How does the PMBOK define a network diagram vs a Gantt chart?

• A. Network diagram shows dependencies and Critical Path; Gantt chart presents a timeline view of activities and durations.
• B. Gantt chart shows dependencies and Critical Path; Network diagram is a timeline.
• C. Network diagram shows budgets; Gantt shows risks.
• D. Gantt chart is only used for waterfall; network diagram for agile.

Answer: (A)

In PMBOK terms, a network diagram focuses on the sequence and dependencies among activities and is used to identify the Critical Path—the longest path through the network that drives the project duration. A Gantt chart, on the other hand, presents the schedule as a timeline, showing each activity as a bar with its start and finish dates and its duration. This makes the calendar view clear and easy to track, but it doesn’t highlight the dependency logic or the critical path in as explicit a way as the network diagram does. The other options mix up these roles: Gantt charts are not primarily about dependencies, and network diagrams are not merely calendars; budgets or risks aren’t the defining elements of these visuals; and the waterfall vs agile distinction isn’t what these diagrams are about.