PRINCE2 Practitioner Exam

PRINCE2 Practitioner certification is a professional qualification in the field of Project Management.

This qualification provides you with a deep understanding of what is needed to start applying PRINCE2 to a real project (individual Project Management expertise, Project Environment and PRINCE2 maturity in the organisation will all be factors that impact what the Practitioner can achieve).

To be eligible to sit the PRINCE2 Practitioner examination, the PRINCE2 Foundation exam must have been passed.

From 1 July 2014, AXELOS recognizes the prior learning and Project Management certifications of individuals achieved through several Examinations Institutes.

To take the PRINCE2 2017 Practitioner examination the individual must provide proof of having passed one of the following:

  • PRINCE2 Foundation (or higher) – this only applies to certificates obtained after 1 January 2009
  • Project Management Professional (PMP)*
  • Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)*
  • IPMA Level A® (Certified Projects Director)
  • IPMA Level B® (Certified Senior Project Manager)
  • IPMA Level C® (Certified Project Manager)
  • IPMA Level D® (Certified Project Management Associate).

 

PRINCE2 Practitioner Exam Target

  • Project Managers and aspiring Project Managers
  • 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)
  • Operational line managers/staff.

 

PRINCE2 Practitioner Exam Format

  • Language: English (please add the relevant languages for your markets)
  • Duration: 150 minutes
    • 25% extra time if you take the exam in a language that is not your native language
  • Materials: The Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2
    • This is an ‘open book’ exam. The Official PRINCE2 Manual, 2017 edition, should be used (and you can make notes inside the book), but no other material is allowed.
  • Questions: 68
    • All 68 questions are Objective Test Questions (OTQs)
    • You should read the ‘Project Scenario’ which gives background information about the project that the questions apply
  • Pass Mark: 38 marks or above (there is no negative marking)
  • Level of Thinking: Bloom’s levels 3 & 4
    • Bloom’s level 3 questions: The individual needs to apply his/her knowledge to a situation.
    • Bloom’s level 4 questions: The Individual needs to analyze the information provided and the reason whether a course of action is effective/appropriate.
  • Exam Format: Online or Paper
  • Certificate Format: Online
    • The online certificate is usually included in the exam fee, you could ask for a paper certificate to the Exam institute after your exam

 

PRINCE2 Practitioner Exam Questions examples 

The questions are all ‘multiple-choice’.
There is a short description of a situation, and then a question. For the ‘classic’ questions (1 mark), you have a question and four options (A, B, C, D). For the ‘matching’ questions (3 marks) you have 3 pieces of information and you have to choose an answer for each from a list of 5 or 6 options.

 

Example ‘classic’ OTQ

At the end of stage 3, the risk that production costs could exceed the sales for the software is estimated to be high, as all of the cost tolerance for stage 3 has been used. As a result, the project manager has defined tight cost and time tolerances for the work packages to produce the ‘artwork’ and develop the software during stage 4.

Which principle is being applied, and why?

  1. ‘Manage by exception‘, because the level of control retained by the project manager must match the tolerance available.
  2. ‘Manage by exception‘, because action should be taken so that production costs do not exceed the album sales.
  3. ‘Manage by stages‘, because cost tolerance should be set for each work package in a stage.
  4. ‘Manage by stages‘, because team managers should be given authority before work can commence.

 

Example ‘matching’ OTQ

Here are three statements from the business case for the Music Album Project.
Under which heading of the business case (A-F) should the statements be recorded?
Choose only one for each statement. Each heading can be used once, more than once, or not at all.

  1.  It has been decided to invest in a new singer.
  2. We need to keep up with our competitors who have seen an increase in sales from the new singers they are signing with.
  3. Current customers may not buy from us if they see a change in the style of music we sell. This may cause a decrease in overall sales.

 

A. Reason.
B. Business options.
C. Expected benefits.
D. Expected dis-benefits.
E. Timescale.
F. Major Risks

 

PRINCE2 Practitioner Objectives

This exam has been developed to assess whether the candidate can apply and tailor the PRINCE2 project management method. As a candidate you need to demonstrate the achievement of these learning outcomes:

  • Apply the PRINCE2 principles in the context
  • Apply and tailor relevant aspects of PRINCE2 themes in the context
  • Apply (and tailor) relevant aspects of PRINCE2 processes in the context

 

PRINCE2 Practitioner Certificate

The validity of PRINCE2 2017 Practitioner certificate is 3 year.
This certificate will expire unless the candidate:

  • Retake the PRINCE2 2017 Practitioner Exam before the expiry date.
  • Maintain the certification through CPD points and a digital badge available on the Axelos website.

QRP International is a PRINCE2 Accredited Training Organisation (ATO) by Peoplecert on behalf of Axelos, is authorised to deliver PRINCE2 Practitioner courses and can prepare you for the examination leading to the PRINCE2 Practitioner Certificate in Project Management.

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