Gantt chart: time allocation

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Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. On a Gantt chart, what does the length of a task's bar show?

A The estimated time allocation for that task

B The importance of the task to the client

2. Which is an example of time allocation for a task?

A Design the user interface: 5 days

B Design the user interface: Sam is responsible

3. A task is estimated to take 10 days and another 5 days. Which bar is longer on the same scale?

A The 10-day task

B The 5-day task

4. Which time unit suits a Gantt chart for a small project with short tasks?

A Years

B Days

5. When estimating how long a task will take, what is the best approach?

A Give every task the same length so the chart looks neat

B Consider the task's complexity and the developer's experience

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1Design screens: 3 days		AWrite login module: 4 days (estimate)
2Testing: Week 5 to Week 6		BThe bar covers Weeks 2, 3 and 4, so the time allocation should be 3 weeks, not 1 week. The bar length and the stated duration do not match.
3Estimating duration: a developer predicts how long a task will take before drawing its bar		CA task allocated 2 weeks, shown as a bar covering two week columns
4Total project length: the combined bars, from the earliest start to the latest finish, set how long the project runs		DThe units are mixed (days and weeks), so the time allocations cannot be compared or added to find the total project length. Use one unit such as days throughout.
5Build database: bar spans Week 2 to Week 4, time allocation = 1 week		EA task with a time allocation of 3 days, drawn as a bar that spans 3 days on the timeline
6Plan: 2 days, Code: 5 weeks, Test: 3 days		FStart: Week 1, Last task ends: Week 8, Total = 8 weeks

Definitions

time allocation

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

Design: 3 days Build: 5 days Total = 3 _ 5 = 8 days

Bar length = task ________

Test: 2 weeks Release: 1 week Total = 2 + 1 = _ weeks

Duration = end date - _____ date

Screens: 4 Time per screen: 2 days Estimate = 4 _ 2 = 8 days

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A Task A: Design, 3 days

B Task B: Code, 10 dollars

C Task C: Test, 4 days

Question 2

A Design = 5 days

B Build = 8 days

C Total = Design * Build

D OUTPUT Total

Question 3

A task ← 'Testing'

B duration ← 3

C bar_length ← cost

D OUTPUT bar_length

Question 4

A duration ← -5

B start ← 1

C finish ← start + duration - 1

D OUTPUT finish

Question 5

A Task: Write report

B Estimate: 14 weeks

C Bar length: 2 weeks

Answer Key

Gantt chart: time allocation

Section A: Quick Questions

A — The estimated time allocation for that task

A — Design the user interface: 5 days

A — The 10-day task

B — Days

B — Consider the task's complexity and the developer's experience

Section B: Match the Pairs

Design screens: 3 days → A task with a time allocation of 3 days, drawn as a bar that spans 3 days on the timeline

Testing: Week 5 to Week 6 → A task allocated 2 weeks, shown as a bar covering two week columns

Estimating duration: a developer predicts how long a task will take before drawing its bar → Write login module: 4 days (estimate)

Total project length: the combined bars, from the earliest start to the latest finish, set how long the project runs → Start: Week 1, Last task ends: Week 8, Total = 8 weeks

Build database: bar spans Week 2 to Week 4, time allocation = 1 week → The bar covers Weeks 2, 3 and 4, so the time allocation should be 3 weeks, not 1 week. The bar length and the stated duration do not match.

Plan: 2 days, Code: 5 weeks, Test: 3 days → The units are mixed (days and weeks), so the time allocations cannot be compared or added to find the total project length. Use one unit such as days throughout.

Section C: Definitions

time allocation — The estimate of how long each task will take, shown on a Gantt chart as the length of its bar. Bars are measured in days or weeks and together set the total project length.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

Design: 3 days
Build: 5 days
Total = 3 + 5 = 8 days

Bar length = task duration

Test: 2 weeks
Release: 1 week
Total = 2 + 1 = 3 weeks

Duration = end date - start date

Screens: 4
Time per screen: 2 days
Estimate = 4 * 2 = 8 days

Section E: Spot the Error

B — Time allocation is measured in days or weeks, not dollars. Dollars measure cost. It should be 'Task B: Code, 10 days'.

C — Tasks done one after another have their durations added. Multiplying gives a meaningless number. It should be 'Total = Design + Build'.

C — A bar's length shows the task's estimated duration, not its cost. It should be 'bar_length ← duration'.

A — A task's estimated duration must be a positive amount of time. A negative duration can't make a bar. It should be 'duration ← 5'.

B — The bar length must match the estimated duration. A 2 week bar means a 2 week estimate. It should be 'Estimate: 2 weeks'.