Top Tips for Tackling PMP EVM Questions (20+ Practice Questions Included)
Learn these PMP EVM techniques to help you with EVM questions in the PMP Exam. Practice questions are also included to help applying the techniques.
Earned Value Management (EVM) Calculation questions are usually regarded as one of the most difficult part of the PMP Exam. However, if Aspirants can understand the EVM Calculation formulas correctly and master a few skills to tackle the EVM questions, these dreaded EVM questions would become life-savers as nearly every Aspirants can get all the EVM questions correct.
Below you will find 20+ EVM practice questions categorized by related skills to help you understand what you are required to know in order to correctly answer all the EVM questions that would appear on the PMP Exam. Try them and understand thoroughly how to tackle the questions through the explanations to each question.
You too will be able to get all EVM questions correct.
Note: the answer explanation to each question is directly under the question choices in the “grey box” — you can either move the cursor over it or highlight it with the mouse to reveal the answer……
Article Highlights
EVM Graph Questions
The EVM graph questions are one of the easiest questions to answer as you will only need to understand the meaning of the relative positions of the AC, PV and EV:
- AC vs EV: whether the project is under or over budget (AC > EV = over budget; AC < EV = under budget)
- EV vs PV: whether the project is ahead of or behind schedule (EV > PV = ahead of schedule; EV < PV = behind schedule)
- With reference to the diagram below, it can be inferred that the project is currently:
- ahead of schedule and under budget
- ahead of schedule and over budget
- behind schedule and under budget
- behind schedule and over budget
Solution: D
As of today, AC > EV = over budget and EV < PV = behind schedule, so the project is both “behind schedule and over budget”.
- With reference to the diagram below, it can be inferred that the project is currently:
- ahead of schedule and under budget
- ahead of schedule and over budget
- behind schedule and under budget
- behind schedule and over budget
Solution: C
As of today, AC < EV = under budget and EV < PV = behind schedule, so the project is “behind schedule and under budget”.
- With reference to the diagram below, it can be inferred that the project is currently:
- ahead of schedule and under budget
- ahead of schedule and over budget
- behind schedule and under budget
- behind schedule and over budget
Solution: B
As of today, AC > EV = over budget and EV > PV = ahead of schedule, so the project is “ahead of schedule and over budget”.
Definition of EVM Metrics
These types of questions will test you on your understanding of the meaning of various EVM metrics:
- Planned Value (PV) — how much work was scheduled to date
- Earned Value (EV) — how much work was completed to date
- Actual Cost (AC) — the amount of money spent so far
- Budget at Completion (BAC) — the total budget for the project
- Estimate at Completion (EAC) — the estimated total amount of money needed to be put into the project based on the information available as today
- Estimate to Completion (ETC) — how much more do we need to put into the project to complete it
- Variance at Completion (VAC) — the difference between the estimated total cost and the original budget
- Cost Performance Index (CPI) — ratio between EV and AC, to reflect whether the project work is under / on / over budget in relative terms
- Schedule Performance Index (SPI) — ratio between EV and PV, to reflect whether the project work is ahead of / on / behind schedule in relative terms
- To Complete Performance Index (TCPI) — the efficiency needed to finish the project on budget, it is the ratio between budgeted cost of work remaining and money remaining
- If a project has a Schedule Performance Index (SPI) of 0.90, this means that:
- 90% of the work planned to date has been completed
- 90% of the work of the whole project has been completed
- 90% of the budget planned to date has been spent
- 90% of the project budget has been spent
Solution: A
The Schedule Performance Index (SPI) represents the performance of the project in terms of schedule up to the moment. If it is smaller than 1, less than 100% of the scheduled work has been completed to date.
- If a project has a Cost Performance Index (CPI) of 0.90, this means that:
- 90% of the work planned to date has been completed
- 90% of the budget planned to date has been spent
- 111% of the budget planned to date has been spent
- 111% of the project budget has been spent
Solution: C
The Cost Performance Index (CPI) represents the performance of the project in terms of budget up to the moment. If it is smaller than 1, the project is currently over budget (i.e. has spent more than what has been planned).
