PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
Your project is using a hybrid approach. A key stakeholder requests a significant scope change that would affect the critical path. The change request has been submitted and approved. What should the project manager do next?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse 'informing the team' (Option C) as the immediate next step, but PMI emphasizes that updating the plan and baselines is the formal, required action before any implementation or communication to the team.
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
✓
Update the project management plan and baselines to reflect the approved change
In a hybrid project, once a scope change is approved, the project manager must update the project management plan and baselines (scope, schedule, cost) to formally integrate the change. This ensures all future work aligns with the new approved scope and maintains traceability. Option D is correct because it follows the Perform Integrated Change Control process, which requires updating the plan and baselines before implementation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Wait until the next sprint planning to introduce the change to the team
Why it's wrong here
This option is incorrect because delaying communication of an approved change until the next sprint planning session violates the principle of timely information dissemination. Approved changes impact ongoing work and future planning, and immediate updates are crucial to prevent team members from working on outdated requirements or plans, leading to rework, wasted effort, and potential misalignment with project objectives.
- ✗
Notify the sponsor and update the risk register
Why it's wrong here
While notifying the sponsor and updating the risk register might be subsequent or related actions, they are not the primary and most immediate step after a change has been formally approved. The core requirement for an approved change is to formally integrate it into the project's governing documents. Updating only the risk register without updating the foundational project management plan and baselines leaves the project without an accurate, single source of truth for the approved scope, schedule, or cost.
- ✗
Inform the team about the change and ask them to adjust their work accordingly
Why it's wrong here
Directly informing the team to adjust their work without first formally updating the project management plan and baselines is a critical oversight. While team communication is essential, it must follow the formal documentation of the approved change. Without updated baselines and plans, the team lacks official guidance, and their adjustments would be based on informal instructions rather than controlled, approved project documentation, potentially leading to scope creep or unapproved deviations.
- ✓
Update the project management plan and baselines to reflect the approved change
Why this is correct
This is the correct action because, following formal approval by the Change Control Board (CCB), the project management plan and its subsidiary baselines (scope, schedule, cost) must be immediately updated. This ensures that all project documentation reflects the current, approved state of the project, maintaining a single source of truth. This formal update is crucial for controlling the project, communicating accurate information, and preventing future discrepancies or unauthorized work.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to the PMP Exam and Project Management Basics
Key term
Project Management Plan
A formal, approved document that defines how a project is executed, monitored, controlled, and closed, serving as the single source of truth for the project team.
Key term
Team Building
Team building is the process of creating a cohesive group of people who work together effectively toward a shared goal.
About these practice questions
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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.