This designation is issued by Axelos in the UK. It is the lowest level of three in the PRINCE2 system.
- PRINCE2 Foundation
- PRINCE2 Practitioner
- PRINCE2 Professional
Axelos does not publish the number of people that are PRINCE2 certified. We have found sources that mention about 1.5 million exams taken since 1996, but the Practitioner certification lasts for only 5 years so the number of active certifications is probably alot less than that.
Unlike the other project management certifications, there are no letters after your name upon completing PRINCE2 certification, on any of the three levels.
Who is it For?
The PRINCE2 Foundation certification is the entry level certification intended for people who wish to move into project management, or do not have the time or experience to pursue the full Practitioner certification. For example,
- People who are in a technical role and wish to demonstrate project management competence in the hopes of moving up into project management.
- People who manage small projects, or on a part time basis.
- People who wish to demonstrate competence in project management even though they do not manage projects.
From Axelos’ website:
The purpose of the Foundation qualification is to confirm that a candidate has sufficient knowledge and understanding of the PRINCE2 method to be able to work effectively with, or as a member of, a project management team working within an environment supporting PRINCE2.
Equivalents
The other entry level project management certifications are:
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), issued by the Project Management Institute (PMI)
- International Project Management Associate, Level D (IMPA-D), issued by the International Project Management Association (IPMA) through member associations in each country. These member associations have quite a bit of freedom, and some countries even change the name of the certification itself. For example, in the UK the official IPMA-D certification is called APMP, issued by the member organization the Association for Project Management (APM).
Education Requirements
There is no background education requirement such as a secondary or post-secondary degree.
You also do not need to take any courses. You can study the manual privately and then take the exam at one of the five Examination Institutes, or you can take a course from an Accredited Training Organization and write the exam directly through them.
The exam has 75 multiple choice questions.
Browse through the Axelos Qualifications page for more information.
Experience Requirements
There are no project management experience requirements to take the PRINCE2 Foundation exam and become certified.
Other Requirements
PRINCE2 has no other requirements besides paying the fee to take the exam. In that sense it is a very basic certification. But although it is much easier to accomplish than its counterparts, the relative ease in achieving the certification translates into less prestige within the industry.
Official Textbook
The official textbook is called Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2, written by Axelos. It is available for £75 from the Axelos website, or from Amazon.
Cost
In addition to the official textbook there is a cost for writing the exam. You can choose any of the five examination institutes, but for reference at the time of this writing, APMG in the UK was £240, and Acquiros in the United States was $349.
Maintenance
The PRINCE2 Foundation certification does not expire.
Learn More
To learn more, surf the Axelos website and make sure you check out the PRINCE2 Qualifications page.
