CompTIA PK0-005 - CompTIA Project+ Certification (2025)

In order to find the client billing rate for a particular engineer, the project manager would need to refer to the SOW (Statement of Work). The SOW is a document that outlines the work to be performed, the timeframe for completion, and the cost of the project. It also includes information about the resources involved in the project and their billing rates. References: CompTIA Project+ Study Guide Section 2.2.

The project manager would need a statement of work (SOW) to find information about the client billing rate for a particular engineer. A SOW is a document that defines the scope of work for a project or contract. It usually includes information such as deliverables, milestones, timeline, costs, payment terms, quality standards, and acceptance criteria. A SOW can help to specify what services or products will be provided by whom, when, where, how, and for how much.

The Project Gantt chart is a scheduling tool used to track task progress and timelines. When tasks are completed ahead of schedule, updating the Gantt chart ensures accurate tracking. This aligns with CompTIA Project+ recommendations on project scheduling and monitoring.

This answer is based on the best practice of stakeholder management, which is to identify and document the communication preferences of each stakeholder or stakeholder group12. The project manager should update the stakeholder register with the information gathered from the stakeholder analysis, which includes the preferred communication channel for each stakeholder3. The preferred reported communication channel reflects the majority preference of the stakeholders, as well as the minority preference of the face-to-face communicators. The project manager should use this information to plan and execute effective communication throughout the project life cycle4. References = CompTIA Project+ Certification Study Guide5, CompTIA Project+ Certification Exam Objectives6, Stakeholder Register in Project Management1, What is a Stakeholder Register?2, How to Develop a Stakeholder Register3

The next step in the process after defining tasks, durations, resources, and costs is to seek baseline approval. A baseline is an approved version of a project plan that serves as a reference point for measuring progress and performance throughout the project lifecycle. A baseline typically includes scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risk parameters. Seeking baseline approval involves presenting the project plan to key stakeholders and obtaining their formal agreement on the project objectives and deliverables. Baseline approval can help to establish clear expectations, avoid scope creep, and facilitate change control during project execution.

The NEXT step after defining tasks, durations, resources, and costs during the planning phase is to seek baseline approval. Baseline approval involves finalizing the project plan and gaining approval from stakeholders, establishing the plan as the baseline for the project's performance. References: CompTIA Project+ Study Guide Section 3.4.1

During the closing phase, a project manager should conduct lessons learned sessions, release resources, and remove access. These actions align with CompTIA Project+ standards for project closure, focusing on finalizing project deliverables, releasing resources, and documenting insights.

The project manager and team should review assumptions and constraints for input to the risk register during the planning phase of a project. Assumptions are statements that are considered to be true for the purpose of planning, but may or may not be valid in reality. Constraints are factors that limit the project scope, time, cost, quality, or resources. Both assumptions and constraints can introduce risks to the project, which are uncertain events or conditions that can have a positive or negative impact on the project objectives. The risk register is a document that records the identified risks, their causes, impacts, probabilities, responses, owners, and status. Reviewing assumptions and constraints can help the project manager and team identify, analyze, prioritize, and plan for the potential risks that may affect the project12.

The other options are not the correct activities that the team should do during the planning phase of a project. Identifying and assessing stakeholders (option A) is an activity that is done during the initiating phase of a project, not the planning phase. Stakeholders are individuals or groups that have an interest or influence in the project, and their identification and assessment is important to define the project scope, objectives, and success criteria, and to establish a communication plan12. Holding daily status meetings (option B) is an activity that is done during the executing and monitoring and controlling phases of a project, not the planning phase. Daily status meetings are short and frequent meetings where the project team members report on their progress, issues, and plans for the next day. Daily status meetings can help the project manager track the project performance, resolve problems, and communicate updates12. Removing access and planning the project sign-off (option C) is an activity that is done during the closing phase of a project, not the planning phase. Removing access is a security measure to ensure that the project resources do not have access to the project systems, data, or assets after the project is completed. Planning the project sign-off is a process to obtain the formal acceptance and approval of the project deliverables from the stakeholders and customers12.

Identifying the root cause analysis. Identifying the root cause analysis is a quality assurance tool that can help to find and eliminate the underlying causes of quality problems or defects. Root cause analysis is a systematic process of asking why a problem occurred and tracing it back to its source. Root cause analysis can help to prevent recurrence of the same or similar problems, improve quality performance, and reduce costs and risks12

The project manager should use synchronous communication methods if they prefer to have immediate contact with team members. Synchronous communication is a type of communication that occurs in real time and allows for faster response times and more interactive discussions. Examples of synchronous communication methods include phone calls, video conferences, instant messaging, and face-to-face meetings. Synchronous communication can help to build rapport, clarify doubts, and resolve issues quickly among team members.

Synchronous communication should be used when the project manager prefers to have immediate contact with team members. Synchronous communication allows for real-time interaction and feedback, enabling faster response times and more interactive discussions. References: CompTIA Project+ Study Guide Section 3.1.3

The project manager should consult a Gantt chart after the sponsor states that the project is taking too long to complete. A Gantt chart is a graphical tool that shows the schedule of a project, including the start and end dates, durations, dependencies, milestones, and progress of each task or activity. A Gantt chart can help to monitor and control the project timeline and identify any delays, variances, or issues that may affect the project completion.

Assigning a scribe allows the project manager to focus on hosting and facilitating the meeting effectively without being distracted by note-taking. This approach is consistent with best practices in meeting management and aligns with CompTIA Project+ guidelines, which emphasize the importance of efficient meeting roles and responsibilities.