With plenty of project management courses available in the market, you might get confused regarding which course to take up. PRINCE 2 (Project IN Controlled Environments) has somehow not received the credits it deserves. PRINCE2 exam is the systematic set of guidelines that empowers managers with skills to handle projects efficiently rather than spoon feeding them. The structure of this methodology considers all the possibilities that can occur during a project, thereby providing all the basic strategies required to deliver projects on time.
It was initially designed by the UK government for Information System project management, but due to its benefits, it was adopted for other fields as well. It has not only remained limited to the UK but has gained popularity across the world. It is even used by the United Nations for effective management of the projects.
Types of PRINCE 2 Certification
This certification takes place in steps. For beginners in Project Management, foundation course is available, whereas, if you are an experienced manager you can take up practitioner course. Otherwise, a participant can also take up both the courses in one go. Here, we provide some introduction to the different levels of PRINCE 2:
- PRINCE 2 Foundation Exam
This is the first certification in the PRINCE 2 series. In this certification, one learns the methods so that they can work effectively with the management team. This is an ideal certification for aspiring project managers and also for those who are working with organizations using PRINCE 2.
The certification exams demands from the participants:
- To identify processes, themes, and principles associated with PRINCE2.
- Mapping the relationships between deliverables, processes, and roles of stakeholders.
- Knowing about the major management projects and their use.
- PRINCE 2 Practitioner Exam
For those who are already in the process of managing projects can take up the PRINCE 2 Practitioner Exam. This teaches the participants to use the principles in real-life situations. Anyone who is interested in improving the understanding of project management can take up this certification.
The certification exams demands from the participants:
- A detailed explanation of the principles, themes, and processes of PRINCE 2.
- Application and understanding of the relationship between themes, principles, and processes.
- Identification of the reasoning behind these three aspects.
- Applying the structure to the real-project situations
Structure of PRINCE 2
This PRINCE 2 methodology has 7 principles, 7 themes and 7 processes as mentioned below:
Principles
-
- Manage by exception
- Learn from experience
- Define Roles and Responsibilities
- Continued Business Justification
- Manage by Stages
- Tailored to the Environment
- Focus on Products
Themes
- Quality
- Risk
- Progress
- Change
- Plan
- Organization
- Business Care
Processes
- Starting Up a Project(SU)
- Initiating a Project(IP)
- Directing a Project(DP)
- Controlling a Stage(CS)
- Managing Product Delivery(MP)
- Managing Stage Boundaries(SB)
- Closing a Project(CP)
Certification Details
- Certification Expiration Period
It is to be noted that the PRINCE 2 certification has no expiry date. However, for a practitioner, the status of a certified practitioner expires after three years. For registering again, one needs to take up the exam within three years. The process and the examination for the re-registration have a different format. It is less intense and focuses on updating participants on the latest practices of PRINCE 2. Also, to be eligible for re-registration one needs to have 20 CPDs each year.
- Pre-requisites for Foundation Course
As there is no pre-requisite for the foundation course, so it is a very promising course for aspiring project managers with no initial experience. And, for those who want to get themselves enrolled in practitioner certification have to get them certified in a foundation course. Also, participants can take both the courses at the same time, and get themselves certified for both the levels simultaneously.
- Cost
AXELOS doesn’t conduct any training sessions and has training partners for the same. The price for the certification varies with the place where you live and the type of training you take. On average, a good and promising foundation course can cost about £600. Also, the combination of both the foundation and the practitioner course can cost about £1000 – £1500.
- Duration of PRINCE2 Course
- It is not difficult to take a Foundation Level Examination for PRINCE 2. If you are preparing for it in a regular manner that is 3 to 4 hrs a day, you will be able to pass it after studying for 10 to 12 days. But the number of efforts you put should be focused and determined. For those who are studying at least, 1 to 2 hrs can attain the certification in a maximum of 3 weeks.
- As the difficulty level is high for Practitioner level examinations, efforts involved should be committed and focused. With a continuous preparation of 3 to 4 hrs a day, this exam can be cracked within 2 to 3 months. But your knowledge about the concepts and the content should be very thorough.
- It might take 4 to 6 months for the completion of the preparation of practitioner level examination if the time devoted to studies is reduced to 1 to 2 hrs a day. Although extending the duration of the preparation can lead to a decrease in your interest, it is always advised to study at the earliest stages and complete the preparation as soon as possible.
- Exam Format
The format of examination for foundation and practitioner level is different:
- Foundation Examination consists of 60 questions, which are to be completed within 60 minutes. Also, the passing percentage is 55 that means one needs to score at least 33 marks out of 60 for qualifying. This is a closed book examination.
- The practitioner examination has in all 68 questions carrying one mark each. The passing percentage remains the same that is 55 percent and one needs to score 38 marks out of 68 to qualify as a practitioner in PRINCE 2. The exam duration is of 150 minutes that is 2 hrs and 30 minutes. This is an open book examination.
The flexible control and the global market that PRINCE2 certification provides to its participants are very promising. In addition to this, it helps people to gain better job opportunities and improve their pay grade. Get yourself certified now!
