The success of a planning department’s work program is best measured by outcomes tied to its goals. Option B (percentage of benchmarks achieved) directly reflects the department’s progress on planned objectives, such as completing projects or meeting targets. The APA’sAICP Certification Exam Content Outline(2022), under “Administration and Management,” states, “The best measure of a planning department’s annual success is the percentage of benchmarks achieved, reflecting goal attainment.” Option A (applications processed) measures workload, not success. Option C (time reduced) is a process metric, not an outcome. Option D (budget returned) indicates underspending, not success. TheCPC Study Manual(2024) confirms, “Success is best measured by the percentage of benchmarks achieved in the work program,” supporting option B.