PK0-005 Project Life Cycle Practice Question
A project has a cost performance index (CPI) of 1.2 and a schedule performance index (SPI) of 0.8. What does this indicate about the project?
⚠ Common exam trap
PK0-005 often tests the direction of EVM indices — candidates confuse which index maps to cost vs. schedule, or invert the >1.0/<1.0 interpretation, leading them to pick the opposite quadrant.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Under budget and behind schedule
CPI is calculated as Earned Value (EV) divided by Actual Cost (AC). A CPI of 1.2 means EV > AC, so the project is under budget (getting more value per dollar spent). SPI is EV divided by Planned Value (PV). An SPI of 0.8 means EV < PV, so the project is behind schedule. Therefore, the project is under budget and behind schedule.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Over budget and behind schedule
Why it's wrong here
A CPI above 1.0 means the project is under budget, not over, so the over-budget half is wrong; only the SPI of 0.8 correctly signals behind schedule. The option is tempting because CPI and SPI are routinely paired, but each index must be read against 1.0 independently.
- ✗
Over budget and ahead of schedule
Why it's wrong here
CPI of 1.2 means cost efficiency above plan, so the project is under budget, not over. SPI of 0.8 means work is behind schedule, not ahead. This option reverses both indices, which is tempting when the two values are confused, but each index must be read against 1.0 independently.
- ✓
Under budget and behind schedule
Why this is correct
CPI above 1.0 means earned value exceeds actual cost, so the project is under budget. SPI below 1.0 means earned value lags planned value, so it is behind schedule. Both indices together confirm cost efficiency with schedule slippage.
- ✗
Under budget and ahead of schedule
Why it's wrong here
SPI of 0.8 indicates less work completed than planned, so the project is behind schedule, not ahead. CPI of 1.2 correctly signals under budget. The option pairs the right cost reading with the wrong schedule reading, a tempting mix-up when only CPI is checked.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This PK0-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PK0-005 exam.