BlogWith this summer’s launch of the revised PRINCE2 project management method, known as the PRINCE2: 2009 Refresh, came a new version of the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam. As one of the first accredited training organisations to provide courses based on the updated method, Knowledge Train is well placed to observe the ways in which students respond to the changes made to PRINCE2 and, perhaps more importantly, how they perform when their understanding of this ‘best practice’ approach to projects is tested. As the 2005 version of the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam prepares to bow out at the end of the year, the focus has naturally shifted to exam papers based on PRINCE2: 2009. In a series of posts, of which this is the first, I present the facts about the 2009 version of the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam, in addition to thoughts on what they might tell us about the future of PRINCE2 project management professional qualifications. If you are considering PRINCE2 training, read on for insight into the process of becoming a Registered PRINCE2 Practitioner…
How has the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam changed?
The pass mark of the 2009 version of the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam is higher than that of its predecessor: candidates must now score 55% (equivalent to 59/108 marks) in order to become a Registered PRINCE2 Practitioner, rather than the 50% previously required to pass the 2005 exam. Since the introduction of the 2009 exam on 6 July 2009, the 55% pass mark has also been applied to the 2005 exam (equivalent to 198/360 marks); in the spirit of fairness, it is expected that successful candidates will meet (or exceed) the same level of competency in relation to PRINCE2, regardless of the version of the project management method on which they are tested. While increasing the pass mark is unlikely to affect individuals with a thorough grasp of the PRINCE2 approach to managing projects, those who lack confidence in their understanding of the subject may need to work harder to achieve the PRINCE2 Practitioner qualification than they might previously have done. Candidates whose mock exam marks place them on the borderline between passing and failing should discuss the areas they find most difficult with their PRINCE2 trainer, as well as asking for advice about exam technique. Although the style of questions and multiple-choice format of the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam remains largely unchanged, it is worth bearing in mind that the 2009 version of the exam is half an hour shorter than the 2005 version (two-and-a-half hours’ duration, instead of three). Working through the questions quickly and accurately is essential.
See the next post in the series for more information about the 2009 exam.
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Tags: PRINCE2 2009, PRINCE2 Practitioner exam
