Key takeawaysWorkshops
Choose a certification based on your experience level, your working environment, and where you want your career to go.AI in Project Management
- Beginner certifications suit first-time project roles and focus on core concepts and terminology.Learn how to use AI tools in everyday project work.
- Intermediate certifications test practical application in scenario-based projects and often require earlier certificates or experience.AGILE
- Agile-focused options are best when projects run in an agile environment rather than traditional delivery models.AgilePM
- Some qualifications are regionally stronger, with PRINCE2 widely recognised in the UK and CAPM more common outside it.®
- Expert awards are rare and mainly validate long-term competence through evidence and assessment, not classroom learning. – Agile Project Management

Introduction®
While any project management certification is good to have, some are more specialized than others. It pays to know which project manager certification can be applied to your work, and which are tailored to suit specific industries or work environments. A – Agile Business AnalysisPRINCE2 Agile certificationFoundation for example, is aimed at those who already have a Learn the fundamentals of Agile Business Analysis.PRINCE2 certificationPractitioner and what to adapt what they know to suit an Agile environment.4-day course including Foundation.
Every certification has a different purpose, different prerequisites, and tests different criteria. So, what you really must ask is: “What project management certification is best for me?”Lean Six Sigma
What is the best project management certification for me?Yellow Belt
A project manager certification can be put into one of three categories: beginner certification, intermediate certification and expert certification.Self-paced training course to gain LSS Yellow Belt.
A beginner certification is one that has no prerequisites (i.e. it requires no previous experience or knowledge). If you’re new to project management, or if you don’t have any other accreditation, you’ll want to start here.PMI
An intermediate certification is a bit of a mixed bag. Some are just extensions of beginner certifications, while others are aimed at working professionals with at least a few months of project management experience. For this article, we’ll consider intermediate certifications as those that have some entry requirements but don’t require you to be an expert in project management.®
Expert certifications are still rare. There are only a handful, and those that do exist are less of a learning opportunity and more a badge of excellence rewarded to project managers who take a keen interest in project management theory.PMI-ACP
Beginner project management certifications4-day course including Foundation.
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.PMI
APM PFQ®
The Association for Project Management offers the excellent PMI-PBA Project Fundamentals QualificationSelf-paced course to prepare you for the exam (exam not included).. The APM PFQ certification is for newcomers to project management.Business Analysis Learning Library (BALL)™
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.CHANGE MANAGEMENT
This certificate is becoming very popular in the UK because it comes from the APMG Change ManagementAPMFoundation , the Chartered Institute for Project Management.Learn the fundamentals of enterprise change management.
To gain your APM PFQ certificate, the typical learning path is to take Practitioner APM PFQ trainingIncludes Foundation & Practitioner combined option. which takes 2 days, or 25 hours if studying online.PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT
PRINCE2 FoundationMSP
In the UK, a PRINCE2 certification is considered the industry standard in project management. The ®PRINCE2 FoundationFoundation certification tests your knowledge of the PRINCE2 principles, practices, processes, and terminology of the Learn the fundamentals of programme management.PRINCE2 methodologyPractitioner .Includes Foundation & Practitioner combined option.
The certification is ideal for anyone who is new to project management making it a popular choice for employers and new project managers alike.INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT)
The PRINCE2 Foundation certificate is by far the most common project management certification in the UK.ITIL
To gain your PRINCE2 Foundation certificate, the typical learning path is to take ®PRINCE2 Foundation trainingFoundation which takes 2 days, or 20 hours if studying online.Learn the fundamentals of ITIL service management.
PRINCE2 Agile FoundationStrategist DPI
In the UK, PRINCE2 Agile certifications are becoming increasingly popular as more projects operate within an agile environment.3-day ITIL Strategist: Direct, Plan & Improve (DPI) course.
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.Specialist: DSV
To gain your PRINCE2 Agile Foundation certification, the typical learning path is 3-day ITIL Specialist: Drive Stakeholder Value (DSV) course.PRINCE2 Agile Foundation trainingSpecialist: CDS which takes 2 days, or 12 hours if studying online.3-day ITIL Specialist: Create, Deliver and Support (CDS) course.
