PK0-005 Tools and Documentation Practice Question
During a quality audit, the team identifies that defects are concentrated in a few areas. The project manager decides to use a Pareto chart. Which TWO statements are true about Pareto charts?
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
✓
They are based on the 80/20 rule.
Option A is correct because a Pareto chart is built on the 80/20 rule (the Pareto principle), which holds that roughly 80% of problems stem from about 20% of causes, making it ideal for spotting where defects concentrate. Option C is correct because the chart's primary purpose is to rank defect categories by frequency so the team can prioritize the most impactful problem causes for corrective action. Option B is incorrect because Pareto bars are arranged in descending, not ascending, order of frequency, with the cumulative percentage line rising left to right. Option D is incorrect because cause-and-effect relationships are shown by a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram, not a Pareto chart. Option E is incorrect because control limits and variation over time are displayed on a control chart, not a Pareto chart.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
They are based on the 80/20 rule.
Why this is correct
Pareto charts derive from the Pareto principle, commonly called the 80/20 rule, which holds that roughly 80% of effects stem from 20% of causes. This underpins why the tool highlights the vital few contributors rather than treating all causes equally.
- ✗
The bars are arranged in ascending order of frequency.
Why it's wrong here
Pareto bars are ordered descending, largest frequency first, so the vital few contributors appear at the left. Ascending order would obscure that prioritisation. Descending arrangement is the defining characteristic that directs improvement effort at the highest-impact defect categories.
- ✓
They are used to prioritize problem causes.
Why this is correct
Pareto charts rank causes by frequency in descending order, so teams can direct corrective effort at the few causes producing most defects. This prioritisation of problem causes is the tool's core purpose during quality improvement.
- ✗
They show cause-and-effect relationships.
Why it's wrong here
Cause-and-effect relationships are mapped by fishbone (Ishikawa) diagrams, which branch potential causes under categories such as people, method and machine. Pareto charts quantify and rank existing defect frequencies. A fishbone diagram is the right choice when the team must brainstorm and structure root causes rather than prioritise them.
- ✗
They display control limits to identify variations.
Why it's wrong here
Control limits belong to control charts, which plot process variation over time to distinguish common from special causes. Pareto charts rank defect categories by frequency and cumulative percentage. A control chart is the correct tool when the goal is monitoring process stability rather than prioritising defect sources.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every PK0-005 question from scratch — 954 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.