This PK0-005 practice question tests your understanding of tools and documentation. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A project manager is using a Kanban board to visualize workflow. Which metric should the team track to measure process efficiency?
Lead time
Why wrong: Lead time includes outside delays and does not solely measure efficiency.
Throughput
Why wrong: Throughput measures output but not process efficiency.
Velocity
Why wrong: Velocity is a Scrum metric for completed story points per iteration.
Cycle time
Cycle time directly reflects the efficiency of the workflow.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Cycle time
Cycle time measures the time it takes to complete a single work item once it enters the active workflow, directly reflecting process efficiency on a Kanban board. Unlike lead time, which includes waiting time before work starts, cycle time focuses on the actual processing duration, making it the key metric for identifying bottlenecks and improving flow.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Lead time
Why it's wrong here
Lead time includes outside delays and does not solely measure efficiency.
Throughput
Why it's wrong here
Throughput measures output but not process efficiency.
Velocity
Why it's wrong here
Velocity is a Scrum metric for completed story points per iteration.
Cycle time
Why this is correct
Cycle time directly reflects the efficiency of the workflow.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
CompTIA often tests the distinction between lead time and cycle time, trapping candidates who confuse total elapsed time (lead time) with active processing time (cycle time) in Kanban workflow efficiency questions.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Throughput measures output but not process efficiency.
Detailed technical explanation
Cycle time is calculated from the moment work starts on a Kanban card until it is moved to the 'Done' column, excluding any queue or buffer time. In Kanban, limiting work in progress (WIP) directly reduces cycle time by minimizing multitasking and context switching, which is formalized by Little's Law: Cycle Time = WIP / Throughput. A real-world scenario is a DevOps team using cycle time to optimize deployment frequency, where reducing cycle time from 2 days to 4 hours signals improved process efficiency without changing throughput.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the PK0-005 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Tools and Documentation — This question tests Tools and Documentation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Cycle time — Cycle time measures the time it takes to complete a single work item once it enters the active workflow, directly reflecting process efficiency on a Kanban board. Unlike lead time, which includes waiting time before work starts, cycle time focuses on the actual processing duration, making it the key metric for identifying bottlenecks and improving flow.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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