Study PRINCE2 Foundation v7 Business Case and Supporting Products: key concepts, common traps, and exam decision cues.
The Business Case practice explains why the project should exist and why it should keep going. In Foundation questions, the strongest answer usually protects continued justification rather than assuming that busy delivery activity is enough.
PRINCE2 expects business justification to be documented, reviewed, and kept current. That is why the Business Case is not just a start-up artifact. It is used through the life of the project, especially at stage boundaries and when exceptions threaten value.
The exam often tests whether a candidate can separate:
| Item | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Output | What the project delivers |
| Outcome | The changed state after the output is used |
| Benefit | The measurable improvement expected from that changed state |
| Dis-benefit | A measurable negative effect that still needs to be understood and governed |
The stronger answer also recognizes that the Business Case is supported by management products and reviews, not by optimism. If expected benefits weaken, cost rises, or risks change materially, justification must be reconsidered.
A project is still meeting delivery dates, but a strategic shift means the expected benefit is now much lower than before. The PRINCE2 response is not to celebrate schedule performance. It is to review whether the project remains justified.
A project is forecast to deliver its main product on time, but the expected business savings have dropped sharply since the project was approved. What is the strongest PRINCE2 interpretation?
A. Delivery should continue unchanged because the schedule baseline is still safe. B. The Business Case should be reviewed because continued justification may be weakening. C. The issue should be ignored until project closure because benefits are measured later. D. The delivery team should decide whether the lower benefit is acceptable.
Best answer: B
Why: PRINCE2 requires continued business justification. A material change in expected benefit means the Business Case may need review.
Why the others are weaker: A confuses schedule success with project viability. C delays a governance decision. D gives a business-accountability decision to the wrong level.