Preparing for the PRINCE2 exam can be challenging, but you can confidently tackle it with the right resources. In this blog, we've compiled essential PRINCE2 exam questions and detailed answers to help you understand key concepts and improve your chances of passing. Whether revising or starting your study journey, these questions will guide you through the most important topics.
Answer: D. Identify
Explanation: The first step in risk management is to identify the risk. Only after identification can the risk be assessed and responses planned and implemented.
Answer: D. 1 and 4
Explanation: (1) Individuals or groups outside the project management team may need to interact with the project or be affected by its outcomes.
(4) The communication management approach outlines how and when communication will occur with internal and external stakeholders.
A purpose of the [? ] theme is to control any unacceptable deviations from the project's objectives.
Answer: A. progress
Explanation: The progress theme is intended to provide mechanisms for monitoring progress against set tolerances and includes controls to escalate issues if forecasts indicate that tolerances may be exceeded.
Answer: C. To define the approach to engaging with stakeholders
Explanation: To adhere to PRINCE2, a project must at least define its approach to communicating and engaging with stakeholders.
Answer: B. When the project's progress will be reviewed
Explanation: The purpose of tailoring is to ensure that project controls are aligned with the project's scale, complexity, importance, team capability, and risk. This includes deciding the frequency and formality of reporting and progress reviews.
Answer: D. The chosen option must provide value for money
Explanation: Even compulsory projects must be supported by a business justification, ensuring that the chosen option represents value for money.
Answer: A. Highlight report
Explanation: The highlight report summarizes the stage status at intervals determined by the board. This report helps the board monitor the progress of each stage and the overall project.
Answer: A. It can be performed by the project manager
Explanation: The project manager is responsible for the project support role unless it is delegated to another person or team.
Answer: A. A hierarchy of all the products to be produced during a plan
Explanation: PRINCE2 requires creating and maintaining four key products, one of which is the product breakdown structure. This structure is a hierarchy listing all the products to be produced during a plan.
Answer: D. To document a common understanding of the starting point for the project
Explanation: The project brief ensures that there is a common understanding and a well-defined starting point for the project.
Answer: A. To ensure that work on products is authorized
Explanation: One of the objectives of the 'managing product delivery' process is to ensure that work on products allocated to the team is properly authorized and agreed upon.
Answer: C. Managing product delivery
Explanation: The Team manager creates team plans during the 'managing product delivery' process.
Answer: A. By reviewing the management of previous projects
Explanation: The 'learn from experience' principle is applied by reviewing previous or similar projects to identify lessons that can be implemented in the current project.
Answer: B. Checkpoint report
Explanation: Checkpoint reports are considered time-driven controls as they are produced at predefined periodic intervals. The frequency and format of these reports are agreed upon in the work package.
Answer: B. If it is forecasted that project-level tolerance will be exceeded
Explanation: The project board should escalate to corporate, programme management, or the customer if it is forecasted that project-level tolerance will be exceeded since these tolerances are set by those higher authorities.
Answer: B. Because more than one function may be involved in the project
Explanation: Projects typically involve multiple functions, making it essential to clearly define roles and responsibilities. This clarity helps ensure that all professionals understand their roles and the expectations placed on others.
Answer: C. Directing a project
Explanation: The project manager's request to initiate a project triggers the 'directing a project' process, in which the project board has the authority to formally authorize the project's initiation.
Answer: C. To confirm that there are no known restrictions that would prevent the project from being delivered
Explanation: One objective of the 'starting up a project' process is to verify that there are no significant constraints or incorrect assumptions that could hinder the project's delivery. This step ensures that resources are not allocated to a flawed project.
Answer: D. Focus on products
Explanation: Creating a product description exemplifies the 'focus on products' principle by clearly defining what the project will deliver, detailing the quality expectations, and setting the acceptance criteria.
Answer: A. Identified threats and opportunities must be documented
Explanation: PRINCE2 mandates using a risk register to document all identified threats and opportunities, making this a minimum requirement for applying the risk theme.
Answer: B. 2 and 3
Explanation: (2) A stage plan is typically created towards the end of the preceding stage as part of the 'managing a stage boundary' process, ensuring it is relevant to the upcoming activities.
(3) The stage plan is detailed enough to facilitate the project manager's day-to-day control of the project.
Answer: D. To provide a schedule for measuring the achievement of benefits
Explanation: The benefits management approach is specifically used to plan and measure how and when the project's benefits will be realized.
Answer: D. To specify the desired outcome
Explanation: In the PRINCE2 framework, it is generally assumed that the customer is responsible for specifying what they want the project to achieve and often for funding the project.
