CompTIA Updated PK0-005 Exam Questions and Answers by saul

A backlog is commonly used in agile project management to list deliverables and tasks that have not yet been completed. It allows the project manager to prioritize and organize the workload, especially for complex projects. This aligns with agile principles as outlined in CompTIA Project+.

This answer is based on the best practice of issue management in project management, which is to identify, analyze, prioritize, and resolve issues that affect the project performance, scope, schedule, quality, or budget12. The first step in this process is to rate the severity of the impact the issue has on the project, which involves assessing the likelihood and consequences of the issue, and assigning a rating or score to the issue based on a predefined scale or criteria34. By rating the severity of the impact, the project manager can determine the urgency and importance of the issue, and decide the appropriate course of action to address the issue56. Rating the severity of the impact is better than the other options because:

Buying a replacement for the faulty equipment may not be feasible, cost-effective, or timely, depending on the availability, price, and delivery time of the equipment. It may also require approval from the project sponsor or other stakeholders, and may affect the project budget or scope7.

Getting the maintenance team to resolve the issue may not be possible, depending on the nature and extent of the malfunction, the skills and availability of the maintenance team, and the warranty or service contract of the equipment. It may also take time and resources to diagnose and fix the problem, and may cause further delays or disruptions to the project8.

Escalating the issue to the project sponsor may not be necessary, depending on the severity and complexity of the issue, and the authority and responsibility of the project manager. It may also create unnecessary alarm or confusion among the project stakeholders, and may undermine the project manager’s credibility or autonomy9.

References = CompTIA Project+ Certification Study Guide, CompTIA Project+ Certification Exam Objectives, What is Issue Management?1, Issue Management Process2, How to Assess the Severity of Project Issues3, How to Prioritize Project Issues4, How to Replace Faulty Equipment in Project Management5, How to Manage Equipment Maintenance in Project Management6, How to Escalate Issues in Project Management7

The project scope is the document that defines and describes the project objectives, deliverables, requirements, boundaries, assumptions, and constraints. It also includes the success criteria that should be fulfilled by the product or service to meet the stakeholder expectations and the business case. The success criteria are the measurable standards that indicate whether the project has achieved its intended results. The other options are not correct because:

A quality plan is the document that defines and describes the quality standards, policies, procedures, tools, and techniques that will be applied to the project to ensure that the deliverables meet the requirements and the success criteria.

Contract obligations are the terms and conditions that bind the parties involved in a contractual agreement, such as the project manager, the customer, the sponsor, and the vendor. Contract obligations specify the roles, responsibilities, deliverables, payments, and penalties of each party.

A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a graphical representation of the project scope that breaks down the deliverables into smaller and manageable components. A WBS shows the hierarchy and relationship of the project elements, but does not include the success criteria. References = CompTIA Project+ Study Guide: Exam PK0-005, 3rd Edition, Chapter 6: Planning Projects, Part 2 (Scope, Quality, and Risk), pages 175-179; CompTIA Project+ Certification Exam Objectives, Domain 2: Project Planning, Objective 2.1: Given a scenario, create a project charter and project management plan.

The project manager should use a Pareto chart to prioritize which defects to address for the product. A Pareto chart is a type of bar chart that shows the frequency or impact of different causes of problems or defects. It also shows a cumulative line that represents the percentage of the total frequency or impact. A Pareto chart can help to prioritize the causes that have the most significant effect on the quality of the product and apply the 80/20 rule, which states that 80% of the problems are caused by 20% of the causes.