Instructor-led

P3O courses (Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices)

Master P3O models to support your organisation’s project or programme environments. Our courses provide comprehensive training for portfolio, programme, and project office management.

P3O courses (Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices)

P3O course dates

Please use the region selector at the top of the website if you are purchasing from outside the UK.

Select an instructor-led P3O course

Note: *All prices exclusive of VAT.

Choose tab
95%

of our students recommend Knowledge Train

Our students recommend Knowledge Train

Learn more about P30 certification and exams

P3O certification

The P3O certification scheme from PeopleCert and AXELOS offers two levels of certification, Foundation and Practitioner.

Our P30 training is designed by subject experts and professional P30 trainers. It gives you the best chance of passing your P30 certification exams and successfully earning your PMO qualifications.

P3O certification is the leading project management office (PMO) certification scheme and is a sign to employers that a candidate has a good knowledge of PMO principles and methods.

P3O Foundation

  • Exam: 1-hour, 70 multiple-choice questions.
  • Prerequisites: None.
  • Suitable for: Candidates working within a P3O model, those who want to learn the terminology and concepts underpinning P3O, and those wanting to pursue higher-level qualifications.
  • Duration: 3 days 9:00am-5:00pm.
  • Homework: 2-3 hours with 2 hour of reading prior to the course.

What is tested:

  • Knowledge and understanding of the P3O models and roles
  • Key functions and services of a P3O
  • Reasons for establishing a P3O model
  • Differences between types of P3O model and how to select the most appropriate model
  • Tools and techniques used by a P3O Practitioner.

P3O Practitioner

  • Exam: 150 minutes, long-form, objective test questions (based on a case-study).
  • Pass mark: 40/80.
  • Prerequisites: P3O Foundation certification.
  • Suitable for: Candidates working in a management, generic or functional P3O role. Those wanting to work within a P3O model as part of their career path.
  • Duration: 1 day 9:00am-5:00pm.
  • Homework: 2-3 hours with 2 hour of reading prior to the course.

What is tested:

  • How to develop the required business case to obtain approval of a P3O project
  • How to identify and build P3O models for use in any given context
  • How to adapt the P3O model to suit an organization’s needs
  • How to plan the implementation of P3O
  • How to use appropriate tools and techniques while advising a P3O model.

P3O guidance

The P3O book [1] provides an approach for designing, implementing and operating portfolio, programme and project offices. P3O is based upon best practices, and its authors consulted widely with experts in portfolio, programme and project offices when writing the guidance.

P3O is part of the same suite of global best practice publications by AXELOS. Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) and PRINCE2 are two of the best known.

The adoption of MSP and PRINCE2 globally by organisations has led to the development of centres of excellence and both programme and project offices.

The development of portfolio offices has happened more recently and P3O was developed to provide joined-up thinking for organisations to use when designing their portfolio, programme and project office(s) solutions.

[1] AXELOS (2013). P3O® Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices. 2nd ed. Norwich: TSO. 224.

Who should get a P30 qualification?

P30 training helps senior managers understand the structure for achieving strategic objectives.

Programme managers will benefit from the consistency P3O brings by standardizing strategies within projects, programmes and portfolios.

Project managers can integrate project management frameworks such as PRINCE2 into a P3O model and deliver consistent outputs across projects.

P3O offers new career paths for working professionals with industry experience as programme management office (PMO) is a natural career progression path for established roles.

P3O FAQs

What is P3O?

P3O stands for Portfolio, Programme and Projects Offices. P3O was created by the Office of Government Commerce, a department in the UK Government, to help organisations build support structures that enable the successful delivery of their portfolios of change programmes and projects.

P3O is now owned and managed by PeopleCert and AXELOS.

What is a programme management office (PMO)?

A project management office (PMO) is a dedicated business function within an organization that defines and maintains project management standards, tools and methods within the organization. A PMO aims to standardize and achieve a repetition in the execution of projects, and to ensure the total investments for the organization are spent wisely.

Is your P3O training accredited?

Yes. All our P3O training is accredited by PeopleCert on behalf of AXELOS. As an accredited training organisation Knowledge Train provides students with P3O exams as part of their P3O courses.

What is included in the price?

Your P3O course includes the following:

  • Exams
  • All examination fees
  • Professional certification
  • Sample exams
  • Digital copy of the official P3O handbook – Portfolio, Programme and Project Offices (P3O Foundation, and combined P3O Foundation & Practitioner courses only)
  • Course materials
  • Pre-course preparation.
  • 1-month free AXELOS membership with every used Foundation or Practitioner exam voucher.

Is there homework on the P3O course?

Yes. These courses include homework each night of the courses.

Does my P3O certification expire?

You will need to renew your P3O Foundation and Practitioner certifications after 3 years. All Foundation and Practitioner certifications issued on or before 30 June 2020 will have a renew by date of 1 July 2023.

Foundation certifications that have passed their renew by date will still be accepted as pre-requisites for further certification.

To keep your P3O certification up to date, you can choose any one of 3 ways provided by PeopleCert and AXELOS.

  1. Retake the same exam before the renewal date.
  2. Take further courses and certifications by attending another course and taking an exam within the same product suite before the renewal date.
  3. From March 2023, renew your certification by collecting and logging Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points. See AXELOS for more details.
    There is also free membership for one month when you use your exam voucher.

When do I get my P3O exam results and certificate?

P30 Foundation exam results are given during class. P30 Practitioner exam results are received the same day. Certificate(s) can be downloaded 3 working days after the exam.

Are there any prerequisites for your P3O training courses?

There are no prerequires for our P3O training. To sit your P3O practitioner exam however, you must first successfully pass the P3O Foundation certification exam.

Can you deliver this course in-house?

Yes. All P3O training courses are available as in-house on-site training. Please call us and speak with our representatives to discuss the pricing.

Can I get extra exam time due to a medical condition?

Call us beforehand on +44 (0)207-148-5985 and we can contact the accreditation body for advice. For medical conditions, a doctor’s certificate is normally required.

This website use cookies.