What is the Critical Path Method and what is a Critical Task?

Every project, regardless of its size or budget, has some core tasks that are crucial to its
completion. A task is defined as critical if delaying it will slow down the completion of the entire
project.

Take something as simple as making an omelet.

If you had to create a short recipe for making an omelet, it would look something like this:

1. Beat 2 eggs
2. Heat a pan, add butter/oil when hot
3. Pour in the beaten eggs and cook for 5 minutes

There are several other tasks you need to perform to make a good omelet. You have to season the
eggs with salt and pepper. Maybe add some vegetables and some cheese. Perhaps you could flip
it on the other side so the eggs are fully cooked through.

However, these activities are in addition to the three core steps in the recipe. Even if you don’t
perform them, you’ll still have an omelet. Not a very good one, but an omelet nonetheless.

On the other hand, if you forget to beat the eggs, or heat the pan, or cook the eggs, you won’t have
anything but a cold pan and two eggs.

This is to say, the three steps in the recipe describe the critical tasks necessary to make the omelet-
making project a success.

And the sequence of these steps describes the critical path a new cook must take if he wants to
make an omelet.

This is the Critical Path Method in a nutshell.

Critical Path Method Definition

The Critical Path Method is defined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)
as follows:

“The Critical Path Method is the sequence of scheduled activities that determines the duration of
the project.”

These scheduled activities must be performed if the project is to be considered a success.

Moreover, they must be completed in a specific order. If you’re building a house, you can’t
construct the walls and then dig the foundation; you have to do it in a sequence.

The important bit to understand is that the CPM describes the longest sequence of tasks in the
project.

That is, in any project, you’ll have multiple task sequences. The CPM would describe the sequence
that takes the most time.

For example, if you’re building a house, you would have several task sequences as follows:

Each task takes a different amount of time and resources. It takes more time to build walls and lay
the roof than to install faucets and fixtures.

If you had to figure out the project’s ‘Critical Path’, you would look at the sequence that takes the
most amount of time, like this:

The total time taken to complete the sequence along this critical path would give you an idea of
the project’s minimum duration.

You might undertake several task sequences simultaneously, but if there are any delays in the
critical path sequence, your project will suffer delays as well.

The Critical Path Algorithm Explained

At its heart, the Critical Path Method is essentially an algorithm for decision-making. This
algorithm takes a task's start time, its duration, and finish time to figure out which activities
deserve the most attention (i.e. are "critical" for the project).

Let's consider an example to understand the critical path algorithm better.

Suppose you have a list of tasks as shown below. Columns C and D list the tasks that must be
accomplished for the activity to begin, and the duration of the activity, respectively.

Since the project manager's goal is to complete the project as quickly as possible (without
compromising on quality, of course), we'll try to find the earliest finish time for each activity.

To do this, organize all tasks into a flowchart and note their durations next to the task ID. The
arrows indicate the sequence of activities. We'll mark the Earliest Start (ES) time to the left of
the activity, and the Earliest Finish (EF) time to the right.:

Mark the Start Time (S) to the left and right of the first activity. Usually, this would be 0.

Now mark the Earliest Start (ES) time of each activity. This is given by the largest number to the
right of the activity's immediate predecessor (i.e. its Earliest Finish time, or EF)
 WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE CRITICAL PATH METHOD?

In its September 1963 issue, Harvard Business Review had this to say about the Critical
Path Method:

“Recently added to the growing assortment of quantitative tools for business decision
making is the Critical Path Method—a powerful but basically simple technique for
analyzing, planning, and scheduling large, complex projects.”

