Key takeawaysHow often should a fishbone diagram be revisited?
Choose a certification based on your experience level, your working environment, and where you want your career to go.Review your diagram monthly, when new problems arise, or when you make major changes to your process or team.
- Beginner certifications suit first-time project roles and focus on core concepts and terminology.Are there any limitations to using fishbone diagrams?
- Intermediate certifications test practical application in scenario-based projects and often require earlier certificates or experience.Fishbone diagrams work well for identifying causes but may not show how strongly each cause affects the problem. They also rely on your team’s knowledge to be effective.
- Agile-focused options are best when projects run in an agile environment rather than traditional delivery models.Infographic
- Some qualifications are regionally stronger, with PRINCE2 widely recognised in the UK and CAPM more common outside it.Subscribe to our exclusive offers and promotions
- Expert awards are rare and mainly validate long-term competence through evidence and assessment, not classroom learning.
Beginner project management certifications
This category includes only those certifications that have no entry requirements and are suitable for new project managers or those who have some prior experience in project management and want to gain their first certification.
APM PFQ
The Association for Project Management offers the excellent Project Fundamentals Qualification . The APM PFQ certification is for newcomers to project management.
Candidates gain the APM PFQ certificate by learning basic project management concepts and terminology which will help you make a positive contribution towards any project.You want to become a business analyst?
This certificate is becoming very popular in the UK because it comes from the APMSimon Buehring, the Chartered Institute for Project Management.19 Feb 2026
To gain your APM PFQ certificate, the typical learning path is to take APM PFQ trainingDiscover different motivations for pursuing a career as a business analyst. Learn what drives BA professionals by reading more. which takes 2 days, or 25 hours if studying online.
PRINCE2 Foundation
In the UK, a PRINCE2 certification is considered the industry standard in project management. The PRINCE2 Foundation certification tests your knowledge of the PRINCE2 principles, practices, processes, and terminology of the PRINCE2 methodology .
The certification is ideal for anyone who is new to project management making it a popular choice for employers and new project managers alike.Discover CATWOE and transform your approach to problem-solving
The PRINCE2 Foundation certificate is by far the most common project management certification in the UK.
To gain your PRINCE2 Foundation certificate, the typical learning path is to take Simon BuehringPRINCE2 Foundation training19 Feb 2026 which takes 2 days, or 20 hours if studying online.
PRINCE2 Agile FoundationDiscover how CATWOE can transform your problem-solving approach. Learn its components and see real-world applications. Scroll down to enhance your decision-making skills.
In the UK, PRINCE2 Agile certifications are becoming increasingly popular as more projects operate within an agile environment.
PRINCE2 Agile Foundation certification is like PRINCE2 Foundation, except that it is aimed at people working in agile environments. The exam tests you on your knowledge of the core PRINCE2 methodology and agile concepts and terminology.
To gain your PRINCE2 Agile Foundation certification, the typical learning path is
which tests whether you have a deeper understanding of project management. The APM PMQ certification is usually taken by students having a few years’ experience of project management.
There is no prerequisite for this certification, so you do not need to hold the APM PFQ certificate already.
To gain your APM PMQ certificate, the typical learning path is APM PMQ training which takes 5 days, or 35 hours if studying online.
PRINCE2 PractitionerHow BCS Business Analysis qualifications can help your career
A PRINCE2 PractitionerSimon Buehring certification requires that you first hold the PRINCE2 Foundation certificate. The Practitioner certification tests you on your ability to apply PRINCE2 to life-like project scenarios. More particularly, it tests whether you can apply the PRINCE2 principles, practices, and processes to a fictional project scenario.19 Feb 2026
After PRINCE2 Foundation, the PRINCE2 Practitioner certification is probably the top project management certification in the UK.
To gain your PRINCE2 Practitioner certificate, the typical learning path is Learn how BCS Business Analysis qualifications can enhance your career. Align your skills with industry benchmarks by scrolling down.PRINCE2 Practitioner training which takes 2 days, or 15 hours if studying online. Training can also be combined with the Foundation certification. In this case, training takes 4 days, or 35 hours if studying online.
