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The four most frequently used methods include the following,

1. Lowest Total Float – The activities with the lowest total float (sometimes abbreviated as “TF”) values
may be considered critical path activities. This calculated value may be a positive number, zero, or
even a negative number.
2. Negative Total Float – Using this classification method, any activity that has negative float is
considered critical, even if other activities have a lower negative float value. Under this classification,
if an activity is contributing to late project completion then it is worthy of inclusion on the critical path
list regardless of its direct contribution to delayed project completion. Another way of framing thisconcept is to say that any work is understood to be critical if it scheduled to be completed after the
date required for a timely project completion.
3. Longest Path – The concept and term, “longest path” has existed since the beginning of formal CPM
theory. Commercial implementation of this process into a defined algorithm has only recently been
made and is recommended for projects that use multiple calendars and activity constraints.
The longest path calculation begins by identifying the activities that have an early finish equal to the
latest calculated early finish for the project and then identifies all driving relationships for these
activities and traces them back to the project start date. This special calculation scheme is currently
only instituted in Primavera scheduling software products. When discussing the theory of longest
path, we will use the phrase using lower-case letters. When describing the Primavera software
feature called, “Longest Path,” we will use upper-case to distinguish the implementation from the
theory.
4. Longest Path Value Method - The principle of longest path value differs from the approach used by
Primavera in that, instead of just noting activity inclusion or exclusion from the longest path, a
numerical value is calculated for each activity that describes the degree of longest path much like
float describes the degree of criticality.

Lets understand Critical path analysis(CPM) With recommended practice

Critical Path Analysis

The critical path is defined as the longest logical path through the CPM network and consists of those

activities that determine the shortest time for project completion. Activities within this or list form a series

(or sequence) of logically connected activities that is called the critical path. A delay to the start or

completion of any activity in this critical path results in a delay to project completion, assuming that this

path consists of a continuous sequence of activities without an overriding date constraint or multiple

calendars.

Normally, there is only one critical path though a network schedule. There may be multiple critical paths

through a schedule. Multiple critical paths may occur due to different paths having exactly the same

overall duration. Constrained milestones (perhaps reflecting contractual requirements) may cause

different paths to be critical at the same time. Individual schedules (each with their own critical path) may

be combined into a master schedule that has a different critical path. In the case of a master schedule,

there are both individual schedule critical paths as well as a larger program critical path. Project schedule

specifications should define the legal interpretation of each type.

Another type of critical path is called a “resource critical path.” As there are rarely unlimited resources

available to the project team the constraint of limited resources often strongly influences the critical path

calculation. Therefore, in addition to the standard CPM calculations and logical connections, there is an

additional, implied constraint of limited resources. In a resource critical path, after CPM network

calculations have been made activities are further delayed, interrupted, or accelerated to reduce the

overall daily unit resource requirement to some predetermined resource limit. This may be accomplished

by adding preferential (or soft) logic, by manual or automatic resource leveling, or just by the physical

resource limits imposed or utilized on the project without prior planning. While many aspects of standard

critical path analysis are pertinent to resource critical path analysis, this RP does not further address the

subject of a resource critical path. This RP does not address schedules that contain settings that force the

activity durations to be calculated by resource availability, as in resource-driven schedules.

Successful project schedulers must determine and communicate activities that are critical, as well as

those that are near-critical (see later discussion in “Near-Critical Activities/Paths”), in a CPM schedule.

Management by exception[1] processes dictate that project management should devote more attention to

maintaining the required production level for activities on the critical path than for other activities further

removed from criticality. Further, recognition that duration estimates are not absolute and susceptible to

variation requires that a critical path analysis should also include the review of near-critical paths. Both of

these topics are addressed in more detail later.

The list of critical path activities often changes from schedule update to schedule update as activity status

is revised and the schedule is recalculated. Any activity associated with the CPM schedule that is delayed

long enough can eventually become critical, regardless of its original status.

The followingure illustrate the relation between primavera component.

What is PRIMAVERA P6 project management software?

Oracle's Primavera P6 Professional Project Management gives today's project managers and schedulers the one thing they value most: control. Primavera P6 Professional Project Management, the recognized standard for high-performance project management software, is designed to handle large-scale, highly sophisticated and multifaceted projects. It can be used to organize projects up to 100,000 activities, and it provides unlimited resources and an unlimited number of target plans. Massive data requires sophisticated, yet highly flexible organization tools to provide you a multitude of ways to organize, filter and sort activities, projects, and resources.