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.
PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
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.
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?
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 correct answer is A because 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.
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.
✓
Document the change request, assess the impact, and submit it to the change control board for approval
Why this is correct
This follows the proper change management process.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Accept the change to satisfy the stakeholder and update the project plan immediately
Why it's wrong here
Accepting without formal evaluation bypasses change control.
✗
Reject the change because it impacts the critical path and would delay the project
Why it's wrong here
Rejecting without assessing the trade-offs may not be the best decision.
✗
Inform the stakeholder that the change will be considered after the current phase is complete
Why it's wrong here
Delaying without formal documentation is not the recommended approach.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may 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.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The critical path is the longest sequence of activities in a project schedule, and any change affecting it directly impacts the project's finish date. Under the PMBOK Guide's Perform Integrated Change Control process, the project manager must first document the change in a change request, then analyze its impact on the triple constraint (scope, time, cost) and the critical path, and finally submit it to the CCB for approval or rejection. This ensures that decisions are based on objective data rather than stakeholder pressure or assumptions.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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: Document the change request, assess the impact, and submit it to the change control board for approval — The correct answer is A because 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.
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.
About these practice questions
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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: Option B is correct because 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: Options B and C are correct because assessing the impact on the project and documenting a change request are the first steps in the change control process. Option A is incorrect because accepting without analysis bypasses due diligence. Option D is incorrect because rejecting without assessment is premature. Option E is incorrect because re-baselining without approval is not appropriate.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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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.
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