PMP · Question #1265
A project manager is leading a project that is at 90% completion. One of the key stakeholders requests a certification program to be included as part of the project. Another stakeholder disagrees…
The correct answer is A. Raise a change request to the change control board (CCB) and inform the project sponsor about. When a key stakeholder requests a significant new scope item late in a project, especially with conflicting stakeholder opinions, the project manager must raise a formal change request to the Change Control Board (CCB).
Question
A project manager is leading a project that is at 90% completion. One of the key stakeholders requests a certification program to be included as part of the project. Another stakeholder disagrees and informs the project team that there should be no change to the project management plan since the project is nearing completion. What should the project manager do?
Options
- ARaise a change request to the change control board (CCB) and inform the project sponsor about
- BUpdate the project management plan and adjust the project budget with this change request.
- CAsk the key stakeholder to take the lead in handling the request since they are more
- DRequest a meeting with the stakeholders and their team members to inform them about this
How the community answered
(26 responses)- A77% (20)
- B4% (1)
- C15% (4)
- D4% (1)
Why each option
When a key stakeholder requests a significant new scope item late in a project, especially with conflicting stakeholder opinions, the project manager must raise a formal change request to the Change Control Board (CCB).
Any change to the project's scope, especially a substantial one requested late in the project and with disagreement among stakeholders, must go through the formal integrated change control process. This involves raising a change request for the Change Control Board (CCB) to review, assess impacts, and approve or reject, while also informing the project sponsor.
Updating the project management plan and budget without formal approval from the Change Control Board (CCB) would bypass the necessary change control process and lead to unauthorized alterations.
Delegating the handling of a significant scope change request to a stakeholder is an abdication of the project manager's responsibility for managing integrated change control.
While communication is important, simply informing stakeholders about a request does not constitute the formal process required to evaluate the impact of, and gain approval for, a significant change in project scope.
Concept tested: Integrated change control and change requests
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/project-integration-management
Topics
Community Discussion
8
Hiroshi T.May 7, 2026A. Any stakeholder request, even at 90 percent completion, follows the Perform Integrated Change Control process per the PMBOK Guide. The PM raises a change request to the CCB for evaluation and keeps the sponsor informed, since the CCB has the authority to approve or reject changes to the project management plan.
Dervla O.May 9, 2026Agreed on A, and since youre at 90 percent the CCB needs to weigh the impact on closing activities too, not just scope and cost.
Brenda K.May 20, 2026A is your fast pick, any change goes through the CCB. Does the 90 percent completion ever justify skipping change control?
Yusuf A.May 21, 2026Agree on A, and no, 90 percent done does not exempt you from CCB, but one of the senior guys on my team pointed out that the urgency of a change at that stage might push the CCB to do an expedited review rather than a full one, which is probably the trap answer the question is testing for.
Dervla O.May 13, 2026D. At 90% completion with stakeholders actively disagreeing, you have a conflict that needs resolution before any change request moves forward. Getting the stakeholders in a room to discuss the request is the process step that has to happen first, then you can decide whether a change request is even warranted.
Hiroshi T.May 15, 2026A is correct because at 90% completion with a change in scope, the first step per PMBOK is to evaluate the impact of the change before taking it to the stakeholders or the CCB. Dervla is skipping the analysis step, you cannot facilitate a meaningful discussion without first understanding what the change does to schedule, cost, and scope.
Yusuf A.May 22, 2026I am going with C on this one. The project is at 90 percent completion so adding a certification program now is basically a new initiative that falls outside the current scope, and the stakeholder who wants it should champion it through proper channels. My mentor at work dealt with something similar last quarter where a stakeholder pushed for a big addition late in the game, and he told me the PM should never just absorb that scope expansion on their own. The stakeholder owns the request so let them take the lead on getting it approved and resourced. Does anyone know if the exam expects us to still
Hiroshi T.May 23, 2026A is correct here. Per the PMBOK Guide, a change request at any project stage goes through the Perform Integrated Change Control process, where the PM documents and assesses the impact before the change control board or sponsor makes the approval decision, so the PM does not punt it back to the stakeholder to champion independently.