Project+ (PK0-005) Syllabus — Learning Objectives by Domain

Blueprint-aligned Project+ (PK0-005) learning objectives organized by domain with quick links to targeted practice.

Use this syllabus as your checklist. Drill right after each domain section so you learn the decision patterns, not definitions.

What’s covered

Domain 1: Project Management Concepts (33%)

Project characteristics and methodologies

  • Distinguish a project from operations and identify key project characteristics (temporary effort, unique outcome).
  • Identify common project constraints (scope, schedule, cost, quality) and describe how tradeoffs affect outcomes.
  • Select an appropriate delivery approach (predictive, agile, hybrid) based on requirement stability and uncertainty.
  • Identify typical roles in a basic project governance structure (sponsor, project manager/coordinator, stakeholders) and their decision rights.
  • Recognize common project phases and the type of deliverables produced at each phase.
  • Define clear success criteria and measurable project objectives appropriate to the project context.
  • Determine when work should be treated as a separate project versus a task within ongoing operations.

Agile vs. waterfall

  • Differentiate predictive, agile, and hybrid delivery characteristics and select the best fit for a given project.
  • Identify when incremental delivery provides more value than a single end-date release.
  • Select planning artifacts appropriate to the approach (WBS and baselines vs backlog and iteration plans).
  • Calculate a simple iteration forecast using provided capacity/velocity and remaining work.
  • Explain how changes are handled differently in predictive versus agile/hybrid delivery (change control vs reprioritization).
  • Identify what a good backlog/requirements set looks like (clear prioritization, acceptance criteria, Definition of Done when applicable).
  • Recognize common anti-patterns when mixing methodologies and choose a corrective action that preserves delivery flow.

Change control

  • Identify when a formal change request is needed versus a clarification within approved scope.
  • Select the essential information to capture in a change request (reason, impact, affected deliverables, approvals).
  • Assess change impacts on scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risk and recommend a disposition (approve/reject/defer).
  • Apply baseline concepts (scope/schedule/cost baselines) to evaluate and control changes.
  • Follow the appropriate approval path for changes based on governance, risk, and environment (including IT change windows when relevant).
  • Differentiate scope creep from approved change and select an action to prevent uncontrolled expansion.

Risk management

  • Differentiate a risk from an issue and decide when to log each.
  • Identify common IT project risk categories (technical, schedule, vendor, security, compliance) and examples.
  • Apply qualitative risk analysis (probability/impact ranking) to prioritize risks given a project context.
  • Select an appropriate risk response type (avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept) that fits constraints.
  • Assign risk ownership and define escalation triggers for high-impact risks.
  • Monitor risks and update a risk register based on new information and changes.
  • Calculate a simple risk exposure/priority score using provided probability and impact values.

Issue management

  • Write a clear issue statement including impact, owner, and next action.
  • Select the most appropriate immediate action when an issue threatens schedule, quality, or stakeholder confidence.
  • Determine when to escalate an issue versus resolve it within the team and document the decision.
  • Track issue status through to resolution and verify closure against acceptance criteria.
  • Differentiate defect, issue, and change request and route each through the correct process.
  • Apply a simple root-cause technique (for example, 5 Whys) to prevent a recurring issue.

Schedule management

  • Decompose deliverables into activities and identify logical dependencies.
  • Identify the critical path and determine the impact of an activity delay using provided network information.
  • Interpret a milestone schedule and identify missing dependencies or unrealistic sequencing.
  • Estimate duration/effort using provided assumptions and compute a simple schedule forecast.
  • Select an appropriate schedule compression technique (fast-tracking or crashing) for the stated constraints.
  • Manage schedule changes by updating the plan and communicating impacts to stakeholders.
  • Calculate schedule variance or a simple schedule performance comparison using provided planned versus actual data.

Quality and performance management

  • Differentiate quality assurance (process-focused) from quality control (deliverable-focused) and select the right action.
  • Define acceptance criteria and ensure deliverables are validated against them.
  • Select appropriate performance metrics/KPIs to track progress and outcomes for an IT project.
  • Interpret a simple trend/control view of quality data and decide whether corrective action is warranted.
  • Calculate a basic variance or percentage complete from provided data and interpret what it means for the project.
  • Identify common causes of rework and select a prevention action that improves quality without expanding scope.
  • Confirm deliverable acceptance with stakeholders and document sign-off appropriately.

