PK0-005 Practice Test 35 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A project manager is working in a matrix organization. The project team members report to both the project manager and their functional managers. The project manager has moderate authority and shares resources. This type of matrix is known as:

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

Accepted Answer

Balanced matrix. In a balanced matrix organization, the project manager has moderate authority and shares resources with functional managers, who retain roughly equal control over team members. This dual-reporting arrangement is the defining characteristic of the balanced matrix, distinguishing it from the strong matrix (where the PM has more authority) and the weak matrix (where the functional manager dominates). The scenario explicitly states 'moderate authority' and 'shares resources,' which maps directly to the balanced matrix definition in PMBOK.

Answer

Functional

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Strong matrix

Answer

Weak matrix

Question 2

A project team is developing a new mobile application. During execution, a stakeholder requests additional features that were not in the original scope. The project manager is concerned about scope creep. Which TWO actions should the project manager take to manage this request? (Select TWO).

Accepted Answer

Submit a change request through the formal change control process. Option B is correct because any change to an approved project scope must go through the formal change control process (e.g., Integrated Change Control in PMBOK), where the request is documented, reviewed, and approved or rejected by the change control board before any work is done. Option D is correct because the project manager must first perform an impact analysis assessing how the requested features affect the project's scope baseline, schedule baseline, and cost baseline (and often quality, risk, and resources) so the decision is made with full information. Option A is wrong because ignoring a stakeholder request is not a valid scope management action and can damage stakeholder engagement. Option C is wrong because directing overtime work to add unapproved features bypasses change control and worsens scope creep. Option E is wrong because adding features immediately without evaluation or approval is the textbook definition of scope creep.

Answer

Ignore the request because scope is fixed

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Direct the team to implement the features during overtime

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Add the features immediately to satisfy the stakeholder

Question 3

You are managing a network upgrade project for a large corporation. The project involves replacing outdated switches and routers across three data centers. During the execution phase, you discover that one of the key vendors has shipped the wrong model of switches for Data Center B. The correct switches have a lead time of four weeks, which will delay the project by three weeks. The project sponsor is pressuring you to meet the original deadline. The project budget has some contingency reserves. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Evaluate the schedule to see if crashing or fast-tracking can recover the delay, then order the correct switches.. It aligns with the project management principle of first attempting to recover the schedule using techniques like crashing (adding resources) or fast-tracking (performing tasks in parallel) before accepting a delay. Since the project has contingency reserves, you can potentially expedite the correct switch delivery or re-sequence tasks to absorb the three-week delay, preserving the original deadline. Ordering the correct switches immediately is necessary, but you must first evaluate if schedule compression can offset the impact, making D the most proactive and effective response.

Answer

Order the correct switches immediately and accept the three-week delay.

Answer

Escalate to the sponsor and ask for a deadline extension.

Answer

Use the wrong switches in Data Center B and plan to replace them later.

Question 4

During which project phase is the project charter created?

Accepted Answer

Initiating. The project charter is created during the Initiating phase. This document formally authorizes the project and gives the project manager authority to apply resources. It is a key output of the Initiating process group, specifically the Develop Project Charter process.

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Executing

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Planning

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Closing

Question 5

Refer to the exhibit. Based on the risk register, which risk should receive the highest priority for response?

Accepted Answer

R2. The risk with the highest risk score (0.30) is R2 (Staff turnover). Risk score is typically used to prioritize risks for response planning.

Answer

R4

Answer

R1

Answer

R3

Question 6

During project execution, a team discovers that the actual cost of work performed is $45,000, the planned value is $50,000, and the earned value is $40,000. Which statement is correct?

Accepted Answer

The project is behind schedule and over budget.. SV = EV - PV = $40,000 - $50,000 = -$10,000 (behind schedule). CV = EV - AC = $40,000 - $45,000 = -$5,000 (over budget).

Answer

The project is behind schedule and under budget.

Answer

The project is ahead of schedule and under budget.

Answer

The project is ahead of schedule and over budget.

Question 7

What is the 100% rule in work breakdown structure (WBS) creation?

Accepted Answer

The WBS must include all work required to complete the project scope.. The 100% rule states that the WBS must include 100% of the work defined by the project scope and capture all deliverables — internal, external, and interim — in terms of work to be completed. It also means that the sum of the work at the child level must equal 100% of the work at the parent level, with no work omitted and no extra work included. This ensures the WBS is a complete and accurate decomposition of the project scope.

