How to Become a Prince2 Practitioner

Managing Successful Projects with Prince2 Training

Oct 15, 2009

Certification as a Prince2 Practitioner is becoming a required standard for IT project managers in the UK. Prince2 training is offered by a wide range of organizations.

There are two levels of Prince2 project management training and certification- Foundation and Practitioner. The only way to achieve these titles is by passing exams. These can be taken either as part of a course offered by an accredited Prince2 training provider, or by attending a Prince2 open exam centre.

Project managers are not required to attend a training course. It is possible to learn the material through self-study, and then simply attend the exam. The exam process is managed by the APMG-UK group. They also provide information about accredited providers of project management training.

Prince2 Foundation for IT Project Team Members

Before a project manager can take the Prince2 Practitioner exam they must pass the Foundation paper. The content is designed to ensure members of a project management team function with a good understanding of the principles and terminology of the Prince2 methodology.

A new exam format was introduced in the middle of 2009, and until the end of 2009 candidates can choose between the old (2005) format or the new (2009) format. From January 2010 only the 2009 format will be permitted.

The new format paper comprises 75 questions, with 5 being trial questions that are not scored. Candidates must achieve a score of 50% from the remaining 70 questions to pass.

Prince2 Practitioner for IT Project Managers

The objective of the Practitioner exam is to establish whether someone is capable of managing a project under Prince2. In addition to the knowledge gained from the Foundation qualification they are expected to understand all the project processes in detail, and the reasons for and relationships between the elements of the Prince2 methodology. They all need to show that they can adapt Prince2 to different situations.

As with Foundation, a new exam format was adopted in 2009 and will become the only option available from 2010.

Those sitting the 2009 Practitioner exam are allowed to use the Prince2 manual during 2.5 hour test. They must answer 9 questions in what is called a 'complex multiple choice' style. The pass mark is set at 55%.

Holding a Prince2 Practitioner qualification does not prove that a project manager is capable of managing successful projects. However, it does demonstrate a good understanding of the methodology and of the principles of project management. This, supported by their experience, will help them to become a true practitioner- someone who applies their knowledge and skill in the real world of IT projects.

The copyright of the article How to Become a Prince2 Practitioner in Business Project Management is owned by Andrew Knowles. Permission to republish How to Become a Prince2 Practitioner in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.