PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
During a project, the sponsor asks you to skip the user acceptance testing (UAT) phase to save two weeks and meet an accelerated deadline. What should you do?
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 suggest reducing scope or adding resources instead
Skipping UAT compromises quality and may lead to higher costs later. The PM should explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose alternatives that maintain quality while addressing the schedule.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Explain the risks of skipping UAT and suggest reducing scope or adding resources instead
Why this is correct
The project manager's primary responsibility is to balance project constraints, including quality. By explaining the significant risks associated with skipping User Acceptance Testing (UAT), such as increased post-implementation defects and user dissatisfaction, the PM fulfills their duty to protect project quality. Proposing alternatives like scope reduction or additional resources demonstrates proactive problem-solving and a commitment to delivering a quality product within realistic constraints, engaging the sponsor in a collaborative solution.
- ✗
Agree to skip UAT to meet the sponsor's deadline
Why it's wrong here
Agreeing to skip UAT directly compromises the project's quality baseline and introduces substantial risk of delivering a product that does not meet user requirements or contains critical defects. This action neglects the project manager's ethical obligation to ensure quality deliverables and can lead to costly rework, reputational damage, and user dissatisfaction post-deployment. Prioritizing schedule over quality, especially for a critical activity like UAT, is a failure in effective constraint management.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to the PMO without discussing with the sponsor
Why it's wrong here
Escalating directly to the Project Management Office (PMO) without first attempting to resolve the issue with the sponsor is a premature and inappropriate action. The project manager should always try to address concerns and find solutions with the immediate stakeholder, in this case, the sponsor, before involving higher authorities. This approach undermines direct communication, can strain stakeholder relationships, and bypasses the opportunity for collaborative problem-solving at the lowest effective level.
- ✗
Skip UAT as requested but document the decision
Why it's wrong here
Simply documenting the decision to skip UAT, without actively challenging the request or proposing alternatives, is insufficient risk management and a dereliction of the project manager's duty. While documentation is important for transparency, it does not mitigate the inherent risks of bypassing a critical quality assurance step. A project manager must proactively advocate for project quality and challenge decisions that could severely jeopardize project success and stakeholder satisfaction.
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on PMP
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. The sponsor asks you to skip the final round of user acceptance testing (UAT) to meet the deadline, stating that earlier tests were sufficient. What should the project manager do first?
medium- A.Direct the team to proceed without UAT because the sponsor has authority
- B.Agree to skip UAT to accommodate the sponsor's request
- ✓ C.Explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose alternatives, such as reducing test scope or compressing the schedule
- D.Escalate to the PMO or senior management that the sponsor is compromising quality
Why C: The project manager must first address the sponsor's request by explaining the risks of skipping UAT, which validates that the system meets user requirements and functions correctly in a production-like environment. Proposing alternatives like reducing test scope or compressing the schedule demonstrates proactive risk management while keeping the project aligned with quality standards. Skipping UAT entirely could lead to undetected defects, user dissatisfaction, and costly rework post-deployment.
Variation 2. Your project's sponsor requests that you skip user acceptance testing (UAT) to recover schedule delays. The team has already performed thorough internal testing. What should you do FIRST?
medium- ✓ A.Explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose a compressed UAT schedule
- B.Skip UAT and add a warranty period to address any issues after release
- C.Proceed with UAT as planned without informing the sponsor
- D.Agree to skip UAT to accommodate the sponsor's request
Why A: Skipping UAT violates the project's quality management plan and risks delivering a product that does not meet user needs, even if internal testing passed. The first step is to communicate the risks of skipping UAT to the sponsor and propose a compressed schedule as a compromise, which aligns with the PMI's emphasis on stakeholder communication and risk management. This approach balances schedule recovery with maintaining quality assurance through user validation.
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.