Communication management

  • Identify key stakeholders and tailor communications based on needs, influence, and preferred channels.
  • Select the most effective communication method based on urgency, complexity, and audience.
  • Create a concise status update that communicates progress, risks/issues, and next steps.
  • Manage expectations when communicating delays, scope changes, or bad news.
  • Establish escalation paths and a communication cadence that supports timely decisions.
  • Apply active listening and feedback loops to reduce misunderstandings and rework.

Meeting management

  • Create a meeting agenda with a clear purpose, expected outcomes, and timeboxes.
  • Select meeting attendees based on decision rights and required inputs.
  • Facilitate meetings to stay on track and resolve disagreements while preserving collaboration.
  • Document decisions and action items and ensure owners and due dates are captured.
  • Decide when to replace a meeting with an asynchronous update or artifact to reduce overhead.

Team and resource management

  • Define team roles/responsibilities and set expectations using a simple accountability model (for example, RACI).
  • Identify resource constraints and recommend adjustments (reprioritize, reassign, add help, or negotiate scope).
  • Resolve resource conflicts across projects using escalation paths and negotiation.
  • Onboard new team members efficiently and reduce ramp-up risk (access, context, documentation).
  • Manage distributed teams using collaboration practices that maintain alignment and transparency.
  • Recognize common team dysfunctions (unclear ownership, low accountability, conflict avoidance) and select a corrective action.
  • Calculate simple capacity allocation using provided availability to determine feasible work for a time period.

Procurement and vendor selection

  • Decide whether to buy versus build based on constraints, capabilities, and risk.
  • Identify key elements of a statement of work (SOW) or contract relevant to delivery (scope, milestones, acceptance).
  • Compute and compare weighted vendor scores using provided criteria and select the best-fit vendor.
  • Manage vendor deliverables and acceptance using clear criteria and documented approvals.
  • Identify procurement-related risks (lead times, lock-in, unclear scope) and select a mitigation approach.
  • Handle vendor change requests and disputes using the appropriate contractual and project change-control process.

Domain 2: Project Life Cycle Phases (30%)

Discovery phase artifacts

  • Formulate a clear problem statement and business need that the project must address.
  • Elicit high-level requirements and constraints from stakeholders and document assumptions.
  • Define preliminary scope boundaries (in-scope/out-of-scope) for discovery outputs.
  • Identify feasible solution options and compare them based on constraints and expected value.
  • Calculate a rough-order-of-magnitude (ROM) estimate using provided analogous data or simple ranges.
  • Identify early project dependencies and constraints that could affect feasibility.
  • Identify initial high-level risks and decide what additional information is needed to assess them.
  • Define success criteria and candidate KPIs that would demonstrate project outcomes.
  • Identify regulatory, compliance, and security considerations that must be addressed from the start.
  • Determine whether to proceed, pivot, or stop based on discovery findings and stakeholder alignment.
  • Prepare a concise project brief/proposal that summarizes need, options, and recommended path.
  • Document open questions, decisions needed, and next steps to move into initiation.

Project initiation

  • Draft or validate a project charter/project brief that defines goals, deliverables, and success criteria.
  • Identify the sponsor and establish decision-making authority and escalation paths.
  • Define an initial scope statement including key exclusions to prevent misunderstandings.
  • Establish an initial budget and clarify funding approval constraints.
  • Identify initial team roles and responsibilities and define how work will be coordinated.
  • Define high-level milestones and scheduling constraints (deadlines, blackout windows, dependencies).
  • Establish a communication plan and reporting cadence appropriate to stakeholder needs.
  • Set up a RAID log approach (risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies) and define ownership.
  • Define a change-control approach appropriate to the project’s governance and risk.
  • Identify procurement needs and vendor dependencies and plan early engagement where needed.
  • Confirm alignment with organizational strategy and expected benefits/value.
  • Identify operational constraints (support availability, maintenance windows) that affect delivery.
  • Obtain formal authorization to start and run an effective kickoff that aligns stakeholders.

Project planning

  • Decompose scope into an appropriately detailed WBS or backlog.
  • Define quality requirements and acceptance criteria for planned deliverables.
  • Sequence work and identify dependencies and handoffs between teams.
  • Estimate activity effort/duration using provided inputs and assumptions.
  • Build a baseline schedule and identify where buffer/contingency is needed.
  • Estimate costs from provided line items and produce a simple budget baseline.
  • Plan resource assignments and address capacity constraints through prioritization or staffing changes.
  • Plan stakeholder engagement and communications activities (who, what, when, how).
  • Plan risk management activities (identify, analyze, respond, monitor) and define update cadence.
  • Plan procurement and vendor deliverable management (milestones, acceptance, communication).
  • Plan change control and configuration/document management for project artifacts.
  • Plan security, privacy, and compliance activities as part of the work plan.
  • Define how progress will be measured and reported (metrics, dashboards, reporting frequency).
  • Create a test/validation and rollout plan that fits the system and stakeholder risk tolerance.
  • Plan transition to operations (training, support model, documentation, ownership).
  • Conduct planning reviews and obtain approvals to proceed into execution.

