The correct first step is to explain the risks of skipping quality inspections and discuss alternatives to meet the deadline. This response is grounded in the project manager’s duty to balance stakeholder requests with the project’s quality standards and risk profile, as outlined in the PMBOK Guide’s processes for Manage Quality and Control Quality. Skipping inspections may introduce defects, rework, safety hazards, and cost overruns, which ultimately delay the project further. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your ability to apply proactive risk management and stakeholder engagement—specifically, the principle that a project manager must communicate impacts transparently rather than comply blindly or refuse outright. A common trap is choosing to simply refuse or escalate immediately, but the correct approach is collaborative dialogue. Memory tip: “Risk first, then alternatives”—always explain the “why” before proposing the “how.”
PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. 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.
You are managing a construction project using a traditional approach. The sponsor asks you to skip the quality inspection phase to save two weeks and meet an aggressive deadline. 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 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 quality inspections and discuss alternatives to meet the deadline
Option C is correct because, as a project manager, your first responsibility is to address the sponsor's request professionally by communicating the risks of skipping quality inspections—such as potential rework, safety failures, and cost overruns—and then collaboratively exploring alternatives (e.g., parallel testing, reduced sampling) to meet the deadline without compromising quality. This aligns with the PMP's emphasis on stakeholder engagement and proactive risk management, not blind compliance or refusal.
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.
✗
Agree to skip the inspections to satisfy the sponsor's request
Why it's wrong here
Agreeing without proper risk assessment is not responsible.
✗
Refuse outright because quality cannot be compromised
Why it's wrong here
Refusing without discussion may damage stakeholder relationships.
✓
Explain the risks of skipping quality inspections and discuss alternatives to meet the deadline
Why this is correct
Communicating risks and collaborating on solutions is the correct approach.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Proceed with inspections but report that they were completed
Why it's wrong here
Misrepresenting work is unethical.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose Option B (refuse outright) because they think it demonstrates strong ethical stance, but the PMP exam expects you to first analyze and communicate risks before making a decision, not to shut down stakeholder requests without dialogue.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In traditional (waterfall) construction projects, quality inspections are typically defined in the Quality Management Plan (QMP) and may include hold points that must be verified before proceeding to the next phase. Skipping these inspections can lead to latent defects that are exponentially more expensive to fix later—a concept known as the 'cost of quality' (COQ) where prevention and appraisal costs are far lower than failure costs. A real-world scenario is the 1981 Kansas City Hyatt Regency walkway collapse, where skipped inspections and design changes led to catastrophic failure, underscoring why quality gates are non-negotiable.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PMP question in full detail.
People — Leading Projects — This question tests People — Leading Projects — 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 quality inspections and discuss alternatives to meet the deadline — Option C is correct because, as a project manager, your first responsibility is to address the sponsor's request professionally by communicating the risks of skipping quality inspections—such as potential rework, safety failures, and cost overruns—and then collaboratively exploring alternatives (e.g., parallel testing, reduced sampling) to meet the deadline without compromising quality. This aligns with the PMP's emphasis on stakeholder engagement and proactive risk management, not blind compliance or refusal.
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
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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. Your project is using a hybrid approach. Mid-project, the sponsor asks you to skip the testing phase to save time and meet the deadline. The team is concerned about quality. Which THREE actions should you take?
hard
✓ A.Consult with the team to identify the most critical tests that can be performed within the remaining time
B.Escalate the issue to the PMO or steering committee without further discussion
C.Agree to skip testing to meet the sponsor's request
✓ D.Explain to the sponsor the risks of skipping testing, including potential rework and quality issues
✓ E.Propose an alternative, such as reducing the scope of testing or using risk-based testing
Why A: Option A is correct: explaining risks is essential. Option D is correct: proposing alternatives shows proactive problem-solving. Option E is correct: consulting the team leverages their expertise. Option B is wrong because agreeing to skip is unethical. Option C is wrong because escalating without discussion is premature.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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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.
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