How to Build a Critical Path Method Schedule Step by Step for Project Managers?

What Is the First Step in Creating a Critical Path Method (CPM) Schedule?

Learn the correct first step in building a Critical Path Method (CPM) schedule in predictive project management. Understand how listing all activities and their durations forms the foundation for sequencing tasks, calculating float, and identifying the critical path.

Question

Which is the first step in creating a Critical Path Method schedule?

A. Calculate float for activities
B. Identify the critical path
C. List all activities and their durations

Answer

C. List all activities and their durations

Explanation

Creating a Critical Path Method (CPM) schedule follows a logical sequence, and the very first step is to identify and list all project activities along with their estimated durations. This foundational step is essential because without a comprehensive list of all tasks and how long each one will take, it is impossible to proceed with any further scheduling work. Only after all activities and durations are defined can the project team move on to sequencing activities by establishing their dependencies, then performing forward and backward passes to calculate early and late start/finish dates, followed by determining float for each activity, and finally identifying the critical path as the longest chain of zero-float activities that determines the project’s minimum completion date.