CAPM Practice Question: Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts
Which THREE are common project constraints that must be balanced?
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
✓
Time
The three common project constraints are time (option C), cost (option D), and scope (option E), collectively known as the triple constraint. Risk (option A) is an uncertainty factor, not a constraint, and quality (option B) is often considered an outcome or a constraint that is balanced within the triple constraint, but it is not one of the three primary constraints.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Risk
Why it's wrong here
Risk is an uncertainty managed through the risk register and response planning, not a constraint that is balanced. It is tempting because risk responses frequently consume schedule and budget contingency, so risk interacts with the triple constraint without being one of its elements.
- ✗
Quality
Why it's wrong here
Quality is a performance requirement managed through quality planning and control, not one of the classic triple constraints of scope, time and cost. It is tempting because quality is genuinely balanced against those constraints, and PMBOK discusses it alongside them in project trade-offs.
- ✓
Time
Why this is correct
Time is one of the three classic project constraints, bounding the schedule within which deliverables must be completed. Alongside cost and scope, it forms the triple constraint that project managers continuously balance, since compressing the timeline directly affects both the resources required and the scope achievable.
- ✓
Cost
Why this is correct
Cost is one of the fundamental project constraints, representing the approved budget within which the project must deliver. It satisfies the stem because balancing cost against scope, time and quality is central to project management, and cost overruns directly threaten project success.
- ✓
Scope
Why this is correct
Scope defines the full set of deliverables and work included in the project, making it the third element of the triple constraint alongside time and cost. Any change to scope alters schedule and budget, so it must be actively balanced and controlled through change management.
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