PRINCE2F People: organizations, teams, and leadership Practice Question
During the Controlling a Stage process, the Project Manager receives a Checkpoint Report from a Team Manager indicating a delay in delivering a Work Package. What should the Project Manager do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often jump to escalation (Option C) without recognizing that the Project Manager must first assess the impact and attempt corrective action within tolerances, as per the management by exception principle.
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
✓
Assess the impact on the Stage Plan and decide on corrective action within stage tolerances
The Project Manager must first assess the impact of the delay on the Stage Plan and decide on corrective action within the agreed stage tolerances. This aligns with the PRINCE2 principle of management by exception, where the Project Manager handles deviations within tolerances before escalating. Only if the delay exceeds stage tolerances should an Exception Report be raised to the Project Board.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Instruct the Team Manager to recover the delay within the Work Package tolerances
Why it's wrong here
The Project Manager should first assess the deviation against the Work Package tolerances and Stage Plan before directing any recovery action. It tempts because instructing recovery is the natural response to delay, and it would be correct once the delay is confirmed to exceed the tolerances delegated to the Team Manager.
- ✗
Close the Work Package and re-plan the stage
Why it's wrong here
Closing the Work Package ends delivery before the delay is assessed or recovered, removing the Project Manager's ability to act within stage tolerances. It tempts because closing work packages is a legitimate Controlling a Stage activity once delivery is complete and accepted.
- ✗
Raise an Exception Report to the Project Board immediately
Why it's wrong here
An Exception Report goes to the Project Board only when the stage's own tolerances are forecast to be breached, which a single delayed Work Package does not yet establish. It tempts because escalation is correct once stage-level tolerance is threatened.
- ✓
Assess the impact on the Stage Plan and decide on corrective action within stage tolerances
Why this is correct
The Project Manager must first assess how the Work Package delay affects the Stage Plan, then decide whether corrective action stays within stage tolerances. Escalating or amending the Business Case comes only if tolerances would be exceeded.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way 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. A project is in its Controlling a Stage process. The Team Manager reports that a Work Package is likely to be completed late. The Project Manager reviews the Stage Plan and sees that stage tolerance is not forecast to be exceeded. What should the Project Manager do?
hard- A.Instruct the Team Manager to continue as planned.
- B.Close the stage early.
- ✓ C.Take corrective action within the tolerances delegated by the Project Board.
- D.Escalate to the Project Board via an Exception Report.
Why C: In the Controlling a Stage process, the Project Manager is responsible for taking corrective action to keep the stage within its tolerances. Since the stage tolerance is not forecast to be exceeded, the issue remains within the Project Manager's delegated authority, so they should take corrective action without escalating. Escalation is only required when tolerances are forecast to be breached.
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.