PMP Practice Question: Business Environment: strategy and project benefits
You are the project manager for a hybrid software development project. During a sprint review, a key stakeholder requests a new feature that was not in the original scope. The product owner believes it adds significant value. The team estimates it will take two additional sprints. 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
According to PMI, any change to scope must go through the formal change control process. The project manager should first submit a change request to assess impact on schedule, cost, and resources before any decision is made.
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
Why this is correct
Submitting a change request through the Integrated Change Control process is the correct and formal procedure for managing any proposed modifications to the project scope, schedule, or budget. This ensures that all potential impacts are thoroughly assessed by relevant stakeholders and the change control board before approval or rejection. It maintains project baselines and ensures alignment with the project management plan, preventing uncontrolled scope creep and resource misallocation in a structured manner.
- ✗
Add the feature to the product backlog and let the team work on it in a future sprint without formal approval
Why it's wrong here
Adding a feature directly to the product backlog without formal approval bypasses the critical Integrated Change Control process, which is essential for maintaining project governance. This action risks introducing unapproved scope, potentially impacting the project's baselines for cost, schedule, and resources without proper assessment. It undermines the project management plan and the authority of the change control board, leading to uncontrolled project evolution.
- ✗
Ask the team to start working on the feature immediately to satisfy the stakeholder
Why it's wrong here
Instructing the team to immediately implement a new feature without following the established change control process is a direct violation of project governance. This impulsive action can lead to immediate scope creep, unbudgeted expenses, and schedule delays without any impact analysis or stakeholder consensus. It bypasses necessary approvals, jeopardizing project success by introducing unmanaged risks and potentially misaligning the project's objectives.
- ✗
Inform the stakeholder that no changes are allowed after the project has started
Why it's wrong here
Informing a stakeholder that no changes are allowed after project initiation is an inappropriate and inflexible response in project management. Projects are inherently dynamic, and a robust change management process, including Integrated Change Control, is specifically designed to evaluate and incorporate necessary modifications. Outright refusal ignores the potential for valid requirements evolution and can lead to stakeholder dissatisfaction and a product that fails to meet evolving business needs.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to the PMP Exam and Project Management Basics
Key term
Scrum Methodology
Scrum is a lightweight process framework that helps teams deliver complex projects in small, iterative chunks called sprints.
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.
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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.