Quick Answer

The correct choice is to explain the risks of skipping UAT and recommend following the project management plan. This response is grounded in the core principle that the project management plan, once baselined, serves as the authoritative guide for execution, and any deviation—especially one that eliminates a critical quality gate like user acceptance testing—must be evaluated for its impact on scope, quality, and stakeholder satisfaction. Skipping UAT directly violates the plan’s defined processes and exposes the project to undetected defects and unmet user requirements, which can lead to costly rework or outright rejection of deliverables. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the project manager’s ethical duty to protect the project’s integrity while maintaining a collaborative relationship with the sponsor; the common trap is to reflexively comply with the sponsor’s request or to escalate without first explaining the consequences. Remember the memory tip: “Plan first, risk second, change control third”—always anchor your response in the plan, communicate the risk, and then route any formal change through the integrated change control process.