PK0-005 Tools and Documentation Practice Question
A project manager is evaluating earned value metrics for a project. The CPI is 0.8 and the SPI is 0.9. Which TWO conclusions can the project manager draw?
⚠ Common exam trap
PK0-005 often tests the direction of CPI and SPI: candidates may confuse which index indicates over/under budget and ahead/behind schedule, especially when both are below 1.0.
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
✓
The project is behind schedule
Option B is correct because an SPI of 0.9 is less than 1.0, which indicates that the project has earned less value than planned for the work scheduled, meaning it is behind schedule. Option D is correct because a CPI of 0.8 is less than 1.0, which indicates that the project is spending more than the value earned, meaning it is over budget. Option A is incorrect because an SPI below 1.0 never indicates being ahead of schedule. Option C is incorrect because a CPI below 1.0 indicates over budget, not under budget. Option E is incorrect because an SPI of exactly 1.0 would indicate being on schedule, and 0.9 does not meet that condition.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The project is ahead of schedule
Why it's wrong here
An SPI of 0.9 means less work was completed than scheduled, so the project is behind schedule, not ahead. It is tempting because SPI is the schedule indicator, but only values above 1.0 signify being ahead; 0.9 indicates slippage.
- ✓
The project is behind schedule
Why this is correct
An SPI of 0.9 falls below 1.0, meaning earned value lags planned value — the project has completed less work than scheduled at this point. This directly satisfies the stem's schedule-performance constraint, confirming the project is behind schedule. CPI, by contrast, measures cost efficiency, so it cannot support this conclusion.
- ✗
The project is under budget
Why it's wrong here
A CPI of 0.8 means each unit of currency spent delivers only 0.8 of value, so the project is over budget. It is tempting because CPI below 1.0 is often loosely read as cost performance being tracked, but the direction is unfavourable: under 1.0 means overspend.
- ✓
The project is over budget
Why this is correct
A CPI below 1.0 means every unit of planned value costs more than budgeted, so the project is spending above plan — over budget. This satisfies the stem's CPI of 0.8, which measures cost efficiency independently of the SPI of 0.9 that reflects schedule slippage.
- ✗
The project is on schedule
Why it's wrong here
An SPI of 0.9 is below 1.0, so the project has earned less value than planned and is behind schedule, not on it. It is tempting because SPI near 1.0 can look close to plan, but any value under 1.0 indicates schedule slippage regardless of magnitude.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 954 original PK0-005 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.