hardMultiple Choice
PK0-005 Practice Question: A large software development project is using a…
A large software development project is using a waterfall life cycle. The project has just completed the design phase, and the project manager is scheduled to conduct a phase gate review before proceeding to coding. The project sponsor, under pressure from upper management to deliver faster, asks the project manager to skip the gate review to save one week and move directly to coding. The sponsor argues that the design is sound and the review is a formality. What should the project manager do?
⚠ Common exam trap
PK0-005 often tests whether candidates cave to stakeholder pressure to skip governance steps — the correct answer is almost always to uphold the methodology and explain its value, not to escalate or comply.
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
✓
Explain the purpose of the gate review and proceed with it to ensure quality and risk mitigation.
The project manager should explain the purpose of the phase gate review — to verify that the design meets requirements, identify risks, and ensure quality before committing to the expensive coding phase — and proceed with the review. Skipping it would violate the waterfall methodology's control points and could allow design defects to propagate into development, increasing cost and risk.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to the program manager without further discussion.
Why it's wrong here
Escalation removes the decision from the project manager, who owns gate governance and should first present the risk and impact to the sponsor. Escalating suits genuine authority disputes or unresolved sponsor conflicts, not a request that can be addressed directly.
- ✗
Agree to skip the review to meet the sponsor's timeline.
Why it's wrong here
Skipping the gate removes the formal verification that design meets requirements before coding, letting defects propagate into costly rework. Gate reviews are legitimately waived only when the project is being re-baselined or terminated, not to save a week.
- ✗
Document the sponsor's request and proceed with coding.
Why it's wrong here
Documenting the request records the decision but still lets coding start without the gate, so the design is never validated against requirements. Documentation is appropriate when a properly authorised change is approved, not as a substitute for the review itself.
- ✓
Explain the purpose of the gate review and proceed with it to ensure quality and risk mitigation.
Why this is correct
The phase gate is a formal control that verifies design completeness and surfaces risks before coding commits significant cost. Skipping it removes that checkpoint, so the project manager should explain its purpose and conduct the review as planned.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This PK0-005 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 PK0-005 exam.