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Frequently Asked Questions
PRINCE2 FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
- What is PRINCE2?
- I would like someone to come to my company and advise on how to implement PRINCE2. Can OGC send anyone?
- Which companies use PRINCE2?
- Where can I train for the PRINCE2 exams?
- PRINCE2 Examinations through an ATO
- PRINCE2 Examinations at an Open Centre
- The Cost of PRINCE2 Examinations through an Open Centre
- How can I take the PRINCE2 Examination outside of the UK?
- What are the main publications for PRINCE2 and where can I purchase them?
- How long will it take to learn the PRINCE2 material?
- What is the structure of the PRINCE2 Examinations?
- Please can you give me more details on PRINCE2 Re-registration?
- Results turn around time for the PRINCE2 Examinations
- What are the pass marks for the PRINCE2 exams?
- Statistics on PRINCE2 examinations
- Pass marks needed to become a trainer in PRINCE2
- Did I score enough to be a trainer?
- How can I advertise myself as a PRINCE2 Registered Practitioner on my business card?
- Can I use the PRINCE2 logo?
- What is PRINCE2?
PRINCE2, Projects in Controlled Environments, is a widely used project management method, which navigates you through all the essentials for running a successful project. Since its introduction in 1989 as a government standard for IT project management, PRINCE2 has been taken on by both the public and private sectors and is now recognised as a de facto standard for project management. PRINCE2 is a flexible method and although originally designed for the management of IT projects it is now aimed at all other types of project. PRINCE2 takes all the simple and obvious lessons learned by thousands of professionals in the past 20-odd years and presents them in a checklist for present clients, managers and their teams. OGC (Office of Government Commerce) own the methodology.
The APM Group (APMG) is the Certification Body and is responsible for the running of examinations and accreditation of training organisations (ATOs), trainers, consulting organisations (ACOs) and consultants.APMG have received UKAS accreditation in accordance with EN45011 and ISO17024 for our certification activities of Practitioners, ATOs, Trainers, ACOs and Consultants.
As PRINCE2 is a very successful project management qualification, a large number of people and organisations have used and implemented PRINCE2. A number of case studies have been commissioned as examples of how successful PRINCE2 has become within their organisations. The full list for information and downloads can be found at:
www.prince2.org.uk/PRINCE2Resources/Case-Studies.asp - I would like someone to come to my company and advise on how to implement PRINCE2. Can OGC send anyone?
The APM Group is the best place to contact as they have a list of PRINCE2 consultants who can give you advice on PRINCE2 in your workplace. Please visit the following link to view the list of Accredited Consulting Organisations:
www.prince2.org.uk/ConsultingAccred/ACOs/ACOListing.asp
For further information on Accredited Consulting Organisations please visit the following web link:
www.prince2.org.uk/ConsultingAccred/ACOBenefits.asp - Which companies use PRINCE2?
OGC do not keep a record of all companies who use PRINCE2. However if you wish to contact other users of the framework you can do this via the Best Practice User Group (BPUG). BPUG is located at the following URL:
www.usergroup.org.uk
You can join BPUG as an individual or corporate member, information on the types of membership and costs are available at the following web link:
www.usergroup.org.uk/MembershipCalculator.htm
If you do not wish to pay for full membership you can still access the email forum free of charge. To do this, please visit the following URL:
www.usergroup.org.uk/users/forum.php - Where can I train for the PRINCE2 exams?
Training for PRINCE2 is available from accredited training organisations coordinated through the APM Group. The exams can be taken with your chosen training organisation as part of your training course, or directly through the APM Group who have open centres where you can take the exams without needing to do the training course. The open centres where the exams take place are located in Milton Keynes, York and Chester.
- PRINCE2 Examinations through an ATO
Contact details for PRINCE2 ATOs can be found at:
www.prince2.org.uk/TrainingOrganisations/ATOs/ATOListing.asp
You will need to contact the individual organisations for details of fees and formats. APMG does not hold information on the ATOs individual courses but we ensure the training provided by the ATOs meet APMG's required standards in accordance with EN45011. - PRINCE2 Examinations at an Open Centre
Exams are run in Milton Keynes, York and Chester on a monthly basis. We do not provide training, just exams only. If you wish to book, you can do so online at:
www.prince2.org.uk/Qualifications/OpenCentreExaminations.asp - The Cost of PRINCE2 Examinations through an Open Centre
Foundation Examination £195
Practitioner Examination £360 - How can I take the PRINCE2 Examination outside of the UK?
For candidates outside the UK we use the British Council to run the exams for us on an ad-hoc basis. Exams (but not training courses) are available in many countries through the British Council. Information on whether exams are offered in your area can be found at:
www.britishcouncil.org/home-contact-worldwide.htm?mtklink=contact-us-worldwide-corporate-homepage-link - What are the main publications for PRINCE2 and where can I purchase them?
PRINCE2 has one main manual, published by The Stationary Office, called "Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2". This can be purchased from the Best Management Practice Portfolio Library at www.best-management-practice.com/Portfolio-Library.
The manual contains information that provides projects with:
- A controlled and organised start, middle and end
- Regular reviews of progress against plan and against the business case
- Flexible decision points
- Automatic management control of any deviations from the plan
- The involvement of management and stakeholders at the right time during the project
- Good communication channels between the project management team and the rest of the organisation
- Agreement on the required quality at the outset and continuous monitoring against those requirements
It also helps project managers to:
- Establish terms of reference as a prerequisite to the start of a project
- Use a defined structure for delegation, authority and communication
- Divide the project into manageable stages for more accurate planning
- Ensure that resource commitment from management is part of any approval to proceed
- Provide regular, but brief, management reports
- Keep meetings with management and stakeholders to a minimum but at vital points in the project.