It should be noted that since the release of PRINCE2 7 th edition , the prerequisites for the Practitioner certification have changed. You must now hold one of the following certificates:
- PRINCE2 Foundation or PRINCE2 Practitioner (6What is a business analyst?th edition)Simon Buehring
- PMI® Certified Associate in Project ManagementExploring the impact of the McKinsey 7S model on organisational performance
- PMI ®Simon Buehring Project Management Professional (PMP)3 Mar 2026®
- IPMADiscover how the McKinsey 7S Model can enhance your organisation's performance. Scroll down to understand this comprehensive framework and its application in your business.® Levels A, B, C or D.
IPMA ® is a registered trademark of IPMA in Switzerland and other countries.
PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner
PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner certification requires that you first hold either a PRINCE2 Foundation or PRINCE2 Agile Foundation certificate. It is only suitable if you work in an agile environment and want to apply the PRINCE2 framework. The exam tests you on your ability to apply PRINCE2 appropriately in an agile context.
To gain your PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner certification, the typical learning path is PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner training which takes 2 days, or 21 hours if studying online. Training can also be combined with the PRINCE2 Agile Foundation. In this case, training takes 4 days, or 33 hours if studying online.
AgilePM Practitioner
AgilePM Practitioner certification requires that you hold an AgilePM Foundation certificate. It is suitable if you want to apply the agile project framework on projects. AgilePM Practitioner is a popular choice for project managers working in an agile context.
To gain your AgilePM Practitioner certification, the typical learning path is AgilePM Practitioner training which takes 1 day, or 15 hours if studying online. Training can also be combined with the AgilePM Foundation in which case, it takes 4 days, or 35 hours if studying online.
CompTIA Project+
CompTIA offers some of the leading IT qualifications in the world. CompTIA Project+ ® focuses on managing smaller, less complex projects within the IT industry. This certification tests student’s knowledge of the specific industry tools used for documentation and requirements analysis.
This certification has no prerequisites, but without the recommended 135 hours of IT project development experience, you might find yourself a bit lost.
PMI PMP
PMI’s Project Management Professional (PMP) ® certification is the most challenging one on this list. To be eligible for this certification you must have 3 years of project management experience and a 4-year college/university degree. Without a degree you require 5 years of project management experience. In both cases you also need at least 35 hours of project management education completed before the exam.
The PMI PMP ®Give us a call exam covers every aspect of project management from your ability to plan projects to monitoring and controlling project tasks.
Maintaining your PMI PMP ®+44 (0)207 148 5985 qualification requires you continuously accumulate Professional Development Units (PDUs), which are one-hour blocks of time that you spend learning, teaching others, or volunteering.
If you want to gain your PMP certificate, a typical learning path is to take Or chat with us using the link at the bottom of the screen.PMP trainingContact us with questions about the courses on this page, or about which project management certification or training is best for you. which takes 35 hours of online study.Finance FAQs
Expert project management certificationsagile project management course
There aren’t a lot of certifications more difficult than those already mentioned. If you want to work as a project manager or are already employed in a project manager, an intermediate certificate will be all you’ll ever need. to boost your career.
The following certification tests your in-depth knowledge of project management but is really only valuable if you are already an expert with many years’ experience.PRINCE2
APM ChPP®
The APM’s own Project Management Chartered Standard (ChPP) examination similarly takes place over 3 days. In the first 2 days you’ll be given coaching by a ChPP professional and get your paperwork in order. On the final day, interviewed a board and will have to provide comprehensive documentation of your work over the past several years., MSP
The board will be looking to see that you’ve not only encountered several setbacks in your project management career, but that you’ve also overcome these challenges with a little ingenuity and out-the-box thinking.®
Conclusion, ITIL
This list of the top project management certifications is by no means complete. There are other project management accreditations out there, these just happen to be the most widely recognized certifications in the UK and EU.®
No matter how much experience you have, or what you’re looking for a project management certification, there’s likely a certificate out there., P3O
If you you’d like to gain any of the certifications listed in this article, why not look at some of the ®project management certification courses, PRINCE2 offered by Knowledge Train.®