PMI-SP Progress Tracking 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A schedule performance index (SPI) of 0.85 on a project means:
- The project is 15% over budget
- The project is progressing at 85% of the planned rate (Correct answer)
- The project has completed 85% of its work
- The project will finish 15% late
Correct answer: The project is progressing at 85% of the planned rate
SPI = EV/PV, so 0.85 means the team is only accomplishing 85 cents of planned work for every dollar of scheduled work.
Question 2: Which technique involves team members estimating the percentage of work completed on each activity?
- Milestone method
- Percent complete (Correct answer)
- Earned value analysis
- Critical path method
Correct answer: Percent complete
The percent complete technique relies on team members' subjective estimates of how much of each activity has been finished.
Question 3: When using the 0/100 rule for progress measurement, work is credited:
- Proportionally as work progresses
- Only when the activity is 50% complete
- Only upon full completion of the activity (Correct answer)
- At the start and end of the activity equally
Correct answer: Only upon full completion of the activity
The 0/100 rule credits no earned value until the activity is fully complete, at which point 100% credit is given.
Question 4: A project's To-Complete Performance Index (TCPI) based on BAC is calculated as:
- (BAC - EV) / (BAC - AC) (Correct answer)
- (EV - AC) / BAC
- (BAC - AC) / (EV - PV)
- (PV - EV) / (BAC - AC)
Correct answer: (BAC - EV) / (BAC - AC)
TCPI(BAC) = (BAC - EV) / (BAC - AC), representing the cost efficiency needed to complete remaining work within the original budget.
Question 5: Which type of variance analysis compares the amount of work planned versus the amount of work completed?
- Cost variance
- Schedule variance (Correct answer)
- Scope variance
- Quality variance
Correct answer: Schedule variance
Schedule variance (SV = EV - PV) compares earned value (work completed) against planned value (work scheduled) to measure schedule performance.
Question 6: A project manager notices that the actual finish date of several activities matches the baseline finish date. This indicates:
- The project is ahead of schedule
- The project is on schedule for those activities (Correct answer)
- Earned value is less than planned value
- The critical path has shifted
Correct answer: The project is on schedule for those activities
When actual finish dates match baseline finish dates, those activities were completed as planned, indicating on-schedule performance.
Question 7: In the context of PMI-SP, what does 'float consumption' tracking help a scheduler identify?
- Which resources are overallocated
- Which near-critical paths are at risk of becoming critical (Correct answer)
- The project's cost overrun trend
- Which milestones have been missed
Correct answer: Which near-critical paths are at risk of becoming critical
Tracking float consumption reveals paths that are losing buffer time and may soon become critical, requiring proactive management.
PMI-SP Progress Tracking 2
A schedule performance index (SPI) of 0.85 on a project means: