Which timing value is calculated as the finish time minus the duration of the activity?

Which timing value is calculated as the finish time minus the duration of the activity?

• A. Earliest Start (ES)
• B. Latest Finish (LF)
• C. Earliest Finish (EF)
• D. Latest Start (LS)

Answer: (D)

The timing value you get by taking the finish time and subtracting the activity duration is the latest start time. This is LS = LF − duration, which tells you the latest moment you can begin the activity without delaying the overall project finish. Understanding this helps you see how much float an activity has: you can delay starting until this LS without affecting the finish date, whereas starting after LS would push the project end. In contrast, earliest start is the earliest you could begin given constraints, earliest finish is ES plus duration, and latest finish is the latest you can finish without delaying the project.

The timing value you get by taking the finish time and subtracting the activity duration is the latest start time. This is LS = LF − duration, which tells you the latest moment you can begin the activity without delaying the overall project finish. Understanding this helps you see how much float an activity has: you can delay starting until this LS without affecting the finish date, whereas starting after LS would push the project end. In contrast, earliest start is the earliest you could begin given constraints, earliest finish is ES plus duration, and latest finish is the latest you can finish without delaying the project.