This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 running 15% over budget at the midpoint. The sponsor asks you to reduce costs by cutting team training. Which TWO actions should you take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Analyze the budget to identify other areas where costs can be reduced without impacting quality
Option A is correct because it aligns with the project manager's responsibility to optimize the budget without compromising quality. By analyzing the budget, you can identify non-critical areas for cost reduction, such as administrative overhead or non-essential resources, while preserving team training which directly impacts long-term performance and quality. This approach demonstrates proactive cost management and stakeholder negotiation, key aspects of the 'People' domain in leading projects.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Analyze the budget to identify other areas where costs can be reduced without impacting quality
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Accept the sponsor's request and cancel all upcoming training
Why it's wrong here
Cutting training may harm team performance and long-term project success.
✗
Submit a change request to increase the budget
Why it's wrong here
While a change request may be needed, first explore cost reduction options.
✗
Reduce the project scope to meet the budget
Why it's wrong here
Scope reduction requires change control and is not the first action.
✓
Explain to the sponsor the benefits of training and the risks of cutting it
Why this is correct
Educating the sponsor with evidence can help them make an informed decision.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume the sponsor's request must be followed without question (Option B), failing to recognize the project manager's duty to advocate for necessary resources and negotiate trade-offs based on risk analysis.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In project management, training is considered a 'preventive action' that reduces the risk of defects and rework, directly impacting the cost of quality (COQ). Cutting training increases the cost of non-conformance (e.g., rework, testing failures), which can exceed the short-term savings. Real-world scenarios, such as software development projects, show that inadequate training leads to higher defect rates and longer integration phases, ultimately increasing total project cost.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the PMP exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PMP question in full detail.
People — Leading Projects — This question tests People — Leading Projects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Analyze the budget to identify other areas where costs can be reduced without impacting quality — Option A is correct because it aligns with the project manager's responsibility to optimize the budget without compromising quality. By analyzing the budget, you can identify non-critical areas for cost reduction, such as administrative overhead or non-essential resources, while preserving team training which directly impacts long-term performance and quality. This approach demonstrates proactive cost management and stakeholder negotiation, key aspects of the 'People' domain in leading projects.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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