Question 789 of 800
PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
During project execution, you notice that the project's cost performance index (CPI) is 0.9 and schedule performance index (SPI) is 0.95. The project is currently 50% complete. Which THREE actions should you take?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates mistakenly think requesting more budget (Option B) is an immediate fix, but the PMP exam emphasizes that corrective actions and root cause analysis must precede any budget change request, and crashing without cost consideration (Option C) is a classic violation of integrated change control.
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
✓
Communicate the current performance and planned corrections to stakeholders
The PMBOK Guide requires the project manager to communicate performance data and planned corrective actions to stakeholders as part of the Monitor and Control Project Work process. With a CPI of 0.9 (10% cost overrun) and SPI of 0.95 (5% schedule delay) at 50% completion, transparency is essential to maintain trust and enable informed decision-making. This aligns with the Manage Communications process, which ensures timely and appropriate collection, creation, distribution, storage, retrieval, and disposition of project information.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Communicate the current performance and planned corrections to stakeholders
Why this is correct
As per the Project Communications Management knowledge area, informing stakeholders about project performance, including variances and the planned corrective actions, is crucial for managing expectations, maintaining transparency, and ensuring continued support. This proactive communication prevents surprises and allows stakeholders to provide timely input or make informed decisions regarding the project's future direction.
- ✗
Request additional budget from the sponsor to cover the cost overrun
Why it's wrong here
Immediately requesting additional budget without first conducting a thorough analysis of the cost overrun's root causes and developing a plan for corrective actions is a reactive and irresponsible approach. A PMP should first identify *why* the overrun occurred and propose solutions to bring the project back within budget or justify the revised forecast, demonstrating due diligence and effective cost control.
- ✗
Crash the project schedule without considering cost impact
Why it's wrong here
Crashing is a schedule compression technique that involves adding resources to critical path activities to shorten the duration, almost always resulting in increased project costs. Implementing crashing without a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis and understanding its financial implications is a reckless decision that could exacerbate the project's financial problems, violating sound project management principles.
- ✓
Analyze the root causes of the cost and schedule variances
Why this is correct
Before any effective corrective or preventive actions can be planned or implemented, it is imperative to conduct a thorough root cause analysis of the identified cost and schedule variances. This analytical step, a core component of Project Monitoring and Controlling, ensures that the underlying issues are addressed, preventing recurrence and leading to sustainable project performance improvements rather than merely treating symptoms.
- ✓
Implement corrective actions to bring the project back on track
Why this is correct
Following the analysis of variances and identification of root causes, the project manager is responsible for developing and implementing approved corrective actions. These actions, which are part of the Direct and Manage Project Work process, are designed to bring future project performance in line with the project management plan, ensuring the project objectives remain achievable and controlling deviations effectively.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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