PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
Your construction project is in the execution phase. A key vendor informs you that a critical material will be delayed by 3 weeks due to a strike at their factory. This delay will push the project beyond the required completion date. The risk was identified and documented in the risk register with a planned response. 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
✓
Implement the pre-defined risk response as documented in the risk register.
The planned risk response should be executed as per the risk management plan. Option A is correct because the response is already defined. Option B is reactive; Option C skips the planned response; Option D may be needed later but is not first.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Implement the pre-defined risk response as documented in the risk register.
Why this is correct
When a risk event materializes, the immediate and most appropriate action is to execute the pre-defined risk response strategy. This strategy, developed during the Plan Risk Responses process and documented in the risk register, outlines specific actions to mitigate, avoid, transfer, or accept the risk. Implementing this plan ensures the project team leverages prior analysis and agreed-upon measures, providing a structured and proactive approach to managing the unexpected.
- ✗
Inform the sponsor and ask for additional budget to expedite shipping.
Why it's wrong here
Informing the sponsor and requesting additional budget, particularly for expediting, is a potential subsequent action, but it is not the initial or primary step when a risk occurs. Project management best practices dictate that the project team should first attempt to implement the pre-approved risk response documented in the risk register. Bypassing the established risk management plan to immediately seek more funds from the sponsor is premature and undermines the proactive planning efforts already undertaken.
- ✗
Crash the schedule by adding extra resources to other tasks to recover time.
Why it's wrong here
Crashing the schedule is a schedule compression technique employed to shorten the project duration, typically by adding resources to critical path activities at an increased cost. While it can be a viable strategy to recover lost time, it is a reactive measure to address schedule delays that might result after a risk has materialized and its initial response has been implemented or proven insufficient. It is not the immediate, first-line response to the occurrence of a risk event itself, which should be guided by the risk register's pre-planned actions.
- ✗
Update the risk register and escalate to the steering committee.
Why it's wrong here
Updating the risk register is an essential part of the Monitor Risks process, reflecting the current status, impact, and effectiveness of risk responses. Similarly, escalating to the steering committee is appropriate for significant risks that exceed the project manager's authority or impact thresholds. However, these actions typically follow the initial implementation of the pre-defined risk response, allowing the project team to assess its immediate impact and effectiveness before formal reporting or further escalation.
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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.