The correct answer is B . To avoid exceeding the project budget, the project manager should retain records of project costs and monitor expenses. Cost control depends on accurate, timely, and traceable cost information. The project manager should compare actual costs against the approved budget, analyze variances, forecast future expenditure, review commitments, track approved changes, and take corrective action when trends indicate potential overspend. Retaining cost records also supports transparency, auditability, lessons learned, and financial reporting. Option A is incorrect because “exploitation costs” or post-project operational costs may need to be estimated and managed, but they cannot simply be eliminated as a budget-control technique. Option C is also incorrect because avoiding all changes at any cost is not sound project management. Some changes may be necessary, beneficial, or required for compliance, safety, quality, or value realization. The issue is not to prohibit change, but to assess cost impact, approve changes through the proper authority, and update baselines where required. PMBOK defines project cost management as the processes involved in planning, estimating, budgeting, financing, funding, managing, and controlling costs so the project can be completed within the approved budget. The source question set identifies retaining records and monitoring expenses as the correct answer.
Reference topics: cost management, budget control, cost records, expense monitoring, variance analysis, project financial control.
