Quick Answer
The correct answer is that the activity is behind schedule and will delay the project. A negative variance on the critical path means the activity’s actual progress is less than planned, and because the critical path has zero float, any delay directly extends the project’s finish date. On the CompTIA Project+ PK0-005 exam, this concept tests your understanding of schedule variance analysis and the unique impact of critical path activities—since they have no slack, a negative variance here is far more serious than on non-critical tasks. A common trap is confusing negative variance with being ahead of schedule, but remember: negative always means behind. For a quick memory tip, think “negative on the critical path equals a delayed finish date—no float, no cushion.”
This PK0-005 practice question tests your understanding of project management concepts. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A project manager is reviewing the project schedule and notices that a critical path activity has a variance of -2 days. What does this indicate?
The activity is ahead of schedule.
Why wrong: Negative variance means behind schedule.
The activity is on schedule.
Why wrong: Variance of 0 would indicate on schedule.
The activity is behind schedule and will delay the project.
Negative variance on critical path means delay.
The activity has float and can be delayed.
Why wrong: Critical path activities have zero float.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The activity is behind schedule and will delay the project.
A negative variance on the critical path indicates the activity is behind schedule. Since the critical path has zero float, any delay directly extends the project's finish date. A variance of -2 days means the activity is 2 days late, which will delay the project by 2 days unless corrective action is taken.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
The activity is ahead of schedule.
Why it's wrong here
Negative variance means behind schedule.
The activity is on schedule.
Why it's wrong here
Variance of 0 would indicate on schedule.
The activity is behind schedule and will delay the project.
Why this is correct
Negative variance on critical path means delay.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The activity has float and can be delayed.
Why it's wrong here
Critical path activities have zero float.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse variance direction (negative vs. positive) or forget that critical path activities have zero float, leading them to incorrectly choose that the activity can be delayed (Option D).
Detailed technical explanation
In project schedule management, variance is calculated as Earned Value (EV) minus Planned Value (PV) for schedule variance (SV) or as actual duration minus planned duration. For critical path activities, total float is zero, meaning any negative variance directly reduces the project buffer or extends the critical path. In practice, a project manager would analyze the variance using the critical path method (CPM) and consider crashing or fast-tracking to recover the delay.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Project Management Concepts — This question tests Project Management Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The activity is behind schedule and will delay the project. — A negative variance on the critical path indicates the activity is behind schedule. Since the critical path has zero float, any delay directly extends the project's finish date. A variance of -2 days means the activity is 2 days late, which will delay the project by 2 days unless corrective action is taken.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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