Project execution

  • Run a kickoff and align the team on objectives, roles, constraints, and working agreements.
  • Execute work according to plan and adapt delivery approach while maintaining stakeholder alignment.
  • Calculate and interpret basic schedule/cost performance using provided planned-versus-actual data.
  • Control scope by applying change-control practices and maintaining baseline integrity.
  • Manage quality during execution through reviews, testing, and acceptance checks.
  • Communicate status effectively (progress, risks/issues, decisions needed) and avoid misleading reporting.
  • Monitor and respond to risks and issues, keeping logs current and owners accountable.
  • Coordinate vendors and verify deliverables against milestones, SLAs, and acceptance criteria.
  • Manage dependencies and handoffs to prevent blocked work and rework.
  • Resolve resource conflicts and adjust plans to maintain delivery flow.
  • Facilitate timely decisions and remove blockers using escalation paths when needed.
  • Ensure compliance/security requirements are followed during implementation.
  • Keep documentation (requirements, designs, runbooks) synchronized with delivered changes.
  • Select and apply a corrective action when indicators show the project is trending off plan.
  • Prepare for deployment/release with readiness checks, training, and support coordination.

Project closing

  • Verify deliverables meet acceptance criteria and obtain formal customer/stakeholder sign-off.
  • Transition deliverables to operations/support and confirm long-term ownership.
  • Close procurement activities including contract closeout and final acceptance where applicable.
  • Archive project documentation and ensure artifacts are complete and accessible for audit.
  • Facilitate a lessons-learned session and document actionable improvements.
  • Release project resources and communicate closure to stakeholders.
  • Define how benefits will be tracked post-project and identify follow-up checkpoints.
  • Close out or document residual risks/issues and ensure proper handoff of ongoing items.
  • Produce a final project report that summarizes outcomes, performance, and key decisions.
  • Calculate or interpret final variance against baseline targets using provided closure data.

Domain 3: Project Tools and Documentation (19%)

Project tools

  • Select a project tool or feature set appropriate to project size, complexity, and governance needs.
  • Use work tracking (task lists/boards) to visualize status, blocked work, and ownership.
  • Maintain a risk/issue log so that monitoring, ownership, and escalation are supported.
  • Maintain a change log and decision log to support traceability and governance.
  • Track dependencies and handoffs and use the tool to reduce missed prerequisites.
  • Apply document control concepts (versioning, approvals, access) to project artifacts.
  • Select reporting/dashboard views appropriate to stakeholders (executive, team, sponsor).
  • Apply collaboration practices for distributed teams (shared docs, chat, whiteboards) without relying on tool trivia.
  • Configure notifications/reminders to reduce missed deadlines and unowned action items.
  • Maintain a project knowledge base/wiki and keep key artifacts current.
  • Interpret audit trails/activity history to identify gaps in updates or approvals.
  • Create simple templates/checklists to standardize recurring project tasks.
  • Use time/effort logging appropriately to support forecasting and accountability.
  • Identify tool-related risks (data loss, access issues, integrity) and select mitigations.

Productivity tools

  • Calculate a simple budget, forecast, or variance using spreadsheet data provided in the stem/exhibit.
  • Use calendars/scheduling tools to coordinate availability and time zones and reduce scheduling friction.
  • Create clear written status reports and executive summaries using document tools.
  • Use presentation tools to communicate scope, timeline, dependencies, and impacts effectively.
  • Use diagrams (flowcharts, network diagrams) to clarify process, roles, and dependencies.
  • Apply checklists/templates to reduce omissions and improve consistency.
  • Apply naming conventions and file organization so artifacts are retrievable and auditable.
  • Use commenting/review workflows to improve quality and ensure approvals are captured.
  • Capture meeting notes and action items in a form that supports follow-through.
  • Use forms/surveys to gather stakeholder inputs and validate requirements.
  • Use lightweight automation (reminders/workflows) to reduce manual overhead and missed follow-ups.
  • Ensure productivity tool usage complies with access controls and data classification requirements.

