PRINCE2® FAQ
- What is PRINCE2?
- Do I/we need PRINCE2?
- Why use a project management method?
- How can my organisation benefit from PRINCE2?
- Is PRINCE2 suitable for my projects?
- How can PRINCE2 improve Performance?
- Is PRINCE2 aimed at any particular type of project?
- How will PRINCE2 increase my projects success rate?
- Does PRINCE2 guarantee a successful outcome to projects?
- Is it possible to apply PRINCE2 to a project that is already under way?
- How can I benefit from PRINCE2?
- Does PRINCE2 replace my Gantt Charts and existing toolset?
- How does PRINCE2 comply with ISO 9000
- What countries recognise PRINCE2?
- Where can I train for the PRINCE2 exams?
- What are the main publications for PRINCE2 and where can I purchase them?
- How long will it take to learn the PRINCE2 material?
- What is the structure of the PRINCE2 Examinations?
- When will I receive my PRINCE2 Certificate?
- What are the pass marks for the PRINCE2 exams?
- How can I advertise myself as a PRINCE2 Registered Practitioner on my business card?
- Can I use the PRINCE2 logo?
- Is this course applicable to a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification?
- What if we want to use both the PMBOK project management and PRINCE2 certification?
- How long will it take to receive the PRINCE2 examination results?
- What languages are the PRINCE2 examinations available in?
- What are the pass marks for the PRINCE2 exams?
- I’ve done the Foundation training and exam already how do I become a Practitioner?
- If I am sitting the PRINCE2 Foundation multiple choice exam do I have to also sit the PRINCE2 Practitioner multiple choice exam – why not just have one exam?
- Do I need to Re-register for the PRINCE2 Certificate?
- Is your organisation going through change?
- Would you like a controlled approach to manage business change?
- Does your organisation have a consistent approach to manage the start up, execution and closure of a project?
- In your organisation do people always know and understand their role and responsibilities in a project?
- Do you have difficulty prioritising projects?
- Do you want to use an approach that demonstrates how to involve stakeholders throughout the life of the project?
- Are stakeholders often confused by the terminology used by parties involved in a project?
- Would you like to use consistent terminology, processes and project templates across your projects?
- Would you like to adopt a project management methodology that is internationally recognised and supported by hundreds of thousands of users around the world and independently managed by an international body of experts?
- Supports best practice project governance
- Can be applied on any type of project or project of any size
- Provides processes for early warning of problems
- Facilitates active participation of stakeholders
- Standardises project reporting information
- Offers controlled management of resources
- Provides tools to assess the ‘health’ of projects
- Is easily tailored to align with existing business processes, workflows, tools and language.
- Is supported by the UK government and hundreds of thousands of users around the world
- Is supported by training for all levels of management, coaching programs and consultancy services designed to support successful application.
- Clear goals/objectives
- Support from senior management
- Adequate funds/resources
- Realistic schedule
- End user commitment
- Effective leadership/conflict resolution
- Flexible approach to change
- Clear communication channels
- Taking account of past experience
- Effective management of risk
- An approach to justify the start, continuation and closure of a project
- A structure that defines people’s roles and responsibilities in a project
- A method for the identification and management of risks
- Mechanisms to control the quality of products
- A more effective planning approach based on ‘stage by stage’ planning principles
- Processes and rules to control changes to the project and project deliverables
- Control mechanisms that facilitate progress monitoring
- An approach to identify when and how to conduct a project review.
- Product Based Planning
- Product Descriptions
- Quality Controls
- PRINCE Organisation
- PRINCE Processes
- A controlled and organised start, middle and end
- Regular reviews of progress against plan and against the business case
- Flexible decision points
- Automatic management control of any deviations from the plan
- The involvement of management and stakeholders at the right time during the project
- Good communication channels between the project management team and the rest of the organisation
- Agreement on the required quality at the outset and continuous monitoring against those requirements
- It also helps project managers to:
- Establish terms of reference as a prerequisite to the start of a project
- Use a defined structure for delegation, authority and communication
- Divide the project into manageable stages for more accurate planning
- Ensure that resource commitment from management is part of any approval to proceed
- Provide regular, but brief, management reports
- Keep meetings with management and stakeholders to a minimum but at vital points in the project.
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What is PRINCE2?
PRINCE2, Projects in Controlled Environments, is a widely used project management method, which navigates you through all the essentials for running a successful project. Since its introduction in 1989 as a government standard for IT project management, PRINCE2 has been taken on by both the public and private sectors and is now recognised as a de facto standard for project management. PRINCE2 is a flexible method and although originally designed for the management of IT projects it is now aimed at all other types of projects. PRINCE2 takes all the simple and obvious lessons learned by thousands of professionals in the past 20- odd years and presents them in a checklist for present clients, managers and their teams. OGC (Office of Government Commerce) owns the methodology. The APM Group (APMG) is the Certification Body and is responsible for the running of examinations and accreditation of training organisations (ATOs), trainers, consulting organisations (ACOs) and consultants. APMG have received UKAS accreditation in accordance with EN45011 and ISO17024 for certification activities of Practitioners, ATOs, Trainers, ACOs and Consultants. As PRINCE2 is a very successful project management qualification, a large number of people and organisations have used and implemented PRINCE2.
