What the CompTIA Project+ PK0-005 is and who it is for
The CompTIA Project+ is CompTIA’s vendor neutral, entry level project management certification for IT professionals. It validates that you can manage small to medium sized projects across their whole life cycle: the core concepts, initiation and planning, execution and delivery, and the tools, documentation and IT governance that hold a project together. It covers both Waterfall and Agile.
The exam is aimed at IT people who run projects as part of a wider job rather than at full time project managers. If you are a systems administrator who keeps ending up in charge of migrations or a team lead who needs a credential for the planning side of the role, it is pitched at you. There are no formal prerequisites.
PK0-005 is the current version, V5, which launched on 8 November 2022. The certification is valid for three years, and CompTIA lists it in its continuing education programme, so you can renew it through continuing education instead of resitting the exam.
CompTIA Project+ PK0-005 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam code | PK0-005 |
| Questions | Up to 90, including performance based questions |
| Time allowed | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 710 on a scale of 900 |
| Exam fee | US$399 per voucher |
| Where you sit it | Pearson VUE testing centres or online proctored |
| Certification valid for | 3 years |
What is on the exam
There are four domains. The first two make up 63% of the exam, and the remaining 37% is split almost evenly between tools and governance.
Project management concepts (33%). The vocabulary and mechanics of running a project: roles and responsibilities, the differences between Waterfall and Agile delivery, scope and schedule basics, change control, risk identification and response, communication and the handling of resources and stakeholders. Expect questions that test whether you can pick the right technique for a situation, not just name it.
Project life cycle phases (30%). What happens at each stage, from discovery and initiation through planning, execution and delivery to closure. Questions tend to describe a point in a project and ask what should happen next, which document should exist by now, or which activity belongs to which phase.
Tools and documentation (19%). The artefacts and tools a project runs on: charters, plans, schedules, logs, registers, dashboards, status reports and the collaboration and tracking tools teams use to keep them current. You need to know what each document is for, who owns it and when it gets updated.
Basics of IT and governance (18%). The IT specific part of the exam. It covers the governance, compliance and operational concerns that shape technology projects, such as data handling, change and release processes, security considerations and how projects interact with IT operations. Non technical candidates usually need the most time here.
Why people fail it
The most common trap is experience. Candidates who have run real projects often assume they already know the material, then walk out surprised. Project+ asks how CompTIA frames a situation, not how your organisation does it. If your workplace calls a document something different, skips a phase or handles change requests informally, your instinct can point you at an answer that is sensible in practice but not the one being marked.
The second trap is the method split. Project+ covers Waterfall and Agile side by side, and a lot of questions hinge on which one the scenario is using. A candidate who has only ever worked in one style will answer questions about the other through the wrong lens, for example looking for a formal change control board in an Agile team or a sprint review in a fixed scope Waterfall project.
The performance based questions add a third problem. They ask you to apply concepts in a scenario, such as ordering activities, matching documents to phases or reading a schedule, not just define terms. Definitions learnt from flashcards do not carry you through these. Finally, there is the clock. Up to 90 questions in 90 minutes leaves roughly a minute each, and a PBQ that takes several minutes eats into that fast. Candidates who have never practised under a timer run short at the end.
A study plan that fits the exam
Six weeks, weighted to the domains: two weeks for concepts, two for the life cycle, one shared by tools and governance, and a final week of timed practice.
- Week 1: project management concepts, part one. Roles, stakeholders, Waterfall compared with Agile, and the basics of scope, schedule and cost. At the end of the week, try the free Project+ practice questions to see how CompTIA phrases its scenarios.
- Week 2: project management concepts, part two. Change control, risk identification and response, communication plans and resource management. Pay attention to how each of these works differently under Agile.
- Week 3: life cycle phases, part one. Discovery, initiation and planning. Learn which documents come out of each phase and in what order, because questions often turn on that sequence.
- Week 4: life cycle phases, part two. Execution, delivery and closure, including handover and lessons learnt. Then work a mixed set from the PK0-005 practice question pack across the first two domains and read every explanation, including the ones for the wrong options.
- Week 5: tools, documentation and IT governance. Spend the first half on artefacts and tracking tools, the second on governance, compliance and the IT operational side. If you come from outside IT, give governance the extra days.
- Week 6: timed runs. Use the questions only PDF to sit full practice rounds against the 90 minute limit, score yourself by domain and spend the rest of the week on whichever domain comes out weakest.
On exam day
You sit PK0-005 at a Pearson VUE testing centre or online with a remote proctor. For online delivery, run the system check on the computer you will use well before the day. For a test centre, take the identification your booking confirmation lists.
Plan your pace before you start. With up to 90 questions in 90 minutes there is little slack, so move steadily through the multiple choice items and do not let one PBQ take over. If the interface lets you flag a question, use it and come back once the rest are done. The passing score is 710 on a scale of 900. It is a scaled score, not a straight percentage, so there is no point trying to count your marks as you go. Answer everything.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I fail? Can I retake it?
You can retake it, but each attempt needs a new voucher at the full fee, currently US$399. CompTIA publishes its retake policy, including any waiting period between attempts, on its website, so check it before you rebook. The practice pack is refunded if you fail, but the voucher is not.
Do I need project management experience first?
There are no formal prerequisites, and the exam is designed for IT staff who manage projects alongside other work. Experience helps with the scenarios, but it can also lead you to answer the way your workplace does rather than the way CompTIA frames it.
Is the practice question pack enough on its own?
No. The pack is 625 practice questions, MCQs and PBQs, with an explanation for every answer and every wrong option, mapped to the PK0-005 objectives. It is a practice tool: it shows you the question style, tests what you have learnt and exposes your gaps. It is not a course, and it will not teach you project management from scratch. Pair it with a study guide or course that covers the objectives in full.
When you are ready to test yourself, get the 625 question PK0-005 pack for US$39, pass or your money back.