Quality and performance charts

  • Interpret a Gantt chart to identify dependencies and potential schedule risk.
  • Interpret a milestone chart to identify missing milestones or unrealistic dates.
  • Interpret a burndown/burnup chart and infer whether delivery is trending ahead or behind plan.
  • Calculate percent complete and compare to planned progress using provided data.
  • Interpret basic earned value-style data (PV, EV, AC) to identify variance.
  • Calculate a simple performance ratio or variance from provided values and interpret the result.
  • Interpret a cumulative flow diagram (CFD) to identify bottlenecks and WIP problems.
  • Interpret velocity/capacity data and forecast completion using provided numbers.
  • Interpret a control chart and distinguish common cause from special cause variation.
  • Interpret a Pareto chart and select the best focus area for improvement.
  • Interpret a histogram or trend line and decide whether performance is improving or degrading.
  • Use a KPI dashboard to differentiate leading versus lagging indicators for decision-making.
  • Select the most appropriate chart to communicate schedule performance versus quality performance.
  • Detect data quality issues in reports (stale data, inconsistent units, missing definitions) and choose a fix.
  • Compare actuals to explicit targets/thresholds given in the stem and identify the appropriate response.
  • Use a compact RAID/status summary to communicate health and priorities without hiding key risks.

Domain 4: Basics of IT and Governance (18%)

ESG factors

  • Identify common ESG considerations (sustainability, accessibility, ethics) that can affect technology project scope.
  • Recognize how sustainability requirements can influence design choices and vendor selection.
  • Evaluate tradeoffs between cost/schedule and ESG requirements when constraints and priorities are explicit.
  • Ensure stakeholder communication addresses ESG expectations and reporting needs.
  • Identify what evidence or metrics would demonstrate ESG-related outcomes when targets are provided.
  • Recognize ethical risks (for example, biased outcomes or lack of transparency) and select mitigation actions.
  • Document ESG-related requirements and incorporate them into acceptance criteria.

Information security

  • Apply least privilege and access control concepts to project artifacts and environments.
  • Identify security requirements early and track them through planning and delivery.
  • Recognize common security risks in IT projects (misconfiguration, credential exposure) and select mitigations.
  • Determine when to involve security teams for reviews, approvals, or threat modeling.
  • Respond appropriately when a vulnerability or security incident is discovered during project work.
  • Handle sensitive data safely in collaboration tools (sharing, storage, retention) according to classification.
  • Validate security controls using appropriate evidence (test results, approvals, monitoring signals).
  • Plan security considerations into deployment and transition (runbooks, access reviews, monitoring).

Compliance and privacy

  • Identify when compliance requirements apply (industry regulations, internal policies) and how they constrain delivery.
  • Recognize privacy concepts (PII, data minimization, consent) and incorporate them into requirements.
  • Determine what approvals and documentation are needed for compliance (risk assessment, privacy assessment) when applicable.
  • Ensure vendor contracts address compliance and privacy obligations (data handling, breach notification).
  • Plan for audit readiness by maintaining traceability, approvals, and appropriate logs.
  • Communicate compliance constraints clearly to the project team and stakeholders to prevent rework.
  • Handle data retention and disposal requirements at project close (archive vs delete) according to policy.
  • Recognize when cross-border data transfer restrictions matter and escalate for guidance.
  • Validate compliance using appropriate evidence (sign-offs, test reports, controls verification).

IT concepts

  • Differentiate common environments (dev/test/stage/prod) and explain their governance and access implications.
  • Identify typical IT dependencies (networking, identity, DNS, certificates) and how they affect schedule and risk.
  • Apply basic SDLC concepts to planning and ensure testing and release activities are scheduled appropriately.
  • Recognize the purpose of change windows and maintenance periods and plan deployments accordingly.
  • Select an appropriate deployment strategy (phased, pilot, canary, big bang) based on risk and constraints.
  • Determine when to involve operations/support to ensure readiness and an effective handover.
  • Identify the right information to gather for triage when a technical issue is reported during a project.
  • Recognize integration and data migration risks and select planning actions to reduce failure probability.
  • Calculate or compare simple availability/performance figures (for example, uptime percentage targets) when values are provided.

IT governance and change control

  • Identify governance structures (CAB/CCB) and determine when they apply to planned changes.
  • Follow a standard change-management workflow (request, assess, approve, implement, review) for IT changes.
  • Classify changes (standard/normal/emergency) when definitions are provided and choose the right handling path.
  • Ensure required documentation and approvals are complete before implementing a change.
  • Coordinate change implementation to minimize disruption (communications, scheduling, rollback readiness).
  • Validate post-change success criteria and capture evidence of completion and stability.
  • Update configuration documentation (CMDB/runbooks) to reflect implemented changes.
  • Calculate and interpret simple change success metrics (failure rate, backout rate) using provided data.