Free Project+ Cheat Sheet 2026: Exam Quick Reference

Project Management Concepts

33%of exam

Methodologies and Frameworks Risk Management Schedule and Dependencies Procurement and Contracts Methodology Picker Agile vs Waterfall

Project Life Cycle Phases

30%of exam

Discovery Artifacts Initiation Activities Planning Artifacts Closing Phase Artifact Picker by Phase Charter vs Scope Statement

Tools and Documentation

19%of exam

Tracking Charts Logs and Registers Quality and Performance Charts Meeting Types and Roles Chart Picker Log Picker

Basics of IT and Governance

18%of exam

IT Basics Information Security Compliance and Privacy Operational Change Control ESG Factors Staging vs Production

Quick Facts

Exam code: PK0-005 (V5)
Items: Max 90 (older PDF: 95)
Time: 90 minutes
Pass: 710 of 900 scaled
Format: Multiple-choice plus performance-based
Experience: 6-12 months IT projects
Prerequisite: None required
Delivery: Pearson VUE, center or online
Languages: English, Japanese, Thai
Renewal: 3 years, 30 CEUs
Retake: 2nd anytime, 3rd after 14 days
Blueprint: Objectives version 6.0

Threat Responses

AMTA: Avoid, Mitigate, Transfer, Accept

Avoid removes causeMitigate lowers impactTransfer shifts costAccept holds reserve

Agile vs Waterfall

Agile

High tolerance for change
Iterative, incremental delivery
Frequent informal communication
Small dedicated cross-functional team

Waterfall

Requirements, budget, schedule fixed
Sequential phases with sign-offs
Formal documented communication
Larger, role-specialized team

Change tolerance picks the method

Methodology Picker

Requirements fixed, change intolerant→Waterfall(Regulated or contract-driven)
Requirements evolve every sprint→Scrum(Timeboxed iterations)
Steady request flow arrives→Kanban(WIP limits)
Many agile teams aligned→SAFe(Scaled delivery)
Engineering discipline is priority→Extreme programming(Pairing, test-first)
Formal stage-gate governance required→PRINCE2(Controlled environments)
Security must ride pipeline→DevSecOps(Shift left)

Project Basics

Project: Temporary, unique, defined finish
Program: Related projects, shared benefits
Portfolio: All projects, programs, operations
PMO: Sets project management standards
Sponsor: Funds and authorizes the project
Project manager: Plans, executes, controls delivery
Product owner: Owns and orders backlog
Scrum master: Removes blockers, protects process
Business analyst: Elicits and documents requirements
SME: Deep expertise on demand

Opportunity Responses

EESA: Exploit, Enhance, Share, Accept

Exploit makes certainEnhance raises oddsShare brings partnerAccept takes luck

Risk vs Issue

Risk

Might happen later
Lives in risk register
Has probability and impact
Answered by contingency plan

Issue

Already happening now
Lives in issue log
Has severity and urgency
Answered by resolution plan

A realized risk becomes an issue

Risk Response Picker

Remove the cause entirely→Avoid(Threat)
Reduce probability or impact→Mitigate(Threat)
Insure or subcontract exposure→Transfer(Threat)
Make the upside certain→Exploit(Opportunity)
Raise the upside odds→Enhance(Opportunity)
Partner to capture benefit→Share(Opportunity)
Log it, hold reserve→Accept(Either direction)
Risk already occurred→Contingency plan(Now an issue)

Methodologies and Frameworks

Waterfall: Sequential phases, fixed requirements
Scrum: Timeboxed sprints, three roles
Kanban: Continuous flow, WIP limits
SAFe: Scales agile across teams
Extreme programming: Engineering practices, pairing, testing
PRINCE2: Projects in controlled environments
DevOps: Development and operations combined
DevSecOps: Security built into pipeline
SDLC: Software development life cycle
Hybrid: Predictive plan, agile delivery

Five Conflict Modes

Smoothing, forcing, compromise, collaboration, avoiding

Collaboration is bestAvoiding resolves nothingForcing damages trust

Scope Creep vs Scope Change

Scope creep

No change request raised
Baselines silently go stale
Budget consumed without approval
Uncontrolled, must be stopped

