PK0-005 Practice Test 38 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A project manager is leading a software development project that has a fixed budget and strict deadline. During the execution phase, the development team identifies a critical security vulnerability that requires immediate remediation, which will add two weeks to the schedule and increase costs by 10%. What is the BEST course of action for the project manager?

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

Accepted Answer

Escalate the issue to the project sponsor with a trade-off analysis of cost, schedule, and scope impacts.. The project manager must balance the triple constraint (cost, schedule, scope) when an unplanned security vulnerability emerges. Escalating to the sponsor with a trade-off analysis allows informed decision-making, as the fixed budget and strict deadline mean any change requires stakeholder approval. This aligns with PMI's best practices for managing change requests in a constrained environment.

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Reduce the scope by removing one feature to compensate for the additional work.

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Proceed with the original plan and document the vulnerability as a known risk.

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Instruct the team to fix the vulnerability immediately and then inform the sponsor of the changes.

Question 2

A project manager notices that a task on the critical path is delayed by 3 days. Which tool should the project manager use to determine the impact on the project completion date?

Accepted Answer

Network diagram. The network diagram (specifically the critical path method, CPM) is the correct tool because it visually maps task dependencies and identifies the critical path. A 3-day delay on a critical path task directly extends the project completion date by 3 days, as there is no float. The project manager can use the network diagram to trace the impact through dependent tasks and confirm the new end date.

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Gantt chart

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Risk register

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Work breakdown structure

Question 3

A project is in the execution phase. The project manager discovers that the actual cost performance index (CPI) is 0.8 and the schedule performance index (SPI) is 0.9. What does this indicate about the project?

Accepted Answer

The project is over budget and behind schedule.. A CPI of 0.8 means the project is earning only $0.80 for every $1.00 spent, indicating it is over budget. An SPI of 0.9 means the project is progressing at 90% of the planned rate, indicating it is behind schedule. Therefore, the project is both over budget and behind schedule, making option D correct.

Answer

The project is on budget but behind schedule.

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The project is over budget and ahead of schedule.

Answer

The project is under budget and ahead of schedule.

Question 4

During sprint planning, the team uses a technique where each member privately selects a card representing a number of story points for a user story. After revealing, they discuss discrepancies. This technique is known as:

Accepted Answer

Planning poker. Planning poker is an agile estimation technique where team members use numbered cards to vote on story point estimates. Pairs programming is a development practice, not estimation. Delphi technique is a consensus method but typically anonymous and iterative without cards. T-shirt sizing is a relative sizing method but does not involve simultaneous card reveal.

Answer

Pairs programming

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T-shirt sizing

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Delphi technique

Question 5

A control chart shows a process with data points fluctuating within the upper and lower control limits, but 8 consecutive points appear on one side of the mean. What does this indicate?

Accepted Answer

Special cause variation. In a control chart, 8 consecutive points on one side of the mean (a 'run' of 8) indicates a special cause variation, even if points are within control limits. This rule is a common test for special causes.

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Common cause variation

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The mean has shifted

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The process is out of control

Question 6

Which TWO of the following are key components of IT infrastructure that a project manager should consider when planning a new software deployment? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Storage area network (SAN). A Storage Area Network (SAN) is a dedicated, high-speed network that provides block-level storage access to servers. For a new software deployment, the project manager must ensure that the SAN has sufficient capacity, IOPS, and connectivity to support the application's storage requirements, making it a critical infrastructure component.

Answer

Project charter

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Status reports

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Help desk ticketing system

Question 7

Which TWO of the following are characteristics of a project? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Unique product or service. A project is defined by the creation of a unique product, service, or result. This uniqueness distinguishes a project from routine operations, as the output is not a repeat of a previous effort. The PMBOK Guide and the PK0-005 exam emphasize that uniqueness is a core characteristic of any project.

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Continuous process improvement

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Ongoing operations

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Repetitive tasks

Question 8

In a construction project, the foundation must be completed before the framing can begin. This is an example of which type of dependency?

Accepted Answer

Mandatory dependency. Mandatory dependencies, also known as hard logic, are inherent in the nature of the work and cannot be changed.

