PRINCE2F Project Initiation and Stages Practice Question
During the Initiation Stage, the project manager realizes that the project's duration is underestimated. What should be updated?
⚠ Common exam trap
PeopleCert often tests the distinction between the Project Plan (overall project) and Stage Plan (current stage), leading candidates to mistakenly update the Stage Plan when the issue affects the entire project duration.
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
✓
Project Plan
The Project Plan is the correct artifact to update because it defines the overall project timeline, milestones, and resource estimates. When the duration is underestimated during Initiation, the Project Plan must be revised to reflect a realistic schedule before it is approved by the project board. Updating the Project Plan ensures the baseline for the entire project is accurate, which is critical for subsequent stage planning and control.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Business Case
Why it's wrong here
The Business Case justifies the investment and captures costs and benefits; it is not the document holding activity durations or schedule estimates. It would be updated if the justification itself changed, such as revised costs outweighing benefits, not merely because the timeline estimate was wrong.
- ✓
Project Plan
Why this is correct
The Project Plan contains the schedule, cost and resource estimates, so revising the underestimated duration means updating this baseline document. During Initiation it remains a draft, allowing the project manager to correct estimates before the project board approves the plan at the end of the process.
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Stage Plan
Why it's wrong here
During Initiation the project is still being defined; the Stage Plan for the initiation stage already exists and covers only that stage, so it cannot absorb a revised overall project duration. A Stage Plan would be updated when a later stage's activities and tolerances need revising.
- ✗
Risk Register
Why it's wrong here
The Risk Register records identified threats and opportunities with their responses; an underestimated duration is a planning error, not a risk event, unless it was already logged as one. It would be updated if the estimate error exposed a new risk requiring an owner and response.
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