Do I/we need PRINCE2?
Let us answer this question by asking you:
If you answered yes to one of these questions then I guess you will benefit from the use of PRINCE2.
Why use a project management method?
Project failures are all too common – some make the headlines, the vast majority are either forgotten or are swept under the carpet. Either way, there is always a cost. Sometimes this cost is critical. In many if not most cases it could have been readily avoided.
Projects underperform when those who commission it, those who manage it and those who work on it have different ideas about how things should be organised and when the different aspects of the project should be completed. A project management method is a way of ensuring that all key players are operating with the same rules and guidelines. Without a project management method, projects will rarely be completed on time and within acceptable cost – this is especially true of large projects. A good project management method will guide the project through a controlled, well-managed, visible set of activities to achieve the desired results.
There are many project management methods available. Ultimately all are based on common sense and sound management procedures. PRINCE2 is one of the most widely adopted project management methods in the world today.
How can my organisation benefit from PRINCE2?
PRINCE2 can facilitate improved business performance by ensuring everyone knows why the project is required, what needs to be achieved, how and when events need to occur and who needs to be involved.
PRINCE2:
Is PRINCE2 suitable for my projects?
Being a generic approach for the management of ‘business’ projects PRINCE2 can be applied in any business environment. It is not a method that can only be applied just by IT or people with years of project management experience. Anyone, anywhere in the organisation can learn and use it as it is based on a logical approach to manage any project.
How can PRINCE2 improve Performance?
PRINCE2 provides processes that reduce risk and instil control in the Project Environment. From a foundation of control we can implement additional tools and techniques that are proven to improve productivity and performance.
Is PRINCE2 aimed at any particular type of project?
PRINCE2 is designed to be applied generally to all types of projects, be they construction, engineering, IT, business, financial or whatever. In the past, it has been aimed at IT projects, and so it is still well used in this area, however there has been significant growth recently in other industries, especially Telecoms and Finance.
How will PRINCE2 increase my projects success rate?
Below is a list of the top 10 criteria for Project Success as listed in the ‘Empirical Study on Current Project Management Practice’ by Diane White and Joyce Fortune of Centre for Complexity and Change. PRINCE2 addresses all of the top 10 factors on the list and goes further to address all 22 factors identified.
Top ten list of factors contributing to Project Success
Does PRINCE2 guarantee a successful outcome to projects?
No! but applied sensibly it will increase the chances of your projects being successful.
Is it possible to apply PRINCE2 to a project that is already under way?
The short answer is yes. However, as with all changes that are introduced to a project, there should be a strong case for implementing it. The adoption of PRINCE2 will lead to changes in the project management team and in the monitoring and controlling of the work. An evaluation of the current status of the project is essential to determine the value added by introducing PRINCE2 mid project.
Why has PRINCE2 been so successful around the world?
Perhaps because of its comprehensiveness PRINCE2 is often viewed as ‘de facto’ best practice project management on an international scale.
Project Managers and organisations around the world have strived to procure or develop their own best practice approach for the management of projects.
PRINCE2 offers a project manager, a project team and your organisation a consistent set of processes, tools and a language for the management of projects.
Being a generic and flexible approach for the management of ‘business’ projects it can be applied in any business environment. It is not a method that can only be applied by IT staff or people with years of project management experience. Anyone, anywhere in the organisation can learn and use it as it is based on a logical approach to manage any project, be it to develop a car, change a business process or to manage the launch of a new product or service. The United Nations Development Programme are training staff to apply PRINCE2 for development projects.
It is also a very effective tool for the management of stakeholders and their interests.
Success however depends on how you and your organisation choose to apply PRINCE2. The method can also be easily tailored to align with existing business processes, workflows, tools and language.
How can I benefit from PRINCE2?
Dependent on your role in a project, PRINCE2 can offer processes, tools and
techniques to help with your management of projects.
It provides a step by step guide on how to control a project, by providing:
PRINCE2 qualifications are recognised internationally. The Foundation and Practitioner qualifications acknowledge that you can function as a member of a PRINCE2 project and apply PRINCE2 in different business environments and project situations.
Does PRINCE2 replace my Gantt Charts and existing toolset?
No, certainly not. These complement the PRINCE2 approach.
How does PRINCE2 comply with ISO 9000
PRINCE2 can be used to implement a QMS in compliance with ISO 9004 by implementing:
What countries recognise PRINCE2?
Most organisations around the world recognise PRINCE2 as a standard methodology.
Where can I train for the PRINCE2 exams?
Training for PRINCE2 is available from the PM Academy. The course may be delivered at our premises or alternatively we also tailor the course to be delivered in-house with adequate attendees.
What are the main publications for PRINCE2 and where can I purchase them?
