PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
During a large infrastructure project, the sponsor requests that the project manager skip the final round of user acceptance testing (UAT) to meet the regulatory deadline, stating that the system has passed all previous tests. What should the project manager do?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers assume the sponsor's authority is absolute or that a shorter test is a reasonable compromise, but the PMP exam emphasizes that the project manager must follow the change control process and protect the project from risks, not simply comply with sponsor requests without formal evaluation.
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
✓
Explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose a formal change request to the schedule or scope
The project manager must protect the project from risks that could compromise quality or regulatory compliance. Skipping UAT, even after successful earlier tests, could miss critical integration or user-specific defects that only emerge in a production-like environment. The correct action is to explain these risks to the sponsor and initiate a formal change request to adjust the schedule or scope, ensuring any decision is documented and approved through the change control process.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Delay the deadline by two weeks to conduct UAT as planned
Why it's wrong here
Unilaterally delaying the deadline without formal approval is an unauthorized schedule change, violating established project governance. While User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is critical for quality, the Project Manager (PM) lacks the authority to independently extend the project timeline, especially when the sponsor has expressed a desire to meet the deadline. Such an action would bypass the integrated change control process, potentially leading to stakeholder misalignment, resource conflicts, and a lack of documented risk acceptance.
- ✓
Explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose a formal change request to the schedule or scope
Why this is correct
This is the most appropriate action as it demonstrates the Project Manager's (PM) accountability for project quality and adherence to formal processes. The PM must educate the sponsor on the potential negative impacts of bypassing User Acceptance Testing (UAT), such as increased defect rates, rework, and stakeholder dissatisfaction. Subsequently, proposing a formal change request allows for a documented decision, either to adjust the schedule to accommodate UAT or to formally accept the risks associated with a reduced scope, ensuring all stakeholders are aligned and the decision is recorded.
- ✗
Conduct a shorter UAT with only critical test cases to save time
Why it's wrong here
While seemingly a pragmatic compromise, unilaterally reducing the scope of User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to only critical test cases without formal approval constitutes an unauthorized scope change. This action bypasses the integrated change control process, potentially compromising product quality and increasing project risk by not adequately validating all requirements. Any modification to the planned testing strategy, even a reduction, requires a formal change request to ensure stakeholder alignment, documented risk acceptance, and proper communication of the revised quality approach.
- ✗
Agree to skip UAT to meet the deadline as the sponsor has authority
Why it's wrong here
Agreeing to skip User Acceptance Testing (UAT) solely based on sponsor authority is an abdication of the Project Manager's (PM) professional and ethical responsibility for project quality and risk management. While the sponsor holds ultimate authority, the PM is obligated to advise on the consequences of such a decision, which could lead to significant quality issues, rework, and project failure. Any decision to eliminate a planned quality gate like UAT must be formally documented through the change control process, ensuring informed consent and risk acceptance by all relevant stakeholders, rather than simply complying without due diligence.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to the PMP Exam and Project Management Basics
Key term
Change Control Process
A formal, structured procedure used to manage any changes to a project's scope, schedule, budget, or requirements, ensuring every modification is reviewed, approved, tested, and documented before implementation.
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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.