PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
A project manager is reviewing the schedule performance index (SPI) and cost performance index (CPI). The current values are SPI = 0.85 and CPI = 1.10. What is the most likely conclusion about the project?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates assume a project with a low SPI must also be over budget, but the CPI and SPI are independent metrics that can show different performance dimensions.
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 and under budget.
An SPI of 0.85 indicates the project is behind schedule (less than 1.0), while a CPI of 1.10 indicates the project is under budget (greater than 1.0). Therefore, the project is behind schedule but under budget, making option B correct.
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 behind schedule and over budget.
Why it's wrong here
This option incorrectly states the budget performance. While an SPI (Schedule Performance Index) less than 1.0 correctly indicates the project is behind schedule because less work has been completed than planned, a CPI (Cost Performance Index) greater than 1.0 signifies that the project is actually under budget. This means the actual cost for the work performed is less than the earned value, contradicting the claim of being 'over budget'.
- ✓
The project is behind schedule and under budget.
Why this is correct
This statement accurately reflects the project's status based on the typical interpretation of performance indices. An SPI (Schedule Performance Index) value less than 1.0 indicates that less work has been completed than planned by this point, signifying the project is behind schedule. Concurrently, a CPI (Cost Performance Index) value greater than 1.0 means that the actual cost for the work performed is less than the earned value, indicating the project is under budget.
- ✗
The project is ahead of schedule and over budget.
Why it's wrong here
This option presents an incorrect assessment of both schedule and cost performance. An SPI (Schedule Performance Index) less than 1.0 unequivocally means the project has completed less work than scheduled, thus it is behind schedule, not 'ahead of schedule.' Furthermore, a CPI (Cost Performance Index) greater than 1.0 indicates the project is under budget, not 'over budget,' as the work completed cost less than planned.
- ✗
The project is ahead of schedule and under budget.
Why it's wrong here
This option misinterprets the schedule performance. While a CPI (Cost Performance Index) greater than 1.0 correctly suggests the project is under budget because the actual cost is less than the earned value, the assertion that the project is 'ahead of schedule' is incorrect. An SPI (Schedule Performance Index) value less than 1.0 clearly indicates that the project has accomplished less work than originally planned by this point, meaning it is behind schedule.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This PMP question is part of Courseiva's 800-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 PMP practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI 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 PMP exam.