Describe a time a stakeholder asked for extra scope late in a project. What did you do?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests change control. Assesses the impact of new requests on time, cost and quality, and gets explicit decisions instead of quietly absorbing scope.
• What to bring out: Assesses impact on time, cost and quality, presents options, gets a formal decision from the sponsor, and updates the plan.
• Expect a follow-up like: How did the stakeholder react, and how did you manage that?

Another way it may be asked: Two weeks before launch, a manager asks for a new feature. How did you handle that?

A structure to follow: STAR, with the weight on Action and Result

1. Step 1

   Situation

   One or two sentences: where, when and what was at stake. Pick a real example you were close to.

2. Step 2

   Task

   What you personally were responsible for. Say "I", not only "we", so the change control you showed is visible.

3. Step 3

   Action

   The two or three things you did and why you chose them over the alternatives. This should be about half your answer.

4. Step 4

   Result

   What changed, in your own measure of it, and what you would do differently. Only use numbers you can stand behind.

This is guidance on shape, not a script. Use your own real experience and facts; never invent details to fill a gap. See the STAR guide and answer frameworks.

Common slips

• Describing what the team did without saying what you did.
• Choosing an example with no clear outcome, or one you cannot answer detailed questions about.
• Ending on the action and skipping the result and what you learned.

How to practise it

Write two bullet points for each STAR letter, then say the answer aloud in about two minutes.

Related questions

• If you were handed a new project with a deadline and only a rough goal, what would you do in your first week?
• How would you keep track of tasks and deadlines across a team of six people?
• A team member keeps missing deadlines on your project. How would you approach that conversation?
• Tell me about a project where a key dependency slipped. How did you rework the schedule?
• How do you identify risks early on a project, and how do you track them once you have?

Browse all questions