PRINCE2, which stands for Project Resource Organization Management Planning Techniques, is one of the most popular project management methods first used by the United Kingdom, but later incorporated by other countries in their public and private sectors. PRINCE2 stresses on the idea of rigorous and good governance, which makes it ideal for important and complex projects. PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner certification are one of the most popular qualifications for PMP.
With so many different certification exams available, it is important to know everything there is to know about any certification exam before deciding which certification is helpful for your career. This article will help you determine just that by providing every important fact about PRINCE2 certification.
PRINCE2 has three qualification levels: There are 3 levels of difficulty for PRINCE2 qualification.
- Foundation: As the name suggests, it is a foundational course and does not require one to have prior knowledge of PRINCE2.
- Practitioner: This level is for spearheading projects and managing them. This needs some prior knowledge which one should have if they have gone through the foundation course.
- Professional: This is the most advanced qualification level, which is passed by going through a rigorous process of assessment from a residential center where one has to work on a case study over several days.
The exams are open-book: Apart from the Foundation Course, all PRINCE2 qualification exams are open book. That doesn’t mean that one can go through the book at the time of taking the exam, but one should have all the important pages marked out so that it is easy to refer to them.
You can find the answers in the manual: The PRINCE2 exams are tested on the questions mentioned in the manual. This is unlike the Project Management Professional Exam.
You are tested on your application skills: The exams are multiple-choice type but unlike any, you have come across. A question might have multiple parts and each part will have different steps. This kind of exam is called Objective Testing, where the purpose is to see how an individual can successfully implement PRINCE2 knowledge in a real-world scenario.
One can be Agile with PRINCE2: People who are already well-versed with Agile project management can also take the PRINCE2 Agile qualification, meant for project management teams that are well versed with Agile but want to imbibe a bit more structure in their work.
PRINCE2 is managed by an organization AXELOS: Previously, PRINCE2 exam was overseen by the Cabinet Office of the UK, as it was developed by the UK government. But now, the exams are managed and controlled by AXELOS, which has both Capita and the Cabinet Office in charge.
One has to re-register: Qualifying oneself with PRINCE2 is not sufficient. One needs to re-register every 3 to 5 years to still be considered PRINCE2 qualified. The re-registration is done through an exam which is shorter than the Practitioner exam, provided you still have your Practitioner qualification. If the Practitioner qualification expires then a longer exam is expected to be taken.
You don’t need CPD: One does not need to keep their continuous professional development (CPD) log up to date. This is because PRINCE2 is not membership-based. You can keep learning new things and keep developing professionally. But once you qualify PRINCE2, you don’t need to prove your CPD.
PRINCE2 is applicable to any project: PRINCE2 is flexible enough to be used for any kind of project- small or large. Projects which are meant to last for one few days can also get benefited from the selective use of PRINCE2 methods. It is the prerogative of the person using PRINCE2 methodology how effectively they can use it.
PRINCE2 implementation is not restricted to any industry: Whether it is business, finance, construction, engineering, or whatever, PRINCE2 can be used for any kind of project. Since PRINCE was originally developed for the IT sector, it works well in those projects but with recent developments, it is highly applicable in any sector.
Increases employability of an individual: In the UK, PRINCE2 qualification is the benchmark of the quality of a project manager. This is because it controls the organization, control, and management of a project.
Both at an individual level and at the organization level PRINCE2 is beneficial: It has been noticed in recent times that however long an individual’s experience is in project management, to get that extra edge over their competitors one needs to be PRINCE2 qualified. Moreover, a lot of companies have made PRINCE2 qualification mandatory.
At an organization level, if the employees of an organization are PRINCE2 qualified then the general quality of projects undertaken by that organization improves. Also having a common experience, consistent approach, and understanding of the responsibilities, roles, processes, and controls mean that everyone is on the same page leading to faster and successful project completion.
One cannot take the Practitioner exam on the first go: Unless one has completed the foundational exam or any other Practitioner prerequisite courses, one is not eligible to take the Practitioner exam. But one can take both the Foundation and Practitioner exam in one sitting.
It doesn’t matter when one took the Practitioner test: There has been the latest version of the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam. If someone had already qualified the Practitioner exam before the latest version came out, the validity of that qualification will not be affected. But it is advisable for such an individual to become well accustomed to the new course structure.
PRINCE2 has shown success in its implementation in project management in over 150 countries. Those who wish to grow professionally can take the PRINCE2 exam to remain relevant professionally. The PRINCE2 methodology will further help the person to develop and grow professionally and also on a personal level.
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