PMP · Question #1412
After a project status meeting, the project manager realizes that the project is under budget, quality checks are positive, and the schedule variance is negative. How should the project manager…
The correct answer is C. Behind schedule. A negative schedule variance indicates that less work has been completed than planned by the current point in the project, meaning the project is behind schedule.
Question
After a project status meeting, the project manager realizes that the project is under budget, quality checks are positive, and the schedule variance is negative. How should the project manager qualify the project status?
Options
- AAhead of schedule
- BOn schedule
- CBehind schedule
- DStopped
How the community answered
(43 responses)- B2% (1)
- C93% (40)
- D5% (2)
Why each option
A negative schedule variance indicates that less work has been completed than planned by the current point in the project, meaning the project is behind schedule.
Ahead of schedule would be indicated by a positive schedule variance (EV > PV), meaning more work has been completed than planned.
On schedule would be indicated by a zero schedule variance (EV = PV), meaning the work completed aligns with the work planned.
Schedule Variance (SV) is calculated as Earned Value (EV) minus Planned Value (PV). A negative SV signifies that the actual work performed (EV) is less than the work planned to be completed (PV) by the reporting date, directly indicating that the project is behind its intended schedule.
Stopped is not directly indicated by schedule variance; a stopped project would likely have a large negative variance, but 'stopped' is a specific project state, not just a schedule performance indicator.
Concept tested: Project Schedule Variance (SV) interpretation
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/schedule-variance
Topics
Community Discussion
10
Wei W.Jul 2, 2026C is correct. A negative schedule variance means the earned value is less than the planned value, so the project has accomplished less work than was scheduled for this point in time, which means it is running behind schedule regardless of how the budget or quality looks.
Wesley A.Jul 2, 2026Wei nailed the core logic, but worth adding that a negative SV tells you you're behind schedule, not by how much in time terms, which is why you often have to convert it using the schedule performance index to get a sense of actual delay.
Ingrid P.May 31, 2026C is correct. Negative schedule variance means you are behind schedule, pure and simple, and the under budget plus positive quality info is just noise to distract you from that one formula fact. Worth a card: SV less than zero equals behind schedule, SV greater than zero equals ahead of schedule.
Zlatan X.Jun 8, 2026Confirmed C on exam last week. Negative schedule variance means the project is tracking behind plan, regardless of being under budget or passing quality checks.
Prof. SaraJun 11, 2026Exactly right on C, and the SV formula (EV minus PV) maps directly to Schedule Management in the Planning domain, so lock in the memory aid that a negative SV means you are moving slower than planned.
Bao N.Jun 9, 2026Schedule variance negative means you spent less time than planned, so C is right, you are behind schedule.
Orla P.Jun 11, 2026Bao has the sign backward, a negative schedule variance means you spent less value than planned and you are behind, but the spending-less-time framing is where people get tripped up because SV measures earned value against planned value, not clock hours.
Orla P.Jun 25, 2026I'll be honest, I looked at "under budget and positive quality" and my first instinct was to pick A, thinking the project was in great shape across the board. Then I remembered that schedule variance being negative means earned value is less than planned value, so the work completed is lagging behind what was supposed to be done by now, which puts you solidly at C regardless of how the money or quality look.
Wesley A.Jul 5, 2026Negative schedule variance means your earned value is less than your planned value, so the work completed is worth less than what you planned to complete by that point, which puts you behind schedule regardless of how clean your budget or quality numbers look. The budget and quality being fine are great signs, but they do not override what the SV is telling you about the timeline.
Prof. SaraJun 16, 2026Negative SV means behind schedule, saw this on my exam, picked C.