- If a project has a To Complete Performance Index (TCPI) of 0.90, this means that:
- 90% of the work planned up to today has been completed
- 90% of the budget planned up to today has been spent
- the project can spend money at a rate 11% higher than planned and still meet the project budget
- the project can spend money at a rate 10% lower than planned to meet the project budget
Solution: C
The To Complete Performance Index (TCPI) is the efficiency needed to finish the project on budget. If it is smaller than 1, that means that we have more money left on the budget than the remaining Planned Value (PV) to achieve. Therefore, in theory, we can spend more money yet can still finish the project on budget. (However, in reality, it is generally preferred to finish the project under budget. A TCPI smaller than 1 is a good sign that the project is going healthy.)
- A project with both Schedule Performance Index (SPI) and Cost Performance Index (CPI) of 0.80. The project is currently:
- ahead of schedule and under budget
- behind schedule and under budget
- ahead of schedule and over budget
- behind schedule and over budget
Solution: D
CPI < 1 = over budget and SPI < 1 = behind schedule, so the project is both “behind schedule and over budget”.
- According to EVM, which term below represents the outstanding amount of money required to finish the project?
- Planned Value (PV)
- Earned Value (EV)
- Estimate to Complete (ETC)
- Estimate at Completion (EAC)
Solution: C
By definition, Estimate to Completion (ETC) is the amount of money we need to put into the project from today in order to complete it.
- According to EVM, which term below represents the budgeted cost of the work to be completed to date?
- Planned Value (PV)
- Earned Value (EV)
- Estimate to Complete (ETC)
- Estimate at Completion (EAC)
Solution: A
By definition, Planned Value (PV) is how much value of work was scheduled to achieve to date.
Simple EVM Calculation Questions
For these types of questions, you will simply need to recall the correct EVM calculation formulas and correctly substitute the values into the formulas to arrive at the correct answer. Please do make use of the on-screen calculator / physical calculator provided to do the calculation even if you are a Maths wizard. It is a pity to lose marks for careless calculation even if you have selected the correct formula.
Also, most of such simple EVM calculation questions will supply more than enough information for you to use as a kind of distractor, it is a test of whether you can select the correct formulas as well as the correct values to substitute into the formulas.
- SV = EV – PV
- CV = EV – AC
- SPI = EV/PV
- CPI = EV/AC
- VAC = BAC – EAC
- A project with Earned Value (EV) = $1000, Actual Cost (AC) = $800 and Planned Value (PV) = $800. What is the Schedule Variance (SV)?
- $200
- $0
- -$100
- -$200
Solution: A
SV = EV – PV
SV = $1000 – $800 = $200
Note that the Actual Cost (AC) is not used in the calculation.
- A project with Earned Value (EV) = $1000, Actual Cost (AC) = $800 and Planned Value (PV) = $800. What is the Cost Variance (CV)?
- $200
- $0
- -$100
- -$200
Solution: A
CV = EV – AC
CV = $1000 – $800 = $200
Note that the Planned Value (PV) is not used in the calculation.
- A project with Earned Value (EV) = $250, Actual Cost (AC) = $200 and Planned Value (PV) = $350. What is the Schedule Performance Index (SPI)?
- 1.25
- 0.80
- 0.71
- 1.40
Solution: C
The formula to be used to calculate SPI is:
SPI = EV / PV
SPI = $250 / $350 = 0.71
- A project with Earned Value (EV) = $250, Actual Cost (AC) = $200 and Planned Value (PV) = $350. What is the Cost Performance Index (CPI)?
- 1.25
- 0.80
- 0.71
- 1.40
Solution: A
The formula to be used to calculate CPI is:
CPI = EV / AC
CPI = $250 / $200 = 1.25
EVM Estimate At Completion (EAC) Questions
Since there are multiple Estimate at Completion (EAC) formulas, Aspirants should be able to get clues from the questions on which EAC formula to use:
- EAC = BAC/CPI
If we believe the project will continue to spend at the same rate up to now (e.g. the delay is caused by reasons which is likely to continue) - EAC = AC + (BAC-EV)
If we believe that future expenditures will occur at the original forecasted amount (no more delays of the same kind in future) - EAC = AC + [(BAC-EV)/(SPI*CPI)]
If we believe that both current cost and current schedule performance will impact future cost performance - EAC = AC + New Estimate
If we believe the original conditions and assumptions are wrong
- For the project with original project budget $1000 and both the Cost Performance Index (CPI) and Schedule Performance Index (SPI) equal 1. Assuming the project will continue to spend money at the same rate, what is the Estimate At Completion (EAC) of the project?
