- A
Direct the team to proceed without UAT because the sponsor has authority
Why wrong: The PM has a responsibility to advocate for quality and follow the project management plan.
- B
Agree to skip UAT to accommodate the sponsor's request
Why wrong: Skipping UAT increases risk of defects and is not a PMI-recommended practice.
- C
Explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose alternatives, such as reducing test scope or compressing the schedule
The PM should communicate risks and seek a collaborative solution while maintaining quality.
- D
Escalate to the PMO or senior management that the sponsor is compromising quality
Why wrong: Escalation may be appropriate if the sponsor insists, but first attempt to discuss risks.
Question 447 of 892
Sponsor Requests Skipping User Acceptance Testing: What to Do
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.
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?
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 alternatives, such as reducing test scope or compressing the schedule
Option C is correct because 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.
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.
- ✗
Direct the team to proceed without UAT because the sponsor has authority
Why it's wrong here
The PM has a responsibility to advocate for quality and follow the project management plan.
- ✗
Agree to skip UAT to accommodate the sponsor's request
Why it's wrong here
Skipping UAT increases risk of defects and is not a PMI-recommended practice.
- ✓
Explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose alternatives, such as reducing test scope or compressing the schedule
Why this is correct
The PM should communicate risks and seek a collaborative solution while maintaining quality.
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 to the PMO or senior management that the sponsor is compromising quality
Why it's wrong here
Escalation may be appropriate if the sponsor insists, but first attempt to discuss risks.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume the sponsor's authority is absolute (leading to option A) or that escalation is the immediate step (option D), but the PMP exam emphasizes that the project manager should first engage the sponsor with a reasoned analysis and collaborative solution.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
User acceptance testing (UAT) is a formal validation phase where end-users test the system against real-world scenarios to confirm it meets their needs and business processes. Skipping UAT increases the risk of acceptance failures, as earlier tests (e.g., system or integration testing) may not cover user-specific workflows, data variations, or usability issues. In practice, a compressed schedule could involve risk-based testing, where only critical user stories are tested, or parallel testing with a subset of users to gather feedback without full scope.
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 alternatives, such as reducing test scope or compressing the schedule — Option C is correct because 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.
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
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. 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?
medium- ✓ A.Explain the risks of skipping UAT and suggest reducing scope or adding resources instead
- B.Agree to skip UAT to meet the sponsor's deadline
- C.Escalate the issue to the PMO without discussing with the sponsor
- D.Skip UAT as requested but document the decision
Why A: 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.
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: Option A is correct because 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.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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