PK0-005 Project Life Cycle Practice Question
A project manager receives a status report showing that the project's SPI is 0.9. What does this indicate?
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
SPI (Schedule Performance Index) = EV / PV. An SPI less than 1 means the project is behind schedule. 0.9 indicates that for every planned unit of work, only 0.9 units have been completed.
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 over budget
Why it's wrong here
SPI measures schedule performance as earned value divided by planned value; budget performance is measured by CPI, not SPI. The confusion is understandable because both indices derive from earned value data, and CPI below 1.0 would indeed signal an over-budget project.
- ✓
The project is behind schedule
Why this is correct
SPI is calculated as earned value divided by planned value. A result of 0.9 means only 90 per cent of the work scheduled has been earned, so the project is progressing slower than planned. Any SPI below 1.0 indicates the project is behind schedule.
- ✗
The project is on schedule
Why it's wrong here
SPI of exactly 1.0 indicates the project is on schedule; 0.9 shows earned value below planned value, meaning slippage. The temptation is treating 0.9 as near enough to 1.0 to be on track, but the index is a precise ratio, not an approximation.
- ✗
The project is ahead of schedule
Why it's wrong here
An SPI of 0.9 means earned value is 90% of planned value, so less work was completed than scheduled — behind schedule, not ahead. The confusion arises because values above 1.0 indicate being ahead, and SPI measures schedule performance only, never cost.
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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.