hardMultiple Choice
PK0-005 Practice Question: A project manager is overseeing a construction…
A project manager is overseeing a construction project to build a new office building. The project is currently in the execution phase, with foundation work underway. During a status meeting, the project manager discovers that the detailed architectural plans, which were a deliverable of the planning phase, were never formally approved by the client. The team has been working based on preliminary drawings that were used for the initial estimate. The project schedule shows that the next major activity, framing, is scheduled to start in two weeks. The project sponsor is on an extended leave and unavailable for the next month. The project manager is concerned about significant rework if the plans are later rejected. The project has a tight budget and aggressive timeline. What should the project manager do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
PK0-005 often tests whether candidates prioritize schedule/budget over scope validation — the trap is choosing to 'keep moving' to protect the timeline when the correct PMI answer is to stop and secure approval.
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
✓
Suspend the foundation work and initiate a plan to obtain formal approval of the architectural plans before proceeding.
The architectural plans were never formally approved, and the team is building on preliminary drawings — this is a critical scope/quality risk that could cause massive rework. The PM should stop work that depends on unapproved plans and initiate the approval process before proceeding to framing. Suspending foundation work (or at least halting further dependent work) and securing formal approval protects the budget and timeline from far greater damage.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Continue with the foundation work and address the approval issue during the closure phase.
Why it's wrong here
Deferring the approval issue to closure guarantees the unapproved design propagates through foundation, framing and finishing, maximising rework. It is tempting because it avoids disrupting current work, but closure is for verifying deliverables, not for obtaining baseline approvals that should precede execution.
- ✗
Authorize overtime to complete the foundation work faster in case rework is needed.
Why it's wrong here
Authorising overtime accelerates foundation work without resolving the unapproved plans, so rework risk and cost both increase. It is tempting because schedule compression is a legitimate response to tight timelines, but crashing applies once the approved scope is fixed, not while the design baseline remains unconfirmed.
- ✓
Suspend the foundation work and initiate a plan to obtain formal approval of the architectural plans before proceeding.
Why this is correct
Suspending foundation work directly addresses the missing formal approval, the root cause of potential rework. Proceeding without client sign-off on architectural plans risks costly demolition and schedule slippage, both critical given the tight budget and aggressive timeline. Halting now prevents compounding unapproved work while approval is sought, despite the sponsor's absence.
- ✗
Proceed with framing as scheduled and submit the plans for approval retroactively.
Why it's wrong here
Proceeding with framing before the client approves the architectural plans locks in work that may be demolished, and retroactive approval is not a recognised control. It is tempting because the schedule is aggressive, but the pending sponsor does not remove the need to obtain client sign-off first.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every PK0-005 question from scratch — 954 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 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.