PMP · Question #304
A company that is heavily focused on delivering projects using predictive approaches on-boards a new project manager who uses hybrid approaches. The scope of the project contains a number of unclear r
The correct answer is C. Break down the requirements and prioritize the requirements into iterative work packages.. When faced with unclear requirements in a hybrid project, the project manager should leverage agile practices to iteratively refine and deliver them.
Question
Options
- AIgnore the unclear requirements and focus on the delivery plan of the project.
- BWait for the requirements to be more clear before any further action is taken on the project.
- CBreak down the requirements and prioritize the requirements into iterative work packages.
- DEscalate the issue of unclear requirements to the management team and wait for final
How the community answered
(50 responses)- A16% (8)
- B8% (4)
- C72% (36)
- D4% (2)
Why each option
When faced with unclear requirements in a hybrid project, the project manager should leverage agile practices to iteratively refine and deliver them.
Ignoring unclear requirements is a guaranteed path to project failure and rework, contradicting effective project management practices.
Waiting for all requirements to be clear contradicts the principles of agile and hybrid approaches, which are designed to handle ambiguity and evolve requirements iteratively.
In hybrid or agile environments, unclear requirements are best managed by breaking them down into smaller, manageable pieces that can be prioritized and delivered in iterative work packages. This allows for continuous feedback and refinement, clarifying requirements over time rather than waiting for full clarity upfront, embodying the adaptive nature of agile methodologies within a hybrid context.
While escalation might be necessary in some cases, the initial and preferred approach in agile/hybrid is to actively work with stakeholders and the team to refine and clarify requirements through iterative development, not to simply hand off the problem.
Concept tested: Managing unclear requirements in hybrid/agile projects
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/agile-practice-guide
Topics
Community Discussion
6
Lena V.Nov 20, 2025C is the answer. Hybrid approach plus unclear requirements means you break the work down and prioritize it into iterative chunks so the team can deliver incrementally and refine as clarity improves.
Orla P.Nov 2, 2025Confirmed C on exam two weeks ago. The hybrid approach is the giveaway here, since you handle unclear requirements by decomposing and prioritizing them into iterations rather than waiting or escalating. One thing to double-check on your test day: does the wording ever distinguish between iterative work packages and rolling-wave planning, or do they treat those as interchangeable in the answer options?
Ola B.Nov 4, 2025Good catch on the hybrid signal, and in my experience they keep iterative work packages and rolling-wave planning as separate answer options, so if you want to see why, spin up a quick sandbox project board and decompose a vague epic into two sprints, you will immediately notice rolling-wave is about progressive elaboration of future detail while the work packages are the actual deliverable chunks you commit to now.
Ola B.Nov 8, 2025C is the answer but the wording is clunky since you do not really break down requirements that are unclear, you break down the work you do understand. B is the trap here because waiting around is never the right move on a PMP question, and a hybrid PM would prototype or refine those unclear items inside the iterations instead of stalling.
Nina C.Nov 11, 2025Totally agree on B being the trap since waiting is never the move, but I would add that breaking down unclear requirements is exactly what progressive elaboration is about so the wording is not as clunky as it sounds.
Nina C.Oct 28, 2025Leaned toward B since predictive companies want things clear, but hybrid plus unclear scope means C, iterate and prioritize.