PK0-005 Practice Exam 55 — 20 Questions

Question 1

Based on the exhibit, which task is experiencing a schedule variance (SV) that is negative? The project's total planned value (PV) for these tasks is the sum of planned efforts, and earned value (EV) is calculated as % complete * planned effort.

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

Accepted Answer

Task B. Task B has a negative schedule variance (SV) because its earned value (EV) is less than its planned value (PV). With PV = 60 (planned effort) and EV = 80% * 60 = 48, the SV is 48 - 60 = -12, indicating the task is behind schedule. The other tasks have EV equal to or greater than PV, resulting in non-negative SV.

Answer

Task C

Answer

Task A

Answer

None of the tasks have a negative SV.

Question 2

Which THREE of the following are outputs of the project initiation process? (Choose three.)

Accepted Answer

Project charter. The project charter is a key output of the initiation process because it formally authorizes the project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities. It documents the business case, high-level scope, objectives, and key stakeholders, serving as the foundational document that transitions the project from concept to execution.

Answer

Work breakdown structure

Answer

Project management plan

Question 3

A project has a total budget of $100,000. At a status date, the earned value (EV) is $50,000, the planned value (PV) is $60,000, and the actual cost (AC) is $70,000. What is the cost variance (CV)?

Accepted Answer

-$20,000. Cost variance (CV) is calculated as EV minus AC. With EV = $50,000 and AC = $70,000, CV = $50,000 - $70,000 = -$20,000. A negative CV indicates the project is over budget by $20,000.

Answer

-$10,000

Answer

$10,000

Answer

$20,000

Question 4

Which THREE of the following are generally considered to be part of the project management process groups?

Accepted Answer

Executing. Executing is one of the five standard project management process groups defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the PMBOK Guide. This process group involves coordinating people and resources to carry out the project management plan, producing the deliverables of the project. It is a core phase where the planned work is actually performed.

Answer

Testing

Answer

Designing

Question 5

Which TWO of the following are characteristics of the waterfall project management methodology?

Accepted Answer

Distinct phase gates. The waterfall methodology enforces distinct phase gates (e.g., requirements, design, implementation, testing, deployment) where each phase must be fully completed and formally reviewed before the next phase begins. This gate-based approach ensures that deliverables are approved at each stage, preventing overlapping or concurrent work.

Answer

Continuous delivery of small increments

Answer

Iterative cycles with feedback

Answer

Flexible scope changes

Question 6

Which document describes the roles and responsibilities in a project using the categories Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed?

Accepted Answer

RACI matrix. A RACI matrix defines roles and responsibilities for each task or deliverable using the four categories.

Answer

Work breakdown structure

Answer

Communication plan

Answer

Stakeholder register

Question 7

A project sponsor has requested a document that provides a high-level overview of the project, including business need, key assumptions, constraints, and initial risks. Which document should the project manager provide?

Accepted Answer

Project charter. The project charter is the correct document because it provides a high-level overview of the project, including the business need, key assumptions, constraints, and initial risks. This document formally authorizes the project and is created before detailed planning begins, aligning with the sponsor's request for a summary-level view.

Answer

Communication plan

Answer

Scope statement

Answer

Risk register

Question 8

A project manager is analyzing quality data and wants to identify the most frequently occurring defects to prioritize corrective actions. Which quality tool should be used?

Accepted Answer

Pareto chart. A Pareto chart displays causes in descending order of frequency, applying the 80/20 rule to focus on the most significant issues.

Answer

Histogram

Answer

Scatter diagram

Answer

Control chart

Question 9

A project team is estimating the duration of a task. The optimistic estimate is 4 days, the pessimistic is 12 days, and the most likely is 6 days. Using the three-point estimating technique (PERT), what is the expected duration?

Accepted Answer

6.67 days. The PERT expected duration formula is (Optimistic + 4 × Most Likely + Pessimistic) / 6. Plugging in the values: (4 + 4×6 + 12) / 6 = (4 + 24 + 12) / 6 = 40 / 6 = 6.67 days. This weighted average accounts for uncertainty by giving more weight to the most likely estimate.

Answer

7.33 days

Answer

8 days

Answer

6 days

Question 10

What is the critical path duration?

Accepted Answer

22 days. The critical path is the longest sequence of dependent tasks in a project schedule, determining the shortest possible project duration. For this project, the critical path is A→C→D, with durations summing to 22 days. Any delay on this path directly extends the project completion date.

Answer

23 days

Answer

19 days

Answer

18 days

Question 11

A project manager is deploying a new web application to a cloud environment. The application requires high availability and automatic scaling based on traffic. Which IT infrastructure component should the project manager use to meet these requirements?

Accepted Answer

Load balancer. A load balancer distributes incoming traffic across multiple instances of the web application, enabling high availability by rerouting traffic if an instance fails, and automatic scaling by integrating with cloud auto-scaling groups to add or remove instances based on demand. This directly meets the requirements for both high availability and automatic scaling.

Answer

Firewall

Answer

DNS server

Answer

VPN concentrator

Question 12

A project manager is evaluating the project's performance using EVM. PV = $50,000, EV = $45,000, AC = $55,000. Which of the following is true?

