forward pass
The Forward Pass answers the question, “What is the soonest that the project could be finished?” To begin the forward pass, the scheduler starts at the beginning of the project. Typically the Notice to Proceed data on the construction contract is used as the start date for the first CPM schedule's activity. It is generally recommended that constructions schedules actually include a "Notice To Proceed" activity as their first activity.
Formal notation and calculation method for the Forward Pass is covered fully in the sections related to Arrow Diagramming and Precedence Diagramming.