easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
PK0-005 Practice Question: A project manager is estimating the duration of a…
A project manager is estimating the duration of a task that has never been done before. The team provides three estimates: optimistic (4 days), most likely (7 days), and pessimistic (16 days). Using the PERT three-point estimate formula, what is the expected duration?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the PERT formula by including a distractor that is the simple arithmetic mean (9 days), tempting candidates who forget the weighted 4× multiplier for the most likely estimate.
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
✓
8 days
The PERT three-point estimate formula is (Optimistic + 4×Most Likely + Pessimistic) / 6. Plugging in the values: (4 + 4×7 + 16) / 6 = (4 + 28 + 16) / 6 = 48 / 6 = 8 days. This weighted average accounts for uncertainty in tasks with no historical data, giving more weight to the most likely estimate.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
9 days
Why it's wrong here
9 is the simple average, not PERT.
- ✓
8 days
Why this is correct
Correct PERT calculation.
- ✗
7 days
Why it's wrong here
7 is the most likely estimate only.
- ✗
10 days
Why it's wrong here
10 is the average of optimistic and pessimistic.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every PK0-005 question from scratch — 980 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.