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Resource constraint

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External dependency

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Discretionary dependency

Question 9

A project team is experiencing conflicts due to unclear roles and responsibilities. Which document should the project manager refer to in order to clarify team members' roles?

Accepted Answer

Responsibility assignment matrix (RAM). The Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is the correct document because it explicitly maps project work packages or activities to team members, showing who is responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed (RACI). This directly resolves conflicts arising from unclear roles and responsibilities by providing a clear, documented assignment of duties.

Answer

Project charter

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Work breakdown structure (WBS)

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Communications management plan

Question 10

A project manager is reviewing lessons learned from a previous project and notices that scope creep occurred because stakeholders requested changes after the project moved into the execution phase. Which action should the project manager take in the current project to prevent this issue?

Accepted Answer

Establish a change control board during the planning phase to review and approve any change requests.. Establishing a change control board (CCB) during the planning phase provides a formal, documented process for reviewing and approving or rejecting scope changes. This prevents uncontrolled scope creep by ensuring that any change request is evaluated for impact on cost, schedule, and resources before implementation, which is a key practice in the PMBOK Guide for the execution phase.

Answer

Close the project early if any scope changes are requested.

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Involve all stakeholders in the project planning phase to ensure requirements are fully captured.

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Include a detailed list of all deliverables in the project charter to avoid ambiguity.

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

0.83. The cost performance index (CPI) is calculated as EV divided by AC. With EV = $50,000 and AC = $60,000, CPI = 50,000 / 60,000 = 0.8333, which rounds to 0.83. A CPI less than 1.0 indicates the project is over budget, as each dollar of work completed costs more than planned.

Answer

0.91

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1.20

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1.10

Question 12

A project manager is reviewing the communication plan. Which THREE elements must be included to ensure effective project communications? (Choose three.)

Accepted Answer

Escalation procedures. Escalation procedures are a required element of a communication plan because they define the structured path for raising issues, risks, or decisions that cannot be resolved at the current level. Without documented escalation procedures, project communications lack a clear authority chain, leading to delays and misalignment. This ensures that critical information reaches the appropriate decision-maker efficiently.

Answer

Team member salaries

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Personal contact information for all stakeholders

Question 13

Which statement is true?

Accepted Answer

Cost Performance Index (CPI) = 0.92, Schedule Performance Index (SPI) = 0.80. This question is unanswerable as written because no project performance data (Earned Value, Actual Cost, Planned Value) is provided to compute Cost Performance Index (CPI) or Schedule Performance Index (SPI). Without such data, none of the statements can be verified as true. In a valid EVM question, CPI and SPI values must be derived from given metrics.

Answer

CPI = 1.08, SPI = 0.8

Answer

CPI = 0.92, SPI = 1.2

Answer

CPI = 1.08, SPI = 1.2

Question 14

A project manager is leading a software development project that has a fixed budget and strict deadline. During the execution phase, the development team identifies a critical security vulnerability that requires immediate remediation, which will add two weeks to the schedule and increase costs by 10%. What is the BEST course of action for the project manager?

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

Accepted Answer

Initiate a change request to assess the impact on cost, schedule, and resources.. The project manager must first initiate a formal change request to assess the impact of the new feature on cost, schedule, and resources before any action is taken. This aligns with the PMI's integrated change control process, which requires evaluating trade-offs in a software development context where code dependencies and integration points can be affected. Adding features without analysis risks scope creep, budget overruns, and missed deadlines.

Answer

Add the feature to the project plan and adjust the schedule accordingly.

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Approve the change and inform the team to start working on it.

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Refuse the request because the scope was already baselined.

Question 15

A project manager is leading an agile project using Scrum. The product owner frequently changes priorities based on customer feedback. Which TWO roles are directly responsible for managing these changes? (Select TWO).

Accepted Answer

Product Owner. In Scrum, the product owner manages the product backlog and prioritizes work. The project manager (or Scrum Master) facilitates the process but the product owner owns priority decisions.

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Project Sponsor

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Development Team

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Steering Committee