PRINCE2F Business Case and Organizing Practice Question
During the Starting up a Project process, the Project Manager is drafting the outline Business Case. The Executive has provided a summary of the expected benefits, but the Project Manager is unsure whether to include a detailed cost-benefit analysis at this stage. What should the Project Manager do?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that the Business Case must be fully detailed at the outline stage, or that costs can be omitted until later.
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
✓
Include a high-level estimate of costs and benefits, and note that these will be refined during Initiating a Project.
During Starting up a Project, the outline Business Case provides a high-level justification with estimated costs, benefits, risks and timescales. It is expected to be refined during Initiating a Project when the full Business Case is developed. Including high-level estimates and noting that they will be refined is the correct approach, as it gives the Project Board sufficient information to decide whether to initiate.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Include a high-level estimate of costs and benefits, and note that these will be refined during Initiating a Project.
Why this is correct
The outline Business Case is a high-level justification that includes estimated costs, benefits, risks and timescales. It is expected to be refined and detailed further during Initiating a Project when the full Business Case is developed. Including high-level estimates and noting future refinement is exactly what PRINCE2 recommends for this stage, making this the correct approach.
- ✗
Include a full cost-benefit analysis because the Business Case must be complete before the project can be initiated.
Why it's wrong here
The outline Business Case produced during Starting up a Project is a high-level document that justifies the project's initiation. A full cost-benefit analysis is typically developed and refined during Initiating a Project, when more detail is available. Demanding completeness at this early stage is impractical and not required by PRINCE2, so this option misstates the purpose of the outline Business Case.
- ✗
Postpone the Business Case entirely until the Project Board approves the Project Brief.
Why it's wrong here
The Business Case is a key component of the Project Brief, which is used to decide whether to initiate the project. Postponing it would mean the Project Board lacks essential justification information. The outline Business Case must be included in the Project Brief, so this option is incorrect and would undermine the purpose of Starting up a Project.
- ✗
Include only the expected benefits and omit any cost information until the project is initiated.
Why it's wrong here
The outline Business Case should include an estimate of costs and timescales, even if high-level, to allow the Project Board to make an informed decision about whether to initiate the project. Omitting costs entirely would leave a significant gap in the justification. This option fails because it ignores the need for a balanced view of both costs and benefits at the outline stage.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PeopleCert exam blueprint
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.