The correct action is to assess the impact on the sprint goal and inform the product owner and stakeholders. This is because Scrum is built on transparency and empirical process control; when a vendor delay in a Scrum sprint occurs, the immediate priority is to understand how the impediment affects the sprint’s defined objective before escalating. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your grasp of the Agile principle that the project manager acts as a servant leader, facilitating communication rather than unilaterally rescheduling work. A common trap is to jump into problem-solving—like finding a substitute vendor or extending the sprint—without first evaluating the impact on the sprint goal. Remember the mnemonic “A.I.R.”: Assess the impact, Inform the product owner, and update the Risk register. This sequence ensures you maintain stakeholder trust and keep the sprint backlog aligned with the product vision.
PMP Practice Question: Business Environment: strategy and project benefits
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of business environment: strategy and project benefits. 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 using Scrum. During the daily standup, a team member mentions that a key vendor will be unable to deliver a critical component on time, which will delay the next sprint. What is the best action to take?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Assess the impact on the sprint goal and inform the product owner and stakeholders
The project manager should first assess the impact on the sprint and project, then communicate the issue to relevant stakeholders and update the risk register.
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 team to work overtime to compensate for the delay
Why it's wrong here
Working overtime may not be sustainable and does not address the vendor issue.
✓
Assess the impact on the sprint goal and inform the product owner and stakeholders
Why this is correct
Assessing impact and communicating with stakeholders is the correct proactive approach.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Escalate to the vendor's management immediately
Why it's wrong here
While escalation may be needed later, the first step is to assess internal impact and communicate.
✗
Immediately remove the component from the sprint backlog and continue with other work
Why it's wrong here
This action does not address the root cause or communicate the issue to stakeholders.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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.
Identify which PMP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Business Environment: strategy and project benefits — This question tests Business Environment: strategy and project benefits — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Assess the impact on the sprint goal and inform the product owner and stakeholders — The project manager should first assess the impact on the sprint and project, then communicate the issue to relevant stakeholders and update the risk register.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which PMP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A project manager discovers that a key vendor will be unable to deliver a critical component on time, which will delay the project. The contract includes penalties for late delivery. What should the project manager do first?
easy
✓ A.Assess the impact on the project schedule and explore alternative solutions.
B.Inform the sponsor and wait for instructions.
C.Immediately invoke the penalty clause to incentivize the vendor.
D.Terminate the contract and find a new vendor.
Why A: The first step is to assess the impact and explore alternatives, then formally communicate with the vendor. This aligns with risk management and procurement. Option A is premature without analysis. Option C is reactive. Option D is extreme and may damage the relationship.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
Question Discussion
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