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 Practitioner certification is the main project manager certification under the PRINCE2 system. It is intended for project managers who wish to demonstrate their competence and understanding of the PRINCE2 system. Unlike other project management certifications, PRINCE2 is not intended to demonstrate general project management knowledge or competency, only competence with the PRINCE2 project methodology.
From Axelos’ website:
This qualification is aimed at Project Managers and aspiring Project Managers. It is also relevant to other key staff involved in the design, development and delivery of projects, including: Project Board members (e.g. Senior Responsible Owners), Team Managers (e.g. Product Delivery Managers), Project Assurance (e.g. Business Change Analysts), Project Support (e.g. Project and Programme Office personnel) and operational line managers/staff.
Equivalents
The other equivalent project management certifications are:
- Project Management Professional (PMP), issued by the Project Management Institute (PMI)
- International Project Management Associate, Level C (IMPA-C), 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-C certification is called the “Practitioner Qualification,” issued by the IPMA member organization in the UK, 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 150 minute, open book exam has 80 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
In order to take the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam you must have passed the PRINCE2 Foundation exam. You can take them both in the same day if you are aiming directly for PRINCE2 Practitioner certification.
Since 2014, Axelos has accepted any of the other project management certifications from other organizations in leiu of the PRINCE2 Foundation certificate.
- CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management)
- PMP (Project Management Professional)
- IPMA Level A
- IPMA Level B
- IPMA Level C
- IPMA Level D
There are no other requirements besides paying the fee to take the exam. No project management experience, no education requirements, no courses to take, and no resume to submit. 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 £333, and Acquiros in the United States was $449.
Maintenance
The certification expires in 3 years and you must simply retake the exam to maintain the certification.
Learn More
To learn more, surf the Axelos website and make sure you check out the PRINCE2 Qualifications page.
