PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
During a project audit, a new regulatory requirement is discovered that affects your project's deliverables. The compliance team says it must be implemented immediately. Your project is already behind schedule. Which THREE actions should you take?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse urgency with bypassing process, choosing Option B because they think immediate action is always best, but the PMP exam tests adherence to the change control system even for mandatory requirements to ensure proper documentation and stakeholder alignment.
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
✓
Communicate the situation to key stakeholders, including the sponsor and compliance officer
Option A is correct because when a new regulatory requirement emerges, the project manager must promptly communicate the situation to key stakeholders such as the sponsor and compliance officer, ensuring transparency and enabling informed decision-making. Option D is correct because any change to project baselines, including regulatory requirements, must go through the formal change control process via a change request to be properly evaluated, approved, and integrated. Option E is correct because before implementing any change, the project manager must analyze its impact on scope, schedule, and cost to understand the consequences and support the change control decision. Option B is incorrect because implementing a requirement without formal approval bypasses the change control process and can lead to unauthorized scope changes. Option C is incorrect because ignoring a regulatory requirement is never acceptable, as it can result in legal and compliance consequences.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Communicate the situation to key stakeholders, including the sponsor and compliance officer
Why this is correct
Upon discovering a new regulatory requirement during a project audit, the project manager's immediate responsibility is to ensure transparency and inform all relevant key stakeholders. This includes the project sponsor, who has ultimate authority and budget oversight, and the compliance officer, who provides expert guidance on regulatory adherence. This initial communication enables informed decision-making and ensures the organization's legal and ethical obligations are acknowledged promptly, setting the stage for subsequent actions.
- ✗
Instruct the team to implement the requirement immediately without formal approval
Why it's wrong here
Instructing the team to implement a new regulatory requirement immediately without formal approval is a critical breach of project governance and change management protocols. Such an action bypasses the established integrated change control process, leading to unauthorized scope creep, potential budget overruns, and schedule disruptions without proper assessment or stakeholder consensus. This approach introduces significant risks, including non-compliance with internal procedures and potential rework if the implementation is not aligned with organizational strategy.
- ✗
Ignore the requirement until the next phase to avoid further delay
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring a newly identified regulatory requirement until a later phase is a severe dereliction of project management duty and exposes the organization to substantial legal and financial risks. Regulatory compliance is non-negotiable, and delaying action can result in penalties, reputational damage, project termination, or even legal action against the organization. A project manager must prioritize adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, making immediate acknowledgment and appropriate action imperative, regardless of perceived project delays.
- ✓
Submit a change request to incorporate the regulatory requirement through the change control process
Why this is correct
Submitting a formal change request is the correct procedural step to incorporate any new requirement, especially a regulatory one, into the project baseline. This action initiates the integrated change control process, ensuring that the requirement's impact on scope, schedule, budget, and quality is properly assessed, reviewed by the Change Control Board (CCB), and formally approved. This structured approach maintains project integrity, prevents unauthorized modifications, and ensures all stakeholders are aligned on the necessary adjustments before execution.
- ✓
Analyze the impact of the new requirement on scope, schedule, and cost
Why this is correct
Thoroughly analyzing the impact of a new regulatory requirement on the project's scope, schedule, and cost is a fundamental step in effective project management. This analysis provides critical data for informed decision-making, allowing the project manager and stakeholders to understand the full implications of the change before committing resources or adjusting baselines. Without a comprehensive impact assessment, any subsequent actions, such as submitting a change request or communicating with stakeholders, would lack the necessary foundational data to be truly effective or responsible.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This PMP question is part of Courseiva's 820-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.