Skip to Main Content
Skip to Navigation
Project Management Orientation

Total Float and Free Float Example

Calculate the total float and free float for the following example.  Remember that you must complete the forward pass and then the backward pass before you can calculate float.

The total float for tasks A, C, G, and H is 0.  The total float for tasks B, D, and E is 7:  8 - 1, 11 - 4, or 14 - 7.  The total float for task F is 8:  12 - 4.
  
The free float for tasks A, C, G, H, B, and D is 0.  The free float for task F is 1:  7 - 6, and for task E, 7:  17 - 10.
  
Remember that free float is time available between activities, and total float is time available within an activity.  Float can be used to determine wether a project might be finished earlier by using resources that have time available within a task or between tasks to aid those tasks with 0 float.  The tasks with 0 float are critical and must start on the ES date and finish on the EF date, or your project will be late.

Complete Float Example
1: Getting Started
2: Define the Project Team
3: Team Management
4: Identify and Validate Requirements
5: Create Decomposition Structures
6: Risk Management
7: Project Estimates
8: Project Schedules
9: Change Management
10: Project Control and Execution
Defining the Project
11: Project Management Review
12: Project Closeout
13: Project Management Tool Suite
14: Self-Assessment and Final Exam
Fast Points
Concepts
Seven Keys
Case Study
WWPMM
Mentor
Check Point
Previous button
Next button
Print button
Help button
Glossary button
Exit course button