PK0-005 Project Management Concepts Practice Question
A project manager is finalizing the resource management plan for a project that depends heavily on a scarce database administrator skill set. The sponsor asks which activities belong to the Acquire Resources process rather than to Plan Resource Management. Which TWO activities should the project manager identify? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is treating every resource-related activity as part of Acquire Resources, when several of them are Plan Resource Management outputs.
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
✓
Assigning the selected database administrators to project activities and confirming their availability.
Acquire Resources covers obtaining and confirming the human resources needed for the work, which in this scenario means negotiating for the scarce database administrators and assigning them to project activities. Defining roles, building a resource histogram, and estimating resource costs are planning activities that shape how resources will be managed, not the actions that actually secure and commit the people.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Defining the roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships for the project team.
Why it's wrong here
Defining roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships occurs during Plan Resource Management, where the team charter, responsibility assignment matrix, and organizational chart are produced. It establishes how resources will be managed rather than obtaining them. This activity therefore belongs to planning, not to the process that secures the scarce database administrators for the work.
- ✗
Estimating the cost of the database administrator time required for each work package.
Why it's wrong here
Estimating resource costs belongs to cost and resource planning, not to acquiring the people. The estimate informs the budget and supports negotiations, but producing it does not place a named database administrator on the project. Selecting this activity would confuse planning analysis with the assignment action the sponsor specifically requested.
- ✓
Assigning the selected database administrators to project activities and confirming their availability.
Why this is correct
Assigning selected team members to activities and verifying their availability is part of Acquire Resources. Once negotiations succeed, the project manager records the assignment against the schedule and confirms that the individuals can support the planned dates. This finalizes the acquisition step for the scarce skill set and is distinct from the planning activities that precede it.
- ✗
Creating a resource histogram that shows the number of resources needed per time period.
Why it's wrong here
A resource histogram is a planning output that displays resource demand over time and supports scheduling decisions. It helps the project manager understand how many database administrators are required and when, but it does not obtain them. Since the sponsor asked about acquiring resources, this planning artifact is the wrong category of activity.
- ✓
Negotiating with functional managers to assign the needed database administrators to the project team.
Why this is correct
Negotiating for specific people is a core activity of Acquire Resources, which obtains the human resources needed to complete the work. Because the database administrator skill is scarce, the project manager must confirm availability and secure commitments from the owning managers. This action follows planning and produces the actual team assignment, matching the process the sponsor is asking about.
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Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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