Lesson 3D.4.1-3D.4.2

3D.4.1-3D.4.2 Activity networks and precedence tables Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Further Maths, Unit 38

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson 3D.4.1-3D.4.2, Activity networks and precedence tables: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Further Maths (9FM0), Unit 38: Critical path analysis, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. In an activity-on-arc network, what represents each activity?

    • an arc (directed edge) between two event nodes
    • a vertex only
    • a dummy vertex only
    • a number written at a vertex

  2. A dummy activity has

    • zero duration
    • an infinite duration
    • a duration of one unit
    • no effect on the network

  3. A precedence table lists each activity with

    • the total float of each path
    • the cost of each worker
    • only its start and finish times
    • its duration and its immediate predecessors

  4. A precedence table is used to construct

    • a Gantt chart
    • an activity network
    • a linear programme
    • a histogram

  5. In an activity network, the earliest time an event can occur is found from

    • the longest path from the start to that event
    • the duration of the last activity only
    • the shortest path from the start to that event
    • the sum of all durations

  6. A project network normally has a single start event and

    • no finish event
    • two finish events
    • a single finish event
    • many separate finish events

  7. Activities with no predecessors can start at

    • the time equal to their duration
    • the end of the project
    • their latest finish time
    • time zero

  8. Activity A takes 3 days with no predecessors. Activity B takes 2 days and follows A. Activity C takes 4 days and follows A. Activity D takes 1 day and follows B and C. What is the minimum project duration?

    • 7
    • 8
    • 6
    • 10

  9. Activity X takes 5 days and must be completed before activity Z, which takes 6 days. What is the earliest finish time of Z?

    • 13
    • 5
    • 7
    • 11

  10. An activity of duration 4 leaves an event with earliest time 3, and an activity of duration 6 leaves an event with earliest time 2. Both end at the same event. What is the earliest time at that event?

    • 10
    • 8
    • 6
    • 7

  11. Activity E depends on D, and D depends on C. E does not depend on C directly. Is C an immediate predecessor of E?

    • Yes, both C and D are immediate predecessors
    • No, C precedes E only through D
    • Neither C nor D is a predecessor
    • Yes, C is an immediate predecessor

  12. A chain of four activities has durations 2, 5, 3 and 4 days, each following the last. What is the total duration?

    • 12
    • 14
    • 15
    • 10

  13. Activities P and Q both start at time 0, with durations 4 and 7. Both must finish before X starts. What is the earliest start of X?

    • 11
    • 3
    • 4
    • 7

  14. Event 0 has earliest time 0. Activity 0-1 takes 3, activity 0-2 takes 5, activity 1-3 takes 4 and activity 2-3 takes 1. What is the earliest time at event 3?

    • 6
    • 7
    • 5
    • 9

  15. Activity B takes 3 days with no predecessors, and activity C takes 2 days and follows B. What is the earliest finish time of C?

    • 2
    • 8
    • 3
    • 5

  16. Activities A (2 days, no predecessors), B (3 days, after A), C (4 days, after A), D (1 day, after B) and E (6 days, after C and D). What is the minimum project duration?

    • 13
    • 11
    • 10
    • 12

  17. Why must an activity network contain no cycles?

    • cycles increase the total duration
    • an activity would have to finish before it could start, so no schedule exists
    • cycles only change the picture, not the schedule
    • cycles are not allowed in any graph

  18. Why do precedence tables list only immediate predecessors?

    • transitive precedences are implied, so listing only immediate ones avoids redundancy
    • only the first activity has predecessors
    • the table must record every activity's start time
    • non-immediate predecessors cannot affect timing

  19. The finish event of a network has earliest time 17. What does this mean?

    • the project can only be finished in exactly 17 units
    • the latest any activity may start is 17
    • each activity lasts 17 units
    • the minimum time to complete the whole project is 17

  20. Activities P (2 days), Q (5 days, after P), R (4 days), S (3 days, after R and P) and T (2 days, after Q and S). What is the minimum project duration?

    • 11
    • 9
    • 10
    • 7

All Pearson Edexcel Further Maths quizzes