- $833
- $933
- $1,000
- $1,033
Solution: C
As the project will continue to spend at the same current rate, the formula to be used would be:
EAC = BAC/CPI
EAC = $1000 / 1 = $1000
- For the project with Earned Value (EV) = $360, Actual Cost (AC) = $400 and both Cost Performance Index (CPI) and Schedule Performance Index (SPI) equal 0.90. The original project budget is $1,000. Assuming the remaining work will be impacted by the current cost performance and current schedule performance, what is the Estimate At Completion (EAC) of the project?
- $1,090
- $1,190
- $1,290
- $1,390
Solution: B
As the project will be impacted by the current cost performance and current schedule performance, the formula would be:
EAC = AC + [(BAC-EV)/(SPI*CPI)]
EAC = $400 + [($1000 – $360) / (0.9 * 0.9)] = $1190
- For a project with Estimate at Completion (EAC) = $120,000 and Cost Performance Index (CPI) is 0.90. What is the Budget at Completion (BAC)?
- $108,000
- $118,000
- $158,000
- $208,000
Solution: A
As no information is given on the future performance of the project, we could safely assume that the project will spend at the same rate. So we will make use of the formula:
EAC = BAC / CPI
$120,000 = BAC / 0.90
BAC = $120,000 * 0.90 = $108,000
Wordy Calculation Questions
Usually these questions will describe you as the project manager of a project which is X months into the schedule and X% of work has been completed so far along with lots of other information. The questions will span several lines. Then it will ask you to calculate some EVM metrics based on the information provided.
Also, the questions will usually not make use of EVM terms (like Planned Value, Actual Cost, Earned Value, etc.) but you can easily infer those values from the descriptions provided. The key to answering wordy questions correctly is to read the questions carefully and extract useful information from the questions and write down PV, EV, AC, etc. while you are reading the questions.
- You are the project manager of a housing project in which a total of 10 houses are to be build over 10 months (1 house per month). The total budget for the housing project is $1,000,000. The project is now at the end of the 6th month with 5 houses built and $500,000 spent. The project is behind schedule owing to a work strike for a month. The Cost Performance Index (CPI) for the project is:
- 1.0
- 0.9
- 1.1
- 1.2
Solution: A
The formula to be used to calculate CPI is:
CPI = EV / AC
CPI = $500,000 / $500,000 = 1.0
- You are the project manager of a road paving project. A total of 10km of road is to be paved over a 5-month period. The total budget for the project is $10,000. The project is now at the end of the 3rd month with 8km of road paved and $8,000 spent. The Schedule Performance Index (SPI) for the project is:
- 0.78
- 0.98
- 1.20
- 1.33
Solution: D
Since the road is assumed to be paved linearly, i.e. 2km of road per month. At the end of 3rd month, the PV should be $6,000 (for 6km of road). The formula to be used to calculate SPI is:
SPI = EV / PV
SPI = $8,000 / $6,000 = 1.33
Complicated EVM Calculation Questions
These types of questions will required Aspirants to make use of more than 1 EVM formulas. These questions are considered the most difficult of all PMP EVM questions. Most Aspirants not coming from a Science / Maths background would not even know which EVM formulas to pick, let alone arriving at the correct answer. But the good news is that these questions would seldom appear on the PMP Exam (for your reference: I got none in my PMP Exam).
- For a project with Earned Value (EV) = $300, Actual Cost (AC) = $350 and Planned Value (PV) = $400. The overall project budget is $1,000. Assume that you will continue to spend at the same rate as you are currently spending. What is the Variance At Completion (VAC)?
