PRINCE2 Foundation Sample Paper 1

Sample Paper -1



The Foundation Examination

Multiple Choice 1-hour paper Instructions

1. All 75 questions should be attempted.
2. 5 of the 75 questions are under trial and will not contribute to your Overall score. There is no indication of which questions are under trial.
3. All answers are to be marked on the answer sheet provided.
4. Please use a pencil and NOT ink to mark your answers on the answer sheet provided. There is only one correct answer per question.
5. You have 1 hour for this paper.
6. You must get 35 or more correct to pass.


Candidate Number: .....................................…

















1. Which is a purpose of a Risk Register?

a) Capture risks that may occur during the project
b) Record how risk management activities will be undertaken on the project
c) Record the risk tolerance for the project
d) Capture issues which are impacting on the delivery of the project objectives

2. Which aspect of project performance must be managed to ensure the project's products are fit for purpose?

a. Benefits
b. Quality
c. Risk
d. Scope


3. What process provides the information required to decide whether to authorize the delivery of a project?

a. Directing a Project
b. Initiating a Project
c. Managing Product Delivery
d. Starting up a Project


4. Identify the missing words in the following sentence. A purpose of the Managing a Stage Boundary process is to produce [?] if the Project Board request the current stage is replanned following a tolerance deviation.

a. an Exception Report
b. an Exception Plan
c. a Stage Plan for the next stage
d. an updated Stage Plan

5. What product forms the 'contract' between the Project Board and the Project Manager?

a. Project Brief
b. Project Initiation Documentation
c. Project mandate
d. Project Plan









6. What is the collective name for individuals or groups who may be affected by a project?

a. Customers
b. Project Support
c. Stakeholders
d. Team members



7. What product identifies the management stages and other major control points in a project?

a. Business Case
b. Project Plan
c. Work Package
d. Project Brief

8. Which is NOT a purpose of a Benefits Review Plan?

a. Define the period over which the cost-benefit analysis will be based
b. Support a review of the performance of the project's products in operational use
c. Define the scope, timing and ownership of the benefit reviews required
d. Describe how to measure and confirm benefits after the project is closed

9. Which is a purpose of quality planning?

a. Define the structure of the project management team
b. Detail the acceptance criteria, in order for the Project Board to agree the level of quality expected of the project's product
c. Document approval records for those project products that have met their quality criteria
d. Produce the Project Plan with resource and schedule information



10. Which should be funded by a change budget?

a. Increase in agreed scope
b. Initiation stage
c. Change Authority
d. Handover activities








11. Which regular report provides the Project Board with a summary of stage status?

a. Communication Management Strategy
b. Project Brief
c. Highlight Report
d. Checkpoint Report


12. Which product records any project outcomes perceived as negative by stakeholders?

a. Business Case
b. Project Plan
c. Communication Management Strategy
d. Project Product Description


13. Identify the missing words in the following sentence. The Team Manager should check the [?] for any interfaces that must be maintained while developing products.

a. Project Product Description
b. Project Plan
c. Checkpoint Report
d. Work Package

14. Which is an objective of the Controlling a Stage process?

a. Prepare a Stage Plan for the next stage
b. Obtain approvals for completed products
c. Prevent 'scope creep' by monitoring products for uncontrolled change
d. Make provision to address all open issues and risks, with follow-on action recommendations

15. Which is a task of product-based planning?

a. Identify activities and dependencies
b. Write the Project Product Description
c. Prepare the Work Packages
d. Produce the Product Status Account












16. What process provides progress information on a team's work to the Project Manager?

a. Controlling a Stage
b. Directing a Project
c. Managing a Stage Boundary
d. Managing Product Delivery



17. Which is the purpose of the Change theme?

a. Prevent change to baselined products
b. Identify, assess and control any potential and approved changes to baselined products
c. Establish mechanisms to monitor and compare actual achievements against those planned
d. Assess and control uncertainty


18. What is used to identify any organization or interested party who needs to be informed of project closure?

a. Configuration Management Strategy
b. Project management team structure
c. Communication Management Strategy
d. Project Brief


19. Which is a purpose of the Risk theme?

a. Establish a procedure to ensure every change is agreed by the relevant authority before it takes place
b. Establish a cost-effective procedure to identify, assess and control uncertainty
c. Establish mechanisms to control any unacceptable deviations from plan
d. Establish mechanisms to manage risks at the corporate or programme level of an organization












