PRINCE2F PRINCE2 Processes Practice Question
During the Directing a Project process, the Project Board receives an Exception Report. What action should the Project Board take?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is thinking the Project Board can simply authorize the next stage or ignore the exception; they must address the exception by evaluating an Exception Plan.
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 situation and, if appropriate, approve an Exception Plan
During Directing a Project, when the Project Board receives an Exception Report, they must assess the situation and decide whether to approve an Exception Plan. The Exception Plan outlines how to recover from the exception. This is a key responsibility of 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.
- ✗
Authorize the next stage as planned
Why it's wrong here
An Exception Report signals that tolerances are forecast to be exceeded, so authorising the next stage as planned ignores the deviation and breaches the Project Board's control remit. Stage authorisation is the normal action when a Stage Plan and End Stage Report show the stage completed within tolerance, not when an exception has been raised.
- ✗
Request a new Project Brief
Why it's wrong here
A Project Brief is the pre-project document produced during Starting up a Project, so requesting a new one during Directing a Project discards the approved Business Case and Project Initiation Documentation. It would be relevant only if the project were being re-initiated from scratch, not when responding to a forecast breach of stage tolerances.
- ✓
Assess the situation and, if appropriate, approve an Exception Plan
Why this is correct
An Exception Report triggers the Project Board to assess the deviation against tolerances and decide how to respond. Approving an Exception Plan authorises the Project Manager to replace the current Stage Plan or Project Plan, restoring the project to a controlled state within the Directing a Project process.
- ✗
Instruct the Project Manager to continue with the current plan
Why it's wrong here
Instructing the Project Manager to continue on the current plan ignores the exception, since tolerances are forecast to be exceeded and the Project Board must decide rather than defer. Continuing is the correct action when an End Stage Report shows the stage completed within tolerance, not when an Exception Report has been escalated.
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Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PeopleCert exam blueprint
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