When calculating total float, what two times are typically compared?

When calculating total float, the correct comparison involves the early finish and the late finish of a task. Total float is the amount of time that a task can be delayed without delaying the project completion date.

To find the total float, you measure the difference between the late finish (the latest time a task can finish without affecting the project timeline) and the early finish (the earliest time a task can be completed). This comparison provides the float time for that specific task, which indicates how much flexibility you have in scheduling without impacting the project's overall deadline.

Other comparisons, such as between early start and late finish or late start and early finish, do not directly give you total float, as they incorporate different time parameters that do not reflect the task's flexibility as accurately as the early and late finish times do.