When a risk trigger is detected, the risk hasn’t yet turned into an issue, but the conditions indicate it may happen. At this stage, the project team should execute the contingency plan that was pre-developed during risk planning. Assigning a risk owner happens earlier in the planning stage, and work-arounds are used only for unplanned risks. Escalation is only needed if the contingency cannot address the risk.

A business case documents the rationale and expected benefits of a project. This document is essential for project approval and aligns with CompTIA Project+ guidance on project initiation and planning.

The project manager should have considered environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors during initial planning to prevent the situation of receiving a penalty for disposing of some computers improperly. ESG factors are criteria that measure the sustainability and ethical impact of an organization’s activities. They include aspects such as environmental protection, social responsibility, human rights, diversity, and corporate governance. Considering ESG factors can help to reduce risks, improve reputation, and enhance performance of an organization12

A defect log specifically tracks bugs, errors, or defects discovered in the product. It includes descriptions, severity, and resolution. Issue logs capture broader non-technical challenges, while change logs and risk registers serve different purposes.

Closing contracts involves finalizing any remaining contractual obligations and formally closing out the relationship with the vendor. CompTIA Project+ emphasizes this as part of the project closure phase to ensure all legal and financial aspects are complete.

An intellectual property (IP) breach occurs when proprietary information, such as software, designs, or trade secrets, is used without authorization. In this scenario, a service provider reusing developed software for another customer constitutes an IP breach, as the software is typically owned by the company that commissioned its development.

The CompTIA Project+ PK0-005 exam objectives, under Domain 3.4: Explain the importance of project compliance, emphasize the significance of protecting intellectual property and ensuring that all project outputs are used in accordance with contractual agreements and legal standards.

Assess the impact of the request and create a change request. The project manager should assess the impact of the request and create a change request in response to the stakeholder asking to add mobile device functionality to a project that is on track to be completed under budget and ahead of schedule. A change request is a document that formally proposes and records a modification or addition to some aspect of a project, such as scope, schedule, cost, quality, or resources. A change request can help to communicate and justify the need and rationale for the change and its implications on the project objectives and deliverables. A change request also helps to initiate the change control process, which involves reviewing, approving, implementing, and monitoring the change12

A PERT chart (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) is the best tool here because it supports planning work by modeling task durations and dependencies and is commonly used to analyze uncertain activity durations. In CompTIA Project+ objectives, schedule development includes identifying dependencies and estimating durations; PERT is a classic planning technique used to represent activities, relationships, and time estimates to build a logical schedule network.

A Gantt chart is excellent for visualizing the schedule on a calendar timeline once activities and dependencies are defined, but the question emphasizes planning activities: mapping scope into tasks, calculating durations, and identifying dependency logic—work that PERT/network analysis directly supports. A milestone chart is higher-level and won’t show detailed dependencies or duration calculations. A velocity chart is an Agile metric for throughput across iterations; it does not map full scope with dependency logic for a predictive schedule plan.

Therefore, for planning that combines scope decomposition, duration estimation, and dependency identification—especially where time estimates may be refined—the best choice is the PERT chart, which helps the PM understand sequencing, critical paths, and schedule risk before presenting the final schedule view.

If the current team lacks the necessary skills for quality assurance, the project manager should reassess the resource pool to identify whether existing team members can be trained or if additional resources with the required expertise are needed. This assessment helps in making informed decisions about resource allocation, training needs, or recruitment, ensuring that the project maintains its quality standards.

Per the CompTIA Project+ PK0-005 exam objectives, under Domain 2.3: Given a scenario, perform resource management activities, evaluating and managing resources is crucial for addressing skill gaps and maintaining project quality.