PMP Cost and Earned Value Practice Questions

“Plan and manage finance” is a Process task. Practice original earned value questions with the full working, plus reserves, budgets, forecasts and business case decisions, each with an explanation for every option.

Take the full timed PMP mock exam

180 questions in the July 2026 format: a case-study section first, then two sections of independent questions, on one 240-minute clock, with a score by domain and an explanation for every option.

Or try the free cost and evm drill
  • 28 original cost and evm questions, every option explained
  • Process domain (41% of the exam)
  • ECO tasks: II-6 Plan and manage finance
Free sample · Question 1 of 3Process · Cost and EVM

An unexpected new environmental rule, which nobody foresaw, requires extra work costing $45,000. What should the project manager do?

Choose the best answer

What our cost and evm questions cover

  • Analyzing financial needs and building the cost baseline and budget
  • Contingency reserves for known risks and management reserves for unknown risks
  • Earned value: PV, EV, AC, CV, SV, CPI and SPI
  • Forecasting: EAC, ETC, VAC and TCPI
  • Spend tracking, financial reporting and working with governance on variances
  • Business case measures: NPV, payback period and benefit-cost ratio
Line drawing of a calculator, a ledger with columns and a line chart printed on paper

This list is our own summary of the tasks, written for practice. PMI publishes the full task statements and enablers in the PMP Examination Content Outline.

Drill cost and evm, then sit the full exam

Take the full timed PMP mock exam

180 questions in the July 2026 format: a case-study section first, then two sections of independent questions, on one 240-minute clock, with a score by domain and an explanation for every option.

Or try the free cost and evm drill

Ideas the questions test most

  1. CV = EV − AC and SV = EV − PV; a negative value is over budget or behind schedule. CPI = EV / AC and SPI = EV / PV; below 1.0 is unfavorable.
  2. EAC = BAC / CPI when current cost performance is expected to continue; EAC = AC + (BAC − EV) when the remaining work will be done at the budgeted rate. ETC = EAC − AC and VAC = BAC − EAC.
  3. TCPI = (BAC − EV) / (BAC − AC) is the cost efficiency needed on the remaining work to finish on budget.
  4. The cost baseline includes contingency reserves; the project budget adds the management reserve. Using the management reserve normally needs approval through governance.
  5. Choose the project with the higher NPV; sunk costs are ignored when deciding whether to continue.

Start the free cost and evm drill · Process domain drill · Full 180-question mock exam

Common questions

Which earned value formulas do I need for the PMP exam?

CV = EV − AC, SV = EV − PV, CPI = EV / AC, SPI = EV / PV, EAC (BAC / CPI or AC + BAC − EV, depending on the assumption), ETC = EAC − AC, VAC = BAC − EAC and TCPI = (BAC − EV) / (BAC − AC). Questions usually also ask what the numbers mean.

What is the difference between contingency and management reserves?

Contingency reserve covers identified risks (known unknowns) and is part of the cost baseline. Management reserve covers unidentified risks (unknown unknowns), sits outside the cost baseline but inside the project budget, and normally needs approval to use.

Take the full timed PMP mock exam

180 questions in the July 2026 format: a case-study section first, then two sections of independent questions, on one 240-minute clock, with a score by domain and an explanation for every option.

Or try the free cost and evm drill

More PMP topics

Domains, tasks, question types and format: PMI: Project Management Professional (PMP)® Examination Content Outline, July 2026 PMP Certification Exam Update · PMI: PMP certification page (exam format, domains and breaks), checked November 2026.

PMP®, PMI® and PMBOK® are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc. Game Assessment Prep is an independent practice site. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or an Authorized Training Partner of the Project Management Institute (PMI). Every question is original; none is taken from PMI materials, the PMP exam or another prep provider.