- -$150
- $150
- -$167
- $167
Solution: C
As the project will continue to spend at the same current rate, the formula to be used would be:
VAC = BAC – EAC
EAC = BAC/CPI
CPI = EV/AC
VAC = BAC – BAC/(EV/AC) =$1000 – $1000/($300/$350) = -$167
- For the project with Earned Value (EV) = $300, Actual Cost (AC) = $250 and Planned Value (PV) = $300. The original project budget is $1000. Assuming the project will continue to spend money at the same rate, what is the Estimate At Completion (EAC) of the project?
- $833
- $933
- $1,000
- $1,033
Solution: A
As the project will continue to spend at the same current rate, the formula to be used would be:
EAC = BAC/CPI
CPI = EV/AC
EAC = BAC/(EV/AC) = $1000 / ($300/$250) = $833
- For the project with Earned Value (EV) = $350, Actual Cost (AC) = $300 and Planned Value (PV) = $400. The original project budget is $1,000. Assuming the remaining work will be impacted by the current cost performance and current schedule performance, what is the Estimate At Completion (EAC) of the project?
- $837
- $937
- $987
- $1,280
Solution: B
As the project will be impacted by the current cost performance and current schedule performance, the formula would be:
EAC = AC + [(BAC-EV)/(SPI*CPI)]
SPI = EV / PV = $350 / $400 = 0.875
CPI = EV / AC = $350 / $300 = 1.167
EAC = BAC/(EV/AC) = $300 + [($1000 – $350) / (0.875 * 1.167)] = $937
Further Reading
After learning the skills of EVM questions and tackling the questions here, you will be equipped with necessary skills to answer EVM questions correctly.
* Hope this post and the PMP Exam Formulas Guide will help you with your PMP Exam.
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Hi, my name is Edward Chung, PMP, PMI-ACP®, ITIL® Foundation. Like most of us, I am a working professional pursuing career advancements through Certifications. As I am having a full-time job and a family with 3 kids, I need to pursue professional certifications in the most effective way (i.e. with the least amount of time). I share my exam tips here in the hope of helping fellow Certification aspirants!
Great page, THANK YOU, loved it – it helped me a lot to practice EVM calculations. Very useful, with clear explanations.
I really like how the answers only show when the mouse hovers over them. Very clever, very convenient.
Just one small remark on the EAC formula’s wording:
It says: “If we believe that future expenditures will occur at the original forecasted amount (no more delays of the same kind in future)”
I think it should say something like “If we believe that future expenditures will occur at the original forecasted amount (no more *variance* of the same kind in future)”
because the variance that will not occur again could have been either over-spending (generally bad) or under-spending (generally good).
I say generally because overspending by 1% delay is still better than underspending by 50% (which means estimates were very poor, unreasonable, or outrageously padded)
Also I think there is no notion of “delay” (i.e. unrelated to schedule) in the EAC, it is only about the spend (related to cost).
I hope this helps, of course please let me know if I missed or misinterpreted something. Thanks!
Sorry typo above, pls remove the word “delay” in my sentence “overspending by 1% delay” – I meant “overspending by 1%”
Thanks!
Dear Edward,
I’d like to leave a short message to thank you for this very valuable and helpful website that you’ve created. I passed my PMP exam and appreciate the effort that you put in.
All the best!
Djordje
Congratulations! Thanks for telling me the good news!
Hi Edward,
I failed PMP twice , wrote in 2018 December, put in the hours and more , done exam prep with Classic Seminars here in Cape Town, but I found myself going over the questions two to three times , managing to complete on time though, now I am looking at taking it again after I save u enough money and confidence as I tend to get anxious when I must write the exam
I have been reading my notes again to see if I can remember the work , any advice on building up the confidence and getting down and passing the PMP,
It is great to hear that you have gathered enough confidence to try it again. You know what, you are now MUCH MUCH CLOSER to getting PMP certified than ever before.
I do think your strategy is a great one, going over your study notes first and try to attempt some quality mock exams to see where you are. Maybe you can go over the PMP online course PM PrepCast (which I used and helped me pass my exam). Try as many mock exams as needed. When you get over 75%-80% in two or more mock exams, you are ready to go!
