CAPM Predictive Plan-Based Methodologies Practice Question
Which THREE of the following are components of the project management plan?
⚠ Common exam trap
CAPM often tests the distinction between project management plan components and project documents, causing candidates to mistakenly include outputs like the risk register or quality metrics as part of the plan.
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
✓
Schedule baseline
The project management plan is the master document that integrates all subsidiary plans and baselines, and the three baselines it formally contains are the scope baseline (E), schedule baseline (A), and cost baseline (D) — these together form the performance measurement baseline used for earned value analysis. The scope baseline (E) is the approved version of the scope statement, WBS, and WBS dictionary; the schedule baseline (A) is the approved version of the schedule model; and the cost baseline (D) is the approved time-phased budget against which project performance is measured. By contrast, quality metrics (B) are a project document produced by Plan Quality Management, and the risk register (C) is also a project document created during Plan Risk Management — both are inputs/outputs tracked alongside, but not components of, the project management plan itself.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Schedule baseline
Why this is correct
The schedule baseline is an approved, time-phased version of the schedule, forming part of the project management plan's subsidiary plans and baselines. It satisfies the stem's requirement by being an output of schedule development that is formally incorporated into the plan, alongside scope, cost and performance measurement baselines.
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Quality metrics
Why it's wrong here
Quality metrics are an output of Plan Quality Management and belong to the project documents, not the project management plan. They are tempting because the quality management plan defines how quality is measured, so metrics appear integral, yet they are recorded separately from the plan's baselines and subsidiary plans.
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Risk register
Why it's wrong here
The risk register is an output of the Identify Risks process and a project document, not part of the project management plan itself. It is tempting because the plan's risk management subsidiary plan governs how risks are identified and logged, so the register feels adjacent, but it sits alongside the plan rather than inside it.
- ✓
Cost baseline
Why this is correct
The cost baseline forms part of the project management plan as the time-phased budget against which project cost performance is measured. It sits within the plan's subsidiary components, alongside scope, schedule and performance measurement baselines, satisfying the stem's requirement for a genuine plan component rather than a separate project document.
- ✓
Scope baseline
Why this is correct
The scope baseline is a component of the project management plan, comprising the project scope statement, work breakdown structure, and WBS dictionary. It satisfies the stem's requirement by being one of the three subsidiary baselines formally integrated into the plan, alongside the schedule and cost baselines.
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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 PMI exam blueprint
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