First Step When a Stakeholder Requests a Scope Change
You are a project manager overseeing a 12-month ERP implementation. During sprint 6 of 20, the product owner informs you that a key stakeholder wants to add a new reporting module that was not in the original scope. The team estimates this would add 3 weeks to the schedule. What should you do FIRST?
Quick Answer
The correct first step is to submit a change request through the Integrated Change Control process and assess the impact on scope, schedule, and cost. This is because any alteration to the approved scope baseline, such as adding a new reporting module, must be formally evaluated and controlled before implementation. The Integrated Change Control process ensures that all changes are reviewed for their effects on the triple constraint—scope, time, and cost—and that only approved changes are integrated into the project plan, preventing uncontrolled scope creep. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding that the project manager’s role is to facilitate the change control system, not to approve or reject changes unilaterally. A common trap is jumping to negotiate with the stakeholder or update the schedule without first documenting the request through the formal process. Remember the mnemonic “CRIB”: Change Request first, then Impact assessment, then Board approval, then Baseline update.
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse agile backlog management with formal change control, assuming that adding a requirement to the backlog is sufficient without recognizing that the 3-week schedule impact requires a formal change request to protect the project baseline.
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 through the Integrated Change Control process and assess the impact on scope, schedule, and cost
The addition of a new reporting module represents a change to the approved scope baseline. According to the PMBOK Guide, any change to scope must go through the Integrated Change Control (ICC) process, which includes submitting a formal change request, assessing impacts on scope, schedule, cost, and quality, and obtaining approval before implementation. This ensures that all changes are evaluated and controlled, preventing scope creep and maintaining project alignment with business objectives.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Submit a change request through the Integrated Change Control process and assess the impact on scope, schedule, and cost
Why this is correct
PMI requires all scope changes to go through Integrated Change Control. The PM must document, assess impact, and obtain approval before proceeding.
- ✗
Ask the team to begin work on the module immediately to accommodate the stakeholder
Why it's wrong here
Implementing scope changes without going through change control violates the change management process.
- ✗
Inform the stakeholder that no changes can be made once the project has started
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect — changes can be made through the formal change control process. Refusing outright without assessment is not the PMI approach.
- ✗
Add the requirement to the product backlog and let the team address it in a future sprint without formal approval
Why it's wrong here
Adding work to the backlog without change control approval bypasses formal governance and violates the project management plan.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way 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. During a large infrastructure project, the sponsor requests that the project manager skip the final round of user acceptance testing (UAT) to meet the regulatory deadline, stating that the system has passed all previous tests. What should the project manager do?
medium- A.Delay the deadline by two weeks to conduct UAT as planned
- ✓ B.Explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose a formal change request to the schedule or scope
- C.Conduct a shorter UAT with only critical test cases to save time
- D.Agree to skip UAT to meet the deadline as the sponsor has authority
Why B: The project manager must protect the project from risks that could compromise quality or regulatory compliance. Skipping UAT, even after successful earlier tests, could miss critical integration or user-specific defects that only emerge in a production-like environment. The correct action is to explain these risks to the sponsor and initiate a formal change request to adjust the schedule or scope, ensuring any decision is documented and approved through the change control process.
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.