CAPM Practice Question: Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts
During project execution, a key stakeholder requests a change that would add a new feature. The project manager assesses the impact and finds that it will increase the project cost by 15% and extend the schedule by three weeks. The sponsor is concerned about the budget but sees the value. What should the project manager do next?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates assume the project manager has authority to approve changes based on stakeholder influence or sponsor support, but the CAPM exam emphasizes that any change affecting baselines must go through the formal CCB process, regardless of stakeholder power or perceived value.
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
✓
Submit the change request to the change control board (CCB) for review and decision.
In project management, once a change is assessed for impact, the project manager must follow the formal change control process. Since the change increases cost by 15% and extends the schedule by three weeks, it exceeds typical contingency thresholds and requires approval from the Change Control Board (CCB), which has the authority to approve or reject changes that affect baselines. Option B is correct because submitting to the CCB ensures proper governance and alignment with the project's change management plan.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Approve the change since the stakeholder is influential and the sponsor sees value.
Why it's wrong here
Approving on stakeholder influence and sponsor enthusiasm skips the formal change control review, so cost and schedule impacts are never authorised against the baseline. It is tempting because sponsor support often signals approval, but the request must still pass through Perform Integrated Change Control before implementation.
- ✓
Submit the change request to the change control board (CCB) for review and decision.
Why this is correct
Any change affecting cost or schedule must pass through integrated change control. Submitting the request to the CCB lets that body evaluate the 15% cost increase and three-week delay against the sponsor's budget concerns, then approve, reject or defer it formally.
- ✗
Implement the change immediately to avoid delaying the project further.
Why it's wrong here
Implementing immediately bypasses Perform Integrated Change Control, so the approved baseline, budget and schedule are altered without authorisation. It is tempting to preserve momentum, but the change must first be documented, assessed and approved through the change control process before any work proceeds.
- ✗
Reject the change because it exceeds the budget and schedule constraints.
Why it's wrong here
Rejecting outright ignores the Perform Integrated Change Control process, which requires the change request to be evaluated, documented and decided by the CCB or sponsor rather than dismissed on cost alone. It is tempting when budget pressure dominates, but rejection is valid only after formal review determines the change is not worthwhile.
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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.