20. Which activity does NOT have to take place before the initiation of a project is authorized?

a. Appoint at least the Executive
b. Define the quality techniques to be applied during a project
c. Prepare an outline Business Case
d. Assemble a Project Brief

21. Which is shown in a product breakdown structure?

a. Management stages, major products and control points
b. In which order the products should be created
c. The major products that are to be developed in a plan
d. What resources are required to develop the products

22. Which is NOT a purpose of an Issue Report?

a. Define the consequences of implementing a change to a product
b. Provide a channel for the Project Manager to seek formal advice from the Project Board
c. Notify the Project Manager of a Work Package forecast deviation, a problem or concern
d. Ensure that all concessions are formally documented for audit purposes

23. Which is a purpose of the Quality theme?

a. Establish the mechanisms to judge whether a project is desirable and achievable
b. Look for ways to improve the effectiveness of the management of the project
c. Control uncertainty to improve the ability of the project to succeed
d. Establish mechanisms to control any unacceptable deviation

24. Which characteristic distinguishes a project from regular business operations?

a. Produces benefits
b. Introduces business change
c. Manages stakeholders
d. Incurs cost













25. Which is a purpose of the Controlling a Stage process?

a. Assign work to be done and take corrective action to ensure that the stage remains within tolerance
b. Provide a fixed reference point at which acceptance for the project product is confirmed
c. Enable the Project Board to be provided with sufficient information to authorize the next stage
d. Enable the organization to understand the work that needs to be done to deliver the project's products

26. Which is an objective of the Managing a Stage Boundary process?

a. Ensure that work to be allocated to teams is authorized and agreed
b. When in exception, prepare an Exception Plan as directed by the Project Board
c. Define how and when all the project's products will be delivered and at what cost
d. Control the delivery of the project's products

27. Which is a benefit of using PRINCE2?

a. Provides a defined structure of accountability, delegation, authority and communication
b. Includes techniques for critical path analysis and earned value analysis
c. Enables a Project Manager to be accountable for the success of a project
d. Prevents any changes once the scope of a project has been agreed


28. Which does the Executive need to ensure is in place before the project is initiated?

a. All Work Packages are authorized
b. An understanding of how the project will contribute to corporate objectives
c. The Project Plan has been approved
d. The Project Initiation Documentation is complete

29. Why would the Project Manager escalate an issue to the Project Board?

a. The Project Board is responsible for determining the priority of all issues
b. Direction is required on the best response for preventing the issue from occurring
c. The issue is forecast to cause a deviation beyond stage tolerance and advice is required
d. Escalating issues is a means of providing the Project Board with a regular update on their status








30. Which is a typical core activity within a configuration management procedure?

a. Quality assurance
b. Risk management
c. Verification and audit
d. Progress reporting



31. Identify the missing word in the following sentence. The guiding obligations and good practices which determine whether the project is genuinely being managed using PRINCE2 form the [?] of the method.

a. Principles
b. Themes
c. Processes
d. Techniques

32. Which is a purpose of the Plans theme?

a. Define the means by which products will be verified as fit for purpose
b. Establish the project's structure of accountability
c. Assess and control uncertainty
d. Understand whether the targets are achievable

33. When considering risks, which describes an opportunity in a project?

a. An uncertain event that could have a negative impact on objectives
b. An uncertain event that could have a favorable impact on objectives
c. An event that has occurred resulting in a negative impact on objectives
d. An event that has occurred resulting in a favorable impact on objectives

34. Which of the following describes a use of a Configuration Item Record?

a. To record how changes to a product will be controlled
b. To provide information on the approval procedure for the Work Package
c. To record the history of a product
d. To pass responsibility for the delivery of a product to a Team Manager












35 Which of the following is a type of issue?

1. Problem/concern
2. Request for change
3. External product
4. Off-specification

a. 1, 2, 3
b. 1, 2, 4
c. 1, 3, 4
d. 2, 3, 4

36 Which is a Product Description used for?

a. To define any inherent risks in a product
b. To record the results of any quality checks carried out on a product
c. To define the quality criteria for a product
d. To record acceptance of a product following its quality check(s)

