PRINCE2F PRINCE2 Processes Practice Question
The Project Manager identifies that the project's approved Business Case is no longer viable. Which process should the Project Manager use to escalate this?
⚠ Common exam trap
PRINCE2F often tests the confusion between the Project Manager's process (Controlling a Stage) and the Project Board's process (Directing a Project) when escalating issues.
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
✓
Controlling a Stage
In PRINCE2, the Project Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of a stage and must escalate issues that are outside the stage tolerance or that affect the viability of the Business Case. The Controlling a Stage process includes the activity 'Escalate Issues and Risks', which is the correct route to raise a non-viable Business Case to the Project Board. The Project Board then decides whether to continue, change, or stop the project via Directing a Project.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Directing a Project
Why it's wrong here
Directing a Project is the board's decision-making process, so the Project Manager cannot use it to escalate; the board owns it, not the manager. It is tempting because the board would ultimately decide on closure, and it would be correct for the board's own authorisation or continued-business-justification decisions.
- ✗
Starting Up a Project
Why it's wrong here
Starting Up a Project precedes the project and produces the outline Business Case, so it cannot handle a Business Case that has already been approved and has since become unviable. It is tempting because it deals with Business Case creation, and it would be correct when initially assembling the project brief and appointing the team.
- ✗
Closing a Project
Why it's wrong here
Closing a Project confirms acceptance of products and documents lessons; it does not evaluate whether the Business Case remains viable or escalate that finding. It is tempting because it ends the project, and it would be correct once the board has already decided to close or the products are delivered.
- ✓
Controlling a Stage
Why this is correct
Controlling a Stage is where the Project Manager monitors the approved Business Case against actual progress and escalates exceptions. When viability is lost, this process triggers an exception report to the Project Board, satisfying the stem's requirement to escalate rather than act unilaterally within delegated tolerances.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every PRINCE2F question from scratch — 1,189 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.