PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
During a sprint review, the product owner requests a significant change to a feature that was just completed. The change would improve user experience but would require reworking two sprints' worth of work. The project is already behind schedule. What should the project manager do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often think the product owner's request should be immediately accommodated or rejected based on schedule pressure, but the PMP exam emphasizes that the first step is always to document and assess the change through the formal change control process, regardless of the project's status.
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
✓
Document the change request and assess its impact on the project constraints before submitting for approval
The project manager must first follow the formal change control process by documenting the change request and assessing its impact on the triple constraints (scope, schedule, cost) before any approval or rejection. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's Integrated Change Control process, which ensures that changes are evaluated systematically to avoid uncontrolled scope creep, especially when the project is already behind 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.
- ✗
Agree to the change since it improves user experience and ask the team to start rework
Why it's wrong here
This option is incorrect because it bypasses the formal Integrated Change Control process, a critical component of project governance. Agreeing to a significant change and initiating rework without proper documentation, impact assessment, and approval from the Change Control Board (CCB) or relevant stakeholders can lead to unauthorized scope creep, project instability, and deviation from approved baselines. Such an action undermines project control and increases risks to schedule, cost, and quality.
- ✓
Document the change request and assess its impact on the project constraints before submitting for approval
Why this is correct
This is the correct approach as it strictly adheres to the Integrated Change Control process, a fundamental principle in project management. Documenting the change request formally initiates the process, ensuring all relevant details are captured. Subsequently, assessing its impact on project constraints—such as scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, and risks—provides the necessary data for informed decision-making by the Change Control Board (CCB) or product owner, preventing uncontrolled changes and maintaining project stability.
- ✗
Reject the change because the project is already behind schedule
Why it's wrong here
This option is incorrect because it represents an arbitrary decision to reject a change without proper evaluation or following the established Integrated Change Control process. While project schedule is a valid concern, dismissing a significant request solely based on current delays ignores the potential value the change might bring and fails to assess its true impact on all project constraints. A PMP should always facilitate a thorough assessment before making such a definitive decision, ensuring transparency and objective evaluation.
- ✗
Add the change to the product backlog for a future release without adjusting the current sprint
Why it's wrong here
While adding changes to the product backlog is common in agile, for a "significant" request, simply adding it without formal documentation and impact assessment is insufficient, even if not immediately adjusting the current sprint. The product owner, in collaboration with the project manager, should still evaluate the change's implications on the overall product vision, strategic goals, and future releases. Bypassing a structured assessment for significant changes, even in an agile context, can lead to unmanaged scope evolution and misprioritization without understanding the full implications.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to the PMP Exam and Project Management Basics
Key term
Scrum Methodology
Scrum is a lightweight process framework that helps teams deliver complex projects in small, iterative chunks called sprints.
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.