In earned value management, what does a Schedule Variance indicate?

• A. SV > 0 indicates ahead of schedule.
• B. SV > 0 indicates cost overrun.
• C. SV > 0 indicates scope creep.
• D. SV > 0 indicates rework required.

Answer: (A)

Schedule Variance shows how much value has been earned compared to what was planned by this point. It’s calculated as earned value minus planned value. A positive result means you’ve earned more value than planned, so you’re ahead of schedule. It doesn’t measure cost performance—that’s what cost variance or CPI covers—and it isn’t a direct measure of scope changes or rework. For example, if the planned value for the period is 100 and the earned value is 120, the schedule variance is +20, indicating ahead of schedule.