What does the term 'scope creep' refer to?

What does the term 'scope creep' refer to?

• A. Unplanned completion of tasks ahead of schedule.
• B. Uncontrolled growth of the project scope without proper change control.
• C. A formal process to approve budget increases.
• D. A method for documenting stakeholder requirements.

Answer: (B)

Scope creep happens when the amount of work in a project grows beyond what was originally agreed, and it does so in an uncontrolled way because changes aren’t entering through a formal change-control process. In practice, new requirements, features, or tasks get added after the baseline is set, and those additions aren’t properly analyzed for impact on time, cost, and resources. The result is the project gradually expands, often delaying delivery, increasing costs, and degrading quality. To prevent scope creep, a clear change-control process is essential: any proposed change to scope should be documented as a change request, evaluated for its effects on schedule and budget, and only approved by the appropriate stakeholders before the scope is updated. For example, if a sponsor asks for a new feature mid-project, that request should go through change control, with impact analysis and budget adjustment if approved. Other options don’t fit because they describe things unrelated to expanding what you must deliver. Unplanned early completion isn’t about adding work; a formal process to approve budget increases is about budgeting governance, not expanding scope; and documenting stakeholder requirements is part of defining the project, not the creeping growth of work once the project is underway.

Scope creep happens when the amount of work in a project grows beyond what was originally agreed, and it does so in an uncontrolled way because changes aren’t entering through a formal change-control process. In practice, new requirements, features, or tasks get added after the baseline is set, and those additions aren’t properly analyzed for impact on time, cost, and resources. The result is the project gradually expands, often delaying delivery, increasing costs, and degrading quality.

To prevent scope creep, a clear change-control process is essential: any proposed change to scope should be documented as a change request, evaluated for its effects on schedule and budget, and only approved by the appropriate stakeholders before the scope is updated. For example, if a sponsor asks for a new feature mid-project, that request should go through change control, with impact analysis and budget adjustment if approved.

Other options don’t fit because they describe things unrelated to expanding what you must deliver. Unplanned early completion isn’t about adding work; a formal process to approve budget increases is about budgeting governance, not expanding scope; and documenting stakeholder requirements is part of defining the project, not the creeping growth of work once the project is underway.