PRINCE2 Practitioner Exam

The 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 take the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam the individual must provide proof of having passed one of the following:

• PRINCE2 6th Edition Foundation (or higher)
• Project Management Qualification (PMQ)
• Project Professional Qualification (PPQ)
• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
• IPMA Level A®, B®, C® or D®.

Examination 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.

Exam Format

• Language: English, French, German, Italian
• Duration: 150 minutes
  • 25% extra time if you take the exam in a language that is not you native language
• Materials: The Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2
  • This is an ‘open book’ exam. The Official PRINCE2 Manual should be used (and you can make notes inside the book), but no other material is allowed.
• Questions: 70
  • All 70 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 : 42 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 analyse the information provided and reason whether a course of action is effective/appropriate.
• Exam Format: Online
• Certificate Format: Online
  • Online certificate is usually included in the exam fee, you could ask for a paper certificate to the Exam institute after your exam

The 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: 

The project is in the ‘XXX’ process. The project manager has decided to do Y.

Was this an appropriate action for the project manager to take, and why?

1. Yes, because XXX
2. Yes, because YYY
3. No, because XXX
4. No, because YYY

Example ‘matching’ OTQ:

Here are three statements related to XXX
Which role (A-E) is responsible for each action? Choose only ONE role for each action.
Each role can be used once, more than once, or not at all.

1) To do XXX
2) To do XXX
3) To do XXX

A. Project manager
B. Team manager
C. Senior user
D. Senior supplier
E. Project executive

The PRINCE2 Practitioner Objectives

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

• Understand how to apply the PRINCE2 principles in context
• Understand how to apply effective people management in projects
• Understand how to apply and tailor relevant aspects of PRINCE2 practices in context
• Understand how to apply and tailor relevant aspects of PRINCE2 processes in context

The PRINCE2 Practitioner Certificate

The validity of PRINCE2 Practitioner certificate is 3 years; this certificate will expire unless the candidate:

• Retakes the PRINCE2 Practitioner Exam before the expiry date
• Takes further courses and certifications from the same product suite
• Collects and logs CPD (Continuing Professional Development) points

Curious to know more? Read our article on how to Renew your PeopleCert Certification through CPD Points.

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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