In project scheduling, which method is used to identify tasks that determine the shortest time to complete a project?

• A. Gantt Chart
• B. PERT Chart
• C. Critical Path Method
• D. Work Breakdown Structure

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is identifying the sequence of tasks that sets the project’s minimum finish time. The Critical Path Method models activities with their durations and dependencies, then uses forward and backward passes to calculate earliest start/finish and latest start/finish for each task. The difference between these times is the slack or float. Tasks with zero slack lie on the critical path, meaning any delay in those tasks directly delays the entire project. This method foregrounds the activities that determine the shortest possible project duration and helps you allocate resources to keep them on track. While a Gantt chart is great for visualizing the schedule and a PERT chart emphasizes time estimates and probabilistic durations, the Critical Path Method is the approach specifically used to pinpoint the sequence of tasks that controls the overall completion time. Work Breakdown Structure, by contrast, is about breaking the project into deliverables, not identifying the timing impact of task sequences.