PMP · Question #46
A project manager has begun a complex oil refinery project. Although the project is in the initiation phase, the sponsor keeps asking for concrete dates for the most important project milestones. When
The correct answer is A. During the planning phase, when processes for scope definition and activity duration and. The project sponsor is requesting concrete milestone dates during the initiation phase of a complex project.
Question
A project manager has begun a complex oil refinery project. Although the project is in the initiation phase, the sponsor keeps asking for concrete dates for the most important project milestones. When will the project manager be able to provide the requested information?
Options
- ADuring the planning phase, when processes for scope definition and activity duration and
- BClose to the end of the project, as the forecasts will be more accurate and most risks will already
- CIn the initiation process, as it happens concurrently with the project contract and project charter
- DAs soon as possible, as project delays can be significantly avoided when a schedule is developed
How the community answered
(33 responses)- A91% (30)
- C6% (2)
- D3% (1)
Why each option
The project sponsor is requesting concrete milestone dates during the initiation phase of a complex project.
Concrete dates for project milestones are established during the planning phase, after the scope has been thoroughly defined, work broken down into activities, durations estimated, and dependencies identified. The initiation phase focuses on high-level authorization, not detailed scheduling for complex projects.
Waiting until near the end of the project to provide milestone dates defeats their purpose for tracking progress, managing expectations, and providing necessary project governance.
The initiation process primarily defines the project at a high level and authorizes its existence through the project charter, but it does not involve the detailed planning required to set concrete milestone dates.
While developing a schedule early is beneficial, it cannot be done 'as soon as possible' in the initiation phase for a complex project, as it lacks the detailed inputs derived from comprehensive planning activities.
Concept tested: Project management process groups
Topics
Community Discussion
8
Toby R.Apr 5, 2026Confirmed A on my exam last month. The PMBOK is clear that concrete milestone dates come out of planning when you define scope and estimate activity durations, so initiation is too early for anything beyond a high-level summary.
Grace U.Apr 30, 2026A is correct here. During initiation you simply do not have enough defined scope or activity detail to give the sponsor real milestone dates, and that is completely normal. Once you move into planning, the team works through scope definition, activity sequencing, and duration estimating, which is where a defensible schedule starts to take shape. It is okay to tell the sponsor that concrete dates will come once planning is underway, because committing to numbers too early just sets everyone up for disappointment.
Hiroshi T.Apr 12, 2026Confirmed A on my exam last October. The PMBOK Guide is clear that concrete milestone dates come out of the planning processes, specifically Schedule Management where you define activities, sequence them, and estimate durations. Initiation gives you a high-level summary schedule in the project charter at best, but that is not what the sponsor is asking for here. C and D both sound proactive, but the source material ties reliable dates to planning, not to contract negotiation or rushing a schedule together.
Zlatan X.Apr 14, 2026Agreed on A, and from a program perspective the key distinction is that the charter gives you milestone approval authority while planning gives you the dependency logic that makes those dates defensible to the governance board.
Dervla O.Mar 31, 2026I first leaned toward D because it is tempting to give the sponsor something early, but the stem specifies concrete dates for major milestones, and you cannot commit to those without going through scope definition and activity duration estimating, which lands it firmly in the planning phase.
Grace U.Apr 1, 2026Exactly right, and I would add that the word scheduled in the stem is the real trap because people see it and jump to monitoring, but scheduled dates you commit to are created during planning, not tracked during execution.
Zlatan X.Apr 22, 2026I first leaned toward D because as a program manager I always push for early benefits roadmapping, but the key here is that the sponsor is asking for concrete milestone dates on a complex refinery project, and you cannot defensibly commit to those until planning has produced the scope baseline and activity duration estimates. A is correct because milestone scheduling is an output of integrated planning, not initiation, no matter how much executive pressure exists to anchor dates early.
Grace U.Apr 22, 2026Agreed on A, and I would add that the sponsor pressure to anchor dates early is exactly why so many people trip over this one, because the instinct to please overrides the discipline of waiting for actual estimates.