PK0-005 Project Life Cycle Practice Question
A project manager is creating a WBS. Which two best practices should be followed? (Select TWO)
⚠ Common exam trap
PK0-005 often tests the confusion between WBS elements (deliverables/nouns) and activities (verbs), tempting candidates to select 'include project activities' as a WBS best practice.
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
✓
Ensure each element is a deliverable
Option A is correct because a WBS is a deliverable-oriented decomposition of the project scope, so each element (node) must represent a tangible, verifiable deliverable or scope component rather than an action. Option B is correct because decomposition should continue down to the work package level, the lowest WBS level, where work can be estimated, scheduled, monitored, and assigned to a single owner. Option C is incorrect because durations are estimated during schedule development (e.g., in the activity list and schedule network), not defined in the WBS itself. Option D is incorrect because activities belong to the activity list derived from work packages, not to the WBS hierarchy, which stays deliverable-focused. Option E is incorrect because a WBS must be decomposed to a sufficient level of detail to manage the work, not limited to only high-level scope.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Ensure each element is a deliverable
Why this is correct
A work breakdown structure decomposes scope into deliverables, not activities, so each element must represent a tangible output the project produces. This satisfies the best-practice constraint that WBS nodes define what will be delivered, enabling accurate scope, cost and acceptance criteria assignment.
- ✓
Decompose to work packages
Why this is correct
Decomposing to work packages breaks deliverables into their smallest manageable components, each assignable, estimable and trackable. This satisfies the WBS requirement that the lowest level supports accurate scheduling, costing and responsibility assignment without further subdivision.
- ✗
Assign durations to elements
Why it's wrong here
Durations belong to activities scheduled later, not to WBS elements; the WBS defines scope deliverables only. Estimating time at this stage conflates scope decomposition with schedule development. It is tempting because duration estimates are eventually recorded against work packages, but that occurs during activity definition, after the WBS is baselined.
- ✗
Include project activities
Why it's wrong here
Activities describe how work is scheduled and sequenced, which belongs in the activity list, not the WBS, whose elements are deliverables expressed as nouns. It is tempting because activities eventually trace to work packages, but including them duplicates scope and breaks the deliverable-oriented hierarchy.
- ✗
Include only high-level scope
Why it's wrong here
A WBS must decompose scope to work packages that can be estimated, scheduled and assigned; stopping at high-level scope leaves insufficient detail for planning. It is tempting as a summary view, yet the top levels alone cannot support control accounts. Progressive elaboration requires the lower levels to be defined.
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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.