Before the work begins, what is the critical path's total float?

Before the work begins, what is the critical path's total float?

• A. Zero
• B. Negative four days
• C. Positive ten days
• D. Undefined

Answer: (A)

Total float is how long you can delay an activity without delaying the project’s finish date. The critical path is the sequence of activities that determines that finish date, so any delay on that path would push the project out. That means there is no cushion on the critical path before work starts — its total float is zero. If you saw a negative value, that would imply the project is already late against the baseline. A positive value would mean slack exists on the critical path, which isn’t the case. Undefined isn’t correct because total float is defined for activities in the schedule.

Total float is how long you can delay an activity without delaying the project’s finish date. The critical path is the sequence of activities that determines that finish date, so any delay on that path would push the project out. That means there is no cushion on the critical path before work starts — its total float is zero.

If you saw a negative value, that would imply the project is already late against the baseline. A positive value would mean slack exists on the critical path, which isn’t the case. Undefined isn’t correct because total float is defined for activities in the schedule.