Finish Date
The specific point in time when a scheduled activity is completed, typically labeled as actual, planned, estimated, scheduled, early, late, baseline, target, or current.
Key Points
- Identifies when an activity is considered complete in the schedule model.
- Can be qualified (e.g., actual, planned, estimated, scheduled, early, late, baseline, target, current).
- Differs from start date and from the activity's duration; it marks completion, not effort.
- Used for tracking performance, forecasting, and comparing against the baseline in Gantt/CPM schedules.
Example
Activity "Install Servers" has a baseline finish date of May 10. After analysis, the scheduled early finish is May 8. The team completes the work on May 9, which becomes the actual finish date. These qualifiers help compare plan versus performance.
PMP Example Question
In a project schedule, what does the term "finish date" most accurately represent?
- The total time required to complete an activity
- The specific time associated with an activity's completion, which may be actual, planned, estimated, scheduled, early, late, baseline, target, or current
- The date a key resource becomes available to the project
- The formal deadline for issuing the project charter
Correct Answer: B — The time point marking activity completion with a qualifier
Explanation: The finish date marks when an activity completes and is often indicated with qualifiers (e.g., actual, baseline), distinguishing it from duration or unrelated project milestones.
