Question 42 of 980
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PK0-005 Practice Question: A project manager is leading a software…
A project manager is leading a software development project that has a fixed budget and strict deadline. During the execution phase, the development team identifies a critical security vulnerability that requires immediate remediation, which will add two weeks to the schedule and increase costs by 10%. What is the BEST course of action for the project manager?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates choose Option D, thinking immediate action is always best, but CompTIA emphasizes the formal change management process where any deviation from the baseline requires prior approval, even for urgent security fixes.
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
✓
Escalate the issue to the project sponsor with a trade-off analysis of cost, schedule, and scope impacts.
The project manager must balance the triple constraint (cost, schedule, scope) when an unplanned security vulnerability emerges. Escalating to the sponsor with a trade-off analysis allows informed decision-making, as the fixed budget and strict deadline mean any change requires stakeholder approval. This aligns with PMI's best practices for managing change requests in a constrained environment.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Escalate the issue to the project sponsor with a trade-off analysis of cost, schedule, and scope impacts.
Why this is correct
Escalation with trade-off analysis allows the sponsor to make an informed decision on how to proceed.
- ✗
Reduce the scope by removing one feature to compensate for the additional work.
Why it's wrong here
Removing a feature may not directly address the vulnerability and could impact project objectives.
- ✗
Proceed with the original plan and document the vulnerability as a known risk.
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring a critical vulnerability is not acceptable and could lead to major issues.
- ✗
Instruct the team to fix the vulnerability immediately and then inform the sponsor of the changes.
Why it's wrong here
Proceeding without approval exceeds the project manager's authority and may violate the project baseline.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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