HKSM

A time marker tied to when a scheduled activity begins, commonly identified with a qualifier such as actual, planned, estimated, scheduled, early, late, target, baseline, or current.

Key Points

• Start dates are labeled with qualifiers like actual, planned, estimated, scheduled/current, early, late, target, or baseline.
• Early and late start come from network analysis; baseline start is from the approved plan; scheduled/current reflects the latest working schedule; actual start is when work truly began.
• Dependencies, leads/lags, calendars, constraints, and resource leveling all influence start dates.
• Schedule variance can be assessed by comparing current or scheduled start against the baseline start.

Example

Activity "Install wiring" has a Baseline Start of 02 Aug. After resource leveling, the Scheduled (current) Start moves to 04 Aug, and the Actual Start occurs on 05 Aug. The variance from baseline is +3 days.

PMP Example Question

In a schedule report, which start date qualifier indicates the date the activity truly began?

1. Actual start
2. Planned start
3. Early start
4. Late start

Correct Answer: A — Actual start date

Explanation: The actual start records the real-world date work began, while planned, early, and late are projections or limits from the plan and analysis.