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QLDGeneral MathematicsQuick questions
Unit 4: Investing and networking
Quick questions on Critical path analysis and scheduling (QCE General Mathematics Unit 4)
4short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is forward scanning?Show answer
Forward scanning finds the earliest start time (EST) of each activity, working from the start to the finish. The first activities have EST . Any later activity can only start once all its predecessors have finished, so its EST is the largest of (predecessor EST plus predecessor duration) over all predecessors. The earliest finish time of the whole project is the largest finishing time at the end, which is the minimum completion time.
What is backward scanning?Show answer
Backward scanning finds the latest start time (LST) of each activity, working from the finish back to the start, using the minimum completion time as the project deadline. An activity's latest finish is the smallest LST of the activities that follow it, and its LST is that latest finish minus its own duration. The first activities should end with LST if the arithmetic is correct.
What is the critical path?Show answer
The critical path is the chain of activities from start to finish that have no spare time: for each, the EST equals the LST. These activities determine the project length, so any delay to a critical activity delays the whole project. The total duration along the critical path equals the minimum completion time.
What is float?Show answer
Float (or slack) is the spare time on a non-critical activity, the amount it can be delayed without pushing back the project finish.
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