What is a Critical Path?

The Critical Path is the backbone of your project in project management—it’s the sequence of tasks that directly determines how quickly you can complete everything. Assume you have a number of tasks to accomplish, some of which may be completed concurrently, while others must wait for specified tasks to be finished first. The Critical Path is a succession of activities that, if even slightly delayed, might cause the entire project to take longer. By determining this path, project managers may identify the most critical tasks that must be completed in order for the project to be completed on time.