PK0-005 Practice Test 12 — 15 Questions

Question 1

In a project, the critical path has a duration of 100 days. Activity X on the critical path has a duration of 10 days and can be crashed to 7 days at an additional cost of $3,000. What is the crash cost per day for Activity X?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

$1,000 per day. The crash cost per day is calculated by dividing the additional cost by the number of days saved. Activity X can be crashed from 10 days to 7 days, saving 3 days, at an additional cost of $3,000. Therefore, $3,000 / 3 days = $1,000 per day.

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$500 per day

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$3,000 per day

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$300 per day

Question 2

A project team is working on a software development project. The project manager needs to track which team members are assigned to each task. Which document provides this information?

Accepted Answer

Responsibility assignment matrix. The responsibility assignment matrix (RAM), often in the form of a RACI chart, explicitly maps each work package or task to the specific team members who are responsible, accountable, consulted, or informed. This directly answers the project manager's need to track which team members are assigned to each task in the software development project.

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Project charter

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Communication plan

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Resource calendar

Question 3

A project manager is performing schedule compression because the project is behind schedule. The team decides to start a follow-on activity before its predecessor is fully completed. This approach increases the risk of rework. Which schedule compression technique is being used?

Accepted Answer

Fast-tracking. Fast-tracking is a schedule compression technique where activities that would normally be performed sequentially are performed in parallel. Starting a follow-on activity before its predecessor is fully completed is the definition of fast-tracking, and it typically increases risk and may require rework. Crashing adds resources to shorten duration, not parallelize tasks.

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Crashing

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Critical chain method

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Resource leveling

Question 4

A project team is estimating costs for a new software development project. They use data from a similar previous project and adjust for size differences. Which estimating technique is being used?

Accepted Answer

Analogous estimating. Analogous estimating is used when a project team uses data from a similar previous project and adjusts for size differences. This technique relies on historical data and expert judgment to estimate costs or durations. It is less accurate than other methods but useful when detailed information is lacking. The key characteristic is the use of analogy with a similar project.

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Parametric estimating

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Bottom-up estimating

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Three-point estimating

Question 5

During a phase gate review, the review board determines that the project does not yet meet the exit criteria for the current phase. What is the most likely outcome?

Accepted Answer

The project is required to complete the remaining work and undergo another review.. A phase gate (or stage gate) review is a governance checkpoint where the review board evaluates whether the project has met the defined exit criteria before authorizing the next phase. If the criteria are not met, the standard outcome is to keep the project in the current phase, complete the outstanding work, and return for another gate review. This preserves the project's investment while enforcing quality and readiness standards.

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The project is immediately closed.

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The project manager is replaced.

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The project is allowed to proceed with a risk mitigation plan.

Question 6

A project to build a new office is in the planning phase. The project manager wants to use a methodology that allows for flexibility in design while still having a clear upfront plan for the overall construction. Which approach is BEST?

Accepted Answer

Hybrid. Hybrid project management combines predictive (waterfall) and adaptive (agile) elements. In this scenario, the project manager needs a clear upfront plan for the overall construction (predictive) but also flexibility in design (agile). Hybrid allows for a predictive overall plan with iterative design phases, making it the best fit. Agile alone lacks the upfront planning, Scrum is a specific agile framework not suited for construction, and predictive waterfall lacks flexibility.

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Agile

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Scrum

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Predictive (waterfall)

Question 7

A project manager is using a hybrid methodology. The project has a fixed overall budget and a high-level schedule, but some deliverables are developed iteratively with stakeholder feedback. The team works in two-week sprints for software development, while hardware procurement follows a sequential plan. Which project life cycle is being used?

Accepted Answer

Hybrid life cycle. The project combines a predictive approach (fixed budget, high-level schedule, sequential hardware procurement) with an adaptive/iterative approach (two-week sprints with stakeholder feedback for software). This blend of methodologies is the definition of a hybrid life cycle. The question explicitly states the project manager is using a hybrid methodology, so the life cycle is hybrid.

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Predictive life cycle

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Iterative life cycle

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Adaptive life cycle

Question 8

A project manager is estimating the cost of a software development project. Using data from a similar past project, she adjusts for size and complexity. Which estimation technique is she using?

Accepted Answer

Analogous estimation. Analogous estimation uses historical data from a similar past project as the basis for estimating the current project, then adjusts for known differences such as size and complexity. This top-down approach is quick and requires less detailed information, making it ideal when limited data is available. The key is that the estimate is derived from analogy to a comparable project, not from a mathematical model or detailed breakdown.