Since then, this method has established itself firmly in the theory and practice of project
management. And for good reason - using the Critical Path Method offers countless
benefits:

1. Reduce delays: The Critical Path Method helps identify the most important sequence of
tasks in a project. Managers can use this information to reduce delays by optimizing the
work along the critical path, proactively preventing delays before they occur.
2. Visualize dependencies: The CPM depends on listing all tasks associated with a project
and their dependencies. The chart thus created can help you visualize all dependencies
and prioritize tasks accordingly. Visualizing a Critical Path Method schedule can also
simply give all stakeholders and resources a general roadmap of what to expect in any
given CPM-driven process.
3. Improve organization: In complex projects, the CPM helps break down deliverables into
sequences, and sequences into tasks. This, along with the focus on visualizing
dependencies, mapping constraints, and defining the critical path of tasks drastically
improves project organization, ultimately making projects more manageable.
4. Optimize efficiency: By mapping the critical path, project managers get a better idea of
important tasks in the project. They can use this information to allocate resources more
efficiently, adding/removing resources depending on the task's importance.
5. Float calculation: Float, as we'll learn below, defines how much a task can be delayed
without impacting the project schedule. This is an important part of the Critical Path
Method. Calculating the float can help you distribute resources more effectively while
being better prepared for any unforeseen issues that may arise at any point throughout
the project.

If you’re a project manager - or aspiring to be one - there is another reason to understand

the Critical Path Method: it is a core part of the PMP exam. You can’t really hope to be a
certified project management professional without a deep understanding of this method.

In the next section, I’ll do a deep dive into CPM and show you how to use it in your
projects.

HOW TO USE THE CRITICAL PATH METHOD

Project managers (PMs) use CPM to find the best way to schedule all the tasks in a
project so that they can be completed as quickly and cheaply as possible. It helps them
to prioritize tasks, anticipate bottlenecks, and identify task dependencies, resource
constraints, and project risks.

The Critical Path Method can seem overly complicated until you actually put it to use. If
you have a good understanding of core project management concepts such as the Work
Breakdown Structure (WBS), you’ll find that CPM is delightfully simple.

Go through your list of activities and identify which tasks each depends on, and in what
order, like this:

A list of dependent tasks is called an activity sequence. You’ll use these sequences to
figure out the critical path.

What methods are used to calculate the Critical Path?

The methods used to calculate the critical path are the Project Evaluation
and Review Technique (PERT) and the Critical Path Method (CPM).
The PERT and CPM methods began to be developed in the 1950s to assist
managers in scheduling, monitoring and controlling large, complex projects.
The CPM method (1957) was implemented as a procedure to assist in the
construction and maintenance of chemical plants. The PERT technique was
developed independently in 1958 for the U.S. Navy's Polaris project.

Although both methods are similar, they used different techniques to

estimate task durations. The PERT method used three different time estimates
for the duration of each task, plus it calculated the probability of completing
the project at a given time. The CPM method used a single duration for each
task; however, it also analyzed the additional costs that would be incurred if
the project is accelerated.

The differences between the two techniques are now considered to be

minimal; therefore, we can refer to both as an overall method called PERT
CPM.
How to calculate the critical path?
To calculate the critical path we will follow the following steps:

• Step 1: Obtain the project data. Make a list of all the activities of the
project along with their dependencies and their specific times.
 • Step 2: Elaborate the network diagram. We have written a post that
explains how to elaborate the project network diagram step by step.
• Step 3: Calculate the Early Start and Late Start Times. Determine the
Early Start and Late Start Times for each activity.
• Step 4: Calculate the Early Finish and Late Finish Times. Determine the
Early Finish and Late Finish Times for each activity.
• Step 5: Calculate the slack time. The critical path must be determined
by finding out the slack for each activity of the process. The activities
where there is no slack are the ones making up the critical path.
How to Calculate Early Start, Late Start, Early Finish, Late Finish and Slack
(Float)

To visualize the calculation of these values, we will use the following graphic
representation of the activity:

Duration (t):

Indicates the time it takes to complete the activity.

Early Start Time (ES):

This is the earliest time that an activity can be started assuming all previous
activities have been completed beforehand. For activities that have more than
one precedent, the ES is the greatest of the late start time of their precedents.
See also Gantt Chart Online Maker Free without registration 🥇

Early finish Time (EF):

This is the earliest time that an activity can finish. It is equal to the early start
time plus its estimated duration (t):

EF = ES + t
Late Finish Time (LF):

This is the latest time at which an activity can be completed without delaying
the entire project. It is obtained by equaling the late start time of the activity
that immediately follows. If activities have more than one task immediately
following them, the LF will be the least of the late start time of those activities.

