- A
Submit a change request to reduce the quality management budget
Why wrong: Reducing quality management budget without analyzing impacts is reactive and may not address the root cause of the cost overrun.
- B
Agree to skip some QA activities to meet the sponsor's request, as cost is a priority
Why wrong: Skipping QA compromises quality and may lead to higher costs from rework.
- C
Ignore the sponsor's request and continue with the current QA plan
Why wrong: Ignoring a stakeholder concern is not appropriate; the PM should address it professionally.
- D
Explain the risks of reducing QA and propose alternative cost-saving measures that do not compromise quality
Proactive communication and proposing alternatives align with PMI's focus on managing trade-offs without sacrificing quality.
PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of process — managing technical aspects. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Your project is 40% complete, and the earned value analysis shows CPI = 0.8 and SPI = 0.9. The project sponsor is concerned about the cost overrun and asks you to reduce costs by skipping quality assurance activities. 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 reducing QA and propose alternative cost-saving measures that do not compromise quality
Option D is correct because skipping quality assurance (QA) activities to reduce costs directly violates the principle of 'quality is planned in, not inspected in.' With CPI=0.8 and SPI=0.9, the project is over budget and behind schedule; reducing QA would likely increase rework, defects, and technical debt, further worsening cost and schedule performance. The PM must protect the quality baseline and propose alternative cost-saving measures that do not compromise deliverables or introduce unacceptable risk.
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.
- ✗
Submit a change request to reduce the quality management budget
Why it's wrong here
Reducing quality management budget without analyzing impacts is reactive and may not address the root cause of the cost overrun.
- ✗
Agree to skip some QA activities to meet the sponsor's request, as cost is a priority
Why it's wrong here
Skipping QA compromises quality and may lead to higher costs from rework.
- ✗
Ignore the sponsor's request and continue with the current QA plan
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring a stakeholder concern is not appropriate; the PM should address it professionally.
- ✓
Explain the risks of reducing QA and propose alternative cost-saving measures that do not compromise quality
Why this is correct
Proactive communication and proposing alternatives align with PMI's focus on managing trade-offs without sacrificing quality.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think the PM must always obey the sponsor's directive, but the PM's ethical duty is to protect the project's quality baseline and explain the downstream consequences of compromising quality, not to blindly follow cost-cutting requests.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Earned Value Management (EVM) metrics like CPI and SPI are leading indicators; a CPI of 0.8 means only $0.80 of work is earned for every $1 spent, indicating cost inefficiency. Skipping QA would likely degrade the Cost Performance Index further due to rework, as quality failures often manifest as unplanned rework that consumes budget without adding earned value. In real-world projects, reducing QA in response to cost overruns is a classic 'penny wise, pound foolish' mistake, especially in regulated industries where non-compliance can halt the project entirely.
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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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 reducing QA and propose alternative cost-saving measures that do not compromise quality — Option D is correct because skipping quality assurance (QA) activities to reduce costs directly violates the principle of 'quality is planned in, not inspected in.' With CPI=0.8 and SPI=0.9, the project is over budget and behind schedule; reducing QA would likely increase rework, defects, and technical debt, further worsening cost and schedule performance. The PM must protect the quality baseline and propose alternative cost-saving measures that do not compromise deliverables or introduce unacceptable risk.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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