mediumMultiple Choice
PK0-005 Practice Question: A project manager wants to measure the percentage…
A project manager wants to measure the percentage of work completed compared to the planned schedule. Which metric should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the distinction between a raw EVM value (like EV or PV) and a performance index (like SPI or CPI), so the trap here is confusing the absolute value of Earned Value with the ratio that actually measures schedule performance.
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
✓
Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
The Schedule Performance Index (SPI) is the correct metric because it directly compares the Earned Value (EV) to the Planned Value (PV), providing a ratio that indicates whether the project is ahead of, on, or behind schedule. An SPI greater than 1.0 means the project is ahead of schedule, while less than 1.0 indicates it is behind. This aligns with the project manager's goal of measuring work completion against the planned 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.
- ✓
Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
Why this is correct
SPI divides earned value by planned value, expressing schedule efficiency as a ratio: 1.0 means on plan, below 1.0 means behind. It directly measures completed work against the planned schedule, which is exactly the comparison the project manager requires.
- ✗
Cost Performance Index (CPI)
Why it's wrong here
CPI divides earned value by actual cost, measuring cost efficiency against budget rather than schedule progress. It tempts because it is an earned value metric drawn from the same data set, and it would be the right choice when the question asks whether the project is over or under budget.
- ✗
Earned Value (EV)
Why it's wrong here
EV is the budgeted value of work actually completed, expressed in currency, so it does not by itself yield a percentage against the plan. It tempts because it is the numerator in schedule and cost performance indices, and it would be correct when computing SV, CV, SPI or CPI.
- ✗
Planned Value (PV)
Why it's wrong here
PV is the authorised budget assigned to scheduled work at a point in time; it is the baseline denominator, not a measure of work accomplished. It tempts because schedule questions reference planned values, and PV would be correct when calculating schedule variance or the schedule performance index.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This PK0-005 question is part of Courseiva's 954-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.