PMChallenge - Earned Value question

Scheduling

Tania Melnyczuk Director: Programme Design| ProjectManagement.co.za Cape Town, South Africa

I've been enjoying this PMChallenge quiz game at ProjectManagement.com. I just came across this question:

____ is often used to describe the percentage completion of a project.

The options are:

Scheduled value
Actual cost
BCWP
Earned value

None of these seemed correct, so I arbitrarily picked the first one to see what the answer would be, and the 'correct' answer was given as 'Earned value'. OK, so am I daft or what? I thought Earned value and BCWP were synonymous. And since when is % Complete the same as the formula in which it is used?

Posted: Feb 19, 2016 12:49 PM

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Rami Kaibni

Community Champion

Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten Associates New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada

Hi Tania, from my side the correct answer is Earned Value or BCWP.

Scheduled Value is the value of the work scheduled to be completed.
Actual Cost is the cost incured to date on activities.
BCWP is Budgeted Cost of Work Performed
Yes, BCWP is EV and it quantifies the accomplishment of work.

%Complete = BCWP/BAC

Posted: Feb 19, 2016 5:42 PM

Sergio Luis Conte Helping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based Organizations Buenos Aires, Argentina

The problem here is that the method and one of this variables have the same name but not the same initials. The right answer is Earned Value because it is refering to the method, not the variable. To be honest, the right name of the method is Earned Value Management. I am SME of quality on certification exam questions and inside all the meetings I have participated this type of questions, stated in this way, will not pass the quality assurance and it would not included into the exams.

Posted: Feb 19, 2016 6:17 PM (Updated by author: Feb 19, 2016 6:21 PM)

Ahmed Fouad Sedky Senior Claims Consultant | Systech Canada Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Hi,
I agree with Rami on how he analyzed the option, and this is the way I ask the trainees attending my PMP preparation course to do, Choose the best right answer and when in doubt eliminate the ones that are totally wrong.
In this case, BCWP is the The same as EV ( Since EVM) was not mentioned. EV and BCWP both have the element of the Actual Progress. EV is the latest name for BCWP so I would Choose EV.
I agree with Sergio that these type of questions should not be included as technically BCWP is also a right answer.

...

1 reply by Rami Kaibni

Feb 21, 2016 1:30 AM

Rami Kaibni

...

I totally agree with you Ahmed and I also agree with Sergio that such questions would not be included in the exam.

Posted: Feb 21, 2016 1:22 AM

Rami Kaibni

Community Champion

Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten Associates New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada

Feb 21, 2016 1:22 AM

Replying to Ahmed Fouad Sedky

...

I totally agree with you Ahmed and I also agree with Sergio that such questions would not be included in the exam.

Posted: Feb 21, 2016 1:30 AM

Mohammed Ajaz CEO| BH Rollers Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

Hi,
Earned Value is best choice in above question, Budgeted Cost of Work Performed is the value of completed work expressed in the same units of measurement as the budget value assigned to that work however Earned Value is acutely %age of completion of work.

Posted: Feb 21, 2016 2:18 AM

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PMChallenge - Earned Value question

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