Change Request Process: Impact on Critical Path
During a project status meeting, a stakeholder requests a change that would improve the product but significantly impact the critical path. The project manager has not yet evaluated the change. What should the project manager do?
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to document the change request, assess the impact, and submit it to the change control board for approval. This is required because the PMBOK Guide mandates that any proposed change, especially one that could alter the critical path, must first be formally recorded and evaluated for its effect on project constraints like schedule and scope before any decision is made. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the integrated change control process and the discipline to follow governance procedures regardless of stakeholder influence; a common trap is choosing to informally approve a change from an influential stakeholder without documentation. Remember the mnemonic “D-A-S” for the sequence: Document, Assess, Submit—never skip to approval without first evaluating the impact on the critical path.
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often assume a change impacting the critical path should be automatically rejected, but the PMP exam emphasizes that all changes must be formally evaluated through the change control process before any decision is made.
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
✓
Document the change request, assess the impact, and submit it to the change control board for approval
The PMBOK Guide mandates that all change requests must be formally documented and assessed for impact on constraints like the critical path before any decision is made. Submitting the evaluated change to the Change Control Board (CCB) ensures proper governance and prevents unauthorized scope creep, even if the stakeholder is influential.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Document the change request, assess the impact, and submit it to the change control board for approval
Why this is correct
Unassessed changes must follow Integrated Change Control: documenting the request, evaluating impact on the critical path, then routing it to the change control board. This preserves baselines and gives the CCB authority to approve, reject, or defer.
- ✗
Accept the change to satisfy the stakeholder and update the project plan immediately
Why it's wrong here
Accepting the change bypasses the integrated change control process, which requires documented evaluation of impact on scope, schedule, cost and risk before approval. It is tempting because stakeholder satisfaction matters, but immediate acceptance is only valid once the change request has been assessed and approved through the change control board.
- ✗
Reject the change because it impacts the critical path and would delay the project
Why it's wrong here
Rejecting the change pre-empts the change control process, which mandates documented impact analysis and a formal decision rather than unilateral dismissal. It is tempting because critical path delays threaten the schedule, but schedule impact is one input to the evaluation, not grounds for automatic rejection before assessment.
- ✗
Inform the stakeholder that the change will be considered after the current phase is complete
Why it's wrong here
Deferring the change until the phase completes ignores the Perform Integrated Change Control process, which requires every change request to be evaluated and dispositioned when raised, not postponed arbitrarily. It is tempting because phased gates exist, but deferral is only valid when the change genuinely applies to a later phase's scope.
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways 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. During a sprint review, the product owner requests a significant change to a feature that was just completed. The change would improve user experience but would require reworking two sprints' worth of work. The project is already behind schedule. What should the project manager do first?
medium- A.Agree to the change since it improves user experience and ask the team to start rework
- ✓ B.Document the change request and assess its impact on the project constraints before submitting for approval
- C.Reject the change because the project is already behind schedule
- D.Add the change to the product backlog for a future release without adjusting the current sprint
Why B: The project manager must first follow the formal change control process by documenting the change request and assessing its impact on the triple constraints (scope, schedule, cost) before any approval or rejection. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's Integrated Change Control process, which ensures that changes are evaluated systematically to avoid uncontrolled scope creep, especially when the project is already behind schedule.
Variation 2. You are managing a project where a key stakeholder requests a scope change that would add significant value but also increase risk and cost. Which TWO actions should you take FIRST?
easy- A.Reject the change because it introduces additional risk
- ✓ B.Document the change request and submit it through the change control process
- ✓ C.Analyze the impact of the change on scope, schedule, cost, and risk
- D.Accept the change because it adds value to the project
- E.Update the project baseline to include the new scope
Why B: The PMBOK Guide requires that all scope changes be formally documented and submitted through the change control process, regardless of perceived value. This ensures traceability, stakeholder alignment, and proper evaluation before any action is taken. Option C is correct because analyzing the impact on scope, schedule, cost, and risk is a mandatory step within the integrated change control process to inform the decision-making body (e.g., CCB).
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.