PK0-005 Project Life Cycle Practice Question
A project manager is analyzing the critical path of a network diagram. Which TWO statements about the critical path are true?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is assuming there is only one critical path or that critical activities have positive float, when in fact they have zero float and multiple critical paths can exist.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Delaying a critical path activity delays the project.
Option A is correct because the critical path is defined as the sequence of activities with zero total float, so any delay to an activity on it directly pushes out the project finish date. Option E is correct because the critical path is, by definition, the longest-duration path through the network diagram, which determines the shortest possible project completion time. Option B is wrong because negative float indicates a schedule that is already behind its imposed deadline, not a normal property of critical path activities. Option C is wrong because critical path activities have zero float, not positive float; positive float belongs to non-critical activities. Option D is wrong because a network diagram can contain multiple critical paths when two or more sequences share the same longest duration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Delaying a critical path activity delays the project.
Why this is correct
Critical path activities have zero float, so any delay directly extends the project's finish date. This satisfies the stem's requirement for a true statement about critical path behaviour: the path determines the shortest possible duration, and slack-free tasks on it transmit their slippage straight to overall completion.
- ✗
Critical path activities can have negative float.
Why it's wrong here
Float on the critical path is zero by definition; negative float indicates a schedule already behind its imposed deadline, which shifts the critical path rather than describing it. Negative float is the correct focus when analysing deadline-constrained schedules with mandatory finish dates.
- ✗
Activities on the critical path have positive float.
Why it's wrong here
Positive float means an activity can slip without delaying project completion, so it cannot lie on the critical path, where total float equals zero. Positive float is expected for non-critical activities and is what a project manager deliberately consumes when levelling resources.
- ✗
There can be only one critical path.
Why it's wrong here
A network diagram can contain multiple critical paths when parallel chains share the same longest duration, so the singular claim is false. Assuming one path is tempting because introductory examples show a single chain, but real schedules with converging parallel work routinely produce several zero-float paths.
- ✓
It has the longest duration in the project.
Why this is correct
The critical path is defined as the sequence of dependent activities with the greatest total duration through the network diagram, so its length equals the shortest possible project completion time. Any path with a shorter sum carries float.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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