This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
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Resource Histogram (Hours per Week)
Week 1: 120 (actual)
Week 2: 150 (actual)
Week 3: 180 (planned)
Week 4: 200 (planned)
Team Capacity: 160 hours per week
```
Based on the resource histogram exhibit, what is the most likely impact on the project if no corrective action is taken?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Team burnout and decreased productivity will likely cause delays.
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.
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.
✗
Scope creep will increase resource requirements.
Why it's wrong here
No scope changes are indicated.
✗
The project will likely finish ahead of schedule.
Why it's wrong here
Overloading may cause delays, not acceleration.
✓
Team burnout and decreased productivity will likely cause delays.
Why this is correct
Excessive workload leads to burnout and rework.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The project will meet its schedule with overtime.
Why it's wrong here
Overtime is unsustainable and may not be approved.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
PMI often tests the misconception that overallocation automatically means faster completion, when in reality it leads to burnout, reduced productivity, and schedule delays if not corrected.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Resource histograms visualize planned vs. available work hours per period; a bar exceeding the availability line indicates overallocation. In practice, sustained overallocation violates the law of diminishing returns—productivity per hour drops after 40–50 hours per week, and error rates increase, causing rework that erodes any time gained. This is why PMBOK emphasizes resource leveling as a key schedule optimization technique to avoid burnout-driven delays.
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: Team burnout and decreased productivity will likely cause delays. — 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.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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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