PRINCE2F PRINCE2 Processes Practice Question
What is the difference between Starting Up a Project (SU) and Initiating a Project (IP)?
⚠ Common exam trap
PRINCE2F often tests the confusion between SU and IP outputs and sequencing, tempting candidates to swap the Project Brief and PID or misplace SU inside the initiation stage.
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
✓
SU determines if the project is viable; IP establishes detailed management strategies and plans
Starting Up a Project (SU) is the pre-project process that determines whether the project is viable and worth initiating, producing the Project Brief and the initiation stage plan. Initiating a Project (IP) then establishes the detailed management strategies, the Project Initiation Documentation (PID), and the plans needed to control the project, building on the Project Brief.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
SU produces the PID; IP produces the Project Brief
Why it's wrong here
The deliverables are reversed: Starting Up a Project produces the Project Brief, while Initiating a Project produces the PID. It is tempting because both are pre-delivery activities that produce baseline documentation, but the sequence and ownership of these two products is exactly what the question tests.
- ✓
SU determines if the project is viable; IP establishes detailed management strategies and plans
Why this is correct
Starting Up a Project produces the project brief and business case to confirm viability before commitment, whereas Initiating a Project creates the detailed management strategies, plans and controls needed to govern delivery, so the two address distinct decision points.
- ✗
SU is performed by the Project Board; IP is performed by the Project Manager
Why it's wrong here
Both processes are performed by the Project Manager, not the Project Board; the Board authorises them via decisions. It is tempting because the Board does approve the Project Brief and PID, but approval is not performance, and the question asks who carries out the activities.
- ✗
SU is a process within the initiation stage; IP is a separate stage
Why it's wrong here
Starting Up a Project is a pre-project process, not part of the initiation stage; Initiating a Project is itself the initiation stage, not a separate stage alongside it. It is tempting because both precede delivery, but the distinction is process versus stage, not nested versus separate.
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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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