Can’t wait to hear your good news!
Hi Edward,
Really good pag for some practice and review, thanks!
I guess, I noticed a little typo in the answer of the question 3 about the TCPI.
It is written the following : “we can spend more money yet can still finish the project on budget”.
It might be written : “we can spend more money yet and still finish the project on budget”.
Thanks for the good work here. Carry-on, I love it 🙂
My bad, thanks for pointing this out. Wish you PMP success!
Yikes, I was working two at the same time and got mixed up. Earned Value for wordy question # 2 (paved road) should be $8,000. Earned Value formula = % complete X BAC. 80% X 10,000 = $8,000. I now understand my original question. Thanks again for all of this awesome help, you did a great job:)
Glad that you resolve it yourself! Wish you PMP success!
I figured out what I was doing wrong. Earned Value = % complete X BAC. 50% of the houses are complete and the BAC is $1,000,000. 50% X 1,000,000= $500,000.
Thank you for all of your help, this site has been so helpful during my PMP prep!
Hi I have a question regarding wordy question # 2. We are looking for the SPI and the formula for this is EV/PV. To determine the first part of the equation, Earned Value, shouldn’t we use this formula : Earned Value= % complete X BAC (60% X 10,000)= $6000? Since we have completed 3 of 5 months that would give us 60% X $10,000. Can you let me know what I am missing?
Thank you
Excellent work Edward…
Thanks! Hope this is useful for your exam preparation!
Hi Edward, im working on a practice quiz from McGill University. there was one question i need some advice on!
a project with a timeline of 50 days and the estimate cost is $50,000. at day 25, its 50% completed and the actual costs total $50,000. the answer says the CPI is 1. i am super confused. since the project is only 50% completed and the cost is $50,000. the CPI should be 0.5. not sure what is missing here. please help. thank you!!
I loved this! It was very helpful!
Excellent material Thanks a lot
Very good numerical questions, helped me practice one more time with complete information at one place. Thank you for your effort
Thanks for your generous compliments.
Wish you PMP success!
You are the project manager of a road paving project. A total of 10km of road is to be paved over a 5-month period. The total budget for the project is $10,000. The project is now at the end of the 3rd month with 8km of road paved and $8,000 spent. The Schedule Performance Index (SPI) for the project is:
0.78
0.98
1.20
1.33
Solution: D
Since the road is assumed to be paved linearly, i.e. 2km of road per month. At the end of 3rd month, the PV should be $6,000 (for 6km of road). The formula to be used to calculate SPI is:
SPI = EV / PV
CPI = $8,000 / $6,000 = 1.33
The answer is correct. However, the question is for SPI, there is a typo, it is mentioned that “CPI” = $8,000 / $6,000 = 1.33.
Also, you have arrived at EV as $8000(for 8 Km), which is correct, the $8000 mentioned in the question is the actual cost, I suggest you explain how the EV you have arrived as $8000(in the solution tab) or change the actual cost in the question to some other value, because there are every chance that people may get confused with the EV and the AC here.
Thanks,
Thanks for spotting the typo! My bad indeed.
Wish you PMP success!
Thanks for sharing. Amazing page and detailed clarifications
I finally get this, all thanks to your tremendous page! Cheers for breaking this out so clearly. Been struggling to get my head around EVM calculations for a while. Great stuff
Thanks! Wish you PMP success!
In my opinion, the question NO.3 not really exactly. The choice C should be adjusted as:
In the remaining time, the project can spend money at a rate 11% higher than planned and still meet the project budget.
Hi Truc, that’s a great option.
Wish you PMP success!
Hi Edward,
Thanks for sharing this and it was very helpful!
I could see that the complicated EVM questions are solved based upon their precedence, I am afraid if the build-in BASIC calculator in PMP exam has these features(scientific mode).
The built-in calculator is indeed a basic one indeed. But don’t worry, as the PMP Exam is a test of your project management knowledge and not your calculation skills, the basic calculator is enough.
Wish you PMP success!
Very useful. Thank you
thanks a lot for this. im yet to take he classes, but this helps to undertand.