Answer: C. To define the techniques to be used when assessing project risks
Explanation: The risk management approach is designed to outline the specific risk management techniques and standards that will be applied throughout the project, along with assigning responsibilities for carrying out these procedures effectively.
Answer: C. Quality register
Explanation: The quality register is designed to record the outcomes of all quality activities, including the results of quality checks. This makes it the essential document to update when a product fails its quality check.
The purpose of the [ ? ] process is to establish solid foundations for the project.
Answer: D. Initiating a project
Explanation: The 'initiating a project' process is designed to establish solid foundations for the project by enabling the organization to fully understand the necessary work required to deliver the project's products before committing significant resources.
Answer: A 1 and 2
Explanation:
Answer: C. A request for change
Explanation: When a new product is required after the project team has already started work, this necessitates changing the baselined product description. It should be classified as a request for change, which involves modifying the already approved project plans or products.
Answer: A. It introduces business change
Explanation: Projects are specifically designed to introduce and implement business changes. Once these changes are in place, regular business operations, or "business as usual," continue in the updated form. This distinguishes projects from regular business operations, which do not inherently involve such changes.
Answer: D. Managing product delivery
Explanation: The 'managing product delivery' process enables team managers to coordinate and manage the work required to deliver one or more of the project's products. This process ensures that the work assigned is completed as planned and that the products meet the specified quality criteria.
Answer: B. The people or organizations that benefit from using the project's product
Explanation: The senior user is responsible for making decisions for those who will benefit from the project's products, ensuring that their needs and expectations are met.
Answer: D. Any of the project's specialist products
Explanation: An output refers to any specialist product that is delivered to a user as part of the project. It is a tangible or intangible item that the project produces. Management products, however, are not considered outputs, as they are created solely for the purpose of managing the project.
Answer: B. The formats for communicating project information to stakeholders
Explanation: The 'initiating a project' process aims to ensure a common understanding of the communication needs within the project, including who needs information, in what format, and at what time.
Answer: A. 1 and 2
Explanation:
Answer: A. Define a change authority
Explanation: To apply the change theme according to PRINCE2, defining the roles and responsibilities for change control is essential, including establishing a defined change authority. This is the minimum requirement.
Answer: C. An uncertain event that could have a negative impact on objectives
Explanation: A threat is defined as an uncertain event that, if it occurs, could have a negative impact on the project's objectives.
Answer: D. Scope
Explanation: Managing the project's scope is essential to ensure a clear understanding of what the project is to deliver. Clear agreement on the scope helps avoid any incorrect assumptions by users and suppliers about the deliverables.
Answer: C. Processes
Explanation: One of the four integrated elements within PRINCE2 is "Processes." The integrated elements of PRINCE2 are the principles, themes, processes, and the project environment.
Answer: C. Sufficient information to identify the prospective executive
Explanation: Before the 'starting up a project' process begins, corporate, programme management or the customer should provide a project mandate that includes sufficient information to identify at least the prospective executive of the project board.
Answer: D. Setting controls to warn the higher level of management of potential problems
Explanation: The 'manage by exception' principle is applied by establishing controls that set tolerances for the project. If these tolerances are forecasted to be exceeded, the issue is escalated to the next higher level of management to decide how to proceed.
Answer: A. To ensure that the products are produced within the constraints agreed with the project board
Explanation: The managing level, typically the project manager, is responsible for ensuring that the project's products are delivered within the constraints and tolerances set by the project board.
Answer: A. A known situation which creates uncertainty
Explanation: A risk cause refers to the underlying situation or condition that gives rise to uncertainty, often referred to as the risk driver. It is the source that may lead to a risk event.
Answer: A. To provide a fixed point at which acceptance of the project product is confirmed
Explanation: The purpose of the 'closing a project' process is to provide a fixed point at which the acceptance of the project's product is formally confirmed, marking the project's conclusion.
Answer: C. The project will have review and decision points so that progress can be assessed
Explanation: The 'manage by stages' principle ensures that the project has clear review and decision points, allowing the project board to regularly assess progress and determine the ongoing viability of the project.
Answer: D. It provides established and proven best practice and governance for project management
Explanation: PRINCE2 is based on established and proven best practices and governance principles for project management, offering a structured approach that has been widely tested and recognized.
Answer: B. To check that all the project's products have been accepted by the users
Explanation: One of the objectives of the 'closing a project' process is to ensure that the users have accepted all the project's products, confirming that the project has met its deliverables.
