PMP Practice Question: Business Environment: strategy and project benefits
During a project, a new government regulation is enacted that directly affects your project's deliverables. The regulation requires additional testing and documentation, which will increase costs by 10%. What is the first action you should take?
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
✓
Submit a change request to assess and incorporate the new regulation
The first step is to analyze the impact on the project and then submit a change request to formally address the regulatory requirement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Immediately implement the required changes to ensure compliance
Why it's wrong here
Immediately implementing changes without following the Integrated Change Control process bypasses formal project governance. This can lead to uncontrolled scope creep, misallocation of resources, and negative impacts on project baselines (scope, schedule, cost, quality) without proper assessment or stakeholder approval. All significant adjustments, even those driven by external compliance, must be formally evaluated and approved to maintain project control.
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Ignore the regulation because it was not part of the original scope
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring a new government regulation is a critical ethical and legal failure, regardless of its inclusion in the original project scope. Project managers have a professional and legal obligation to ensure project compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Failure to address such requirements can result in severe legal penalties, fines, project termination, and significant damage to the organization's reputation and financial standing.
- ✓
Submit a change request to assess and incorporate the new regulation
Why this is correct
Submitting a change request is the correct initial action because it formally initiates the Integrated Change Control process. This structured approach ensures that the new regulation's impact on project baselines (scope, schedule, cost, quality) is thoroughly assessed, necessary stakeholder input is gathered, and a formal decision is made by the Change Control Board (CCB) or designated authority. This maintains project control and ensures all adjustments are properly planned, documented, and communicated.
- ✗
Update the risk register and inform the sponsor of the impact
Why it's wrong here
While updating the risk register and informing the sponsor are important subsequent steps in project management, they are not the primary or most comprehensive first action for a new government regulation. A regulation represents a definite new requirement or constraint, not merely a potential future event (risk). The immediate need is to formally assess and integrate this mandatory change into the project, which is primarily handled through the change control process, not solely through risk management.
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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.