PK0-005 Project Management Concepts Practice Question
During a project, the team adds extra features to a deliverable because they believe it will increase customer satisfaction, even though the features were not specified in the requirements. This is an example of:
⚠ Common exam trap
PK0-005 often tests the confusion between gold plating (team-initiated extra features) and scope creep (stakeholder-driven uncontrolled scope growth) — candidates frequently swap the two.
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
✓
Gold plating
Gold plating is the deliberate addition of features or functionality that were not requested in the requirements, typically done by the team believing it adds value. Because the team voluntarily added unrequested features to increase customer satisfaction, this matches the definition of gold plating exactly. It differs from scope creep, which is uncontrolled expansion of scope usually driven by stakeholders or changing requirements rather than the team's own initiative.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Gold plating
Why this is correct
Gold plating occurs when the team adds functionality beyond the agreed requirements, exactly as described. It satisfies the scenario's constraint of unsanctioned scope addition, consuming budget and time without customer approval. Unlike scope creep, which is stakeholder-driven, gold plating is initiated internally by the project team itself.
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Scope creep
Why it's wrong here
Adding unrequested features is gold plating, not scope creep; scope creep is uncontrolled growth in requirements, whereas here the team deliberately exceeds the agreed baseline. It is tempting because both expand work beyond the specification, but the distinguishing mechanism is unauthorised requirement change versus voluntary over-delivery.
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Risk response
Why it's wrong here
Risk response addresses identified threats through avoidance, transfer, mitigation or acceptance; adding unrequested features is not a response to any logged risk. It is tempting because both involve deliberate action, but risk response requires a prior risk register entry, which this scenario lacks.
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Value engineering
Why it's wrong here
Value engineering deliberately reduces cost while preserving required function, so it removes scope rather than adding it. It is tempting because both concern deliverable content, but value engineering is initiated to cut expense against defined requirements, whereas this team added unapproved features.
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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
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.