Resource Overallocation and Burnout Cause
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. ``` Resource Name: John Doe Role: Senior Developer Allocation: 100% (40 hrs/week) to Project Alpha Actual Hours (last 2 weeks): 55 hrs/week Project Health: On schedule, but developer reports burnout ```
A resource on a project has been consistently logging 12-14 hours of overtime per day for several weeks. Recently, the resource's productivity has declined and errors have increased. What is the MOST likely cause of the resource issue?
Quick Answer
The pattern described here, weeks of sustained twelve to fourteen hour days followed by falling productivity and rising errors, is the textbook signature of burnout, and recognizing that signature is the key skill this question is testing. Overwork degrades performance in a predictable way: as fatigue accumulates, attention and judgment decline even though the person may still be putting in more hours than ever, which is exactly the disconnect the scenario describes. This is different from a one-time estimation error, which would show up as a single missed deadline rather than a sustained decline in quality; it's also different from unplanned scope changes, which would typically show up as new or shifting work rather than a slow erosion of output on existing work; and it's different from simply being behind schedule, which explains why someone might work overtime but doesn't by itself explain why their error rate would climb over time. The consistency and duration of the overtime, combined with the compounding drop in quality, point specifically to overwork rather than any of those more situational explanations. On future questions, whenever a scenario pairs prolonged excessive hours with a described decline in output quality or errors, treat that combination as the signal for burnout rather than searching for an external or one-time cause.
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that candidates may attribute the overtime to schedule pressure or scope creep, but the scenario shows prolonged overtime with declining performance, directly pointing to overwork as the root cause, not just a symptom of being behind.
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
✓
The resource is overworked due to excessive overtime.
The scenario describes a consistent pattern of the resource working excessive overtime hours over an extended period, leading to diminishing productivity and increased errors. This is a classic sign of overwork and burnout, not a one-time estimation inaccuracy (A) or unplanned scope changes (B). While being behind schedule (C) might cause overtime, the persistent overtime with declining quality indicates overwork as the primary cause rather than a reactive response to schedule pressure. Therefore, D is correct.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The resource estimation was inaccurate for the tasks.
Why it's wrong here
Sustained 12-14 hour days indicate burnout or resource overload, not estimation error; estimation affects planned effort, not declining productivity after weeks of excessive hours. Inaccurate estimates are tempting when tasks overrun, but the described symptoms point to fatigue from extended overtime.
- ✗
Scope creep is causing additional unplanned work.
Why it's wrong here
Scope creep would explain extra work and hence overtime, but the stem already establishes the overtime and asks what caused the resource's degraded output. Unplanned work is a plausible origin of the hours, yet it does not account for the fatigue-driven error pattern the question highlights.
- ✗
The project is behind schedule, forcing overtime.
Why it's wrong here
Overtime is the symptom already described in the stem, not an independent cause; the question asks what produced the declining productivity and rising errors. Schedule pressure would be the answer if the stem asked why overtime began, but here the resource's sustained overwork itself has degraded output.
- ✓
The resource is overworked due to excessive overtime.
Why this is correct
Sustained 12-14 hour days exceed sustainable capacity, so fatigue accumulates and cognitive performance degrades. Declining productivity alongside rising errors is the classic exhaustion pattern, not a skills or motivation gap. Reducing overtime and rebalancing workload addresses the root cause directly.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on PMP
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. Based on the resource histogram exhibit, what is the most likely impact on the project if no corrective action is taken?
hard- A.Scope creep will increase resource requirements.
- B.The project will likely finish ahead of schedule.
- ✓ C.Team burnout and decreased productivity will likely cause delays.
- D.The project will meet its schedule with overtime.
Why C: The resource histogram shows a significant overallocation of team members beyond their normal capacity for an extended period. Without corrective action such as leveling or adding resources, this sustained overwork leads to fatigue, reduced efficiency, and increased error rates, which typically cause schedule delays despite the initial appearance of progress.
JA
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.