Quick Answer
The answer is managing the project within tolerances set by the Project Board. This is correct because the Project Manager is the day-to-day leader who must deliver the project’s products while staying within the agreed cost, time, scope, risk, and quality tolerances delegated by the Project Board; exceeding these tolerances requires an exception report and escalation. On the PRINCE2 Foundation exam, this responsibility tests your understanding of the management-by-exception principle, where the Project Manager operates autonomously within defined boundaries. A common trap is confusing the Project Manager’s role with the Project Board’s strategic oversight—remember that the Board sets tolerances, but the Manager works within them. For a memory tip, think “Tolerances are the fence; the Manager plays inside the yard.”
This PRINCE2F practice question tests your understanding of people: organizations, teams, and leadership. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which TWO of the following are responsibilities of the Project Manager?
Preparing Stage Plans
The Project Manager prepares Stage Plans.
Providing independent assurance to the Project Board
Why wrong: This is Project Assurance.
Updating the Business Case
Why wrong: The SRO maintains the Business Case.
Approving Stage Plans
Why wrong: Approval is done by the Project Board.
Managing the project within tolerances set by the Project Board
Day-to-day management within tolerances is a key PM responsibility.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Preparing Stage Plans
A is correct because the Project Manager is responsible for preparing Stage Plans, which detail how the work for a management stage will be executed, including schedules, resources, and controls. This is a core PRINCE2 responsibility as the Project Manager translates the Project Plan into actionable Stage Plans for the Project Board's approval.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Preparing Stage Plans
Why this is correct
The Project Manager prepares Stage Plans.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Providing independent assurance to the Project Board
Why it's wrong here
This is Project Assurance.
Updating the Business Case
Why it's wrong here
The SRO maintains the Business Case.
Approving Stage Plans
Why it's wrong here
Approval is done by the Project Board.
Managing the project within tolerances set by the Project Board
Why this is correct
Day-to-day management within tolerances is a key PM responsibility.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is confusing the Project Manager's role in preparing Stage Plans with the Project Board's role in approving them, or mistaking the Project Manager for the owner of the Business Case, which is a common PRINCE2 Foundation exam pitfall.
Detailed technical explanation
In PRINCE2, the Project Manager operates within delegated tolerances from the Project Board, managing the stage to deliver products as defined in the Stage Plan. The Project Manager escalates any forecasted deviations beyond tolerances to the Project Board via an Exception Report, ensuring the board retains control over major changes. This separation of preparation (Project Manager) and approval (Project Board) is a key governance mechanism in the PRINCE2 process model.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the PRINCE2F exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
People: organizations, teams, and leadership — This question tests People: organizations, teams, and leadership — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Preparing Stage Plans — A is correct because the Project Manager is responsible for preparing Stage Plans, which detail how the work for a management stage will be executed, including schedules, resources, and controls. This is a core PRINCE2 responsibility as the Project Manager translates the Project Plan into actionable Stage Plans for the Project Board's approval.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which TWO of the following are responsibilities of the Project Manager?
mediumWhy B: The Project Manager manages day-to-day operations and prepares Highlight Reports. Creating the PID is done in Initiating a Project, and authorizing Work Packages is the Team Manager's role.
Variation 2. Which TWO of the following are responsibilities of the Project Manager?
mediumWhy A: Option A is correct because the Project Manager is responsible for preparing Stage Plans, which detail how a management stage will be executed, and submitting them to the Project Board for approval. This aligns with PRINCE2's principle of management by stages, where the Project Manager provides the detailed plan for the next stage.
Variation 3. Which of the following is NOT a responsibility of the Project Manager?
mediumWhy B: Project Assurance is independent and cannot be delegated to the Project Manager.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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