Why can CPI alone give a misleading picture of project health?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Consider what CPI is and what it measures in project control. 
Option 1: 'It ignores schedule pressure and timing of work' — this is true. CPI calculates cost performance by comparing earned value to actual cost, focusing on cost efficiency, not on when work is performed or how schedule pressure affects timing. 
Option 2: 'It ignores scope' — CPI does not directly track scope; however, CPI is about cost performance, and while scope can influence costs, CPI itself does not explicitly ignore or reveal scope changes. This statement overstates CPI’s purpose. 
Option 3: 'It ignores cost performance' — this is incorrect. By definition, CPI is a measure of cost performance (earned value divided by actual cost). Saying it ignores cost performance contradicts the very meaning of CPI. 
Option 4: 'It changes over time' — CPI can indeed vary as a project progresses and more cost and earned value data become available, but the fact that it changes over time does not explain why CPI alone can be misleading about overall project health. This option describes a behavioral aspect, not a fundamental limitation that makes CPI misleading by itself. 
In summary, the core limitation is that CPI looks solely at cost efficiency and does not capture schedule dynamics or timing, which is why relying on CPI alone can give an incomplete or misleading view of project health.

BU.300.620.51.FA25 Managing Complex Projects – Final Exam (35Q)

Why can CPI alone give a misleading picture of project health?

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