PRINCE2F Overview of PRINCE2 and Principles Practice Question
A project to build a new bridge is underway. The project board has decided to use a stage plan for the next stage rather than a detailed Gantt chart for the entire project. This approach aligns with which PRINCE2 principle?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse 'Manage by stages' with 'Focus on products' or 'Learn from experience', but the key differentiator is that stage planning is about controlling the project in manageable chunks, not about product definition or lessons learned.
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
✓
Manage by stages
The decision to use a stage plan for the next stage rather than a detailed Gantt chart for the entire project directly reflects the 'Manage by stages' principle. This principle requires that the project board only plans in detail for the immediate next stage, while higher-level plans cover the remainder of the project, enabling control and flexibility.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Continued business justification
Why it's wrong here
Continued business justification concerns whether the project remains viable and worth investing in, so it does not address planning horizon or detail. It is tempting because stage boundaries trigger justification reviews, but the stem's driver is dividing the project into manageable, controllable increments, which is the manage-by-stages principle.
- ✗
Learn from experience
Why it's wrong here
Learn from experience concerns capturing and applying lessons from previous projects and stages, which the stem never mentions. It is tempting because lessons are reviewed at stage boundaries, but the actual decision here is to plan only the next stage in detail, which is the manage-by-stages principle.
- ✗
Focus on products
Why it's wrong here
Focus on products defines the project by its deliverables and their quality criteria, not by how far ahead planning extends. It is tempting because stage plans derive from product descriptions, yet the stem's contrast between a stage plan and a full Gantt chart concerns planning horizon and control, which manage by stages governs.
- ✓
Manage by stages
Why this is correct
Dividing the project into manageable stages, each with its own plan and decision point, directly implements the manage by stages principle. The board authorises the next stage plan only, retaining control between stages rather than committing upfront to a full-project Gantt chart.
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