Answer: B. Stage authorization
Explanation: To apply the progress theme in PRINCE2, a project must, at a minimum, be managed by stages, requiring stage authorization. This aligns with PRINCE2's 'manage by stages' principle.
Answer: D. The approach to managing project assurance
Explanation: As a minimum requirement for applying the quality theme in PRINCE2, the quality management approach must define the project's approach to quality control and project assurance, how quality management is communicated throughout the project lifecycle, and the roles and responsibilities for quality management.
Answer: A. To enable overall control of a project by the project board
Explanation: The 'directing a project' process allows the project board to maintain overall control of the project, especially after the initiation phase, ensuring that the project remains aligned with its objectives and constraints.
PRINCE2 requires that the business justification is formally verified by [ ? ] at stage boundaries.
Answer: C. The project board
Explanation: In PRINCE2, the business justification is developed at the beginning of the project and is reviewed and updated throughout its lifecycle. The project board is responsible for formally verifying the business justification at each key decision point, such as at stage boundaries, to ensure the project remains aligned with its objectives and continues to be justified.
Answer: D. To define the structure of accountability and responsibilities on the project
Explanation: The purpose of the organization theme in PRINCE2 is to establish and define the project's structure of accountability and responsibilities, ensuring that everyone involved understands their roles and who is responsible for what.
Answer: C. To ensure any potential changes to baselined products are controlled
Explanation: The purpose of the change theme in PRINCE2 is to ensure that any changes to baselined products are controlled and agreed upon by the relevant authority before they are implemented. This control helps manage changes effectively without disrupting the project's objectives.
Quality [ ? ] defines the type of quality methods the project will use.
Answer: A. Planning
Explanation: As part of quality planning in PRINCE2, it is the project's responsibility to define the type of quality methods that will be used. This information is documented in the project's quality management approach, which may reference the corporate organization's quality management system.
Answer: B. To ensure that the prerequisites for initiating the project are in place
Explanation: The purpose of the 'starting up a project' process is to confirm that all prerequisites are in place, allowing the project to proceed to the initiation phase. This process ensures that there is enough information to determine whether the project is viable and worthwhile.
Answer: B. There can be more than one delivery step within a management stage
Explanation: In PRINCE2, it's possible to have more than one delivery step within a single management stage. This allows for flexibility in how the work is organized and delivered within the overall project structure.
Answer: A. To define how the project will ensure that its products are fit for purpose
Explanation: The purpose of the quality theme in PRINCE2 is to establish how the project will ensure that its products meet the required standards and are fit for their intended purpose, aligning with business expectations.
Answer: D. To review and, if necessary, update the project initiation documentation
Explanation: One of the objectives of the 'managing a stage boundary' process in PRINCE2 is to review and, if needed, update the project initiation documentation. This ensures that key documents like the business case, project plan, and strategies remain relevant and accurate as the project progresses.
Answer: B. Create the product flow diagram
Explanation: Creating the product flow diagram involves 'defining and analyzing products' within the PRINCE2 planning procedure. This step helps visualize the sequence and dependencies of the products that need to be delivered.
Answer: A. Produce an exception plan
Explanation: In the 'managing a stage boundary' process, an exception plan may be required if the project is forecasted to exceed its stage tolerances. The project board may request this re-planning, and the exception plan is produced as part of the 'managing a stage boundary' process.
Answer: B. Information for the project board to decide if the project is aligned with business objectives
Explanation: The 'initiating a project' process provides the necessary information for the project board to determine whether the project is aligned with the business objectives and whether it should proceed.
Mastering these PRINCE2 exam questions and answers is vital to ensuring your readiness for the certification test. By practicing and understanding the logic behind each question, you’ll enhance your ability to think critically under exam conditions and be well-prepared to handle the complexities of the actual exam.
Ready to take your PRINCE2 preparation to the next level? Enroll in Invensis Learning’s comprehensive PRINCE2 course and gain the skills and knowledge you need to excel.
The PRINCE2 exams typically include multiple-choice questions that test your understanding of project management principles, processes, themes, and terminology specific to PRINCE2 methodologies.
For the Foundation exam, no reference materials are allowed. The Practitioner exam is an open-book test, but only the official PRINCE2 manual is permitted.
Combine studying the official PRINCE2 manual with attending a training course offered by an accredited training organization. Also, practicing with old exam questions can greatly enhance your readiness.
If you fail the PRINCE2 exam, you can retake it anytime. Review your exam results to understand your weak areas, and consider additional study or training before attempting the exam again.
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