PRINCE2 has one main manual, published by The Stationary Office, called “Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2″. This can be purchased from the PM Academy.
The manual contains information that provides projects with:
There are also some other publications relating to understanding and using PRINCE2, which support the main text. For example, there is the PRINCE2 Pocketbook, and a publication titled Tailoring PRINCE2.
How long will it take to learn the PRINCE2 material?
Depending on experience, delegates are encouraged to devote at least 30 hours of pre-course studying before attending the course. Evening work is also required during the course.
What is the structure of the PRINCE2 Examinations?
The multiple choice, closed book exam is one hour and consists of 75 questions. Five of the questions are trial questions that do not contribute toward the final mark. Delegates must therefore obtain 50% out of 70 marks. Once this examination has been taken and passed you may then take the PRINCE2 Practitioner examination to become a Registered PRINCE2 Practitioner.
The PRINCE2 Practitioner Objective Test Exam (OTE) is a multiple choice two and a half hour exam and delegates are presented with 9 questions worth 12 marks each. Delegates must obtain 55% out of 108 marks. This examination is open-book allowing only for the PRINCE2 Manual to be taken into the examination.
PRINCE2 Registered Practitioners must take the Re-registration examination every 3-5 years to maintain their registered status as a PRINCE2 Practitioner
When will I receive my PRINCE2 Certificate?
A Foundation Certificate will be dispatched to you approximately 2 weeks after we have received your exam paper back into our offices if you only took the Foundation exam.
A Practitioner Certificate will be dispatched 2 weeks after the Practitioner results have been released. Please note that the certificates will be dispatched to the PM Academy.
What are the pass marks for the PRINCE2 exams?
Foundation Examination: You will need to score 50% out of 70 to pass the Foundation examination.
Practitioner Examination: An overall score of 55% out of a possible 108 is required to pass.
Statistics on PRINCE2 examinations
Foundation Examination: We have a near perfect pass rate.
Practitioner Examination: The results are slightly lower than the Foundation
How can I advertise myself as a PRINCE2 Registered Practitioner on my business card?
Candidates who have passed the PRINCE2 Practitioner examination can put PRINCE2 Practitioner on their business cards. You can also include a web address on your business card (www.p2registeredpractitioner.com) which takes you to an online list of PRINCE2 Registered Practitioners.
Can I use the PRINCE2 logo?
Only ATOs and ACOs are allowed to use the PRINCE2 logo. The PRINCE2 logo is a registered trademark of OGC and must not be used without their permission.
Is this course applicable to a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification?
Yes. Though the course is not designed as preparation for the PMP exam, this course is beneficial to anyone working toward PMI’s PMP certification. For those who are currently certified, completion of this course counts as 29 professional development units (60 units must be completed every three years to maintain certification).
Why do we need PRINCE2 certification when our people already have PMBOK project management training?
PRINCE2 project management training complements PMBOK project management training and PMP accreditation by focusing on a practical, more specific process-based approach to the actual running of a project. PRINCE2 project management extracts the key elements that help maintain control in the overall project and in its day-to-day operation.
What if we want to use both the PMBOK project management and PRINCE2 certification?
Perfect! You can use PRINCE2 to structure your methodology, and the PMBOK project management for depth, tools and techniques.
You can also add value to PMBOK by applying key elements from PRINCE2 that are not in the PMBOK such as: Organization (“Project Board”), Product-Based Planning, Product Descriptions, Quality Review, Configuration Management, Issue Management, and Work Package Authorization.
How long will it take to receive the PRINCE2 examination results?
It is anticipated that this may be approximately 6 – 8 weeks. However, this may shorten as time passes.
What languages are the PRINCE2 examinations available in?
What are the pass marks for the PRINCE2 exams?
Foundation Examination: You will need to score 38 out of 75 to pass the Foundation examination.
Practitioner Examination: An overall score of 180 out of a possible 360 is required to pass.
I’ve done the Foundation training and exam already how do I become a Practitioner?
You need to sit a two day upgrade course – this is available as an intensive course or as an e-learning course combined with a workshop.
If I am sitting the PRINCE2 Foundation multiple choice exam do I have to also sit the PRINCE2 Practitioner multiple choice exam – why not just have one exam?
Each PRINCE2 exam tests different levels of knowledge:
The PRINCE2 Foundation level exam measures whether a candidate would be an informed member of a project management team on a project using the PRINCE2 method. To this end they need to show they understand the principles and terminology of the method.
The Practitioner level exam is aimed to measure whether a candidate would be able to apply PRINCE2 to the running and managing of a project within an environment supporting PRINCE2. In addition to the Foundation qualification, they must show they can apply and tune PRINCE2 to address the needs and problems of a specific project scenario.
Do I need to Re-register for the PRINCE2 Certificate?
PRINCE2 Practitioners must re-register within 3-5 years of their original certification. The re-registration is a 1-hour examination set at the same standard as the Practitioner examination. An overall score of 60 out of a total 120 is must to pass.
