This PMP practice question tests your understanding of process — managing technical aspects. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: compliance. 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.
```
Error: deployment failed
on main.tf line 42, in resource "aws_instance" "web":
42: ami = "ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0"
The image 'ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0' does not exist.
```
A project manager is reviewing a project plan that must comply with an industry standard. The compliance review fails. What is the most likely cause of this failure?
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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
```
Error: deployment failed
on main.tf line 42, in resource "aws_instance" "web":
42: ami = "ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0"
The image 'ami-0c55b159cbfafe1f0' does not exist.
```
A
The project charter was not signed by the sponsor.
Why wrong: The project charter not being signed would cause project initiation issues, but not specifically a compliance review failure.
B
The selected project management methodology is not suitable.
Why wrong: Methodology suitability might affect efficiency but not compliance with a specific standard.
C
The project team lacks training on the standard.
Why wrong: Lack of training could lead to non-compliance, but if the standard is outdated, even trained team members would fail.
D
The version of the industry standard referenced in the plan has been deprecated.
Correct. Referencing an outdated version of the industry standard is the most likely cause of the compliance review failure.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The version of the industry standard referenced in the plan has been deprecated.
The failure in the compliance review is most likely due to referencing an outdated version of the industry standard, which is no longer recognized or acceptable. This is a common issue when project plans rely on superseded documents without updating them.
Key principle: Compliance
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 project charter was not signed by the sponsor.
Why it's wrong here
The project charter not being signed would cause project initiation issues, but not specifically a compliance review failure.
✗
The selected project management methodology is not suitable.
Why it's wrong here
Methodology suitability might affect efficiency but not compliance with a specific standard.
✗
The project team lacks training on the standard.
Why it's wrong here
Lack of training could lead to non-compliance, but if the standard is outdated, even trained team members would fail.
✓
The version of the industry standard referenced in the plan has been deprecated.
Why this is correct
Correct. Referencing an outdated version of the industry standard is the most likely cause of the compliance review failure.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Compliance
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
PMI often tests the misconception that compliance failures are due to team incompetence or lack of authorization, when in reality the error is directly due to using obsolete standards.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When Terraform attempts to create an EC2 instance, it calls the AWS EC2 RunInstances API with the specified AMI ID. If the AMI has been deregistered, deprecated, or deleted, AWS returns an error such as 'InvalidAMIID.NotFound' or 'The image id '[ami-xxx]' does not exist'. This is a common pitfall when using static AMI IDs in Terraform configurations, as AMIs are region-specific and can be updated or removed by AWS (e.g., Amazon Linux 2 AMIs are periodically deprecated). Best practice is to use data sources like `aws_ami` to dynamically fetch the latest AMI ID based on filters.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Compliance
Industry Standard
Document Versioning
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
Compliance
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. Compliance 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.
Process — Managing Technical Aspects — This question tests Process — Managing Technical Aspects — Compliance.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The version of the industry standard referenced in the plan has been deprecated. — The failure in the compliance review is most likely due to referencing an outdated version of the industry standard, which is no longer recognized or acceptable. This is a common issue when project plans rely on superseded documents without updating them.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Review compliance, then practise related PMP questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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?
Compliance
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