Glad that you find this useful. Wish you PMP success!
Hello Edward – I just wanted to thank you for sharing.
Great site – thank you. For Question EAC #2:
For the project with Earned Value (EV) = $360, Actual Cost (AC) = $400 and both Cost Performance Index (CPI) and Schedule Performance Index (SPI) equal 0.90. The original project budget is $1,000. Assuming the remaining work will be impacted by the current cost performance and current schedule performance, what is the Estimate At Completion (EAC) of the project?
Could one use EAC = BAC/CPI = $1,000/0.9 = $1,111 instead of EAC = AC + (BAC-CV)/(SPI*CIP) = $1,190? Why not? Thank you.
VERY helpful, thank you for sharing this!
Glad that you find it useful. Wish you PMP success!
Hi Ed, thanks so much for your site. I’m also preparing for the exam and greatly appreciate your assistance. I have a question on EAC # 2. I followed the formula EAC = AC +(BAC-EV)/(SPI*CPI) Can you please explain how you arrived at 1190? I belive your ans is incorrect and I got 1283.95
Sorry, I just substitute the values into the formula and arrive at the answer. Could you explain in more details how you arrive at your answer? Thanks!
For current project status, do we use PV as of today or for the total budget?
PV is calculated as of today. Wish you PMP success!
Hi Edward !, Loved the design of website, especially the display of answer when cursor is moved over the gray area …. very innovative not seen on any platform, keep it up
I have Queries in Q2 of Wordy questions-
1) Answer is explained as :
Since the road is assumed to be paved linearly, i.e. 2km of road per month. At the end of 3rd month, the PV should be $6,000 (for 6km of road). The formula to be used to calculate SPI is:
SPI = EV / PV
CPI = $8,000 / $6,000 = 1.33
It seems CPI & SPI are confused in answer . or is it that i am not getting the answer?
As per my understanding information that can be figured out from question is
AC= 8000 (Since Its money spent, i.e. cost till date)
BAC=10000
PV=6000
and information is insufficient to calculate CPI or CPI
If only we assume EV=8000 which is not seems to be given in question then only we can get answer.
can you please explain
2)
Also I would like to discuss , as question says money spent at end of 3rd month is 8000 , you have taken it as EV, should it not be AC at end of third month?
Thanks in advance
Yes, AC is $8000 at the end of the 3rd month. And as 8 km of road has already been paved, this is the EV which is also $8000. So we will be able to calculate the CPI. Thanks!
Wish you PMP success!
Hi Ed, thanks so much for your site. I’m also preparing for the exam and greatly appreciate your assistance. I have a question on EAC # 2. I followed the formula EAC = AC +(BAC-EV)/(SPI*CPI) Can you please explain how you arrived at 1190? Thank you.
Just by substituting the formula with the actual values:
EAC = $400 + [($1000 – $360) / (0.9 * 0.9)] = $1190
There is no need to do the calculation by yourself, you will be provided with a calculator. Wish you PMP success!
Thanks for your response. I re-calculated and did arrive at 1190 this time.
HI Edward , Thanks for providing the questions and explanations .It is very useful .
I have a question specific to CPI (no 2) . How did we arrive at 111% for a cpi of 0.90 . Please let me know
Since CPI = EV / AC, if CPI = 0.9, that means the project is now over budget (i.e. AC > EV by 111% [1/0.9 * 100%]).
Wish you PMP success!
Hello! This is very helpful as I am struggling, struggling with EVM. I have bookmarked your site and will use it for reference. Many thanks!
Glad that you find this useful. Wish you PMP success!
Edward, I want to express my sincerely thanks and appreciation for sharing your notes! I wrote and passed my PMP exam yesterday. Your materials helped immensely with both my review and preparation! They were all very relevant for the exam! Many, many thanks!,
Don’t mention it. It is my hope to be able to offer some assistance to fellow PMP Aspirants.
Wish you certification success!
Thank you dear
Hi Edward,
In section ‘Complicated EVM Calculation Questions’, For question No.1, my answer is just not coming to -$167.
I have calculated it several times and it’s giving me -$176.