Late Start Time (LS):

It is the latest time an activity can begin without delaying the whole project. It
is equal to the Late Finish Time minus the expected duration of that activity
(t):

LS = LF – t
Slack – Float (S):

A period of time when an activity can be delayed without causing the entire
project to be delayed. All activities contained in the critical path have zero
slack.

Here is how it is calculated mathematically:

S = LS – ES = LF – EF
Example 1:

Draw the activity-on-node (AON) project network associated with the

following activities for Dave Carhart’s consulting company project.
 Immediate Time
Activity Predecessor(s) (Days)
A – 3
B A 4
C A 6
D B 6
E B 4
F C 4
G D 6
H E, F 8
• How long should it take Dave and his team to complete this project?
• What are the critical path activities?
Solution 1:

The network diagram would look as follows:

The development of this diagram was explained in detail in our article

on creating PERT CPM diagrams. The number at each node represents the
duration of each activity.
Forward path

We will now perform the forward path to calculate the ES and EF with an
analysis of each activity.

Start node:

This dummy node has all values equal to zero.

Activity A

Since it is the first activity, its ES will be equal to the EF of the starting node
(zero); the EF is calculated as follows:

See also Critical Path Method Calculator - PERT and CPM Diagram 🥇

EF = ES + activity time
EFA = 0 + 3 = 3

Activity B:

It has as precedent only activity A; therefore its ES will be equal to the EF of

activity A. In the same way as the previous node, the EF of activity B is
calculated by adding its ES + the corresponding time:

EFB = 3 + 4 = 7
Activity C:

It has as precedent only activity A; therefore its ES will be equal to the EF of

activity A. The EF of activity C is calculated by adding its ES + the
corresponding time:

EFC = 3 + 6 = 9

Activity D:

It has as a precedent only activity B; therefore its ES will be equal to the EF of

activity B. The EF of activity D is calculated by adding its ES + the
corresponding time:
 EFD = 7 + 6 = 13

Activity E:

It has as a precedent only activity B; therefore its ES will be equal to the EF of

activity B. The EF of activity E is calculated by adding its ES + the
corresponding time:

EFE = 7 + 4 = 11

Activity F:

It has as precedent only activity C; therefore its ES will be equal to the EF of

activity C. The EF of activity F is calculated by adding its ES + the
corresponding time:
 EFF = 9 + 4 = 13

Activity G:

It has as precedent only activity D; therefore its ES will be equal to the EF of

activity D. The EF of activity G is calculated by adding its ES + the
corresponding time:

EFG = 13 + 6 = 19

Activity H:

This activity has two precedents: E and F; therefore its ES will be equal to the
highest EF of both activities. In this case, activity F has the highest value with
13. The EF of activity H is calculated by adding its ES + the corresponding
time:

EFH = 13 + 8 = 21

End Node:

The end fictitious node is joined with the last activities G and H; and the
highest value of the EF of both activities is placed as ES: 21. This value
represents the total duration of the project. As this node has zero duration
(because it is fictitious) its EF will be equal to 21 + 0 = 21.

Backward path

To finalize the critical path calculation we will perform the backward traversal
to calculate the LF and LS, starting from the final node; placing the values at
the bottom of the node as follows:
End Node:

For the end node the LF value is equal to the project duration (21). The LS is
calculated by subtracting the LF minus the duration (zero).

