PRINCE2F PRINCE2 Practices Practice Question
During a stage, a team manager reports that a key product will be delivered two weeks late due to resource constraints. The project manager updates the stage plan and finds that the stage tolerance for time is about to be exceeded. What is the first action the project manager should take?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers think the project manager can handle the delay internally by reassigning resources or revising plans, but PRINCE2 strictly requires escalation via an Exception Report when stage tolerance is forecast to be exceeded.
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
✓
Issue an exception report to the project board
The project manager must escalate the issue to the project board because the stage tolerance for time is about to be exceeded. According to PRINCE2, when a forecast indicates that a stage will exceed its tolerances, the project manager must produce an Exception Report and submit it to the project board, which then decides on corrective action. This is a mandatory escalation step to maintain management by exception.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Issue an exception report to the project board
Why this is correct
When a stage plan shows tolerance for time will imminently be exceeded, the project manager escalates by issuing an exception report to the project board, which decides how to respond. This satisfies PRINCE2's tolerance-escalation principle before the deviation actually occurs.
- ✗
Revise the project plan to absorb the delay
Why it's wrong here
Revising the project plan exceeds the project manager's authority once stage tolerance is forecast to be breached; the issue must be escalated to the project board, which owns the project plan. It tempts because replanning at project level is the board's legitimate response once they grant a tolerance exception.
- ✗
Reassign resources to the delayed product
Why it's wrong here
Reassigning resources is a corrective action taken within tolerance; here the stage time tolerance is about to be exceeded, so the exception must be escalated to the project board first. It tempts because resource levelling is a valid team-manager response while the stage remains within its agreed limits.
- ✗
Request a concession from the project board
Why it's wrong here
A concession is a change to a baseline, and the project board only considers one after the exception is formally reported; requesting it first bypasses the escalation path. It is tempting because concessions do relax tolerances, and it would be correct once the board has been given the exception and decides to permit the deviation.
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on PRINCE2F
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. During a stage, a Team Manager reports that a work package is likely to be delayed. What should the Project Manager do?
hard- A.Close the work package and reassign the work to another team
- ✓ B.Assess the impact on stage tolerances and take corrective action if within tolerance
- C.Immediately raise an Exception Report to the Project Board
- D.Instruct the Team Manager to continue as planned and report progress in the next Checkpoint Report
Why B: The Project Manager must assess the impact on stage tolerances. If the delay is within tolerance, they can take corrective action. If it exceeds tolerance, they must escalate via an Exception Report.
Variation 2. During a project, a Team Manager reports that a product will be delivered two weeks later than planned. The tolerance for the Work Package is one week. What should the Team Manager do?
hard- A.Update the Project Plan to reflect the delay
- B.Request a change to the Project Plan directly from the Project Board
- ✓ C.Issue an Exception Report to the Project Manager
- D.Continue with the work and inform the Project Manager in the next Checkpoint Report
Why C: When a Work Package is forecast to exceed its agreed tolerance, the Team Manager must escalate by issuing an Exception Report to the Project Manager, who then decides whether to raise it to the Project Board. The Work Package tolerance (one week) has been breached by the two-week delay, so the Team Manager cannot simply absorb it. The Exception Report is the PRINCE2 mechanism for escalating forecast deviations beyond delegated tolerance.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PRINCE2F practice question is part of Courseiva's free PeopleCert certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PRINCE2F exam.