PK0-005 Project Management Concepts Practice Question
A project manager is using a predictive approach for a regulatory compliance project. Midway through execution, a newly published regulation invalidates a design assumption documented in the project management plan. The project manager wants to handle this in a way that preserves traceability and keeps the baseline accurate. What should the project manager do FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is treating an already-published regulation as a future risk, or updating baselines directly, instead of processing it as a change request.
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
✓
Submit a change request documenting the regulatory impact and route it through integrated change control for a decision.
When a realized event invalidates a documented assumption, the project manager must capture it as a change request with full impact analysis and route it through integrated change control. That process evaluates effects on scope, schedule, cost, quality, and compliance, obtains a documented decision, and only then updates baselines, which preserves traceability for regulatory evidence.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Submit a change request documenting the regulatory impact and route it through integrated change control for a decision.
Why this is correct
A published regulation that invalidates a design assumption creates a change that must be evaluated for scope, schedule, cost, and compliance impact. Raising a change request and routing it through integrated change control preserves traceability, produces a documented decision, and ensures baselines are only updated after approval. This satisfies the project manager's goal of accuracy plus auditability.
- ✗
Update the project management plan and baselines directly so the schedule reflects the new regulatory requirement.
Why it's wrong here
Editing baselines directly bypasses integrated change control and destroys the audit trail the project needs for regulatory evidence. It also hides the impact analysis that the sponsor and change control board require before funding or schedule shifts are approved. Making the update first would leave the team working against an unauthorized plan and could invalidate compliance documentation.
- ✗
Log the regulation as a risk in the risk register and continue execution under the current design assumption.
Why it's wrong here
The regulation is already published, so it is a realized constraint rather than an uncertain future event. Treating it as a risk and continuing under an invalidated assumption means the team keeps producing non-compliant work. Risk responses address probability and impact; once an event occurs it should be managed through issue and change processes instead.
- ✗
Escalate to the project sponsor and ask the sponsor to verbally authorize the design change so work can proceed immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Verbal authorization leaves no documented impact analysis or approval record, which is unacceptable in a regulatory project that depends on traceability. The sponsor may ultimately approve the change, but the decision should flow through integrated change control with a written request and recorded outcome. Skipping that process first would create a governance gap and an unauditable baseline revision.
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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
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