A project network has three parallel paths: Path 1 (22 days), Path 2 (25 days), and Path 3 (23 days). If Path 2 is delayed by 4 days due to material shortages, what is the new project duration?
Correct Answer
C) 29 days
Path 2 was originally the critical path at 25 days. With a 4-day delay, Path 2 becomes 29 days, making it still the critical path and extending the project duration to 29 days.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
CORRECT_ANSWER - Path 2 was originally the critical path at 25 days since it had the longest duration among the three parallel paths. When Path 2 is delayed by 4 days due to material shortages, its new duration becomes 25 + 4 = 29 days. Since this is still longer than Path 1 (22 days) and Path 3 (23 days), Path 2 remains the critical path and determines the overall project duration of 29 days.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: 25 days
25 days represents the original duration of Path 2 before the delay, not accounting for the 4-day material shortage delay that must be added to the critical path duration.
Option B: 27 days
27 days would result from incorrectly adding only 2 days to the original critical path duration, rather than the full 4-day delay specified in the problem.
Option D: 26 days
26 days would result from incorrectly adding only 1 day to the original critical path duration, failing to account for the complete 4-day material shortage delay.
Memory Technique
Remember 'Critical + Delay = New Duration' - find the longest path, add any delays to it, and that becomes your new project completion time.
Reference Hint
Project Management chapter covering Critical Path Method (CPM) and network scheduling analysis
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