Which float measures the total time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project finish date?

Which float measures the total time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project finish date?

• A. Free Float
• B. Project Float
• C. Float Amount
• D. Total Float

Answer: (D)

Total float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project finish date. It reflects scheduling flexibility across the whole project, not just in relation to a single successor. You compute it as the difference between the latest finish time and the earliest finish time (or latest start minus earliest start) for that activity. If total float is positive, you can delay the activity by that amount without affecting the project end; if it’s zero, the activity is on the critical path and any delay would push the finish date. This is different from free float, which is the time you can delay an activity without delaying the start of its immediate successors. Therefore, the measure described is total float.

Total float is the amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project finish date. It reflects scheduling flexibility across the whole project, not just in relation to a single successor. You compute it as the difference between the latest finish time and the earliest finish time (or latest start minus earliest start) for that activity. If total float is positive, you can delay the activity by that amount without affecting the project end; if it’s zero, the activity is on the critical path and any delay would push the finish date. This is different from free float, which is the time you can delay an activity without delaying the start of its immediate successors. Therefore, the measure described is total float.