PK0-005 Tools and Documentation Practice Test 3 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A project manager is using earned value management. The project has a schedule variance (SV) of -$5,000. What does this indicate?

Accepted Answer

The project is behind schedule.. A negative schedule variance (SV = EV - PV) indicates that the earned value (EV) is less than the planned value (PV), meaning the project is behind schedule. In this case, SV = -$5,000 confirms the project has accomplished less work than planned at the measurement date.

Answer

The project is ahead of schedule.

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The project is under budget.

Answer

The project is over budget.

Question 2

A project manager creates a visual representation that shows the 20% of causes contributing to 80% of the problems in a project. Which tool is being used?

Accepted Answer

Pareto chart. The Pareto chart is a specific type of bar chart that orders categories by frequency or impact, visually highlighting the 80/20 principle—the idea that roughly 80% of problems stem from 20% of causes. By arranging bars in descending order and often including a cumulative percentage line, it directs attention to the vital few issues that yield the greatest improvement. This matches the project manager's goal of identifying the 20% of causes responsible for 80% of problems.

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Control chart

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Scatter diagram

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Histogram

Question 3

Which document defines the communication requirements, including who needs what information, when, and how?

Accepted Answer

Communication plan. The communication plan is the project document that defines who needs what information, when they need it, and through which channel. It captures stakeholder communication requirements, frequency, format, and responsible parties. This directly matches the question's wording about communication requirements.

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Stakeholder register

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RACI matrix

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Project charter

Question 4

A project has a cost performance index (CPI) of 1.2 and a schedule performance index (SPI) of 0.9. Which of the following best describes the project's status?

Accepted Answer

Under budget and behind schedule. A CPI of 1.2 means the project is earning $1.20 for every $1.00 spent, indicating it is under budget. An SPI of 0.9 means the project is earning only $0.90 for every $1.00 of planned work, indicating it is behind schedule. Therefore, the project is under budget and behind schedule, making option B correct.

Answer

Over budget and behind schedule

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Under budget and ahead of schedule

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Over budget and ahead of schedule

Question 5

A project manager is creating the project management plan. Which TWO subsidiary plans should be included? (Select TWO.)

Accepted Answer

Risk management plan. The project management plan is composed of subsidiary plans and baselines, and the risk management plan (D) is a recognized subsidiary plan that documents how risk management activities will be structured and performed, including methodology, roles, budget, and timing. The scope management plan (E) is likewise a standard subsidiary plan that describes how the project scope will be defined, developed, monitored, controlled, and verified, making it a required component of the overall project management plan. In contrast, the product backlog (A) is an agile artifact used to capture and prioritize requirements, not a subsidiary plan of the project management plan. The RACI matrix (B) is a responsibility assignment tool/technique output rather than a subsidiary plan, and the burndown chart (C) is an agile progress-tracking chart, so neither belongs in the project management plan as subsidiary plans.

Answer

Product backlog

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RACI matrix

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Burndown chart

Question 6

Which THREE of the following are key elements of a user story? (Select THREE.)

Accepted Answer

Benefit (so that...). The three key elements of a user story are captured in the standard 'As a , I want , so that ' template: option B (Role, 'As a...') identifies the persona or stakeholder who needs the functionality, option E (Feature, 'I want...') states the desired capability or action, and option A (Benefit, 'so that...') explains the value or outcome the user gains, which justifies why the story is worth implementing. These three components together express who wants what and why, forming the core of a well-formed user story. Option C (Story points) is not part of the story statement itself; story points are an estimation metric used during planning to size effort or complexity, not a structural element of the story. Option D (Acceptance criteria) defines the conditions a story must satisfy to be considered done and is typically documented separately (often in the story's acceptance tests or Definition of Done), so it is not one of the three core narrative elements.

Answer

Story points

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Acceptance criteria

Question 7

A project manager is tracking the completion of key deliverables against the project schedule. Which tool should they use to display only major milestones without showing detailed dependencies or tasks?

Accepted Answer

Milestone chart. A milestone chart displays only major milestones — key events or deliverables — without showing the detailed tasks, dependencies, or durations that a Gantt chart would include. It provides a high-level view of progress against the schedule, making it ideal for executive reporting and tracking critical checkpoints. The project manager can quickly see which milestones are complete and which are pending.

