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PMP Risk Responses: Avoid, Transfer, Mitigate, Accept (Simple English)
Find uncertain events, rank them by probability and impact, plan responses with owners, then implement and monitor.
In simple words
For each serious risk, pick a response: avoid it, pass it to someone else (like insurance), make it smaller, or accept it. When a risk actually happens, use the plan you already made.
What the PMP exam wants
Risks can be threats or opportunities. The PM identifies them with the team and stakeholders, records them in the risk register, and performs qualitative analysis (probability × impact) to rank them. Quantitative analysis (such as Monte Carlo) is used on larger projects. Each important risk gets a response and an owner.
Threat responses: avoid, transfer, mitigate, accept, escalate (if outside the project's authority). Opportunity responses: exploit, share, enhance, accept, escalate. When a risk occurs, the owner implements the planned response; monitor risks tracks triggers and new risks. In agile, a risk burndown chart shows total risk exposure going down over iterations, and risky items are often done early.
Real example
Risk: the customer's production parts vary more than the samples. Response (mitigate): request 200 production parts for vision testing before FAT. Owner: controls lead.
The common trap
When an identified risk occurs, implement the planned response; don't start a new analysis. Buying insurance is transfer, not mitigation.
Remember: Threat: avoid, transfer, mitigate, accept. Opportunity: exploit, share, enhance, accept.
🗝 Words to notice in the question
“risk has occurred” → implement the planned response. “insurance” → transfer
Try 2 practice questions
Choose an answer, or open “Show the answer.”
Question 1 A risk identified during planning has just occurred. What should the PM do?
Show the answer
Answer: B. The response was already planned; the risk owner carries it out.
Question 2 The team uses a proven gripper instead of a new design to eliminate a technical risk. This response is:
Show the answer
Answer: C. Changing the plan to remove the threat is avoidance.
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