Examples of Network Diagram Questions (1)

Question No. 1
You have to manage a project with activities and their respective durations as listed
in Table 1 below:
Table 1: Project Data for Construction of Precedence Diagram
Activity

Immediate
Predecessor

Duration
(months)

None

B, C

A, E

D, E, F

G, H

H, F

H, I, J

1) Construct a precedence diagram to analyze your project.

2) What is the project duration?
3) What are the critical activities?
4) Show the critical path on your precedence diagram.
5) When is the latest time that activity G must be completed in order that the
project is not delayed?
6) When is the earliest time that activity D can possibly be completed?
7) What is the free float for activity E with respect to activity H?

CEPB 323 Project Management & Construction: Examples of network diagram questions

Answers
1) Refer to Figure A2.
14 G 18
8 4 12

0
0

A
2

2
2

2 B
2 4

6
6

4 C
2 2

6
4

12 D 14
6 2 8

6
6

E 10
4 10

10
10

F 16
6 16

18
18

I 24
6 24

16 H 18
16 2 18

24 K 28
24 4 28

18
18

J 24
6 24

Figure A2: Precedence diagram for question no. 4

Answers:
Critical activities:
Critical Path:
Project duration:

A, B, E, F, H, I, J and K.
28 months

2) Project duration = 28 months.

3) Critical activities: A, B, E, F, H, I, J & K.
4) The critical path is indicated by the bold arrows in the precedence diagram.
5) The latest time that activity G must be completed in order that the project is
not delayed is by end of the 18th month.
6) The earliest time that activity D can possibly be completed is by end of the 8th
month.
7) The free float for activity E with respect to activity H: 16 10 = 6 months.
Question No. 2
You have to manage a project with activities and their respective durations as listed
in Table 2 below:
1) Construct an arrow diagram to analyze your project.
2) What is the project duration?
3) What are the critical activities?
4) Show the critical path on your arrow diagram.

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CEPB 323 Project Management & Construction: Examples of network diagram questions

Table 2: Project Data for Construction of Arrow Diagram

Activity

Immediate
Predecessor

Duration
(months)

None

B, C

A, F

A, F, G, H

A, F, J, K

5) When is the earliest time that activity H can start?

6) When is the latest time that activity F must start?
7) What is the total float for activity I?
Answers
1) Refer to Figure A3.
2) Project duration = 22 months.
3) Critical activities: A, B, E, G, J and L.
4) The critical path is indicated by the bold arrows in the precedence diagram.
5) The earliest time that activity H must start is at the beginning of the 11th month.
6) The latest time that activity F must start is at the beginning of the 9th month.

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CEPB 323 Project Management & Construction: Examples of network diagram questions

7) The total float for activity I is 10 8 = 2 months.

B 10

8 10

10

10

E 12

10

2 12

C 12
2

F 10

12

G 16

12

4 16

12

H 16

10

4 14

10

I 16

6 14

16

J 18

16

2 18

10

16

K 18

14

2 16

18

L 22

18

4 22

11

Figure A3: Arrow diagram for question no. 5

Critical activities:
Critical Path:
Project duration:

A, B, E, G, J and L
22 months

Question No. 3
You have to manage a project with activities and their respective durations as listed
in Table 3 below. The critical path is along activities A, C, F, I, K and L.
1) What is the expected project duration?
2) What is the probability of completing the project by the end of the 32nd month?
3) What is the project duration if it is based on a 99% probability to complete the
project?
Answers
1) The expected project duration is the sum of critical activities durations (refer to
Table A1),
TE = 29 months.
2) Calculations for the relevant activities are as shown in Table A1 below:
te = (a + 4m + b) / 6
= [(b a) / 6] 2
TE = (1-2 + 2-3 + ...+ i-j)
= (0.11 + 0.11 + 0.44 + 0.44 + 0.11 + 1.00)
= 1.49
z

= ( TS - TE ) / TE
= ( 32 29 ) / 1.49
= 2.01
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CEPB 323 Project Management & Construction: Examples of network diagram questions

Therefore from Table 1, the probability of completing the project by the end of
the 32nd month is 0.98 or 98%.
3) A 99% probability to complete the project refers to a value of deviation from
Table 1,
Z = 2.5
Therefore the project duration based on a 99% probability to complete the
project:
z = ( TS - TE ) / TE
TS = z TE + TE
= (2.5)(1.49) + 29
= 30.68 months.

Table 3: Project Data for PERT Analysis

Immediate
Predecessor

Activity

Duration (months)
Optimistic

Most
likely

Pessimistic

None

C, E

C, E

F, G, H

J, K

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CEPB 323 Project Management & Construction: Examples of network diagram questions

Table A1: Project Data for PERT Analysis.

Calculations for the relevant activities
Duration (months)
Activity

Immediate
Predecessor

Optimistic
(a)

Most
likely
(m)

Pessimistic
(b)

Expected
time
(te)

Standard
deviation
()

None

0.11

0.11

C, E

0.44

0.44

0.11

J, K

1.00

Project duration =

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CEPB 323 Project Management & Construction: Examples of network diagram questions

Formula and Tables

Table 1: PERT Probability Table

te = a + 4m + b
6
= 2 = {(b a)/6}2
TE = (1-2 + 2-3 + 3-4 + 4-5 + + i-j )
z = (TS TE) / TE

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