PRINCE2™: Achieving Practitioner Certification

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this course about? This intensive exam preparatory course offers a clear, comprehensive understanding of PRINCE2TM, the standardized, proven project management methodology widely accepted as best practice for managing all sizes and types of projects. Through practice exams, workshops and overnight study, you gain the knowledge required to take both the PRINCE2TM Foundation and Practitioner examinations in order to achieve certification. Expert PRINCE2TM-accredited instructors provide the necessary guidance to prepare for the examinations through a series of practice exam questions that reinforce the concepts taught on the course. What background do I need? Project management experience at level of Course 296, Project Management: Skills for Success, or Course 340, Project Management for Software Development, is recommended. For example, you should be able to: Plan a project schedule Estimate and structure tasks Balance cost/time/functionality trade-offs Who will benefit from this course? This course is valuable for anyone who operates in a project environment and wishes to formalize his or her knowledge using the PRINCE2TM method. This course is ideal for: Project team members or project support staff who want a better understanding of PRINCE2TM Project managers who want a more ordered, repeatable way to successfully deliver projects on time and within budget Program or general managers who want to understand the benefits of adopting PRINCE2TM and/or are key decision makers in a project environment This course is also applicable for companies seeking to operate as a supplier of products/services to organizations already operating PRINCE2TM, or who wish to control their use of third-party suppliers by utilizing PRINCE2TM. Why should I use PRINCE2TM? Organizations looking to improve their practices in managing projects have consistently found structured methodologies to be of immense benefit. PRINCE2TM is a well-established standard structured method for managing projects and reducing uncertainty in project delivery. PRINCE2TM is now used by numerous private sector organizations both in the UK and worldwide and is mandatory on many European public sector projects. PRINCE2TM is provided license-fee free by the UK Government and is subject to a comprehensive review and update process to ensure quality standards. Why is PRINCE2TM certification important? Certification in project management skills is a growing expectation in many organizations. The PRINCE2TM Foundation and Practitioner certification increases your credibility and demonstrates a thorough understanding of project processes and the PRINCE2TM method. How much extra time am I expected to dedicate prior to and during the course? The amount of time you devote to studying the PRINCE2TM method in the evenings varies by individual. Generally, two hours of evening study each night is required. Seven to five week prior to the course, Learning Tree sends you preparatory material designed to give you every advantage in passing the examinations, including: A copy of the official PRINCE2TM manual, Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2TM A study guide to help structure your reading of the PRINCE2TM manual Practice Foundation exam questions Prior to the course, we recommend 30 hours of study of these PRINCE2TM materials. By not completing the proper amount of pre-course study, you may find yourself at a significant disadvantage. This course has been designed with the assumption that each attendee has completed the pre-course study. How much time is spent on each topic? Content Hours Introduction to PRINCE2 2.0 Building the pre-project foundation 3.5 Planning and initiating a project 7.0 Managing the project 7.0 Closing the project 1.5 Taking the Foundation Exam 1.0 Preparing for the Practitioner Exam 4.0 Taking the Practitioner Exam 3.0 Times, including the workshops, are estimates; exact times may vary according to the needs of each class. Which edition of the PRINCE2TM manual is used in the course? This course uses the Second Impression of the November 2005, 4th edition manual, Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2TM. This is the latest and most recent release of the PRINCE2TM manual. Which PRINCE2TM exam should I take? Ideally, you should take both exams. Two levels of certification are offered-Foundation and Practitioner. You cannot attain Practitioner level without first passing the Foundation exam. Both certifications are of value, with the Practitioner certification demonstrating a higher level of ability to apply PRINCE2TM techniques to real project situations. How do the examination elements of the course work? The Foundation Exam is taken on the morning of Day 4. This is a one hour, multiple-choice paper with no reference material allowed. There are 75 questions and to pass you must answer 38 correctly. Since passing this exam is required to take the Practitioner examination, the Foundation exam is graded during the course. Once you have passed the Foundation exam, you are eligible to take the Practitioner examination. This three-hour exam is taken on the Day 5 and is an Objective Test Exam with nine compulsory questions. These questions will cover nine out of a potential eleven syllabus areas and are based on a project management scenario. Each question scores 40 marks and the exam paper total is 360-you