37 Who establishes and maintains the corporate organization's quality management system?

a. Project Assurance
b. Project Support
c. Quality assurance
d. Change Authority

38 Which role is responsible for the management of a risk assigned to it?

a. Project Support
b. Risk owner
c. Risk actionee
d. Project Assurance

39 Who should use the information in a Lessons Report to refine, change and improve the standards within a quality management system?

a. Corporate group
Project Board
b. Project Assurance
c. Executive










40 Which of the following are PRINCE2 integrated elements?

1. Activities
2. Principles
3. Processes
4. Themes

a) 1, 2, 3
b) 1, 2, 4
c) 1, 3, 4
d) 2, 3, 4


41 Who is the key project decision-maker in the project management team?

a) Corporate management
b) Executive
c) Change Authority
d) Project Manager

42 Which theme provides the controls to escalate any forecast beyond tolerance to the next management level?

a) Business Case
b) Plans
c) Progress
d) Quality



43 If Work Package tolerance is forecast to be exceeded, to whom should the Team Manager
Report?

a) Corporate management
b) Project Board
c) Project Assurance
d) Project Manager
















44 Which is an objective of the Directing a Project process?

a. Create and authorize the project mandate
b. Provide management control and direction
c. Control the day-to-day running of the project
d. Provide accurate progress information to the Project Manager


45 What is defined as a temporary organization that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products?

a) Corporate or programme management
b) A project
c) A product breakdown structure
d) A user group


46 What theme provides the justification for the project?

a) Quality
b) Plans
c) Progress
d) Business Case


47 Which is a difference between management and technical stages?

a) Management stages require planning and technical stages do not
b) Technical stages can overlap and management stages cannot
c) Management stages deliver products and technical stages do not
d) Technical stages require resources and management stages do not



















48 Which theme addresses the need to have a strategy for communicating with stakeholders?

a. Quality
b. Organization
c. Plans
d. Progress


49 In which product would you find quality tolerance defined?

a) Product Description
b) Project Plan
c) Quality Register
d) Configuration Item Record

50 Which is a purpose of the Closing a Project process?

a) Provide a fixed point at which acceptance for the project product is confirmed
b) Receive the completed Work Packages for the work performed in the final stage
c) Identify who will perform the activities to close a project
d) Recognize that the objectives set out in the original Project Brief have been achieved

51 Which is an objective of the Closing a Project process?

a) Review and approve the plan for project closure
b) Review the performance of the project against its baseline
c) Perform any post-project reviews
d) Create a Benefits Review Plan


52 Which is NOT a purpose of the Directing a Project process?

a. Enable the Project Board to be accountable for a project's success by making key decisions
b. Enable the Project Board to authorize Work Packages
c. Enable the Project Board to delegate day-to-day management of a project to its Project Manager
d. Enable the Project Board to exercise overall control of a project












53 Identify the missing words in the following sentence. During the Initiating a Project process the [?] before a project is authorized.

a. Minimum necessary is done to decide if a project is worthwhile
b. aim is to establish sound foundations to achieve a successful project
c. Project Brief is assembled and approved
d. project approach appropriate for delivering a project is selected


54 Which is created during the Starting up a Project process?

a) Project mandate
b) Project management team role descriptions
c) Communication Management Strategy
d) Quality Register


55 Which describes risk impact?

a) Timeframe within which the risk might occur
b) The trigger that occurred giving rise to the risk
c) The effect of the risk on the delivery of project objectives
d) How likely the risk is to occur in a given project situation

56 Which of the following are true statements for a Project Plan?

1. Used by the Project Board to monitor project progress
2. Identifies the major control points
3. Used as the basis for day-to-day control by the Project Manager
4. Should align to the corporate or programme management's plan

a) 1, 2, 3
b) 1, 2, 4
c) 1, 3, 4
d) 2, 3, 4














57 Which is a responsibility of Project Support?

a. Approving or rejecting issues
b. Setting of stage tolerances
c. Assessing whether quality control procedures are used correctly
d. Controlling and protecting the project's products


58 Identify the missing word(s) in the following sentence.

Following initiation, the Controlling a Stage process is used to manage and control each [ ? ]
of a project.

a) technical stage
b) benefit
c) management stage
d) Team Plan

59 If, during the Managing a Stage Boundary process, external factors are identified that may
affect the business justification for a project, which product should be updated?

