People — Leading Projects →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.

```
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?

⚠ Common exam trap

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.

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

✓

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.

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
A resource histogram visually represents the planned resource allocation over time, highlighting periods of over-allocation or under-allocation based on the current schedule and resource assignments. It does not inherently provide information about changes to the project scope or indicate that scope creep has occurred. While scope creep would indeed increase resource requirements, inferring its presence solely from a resource histogram showing high demand is an unsupported assumption, as the histogram only reflects the existing plan's resource needs.
✗
The project will likely finish ahead of schedule.
Why it's wrong here
A resource histogram that exhibits significant and sustained over-allocation indicates that the project's current plan demands more resources than are available or sustainable. Such an overloaded scenario typically leads to resource contention, bottlenecks, increased rework, and a higher probability of delays, rather than accelerating the project schedule. Finishing ahead of schedule would require efficient resource utilization, potentially even some under-allocation or excess capacity, which is the opposite of what an overloaded histogram suggests.
✓
Team burnout and decreased productivity will likely cause delays.
Why this is correct
A resource histogram showing consistent and substantial over-allocation directly implies that team members are assigned an unsustainable workload, exceeding their capacity for normal working hours. This excessive demand is a primary cause of team burnout, reduced morale, increased stress, and a significant decline in individual and collective productivity. Such conditions inevitably lead to missed deadlines, increased errors, and ultimately project delays, making this the most probable and detrimental outcome of an overloaded resource plan.
✗
The project will meet its schedule with overtime.
Why it's wrong here
While short-term, targeted overtime can occasionally help address minor schedule variances, relying on extensive or prolonged overtime to resolve systemic resource over-allocation depicted in a histogram is generally unsustainable and counterproductive. Continuous overtime leads to increased fatigue, decreased quality of work, higher costs, and often a net negative impact on overall productivity and team morale. Furthermore, approval for significant, ongoing overtime may not be granted due to budget constraints or organizational policies, making it an unreliable and often detrimental solution for chronic overloads.

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PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question

Exhibit

Why each option matters

Option-by-option breakdown

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