Which statement describes gold plating?

• A. The act of delaying project deliverables
• B. The act of changing requirements after sign-off
• C. The act of delivering more than what was promised on a project
• D. The act of budget overruns due to risk

Answer: (C)

Gold plating happens when a project team adds extra features or functionality that were not requested or approved, going beyond what was included in the agreed scope. This extra work might seem helpful, but it often creates problems: it takes more time and money, can introduce defects or maintenance burdens, and can raise expectations for future enhancements that aren’t funded or authorized. The statement that best describes this is delivering more than what was promised on a project, because it precisely captures the act of adding unrequested value beyond the agreement. The other options describe different issues: delaying deliverables is a schedule problem; changing requirements after sign-off is a formal scope change; budget overruns due to risk is a cost impact from risk, not about adding unapproved features.