PRINCE2F Practice Question: Overview of PRINCE2 and the project environment
A programme manager has assigned a project manager to deliver a new customer portal. The programme manager will define the project mandate, but the project manager must create the project brief. According to PRINCE2, what is the primary purpose of the project brief?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse the project brief with the project initiation documentation, assuming the brief contains the detailed business case or authorizes delivery.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
It provides sufficient information for the project board to decide whether it is worthwhile to initiate the project.
The project brief is created before the project starts and gives the project board the information it needs to decide whether to authorize the initiation stage. It includes the outline business case, project definition, and project approach, but not the detailed baselined products that come later in the project initiation documentation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It authorizes the project manager to start the first delivery stage and commit resources.
Why it's wrong here
Authorization to start the first delivery stage is given by the project board after the Initiating a Project process, when it approves the project initiation documentation and the next stage plan. The project brief itself does not authorize delivery or the commitment of resources.
- ✗
It serves as the contract between the supplier and the customer, defining the acceptance criteria and payment terms.
Why it's wrong here
The project brief is not a contract; it is an internal document used to decide whether to initiate the project. Contracts are separate commercial agreements. Acceptance criteria are documented in the project product description, which is refined during initiation, not in the project brief.
- ✗
It documents the detailed business case, including benefits, costs, and risks, that will be baselined at the end of initiation.
Why it's wrong here
The detailed business case is developed during the Initiating a Project process and is part of the project initiation documentation. The project brief contains only an outline business case, which is not baselined; baselining occurs later when the project board approves the PID.
- ✓
It provides sufficient information for the project board to decide whether it is worthwhile to initiate the project.
Why this is correct
The project brief is the pre-project document that gives the project board enough information to authorize the Initiating a Project process. It contains the project definition, outline business case, and project approach, allowing a go/no-go decision on whether to invest in the more detailed initiation work.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PeopleCert exam blueprint
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