hardMultiple Choice
Change Control Process During Execution
A company is implementing a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. The project is in the execution phase. The project manager receives a report that during user acceptance testing (UAT), 15 critical defects were found. The defects are related to incorrect calculation logic in the financial module. The testing team estimates that fixing these defects will require two additional weeks of work by the development team. The project sponsor is concerned about the schedule delay and asks the project manager to proceed with the go-live as planned and fix the defects after go-live. The project manager must decide the best course of action. What should the project manager do?
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to initiate a change request to formally document the defects, assess the impact on schedule, and seek approval from the change control board. This is because the change control process during execution requires that any deviation from the baseline—such as fixing critical defects that delay go-live—must be formally evaluated and approved, not decided unilaterally by the sponsor. On the CompTIA Project+ PK0-005 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that the project manager’s role is to follow the established change management framework, even when pressured by stakeholders, and that bypassing the change control board introduces unacceptable risk. A common trap is assuming the sponsor’s authority overrides the process, but the correct path is always to document, assess, and seek formal approval. Remember the memory tip: “Document, Assess, Approve”—never skip the board when scope, schedule, or quality is affected.
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is yielding to the sponsor's pressure and proceeding with go-live without following change control. Candidates must remember that even sponsors must go through the change control process, and the project manager's responsibility is to facilitate that process, not to bypass it.
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
✓
Initiate a change request to formally document the defects, assess the impact on schedule, and seek approval from the change control board.
The project manager should initiate a change request to formally document the defects, assess the impact on schedule, and seek approval from the change control board. This follows proper change management processes, ensuring that the sponsor's request is evaluated against project constraints and that any schedule change is approved through governance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Delay the go-live without formal approval and instruct the team to fix the defects immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Unilaterally delaying go-live overrides the sponsor's authority and bypasses the change control board that must approve any baseline schedule change. It tempts because halting a release to fix critical defects is often the right instinct, and would be correct once the sponsor and change board formally approve the revised date.
- ✓
Initiate a change request to formally document the defects, assess the impact on schedule, and seek approval from the change control board.
Why this is correct
Raising a change request documents the defects, captures the two-week schedule impact and routes the sponsor's go-live proposal through the change control board. This satisfies the stem's constraint that the project manager must not unilaterally accept schedule or quality risk.
- ✗
Direct the development team to implement a temporary workaround to allow go-live on time.
Why it's wrong here
A workaround masks the faulty calculation logic rather than correcting it, so financial figures remain wrong while appearing to pass. It tempts because temporary fixes legitimately bridge non-critical issues, and would be correct for a cosmetic defect with a scheduled permanent fix.
- ✗
Proceed with go-live as scheduled and address defects post-implementation, as requested by the sponsor.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect calculation logic in the financial module corrupts ledger figures, so releasing it breaches the UAT exit criteria and risks statutory reporting errors. It tempts because sponsors legitimately trade scope against schedule, and deferring low-severity cosmetic defects to a later release is a valid, documented approach.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on PK0-005
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A project is in execution when a critical vendor fails to deliver a key component. The project manager determines this will push the project past the deadline. After submitting a change request, what should the project manager do next?
hard- A.Fast track the remaining tasks
- ✓ B.Communicate the impact to stakeholders
- C.Request additional resources
- D.Update the risk register
Why B: After submitting a change request, the project manager should communicate the potential impact to stakeholders to manage expectations. Updating the risk register is important but not the immediate next step; fast tracking and requesting resources may be considered after approval.
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.