PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
You are managing a marketing campaign project. The sponsor asks you to skip the quality review of the final deliverables to meet the deadline. 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 potential risks of skipping the review and propose alternatives to compress the schedule without sacrificing quality.
The project manager should communicate the risks of skipping quality reviews and work with the sponsor to find ways to meet the deadline without compromising quality, such as fast tracking or crashing. Option A is incorrect as it violates quality standards and increases risk. Option B is too aggressive; escalation should be a last resort after discussion. Option C is inappropriate as it involves deception and does not address the underlying issue.
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 review to meet the deadline as requested by the sponsor.
Why it's wrong here
Agreeing to skip a critical quality control activity like a review, even under sponsor pressure, is a significant dereliction of the Project Manager's duty. This action directly compromises project quality, substantially increasing the likelihood of defects, rework, and potential project failure or increased costs down the line. A PM has an ethical obligation to protect the project's integrity and manage risks, not simply accede to requests that jeopardize deliverables.
- ✗
Refuse the request and immediately escalate to the PMO.
Why it's wrong here
Immediately refusing the sponsor's request and escalating to the PMO without prior discussion is an overly aggressive and premature response. A Project Manager should first attempt to understand the sponsor's underlying concerns, explain the potential implications of their request, and collaboratively explore alternative solutions. Escalation should be a last resort, employed only after attempts at direct communication and negotiation have failed, as premature escalation can damage vital stakeholder relationships.
- ✗
Skip the review but perform it after the deadline without telling anyone.
Why it's wrong here
Performing a critical quality activity covertly after the fact, without informing stakeholders, constitutes a severe breach of professional ethics and transparency. This action misrepresents the true project status, undermines trust with the sponsor and other stakeholders, and directly violates the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, which mandates honesty and integrity in all project communications and actions. Such deception can lead to significant reputational damage and project setbacks.
- ✓
Explain the potential risks of skipping the review and propose alternatives to compress the schedule without sacrificing quality.
Why this is correct
This is the most appropriate and professional course of action, demonstrating proactive risk management, effective stakeholder communication, and a commitment to project quality. The Project Manager fulfills their responsibility by clearly articulating the potential negative consequences of the sponsor's request and then collaboratively seeking viable solutions. This approach addresses the schedule constraint while safeguarding the project's deliverables and mitigating future risks, aligning with best practices in project management.
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Same concept, more angles
3 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. Your project is 80% complete, and the sponsor asks you to skip the final testing phase to release the product early and capture market share. The testing phase is critical for quality. What is the BEST response?
hard- ✓ A.Explain the risks of skipping testing and propose a compromise, such as testing the most critical functions first
- B.Agree to skip testing to accommodate the sponsor's request
- C.Refuse the request and insist on full testing as planned
- D.Update the risk register and proceed with the release
Why A: It demonstrates proactive risk management and stakeholder negotiation. By explaining the risks of skipping testing and proposing a compromise—such as testing critical functions first—you address the sponsor's urgency while preserving the project's quality objectives. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on managing technical aspects through iterative validation and risk-based testing prioritization.
Variation 2. During a project's execution phase, the sponsor asks you to skip the user acceptance testing (UAT) phase to expedite delivery, stating that the client is eager to use the system. What should you do?
medium- A.Skip UAT but add a note in the lessons learned about the decision.
- ✓ B.Explain the risks of skipping UAT and recommend proceeding with the planned testing.
- C.Compromise by reducing UAT to only critical test cases.
- D.Agree to skip UAT to meet the sponsor's request and expedite delivery.
Why B: Skipping UAT poses significant quality and acceptance risks. The PM should communicate the risks to the sponsor and recommend following the quality plan. PMI emphasizes the importance of quality assurance and control processes.
Variation 3. During a project to implement a new CRM system, the sponsor asks you to skip the user acceptance testing (UAT) phase to meet the go-live date, stating that the system has been thoroughly tested by the IT team. What should you do FIRST?
medium- ✓ A.Explain the risks of skipping UAT and propose a compressed UAT focusing on critical functions.
- B.Escalate the issue to the PMO for a decision.
- C.Agree to skip UAT to meet the deadline and update the project schedule.
- D.Proceed with the go-live and document the decision as a risk in the risk register.
Why A: As the project manager, your first responsibility is to address the sponsor's request by communicating the technical risks of skipping UAT—such as undetected integration failures, data migration errors, or workflow logic defects that IT testing alone cannot uncover—and proposing a compressed UAT that still validates critical business processes. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on proactive risk management and stakeholder communication, ensuring the system meets user requirements before go-live.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.