Change Control First Step: Impact Analysis
A project manager is leading a software development project. The sponsor has requested a new feature that was not part of the original scope. The project manager assesses that adding this feature will require additional resources and will extend the timeline by two weeks. What should the project manager do first?
Quick Answer
The answer is to analyze the impact on project constraints and submit a change request. This is the correct first step because the Integrated Change Control process requires a formal impact analysis before any change can be evaluated, ensuring the project manager understands how the new feature will affect scope, time, cost, and quality. On the CAPM exam, this tests your knowledge of the change control first step impact analysis, which is a common trap where students mistakenly jump to updating the project plan or implementing the change immediately. Instead, remember that no work begins until the change request is submitted and approved by the CCB. A useful memory tip is “Analyze before you authorize”—always assess the triple constraint impact first to prevent scope creep.
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse a sponsor's authority with the need for formal change control, assuming the sponsor can bypass the change request process, but the PM must still follow the defined change management procedures regardless of who makes the request.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Analyze the impact on the project constraints and submit a change request.
The correct first step is to analyze the impact on the project constraints (scope, time, cost, quality) and submit a formal change request. This follows the Integrated Change Control process, ensuring the sponsor and change control board (CCB) evaluate the trade-offs before any work begins. In software development, adding a feature without analysis risks scope creep and uncontrolled budget or schedule deviations.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Refuse the request because it is out of scope.
Why it's wrong here
Refusing outright ignores the sponsor's authority to authorise scope changes and bypasses the integrated change control process the project manager must follow. It is tempting because scope creep is a genuine risk, and refusal would be correct only if the change were already rejected through formal change control or violated a constraint.
- ✓
Analyze the impact on the project constraints and submit a change request.
Why this is correct
The project manager must first perform integrated change control by assessing how the added feature affects scope, schedule, cost and resources. Only then can a formal change request be submitted to the change control board for approval or rejection.
- ✗
Instruct the team to implement the feature and track extra time as overtime.
Why it's wrong here
Implementing the feature unilaterally bypasses integrated change control and commits resources the project has not approved. Overtime is tempting because it appears to absorb the two-week extension without schedule change, but the sponsor's request must first go through perform integrated change control, including impact analysis and formal approval.
- ✗
Immediately update the project schedule and budget.
Why it's wrong here
Updating schedule and budget before the change is approved violates perform integrated change control; the request must be assessed and authorised first. Immediate updating is tempting because the impact is already known, but CAPM process requires a change request and approval before baselines are modified.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This CAPM question is part of Courseiva's 451-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on CAPM
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. During project execution, a key stakeholder requests a new feature that was not included in the approved scope. What should the project manager do first?
easy- ✓ A.Perform a change impact analysis
- B.Escalate to the project sponsor for decision
- C.Inform the stakeholder that the scope is frozen
- D.Add the feature to the next iteration
Why A: When a stakeholder requests a change to approved scope, the project manager should first perform a change impact analysis to assess the effect on scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risk. This analysis informs the change control process and provides the Change Control Board (CCB) or sponsor with the necessary information to make a decision. It is the first step before escalation or approval.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CAPM practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CAPM exam.