There are also some other publications relating to understanding and using PRINCE2, which support the main text. For example, there is the PRINCE2 Pocketbook, (available in packs of 10, ISBN 0113309791), and a publication titled Tailoring PRINCE2, (ISBN 0113308973). For a full list of PRINCE2 publications please visit www.best-management-practice.com/Portfolio-Library. - How long will it take to learn the PRINCE2 material?
Unfortunately it is difficult to say. As all candidates have different experience and amount of time on their hands, it varies from person to person. We suggest you buy the manual and have a look through for yourself before deciding how long you need to spend learning.
- What is the structure of the PRINCE2 Examinations?
The PRINCE2 Foundation examination is a one hour long, multiple choice paper of 75 questions.
Once this examination has been taken and passed you may then take the PRINCE2 Practitioner examination to become a Registered PRINCE2 Practitioner.
The PRINCE2 Practitioner exam is a three hour long objective testing examination. There are 9 questions, with a scenario background and appendices, each of the 9 questions is worth 40 marks, an overall score of 180 out of a possible 360 is required to pass. This examination is open-book allowing only for the PRINCE2 Manual to be taken into the examination.
PRINCE2 Registered Practitioners must take the Re-registration examination every 3-5 years to maintain their registered status as a PRINCE2 Practitioner. - Please can you give me more details on PRINCE2 Re-registration?
You will need to take the Re-Registration Examination between 3 and 5 years after the date shown on your original certificate in order to maintain your status as a Registered PRINCE2 Practitioner.
As of January 2008 the PRINCE2 Re-Registration examination if taken in paper version will be in an Objective Testing format and will no longer be essay based. If the Re-Registration exam is to be taken electronically this will still be in the essay format until later in 2008 when it will become available in the Objective Testing format. Please continue to check www.prince2.org.uk/Qualifications/Re-Registration-Examination.asp for further information on when this will become available.
The examination can either be taken privately or through one of our accredited training organisations - ATOs. If you decide to take the exam through an ATO then they will offer you a refresher course on PRINCE2 and provide you with the examination at the end of this. A complete list of our ATOs, with contact details, can be seen at:
www.prince2.org.uk/TrainingOrganisations/ATOs/ATOListing.asp
You can also take the examination without attending a course through our on-line examination facility. To do this, we recommend that you refresh your memory of PRINCE2 by ensuring that you have the current version of the PRINCE2 manual and re-reading this. You can then log on to our examination site at www.apmg-exams.com, select the 'PRINCE2 Re-Registration' option from the left hand menu bar and follow the instructions on screen to pay for and take the exam.
This PRINCE2 re-registration exam comprises of an exam paper set at the same standard as the Practitioner examination and is based on the 2005 PRINCE2 Manual. In order to prepare for the exam, it is important that you are up to date with the current version of the PRINCE2 Manual - Managing Successful projects with PRINCE2 2005, second impression.
From the 1st January 2008 the PRINCE2 Re-registration exam will be an Objective Testing Exam if paper version. The exam format will be 3 questions, with a scenario background and appendices.- Each of the 3 questions is worth 40 marks
- An overall score of 60 out of a possible 120 is required to pass
- One hour duration
- Open-book examination (only the PRINCE2 Manual is allowed).
If taken electronically the Exam consists of answering a question on a project scenario. You will have 60 (sixty) minutes to answer the question online and 10 minutes reading time. If you prefer, you could go offline, complete your answer using a text editor such as Microsoft Notepad, then reconnect and resume the exam, and copy and paste your answer in the text box provided.
The cost of this exam is £150 including VAT. - Results turn around time for the PRINCE2 Examinations
Result turn-around time for the Practitioner exam is roughly 2 - 3 weeks with the Objective Testing Format. APMG will send out confirmation of your Foundation exam result within a week. If you have taken your exam via an ATO, results are sent by APMG to that particular ATO. It is the ATO's responsibility to notify you of your result. If you sat the foundation and practitioner exam in the same week, your results will not show on the Successful Candidate Register until two weeks after the results for the practitioner exam have been released. Certificate turn-around is usually two weeks after you have been notified of your result.
- What are the pass marks for the PRINCE2 exams?
Foundation Examination: You will need to score 38 out of 75 to pass the Foundation examination.
Practitioner Examination: An overall score of 180 out of a possible 360 is required to pass.
To become a Trainer: You will need to score at least 66% on the Practitioner examination to apply to become a trainer - Statistics on PRINCE2 examinations
Foundation Examination: The overall pass rate for Foundation examinations is 99% with a 98% success rate being achieved by candidates who have taken the examination via our Open Centre.
Practitioner Examination: The overall pass rate for Practitioner examinations is 72% (January-December 2006). Should you take the examination via our Open Centre the pass rate is 67%. - Pass marks needed to become a trainer in PRINCE2
- PRINCE2 Practitioner Examination essay format - 99/150
- PRINCE2 Practitioner Examination OTE format - 238/360
- PRINCE2 Re-Registration Examination essay format - 33/50
- PRINCE2 Re-Registration Examination OTE format - 79/120
- Did I score enough to be a trainer?
If you wish to know if you scored enough to be a trainer please email servicedesk@apmgroup.co.uk noting your interest. The Service desk at this time will be happy to process your request and send you information on the procedure required for you to obtain this information.
- How can I advertise myself as a PRINCE2 Registered Practitioner on my business card?
Candidates who have passed the PRINCE2 Practitioner examination can put PRINCE2 Practitioner on their business cards. You can also include a web address on your business card (www.p2registeredpractitioner.com) which takes you to an online list of PRINCE2 Registered Practitioners.
- Can I use the PRINCE2 logo?
Only ATOs and ACOs are allowed to use the PRINCE2 logo. The PRINCE2 logo is a registered trademark of OGC and must not be used without their permission.
