PK0-005 Project Life Cycle Practice Question

During execution of a construction project, a subcontractor uncovers an unrecorded underground utility line, forcing a redesign of a foundation section. The project manager records this in the issue log and submits a change request. Which characteristic of this event determines how it should be classified and handled through the change control process?

⚠ Common exam trap

The trap here is classifying any unplanned event as a risk, when an event that has already occurred and is impacting the project is an issue.

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

✓

It is an issue, because the event has already occurred and is affecting the project now.

The distinguishing characteristic is timing and realization. A risk is a possible future event with probability and impact; an issue is an event that has already occurred and is affecting the project. Because this condition has materialized and requires a baseline change, it is logged as an issue and processed through integrated change control for impact analysis and approval.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
It is a risk response, because underground utilities were listed in the risk register.
Why it's wrong here
A risk response is a planned action executed against a previously identified risk that has occurred or is being mitigated. Here the utility line was unrecorded, meaning it was not anticipated in the risk register, so no planned response exists. Treating it as a risk response would misroute the change request and skip the impact analysis and approval steps that an unplanned event requires.
✗
It is a defect, because the original design failed to account for existing site conditions.
Why it's wrong here
A defect is a deliverable component that fails to meet requirements or specifications. The original design may have been compliant based on available survey information, and the utility was not recorded. Framing this as a defect shifts accountability incorrectly and bypasses the issue-to-change-request path that governs how discovered conditions modify approved baselines.
✓
It is an issue, because the event has already occurred and is affecting the project now.
Why this is correct
An issue is a current condition or event with a realized impact, whereas a risk is a potential future event. The utility strike has already happened, is affecting scope and schedule immediately, and therefore belongs in the issue log. The resulting change request must then go through integrated change control for impact analysis and disposition, because it alters the approved baselines.
✗
It is a scope creep item, because the foundation redesign was never in the original scope.
Why it's wrong here
Scope creep is uncontrolled expansion of scope without approval or benefit. This redesign is not unauthorized expansion; it is a necessary corrective change driven by a discovered physical condition. Routing it as scope creep would imply the work lacks justification, when in fact it requires a formal change request, impact analysis, and approval before baseline updates occur.

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PK0-005 Project Life Cycle Practice Question

Why each option matters

Option-by-option breakdown

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