In scheduling, which calculation propagates from the start to compute earliest times (ES and EF)?

In scheduling, which calculation propagates from the start to compute earliest times (ES and EF)?

• A. Backward Pass
• B. Forward Pass
• C. Critical Path Method
• D. PERT

Answer: (B)

Calculating earliest times by moving through the network from the start is the process this item tests. This forward pass begins at the project start, setting the first activities’ earliest start (ES) to zero and computing earliest finish (EF) as ES plus duration. For each subsequent activity, ES is the maximum of the EF values of all its immediate predecessors, and EF is then ES plus its duration. This direction yields the earliest possible schedule, given the durations and predecessor relationships. The backward pass does the opposite: it starts from the project end to determine latest start (LS) and latest finish (LF) times, ensuring the project finishes on time without delaying successors. The Critical Path Method is the overall technique that uses both forward and backward passes to identify total project duration and the critical path. PERT is a probabilistic planning method that uses three-time estimates rather than a straightforward forward calculation of ES and EF.

Calculating earliest times by moving through the network from the start is the process this item tests. This forward pass begins at the project start, setting the first activities’ earliest start (ES) to zero and computing earliest finish (EF) as ES plus duration. For each subsequent activity, ES is the maximum of the EF values of all its immediate predecessors, and EF is then ES plus its duration. This direction yields the earliest possible schedule, given the durations and predecessor relationships.

The backward pass does the opposite: it starts from the project end to determine latest start (LS) and latest finish (LF) times, ensuring the project finishes on time without delaying successors. The Critical Path Method is the overall technique that uses both forward and backward passes to identify total project duration and the critical path. PERT is a probabilistic planning method that uses three-time estimates rather than a straightforward forward calculation of ES and EF.