PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
Your project is a software development project using a hybrid approach. The team has completed the design phase, and you have received a change request from a key stakeholder to add a new feature. The team estimates this will add 3 months to the schedule and $50,000 to the budget. What is the BEST course of action?
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
✓
Evaluate the impact on the project constraints and submit a change request to the CCB
The correct option is B: Evaluate the impact on the project constraints and submit a change request to the CCB. In a hybrid project, any change to scope must go through integrated change control, where the impact on schedule, cost, and other constraints is documented and the Change Control Board (CCB) decides whether to approve, reject, or defer it. Since the change adds 3 months and $50,000, the project manager should not unilaterally approve or reject it but must follow the formal change management process. Option A is wrong because refusing outright ignores the stakeholder's request without proper evaluation, and the project manager typically lacks authority to reject changes unilaterally. Option C is wrong because approving it alone bypasses the CCB and ignores governance, even if the PM has some authority. Option D is wrong because implementing immediately skips impact analysis and approval, which can derail the project baseline.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Refuse the change because it will impact the schedule and budget
Why it's wrong here
Refusing outright ignores the Perform Integrated Change Control process, which requires evaluating the request's impact and presenting options rather than rejecting it unilaterally. Refusal is tempting when a change threatens baselines, but the correct action is to assess, document and route the request to the CCB for a decision.
- ✓
Evaluate the impact on the project constraints and submit a change request to the CCB
Why this is correct
In a hybrid project, changes still flow through integrated change control. Assessing schedule and cost impact, then submitting the request to the change control board for approval, satisfies governance before any baseline or scope modification is authorised.
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Approve the change yourself since it is within your authority
Why it's wrong here
A change adding three months and $50,000 exceeds typical project-manager authority and must go through the integrated change control process, including CCB review, before approval. Self-approving is tempting because project managers routinely approve minor changes, but this request's schedule and cost impact demands formal evaluation and authorisation.
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Implement the change immediately to satisfy the stakeholder
Why it's wrong here
Implementing immediately bypasses Perform Integrated Change Control, skipping impact analysis, CCB approval and baseline updates. Acting fast is tempting because hybrid projects value responsiveness and stakeholder satisfaction, but a three-month, $50,000 change must first be assessed and formally approved before any work begins.
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