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 variance is due to unforeseen technical challenges. You have identified a potential solution that would reduce costs but might affect scope. 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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Analyze the impact of the solution on scope, schedule, and cost, then present a change request to the CCB
Option C is correct because the PMBOK Guide requires that any potential solution affecting scope must first be analyzed for its impact on the triple constraint (scope, schedule, cost) before submitting a formal change request to the Change Control Board (CCB). This ensures that the decision is based on objective data and follows the established change control process, which is critical when the project is already over budget due to unforeseen technical challenges.
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.
✗
Ask the sponsor for additional budget to cover the overrun
Why it's wrong here
This may not be the best solution; first analyze options.
✗
Continue as planned and hope to recover the budget later
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring the variance is not proactive.
✓
Analyze the impact of the solution on scope, schedule, and cost, then present a change request to the CCB
Why this is correct
Following the change control process is required for scope changes.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Implement the solution immediately to control costs
Why it's wrong here
Implementing without approval is not allowed.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose Option D (implement immediately) because they focus on cost control urgency, but the PMP exam emphasizes following the formal change control process over ad-hoc decisions, even when the project is in distress.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In project management, the change control process is governed by the PMBOK Guide's Perform Integrated Change Control process, which requires that all change requests be evaluated for their impact on the project management plan and approved by the CCB before implementation. The CCB acts as a governance body to ensure that changes align with project objectives, and skipping this step can lead to unauthorized scope changes, budget overruns, or schedule delays. A real-world scenario is a software project where a technical workaround to reduce costs might introduce new bugs or require rework, so analyzing the impact first prevents downstream issues.
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 impact of the solution on scope, schedule, and cost, then present a change request to the CCB — Option C is correct because the PMBOK Guide requires that any potential solution affecting scope must first be analyzed for its impact on the triple constraint (scope, schedule, cost) before submitting a formal change request to the Change Control Board (CCB). This ensures that the decision is based on objective data and follows the established change control process, which is critical when the project is already over budget due to unforeseen technical challenges.
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.
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?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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