PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
A new government regulation has been enacted that affects your project's deliverables. The regulation requires additional compliance checks that were not in the original scope. What should you do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates choose 'Discuss with stakeholders before taking any action' (Option C) because they think stakeholder engagement is always the first step, but the PMP exam emphasizes that formal change control must be initiated first to document and analyze the impact before any discussion or decision.
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 a change request to incorporate the compliance checks and assess the impact on scope, schedule, and cost
When a new government regulation impacts your project, the first step is to submit a change request to formally document the required compliance checks and assess their impact on scope, schedule, and cost. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's integrated change control process, ensuring that the regulation is addressed through a controlled change rather than ad-hoc adjustments. Option A is correct because it initiates the proper change management workflow, which includes impact analysis and stakeholder approval.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Submit a change request to incorporate the compliance checks and assess the impact on scope, schedule, and cost
Why this is correct
A new government regulation represents a significant external change that directly impacts the project's environment and requirements. The correct PMP approach is to initiate a formal change request, which triggers a structured process to analyze the regulation's specific impact on the project's scope, schedule, cost, and quality baselines. This ensures that all necessary compliance checks are formally incorporated into the project management plan, maintaining project control and ensuring legal adherence while providing a clear basis for stakeholder communication and decision-making regarding potential adjustments.
- ✗
Refuse to comply with the regulation because it increases project costs
Why it's wrong here
Refusing to comply with a government regulation, regardless of the associated cost increase, is an unacceptable and highly risky course of action for any project manager. Regulatory compliance is a mandatory legal and ethical obligation for the organization, and non-compliance can lead to severe penalties, fines, legal action, reputational damage, and even project termination. The project manager's primary duty includes ensuring the project operates within all applicable laws and regulations, making cost a secondary consideration to legal adherence.
- ✗
Discuss with stakeholders before taking any action
Why it's wrong here
While stakeholder engagement is crucial, discussing a new regulation with stakeholders *before* conducting a preliminary impact analysis is premature and inefficient. The project manager's responsibility is to first assess the regulation's potential implications on project baselines, risks, and objectives. This initial analysis enables the PM to present stakeholders with data-driven insights, potential solutions, and informed recommendations, facilitating effective decision-making rather than engaging in speculative discussions without a clear understanding of the situation.
- ✗
Inform the team to ignore the regulation as it was not part of the original plan
Why it's wrong here
Instructing the team to ignore a new government regulation because it wasn't part of the original plan is a grave error that exposes the project and organization to significant legal and operational risks. Projects operate in dynamic environments, and continuous monitoring for external changes, including regulatory updates, is a core project management responsibility. Ignoring legal requirements demonstrates a severe lack of due diligence and can result in non-compliance penalties, project delays, rework, and severe damage to the organization's reputation and legal standing.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to the PMP Exam and Project Management Basics
Key term
Change Control Process
A formal, structured procedure used to manage any changes to a project's scope, schedule, budget, or requirements, ensuring every modification is reviewed, approved, tested, and documented before implementation.
Key term
Organizational Change Management
Organizational Change Management (OCM) is the structured approach to preparing, supporting, and guiding people through changes in an organization to ensure lasting success.
About these practice questions
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PMP 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 PMP exam.