The variance on the critical path affects which aspect of the project most directly?

The variance on the critical path affects the project end date most directly because the critical path determines the minimum time necessary to complete the project. If there are delays or changes in duration along the activities on the critical path, this will directly impact the overall project timeline. Since the critical path consists of tasks that, if delayed, will result in a delay in project completion, any variance in duration on these tasks can push the project end date forward.

In contrast, while quality, cost, and team performance are vital aspects of project management, they are not as directly impacted by variance in the critical path as the project end date. Changes in cost and quality may occur as a result of adjustments made due to schedule changes, but these are secondary effects of changes to the schedule and not direct consequences of variance on the critical path. Team performance may be influenced by various factors but is not directly tied to the project end date like the critical path variance.