PMP · Question #1249
The project manager of a high-risk project is concerned about a delay in the schedule that might force the project to move its go-live date. What should the project manager do next?
The correct answer is A. Capture the risk in the risk register and monitor it to prevent it from becoming an issue by taking. The project manager should first document the identified schedule delay concern as a risk in the risk register and then actively monitor it, implementing risk responses to prevent it from becoming an actual issue. This is a proactive risk management approach.
Question
The project manager of a high-risk project is concerned about a delay in the schedule that might force the project to move its go-live date. What should the project manager do next?
Options
- ACapture the risk in the risk register and monitor it to prevent it from becoming an issue by taking
- BRaise a change request to the change control board (CCB) to ask for funds to onboard new
- CEnsure that the project meets the committed time lines as this is the core objective and purpose
- DAsk the sponsor to start a new project to support the existing project and help it meet the original
How the community answered
(63 responses)- A76% (48)
- B6% (4)
- C3% (2)
- D14% (9)
Why each option
The project manager should first document the identified schedule delay concern as a risk in the risk register and then actively monitor it, implementing risk responses to prevent it from becoming an actual issue. This is a proactive risk management approach.
A potential delay is an identified risk, not yet an issue. The first step in risk management is to capture it in the risk register, which formalizes its existence and triggers further analysis, planning, and monitoring. Proactively monitoring and planning responses helps prevent the risk from materializing into an actual problem that impacts the go-live date.
Raising a change request for funds is a potential risk response, but it's premature before formally identifying, analyzing, and planning a response to the risk in the risk register.
Simply ensuring the project meets timelines is a goal, not an actionable next step when a significant risk like a potential schedule delay is identified; it avoids the necessary risk management process.
Asking the sponsor to start a new project is an extreme and often impractical measure that would only be considered for major, unmanageable issues, not as a first step for an identified risk.
Concept tested: Proactive risk identification and management
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/risk-management
Topics
Community Discussion
4
Toby R.Dec 28, 2025Confirmed A on my exam last month. The key word in the stem is "might," which means we are dealing with a risk, not an actual issue yet. The PMBOK logic is that you always capture identified risks in the risk register first so you can track them and plan a response before they impact the schedule. C is a trap because just forcing the timeline ignores proper risk management, and B or D are premature reactions for something that has not even happened.
Yusuf A.Jan 18, 2026Going with A here. My lead showed me that the moment you identify something that could impact schedule, it goes into the risk register first, then you figure out the response strategy. B and D are premature because you have not even assessed the risk yet, and C sounds like the kind of pressure thinking that gets you in trouble on the exam. The stem says the PM is concerned about a delay, so you capture and monitor before jumping to fixes. One thing I am still fuzzy on, when a risk is identified this late in a high-risk project, is there a specific threshold or criteria for when
Prof. SaraJan 7, 2026D is the move here because a high-risk project facing a go-live slip calls for escalating to the sponsor for added resources or a supporting initiative, which maps to the Executing and Monitoring domain where you engage leadership when schedule recovery exceeds the PM's authority. Sponsor intervention is exactly what Domain 3 expects when the risk threatens the baseline and the PM needs executive action.
Yusuf A.Jan 8, 2026Actually it is A, not D. One of the senior PMs at my company showed me that when a high-risk project is already slipping, the expected move is a formal change request to rebaseline the schedule, not just escalating to the sponsor, which is more of a last resort when the PM has exhausted other options.