Scope change

Change request documented first
Impact assessed, decision recorded
Baselines and plan updated
Controlled and communicated

Approval is the only difference

Procurement Document Picker

Exploring options, no specification→RFI(Market research)
Known item, need price→RFQ(Price only)
Fixed specification, competing bids→RFB(Lowest compliant bid)
Vendor should propose approach→RFP(Best value)

Change Control

Change request: Formal ask to alter scope
Change control log: Records every request and status
Preliminary review: Screens the request first
Impact assessment: Cost, schedule, scope, risk
CCB: Change control board decides
Validate change: Confirm implementation actually worked
Scope creep: Uncontrolled work, no approval
Product change: Alters the deliverable itself
Project change: Alters plan, schedule, budget

Team Stage Order

Forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning

Forming meetsStorming clashesNorming agreesPerforming deliversAdjourning releases

Revise Baseline vs Rebaseline

Revise baseline

Approved change adjusts baseline
Original plan stays usable
Normal change control output

Rebaseline

Old baseline no longer meaningful
Whole plan reset formally
Needs sponsor authorization

Rebaseline only when measurement breaks

Contract and Sourcing Picker

Scope clear, budget fixed→Fixed price(Seller holds risk)
Scope uncertain, work evolving→Cost plus(Buyer holds risk)
Effort unknown, staff needed→Time and material(Billed hourly)
Repeat measurable units delivered→Unit price(Rate per unit)
Long relationship, many orders→Master service agreement(Purchase orders underneath)
Short-term equipment need→Lease(No ownership)
Pay only for usage→Subscription(Operating expense)

Risk Management

Threat responses: Avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept
Opportunity responses: Exploit, enhance, share, accept
Qualitative analysis: Rank probability versus impact
Quantitative analysis: Simulation and numeric modelling
Contingency plan: Planned response, known risk
Workaround: Improvised response, unknown risk
Risk register: Risks, owners, responses, ratings
Detectability: How early risk surfaces
Interconnectivity: Risks that trigger others
Common triggers: Mergers, reorganizations, end-of-life

Fixed Price vs Cost Plus

Fixed price

Price locked at signature
Seller absorbs overruns
Needs a clear specification

Cost plus

Actual costs reimbursed
Buyer absorbs overruns
Suits uncertain or evolving scope

Certainty of scope moves risk

Issue Management

Issue: Problem happening right now
Issue log: Owner, severity, resolution, status
Severity: How damaging the issue is
Urgency: How soon action is needed
Escalation path: Who decides at each level
Root cause analysis: Finds why it happened
Outcome documentation: Records resolution for reuse

Program vs Portfolio

Program

Related projects, one benefit
Coordinated for shared outcome
Run by program manager

Portfolio

All projects and programs
Grouped for strategic investment
Projects need not relate

Program relates, portfolio only collects

Schedule and Dependencies

Finish-to-start: Predecessor ends, successor starts
Start-to-start: Both activities begin together
Finish-to-finish: Both activities end together
Start-to-finish: Successor ends after predecessor starts
Hard logic: Mandatory, physically required order
Soft logic: Discretionary, preferred order
External dependency: Outside the project team
Critical path: Longest path, zero float
Float: Delay allowed without slipping
PERT: Weighted three-point duration estimate
Crashing: Add resources, raise cost
Fast-tracking: Overlap activities, raise risk
Contingency reserve: Buffer for identified risks
Story points: Relative effort, not hours
Epic: Large story split later

Cost and Performance

PV: Planned value of scheduled work
EV: Earned value of completed work
AC: Actual cost already spent
Cost variance: EV minus AC
Schedule variance: EV minus PV
Negative variance: Over budget or behind
KPI: Measured indicator of progress
OKR: Objective plus measurable results
SLA: Agreed service level commitment

Quality Management

Unit testing: Single component in isolation
Smoke testing: Quick build sanity check
Regression testing: Old features still work
Stress testing: Behaviour beyond normal load
Performance testing: Speed under expected load
UAT: Business confirms it works
Verification: Built to the specification
Validation: Meets the real need
Audit or inspection: Independent conformance check
Warranty period: Post-implementation support window
Retrospective: Team improves its process
Sprint review: Demonstrate increment to stakeholders

