What is the PRINCE2 Professional qualification?

The PRINCE2 accreditation body, APMG, is launching a new PRINCE2 qualification on 30th January, known as PRINCE2 Professional. The PRINCE2 Professional qualification is likely to be of considerable interest to relatively experienced project management professionals who wish to enhance their CVs.

In this article you can find out how PRINCE2 Professional compares to the other PRINCE2 qualifications, as well as understand what kind of knowledge and skills are required in order for you to achieve it.

The PRINCE2 Professional qualification is the most advanced of the three PRINCE2 qualifications. It complements the PRINCE2 Foundation qualification (which focuses on how PRINCE2 works) and the PRINCE2 Practitioner qualification (which focuses on how PRINCE2 is applied to projects), but requires more practical project management skills than either of them.

Achieving the PRINCE2 Professional qualification demonstrates that you possess not only theoretical knowledge about PRINCE2, but also the practical skills needed to apply the method when managing a non-complex project across its lifecycle. It is therefore ideal when you would like formal recognition of your ability to manage a PRINCE2 project, in order to enhance your project management CV.

In order to be eligible for the PRINCE2 Professional qualification, you must have already achieved the PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner qualifications. You must also have experience of either managing non-complex projects or working as a team leader on a more complex project. Ideally you will be a project manager, project co-ordinator, or project team leader on a relatively large project. (Please note that even if you have considerable project management experience, you cannot skip the PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner qualifications, in order to move straight on to the PRINCE2 Professional qualification.)

All candidates for the PRINCE2 Professional qualification must have already achieved the other PRINCE2 qualifications. To stand a good chance of becoming a PRINCE2 Professional, you need a thorough understanding of project management in general, as well as knowledge of the PRINCE2 approach to projects.

To become a PRINCE2 Professional you must attend a PRINCE2 Professional assessment centre which is a two and a half day event where you will be assessed by a team of evaluators.