ABSTRACT
Earned value is rooted in the premise that project performance can be assessed using the common value of money as the assessment tool for both cost and schedule performance. The key to comprehending earned value, as with any mathematical concept, is to understand what the numbers mean. In the earned value questions on the PMP® exam, many of the numbers will be buried within the questions rather than stated overtly. Estimate to complete is the amount of money projected as required to complete the project from this point forward and may be derived from personal experience, from financial analysts, or from earned value calculations. If the earned value is greater than the actual costs, the cost performance index will be greater than a value of one. The data date is the reporting date, which is a critical element of earned value.
