Percent Complete

An estimate that indicates, as a percentage, how much of the work on an activity or WBS element has been finished.

Key Points

  • Expresses progress as a percentage of work finished for an activity or WBS component.
  • It is an estimate and should be based on objective measures (units installed, milestones achieved, tests passed) whenever possible.
  • Common measurement methods include 0/100, 50/50, weighted milestones, and percent of physical units completed.
  • Used for progress reporting and can feed Earned Value (e.g., EV = BAC x percent complete) when an appropriate method is defined.

Example

A WBS component requires installing 200 fixtures. If 120 are installed and verified, the percent complete is 60%. If the BAC for this component is $50,000, the earned value could be estimated as EV = 0.60 x 50,000 = $30,000.

PMP Example Question

Which statement best defines Percent Complete?

  1. The percentage of the budget spent to date.
  2. The percentage of planned time that has elapsed.
  3. An estimated percentage of work finished on an activity or WBS component.
  4. The percentage of scope approved by the sponsor.

Correct Answer: C - An estimated percentage of work finished on an activity or WBS component

Explanation: Percent Complete describes how much of the work is done, expressed as a percentage, not how much money or time has been used.

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