Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP)
EVM Terms
Reviewed by forProject Technology - updated Sep 2026
Quick definition: Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP) is the cost incurred and recorded in accomplishing the work performed within a given time period, including all recorded incurred costs plus estimated actuals.
Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP), also called simply Actual Cost, is the cost incurred for work actually performed in a given period — including costs not yet formally posted but reported as Estimated Actual Costs or Accruals.
What this means for you
ACWP is one of the three core Earned Value Management (EVM) data points, alongside Budgeted Cost for Work Scheduled (BCWS, or Planned Value) and Budgeted Cost for Work Performed (BCWP, or Earned Value), from which the other performance measures are built. It's the only one of the three that records what the work actually cost, so its accuracy and timeliness directly affect every cost-based measure, such as the Cost Variance and the Cost Performance Index.
Also known as
Actual Cost (AC)
Used in
Cost Performance Index; Cost Variance
FAQ
Is ACWP the same thing as Actual Cost (AC)?
Yes. Actual Cost is simply the shorter, informal name for the same figure.
Does ACWP include costs that haven't been paid yet?
Yes, when they're recorded incurred costs or reasonable estimated actuals — ACWP isn't limited to costs that have actually been paid.
Definition maintained by forProject Technology.
© 2026 forProject Technology, Inc.
© 2026 forProject Technology, Inc.
