A project schedule shows Activity X with early start day 15, early finish day 22, late start day 18, and late finish day 25. What is the total float for Activity X?
Correct Answer
A) 3 days
Total float is calculated as Late Start minus Early Start (or Late Finish minus Early Finish). In this case: 18 - 15 = 3 days of float, meaning Activity X can be delayed up to 3 days without affecting the project completion date.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Total float represents the amount of time an activity can be delayed without affecting the project's critical path or overall completion date. The formula for total float is Late Start minus Early Start (or alternatively, Late Finish minus Early Finish). Using the given data: Late Start (18) - Early Start (15) = 3 days. This means Activity X has 3 days of scheduling flexibility before it impacts the project timeline.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B: 7 days
7 days incorrectly represents the duration of the activity (22-15=7 or 25-18=7), not the float. Duration and float are completely different concepts - duration is how long the activity takes, while float is scheduling flexibility.
Option C: 10 days
10 days appears to be adding the early start and late start incorrectly, or possibly confusing it with some other calculation. This number doesn't correspond to any meaningful project scheduling metric for this activity.
Option D: 15 days
15 days is simply the early start day number, which has no relationship to float calculation. This represents when the activity can earliest begin, not the scheduling flexibility available.
Memory Technique
Remember 'LESE' - Late minus Early equals Scheduling Extra. The difference between late and early times gives you the extra time available for scheduling flexibility.
Reference Hint
Look up 'Critical Path Method (CPM)' and 'Project Scheduling' in construction management references, typically found in project management chapters of general contracting study guides.
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