Critical Path Method Exercises

Based on the PMBOK® Guide Fifth Edition

Course ID: PMTONDEMAND35

Contact Hours / PDUs: 35

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Practice Exercise

Critical Path Method

Exercise 1:
For the following table of information,

1. Draw the network diagram

2. List the network paths
3. Determine the critical path(s)
4. Determine the float for each activity

Activity Duration Dependency Float

Start 0 days -

A 5 days Start

B 2 days Start

C 3 days A, B

D 5 days Start

E 6 days Start

F 4 days D, E

G 2 days C, F

H 5 days G

I 7 days G

J 3 days H

Finish 0 days I, J

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Exercise 2:

Early Start Duration Early Finish

Task Name
1 1
Late Start Slack Late Finish
D E

2 3 5 3

A B C F 5

5 8 7 5

H I J K
3

8 2

L M

1. Perform a Forward Pass and a Backward Pass of the network diagram above

2. Which Activities has the same Early Finish as they have Late Finish?

Note: The project starts on Day “0”

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Exercise 3:
For the following table of information,

1. Draw the network diagram

2. List the network paths
3. Determine the critical path(s)
4. Determine the float for each activity

Duration
Activity Dependency Float
(Days)
Start 0 -

A 8 Start

B 5 A

C 6 B, H

D 8 C

E 9 D, F

F 3 C, I

G 7 Start

H 8 G

I 9 H

J 5 I

K 2 J

L 3 J

Finish 0

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Critical Path Method Exercise Solutions

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Exercise 1 Solution:
1.

0 5 5
A
2 2 7
5 3 8 12 5 17 17 3 20
C H J
7 2 10 12 0 17 17 0 20
0 2 2
B
5 5 7
10 2 12
12 7 19
G
I
10 0 12
13 1 20
0 5 5
D
1 1 6
6 4 10
F
6 0 10 Early Early
Duration
0 6 6 Start Finish
E Task Name
Late Late
0 0 6 Slack
Start Finish

2. Network paths:

1. A -> C -> G -> H -> J

2. A -> C -> G -> I
3. B -> C -> G -> H -> J
4. B -> C -> G -> I
5. D -> F -> G -> H -> J
6. D -> F -> G -> I
7. E -> F -> G -> H -> J
8. E -> F -> G -> I

3. Critical path: E -> F -> G -> H -> J (shown in red)

4. Activity floats shown in the diagram

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Exercise 2 Solution:
1.

Early Start Duration Early Finish

Task Name
10 1 11 11 1 12
Late Start Slack Late Finish
D E
28 18 29 29 18 30

0 2 2 2 3 5 5 5 10 10 3 13
A B C F 25 5 30
12 12 14 14 12 17 17 12 22 22 12 25 G
25 0 30

0 5 5 5 8 13 13 7 20 20 5 25
H I J K
25 3 28
0 0 5 5 0 13 13 0 20 20 0 25
N
27 2 30

13 8 21 21 2 23
L M
17 4 25 25 4 27

2. Any activity on the critical path will have Late Finish equal to its Early Finish

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Exercise 3 Solution:
1.

Early Start Duration Early Finish

Task Name
Late Start Slack Late Finish
21 8 29 29 9 38
D E
21 0 29 29 0 38

0 8 8 8 5 13 15 6 21 24 3 27
A B C F
2 2 10 10 2 15 15 0 21 26 2 29 29 2 31
K
36 7 38
0 7 7 7 8 15 15 9 24 24 5 29
G H I J
0 0 7 7 0 15 17 2 26 30 6 35
29 3 32
L
35 6 38

2. Network paths:

1. A -> B -> C -> D -> E

2. A -> B -> C -> F -> E
3. G -> H -> I -> J -> K
4. G -> H -> I -> J -> L
5. G -> H -> C -> D -> E
6. G -> H -> C -> F -> E
7. G -> H -> I -> F -> E

3. Critical path: G -> H -> C -> D -> E (shown in red)

4. Activity Floats shown in the network diagram

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