PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the customer requests a major feature addition that would extend the timeline by two weeks. The team is already working at capacity. What should you do FIRST?
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
The correct action is to submit a change request through the Integrated Change Control process. PMI requires formal assessment and approval before implementing any change that impacts scope, schedule, or cost. Proceeding without change control violates the project management plan.
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
This is the correct and most professional approach according to PMI principles. Any proposed change that affects a project's baselines—scope, schedule, or cost—must be formally documented as a change request and processed through the Integrated Change Control process. This ensures a thorough impact analysis is conducted, allowing stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding approval or rejection, thereby maintaining project governance and control.
- ✗
Ask the team to start working on the feature immediately to satisfy the customer
Why it's wrong here
Directly implementing a new feature without formal change control is a critical deviation from sound project management practices. This action bypasses the necessary governance processes, leading to unauthorized scope creep, potential budget overruns, and schedule delays without proper assessment or stakeholder approval. Such an approach jeopardizes project baselines and can undermine the project manager's authority and accountability.
- ✗
Inform the customer that the feature is out of scope and cannot be added
Why it's wrong here
Outright refusing a customer's request without any assessment or exploration of options is not aligned with effective stakeholder management or PMI's approach to change. While the feature might currently be out of scope, a project manager's role includes facilitating potential changes through the formal Integrated Change Control process. This allows for a proper evaluation of feasibility and impact, rather than an immediate, unanalyzed rejection.
- ✗
Add the feature to the product backlog and schedule it for a future sprint without further analysis
Why it's wrong here
Adding a significant new feature directly to the product backlog without formal analysis or processing through Integrated Change Control is inappropriate, even in a hybrid environment. This action risks introducing unapproved work that could impact the project's overall scope, budget, and schedule baselines. While agile backlogs are flexible, significant scope changes still require formal evaluation to ensure alignment with project objectives and stakeholder approval.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to the PMP Exam and Project Management Basics
Key term
Change Control Process
A formal, structured procedure used to manage any changes to a project's scope, schedule, budget, or requirements, ensuring every modification is reviewed, approved, tested, and documented before implementation.
Key term
Scrum Methodology
Scrum is a lightweight process framework that helps teams deliver complex projects in small, iterative chunks called sprints.
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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.