PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
You are the project manager for a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the product owner requests a change that would add a new feature to the current release. The team estimates it will take two additional sprints. What should you do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
PMP often tests whether candidates apply agile flexibility to bypass change control — the trap is assuming that because the project is hybrid/agile, changes can be added directly to the backlog without ICC when they affect baselines.
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 to assess the impact on scope, schedule, cost, and quality
In a hybrid project management approach, changes that affect scope, schedule, cost, or quality must go through Integrated Change Control (ICC) per PMBOK. Even in an agile/hybrid context, a change adding two sprints of work is a significant scope change that requires formal impact analysis and approval before commitment. Submitting a change request first ensures the product owner, sponsor, and team understand the trade-offs before any work begins.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ask the team to start working on the new feature immediately to meet the stakeholder's needs
Why it's wrong here
Initiating work on a new feature immediately without following the established Integrated Change Control process is a direct violation of project governance. This action bypasses critical impact analysis on scope, schedule, cost, and quality, leading to unauthorized scope creep and increased project risk. Such an approach significantly jeopardizes the project's approved baselines and overall objectives.
- ✓
Submit a change request through the Integrated Change Control process to assess the impact on scope, schedule, cost, and quality
Why this is correct
This is the correct PMP approach. Any proposed change, regardless of its origin or perceived urgency, must be formally documented as a change request and submitted to the Integrated Change Control process. This ensures a thorough evaluation of its potential impact on all project baselines—scope, schedule, cost, and quality—allowing for informed decision-making by the Change Control Board (CCB) and maintaining project integrity.
- ✗
Explain that no changes can be made after the sprint review to maintain the schedule
Why it's wrong here
Stating that no changes can be made after a sprint review is an inflexible and incorrect stance in project management. While maintaining the schedule is important, projects must remain adaptable to evolving stakeholder needs and business environments. The proper mechanism for evaluating and potentially incorporating such changes is through the formal Integrated Change Control process, not outright rejection, which can lead to stakeholder dissatisfaction and missed opportunities.
- ✗
Add the feature to the backlog and prioritize it for the next release without further analysis
Why it's wrong here
While adding a feature to the backlog is a common practice in agile environments, doing so without any prior analysis or formal change request still bypasses essential project governance. This approach neglects to assess the strategic alignment, technical feasibility, resource implications, or overall impact on the project's current objectives and baselines. Unvetted additions can introduce significant risks, even if planned for a future release.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Team Building and Psychological Safety
Key term
Training and Development
Training and Development is the process of enhancing team members' skills, knowledge, and competencies to improve project performance and achieve career growth.
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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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PMI exam blueprint
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.