PMP · Question #24
One phase of a project took much longer than initially anticipated. The key stakeholders expressed their concern regarding a potential project delay. What should the project manager do?
The correct answer is D. Organize a root cause analysis (RCA) workshop. When a project phase takes longer than expected and stakeholders express concern, the project manager should organize a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) workshop to understand why the delay occurred. This allows for informed decisions and preventing recurrence.
Question
One phase of a project took much longer than initially anticipated. The key stakeholders expressed their concern regarding a potential project delay. What should the project manager do?
Options
- ARequest additional contingency from the sponsor
- BAdd more float to the overall project schedule
- CExpedite the next phase to reduce slippage
- DOrganize a root cause analysis (RCA) workshop
How the community answered
(27 responses)- A4% (1)
- B4% (1)
- C15% (4)
- D78% (21)
Why each option
When a project phase takes longer than expected and stakeholders express concern, the project manager should organize a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) workshop to understand why the delay occurred. This allows for informed decisions and preventing recurrence.
Requesting additional contingency without understanding the root cause of the delay might just delay the problem and does not address the underlying issue.
Adding more float to the schedule is a passive measure that adjusts the timeline but does not solve the problem that caused the initial delay or prevent it from happening again.
Expediting the next phase might introduce quality issues, burnout, or further problems if the root cause of the initial delay is not understood and addressed.
When a phase significantly deviates from the schedule, organizing a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) workshop is crucial to identify the underlying reasons for the delay. Understanding the root cause enables the project manager to implement effective corrective actions, mitigate future delays, and address stakeholder concerns with data-driven solutions.
Concept tested: Project schedule variance analysis and corrective action
Source: https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/root-cause-analysis-tool-problem-solving-1132
Topics
Community Discussion
7
Brenda K.May 24, 2026D is correct and it is a 20-second answer. Stakeholders are concerned about a delay so you do RCA before touching the schedule, once you know the cause you can fix it properly instead of just throwing float or money at it.
Toby R.May 30, 2026Leaned toward C first but RCA before fixing anything is the PMP way, confirmed D on exam last month.
Hiroshi T.Jun 1, 2026D is correct but the reasoning is not PMP lore, it is the PMBOK Guide 7th edition Perform Root Cause Analysis tool under Deliver Value, and the exam references the process not the mindset.
Hiroshi T.May 14, 2026D is correct per PMI's emphasis on proactive problem-solving in the PMBOK Guide, though C is the tempting distractor because compressing the next phase sounds like common sense. The official stance is that you diagnose the root cause before applying corrective action, otherwise you risk repeating the same slippage downstream.
Toby R.May 16, 2026Passed last month and can confirm D is what they want, but heads up, my exam stem was worded as identifying the cause of slippage rather than generic proactive problem-solving, so watch for that specific phrasing.
Nina C.May 18, 2026Agreed, D. Coming from teaching, same instinct: diagnose before fixing.
Brenda K.May 20, 2026Right instinct but watch your clock on these scenario questions, the diagnose-first answer is usually correct but the long stems eat 90 seconds easy, so flag and revisit if you are not done reading in 45.