Procurement and Contracts

RFI: Survey the market first
RFQ: Price a defined item
RFB: Bids against fixed specification
RFP: Proposals for a solution
Fixed price: Seller carries overrun risk
Cost plus: Buyer reimburses costs plus fee
Time and material: Rate plus expenses billed
Unit price: Set rate per unit
MSA: Master terms for future orders
SOW: Deliverables, standards, acceptance
TOR: Terms of reference scope
NDA: Confidentiality obligation on parties
Best value: Quality weighed against price
Build, buy, lease: Plus subscription pay-as-you-go

Team and Resources

Functional structure: Functional manager holds authority
Matrix structure: Authority shared with PM
Projectized structure: PM holds full authority
Tuckman stages: Forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning
Resource types: Human, physical, capital
Shared vs dedicated: Split time or full-time
Gap analysis: Current versus required state
Resource loading: Work assigned per person
Successor planning: Cover for key departures
Decommissioning: Retire hardware or software

Conflict and Communication

Smoothing: Play down the differences
Forcing: Impose one side's answer
Compromise: Both sides give something up
Collaboration: Solve until both sides win
Avoiding: Withdraw from the conflict
Synchronous: Same time: call, meeting
Asynchronous: Email, chat, recorded update
Formal communication: Reports, contracts, signed records
Channels formula: n(n-1)/2 for n people
Communication plan: Who, what, when, how

Life Cycle Order

Discovery, initiation, planning, execution, closing

Discovery justifiesInitiation authorizesPlanning baselinesExecution deliversClosing archives

Charter vs Scope Statement

Project charter

Authorizes the project
Names the project manager
Holds preliminary scope only
Signed by the sponsor

Scope statement

Planning phase artifact
Lists deliverables and exclusions
Defines acceptance criteria
Feeds the work breakdown structure

Charter authorizes, scope statement defines

Artifact Picker by Phase

Justify the investment→Business case(Discovery)
Authorize project, name PM→Project charter(Initiation)
Assign task ownership→RACI matrix(Initiation)
Define deliverables and exclusions→Detailed scope statement(Planning)
Break scope into packages→Work breakdown structure(Planning)
Plan go-live and handoff→Transition plan(Planning)
Record final performance→Closeout report(Closing)
Capture improvement ideas→Lessons learned(Closing)

Discovery Artifacts

Business case: Justifies investment before approval
ROI analysis: Return compared with cost
Current vs future state: Gap the project closes
CapEx: Up-front asset purchase, depreciated
OpEx: Recurring running cost
Preexisting contract: Client SOW or TOR
Prequalified vendor: Already approved supplier
Predetermined client: Customer fixed before start

RACI Roles

Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed

Exactly one accountableMany may be responsibleConsulted is two-wayInformed is one-way

WBS vs Product Backlog

Work breakdown structure

Decomposes total scope
Ends in work packages
Predictive planning artifact

Product backlog

Ordered list of features
Refined continuously
Agile planning artifact

Both define units of work

Initiation Activities

Project charter: Authorizes project, names PM
Project objectives: What success must deliver
Success criteria: How completion is judged
Preliminary scope statement: High-level scope inside charter
RAM or RACI: Assigns responsibility per task
Stakeholder assessment: Interest, influence, preferred channel
Accepted channels: Agreed communication routes
Records management plan: Naming, storage, retention, archiving
Access requirements: Who may read, edit
Project kickoff: Aligns team on goals

CapEx vs OpEx

CapEx

Up-front asset purchase
Depreciated over years
Servers, hardware, licences

OpEx

Recurring running cost
Expensed as incurred
Cloud subscriptions, support

Own it or rent it

Planning Artifacts

Detailed scope statement: Deliverables, exclusions, acceptance criteria
WBS: Scope split into work packages
Backlog: Ordered list of features
Baselines: Approved scope, schedule, cost
Milestones: Zero-duration schedule checkpoints
Project management plan: How the project runs
QA plan: How quality is assured
Communication plan: Cadence, audience, method, escalation
Transition or release plan: Go-live, training, operational handoff
Initial risk assessment: First pass at risks
MVP: Smallest usable delivered product
Budget considerations: Funding limits and reserves

