PK0-005 Practice Question: Basics of IT Infrastructure and IT Project Management
A project manager is assigned to upgrade the firewall for a company with multiple branch offices. The project charter has been approved, but the budget is tight. Which cost control technique should the project manager use to ensure expenses remain within budget?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse cost control techniques (used during monitoring and controlling) with cost estimation techniques (used during planning), leading them to select bottom-up estimating or parametric modeling instead of EVM.
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
✓
Earned value management (EVM)
Earned value management (EVM) is the correct technique because it integrates scope, schedule, and cost data to provide objective performance metrics (e.g., Cost Performance Index, Schedule Performance Index) that allow the project manager to continuously monitor and control expenses against the approved budget. For a firewall upgrade with multiple branch offices, EVM helps detect cost overruns early by comparing planned value (PV), earned value (EV), and actual cost (AC), enabling corrective actions before the tight budget is exceeded.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Earned value management (EVM)
Why this is correct
Earned value management compares planned value, earned value and actual cost, exposing schedule and cost variances early. With a tight budget across multiple branch offices, this gives the project manager quantitative early warning to keep expenses within the approved baseline.
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Reserve analysis
Why it's wrong here
Reserve analysis monitors contingency and management reserves already set aside; it does not control ongoing expenditure against the cost baseline. It is tempting because tight budgets prompt reserve scrutiny, but it would be correct when assessing whether remaining contingency covers identified risks on a project with established reserves.
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Bottom-up estimating
Why it's wrong here
Bottom-up estimating aggregates individual work-package estimates into a project total, generating the baseline rather than monitoring actual costs against it. It is tempting because it is detailed and accurate, but it would be correct when preparing the initial budget estimate for a well-defined scope.
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Parametric modeling
Why it's wrong here
Parametric modelling derives estimates from statistical relationships between historical data and variables, so it produces a cost estimate rather than controlling spend during execution. It is tempting because it is quantitative, but it would be correct when estimating a new work package from scalable unit rates.
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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.