PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
You are the project manager for a large infrastructure upgrade project. The project involves deploying new servers across multiple data centers. During the execution phase, you receive a report that one of the critical servers has failed a security compliance test. The security team states that the server must be reconfigured and retested, which will take two days. However, this server is on the critical path and any delay will push the project completion date. Your sponsor is pressing you to meet the original deadline. The project has a contingency reserve for schedule risks. What is the best course of action?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers choose schedule compression (Option D) thinking it can recover the delay, but fail to recognize that the reconfiguration and retest are mandatory sequential steps that cannot be fast-tracked or crashed without invalidating the security test results.
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
✓
Use the contingency reserve to cover the two-day delay and inform the sponsor that the schedule will be extended accordingly.
The project has a contingency reserve specifically allocated for schedule risks, and the two-day delay caused by the security compliance failure is a known risk that the reserve is designed to cover. Using the contingency reserve allows the team to properly reconfigure and retest the server, ensuring security compliance without compromising project quality, while formally extending the schedule with sponsor awareness.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Instruct the team to skip the retest and proceed with deployment to meet the deadline.
Why it's wrong here
This action is unacceptable and highly unethical. Skipping a critical security retest directly violates compliance requirements and introduces significant project risk, potentially leading to severe security breaches, legal repercussions, and reputational damage. As a PMP, ensuring adherence to regulatory standards and project quality takes precedence over merely meeting a deadline, making this a non-viable option.
- ✗
Request additional funds from the management reserve to hire external consultants to resolve the issue faster.
Why it's wrong here
Requesting management reserve funds for external consultants bypasses the contingency reserve, which is the designated budget for schedule risks like this two-day delay; the correct action is to apply the contingency reserve first, as it exists precisely for such critical-path issues. This option is tempting because hiring specialists can accelerate resolution, and it would be correct if the contingency reserve were exhausted or the risk exceeded its allocated amount, requiring escalation to management reserve.
- ✓
Use the contingency reserve to cover the two-day delay and inform the sponsor that the schedule will be extended accordingly.
Why this is correct
This is the most appropriate response. Contingency reserves are specifically allocated for known-unknown risks, such as unexpected delays or issues identified during testing, which have been planned for in the risk register. Utilizing this reserve allows the project to absorb the two-day delay to ensure the critical security retest is completed, maintaining compliance and project quality, while transparently communicating the schedule impact to the sponsor.
- ✗
Implement schedule compression techniques such as fast tracking to recover the two days.
Why it's wrong here
While schedule compression techniques like fast tracking can recover time, applying them here is inappropriate and risky. Fast tracking involves performing activities in parallel that would normally be done in sequence, which significantly increases the risk of rework, errors, and quality degradation, especially for a critical security retest. Prioritizing compliance and quality over aggressive schedule recovery in this context is paramount to avoid compounding issues.
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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.