PRINCE2F People: organizations, teams, and leadership Practice Question
In a PRINCE2 project, the Project Manager has also been assigned the Project Assurance role. Which PRINCE2 principle is being violated?
⚠ Common exam trap
PRINCE2F often tests the independence of Project Assurance, where candidates might overlook the conflict of interest when the Project Manager also assumes assurance responsibilities, violating the 'Defined roles and responsibilities' 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
✓
Defined roles and responsibilities
The PRINCE2 principle 'Defined roles and responsibilities' requires that roles are clearly defined and that assurance roles are independent from management roles. Assigning the Project Manager also as Project Assurance violates this principle because Project Assurance must be independent of the Project Manager to provide objective oversight.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Continued business justification
Why it's wrong here
Continued business justification concerns whether the project remains worthwhile, not role separation. Assigning the Project Manager Project Assurance breaches the principle of defined roles and responsibilities, since assurance must be independent of the manager being assured.
- ✓
Defined roles and responsibilities
Why this is correct
Combining Project Manager and Project Assurance breaches the separation of duties that Defined roles and responsibilities demands, since assurance must independently monitor the Project Manager's own work. PRINCE2 requires these accountabilities to sit with different people, so assigning both to one person violates that principle.
- ✗
Focus on products
Why it's wrong here
Focus on products concerns defining and agreeing outputs, so it does not address the segregation of duties breached when one person holds both Project Manager and Project Assurance. It is tempting because product-based planning underpins PRINCE2, and it would be the answer if the stem described undefined deliverables rather than conflicting accountabilities.
- ✗
Manage by stages
Why it's wrong here
Manage by stages governs dividing the project into controllable chunks with decision points, not the independence of assurance from the Project Manager. It is tempting because staged delivery is central to PRINCE2, and it would be correct if the stem described work proceeding without stage boundaries or end-stage assessments.
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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
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