require 180 marks to pass. Written answers are no longer required; answers are selected from information provided. Since the exam is open book, you may use your PRINCE2TM manual. Are exam fees included in the course price? Yes. What happens if I fail the Foundation or Practitioner exam? If you fail the Foundation Exam, you have the opportunity to retake it during this course. If you do not pass, you may still take the Practitioner Exam. However, ultimately you must pass the Foundation exam in order to achieve Practitioner certification. If you pass the Foundation Exam but fail the Practitioner Exam, you will receive an APM Group Foundation Certificate from Learning Tree. You will have the opportunity to re-sit the Practitioner Exam during a future course event. You do not have to retake this course. Additional cost is involved in retaking the Practitioner Exam. How long does it take to receive results? The APMG strive to deliver results to Learning Tree within two to four weeks of receiving exams. However, with the growing popularity of PRINCE2TM, this time is occasionally longer. Learning Tree will mail your practitioner examination results to you upon receiving it from APMG. Will I get my Practitioner Exam score? If you pass the exam, you will not receive your score. If you fail the exam, your score is provided to you together with feedback on your paper. What is the relationship between Learning Tree and the APM Group (APMG)? Both Learning Tree and this course have been accredited by the APMG. As an accredited training organization (ATO), Learning Tree and its trainers have been approved to deliver this course and invigilate the PRINCE2TM Foundation and Practitioner exams. APMG is responsible for providing the exam papers, marking and notifying Learning Tree of the results. Why should I take this course from Learning Tree? Learning Tree is very successful at enabling a broad range of attendees to pass the exams on their first attempt. For over thirty years, Learning Tree has been dedicated to providing the finest management and technology training available. With this course, we continue our commitment to provide the highest course quality. Learning Tree delivers PRINCE2TM training using decades of classroom training experience, unique MagnaLearn™ course delivery technology, and rigorous course design techniques. Will I learn about project management tools on this course? No. This course covers the PRINCE2TM methodology. It does not cover any project management tools or software. For information on project management tools such as Microsoft Project, Microsoft Excel, etc., please refer to separate Learning Tree courses (listed below). Is PRINCE2TM scalable for various sized projects? Yes, the PRINCE2TM method is designed to be tailored to projects of any size. PRINCE2TM provides extensive guidance on how to scale the method to your projects. This topic is covered in this course. Is this course applicable to a Project Management Professional (PMI) certification? Yes. Though the course is not designed as preparation for the PMP exam, this course is beneficial to anyone working toward PMI's PMP certification. For those who are currently certified, completion of this course counts as 29 professional development units (60 units must be completed every three years to maintain certification). For more details, please see the Learning Tree PMI Registered Education Provider Q&A. How can I continue my professional development after I receive PRINCE2TM certification? For further specialized training in project management, you may be interested in these courses: 296, Project Management: Skills for Success  340, Project Management for Software Development  349, Project Quality Management  286, Project Risk Management: Hands-On  299, Microsoft® Project Comprehensive Introduction  315, Developing User Requirements: The Key to Project Success  For more information on these Learning Tree courses, please request the individual course Q&As. Since PRINCE2TM does not cover the interpersonal skills of management, you may be interested in additional Learning Tree courses such as: 290, Management Skills , offers you the knowledge of the key aspects of management such as leadership, delegation, motivation and communication. 292, Communication Skills: Results Through Collaboration , emphasizes specific tools and techniques for improving listening skills, delivering effective messages and bridging gaps that create communication breakdowns. 294, Influence Skills: Getting Results Without Direct Authority , focuses on the specific skills, behaviors and attitudes that enable you to achieve desired results. 902, IT Relationship Management: Aligning IT with the Business , provides the skills to build a strong alignment between IT and the business 904, Responding to Conflict: Creating Resolution and Cooperation , offers the knowledge and skills to effectively handle conflict using a powerful conflict resolution method 905, Facilitation Skills , provides the skills to facilitate goal-oriented results through planning, collaboration and consensus For additional information on these Learning Tree courses, please request the Learning Tree Management Curriculum Q&As or individual course Q&As.

The PMI R.E.P. logo is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc. PRINCE2™ is a Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce. The PRINCE2 Cityscape logo™ is a Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries.