hardMultiple Choice
PK0-005 Practice Question: The project manager for a large construction…
You are the project manager for a large construction project to build a new office complex. The project is currently in the execution phase, but there have been significant delays due to inclement weather and material shortages. The sponsor has indicated that the completion date must not slip further. The project has a total budget of $10 million, and so far $6 million has been spent, with only 40% of the work completed. The project team is demoralized, and there is conflict between the on-site construction team and the procurement team regarding material orders. The senior manager has asked you to present a recovery plan at the next steering committee meeting. Given the situation, what should you do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is the urge to pick an immediate action (fast-track, add budget, replace supplier) because the sponsor demands no further slippage — but PMBOK-style exams reward 'analyze before acting' as the first step in any recovery scenario.
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
✓
Perform a detailed root cause analysis of the delays and conflicts, then revise the project management plan.
Before committing to any recovery action, the PM must understand why the delays and conflicts are occurring. A detailed root cause analysis surfaces the underlying drivers (weather impacts, supplier failures, procurement/construction misalignment) so the revised project management plan addresses causes rather than symptoms. This aligns with PMBOK best practice: analyze, then plan, then execute corrective action.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Reassign the procurement team and hire a new material supplier to accelerate delivery.
Why it's wrong here
Replacing suppliers addresses procurement symptoms without first quantifying schedule variance, cost performance, or root causes, so the recovery plan lacks an analytical basis. It is tempting because material shortages are a stated delay driver, and supplier substitution would be correct once analysis confirms procurement is the binding constraint on the critical path.
- ✗
Immediately fast-track remaining critical path activities to compress the schedule.
Why it's wrong here
Fast-tracking before identifying which activities lie on the critical path and their dependencies risks rework and further delay, and it ignores the cost and morale issues. It is tempting because schedule compression directly targets the deadline, and it would be correct once analysis confirms fast-trackable, non-sequential critical activities exist.
- ✗
Request additional budget from the sponsor to hire more workers and reduce the schedule.
Why it's wrong here
Requesting budget before analysing earned value and schedule variance commits spend without evidence it recovers the date, and added workers may not compress critical-path tasks. It is tempting because crashing needs funding, and this would be correct once analysis shows labour is the constraint and the sponsor approves the change.
- ✓
Perform a detailed root cause analysis of the delays and conflicts, then revise the project management plan.
Why this is correct
Before revising schedules or budgets, the underlying causes of weather delays, material shortages and team conflict must be established. Root cause analysis ensures the recovery plan addresses actual drivers rather than symptoms, satisfying the sponsor's fixed completion date.
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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 manager is leading a data center migration project for a financial services company. The project involves moving 50 servers from an on-premises facility to a co-location data center. The project has a strict deadline of December 31 due to lease expiration. The team has completed 60% of the work with 70% of the budget spent. The project manager notices that the co-location provider has been consistently late in provisioning network circuits, causing delays. Additionally, the team discovered that two servers have incompatible hardware with the new environment, requiring reconfiguration. The project sponsor is pressuring the team to finish on time. What should the project manager do FIRST?
hard- A.Escalate the provider's performance to senior management.
- B.Crash the schedule by adding weekend shifts.
- C.Request a schedule extension from the sponsor.
- ✓ D.Conduct a risk assessment to evaluate the impact of the delays and reconfiguration.
Why D: The project manager must first assess the impact of the co-location provider's consistent delays and the two servers' hardware incompatibility before deciding on corrective actions. A risk assessment evaluates the probability and impact of these issues on the critical path to the December 31 deadline, enabling data-driven decisions rather than reactive measures. This aligns with the PMBOK risk management process, where identifying and analyzing risks precedes response planning.
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.