What is the effect of adding resources to tasks on the critical path?

• A. Shortens the project length
• B. Increases the project duration
• C. No effect
• D. Creates risk

Answer: (A)

Adding resources to tasks on the critical path can shorten the project's finish date because those tasks drive the overall duration. The critical path is the sequence of activities with the least slack; any reduction in time for these tasks directly reduces the total time needed to complete the project. This approach is known as crashing: you invest additional resources to speed up the critical-path work.

Keep in mind that while this can shorten the schedule, it usually increases costs and can introduce coordination challenges or resource conflicts. If you add resources to tasks not on the critical path, there’s typically little or no impact on the project duration unless those changes shift which path is critical.