1. Project Management Critical Path Method Demonstration
V4.4

2. 1. Determine # of paths 300 1 4 5 7 8 11 Go through each sequence of
activities and identify the ‘paths’ starting on the left at Start. A 4 B 3 C 4 4 7 8 10 14 17 1 5 6 13 8 14
Start D 5 E 8 F 7
Finish 1 5 6 13 11 17
Paths: 6 11
Start-A-B-C-Finish 14 17 G 6 H 4 8 13 14 17

3. 1. Determine # of paths 300 1 4 5 7 8 11 Go through each sequence of
activities and identify the ‘paths’ starting on the left at Start. A 4 B 3 C 4 4 7 8 10 14 17 1 5 6 13 8 14
Start D 5 E 8 F 7
Finish 1 5 6 13 11 17
Paths:
Start-A-B-C-Finish 6 11 14 17
Start-A-B-F-Finish G 6 H 4 8 13 14 17

4. 1. Determine # of paths 300 1 4 5 7 8 11 Go through each sequence of
activities and identify the ‘paths’ starting on the left at Start. A 4 B 3 C 4 4 7 8 10 14 17 1 5 6 13 8 14
Start D 5 E 8 F 7
Finish 1 5 6 13 11 17
Paths:
Start-A-B-C-Finish 6 11 14 17
Start-A-B-F-Finish G 6 H 4
Start-D-E-H-Finish 8 13 14 17

5. 1. Determine # of paths 300 1 4 5 7 8 11 Go through each sequence of
activities and identify the ‘paths’ starting on the left at Start. A 4 B 3 C 4 4 7 8 10 14 17 1 5 6 13 8 14
Start D 5 E 8 F 7
Finish 1 5 6 13 11 17
Paths:
Start-A-B-C-Finish 6 11 14 17
Start-A-B-F-Finish G 6 H 4
Start-D-E-H-Finish
Start-D-G-H-Finish 8 13 14 17

6. 2. Determine each path’s aggregate duration 300 1 4 5 7 8 11
Add-up the durations of each path. Be careful of special relationships such as SS or FF, lags or leads! A 4 B 3 C 4 4 7 8 10 14 17 1 5 6 13 8 14
Start D 5 E 8 F 7
Finish 1 5 6 13 11 17
Paths:
Start-A-B-C-Finish 6 11 14 17
Start-A-B-F-Finish G 6 H 4
Start-D-E-H-Finish
Start-D-G-H-Finish 8 13 14 17

7. 2. Determine each path’s aggregate duration 300 1 4 5 7 8 11
Add-up the durations of each path. Be careful of special relationships such as SS or FF, lags or leads! A 4 B 3 C 4 4 7 8 10 14 17 1 5 6 13 8 14
Start D 5 E 8 F 7
Finish 1 5 6 13 11 17
Paths:
Start-A-B-C-Finish 11 6 11 14 17
Start-A-B-F-Finish G 6 H 4
Start-D-E-H-Finish
Start-D-G-H-Finish 8 13 14 17

8. 2. Determine each path’s aggregate duration 300 1 4 5 7 8 11
Add-up the durations of each path. Be careful of special relationships such as SS or FF, lags or leads! A 4 B 3 C 4 4 7 8 10 14 17 1 5 6 13 8 14
Start D 5 E 8 F 7
Finish 1 5 6 13 11 17
Paths:
Start-A-B-C-Finish 11 6 11 14 17
Start-A-B-F-Finish 14 G 6 H 4
Start-D-E-H-Finish
Start-D-G-H-Finish 8 13 14 17

9. 2. Determine each path’s aggregate duration 300 1 4 5 7 8 11
Add-up the durations of each path. Be careful of special relationships such as SS or FF, lags or leads! A 4 B 3 C 4 4 7 8 10 14 17 1 5 6 13 8 14
Start D 5 E 8 F 7
Finish 1 5 6 13 11 17
Paths:
Start-A-B-C-Finish 11 6 11 14 17
Start-A-B-F-Finish 14 G 6 H 4
Start-D-E-H-Finish 17
Start-D-G-H-Finish 8 13 14 17

10. 2. Determine each path’s aggregate duration 300 1 4 5 7 8 11
Add-up the durations of each path. Be careful of special relationships such as SS or FF, lags or leads! A 4 B 3 C 4 4 7 8 10 14 17 1 5 6 13 8 14
Start D 5 E 8 F 7
Finish 1 5 6 13 11 17
Paths:
Start-A-B-C-Finish 11 6 11 14 17
Start-A-B-F-Finish 14 G 6 H 4
Start-D-E-H-Finish 17
Start-D-G-H-Finish 15 8 13 14 17

11. 3. Determine the critical path
300 1 4 5 7 8 11
3. Determine the critical path
The path(s) with the highest cumulative duration will be the critical path. A 4 B 3 C 4 4 7 8 10 14 17 1 5 6 13 8 14
Start D 5 E 8 F 7
Finish 1 5 6 13 11 17
Paths:
Start-A-B-C-Finish 11 6 11 14 17
Start-A-B-F-Finish 14 G 6 H 4
Start-D-E-H-Finish 17
Start-D-G-H-Finish 15 8 13 14 17

12. 3. Determine the critical path
300 1 4 5 7 8 11
3. Determine the critical path
The path(s) with the highest cumulative duration will be the critical path. A 4 B 3 C 4 4 7 8 10 14 17 1 5 6 13 8 14
Start D 5 E 8 F 7
Finish 1 5 6 13 11 17
Paths:
Start-A-B-C-Finish 11 6 11 14 17
Start-A-B-F-Finish 14 G 6 H 4
Start-D-E-H-Finish 17
Start-D-G-H-Finish 15 8 13 14 17

13. 4. Forward Pass 5. Backward Pass 300 1 4 5 7 8 11
Start with 1 for ES of each path
Increment values (not add)
Use highest value at convergences A 4 B 3 C 4 4 7 8 10 14 17 1 5 6 13 8 14
Start D 5 E 8 F 7
Finish 1 5 6 13 11 17
5. Backward Pass
Use highest EF as LF of each path
Decrement values (not subtract)
Use lowest value at convergences 6 11 14 17 G 6 H 4 8 13 14 17