AgilePM FoundationIT Learning Library (ITLL)™
Another UK certification which is suitable if you are working primarily in an agile environment is the AgilePM Foundation certification from the Agile Business Consortium. This is the most popular agile project management certification in the world, not just in the UK.BUSINESS LEARNING LIBRARY (BLL)™
AgilePM is based upon DSDM, one of the first agile methodologies, and for this certification you are assessed on your knowledge of the underlying agile project framework.Agile Learning Library (ALL)™
To gain your AgilePM Foundation certification, the typical learning path is Business Analysis Learning Library (BALL)™AgilePM Foundation trainingCompliance Learning Library (CLL)™ which takes 3 days, or 20 hours if studying online.IT Learning Library (ITLL)™
PMI CAPMBusiness solutions
The Project Management Institute offers the _blankCertified Associate in Project ManagementFree tools (CAPM)® certification. This certificate tests your knowledge of the fundamentals of project management and common project terminology.About
Eligibility for this certification requires that you already possess a secondary degree and requires that you attain at least 23 hours of project management education completed before the exam. This certificate needs to be renewed every 5 years._blank
It should be noted that the CAPM certification is mostly popular in the USA, Canada, Africa, and Asia, rather than the UK.Blog
To gain your CAPM certificate, a typical learning path is CAPM trainingEXPLORE SUBJECTS which takes 35 hours of online study.Select your preferred subject.
Intermediate project management certifications
Intermediate project certifications usually have some entry requirements. We’ll start with the easiest and make our way up to the hardest.PROJECT MANAGEMENT QUALIFICATIONS & WORKSHOPS
Intermediate certifications require that you have a more detailed understanding of what project management is all about. These certifications test you on your ability to apply project management principles, practices, and techniques to life-like project scenarios.Select your preferred qualification or workshop.
APM PMQ
The Association for Project Management offers the PRINCE2 COURSESProject Management QualificationSelect your preferred training course below: which tests whether you have a deeper understanding of project management. The APM PMQAPM COURSES certification is usually taken by students having a few years’ experience of project management.Select your preferred training course below:
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 AGILE PROJECT MANAGEMENT COURSESAPM PMQ trainingSelect your preferred training course below: which takes 5 days, or 35 hours if studying online.
PRINCE2 PractitionerPRINCE2 AGILE COURSES
A Select your preferred training course below:PRINCE2 Practitioner 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.BETTER BUSINESS CASES COURSES
After PRINCE2 Foundation, the PRINCE2 Practitioner certification is probably the top project management certification in the UK.Select your preferred training course below:
To gain your PRINCE2 Practitioner certificate, the typical learning path is PRINCE2 Practitioner trainingP3O COURSES 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.Select your preferred training course below:
It should be noted that since the release of PRINCE2 7WORKSHOPSthSelect your preferred workshop below: edition , the prerequisites for the Practitioner certification have changed. You must now hold one of the following certificates:AGILE QUALIFICATIONS
- PRINCE2 Foundation or PRINCE2 Practitioner (6Select your preferred qualification.th edition)AGILE PROJECT MANAGEMENT COURSES
- APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ)Select your preferred training course below:
- APM Project Professional Qualification (PPQ)
- PMIPRINCE2 AGILE COURSES®Select your preferred training course below: Certified Associate in Project Management
- PMISCRUM COURSES®Select your preferred training course below: Project Management Professional (PMP) ®AGILE BUSINESS ANALYSIS COURSES
- IPMASelect your preferred training course below:® Levels A, B, C or D.BUSINESS ANALYSIS QUALIFICATIONS
IPMASelect your preferred qualification.® is a registered trademark of IPMA in Switzerland and other countries.BCS BUSINESS ANALYSIS COURSES
PRINCE2 Agile PractitionerSelect your preferred training course below:
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 AGILE BUSINESS ANALYSIS COURSESPRINCE2 Agile Practitioner trainingSelect your preferred training course below: 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 PractitionerCHANGE MANAGEMENT QUALIFICATIONS
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.Select your preferred qualification.
To gain your AgilePM Practitioner certification, the typical learning path is AgilePM Practitioner trainingAPMG CHANGE MANAGEMENT COURSES 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.Select your preferred training course below:
CompTIA Project+
CompTIA offers some of the leading IT qualifications in the world. CompTIA Project+PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT QUALIFICATIONS®Select your preferred qualification. 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.MSP COURSES
PMI PMPSelect your preferred training course below:
PMI’s Project Management ProfessionalPMI COURSES (PMP)Select your preferred training course below:® Select your preferred training course below:
The PMI PMP ®PRINCE2 COURSES
®
Expert project management certificationsSelect your preferred training course below:
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.
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.BUSINESS ANALYST COURSES
APM ChPPSelect your self-paced training course topic.
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.
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.BCS BUSINESS ANALYST COURSES
ConclusionSelect your preferred training course below:
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.CHANGE MANAGEMENT COURSES
If you you’d like to gain any of the certifications listed in this article, why not look at some of the Select your self-paced training course topic.project management certification courses offered by Knowledge Train.APMG CHANGE MANAGEMENT COURSES
