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PK0-005 Practice Question: A project manager is reviewing the issue log and…
A project manager is reviewing the issue log and notices an issue with high priority that has not been resolved. The project manager has tried to resolve it but cannot. What should the project manager do next?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is choosing 'reassign' or 'update the risk register' as a feel-good action — candidates avoid escalation because it seems like admitting failure, but the exam expects escalation when the PM's authority is exhausted.
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.
When a project manager has exhausted their own authority and resources and an issue remains unresolved, the correct escalation path is to raise it to the project sponsor, who has the organizational authority and budget to remove blockers beyond the PM's control. Escalation is a standard PMBOK-aligned action for high-priority issues that the PM cannot resolve.
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.
Why this is correct
When the project manager lacks the authority or resources to resolve a high-priority issue, escalation to the project sponsor is the correct path, since the sponsor can commit organisational authority, budget or executive intervention. Continuing to retry alone delays resolution and leaves the issue open.
- ✗
Update the risk register to reflect the issue.
Why it's wrong here
The risk register tracks potential future risks, not active issues already occurring; converting an unresolved issue into a risk entry loses the issue's ownership and escalation path. Risk registers are correct for identified threats before they materialise, whereas an existing high-priority issue needs escalation through the issue log.
- ✗
Reassign the issue to a different team member.
Why it's wrong here
Reassigning to another team member simply repeats the resolution attempt without new authority or resources, and the project manager has already failed to resolve it. Reassignment suits issues blocked by a specific individual's workload or skills; escalation to the sponsor or steering committee is required when the project manager lacks the authority to resolve.
- ✗
Close the issue as unresolved.
Why it's wrong here
Closing the issue as unresolved discards the record without escalation, leaving the high-priority problem unaddressed and untracked. Issue logs exist to track problems to closure; when a project manager cannot resolve one, it should be escalated to the sponsor or steering committee, not administratively closed.
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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.