Anyone who wants to take up project management as a career or wants to refine their existing skills if they are already in it cannot overlook PRINCE2®, a very popular project management methodology. This blog will offer you some insights into how to aim for PRINCE2® Foundation course and become a full-fledged PRINCE2® Practitioner.
PRINCE2®: what is it?
A globally recognized project management certification, PRINCE2® equips the learner with the foundational knowledge and skills needed for becoming a project manager. Prince here stands for Projects IN Controlled Environments. The outstanding feature of PRINCE2® is that it offers the ease of scalability so that customizing it to each project’s nature is relatively less complex and time-consuming.
PRINCE2® principles
PRINCE2® is built on the following seven prime principles:
- Judgment of when to commence, run and close the project
- Learning and applying from previous PRINCE2® projects
- Defining the team member’s roles and responsibilities
- Understanding how to plan, monitor, and control the project at every stage
- Delegating the responsibilities to the team members
- Keeping track of the nature of the product, as well as the quality, along with the delivery expectations and requirements
- Cultivating the art of tailoring, the PRINCE2® concepts and principles, and processes to suit the particular project’s environment
PRINCE2® levels
PRINCE2® certification is offered at two qualification levels:
- Foundation
- Practitioner
PRINCE2® Foundation vs. PRINCE2® Practitioner
At their most basic, one can understand the differences between PRINCE2® Foundation and PRINCE2® Practitioner in the following ways:
The foundation level introduces the learner to the general aspects of PRINCE2® project management. With this level, the learner will be able to get a grasp of the principles, concepts, and processes of PRINCE2®. She will be generally able to understand how to deliver projects on time within the allocated budget, and without issues.
The PRINCE2® Practitioner level helps the practitioner take this understanding to a slightly higher level and be able to apply the PRINCE2® principles specific to a project.
Cost of taking up PRINCE2® Foundation and PRINCE2® Practitioner certification
PRINCE2® Foundation and PRINCE2® Practitioner 6th edition exams are priced thus:
- PRINCE2® Foundation: 363 USD
- PRINCE2® Practitioner: 488 USD
PRINCE2® Foundation vs. PRINCE2® Practitioner: exams
PRINCE2® Foundation and PRINCE2® Practitioner differ from each other also in terms of their exam pattern. Here is a brief description of each of these:
PRINCE2® Foundation
- Paper duration: 60 minutes
- Number of questions: 60
- Exam method: Closed book
- Pass criterion: 55%
- Credit awards: 18 PDUs if done online; 21 if done through the classroom
PRINCE2® Practitioner
- Paper duration: 150 minutes
- Number of questions: 68 questions
- Exam method: Open book; questions asked only from the Official PRINCE2® manual
- Pass criterion: 55%
- Credit awards: 20 PDUs if done online; 21 if done through the classroom
PRINCE2® Foundation and PRINCE2® Practitioner exam prerequisites
For taking up the PRINCE2® Foundation, you don’t need any experience or knowledge of project management. However, to take up the PRINCE2® Practitioner level, you must have passed any one of these exams, and should produce proof of its certification before taking up the PRINCE2® Practitioner exam:
- PRINCE2® Foundation
- Project Management Professional (PMP)®
- IPMA Level A to D, along with their corresponding professional titles or positions
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
Benefits of doing PRINCE2® Foundation and PRINCE2® Practitioner certification
PRINCE2® professionals earn between $85,000 and 98,000. This, of course, is a broad number and could vary by quite a margin based on the location, number of years of experience, and the position held.
Conclusion
In closing, a PRINCE2® Foundation or a PRINCE2® Practitioner certification is worth the effort and the money for anyone who is serious about a career in project management. The exams are reasonably priced and are not considered among the toughest. The career prospects are pretty bright for project management professionals that carry a PRINCE2® Foundation or a PRINCE2® Practitioner certification.