Quick Answer
The answer is that an SPI less than 1 and a CPI greater than 1 means the project is behind schedule but under budget. This interpretation stems directly from earned value management fundamentals: SPI measures schedule efficiency, where a value below 1.0 indicates less work has been completed than planned, while CPI measures cost efficiency, where a value above 1.0 indicates the work completed cost less than budgeted. On the Project Management Professional PMP exam, this specific combination tests your ability to read two metrics simultaneously without conflating them—a common trap is assuming both indices must move in the same direction. Remember that SPI and CPI are independent; you can be over budget and ahead of schedule, or, as here, under budget yet behind schedule. A quick memory tip: think of SPI as the “speedometer” (below 1 means slow) and CPI as the “wallet” (above 1 means money left over).
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of process — managing technical aspects. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
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?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
The project is behind schedule and over budget.
Why wrong: CPI > 1 means under budget, not over.
The project is behind schedule and under budget.
SPI < 1 (behind schedule), CPI > 1 (under budget).
The project is ahead of schedule and over budget.
Why wrong: SPI < 1 means behind schedule, not ahead.
The project is ahead of schedule and under budget.
Why wrong: SPI < 1 means behind schedule.
Answer choices
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.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
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
CPI > 1 means under budget, not over.
The project is behind schedule and under budget.
Why this is correct
SPI < 1 (behind schedule), CPI > 1 (under budget).
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The project is ahead of schedule and over budget.
Why it's wrong here
SPI < 1 means behind schedule, not ahead.
The project is ahead of schedule and under budget.
Why it's wrong here
SPI < 1 means behind schedule.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often 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.
Detailed technical explanation
The SPI is calculated as Earned Value (EV) divided by Planned Value (PV), and a value less than 1.0 means less work has been completed than planned. The CPI is EV divided by Actual Cost (AC), and a value greater than 1.0 means the project is spending less than budgeted for the work accomplished. In practice, this combination often occurs when the team is working efficiently but facing delays due to external dependencies or resource constraints.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the PMP exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Process — Managing Technical Aspects — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Process — Managing Technical Aspects — This question tests Process — Managing Technical Aspects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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