PMP · Question #727
A new sales software development project is underway. The customer is still finalizing the requirements for the system when a new CEO is introduced. The new CEO is expected to make changes to the orga
The correct answer is D. iterative. Given uncertain and evolving requirements due to a new CEO and the critical need for correct sales results without intermediate deliverables, an iterative project approach is most suitable. This allows for repeated cycles of development and adaptation to converge on the final, co
Question
A new sales software development project is underway. The customer is still finalizing the requirements for the system when a new CEO is introduced. The new CEO is expected to make changes to the organization, which most likely will impact development. However, the most important criterion for the project is that the software must provide correct sales results. No intermediate results are required. Which project approach should the project manager take?
Options
- AIncremental
- BPredictive
- CHybrid
- Diterative
How the community answered
(42 responses)- A5% (2)
- B12% (5)
- C2% (1)
- D81% (34)
Why each option
Given uncertain and evolving requirements due to a new CEO and the critical need for correct sales results without intermediate deliverables, an iterative project approach is most suitable. This allows for repeated cycles of development and adaptation to converge on the final, correct solution.
An incremental approach delivers functional pieces of the product sequentially, which might not be suitable if intermediate results are not required and the focus is on a single, correct final output developed through refinement.
A predictive (waterfall) approach requires well-defined requirements upfront, which is not the case here due to the evolving requirements and potential impact from the new CEO.
A hybrid approach combines predictive and agile elements, but given the strong emphasis on evolving requirements and the need to converge on a *correct* final solution without intermediate releases, a pure iterative approach is more specifically applicable than a broad hybrid.
An iterative approach is ideal when requirements are uncertain or expected to change, as indicated by the new CEO and ongoing requirement finalization. This approach involves repeating cycles of work to refine and converge on a solution, allowing the team to adapt to new information and feedback while ensuring the final product meets the critical criterion of providing correct sales results.
Concept tested: Choosing project life cycle (iterative)
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/project-life-cycle
Topics
Community Discussion
4
Viktor S.Jun 25, 2026D is correct because iterative lets you refine requirements through repeated cycles without delivering intermediate working slices, which fits the no intermediate results constraint. Incremental would ship usable pieces along the way, so that violates the stem. Predictive is a bad fit since the new CEO means requirements will shift and you cannot lock everything upfront. Iterative handles the evolving scope while still letting the team nail down correctness before the final delivery.
Orla P.Jun 4, 2026D is correct, confirmed on my exam attempt two weeks ago. Iterative fits here because the requirements are not finalized and the new CEO will bring changes, so you need cycles to refine the work. The key detail in the stem is that no intermediate results are required, which rules out incremental since that approach delivers usable pieces along the way. Iterative lets you keep refining until you get the correct sales results at the end.
Toby R.Jun 10, 2026Leaned toward A but no intermediate results rules out incremental, picked D.
Viktor S.Jun 12, 2026D is right but heads up, the reasoning is slightly off: no intermediate results means no checkpoints to resume from, not that incremental pipelines are impossible in general.