CPI Below 1 and SPI Above 1 Often Indicate Crashing
A project manager notices that the project's cost performance index (CPI) is 0.8 and the schedule performance index (SPI) is 1.1. What is the MOST likely cause of this situation?
Quick Answer
The correct answer is crashing, because a CPI less than 1 and SPI greater than 1 directly point to a project that is ahead of schedule but over budget. A Cost Performance Index of 0.8 means you are earning only 80 cents for every dollar spent, indicating cost inefficiency, while a Schedule Performance Index of 1.1 shows you are completing 110% of planned work, meaning you are ahead of schedule. Crashing is a schedule compression technique that adds extra resources—often at higher cost—to critical path activities to gain time, which perfectly explains why you would see this specific metric combination. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your ability to interpret earned value management (EVM) data and link it to real-world actions; a common trap is confusing crashing with fast-tracking, which does not increase cost. Remember the memory tip: “Crash costs cash, but speeds the dash”—when you see a low CPI paired with a high SPI, think of spending more money to buy back time.
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often misinterpret CPI < 1 as 'behind schedule' and SPI > 1 as 'under budget,' confusing cost and schedule performance indices, or they fail to recognize crashing as the specific cause of this opposite-direction variance.
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 ahead of schedule but over budget, possibly due to crashing.
A CPI of 0.8 indicates the project is over budget (earning only $0.80 for every $1.00 spent), while an SPI of 1.1 indicates it is ahead of schedule (completing 110% of planned work). Crashing is a schedule compression technique that adds resources to critical path activities, increasing cost to gain schedule performance, which directly explains this combination of metrics.
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 and under budget.
Why it's wrong here
A CPI of 0.8 means costs exceed value earned, so the project is over budget, not under. The option inverts the index's meaning. It is tempting because SPI above 1.0 genuinely indicates schedule ahead, but pairing it with an incorrect cost reading makes the whole statement false.
- ✗
The project is behind schedule and over budget.
Why it's wrong here
SPI of 1.1 means ahead of schedule, so 'behind schedule' is wrong; CPI 0.8 does correctly indicate over budget. Tempting because it gets the cost interpretation right, but the schedule reading contradicts the index value, making the combined cause inaccurate.
- ✓
The project is ahead of schedule but over budget, possibly due to crashing.
Why this is correct
CPI below 1.0 means costs exceed the budgeted value, while SPI above 1.0 means work is progressing faster than planned. Crashing adds resources to compress the schedule, which commonly accelerates delivery while inflating costs, matching this ahead-of-schedule, over-budget pattern.
- ✗
The project is behind schedule and under budget.
Why it's wrong here
SPI of 1.1 indicates the project is ahead of schedule, not behind, so the schedule half is wrong. The cost half is also inverted: CPI 0.8 means over budget. Tempting because it correctly pairs the two index values with opposite interpretations, but both directions are reversed.
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on PMP
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Your project's cost performance index (CPI) is 0.8, and the schedule performance index (SPI) is 1.1. The project is in the execution phase. What is the most likely reason for these indices?
easy- A.The team had to rework deliverables due to quality issues
- B.The project is experiencing scope creep
- C.The team is working more efficiently than planned
- ✓ D.The project manager used crashing to meet a deadline, adding resources and increasing costs
Why D: A CPI of 0.8 means the project is over budget (costing more than planned per unit of work), while an SPI of 1.1 means the project is ahead of schedule (progressing faster than planned). Crashing is a schedule compression technique that adds resources to critical path activities to shorten duration, which increases costs. This perfectly explains being ahead of schedule but over budget.
Variation 2. You are managing a project that has a cost performance index (CPI) of 0.8 and a schedule performance index (SPI) of 1.1. The project is behind schedule? The earned value data shows EV = $80,000, PV = $72,727, and AC = $100,000. Which THREE actions should you take?
hard- ✓ A.Analyze the cost variance to identify root causes, such as inefficiencies or inaccurate estimates
- B.Reduce the project scope to cut costs
- C.Implement schedule compression techniques like crashing to bring the schedule back on track
- ✓ D.Validate that all work performed is within the approved scope and that no gold-plating has occurred
- ✓ E.Review the work breakdown structure to ensure that all work packages are properly estimated
Why A: Options A, D, and E are correct. Since the CPI is 0.8 (cost overrun) and SPI is 1.1 (ahead of schedule), the focus should be on cost performance and scope validation. A: The cost variance (CV = EV - AC = -$20,000) is negative, so analyzing root causes of the cost overrun is necessary. D: With a cost overrun, it is important to ensure no gold-plating or unauthorized scope has been added, validating that all work performed is within the approved scope. E: Reviewing the WBS estimates helps identify if inaccuracies in estimating contributed to the cost overrun. Option B is incorrect because reducing scope unilaterally bypasses change control and could impact value. Option C is incorrect because schedule compression is not appropriate when the project is already ahead of schedule (SPI > 1).
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.