LSEnd = 21 – 0 = 21
Activity H:

Since the final node is the only successor to activity H, its LF will be equal to
the LS of the final node (21). The LS of activity H is calculated by subtracting
its LF minus its duration:

LSH= 21 – 8 = 13

Activity G:

Since the end node is the only successor of activity G, its LF will be equal to
the LS of the end node (21). The LS of activity G is calculated by subtracting its
LF minus its duration:

LSG = 21 – 6 = 15
Activity F:

Since activity H is the only successor of activity F, its LF will be equal to the LS
of activity H (13). The LS of activity F is calculated by subtracting its LF minus
its duration:

LSF = 13 – 4 = 9

Activity E:
Since activity H is the only successor of activity E, its LF will be equal to the LS
of activity H (13). The LS of activity E is calculated by subtracting its LF minus
its duration:

LSE = 13 – 4 = 9

Activity D:

Since activity G is the only successor of activity D, its LF will be equal to the LS
of activity G (15). The LS of activity D is calculated by subtracting its LF minus
its duration:

LSD = 15 – 6 = 9
Activity C:

Since activity F is the only successor of activity C, its LF will be equal to the LS
of activity F (9). The LS of activity C is calculated by subtracting its LF minus its
duration:

LSC = 9 – 6 = 3

Activity B:

How activity B has as successors activities D and E, its LF will be equal to the
smaller value of the LS of both. In this case, since both have a value of 9; that
value will be the LF of activity B. The LS of activity B is calculated by
subtracting its LF minus its duration:

LSB = 9 – 4 = 5

Activity A:
How activity A has as successors activities B and C, its LF will be equal to the
smaller value of the LS of both. In this case, the lowest value is that of activity
C (3); therefore, that value will be the LF of activity A. The LS of activity A is
calculated by subtracting its LF minus its duration:

LSA = 3 – 3 = 0

Initial Node:

Using the same analysis as above we complete the values of the initial node
with zero.

Finally we calculate the slack for each node with the following formula:

Slack = LS – ES = LF – EF
The final graph would look like this:
The activities with zero float (marked in red) are the critical activities. In this
example, these activities follow a single path that will be our critical path: A –
C – F – H. Total project time is 21 days.

Example 2:

Shirley Hopkins is developing a program in leadership training for middle-level

managers. Shirley has listed a number of activities that must be completed
before a training program of this nature can be conducted. The activities,
immediate predecessors, and times appear in the accompanying table.

Activity Immediate Predecessor Time (days)

A – 2
B – 5
C – 1
D B 10
E A,D 3
F C 6
G E,F 8
Provide the following:
 • AON diagram for these precedencies
• What is the critical path?
• What is the total project completion date?
• What is the slack time for each individual activity?
Solution 2:

We will solve this example by showing the results and analysis of our critical
path method calculator:
Each activity is broken down by its precedents and descendants:

Predecessor Activity Successor

Start → A A A→E
Start → B B B→D
Start → C C C→F
B→D D D→E
A→E
D→E E E→G
C→F F F→G
E→G
F→G G G → End
This table serves as a guide to build our network diagram. Two dummy
activities were added to show the start and end. The activities with 0 (zero)
slack are the ones that make up the critical path.
CPM Network Diagram

CPM Network Diagram with Calculations of ES, EF, LS, LF and Float
The following table presents the results to determine the critical path:

• Early Start (ES): It is equal to the Early Finish to the activity's precedent.
If it has more than one precedent, the highest value is taken.
• Early Finish (EF): It is equal to the Early Start of the activity plus its
duration (t). EF = ES + t.
• Late Start (LS): It is equal to the Late Finish minus its duration (t). LS =
LF – t.
• Late Finish (LF): It is equal to the late start of the activity that follows. If
it has more than one successor, the lowest value is taken.
• Slack (S): It can be calculated in two ways. S = LS – ES = LF – EF.
Activities with zero clearance make up the critical path.
Early Start Early Finish Late Start Late Finish Slack
Activity Time (ES) (EF) (LS) (LF) (S)
A 2 0 2 13 15 13
B 5 0 5 0 5 0
C 1 0 1 11 12 11
D 10 5 15 5 15 0
E 3 15 18 15 18 0
F 6 1 7 12 18 11
G 8 18 26 18 26 0

The critical path is:

B→D→E→G
The total project time is: 26 hours

Example 3

Activity Diagram using Critical Path Math ( CPM)

Critical Path: B-D-E-F
Total project time= 32
.