HKSM
Bar Chart
A visual timeline used to present schedule information. Commonly, tasks or WBS elements appear in a list on the left, a time scale runs across the top, and each activity is shown as a horizontal bar placed according to its planned start and finish dates.
Key Points
- Displays activities and durations on a calendar-like time scale using horizontal bars.
- Activities or WBS components are listed on the left; dates span across the top.
- Easy for stakeholders to read, but shows limited logic relationships compared to network diagrams.
- Useful for communicating the plan and tracking progress against a baseline.
Example
A facilities upgrade project lists tasks such as "Design," "Procurement," "Installation," and "Testing" down the left side. The time axis shows months across the top. Each task has a bar drawn from its planned start to finish dates. During execution, progress shading on each bar indicates percentage complete.
PMP Example Question
Which tool best shows project activities listed on the left with a calendar across the top and each activity represented by a horizontal duration bar?
- Bar chart
- Network diagram
- Resource histogram
- Scatter diagram
Correct Answer: A — Bar chart
Explanation: A bar chart (Gantt chart) plots activities as horizontal bars against a time scale, with activities on the left and dates across the top.