Answer

The WBS must be deliverable-oriented.

Answer

The WBS must be decomposed to at least three levels.

Answer

The WBS must be approved by the customer.

Question 8

During project execution, the project team completes a deliverable that exceeds the specified requirements by adding extra features without authorization. This is an example of which concept?

Accepted Answer

Gold plating. Gold plating is the practice of adding features or functionality beyond the agreed scope without authorization, often with the intent of pleasing the customer. The scenario describes exactly this: the team delivered extra features that were not in the requirements.

Answer

Scope creep

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Value analysis

Answer

Progressive elaboration

Question 9

A project manager is evaluating two project proposals. Project A has an initial investment of $100,000 and is expected to generate cash flows of $30,000 per year for 5 years. Project B has an initial investment of $50,000 and cash flows of $20,000 per year for 3 years. Using payback period, which project should be selected?

Accepted Answer

Project B, because it has a shorter payback period. Payback period measures how long it takes to recover the initial investment. Project A recovers $100,000 at $30,000/year, taking about 3.33 years. Project B recovers $50,000 at $20,000/year, taking 2.5 years. Since Project B has the shorter payback period, it is preferred under this selection method because the organization recovers its capital faster, reducing risk exposure.

Answer

Project A, because it has a longer payback period

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Project B, because it has a lower initial investment

Answer

Project A, because it has a higher total return

Question 10

In which project management process group is the project charter formally approved, giving the project manager authority to allocate resources?

Accepted Answer

Initiating. The project charter is formally approved during the Initiating process group. This approval authorizes the project and gives the project manager the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities. It is the first formal document that officially starts the project.

Answer

Planning

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Executing

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Monitoring and Controlling

Question 11

A project team is sharing documents via email but experiencing version confusion. Which tool should the PM implement to improve version control?

Accepted Answer

SharePoint. SharePoint provides centralized document storage with built-in version control, allowing team members to check in/out files, track changes, and revert to previous versions. This eliminates the confusion caused by multiple email attachments with different filenames and revisions.

Answer

Email distribution

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Printed documents

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Whiteboard

Question 12

A project is in the monitoring and controlling phase. The project manager is reviewing the earned value metrics: EV = $50,000, PV = $60,000, AC = $55,000. Which of the following statements is correct?

Accepted Answer

The project is over budget and behind schedule.. The project is over budget and behind schedule because the Cost Performance Index (CPI = EV/AC = $50,000/$55,000 ≈ 0.91) is less than 1, indicating cost overrun, and the Schedule Performance Index (SPI = EV/PV = $50,000/$60,000 ≈ 0.83) is less than 1, indicating schedule slippage. Since EV is lower than both AC and PV, the project has earned less value than planned and spent more than earned.

Answer

The project is over budget and ahead of schedule.

Answer

The project is under budget and ahead of schedule.

Answer

The project is under budget and behind schedule.

Question 13

In a network diagram, Activity A has a duration of 5 days, Activity B has 3 days, and Activity C has 4 days. Activity A and B can start simultaneously, but Activity C cannot start until both A and B are complete. What is the critical path duration?

Accepted Answer

9 days. The critical path is the longest sequence of dependent activities. Activities A (5 days) and B (3 days) run in parallel, so the earliest they can both finish is day 5 (when A completes). Activity C (4 days) starts after both finish, so it runs from day 5 to day 9. Thus the total project duration is 5 + 4 = 9 days, making D the correct answer.

Answer

7 days

Answer

8 days

Answer

12 days

Question 14

A project manager uses a tool that shows the sequence of project activities and their dependencies. Which tool is this?

Accepted Answer

Network diagram. A network diagram (also called a project schedule network diagram or PERT/CPM chart) visually displays project activities as nodes and their dependencies as connecting arrows. It shows the sequence and logical relationships between tasks, which is exactly what the question describes.

Answer

Resource histogram

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Work breakdown structure

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Gantt chart

Question 15

A project has earned value (EV) of $50,000, planned value (PV) of $60,000, and actual cost (AC) of $55,000. What is the cost performance index (CPI)?

Accepted Answer

0.91. CPI is calculated as EV divided by AC. With EV = $50,000 and AC = $55,000, CPI = 50,000 / 55,000 = 0.909, which rounds to 0.91. A CPI below 1.0 indicates the project is over budget for the work performed.

Answer

0.83

Answer

1.10

Answer

1.20