Execution and Control

Organizational change management: Drives and reinforces adoption
Reinforce adoption: Keep training after go-live
Vendor rules of engagement: How suppliers must operate
Monitor vendor performance: Check against agreed terms
Team touch points: Regular check-in cadence
Risk reporting: Status of open risks
Ad hoc reporting: Unscheduled, on-request status
Phase gate review: Go, no-go, or conditional
Revise baseline: Approved change adjusts baseline
Rebaseline: Replace an unusable baseline

Closing Phase

Validate deliverables: Confirm acceptance criteria met
Project evaluation: Performance against the objectives
Close contracts: Settle vendor obligations formally
Remove access: Revoke systems and data
Release resources: Return people and assets
Budget reconciliation: Final cost against baseline
Archive documentation: Store records per plan
Closeout report: Formal record of performance
Lessons learned: Improvements for future projects
Project sign-off: Sponsor formally accepts result
Rewards and celebration: Recognize the team's contribution

Burndown vs Burnup

Burndown

Work remaining falls
Target is zero
Added scope hides the trend

Burnup

Work completed rises
Separate line shows scope
Scope growth stays visible

Use burnup when scope moves

Chart Picker

Show durations and dependencies→Gantt chart(Timeline bars)
Show checkpoints only→Milestone chart(Zero duration)
Find the critical path→Project network diagram(Dependency arrows)
Rank causes by frequency→Pareto chart(80/20 focus)
Find underlying root causes→Fishbone diagram(Cause categories)
Check process stability→Control chart(Upper, lower limits)
Track sprint work remaining→Burndown chart(Falls to zero)
Keep added scope visible→Burnup chart(Separate scope line)
Forecast team throughput→Velocity chart(Points per sprint)

Tracking Charts

Gantt chart: Activity bars across timeline
Milestone chart: Checkpoints only, no durations
Project network diagram: Dependency arrows, critical path
PERT chart: Adds weighted duration estimates
Budget burndown chart: Remaining funds over time
Project organizational chart: Reporting lines and roles

Log Picker

Might happen later→Risk register(Probability and impact)
Blocking the team now→Issue log(Owner and resolution)
Someone wants scope altered→Change log(Status of approval)
Build failed a test→Defect log(Product fault)
Prove a requirement shipped→Requirements traceability matrix(Requirement to test)

Logs and Registers

Risk register: Might happen, with responses
Risk report: Summarized risk exposure
Issue log: Already happened, with owners
Change log: Requests and approval status
Defect log: Product faults found testing
RTM: Requirements traced to tests
Project dashboard: Live status at glance
Project status report: Periodic written progress summary
Task board: Visual work in progress
Time-tracking tool: Hours recorded against tasks

Quality and Performance Charts

Histogram: Frequency distribution bars
Pareto chart: Few causes, most problems
Run chart: Values plotted over time
Control chart: Limits show process stability
Scatter diagram: Relationship between two variables
Fishbone diagram: Root causes grouped by category
Burndown chart: Work remaining falls
Burnup chart: Work done versus scope
Velocity chart: Work completed per sprint
Decision tree: Branches with expected values

Meeting Types and Roles

Collaborative meeting: Workshop, brainstorm, focus group
JAD or JAR session: Joint requirements or review
Informative meeting: Stand-up, demo, status
Decisive meeting: Refinement, task setting, steering
Facilitator: Keeps the agenda moving
Scribe: Captures minutes and actions
Attendees: Target audience who contribute
Timeboxing: Caps time per topic
Action items: Owner plus due date

Productivity and Collaboration Tools

Real-time co-authoring: Several editors, one document
Wiki knowledge base: Durable asynchronous reference material
File sharing platform: Central controlled document storage
E-signature workflow: Routes approvals for signature
Whiteboard: Visual synchronous ideation
Ticketing system: Intake, assign, audit requests
Version control: Tracks document or code revisions
Enterprise social media: Broad internal informal updates
Cloud vs on-premises: Hosted versus local install

