- A
Submit a change request through the Integrated Change Control process and assess the impact on scope, schedule, and cost
PMI requires all scope changes to go through Integrated Change Control. The PM must document, assess impact, and obtain approval before proceeding.
- B
Ask the team to begin work on the module immediately to accommodate the stakeholder
Why wrong: Implementing scope changes without going through change control violates the change management process.
- C
Inform the stakeholder that no changes can be made once the project has started
Why wrong: This is incorrect — changes can be made through the formal change control process. Refusing outright without assessment is not the PMI approach.
- D
Add the requirement to the product backlog and let the team address it in a future sprint without formal approval
Why wrong: Adding work to the backlog without change control approval bypasses formal governance and violates the project management plan.
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.
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 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?
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
Submit a change request through the Integrated Change Control process and assess the impact on scope, schedule, and cost
Option A is correct because 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.
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 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.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
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.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may 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.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In an ERP implementation using a hybrid or predictive approach, the scope baseline is established during planning and any deviation requires a change request. The ICC process involves evaluating the change against the project management plan, including the schedule baseline (e.g., the 3-week delay), cost baseline (e.g., additional resource costs), and scope statement. Even in agile frameworks like Scrum, significant changes that affect the sprint goal or release plan should be discussed with the product owner and stakeholders, and if they impact the overall project constraints, a formal change request is still recommended to maintain traceability and governance.
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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People — Leading Projects — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PMP question test?
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: Submit a change request through the Integrated Change Control process and assess the impact on scope, schedule, and cost — Option A is correct because 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.
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
1 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 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: Option B is correct because 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.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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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