What is PRINCE2^®?

The PRINCE2 project management method is now a de-facto standard in the UK. Widely adopted by the public sector in the UK and more recently adopted by private sector organisations in the UK and in Europe, PRINCE2 is now the most widely used project management method in Europe.

PRINCE2 is a flexible, structured method for effective project management. It can be adapted for any size or type of project. PRINCE2 seeks to overcome the problems which lead to failure on many projects.

The process based approach of PRINCE2 acts as a guide through a set of activities to achieve the desired outcomes.

PRINCE2 is free to use and is maintained and updated by a team of project management professionals.

The official PRINCE2^® web site provides a much more detailed description of the PRINCE2 method.

Benefits of PRINCE2

Projects are organised to deliver measurable business benefits. The Business Case drives the project and progress is measured against this.

At the start of the project PRINCE2 identifies the outcomes (or products) that must be delivered by the project.

Planning, monitoring and control helps ensure these products are produced on time, within budget and to the required level of quality.

Project progress is visible to senior management who authorise one stage of the project at a time so enabling better control.

Risks and problems are pro-actively managed so enabling better chances of project success.

The controlled use of resources from the start to the end of projects helps to utilise resources efficiently.

Changes are managed correctly without getting out of control.

PRINCE2 can be taught to many people.

Once learned and understood, PRINCE2 is reusable on many projects.

You can learn from the experience from previous PRINCE2 projects.

Once learned, everyone knows what to expect.

The active involvement of stakeholders help ensure desired outcomes.

PRINCE2 Certification

PRINCE2 contains two levels of professional certification - Foundation and Practitioner. Both levels require the successful passing of an exam.

PRINCE2 is accredited by the APM Group and details of the PRINCE2 examinations can be found here.

PRINCE2 Foundation Course

This is a one hour closed book examination in which candidates must answer 75 questions. Candidates are not allowed to refer to the PRINCE2 manual or any notes during the examination. Candidates must score at least 38 correct answers in order to gain certification.

On passing the examination, candidates receive a PRINCE2 Foundation Certificate from the APM Group.

PRINCE2 Practitioner Course

This is a three hour open book examination in which candidates must answer questions from 9 out of 11 syllabus areas. Each area is worth 40 marks making a total of 360 (9 x 40) marks available. Candidates are allowed to refer to the PRINCE2 manual during the examination. Candidates must score at least 180 marks in order to gain certification.

On passing the examination, candidates receive a PRINCE2 Practitioner Certificate from the APM Group.

PRINCE2 Conversion Course

Become a PRINCE2 Registered Practitioner. Build on the PRINCE2 Foundation course with this 2-days course and learn to plan and manage projects successfully using PRINCE2