How to Get a Job For Project Managers

Learn how to write resume and interview

Leadership for Project Managers

Learn how to lead and drive project success.

Project Management Bootcamp

From a beginner to project management professional.

Agile Project Management and SCRUM with AI

Learn to run Scrum and Agile with AI.

Baseline

An officially approved snapshot of a work product that may be altered only through formal change control and serves as the benchmark for comparing plan versus actual results.

Key Points

  • Represents the approved, frozen reference version of the plan or deliverable.
  • Any change to it requires a documented change request and formal approval.
  • Used to measure variances and track performance against what was planned.
  • Common types include scope, schedule, and cost baselines, which together support performance measurement.

Example

The project schedule is approved and set as the schedule baseline on May 1. Two weeks later, a task slips by 5 days. The team reports a 5-day schedule variance against the baseline. To reflect an approved scope change that shifts dates, the PM submits a change request; only after approval is the schedule baseline updated.

PMP Example Question

During execution, an approved scope change causes the critical path to slip by 10 days. What should the project manager do to keep performance measurement accurate?

  1. Update the schedule and baseline immediately to match actuals.
  2. Submit a change request to update the schedule baseline through integrated change control.
  3. Re-baseline the entire project only after project closure.
  4. Do nothing; baselines should never be changed.

Correct Answer: B — Submit a formal change request to update the baseline

Explanation: Baselines can be modified only through formal change control after approval; this keeps comparisons of planned versus actual results valid.

Leadership for Project Managers Course

Lead with clarity, confidence, and real impact. This Leadership for Project Managers course turns day-to-day challenges—unclear priorities, tough stakeholders, and cross-functional friction—into opportunities to guide teams and deliver outcomes that matter.

You’ll learn practical leadership skills tailored to project realities: setting direction without overcontrol, creating alignment across functions, and building commitment even when authority is limited. We go beyond theory with tools you can use immediately—one-sentence visioning, stakeholder influence maps, decision framing, and feedback scripts that actually land.

Expect hands-on frameworks, real-world examples, and guided practice to prepare for tough moments—executive readouts, resistance from stakeholders, and high-stakes negotiations. Downloadable templates and checklists keep everything actionable when the pace gets intense.

Ready to influence without waiting for a bigger title? Join a community of ambitious PMs, sharpen your edge, and deliver with purpose—project after project.



Take Control of Project Performance!

HK School of Management helps you go beyond status reports and gut feelings. In this advanced course, you’ll master Earned Value Management (EVM) to objectively measure progress, forecast outcomes, and take corrective action with confidence. Learn how WBS quality drives performance, how control accounts really work, and how to use EAC, TCPI, and variance analysis to make smarter decisions—before projects drift off track. Built around real-world examples and hands-on exercises, this course gives you practical tools you can apply immediately. Backed by our 30-day money-back guarantee—low risk, high impact for serious project professionals.

Learn More