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Network diagram

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Gantt chart

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Burndown chart

Question 8

During a sprint planning meeting, the development team estimates user stories using story points. They each have a set of cards with values like 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13. After discussing a story, all team members simultaneously reveal their chosen card. What technique are they using?

Accepted Answer

Planning poker. Planning poker is the agile estimation technique where team members privately select a card from a Fibonacci-like sequence (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13) to estimate story points, then reveal simultaneously to avoid anchoring bias. Disagreements trigger discussion and re-voting until consensus emerges. The simultaneous reveal is the defining characteristic of planning poker.

Answer

Affinity estimating

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Expert judgment

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Three-point estimating

Question 9

A project has a budget at completion (BAC) of $200,000. After five months, the earned value (EV) is $90,000 and the actual cost (AC) is $100,000. The project manager needs to calculate the estimate at completion (EAC) assuming current cost performance will continue. What is the EAC?

Accepted Answer

$222,222. The Estimate at Completion (EAC) when current cost performance is expected to continue is calculated using the formula EAC = BAC / CPI. First, calculate the Cost Performance Index (CPI) = EV / AC = $90,000 / $100,000 = 0.9. Then, EAC = $200,000 / 0.9 = $222,222.22, which rounds to $222,222.

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$190,000

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$210,000

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$200,000

Question 10

In a RACI matrix, the person who is ultimately accountable for the completion of a task is denoted by which letter?

Accepted Answer

A - Accountable. In a RACI matrix, 'A' stands for Accountable, meaning the person who has ultimate ownership and sign-off authority for the task. This individual is answerable for the successful completion of the deliverable and cannot delegate that responsibility. The correct answer is D because the RACI acronym explicitly defines 'A' as Accountable.

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C - Consulted

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R - Responsible

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I - Informed

Question 11

A project manager is using a quality tool that displays data points over time with upper and lower control limits. The tool helps distinguish between common cause and special cause variation. Which tool is this?

Accepted Answer

Control chart. A control chart is the quality tool that plots data points over time with upper and lower control limits (UCL and LCL), helping distinguish between common cause variation (inherent to the process) and special cause variation (due to assignable causes). It is a key tool in statistical process control (SPC) and is used in the Control Quality process.

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Scatter diagram

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Pareto chart

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Fishbone diagram

Question 12

An agile team uses a tool where they maintain a list of features, enhancements, and bug fixes that are not yet scheduled for a sprint. This list is prioritized by the product owner. What is this list called?

Accepted Answer

Product backlog. The product backlog is the single, prioritized list of all desired work for the product — features, enhancements, and bug fixes — that are not yet scheduled for a sprint, and it is owned and ordered by the product owner. Items move from the product backlog into the sprint backlog only when selected during sprint planning. Because the question describes an unscheduled, product-owner-prioritized list, the product backlog is the correct answer.

Answer

Sprint backlog

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Issue log

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Risk register

Question 13

A project manager notices that the project is behind schedule. The planned value (PV) is $50,000, earned value (EV) is $40,000, and actual cost (AC) is $45,000. What is the schedule performance index (SPI) and what does it indicate?

Accepted Answer

0.8, behind schedule. SPI = EV / PV = 40,000 / 50,000 = 0.8. An SPI less than 1 indicates the project is behind schedule.

Answer

1.25, ahead of schedule

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0.89, behind schedule

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1.0, on schedule

Question 14

Which project document formally authorizes the project and identifies the project manager?

Accepted Answer

Project charter. The project charter is the document that formally authorizes the project and gives the project manager authority.

Answer

Business case

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Project management plan

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Scope statement

Question 15

A project manager needs to show the sequence of project activities and their dependencies to identify the critical path. Which tool should they use?

Accepted Answer

Network diagram. A network diagram is the correct tool because it visually maps the sequence of project activities and their dependencies using nodes and arrows, which is essential for identifying the critical path. The critical path is the longest path through the network diagram, determining the shortest possible project duration. This tool directly supports forward and backward pass calculations to find total float and critical activities.

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Milestone chart

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Burndown chart

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Gantt chart