Cost Loading and Schedule-Cost Integration
This domain covers the time-phased cost baseline and earned value connection. CAPES expects you to load costs to activities or work packages, produce a planned value curve, and use earned value metrics without confusing cost spent with work performed. The exam also tests the performance measurement baseline and the rules for changing it.
Integration rules
- Cost accounts map to WBS elements; resource loading converts quantities and rates into time-phased cost.
- Planned Value (PV) is the budgeted cost of work scheduled. Earned Value (EV) is the budgeted cost of work performed. Actual Cost (AC) is the cost incurred.
- BAC is the total budget at completion. The performance measurement baseline is the approved scope, schedule, and cost baseline used for variance analysis.
- Cost variance CV = EV − AC; schedule variance SV = EV − PV. SV is expressed in cost units, not time.
- An S-curve shows cumulative PV over time; EV and AC are plotted against the same baseline.
Worked example
A work package has BAC = $100,000. At the end of month 2, the plan says 40% should be complete, so PV = $40,000. Actual progress is 35%, so EV = $35,000. Actual cost is $38,000. CV = $35,000 − $38,000 = −$3,000 (over budget). SV = $35,000 − $40,000 = −$5,000 (behind plan in cost terms). The package is both behind and over cost. If the schedule says the work is 35% complete by duration but only 20% of deliverables are accepted, EV should follow the measurable earned-value method, not duration alone.
Traps that cost marks
Using AC as EV; treating SV as a time variance; cost-loading at summary level without traceability to activities; and changing the PMB without approved change control. Also, a cost-loaded schedule is not automatically a validated schedule-logic and resource consistency still matter.