Integrated Change Control — how PMI wants you to think

The exam intent

Change Control is not “do the form”. It is protect the baseline deliberately.

PMI wants to see one mental model：

Decision follows impact analysis — not emotion.

The 6-step mental shape (memorize exactly like this)

1. Receive the request (log it)
2. Analyze impact (scope / schedule / cost / quality / risk / resources)
3. Recommend action (not decide)
4. Submit to proper authority
5. Authority decides (CCB / governance / delegated PM)
6. Update baselines + plans + comms

If you answer before step 2 → 错。

What questions are really testing

Typical wrong distractors：

• PM “approves small changes”
• PM asks sponsor because nervous
• team starts implementing because “urgent”
• stakeholder says “just do it” → PM yields

PMI hates这些反应。

正确永远是：

• log
• impact
• send to authority

One easy mnemonic

Change only flows after knowledge (impact)
Not before.

Super high-probability wording hints

If stem mentions：

• “touches the baseline”
• “affects cost or schedule”
• “stakeholder insists”
• “small tweak but has risk”

→ the safest choice = integrated change control path

Authority who decides?

Short rule：

• Baseline → CCB
• unclear boundary → governance
• explicitly delegated area → PM

详细见：
Change Authority — who gets to approve what?

If you only memorize ONE trigger phrase

Impact analysis FIRST. Approval SECOND.

This single sentence can solve 20+ change items in your exam.

Next reinforcing read

Configuration vs Change Control — don’t mix these two