- A
All employees including the CEO
Why wrong: Although possible, it's not always necessary to include executives; scope should be defined.
- B
External contractors only
Why wrong: External contractors may not be part of the client's employee base; focus should be on the client's employees.
- C
Only non-technical staff
Why wrong: Technical staff may also be targeted; limiting scope may not be realistic.
- D
A defined subset of employees agreed upon in advance
Correct. The scope should clearly define which personnel are in-scope.
Question 197 of 1,000
PT0-002 Planning and Scoping Practice Question
This PT0-002 practice question tests your understanding of planning and scoping. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A penetration testing company is scoping a social engineering engagement for a client. The client wants to test employee awareness of phishing attempts. Which of the following should be included in the scope?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
A defined subset of employees agreed upon in advance
Option D is correct because social engineering engagements require explicit, pre-agreed boundaries to ensure legal and ethical compliance. Including a defined subset of employees allows the client to control risk, avoid disrupting critical operations, and obtain informed consent, which is essential for a valid penetration test scope.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
All employees including the CEO
Why it's wrong here
Although possible, it's not always necessary to include executives; scope should be defined.
- ✗
External contractors only
Why it's wrong here
External contractors may not be part of the client's employee base; focus should be on the client's employees.
- ✗
Only non-technical staff
Why it's wrong here
Technical staff may also be targeted; limiting scope may not be realistic.
- ✓
A defined subset of employees agreed upon in advance
Why this is correct
Correct. The scope should clearly define which personnel are in-scope.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume testing must include all employees to be thorough, but the PT0-002 exam emphasizes that scope must be mutually agreed and limited to avoid legal and operational risks, not maximized for coverage.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In social engineering engagements, the scope is defined in a Rules of Engagement (RoE) document that specifies target groups, allowed techniques (e.g., spear-phishing, vishing), and communication channels. A defined subset ensures that phishing simulations are sent only to pre-approved email addresses, avoiding accidental targeting of personal accounts or third parties, which could violate anti-spam laws like CAN-SPAM or GDPR. Real-world scenarios often involve testing a sample of employees across departments to statistically infer overall awareness without overwhelming the SOC with false positives.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An employee at a financial services firm receives an email that appears to come from the IT helpdesk, asking them to reset their password via a link. The link leads to a convincing fake portal that harvests credentials. Security teams use phishing simulations and security-awareness training to reduce this attack vector. Questions like this test whether you can identify social engineering techniques and appropriate controls.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PT0-002 question test?
Planning and Scoping — This question tests Planning and Scoping — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A defined subset of employees agreed upon in advance — Option D is correct because social engineering engagements require explicit, pre-agreed boundaries to ensure legal and ethical compliance. Including a defined subset of employees allows the client to control risk, avoid disrupting critical operations, and obtain informed consent, which is essential for a valid penetration test scope.
What should I do if I get this PT0-002 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PT0-002 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PT0-002 exam.
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