Evaluate Project Status

  • Assess progress against the baseline using appropriate metrics
  • Interpret schedule, cost, and quality performance data together
  • Communicate status in a way that supports decisions, not just reporting

Predictive projects lean on variance analysis against the baseline (see the EVM formulas in Task II-6); agile projects lean on burndown charts (remaining work over time) and burnup charts (completed work plus scope-added over time). PMI expects you to read both formats and recognize what a flattening burndown or a rising scope line on a burnup chart actually signals.

A status report should drive a decision, not just restate facts — a common exam trap presents a PM who reports "we are 20% behind schedule" with no recommended corrective action, and the correct improvement is to pair the status with options for the sponsor to choose from.

Study focus: distinguish a status report (a snapshot: where are we now) from a progress report (a trend: how are we moving over time) — the exam treats these as different artifacts with different purposes.

Key terms in this chapter

Burndown/burnup charts · Status vs. progress reports · Variance analysis

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