Can you check if it correct or clarify if I’m not using it the right way please. Appreciate your work.
Hi Sara,
Since the formulas is
VAC = BAC – BAC/(EV/AC) =$1000 – $1000/($300/$350) = $1000 – $1167 =-$167
The answer would be -$167.
Have I missed something?
Hi Edward,
I am having same problem and i got ur ans as well as 176 the difference is when we use CPI 0.85 ans is -176 but if we use 0.857 as CPI ans is -167 now am confused which one we suppose to use because i thought CPI will be only 0.85 can u please help me which one is right ….
Hi Edward,
first of all I would like to thank you very much for this very, very helpful webside. I am preparing for the PMP exam in december `17 and I am very happy for your support.
I just calculated the results on your EVM test questions. I
On my opinion there is a typo on `Complicated EVM Calculation Questions` #3
I think in the equation AC was typed incorrectly with 300 instead of 1000
EAC = BAC/(EV/AC) = $300 + [($1000 – $350) / (0.875 * 1.167)] = $937
The result would therefore be 1636 instead of 937.
Regards
Anina
Hi Anina,
Thanks for your comment.
As currently the AC < EV and assuming the project will carry on like this, the final cost will be less than the original planned cost. Therefore, the final cost would be less than 1000. But as this is such a complicated calculation question, it is highly unlikely that you will find it in the real PMP Exam paper. Wish you PMP success!
great page, thank you so much….see my comment on the #3 form complicated EAC calcs:
BAC-EV = 650
SPI x CPI = 1.4525
EAC=AC+[(BAC-EV/SPIxCPI)]=300+(650/1.4525)=748.2
Guess the point 2 needs correction:
1. Under/Over Budget CPI is EV vs AC
2 Ahead/Behind Schedule SPI is EV vs PV
Sorry, could you please point out exactly which part needs correction. I have doubled checked but just couldn’t find the typo. Thanks!
Update: Yes, my bad. The typo has been corrected in the comment below. Thanks!
Hii.. I found the questions and the way they have been structured very fruitful. Thanks a lot for sharing it
Hope the info provided here is useful to you. Wish you PMP success!
please confirm to me that question number 6 :
6.According to EVM, which term below represents the budgeted cost of the work to be completed to date?
how can be PV is the right answer ?
PV (Planned Value) by definition is the cost of the work until now as planned in the budget. According to PMBOK Guide, “Planned Value (PV) is the authorized budget assigned to work to be accomplished for an activity or WBS component.”
I am very happy to report that I passed the PMP exam late last week! It was definitely tough, could not have done it without a prep course as well as extensive studying/practice with the excellent materials you shared (80+ hours).
Many thanks for your assistance!
Congratulations! Welcome to the PMP club!
Congratulations for your success. I would like to get touch with you as you have given recently exam and I am also trying to give exam in November. Please suggest if I can talk with you more.
Salam Edward,
I am more than happy that I have stumbled by your log!!
It has become my first reference in my journey to achieve the PMP certification.
Although, I have a question if you please:
Regarding the EVM Graph Questions, and in order to find out whether the project is under or over budget (the cost performance),
should we compare AC vs PV OR AC vs EV ??
Thanks for your question.
For finding out:
1) whether the project in under / over budget, compare AC vs EV
2) whether the project in ahead of / behind schedule, compare EV vs PV
Sorry that I cannot explain these in more details as these are the definition in EVM for budget and schedule.
Wish you PMP success!
Hi Edward,
I am on my last week of preparation and I am so happy I came across your blog and very smart questions. Thank you for the great article!!
Really hope that my sharing on the website will be of assistance to your PMP journey.
Wish you PMP success!
Hi Edward…..Please check.
QUESTION :
For a project with Earned Value (EV) = $300, Actual Cost (AC) = $350 and Planned Value (PV) = $400. The overall project budget is $1,000. Assume that you will continue to spend at the same rate as you are currently spending. What is the Variance At Completion (VAC)?
