A project schedule shows Activity A (5 days) must finish before Activity B (8 days) can start, and Activity B must finish before Activity C (6 days) can start. If Activity A starts on Day 1, what is the Early Finish date for Activity C?
Correct Answer
A) Day 19
Activity A: Days 1-5, Activity B: Days 6-13, Activity C: Days 14-19. Early Finish for Activity C is Day 19.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Using Finish-to-Start dependencies with no lag: Activity A runs Days 1–5 (Early Finish = Day 5). Activity B starts Day 6 and runs 8 days, finishing Day 13 (Early Finish = Day 13). Activity C starts Day 14 and runs 6 days, finishing Day 19 (Early Finish = Day 19).
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B: Day 20
Day 20 results from an off-by-one error, typically from counting the start day of each activity as an additional day. For example, incorrectly adding 5+8+6+1 = 20 rather than properly tracking start and finish days.
Option C: Day 21
Day 21 reflects a double off-by-one error — adding an extra day at each transition between activities. This happens when a candidate treats each successor activity as starting on the day after the finish plus one additional buffer day.
Option D: Day 18
Day 18 results from miscounting one activity's duration, most likely treating Activity C as 5 days instead of 6, or starting Activity B on the same day Activity A finishes rather than the next day.
Memory Technique
Use the 'next day start' rule: in Finish-to-Start scheduling, the successor starts the day AFTER the predecessor finishes. Lay it out: A: 1→5, B: 6→13, C: 14→19. Count the days: B starts at 5+1=6, finishes at 6+8-1=13. C starts at 13+1=14, finishes at 14+6-1=19.
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