it can slip without delaying its successor. Zero or negative float marks the critical path.
Logic, lags and constraints
Relationships are FS, SS, FF and SF, optionally with lags or leads. Constraints such as “must finish on” override logic, which is why questions often ask what they do to float.
Planning development
Planning turns scope into a work breakdown structure, activities, durations and sequence. You should be able to explain how the plan basis, assumptions and strategy feed into the schedule.
Resources and leveling
Resource loading shows demand against availability. Leveling resolves overloads by moving work, usually extending the finish, while smoothing keeps the finish date fixed.
Updating and forecasting
Each update records actual starts, finishes and remaining duration, then recalculates the forecast. Know the difference between a baseline, a current update and a recovery or what-if schedule.
Delay and impact analysis
Questions test how to measure the effect of a change or delay on the finish date, and how to separate excusable from non-excusable delay. Understand why the chosen method and the data behind it matter.
Progress and earned value
Basic measures such as planned value, earned value, SPI and schedule variance link progress to cost. They help you judge whether a schedule is on track.
Quick calculation to practice
Activity C has an early start of day 10, a duration of 6 days, and a late finish of day 20. Early finish is day 16, so total float is 20 − 16 = 4 days. Questions like this appear in many forms, so repeat them until the arithmetic is automatic.
Tools and references worth knowing
The exam is closed book, so you won’t use software on test day. Still, hands-on experience makes the concepts far easier to apply.
Scheduling software
- Oracle Primavera P6
- Microsoft Project
- Asta Powerproject
- Spreadsheets
Learn how these tools handle calendars, relationships, constraints and progress, because the logic is the same even if the screens differ.
AACE references
- PSP Candidate Handbook
- PSP Certification Study Guide
- Recommended Practices 14R-90, 11R-88, 10S-90
- TCM Framework
AACE lists these as recommended study materials. None is mandatory for certification.
Books and test-day kit
- CPM in Construction Management
- Construction Planning and Scheduling Manual
- Skills & Knowledge of Cost Engineering
- Battery calculator
Practise with the same calculator you will bring, since the testing center does not supply one.
How demanding is the PSP exam?
It is a professional-level exam that expects real project experience. The difficulty comes from its length, calculation work and written memo rather than from obscure facts.
What makes it hard
- Five hours of sustained focus on scenario-based questions.
- Hand calculations without software, so speed and accuracy matter.
- A typed memo that must be clear, structured and concise.
- Pass or fail reporting, so you won’t see which domain cost you.
Candidates with day-to-day scheduling experience usually find the structure familiar. Newer schedulers should leave extra time for the memo and calculations.
Habits that pay off before and during the exam
These tips complement the study plan above and focus on how to handle the exam itself.
Budget your five hours
Reserve a fixed block for the memo before you start, then pace the 119 questions around it. Mark long calculations and return to them after the quick wins.
Draw the network
Sketch small logic diagrams on your scratch paper for any question about float or relationships. A picture catches errors that mental math misses.
Practise the memo weekly
Write short memos to an imagined project manager: state the issue, the impact, and the recommended action. Keep each one under a page.
Learn the terminology
AACE questions use precise wording. Review definitions such as total float, free float, lag, constraint and baseline until you can explain each without hesitation.
Test your setup early
If you plan to sit the exam online, run AACE’s system check before exam day and confirm your calculator meets the rules.
Mistakes candidates make, and the fix
Most failed attempts trace back to a handful of avoidable habits.
Ignoring the memo
Treating it as an afterthought because it is only one question.
Give it a full third of your effort
It carries one third of the average, so a weak memo can pull down strong scores elsewhere.
Relying on software habits
Letting P6 or MS Project do the thinking, then freezing when asked to calculate by hand.
Work problems on paper
Do forward and backward passes manually until the results match what the software would show.
Over-studying planning
Spending equal time on both domains, even though Scheduling has more than twice the questions.
Weight your time
Put roughly 70% of your practice into scheduling, while keeping planning fundamentals sharp.
Memorising answers
Learning question wording instead of understanding why the answer is right.
Explain every answer
After each practice question, state the rule behind it in your own words so a new scenario doesn’t surprise you.
Skipping timed practice
Studying in short bursts and never simulating a five-hour sitting.
Sit full-length mocks
Run at least a couple of timed sessions so stamina and pacing are not new on exam day.
Suggested Study Plan for the AACE-PSP Exam
A clear routine makes your study time count. Use this plan to prepare for the AACE International AACE International Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP) Exam exam:
- Read the official AACE International exam guide for AACE-PSP and note the topic weights
- Take a free AACE-PSP practice test without notes to find your starting score
- Read every answer explanation, even for questions you got right
- Go back to the domains where you scored lowest, then test those topics again
- Take full-length, timed tests until your scores are steady before you book the exam
Includes all practice questions, PDF + online test engine and 90 days of free updates
Is the AACE-PSP Exam Right for You?
The AACE International AACE International Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP) Exam exam is taken by candidates at different stages of their careers. This preparation is a good fit if you:
- Are preparing for AACE-PSP for the first time and want to know what to expect
- Already work in this field and want a credential that proves your skills
- Need AACE-PSP for a new job, a promotion or an employer requirement
- Have taken the exam before and want to focus on the topics you missed
- Have finished studying and want to check your readiness before booking
Practice for AACE-PSP Anywhere, Anytime
Use the online test engine on your phone, tablet or computer, or download the PDF to study offline.
Access on Any Device
Open your practice tests from any browser, with nothing to install.
Unlimited Practice Attempts
Retake tests as often as you need to build confidence.
Progress Saved Automatically
Pick up where you left off on any of your devices.
AACE-PSP Exam Preparation FAQs
-
Our AACE-PSP questions are built around the current AACE International Planning & Scheduling Professional (PSP) Exam exam objectives. They follow the same topics, question formats and difficulty level you can expect in the real exam, so nothing on exam day feels unfamiliar.
-
You get two formats: a downloadable PDF for offline study and access to our online test engine for exam-style practice.
-
The PDF is your offline study guide. Download it and review the questions and explanations anytime, even without internet. The online test engine is on our website and works like the real exam: it has timed mock exams, instant scoring and results, so you can practice under exam conditions and track your progress.
-
Yes. Take a free practice test to see the question style, the explanations and the test engine before you get full access.
-
We update the questions whenever AACE International changes the exam objectives. Every purchase includes 90 days of free updates to both the PDF and the test engine, and the latest update date is shown in the Exam Overview on this page.
-
Yes. The online test engine lets you take full-length mock exams with a timer, or practice in untimed study mode. You get your score as soon as you finish.
-
Yes. The online test engine works in any browser on a phone, tablet or computer. The PDF can be downloaded to any device for offline reading.
-
You get 100% of your money back. If you don’t pass the AACE-PSP exam, contact our support team and we refund your purchase in full right away.
-
Our support team is available 24/7. Contact us through the support page on our site or email support@certs4all.com, and we'll help with anything before, during or after your purchase.