PMP Scope, Planning & Change Control

What is the purpose of a business case?

Justifies the investment by explaining expected benefits and business value.

What is the purpose of a project charter?

Formally authorizes the project and establishes the project manager’s authority.

Who typically authorizes a project charter?

The project sponsor or another authorized initiator.

What is the purpose of a project management plan?

Describes how the project will be executed, monitored, controlled, and closed.

What does requirements documentation describe?

Stakeholder needs and product or project requirements.

What does the project scope statement define?

Deliverables, acceptance criteria, boundaries, exclusions, assumptions, and constraints.

What is a WBS?

A hierarchical decomposition of the total project scope into manageable deliverables and work packages.

What is decomposition?

Breaking major deliverables into smaller components or work packages.

What is the scope baseline composed of?

The approved scope statement, WBS, and WBS dictionary.

What is a WBS dictionary?

Details about WBS components, such as work descriptions, deliverables, and acceptance criteria.

What is a work package?

The lowest level of the WBS used to plan and control project work.

What is the 100% rule for a WBS?

The WBS includes all approved project scope and excludes work outside it.

Which document grants the PM formal authority to use resources?

Project charter.

Which document lists work explicitly excluded from the project?

Project scope statement.

Which document shows how the project will be managed?

Project management plan.

Which document provides the approved reference for scope control?

Scope baseline.

What happens during project initiation?

The project is authorized and key stakeholders are identified.

After charter approval, what is an important next step?

Identify and analyze stakeholders before developing detailed plans.

When is the detailed WBS usually created?

During planning, after requirements are collected and scope is defined.

What is progressive elaboration?

Increasing detail in plans as more information becomes available.

What is rolling wave planning?

Plan near-term work in detail and future work at a higher level.

How does rolling wave planning relate to progressive elaboration?

Rolling wave planning is one technique that uses progressive elaboration.

What is iterative development?

Refining the product through repeated cycles.

What is incremental development?

Delivering functionality in successive usable portions.

What is scope creep?

Uncontrolled expansion of project scope without proper approval.

What is gold plating?

Deliberately adding features or work beyond agreed requirements.

Can gold plating contribute to scope creep?

Yes. Extra unapproved work can expand project scope.

What is integrated change control?

Evaluating, approving or rejecting, and managing changes to project baselines.

What should happen before implementing a change to a predictive scope baseline?

Document and evaluate the change, then obtain approval from the authorized decision maker.

What impacts should be assessed for a change request?

Scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, risks, and relevant contracts.

Who may approve a formal change request?

A designated authority such as the CCB, sponsor, or PM within delegated limits.

Does sponsor satisfaction automatically approve unauthorized scope additions?

No. Follow the applicable formal change control and acceptance process.

What should the PM do when unauthorized changes are discovered?

Document them, assess impacts, and process them under project change governance.

What happens after a baseline change is approved?

Update relevant baselines and plans, communicate the decision, and implement.

What happens when a change request is rejected?

Record the decision and continue with the approved scope.

What is a change control board (CCB)?

A designated group authorized to review and decide on certain changes.

How are new features typically handled in Agile?

Add them to the product backlog for product owner prioritization.

Does Agile mean any change can be implemented immediately?

No. Respect sprint goals, contracts, budgets, and required approvals.

Who orders the product backlog in Scrum?

The product owner.

What is the product backlog?

An ordered list of work needed to improve the product.

What is the sprint backlog?

The sprint goal, selected product backlog items, and delivery plan.

Which is usually preferred for new scope in predictive projects?

Approved change control, rather than informal additions.

What is scope validation?

Formal acceptance of completed deliverables by the customer or sponsor.

How does validate scope differ from control quality?

Validate scope seeks acceptance; control quality checks correctness and conformance.

What is requirements traceability?

Linking requirements to their sources, deliverables, and verification.

A PM lacks formal project authorization. What should happen?

Work with the sponsor to establish a project charter.

A team keeps adding unapproved HMI features. What is the overall issue?

Scope creep; individual extras may also be gold plating.

Future phases are vague but next month is detailed. Which planning technique?

Rolling wave planning.

A deliverable is broken into modules and tasks. Which technique?

Decomposition.

Stakeholders disagree on approved deliverables. What baseline helps?

The scope baseline, including the scope statement and WBS.