Critical path analysis is commonly used in conjunction with which technique?

• A. Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) charts.
• B. Gantt charts.
• C. SWOT analysis.
• D. Balanced scorecard.

Answer: (A)

Critical path analysis identifies the sequence of dependent tasks that determine the project’s minimum completion time and highlights which tasks have no slack. When paired with PERT charts, you gain a structured way to estimate how long activities will take under uncertainty and to compute the expected duration for each activity as well as the overall project duration. PERT uses optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic time estimates to model variability, and that information feeds into mapping out the longest path through the network—the critical path. This combination makes planning and scheduling more robust when durations are uncertain, guiding where to focus attention and resources to avoid delays.

Gantt charts show timelines and progress visually but don’t inherently calculate the critical path. SWOT analysis and the balanced scorecard are strategic planning tools, not scheduling methods, so they don’t serve the same purpose as critical path analysis in project timing.