Use the diagram below to practise using the critical path method on an activity network. Click on a node to enter values for the earliest start (ES), earliest finish (EF), latest start (LS), latest finish (LF) and total float (TF).
Software/Applets used on this page
A Java applet freely available from James Lamb (web site no longer available).
Glossary
network
A graph that has a number associated with each edge.
node
A point or vertex of a graph.
path
A finite sequence of edges such that the end vertex of one edge in the sequence is the start vertex of the next and in which no vertex appears more than once.
total float
The total float F(i,j) of activity (i,j) is defined to be F(i,j) = lj - ei - duration (i, j), where ei is the earliest time for event i and lj is the latest time for event j.
This question appears in the following syllabi:
| Syllabus | Module | Section | Topic | Exam Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA A-Level (UK - Pre-2017) | D2 | Critical path analysis | Networks | - |
| AQA AS Further Maths 2017 | Discrete Maths | Critical Path Analysis | Activity Networks | - |
| AQA AS/A2 Further Maths 2017 | Discrete Maths | Critical Path Analysis | Activity Networks | - |
| Edexcel A-Level (UK - Pre-2017) | D1 | Critical path analysis | Networks | - |
| Edexcel AS Further Maths 2017 | Decision Maths 1 | Critical Path Analysis | Activity Networks | - |
| Edexcel AS/A2 Further Maths 2017 | Decision Maths 1 | Critical Path Analysis | Activity Networks | - |
| OCR A-Level (UK - Pre-2017) | D2 | Critical path analysis | Networks | - |
| OCR AS Further Maths 2017 | Discrete Maths | Decision Making in Project Management | Activity Networks | - |
| OCR MEI AS Further Maths 2017 | Modelling with Algorithms | Critical Path Analysis | Activity Networks | - |
| OCR-MEI A-Level (UK - Pre-2017) | D1 | Critical path analysis | Networks | - |
| Universal (all site questions) | C | Critical path analysis | Networks | - |