- A
Inform the sponsor that the deadline is unrealistic and request a 12-month schedule.
Why wrong: The PM should first explore options to meet the deadline before rejecting it.
- B
Reduce the project scope without formal change control to shorten the schedule.
Why wrong: Scope changes must go through change control; reducing scope without approval is not allowed.
- C
Apply crashing or fast tracking to the critical path to try to meet the 10-month deadline.
After analyzing the schedule, the PM should apply compression techniques if feasible, and then communicate the impacts to the sponsor.
- D
Add more resources to all activities to reduce duration.
Why wrong: Adding resources without analyzing which activities are on the critical path may not be effective and could increase costs unnecessarily.
PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of process — managing technical aspects. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Your project is in the planning phase, and you need to develop the schedule. You have identified the activities and their dependencies. The team estimates that the project will take 12 months. However, the sponsor requires completion in 10 months. The project has a fixed deadline. What should you do FIRST?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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
Apply crashing or fast tracking to the critical path to try to meet the 10-month deadline.
Before applying schedule compression, the PM should first analyze the schedule to determine if compression is feasible and what the trade-offs are. The PM should then communicate with the sponsor about options and impacts. Option A is too quick to accept; Option D fails to explore options.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Inform the sponsor that the deadline is unrealistic and request a 12-month schedule.
Why it's wrong here
The PM should first explore options to meet the deadline before rejecting it.
- ✗
Reduce the project scope without formal change control to shorten the schedule.
Why it's wrong here
Scope changes must go through change control; reducing scope without approval is not allowed.
- ✓
Apply crashing or fast tracking to the critical path to try to meet the 10-month deadline.
Why this is correct
After analyzing the schedule, the PM should apply compression techniques if feasible, and then communicate the impacts to the sponsor.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- ✗
Add more resources to all activities to reduce duration.
Why it's wrong here
Adding resources without analyzing which activities are on the critical path may not be effective and could increase costs unnecessarily.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PMP NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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Process — Managing Technical Aspects — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PMP question test?
Process — Managing Technical Aspects — This question tests Process — Managing Technical Aspects — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Apply crashing or fast tracking to the critical path to try to meet the 10-month deadline. — Before applying schedule compression, the PM should first analyze the schedule to determine if compression is feasible and what the trade-offs are. The PM should then communicate with the sponsor about options and impacts. Option A is too quick to accept; Option D fails to explore options.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PMP NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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.
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