a) Business Case
b) Project Brief
c) End Project Report
d) Highlight Report

60 Which is a purpose of a Lessons Log?

a) Note lessons raised in the Checkpoint Report
b) Record that corrective action is being taken
c) Escalate lessons to the Project Board
d) Raise improvements with Project Assurance

61 Which is a true statement about acceptance criteria?

a) Acceptance criteria are used to produce the customer's quality expectations
b) Acceptance criteria are less specific and precise than customer's quality expectations
c) Once agreed, acceptance criteria CANNOT be changed
d) Acceptance criteria should be agreed between the customer and the supplier










62 What process is used by the Project Board to respond to an Exception Report?

a) Controlling a Stage
b) Managing a Stage Boundary
c) Managing Product Delivery
d) Directing a Project


63 When considering how long the project stages should be, which might be a reason for one stage to be longer than others?

a. A substantial amount of the project budget is to be spent
b. More human resources are required than in other stages
c. The risk is lower
d. No changes to the project management team are envisaged


64 Which risk response type is NOT recommended to respond to an opportunity?

a. Accept
b. Exploit
c. Share
d. Reject

65 Which is a purpose of a Business Case?

a. State and justify the business rationale for undertaking a project
b. Forecast who will be responsible for measurement of the expected benefits
c. Define the project approach
d. Describe what a project must deliver to gain customer acceptance

66 Identify the missing words in the following sentence. The [?] is one of the levels of plan recommended by PRINCE2.

a. Benefits Review Plan
b. Exception Plan
c. Product Status Account
d. Stage Plan











67 Which role is part of the project management team?

a. Change Authority
b. Quality assurance
c. Stakeholder
d. Corporate or programme management

68 Which describes the 'Identify Risks' step within the recommended risk management procedure?

a. Identify responses to risks documented in the Business Case
b. Gather information about the project environment and objectives
c. Identify the roles to be involved in risk management activities
d. Identify uncertainties that may impact on the delivery of the project objectives

69 When are project closure activities planned?

a. During the initiation stage
b. When the Stage Plan for the final management stage is produced
c. As the first activity in the Closing a Project process
d. In the last Work Package allocated to a Team Manager

70 Which is a purpose of a Lessons Report?

a. Improve the project management method for future projects
b. Detail open issues and risks that need to be managed after the project has closed
c. Compare the actual performance of the final stage against its plan
d. Provide a summary of the benefits realized during the project





71 Which is a purpose of the Managing Product Delivery process?

a. Enable the Senior Supplier to be provided with sufficient information by the Project Manager so that they can review the success of the current Work Package
b. Provide a controlled link between the Project Manager and the Team Manager(s)
c. Enable the Project Board to request updates to the current Team Plan
d. Establish solid foundations for the project




72 Which may be funded from a risk budget?

a. Corrections due to off-specifications
b. Impact analysis of requests for change
c. Implementation of a fallback plan
d. Preparation of the Risk Management Strategy


73 Which is a purpose of a Project Brief?

a. Acts as a base document against which the Project Board can assess progress, issues and ongoing viability questions
b. Provides a sound basis for project initiation
c. Defines how and when a measurement of the achievement of the project's benefits can be
made
d. Provides a description of the means and frequency of communication

74 Which is NOT a recommended quality review team role?

a. Administrator
b. Chair
c. Producer
d. Reviewer










75 What is described as an organization's unique attitude towards risk taking

a) Risk appetite
b) Risk management
c) Risk evaluation
d) Risk tolerance





Answer Key 

1	a	16	d	31	a	46	d	61	d
2	b	17	b	32	d	47	b	62	d
3	b	18	c	33	b	48	b	63	c
4	b	19	b	34	c	49	a	64	a
5	b	20	b	35	b	50	a	65	a
6	c	21	c	36	c	51	b	66	d
7	b	22	d	37	c	52	b	67	a
8	a	23	b	38	b	53	b	68	d
9	b	24	b	39	a	54	b	69	b
10	a	25	a	40	d	55	c	70	a
11	c	26	b	41	b	56	a	71	b
12	a	27	a	42	c	57	d	72	c
13	d	28	b	43	d	58	c	73	b
14	c	29	c	44	b	59	a	74	c
15	b	30	c	45	b	60	b	75	a

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