Project+ (PK0-005) Cheatsheet — Lifecycle, Documents, Risk, Change & Scheduling Basics

High-yield CompTIA Project+ (PK0-005) review: project lifecycle, key documents/artifacts, risk and change control patterns, stakeholder communications, and scheduling pickers.

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Use this for last‑mile review. Pair it with the Syllabus for coverage and Practice to validate decision speed.

Project+ in one page: the recurring pattern

Most questions reduce to: What phase are we in? What’s the constraint? What control/document is missing?

Lifecycle (high-yield)

Phase	What “good” looks like	Typical outputs
Initiation	clear purpose + authority	charter, stakeholders identified
Planning	plan is realistic and baselined	WBS, schedule, budget, risk plan
Execution	deliver work + manage team	status reports, deliverables
Monitor/Control	detect variance + control change	risk/issues/change logs updated
Close	acceptance + lessons + handoff	sign-off, closure report, lessons learned

Delivery approach picker (predictive vs agile vs hybrid)

Situation	Better fit	Why
stable scope + heavy governance	Predictive	baselines + formal control
high uncertainty + fast feedback	Agile	iterate and learn quickly
mixed stability	Hybrid	govern stable parts, iterate where needed

Key documents (what to pick in scenario questions)

If the stem is asking…	Look for…
“Who authorized this project / who has authority?”	Project charter
“What’s included/excluded?”	Scope statement / backlog boundaries
“How is work decomposed?”	WBS
“When will tasks happen?”	Schedule (Gantt / network)
“Who needs to know what?”	Communication plan
“What could go wrong?”	Risk register
“What’s wrong right now?”	Issue log
“What changed?”	Change request / change log
“Who does what?”	RACI

Change control (fast rules)

Capture the request (don’t do work “off the record”).
Assess impact on scope, schedule, cost, risk, and quality.
Get the right approval (governance / sponsor / change authority).
Update baselines if approved, then communicate.

Risk (quick response strategies)

Strategy	When it fits
Avoid	change plan to remove risk
Mitigate	reduce likelihood/impact
Transfer	shift impact to third party (contracts/insurance)
Accept	monitor; use contingency if it occurs

Cue: if risk becomes real, it’s now an issue.

Scheduling essentials (exam-grade basics)

Concept	What it means
Critical path	longest path; determines project duration
Slack/float	allowable delay without affecting end date
Dependencies	finish-to-start is most common; others exist

If the schedule slips, look for answers that re-plan and re-sequence before “adding people” or “working overtime” by default.

Stakeholders + communication (fast model)

Identify stakeholders early; confirm expectations.
Use clear status cadence (what changed, what’s next, what’s at risk).
Escalate using agreed paths; avoid surprises.

Ready to drill? Open Project+ practice → or jump into the app: /app/pmp-exam-prep/#/topic-selection/comptia-projectplus .

Syllabus

Practice