Accepted Answer

The project is over budget and behind schedule.. SV = EV - PV = -$5,000 (behind schedule). CV = EV - AC = -$10,000 (over budget). CPI = EV/AC = 0.818, SPI = EV/PV = 0.9.

Answer

The project is under budget and ahead of schedule.

Answer

The project is over budget but ahead of schedule.

Answer

The project is under budget but behind schedule.

Question 13

A project manager is overseeing the implementation of a new customer relationship management (CRM) system. The vendor requires access to the company's internal network to install and configure the software. Which of the following is the BEST practice to ensure security while allowing vendor access?

Accepted Answer

Set up a VPN connection with two-factor authentication. Setting up a VPN connection with two-factor authentication is the best practice because it creates an encrypted tunnel over the internet, ensuring data confidentiality and integrity, while two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security beyond just a password. This approach allows the vendor to access only the internal network resources necessary for installation and configuration, without exposing the entire network to unauthenticated or unencrypted access.

Answer

Provide the vendor with access to the guest Wi-Fi network

Answer

Allow the vendor to use remote desktop protocol (RDP) directly over the internet

Answer

Create a local user account with administrative privileges for the vendor

Question 14

Put the steps for closing a project in the correct order.

Accepted Answer

Acceptance, then Releasing resources, then Closing contracts, then Lessons learned, then Archiving. Project closing includes acceptance, releasing resources, closing contracts, lessons learned, and archiving.

Answer

Releasing resources, then Acceptance, then Closing contracts, then Lessons learned, then Archiving

Answer

Lessons learned, then Acceptance, then Releasing resources, then Closing contracts, then Archiving

Answer

Archiving, then Acceptance, then Releasing resources, then Closing contracts, then Lessons learned

Question 15

A project team is in the execution phase and the project manager notices that the actual cost is consistently higher than planned. Which process should be used to address this?

Accepted Answer

Control Costs. The Control Costs process is specifically used to monitor cost performance and manage changes to the cost baseline. Option A (Perform Integrated Change Control) is incorrect because while it manages changes, the cost performance issue is first identified and monitored through Control Costs. Option C (Control Schedule) is incorrect because this process focuses on schedule performance, not cost. Option D (Monitor and Control Project Work) is incorrect because it is a broader process that oversees overall project work; the specific process for cost issues is Control Costs.

Answer

Perform Integrated Change Control

Answer

Control Schedule

Answer

Monitor and Control Project Work

Question 16

A project manager needs to break down the project scope into smaller, manageable components. Which tool should they use?

Accepted Answer

Work breakdown structure (WBS). The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is the correct tool because it decomposes the total project scope into hierarchical, manageable work packages. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's definition of a WBS as a deliverable-oriented decomposition that facilitates planning, cost estimation, and responsibility assignment. Other tools like PERT or Gantt charts focus on scheduling, not scope decomposition.

Answer

PERT chart

Answer

Gantt chart

Answer

RACI matrix

Question 17

A project manager needs to identify stakeholders for a new project. Which document should the project manager review first to understand the project's high-level stakeholders?

Accepted Answer

Project charter. The project charter is the foundational document that authorizes the project and identifies the high-level stakeholders, including the project sponsor, key customers, and other influential parties. Reviewing the charter first provides the project manager with the initial stakeholder list before any detailed planning or analysis begins.

Answer

Communication plan

Answer

Risk register

Answer

Stakeholder register

Question 18

A construction project is nearing the end of the executing phase. The project manager is preparing for the closure phase. During a review, the project manager discovers that two deliverables have not been formally accepted by the client due to minor quality issues. The team has already started demobilizing resources. What should the project manager do to properly close the project?

Accepted Answer

Correct the quality issues and obtain sign-off from the client before closing.. The correct action is to resolve the quality issues and obtain formal acceptance before proceeding to closure. Option A is correct because all deliverables must be formally accepted by the client to close the project or phase. Option B is wrong because closing without acceptance can lead to legal and financial liability. Option C is wrong because administrative closure requires that all deliverables are accepted. Option D is wrong because transferring deliverables with noted issues does not constitute acceptance and may result in rejection.

Answer

Close the project and rely on the warranty period to fix issues later.

Answer

Proceed with administrative closure and archive all project documents.

Answer

Transfer the deliverables to the client with a note that minor issues remain.

Question 19

A project manager is updating the project schedule and notices that the critical path has changed due to a delay in a key task. Which document should the project manager update first to reflect this change?

Accepted Answer

Project schedule. The project schedule is the document that directly reflects the sequence, dependencies, and timing of tasks, including the critical path. When a delay causes the critical path to change, the schedule must be updated first to capture the new start and finish dates, float values, and path dependencies. This ensures the project manager has an accurate baseline for assessing impacts and communicating changes.

Answer

Risk register

Answer

Stakeholder register

Answer

Issue log

Question 20

A project team is using Jira for agile project management. They want to visualize the flow of work across columns such as 'To Do', 'In Progress', and 'Done'. Which board type should they use?

Accepted Answer

Kanban board. A Kanban board (in Jira) visualizes the workflow with columns representing stages, limiting work in progress.

Answer

Scrum board

Answer

Gantt chart

Answer

Burndown chart