Study PRINCE2 Practitioner v7 Risk, Issue, and Change Judgment: key concepts, common traps, and exam decision cues.
Risk, issue, and change questions are often won by correct classification. A surprising number of wrong Practitioner answers follow a plausible process, but for the wrong type of problem.
Use this quick distinction:
| Situation | Strongest reading |
|---|---|
| uncertain future event | risk |
| current problem or concern | issue |
| proposed alteration to an agreed baseline | request for change |
| delivered or forecast difference from agreed requirement | off-specification |
After classification, the next question is authority. Some changes may be within delegated change-authority limits. Others must be escalated. Practitioner distractors often skip that step and treat every change like a project-manager decision.
flowchart TD
A["Problem or proposed action appears"] --> B{"Future uncertainty or current reality?"}
B -->|Future uncertainty| C["Treat as risk"]
B -->|Current reality| D{"Baseline affected or proposed to change?"}
D -->|Yes| E["Use issue and change-control path"]
D -->|No| F["Treat as issue or concern and manage accordingly"]
E --> G{"Within delegated change authority?"}
G -->|Yes| H["Handle at delegated level"]
G -->|No| I["Escalate through the proper authority path"]
| If the scenario says… | The stronger response usually… |
|---|---|
| something might happen later | classifies it as risk, not as a live issue |
| an agreed requirement can no longer be met | moves into issue and change control rather than leaving it in risk logic |
| the team proposes an alternative to an approved baseline | checks change authority before approval |
| the problem sounds urgent | still classifies first instead of skipping to action |
A supplier asks to change a previously agreed product feature because it would simplify delivery. That is not just “good technical advice.” It is a request for change and should be judged against baseline, impact, and authority.
A delivery problem is discovered during product development, and the team immediately proposes a workaround that would alter an agreed requirement. The stronger Practitioner answer does not start by asking whether the workaround is clever. It first recognizes that the baseline is under pressure, then uses the right issue/change path and checks whether delegated authority is enough.
A previously approved product requirement cannot now be met as specified, and the team proposes an acceptable alternative. What is the strongest Practitioner interpretation?
A. It should remain in the Risk Register until the product is complete B. It should be treated through the issue and change-control path because the agreed baseline is affected C. It should be ignored if the schedule can still be protected D. It should be handled only through informal team discussion
Best answer: B
Why: Once the agreed baseline is affected, the stronger response is issue and change control rather than risk-only thinking or informal handling.
Why the others are weaker: A misclassifies the problem, C ignores baseline integrity, and D bypasses formal authority.