- A
Explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose a compressed UAT focusing on critical functions.
The PM should communicate risks and offer a mitigation plan, such as a reduced but still effective UAT.
- B
Escalate the issue to the PMO for a decision.
Why wrong: Escalation may be necessary later, but first the PM should discuss directly with the sponsor.
- C
Agree to skip UAT to meet the deadline and update the project schedule.
Why wrong: Agreeing to skip UAT accepts high risk without proper evaluation; this is not proactive.
- D
Proceed with the go-live and document the decision as a risk in the risk register.
Why wrong: Documenting the decision without trying to prevent it is reactive; the PM should first attempt to influence the decision.
Question 714 of 892
Skipping UAT — Responding to Sponsor Pressure
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of process — managing technical aspects. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
During a project to implement a new CRM system, the sponsor asks you to skip the user acceptance testing (UAT) phase to meet the go-live date, stating that the system has been thoroughly tested by the IT team. What should you do FIRST?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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 compressed UAT focusing on critical functions.
Option A is correct because as the project manager, your first responsibility is to address the sponsor's request by communicating the technical risks of skipping UAT—such as undetected integration failures, data migration errors, or workflow logic defects that IT testing alone cannot uncover—and proposing a compressed UAT that still validates critical business processes. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on proactive risk management and stakeholder communication, ensuring the system meets user requirements before go-live.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 propose a compressed UAT focusing on critical functions.
Why this is correct
The PM should communicate risks and offer a mitigation plan, such as a reduced but still effective UAT.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to the PMO for a decision.
Why it's wrong here
Escalation may be necessary later, but first the PM should discuss directly with the sponsor.
- ✗
Agree to skip UAT to meet the deadline and update the project schedule.
Why it's wrong here
Agreeing to skip UAT accepts high risk without proper evaluation; this is not proactive.
- ✗
Proceed with the go-live and document the decision as a risk in the risk register.
Why it's wrong here
Documenting the decision without trying to prevent it is reactive; the PM should first attempt to influence the decision.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume the sponsor's authority or the PMO's role should override the PM's judgment, but the PM must first act as a steward by proposing a risk-informed compromise rather than immediately escalating or accepting the request.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
UAT is a distinct phase from system or integration testing because it validates that the CRM system meets real-world business processes, such as lead-to-cash workflows, custom field mappings, and role-based access controls, which IT testers may not fully simulate. Skipping UAT can lead to undetected issues like incorrect data synchronization between the CRM and ERP systems, or user permissions that block critical operations, often requiring costly post-go-live patches. In practice, a compressed UAT can focus on high-risk areas like data migration integrity and core transaction flows, reducing the go-live delay while still catching showstopper defects.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the PMP exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Process — Managing Technical Aspects — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PMP question test?
Process — Managing Technical Aspects — This question tests Process — Managing Technical Aspects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose a compressed UAT focusing on critical functions. — Option A is correct because as the project manager, your first responsibility is to address the sponsor's request by communicating the technical risks of skipping UAT—such as undetected integration failures, data migration errors, or workflow logic defects that IT testing alone cannot uncover—and proposing a compressed UAT that still validates critical business processes. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on proactive risk management and stakeholder communication, ensuring the system meets user requirements before go-live.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
3 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. You are managing a marketing campaign project. The sponsor asks you to skip the quality review of the final deliverables to meet the deadline. What should you do?
easy- A.Agree to skip the review to meet the deadline as requested by the sponsor.
- B.Refuse the request and immediately escalate to the PMO.
- C.Skip the review but perform it after the deadline without telling anyone.
- ✓ D.Explain the potential risks of skipping the review and propose alternatives to compress the schedule without sacrificing quality.
Why D: Option D is correct because the project manager should communicate the risks of skipping quality reviews and work with the sponsor to find ways to meet the deadline without compromising quality, such as fast tracking or crashing. Option A is incorrect as it violates quality standards and increases risk. Option B is too aggressive; escalation should be a last resort after discussion. Option C is inappropriate as it involves deception and does not address the underlying issue.
Variation 2. Your project is 80% complete, and the sponsor asks you to skip the final testing phase to release the product early and capture market share. The testing phase is critical for quality. What is the BEST response?
hard- ✓ A.Explain the risks of skipping testing and propose a compromise, such as testing the most critical functions first
- B.Agree to skip testing to accommodate the sponsor's request
- C.Refuse the request and insist on full testing as planned
- D.Update the risk register and proceed with the release
Why A: Option A is correct because it demonstrates proactive risk management and stakeholder negotiation. By explaining the risks of skipping testing and proposing a compromise—such as testing critical functions first—you address the sponsor's urgency while preserving the project's quality objectives. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on managing technical aspects through iterative validation and risk-based testing prioritization.
Variation 3. During a project's execution phase, the sponsor asks you to skip the user acceptance testing (UAT) phase to expedite delivery, stating that the client is eager to use the system. What should you do?
medium- A.Skip UAT but add a note in the lessons learned about the decision.
- ✓ B.Explain the risks of skipping UAT and recommend proceeding with the planned testing.
- C.Compromise by reducing UAT to only critical test cases.
- D.Agree to skip UAT to meet the sponsor's request and expedite delivery.
Why B: Skipping UAT poses significant quality and acceptance risks. The PM should communicate the risks to the sponsor and recommend following the quality plan. PMI emphasizes the importance of quality assurance and control processes.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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