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Bottom-up estimation

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Parametric estimation

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Three-point estimation

Question 9

A project manager is using a schedule compression technique that adds resources to critical path activities to shorten the project duration. Which technique is being used?

Accepted Answer

Crashing. Crashing is a schedule compression technique that shortens the project duration by adding resources to critical path activities, typically increasing cost. It focuses on activities on the critical path because only those directly affect the project's total duration. The key trade-off is cost versus time, as additional resources often come at a premium.

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Fast-tracking

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Monte Carlo simulation

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Resource leveling

Question 10

A project manager is working in an organization where the project team members report to both a functional manager and the project manager. The project manager has moderate authority and shares resource management with functional managers. This is an example of which organizational structure?

Accepted Answer

Balanced matrix. In a balanced matrix organization, the project manager has moderate authority and shares resource control with functional managers, while team members report to both. This dual reporting line and shared authority are the defining characteristics of a balanced matrix. It sits between the weak matrix (PM has low authority) and the strong matrix (PM has high authority).

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Functional

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Projectized

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Weak matrix

Question 11

In which project life cycle phase are the key performance indicators (KPIs) typically established to measure project success?

Accepted Answer

Planning. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are established during the planning phase as part of the project management plan to define how project success will be measured. Option A is incorrect because the execution phase is where the project work is performed and KPIs are used to monitor progress, but they are not established here. Option C is incorrect because the closure phase involves reviewing KPIs to evaluate project success, not setting them. Option D is incorrect because the initiation phase focuses on project authorization and high-level objectives, not the detailed definition of KPIs.

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Execution

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Closure

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Initiation

Question 12

A project has an Earned Value (EV) of $50,000, Planned Value (PV) of $60,000, and Actual Cost (AC) of $55,000. Which TWO statements are true regarding the project's performance? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

The project is over budget.. SPI = EV/PV = 50/60 = 0.83 (<1, behind schedule). CPI = EV/AC = 50/55 = 0.91 (<1, over budget).

Answer

The project is ahead of schedule.

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The project is under budget.

Question 13

A project is in the planning phase. The project manager is working with the team to break down the project deliverables into smaller, more manageable components. Which process is being performed?

Accepted Answer

Create WBS. The process of breaking down project deliverables into smaller, more manageable components is called Create WBS (Work Breakdown Structure). This process involves subdividing the major project deliverables and project work into smaller, more manageable components.

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Estimate Costs

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Develop Schedule

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Identify Risks

Question 14

You are a project manager for a software development company that uses an Agile methodology with two-week sprints. The team uses Jira for task tracking and Confluence for documentation. During the latest sprint review, stakeholders expressed confusion about the current project status because the burndown chart shows a steady increase in remaining work. Upon investigation, you discover that the development team has been adding new tasks to the current sprint without updating the sprint backlog or adjusting the scope. The product owner is unaware of these additions. The team complains that they are overworked and missing deadlines. Which of the following is the BEST course of action to address the situation?

Accepted Answer

Hold a meeting with the product owner and the team to review the sprint backlog, remove unauthorized tasks, and reinforce the importance of scope management.. It directly addresses the root cause: unauthorized scope changes. The burndown chart's steady increase indicates unapproved tasks inflating the sprint backlog. By holding a meeting with the product owner and team, you can review Jira's sprint backlog, remove unauthorized tasks, and reinforce Agile scope management—ensuring the product owner controls the backlog and the burndown chart accurately reflects progress.

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Tell the team to stop adding tasks to the sprint and focus only on the original scope.

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Add two more developers to the team to help handle the increased workload.

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Extend the sprint by one week to give the team time to complete all the added tasks.

Question 15

Which TWO are common components of a project management plan? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Schedule baseline. The schedule baseline (C) is a recognized component of the project management plan because it is the approved version of the schedule model used to compare actual performance against planned dates. The scope management plan (D) is also a subsidiary management plan that is formally part of the project management plan, describing how scope will be defined, validated, and controlled. By contrast, the lessons learned register (A) is a project document, not a plan component, and actual cost reports (B) are project performance data or reports rather than part of the plan. The project charter (E) is the document that formally authorizes the project and precedes the project management plan, so it is not one of its components.

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Lessons learned register

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Actual cost reports

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Project charter