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PK0-005 Practice Question: A project manager at a marketing firm is using…
A project manager at a marketing firm is using Microsoft Project to manage a campaign launch. The project has 15 tasks with several dependencies, including finish-to-start and start-to-start. Team members update their task progress daily. After a week, the project manager notices that some tasks are not reflecting updated finish dates even though dependencies are marked as complete. For example, Task 4 (Design finalization) has a finish-to-start dependency on Task 3 (Concept approval), which was completed three days ago, but Task 4's start date remains unchanged, causing the entire schedule to appear delayed. The project manager has verified that all task links are correctly set in the software. What should the project manager do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to assume the issue is a broken dependency link or a need for manual override, when in fact the root cause is the missing actual finish date—a subtle but critical detail in how Microsoft Project calculates the schedule.
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
✓
Recalculate the schedule after verifying that all dependencies are correctly set and that completed tasks have actual finish dates entered.
The most likely cause of the issue is that the actual finish dates for completed tasks (like Task 3) have not been entered in Microsoft Project. Without actual finish dates, the scheduling engine cannot calculate the successor task's start date, even if dependencies are correctly set. Recalculating the schedule after verifying and entering actual dates forces the tool to update the forward pass and reflect the true project status.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Recalculate the schedule after verifying that all dependencies are correctly set and that completed tasks have actual finish dates entered.
Why this is correct
Microsoft Project recalculates dependent task dates only when scheduling is triggered after actual finish dates are recorded. Verifying links and entering actuals, then recalculating, satisfies the stem's stale finish-to-start dependency, since Task 4 cannot shift until Task 3's completion is registered and the schedule recomputed.
- ✗
Reassign Task 4 to a different team member to speed up its start.
Why it's wrong here
Reassigning Task 4 does not recalculate the dependency-driven schedule; the stale start date stems from calculation settings or a constraint, not resourcing. Reassignment addresses effort and duration, not finish-to-start logic. It would be correct if the delay were caused by an overloaded or unavailable assignee.
- ✗
Ignore the discrepancy because the overall schedule variance is still within the acceptable threshold of 5%.
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring the discrepancy leaves the dependency logic unresolved, so downstream dates stay wrong and the schedule misrepresents reality. A 5% variance threshold concerns cost or schedule performance, not a broken finish-to-start link. It would be correct if the deviation were genuinely immaterial and no task dates were affected.
- ✗
Manually adjust the start date of Task 4 to align with the completion of Task 3.
Why it's wrong here
Manually typing a start date inserts a constraint that overrides the finish-to-start dependency, so future recalculation will not flow from Task 3. The correct first step is to restore automatic scheduling. Manual editing would be correct only for a fixed-date milestone that must not move.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.