PK0-005 Project Management Concepts Practice Question
Which of the following is an example of gold plating?
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
✓
A developer adds a feature not in the requirements because it would be 'nice to have'
Gold plating is when the project team adds extra features beyond what was required, which can introduce risk and scope creep.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
A developer adds a feature not in the requirements because it would be 'nice to have'
Why this is correct
Gold plating is delivering extra functionality beyond documented requirements. The developer adds a 'nice to have' feature absent from the requirements baseline, expanding scope without authorisation, which risks unplanned effort, testing burden and schedule slippage.
- ✗
A stakeholder requests an additional feature and the PM rejects it
Why it's wrong here
Rejecting a stakeholder's extra feature is scope control, the opposite of gold plating, which is delivering unrequested extras. It tempts because rejecting additions sounds like good governance, yet the stem asks for the definition of adding work beyond requirements.
- ✗
The team removes a feature to meet the deadline
Why it's wrong here
Removing a feature reduces scope, whereas gold plating adds unrequested functionality beyond the agreed requirements. It is tempting because both deviate from the baseline plan, but this is scope reduction (or descoping), and would be gold plating only if unapproved extra work were added instead.
- ✗
A developer adds a user-requested feature that was approved through change control
Why it's wrong here
Adding a feature that passed change control is authorised scope, so it cannot be gold plating, which is unrequested work added without approval. It is tempting because extra functionality resembles scope creep, but it would qualify only if the developer added it without the change request.
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