This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A new regulatory requirement has been discovered mid-project. This requirement will affect the project scope and schedule. Which THREE actions should you take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Assess the impact of the new requirement on scope, schedule, and cost
Option B is correct because a new regulatory requirement discovered mid-project must be assessed for its impact on the triple constraint (scope, schedule, cost) before any action is taken. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's Perform Integrated Change Control process, where the project manager evaluates the effect of a change on all project baselines. Without this assessment, you cannot determine the feasibility or the necessary adjustments to the project plan.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Ignore the requirement until the next project phase
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring regulatory requirements can lead to legal penalties.
✓
Assess the impact of the new requirement on scope, schedule, and cost
Why this is correct
Understanding impact is essential for decision-making.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Communicate the potential impact to key stakeholders
Why this is correct
Transparency with stakeholders is critical for buy-in and support.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Implement the requirement immediately to ensure compliance
Why it's wrong here
Implementing without change control violates the project management plan.
✓
Submit a change request to formally propose the necessary modifications
Why this is correct
Change control is required for any scope change.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse 'immediate compliance' (Option D) with proactive risk management, but the PMP exam emphasizes that all changes must go through a formal change control process, even for regulatory mandates, to maintain baseline integrity and stakeholder buy-in.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the Perform Integrated Change Control process involves reviewing the change request against the project management plan, including the scope, schedule, and cost baselines, and then obtaining approval from the Change Control Board (CCB) or authorized stakeholder. In a real-world scenario, a mid-project regulatory change (e.g., GDPR compliance in a software deployment) would trigger a risk reassessment, a schedule impact analysis using critical path method (CPM), and a cost-benefit analysis to determine if the change is viable within the project's constraints.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the PMP exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PMP question in full detail.
People — Leading Projects — This question tests People — Leading Projects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Assess the impact of the new requirement on scope, schedule, and cost — Option B is correct because a new regulatory requirement discovered mid-project must be assessed for its impact on the triple constraint (scope, schedule, cost) before any action is taken. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's Perform Integrated Change Control process, where the project manager evaluates the effect of a change on all project baselines. Without this assessment, you cannot determine the feasibility or the necessary adjustments to the project plan.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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