As the project will continue to spend at the same current rate, the formula to be used would be:
Answer :
VAC = BAC – EAC
EAC = BAC/CPI
CPI = EV/AC
VAC = BAC – BAC/(EV/AC) =$1000 – $1000/($300/$350) = -$167
is VAC formula in last line is correct? it should be BAC-[EAC/(EV/AC)]…..Please check and advise for correct answer
Apologise, its correct, Please ignore.
Hi Manish,
Thanks for your comments. Wish you PMP success!
Where are the answers?
Just hover your mouse cursor over the grey boxes after each question and the answer will reveal in no time.
Wish you PMP success!
I’ve just went through all the questions and nailed all of them except 2. My PMP exam is scheduled for tomorrow. These test questions were extremely helpful to find out where I stand, thank you for posting this.
Wish you PMP success!
Hi Edward, thank you so much for this blog! I used the material here a lot during my 3 months prep period. I took the exam today and passed on the first attempt! Thank you so much. I cant help feeling guilty that I didn’t pay a penny to use your material.
Hi Edward,
Congratulations on being PMP certified! It is my humble hope that my sharing would be able to offer some assistance to fellow PMP Aspirants. Thanks a lot for letting me know I did help you a bit in your PMP preparation!
Hi Ed,
Thanks for sharing article !
I believe explanation for Q2 is not correct.
CPI is for to know under/over budget problem.
if EV/AC is less than 1 it is over budget.
Comparing AC to PV not always right for budget graph problem.
In this question what if reverse EV & AC lines ??
S
Hi Saurbh,
Thanks a lot for spotting the typo. Yes you are right, when asked about budget problems, it is always a comparison between earned value (EV) and actual cost (AC).
EV > AC = under budget
AC > EV = over budget
Wish you PMP success!
This article is awesome!! I understood all about EVM through this page, so cool, well-structured and easy to understand.
And the formulas here are so easy to understand:
https://edward-designer.com/web/pmp-calculation-formulae/
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dude, this site is awesome! I stumbled on it while preparing for my exam tomorrow. I really like how you can roll over an area to get answer like the flash cards and the calculation questions above, keeps your focus only on that question or term. Keep up the great work!
Hi Edward, why it is 111% ?
That was the other question I had…why 111%? Hoping Edward or someone else can shed some light on this.
This is what I understood from that question but the answer does not match:
“This means for every $1 spent, the project is producing only 90 cents in work.”
Hi Kumar,
Yes, you are right for “This means for every $1 spent, the project is producing only 90 cents in work.”.
Since CPI = EV / AC, if CPI = 0.9, that means the project is now over budget (i.e. AC > EV by 111% [1/0.9 * 100%]).
Great website Edward! Appreciate the awesome work you’ve put in. Thank you!
You have the answer as C for #2 “If a project has a Cost Performance Index (CPI) of 0.90, this means that:”. Is the answer not B? Please advise.
Thanks,
Kumar
Yes, since the CPI is below 1, it is over budget. So more money should have been spent than planned (hence 111%).
Thank you for the explanation. 🙂
In a 1 liner – this blog is a life saver – extremely well structured – taking the reader step by step.
With very useful, short and straight to the point example and explanations.
I’d say every PMP student MUST read this blog – well shared Edward.
It is very rare to find such comprehensive yet simple to understand – especially on the EVM topic.
Thank you again, you do deserve a medal my friend !
As per PMBOK5 VAC=BAC-EAC but its given as EAC-BAC. Pls clarify.
Thanks Anil,
It is a typo. The formula for VAC has been amended in the post.
For number 1 why are we using AC vs PV to determine budget ??? Sjhouldn’t it be SPI= EV/PV and CPI =EV/AC therefore SPI <1 and CPI <1 behind sked and underbudget ?? thanks for your help
COrrection CPI <1 is over budget
But I would just like to know the logic behind using Ac vs PV thanks !
Hi Gabriel,
Thanks for your comments. Actually, it is okay to make use of CPI and SPI to make inference from the graph.
However, it is enough just to compare AC vs PV as PV is the *planned* expenditure for a specific point during the project while AC is the *actual* expenditure. If the project is on budget, AC = PV.
If you spend more than what’s planned, then the project is currently over budget and you will need to take measures to reduce expenditure from now on in order to meet the overall budget.