Cloud Model Ladder

IaaS, PaaS, SaaS: you manage less

IaaS gives OS controlPaaS runs your codeSaaS is ready made

Staging vs Production

Staging or beta

Mirrors production configuration
No real users affected
Where defects should surface

Production

Live users and data
Needs maintenance window
Needs rollback plan ready

Never test first in production

IT Basics

IaaS: You manage operating system upward
PaaS: You manage application and data
SaaS: Vendor manages nearly everything
XaaS: Anything delivered as service
Multitiered architecture: Presentation, logic, data separated
Data warehouse: Consolidated store for reporting
ERP: Core finance and operations
CRM: Sales and customer records
EDRMS: Documents and retained records
CMS: Manages published content
API: Interface between two systems

PII vs PHI

PII

Identifies a specific person
Name, address, identity number
Broad privacy regulations apply

PHI

Health data plus identity
Diagnoses, treatment, insurance records
Extra healthcare rules apply

PHI is PII plus health

Information Security

Physical security: Facility access, removable media
Operational security: Screening and clearance requirements
Digital security: Permissions and remote access
MFA: Two or more authentication factors
Data classification: Sensitivity drives handling rules
Need-to-know: Access only where required
Intellectual property: Protected proprietary creations
Trade secret: Confidential competitive information
Branding restrictions: Limits on logo use

Compliance and Privacy

PII: Identifies a specific individual
PHI: Health data tied to person
Data confidentiality: Limits who may see
Jurisdictional privacy rules: Country, state, province differ
Legal and regulatory impact: Assessed during planning
Industry compliance: Sector rules such as PCI
PCI: Payment card industry rules

Operational Change Control

Maintenance window: Scheduled and approved downtime
Customer notification: Warn users before change
Rollback plan: Undo path if failure
Validation check: Confirms the change succeeded
Requirements definition: Software change starts here
Automated testing: Scripted, repeatable, fast
Manual testing: Human judgement, exploratory
CI/CD: Automated build, test, release
Staging environment: Production-like, no live users
Production environment: Live users and data

ESG Factors

Environmental impact: Local and global effects
Regulations and standards: Awareness of applicable rules
Vision and values: Alignment with company mission
Brand value: Project effect on reputation

Common Traps

SPI on the Acronym List

SPI = sensitive personal information ≠ SPI = schedule performance index

Earned Value Terms Tested

Blueprint names CV and SV ≠ CPI, SPI, EAC not listed

Passing Score Is Scaled

710 on 100-900 scale ≠ 79 percent of items

Item Count Sources Disagree

Cert page: maximum 90 items ≠ Objectives PDF: maximum 95

Contingency Plan vs Workaround

Contingency answers a known risk ≠ Workaround answers an unforeseen issue

Accountable Is Singular

Exactly one accountable per task ≠ Several may be responsible

Charter Is Not Scope

Charter holds preliminary scope ≠ Scope statement holds the detail

Program Is Not Portfolio

Program projects share benefits ≠ Portfolio projects need not relate

Project+ Is No Longer Lifetime

Three-year CE cycle, 30 CEUs ≠ No longer good for life

Verification vs Validation

Verification checks the specification ≠ Validation checks the real need

Last Minute

1.Concepts 33%, life cycle 30%
2.Tools 19%, IT governance 18%
3.Max 90 items, 90 minutes
4.710 of 900 scaled passes
5.Risk register plans, issue log reacts
6.Cost variance = EV - AC
7.Schedule variance = EV - PV
8.Critical path has zero float
9.Charter authorizes, scope statement defines
10.One accountable person per task
11.Fixed price puts risk on seller
12.Threats: avoid, mitigate, transfer, accept
13.Opportunities: exploit, enhance, share, accept
14.Change requests go through CCB
15.Fishbone finds causes, Pareto ranks
16.Burnup keeps added scope visible
17.PII identifies, PHI adds health
18.Rollback plan before production change
19.Lessons learned before final sign-off

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CompTIA Project+ PK0-005 Cheat Sheet