This is a question that pops into most people’s minds the first time they run across the EVP badge, either through a job posting, from colleagues that have earned the credential, or simply by searching the internet for certifications in Earned Value Management (EVM). Further research leads to other questions such as: How do I go about earning the EVP?  What is the effort that goes into attaining it? What are the qualifications I need for it? And finally, is it a valuable credential to own? Here are the answers to these questions…and much more..

What is the EVP?

The EVP, short for Earned Value Professional, is a credential that signifies the badge owner is a practitioner of Earned Value Management with a demonstrated mastery in organizing the scope of a project into meaningful structure by 1) planning, scheduling, and budgeting the project work from initiation through close out; 2) monitoring project progress through performance measurement; 3) analyzing and generating relevant reports regarding project performance; and 4)  managing change to the scope of work throughout the life-cycle of a project. The EVP is one of five professional level certifications offered by AACE International, and is the leading credential in the Earned Value Management world.

The Requirements

The EVP is a professional level credential that instantly speaks to the competencies, knowledge and experience that an EVP

holder possesses. Therefore, the following criteria must be met to be eligible to take the exam:

• 8 years industry related experience or 4 years industry related experience + 4-year industry related college degree

• Adherence to AACE’s Canons of Ethics

Once you apply to take the exam, AACE staff will review your application to ensure that you meet these eligibility requirements. After you are cleared to sit for the EVP, you will have six months to schedule and take the exam.

Studying for the Exam

Having the experience and education that is required to take the EVP exam will go a long way towards helping you pass the exam. You already possess much of the knowledge you will need to successfully make it through the test; however, you may want to prepare for the exam by reviewing the following source materials:

• AACE’s Earned Value Professional Certification Study Guide, 3rd Edition
• AACE’s Skills & Knowledge of Cost Engineering, 6th Edition
• AACE’s Recommended Practices regarding EVM
• AACE’s Total Cost Management Framework
• Earned Value Project Management, 4th Edition
• Practice Standard for Earned Value Management
• Project Management Using Earned Value, 4th Edition
• EIA-748-D(most current version)

The questions on the exam are built on the E

VM principles discussed throughout these sources. Study each of them, and with the knowledge and skills you have gained during your years of experience with Earned Value Management, you should be well prepared to take the test.

Taking the Test

The EVP exam is a closed-book five-hour assessment taken at a pre-approved testing center and has two components. The first is a skills assessment with 119 simple multiple-choice response and compound scenario driven questions covering the following three areas: Planning, Earned Value Management Considerations, and Monitoring Control. Questions from these areas are grouped into three sections, each one accounting for one-quarter of the final assessment. Each exam is unique with questions randomly selected from a question repository. The second portion of the test involves writing a memo to upper management based on a scenario-driven set of data and specific technical questions an EVP may be expected to provide advice on. It accounts for one-quarter of the final assessment. The memo is also randomly selected from a list of scenarios and may appear on the test taker’s screen at any time throughout the exam.

 Questions can be parked in a holding area for later assessment or review. A simple calculator is allowed in the testing area, but there is no problem solving that would involve knowing math at a level higher than addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Passing the Memo

The memo scenario covers a common Earned Value Management area that an experienced EVM practitioner should be knowledgeable in. It measures a person’s ability to communicate an EVM issue in a coherent, professionally written business-type format. The content of the memo is based on a series of questions that memo recipient, unfamiliar with EVM, would like to be educated on. While an objective of the memo exercise is to gauge one’s ability to communicate professionally in a written manner, the overall assessment is heavily weighted towards the technical content of the memo in terms of answering the questions being asked. A type-written page should be sufficient to answer the questions being posed, with the objective being to keep it at a level that the intended recipient can understand. The memo portion of the exam can show up randomly during the test, so keep in mind that it can be addressed immediately, or it can be deferred to the side and worked on at a later time. Since the memo grade is heavily skewed towards the technical content of the memo, obviously the key to passing the memo then is to direct your attention to answering the questions being posed. You should have plenty of time to create the memo, so once it has been written, review the questions being asked, and then ask yourself if your completed memo addresses each of those questions.  

After the Test

Test cycles run from mid-month to mid-month, and because the memo must be manually graded, you will not have the final grading result when you leave the testing center. How long it takes before you know whether you passed depends on when in the monthly cycle you took the EVP exam. All memos taken in a monthly cycle are sent to graders on the 15^th of the month, at the end of the current cycle. For example, if you are taking the exam between May 15^th and June 14^th and take the exam on May 16^th, your memo will not be sent out to be graded until June 15^th, so it will be 30 days before your memo will be assigned to be evaluated, plus an additional 10 days for the graders to complete their assessment. This could result in a time span of 40 days before you know your results. On the other hand, it you take the exam on June 14^th, it will only be one day before the memo is assigned to be graded, plus the 10-day grader assessment period, so you may have your results in as little as 11 days. While the grading for the multiple choice and compound scenario driven questions is calculated at the time you submit your exam, the final results will not be available until the memo is graded. As a final word on the memos, they are each assigned to multiple graders so that they can be fairly assessed by a team and not just by a single person. All candidates will receive a brief electronic survey within 5 days after an examination in order to rate their examination experiences. Responses to the survey will in no way impact exam results. Responses to the survey, however, will be shared with the Certification Team and the AACE Certification Board in order to improve the certification process for future candidates.

Is It Worth It?

So now that you are aware of what you need to know to sit the exam, your question may be “What value will the EVP credential bring me?” Your personal circumstances will dictate the answer to this question, but you can start by asking people with the credential, maybe even some of your co-workers, what it has done for them. AACE International maintains a directory those who hold the EVP Certification. This directory is available through the AACE website and can be searched, and it is entirely possible that you may know and can reach out to some of these EVPs. EVPs comprise an elite group of professionals that are instantly identified by this credential. The EVP is not an easy exam to pass, although it is very achievable with adequate preparation and the requisite experience that’s required to qualify to take the exam. Once you attain the credential, you are instantly recognized as someone that possesses a high level of EVM knowledge and experience, and it makes you an attractive employment candidate for a tremendous number of private and public entities. Having the EVP credential also shows others that you are motivated and have taken the time and effort to stand out amongst your peers in a highly competitive field. The EVP is a valuable credential to have, so if you are on the fence about it, challenge yourself and start the journey now by applying for and taking the EVP exam