Prince2 Certification – Requirements, Cost, and How to Earn

Prince2 certification is one of the highly sought-after certifications in the field of project management. Prince2 certification is recognized across the project management industries, worldwide. This certification was formed under the UK government’s supervision, back in the year 1996 and now it has become a global standardized methodology for project management. Organizations worldwide look for candidates who hold the Prince2 credential. Especially in Europe and Australia, there is a huge demand for Prince2 certified professionals.

Key Takeaways from this post:

• Prince2 Certification Benefits
• Requirements to get Prince2 Certification
• Prince2 Certification Cost
• How to Prepare for Prince2 Exams
• How to Renew Prince2 Certifications

What Prince2 is really about? What does it teach you? Well, Prince2 is a method that helps you work on projects and achieve the desired results. It includes a set of processes to work through and it explains which information you need to gather along the way. If you are currently working as a project manager or a team lead, the Prince2 certification would give you a consistent and common approach to work through your projects. It helps the organizations to have a centralized and controlled way of work. Hence, Prince2 gives assurance that the project will meet the business objectives and would meet the customer requirements successfully.

Prince2 Certification: Benefits of Becoming Prince Certified

Holding the Prince2 certification will give you many benefits, including the following five major benefits:

1. Career

The Prince2 certification is highly in demand by employers. It does not matter which industry it is, whether IT, Civil, Telecom, or any other industry, employers worldwide look for Prince2 certified professionals for their projects. There are several project management certifications available these days. However, Prince2 is among the top ones, which is globally recognized and preferred over the other project management certifications. So, if you are holding the Prince2 certification, you will open for yourself the venues for better jobs and higher positions.

Learn more in our Free Prince2 Training.

2. Salary

With the Prince2 certification, you can land jobs, which will pay you more. So, once you earn your Prince2 certification, you can expect to receive better salary offers, which you may not be able to receive without this certification.

3. Skills

When you will take the Prince2 course, you will learn the core management skills to manage the projects. You will learn how to better manage schedule, cost, and the other elements of the projects, which will lead to project success. The skills that you will learn will help you manage your tasks better and quicker.

4. Recognition

The Prince2 certification will stand you out among others in the job market. Not just employers but also your clients or the other project stakeholders will value and trust more the professionals who hold this certification. So, your value will increase, and resultantly you will be able to influence others more and successfully.

5. Industry

As a Prince2 certified professional, you are no longer tied with a specific industry or organization. You can get job offers from many different industries to manage their projects.

So you see there are many benefits of the Prince2 certification. Going forward, if you are a Prince2 certification enthusiast and interested in learning more about Prince2 certification, continue reading this post.

Here, we will explain the Prince2 Foundation and Prince2 Practitioner certification requirements and the certification exam cost. Furthermore, we will also describe how to prepare for the Prince2 certification exam and renew the certification to fulfil its maintenance requirements.

Prince2 Certification Requirements

So now you might ask what are the Prince2 certification requirements. Unlike many other certifications, Prince2 Foundation does not have any requirements that you must fulfil before you could be eligible for the Prince2 Foundation certification exam.

To be eligible for the Prince2 practitioner exam, however, you must be holding the Prince2 Foundation certification. Alternatively, you can also fulfil this requirement if you hold some other certifications. The certifications that qualify you for the Prince2 practitioner exam include:

Project Management Institute (PMI) certifications

1. PMI-PMP

2. PMI-CAPM

International Project Management Association (IPMA) certifications

1. IPMA Level A (Certified Projects Director)

2. IPMA Level B (Certified Senior Project Manager)

3. IPMA Level C (Certified Project Manager)

4. IPMA Level D (Certified Project Management Associate)

Association for Project Management (AMP) certifications

1. Project Management Qualification (PMQ)

2. Project Professional Qualification (PPQ)

Whichever certification you hold, it should be active at the time of your Prince2 practitioner exam. Note that IPMA is the Association of Project Management (APM) in the UK.

Although there is no prerequisite for the Prince2 Foundation exam, taking a Prince2 Foundation certification training before the exam is highly recommended. Since you will be investing in the exam; you surely do not want to risk your money. Therefore, make sure you take a Prince2 Foundation certification course and do not rely on self-study alone before you take the exam.

Watch Prince2 Foundation Certification Training – Sample Video

Furthermore, when you opt for a comprehensive Prince2 course, you will get useful resources from the training provider, like a cheat sheet, practice exam questions, tips and tricks for passing the exam, etc. Therefore, taking a course would be very much beneficial for you in your Prince2 certification exam preparation.

What if you could not provide proof of the prerequisite?

When booking the Prince2 Practitioner exam, you must provide proof of the certification that qualifies you for the Prince2 Practitioner exam. The proof could be in form of a certificate or a confirmation letter from the examination institute confirming that you hold the certification. Note that without providing the proof, you will still be allowed to take the exam. However, you will not receive your examination result until you provide proof of the prerequisite to PeopleCert, which is the examination body for the Prince2 examinations.

Prince2 Certification Cost 

Prince2 certification cost includes two different costs – one for the Prince2 certification course and the other for the Prince2 certification exam. The table gives you information about the Prince2 certification exam cost:

Note that to pay for the Prince2 certification exam, you may either pay directly to the testing center PeopleCert, online or you have the option to visit one of their franchises in your local area and pay them directly, in your national currency.

The Prince2 training cost varies from country to country and often varies from city to city. You may even find different training providers in your area have different pricing for the same training. In the tables below, we have mentioned the approximate training cost for Prince2 Foundation and Prince2 Practitioner certification courses in different countries.

How to Prepare for the Prince2 Certification?

Step 1: Take Prince2 certification course

Your first step towards the Prince2 certification is taking the Prince2 course. Although some people think that they can pass the exam with just self-study, you should actually not risk your time and money by taking the exam without first taking the Prince2 course.

Prince2 is different from general project management that we learn at colleges or in typical project management books. Even if you hold a master’s degree in project management, you will need to take the Prince2 course because it is different.

So, choose a training provider that will prepare you for the Prince2 certification exam. Be careful when choosing a training provider, since not all the Prince2 training providers will offer you a comprehensive Prince2 course. A comprehensive Prince2 course will aim to prepare you for the exam, and not just to give you the know-how of project management. The comprehensive Prince2 course will include practice exams, flashcards, case studies, or short scenarios. It will also provide you a cheat sheet, a copy of the Prince2 guide, and helpful materials on how to prepare you for the Prince2 certification exam effectively. Furthermore, make sure that the training provider has adequate experience in Prince2 certification training and that they have delivered a good number of Prince2 courses in the past.

Not many training providers offer the Prince2 Practitioner course. If they do, they might only be offering the Prince2 Foundation course and not the Practitioner course, since the Practitioner course is not as common as the Foundation course, yet. If you are interested in taking both the Foundation and the Practitioner course, it will be easier for you to take the course from the same training provider. So, look for a source that offers a PRINCE2® Certification Foundation & Practitioner Training Bundle.

Step 2: Prepare a Prince2 Study Plan

Without a plan, it is difficult to achieve your objectives including the Prince2 certification. Do not take Prince2 certification too easy. If you started your exam preparation without a plan, your preparation may not be as good as it should be. So, what should you plan for your Prince2 certification exam? Well, you can plan many things for your study. For instance, define a timeline for your book study, the practice exam, and the other study material that you have. When you prepare a plan and follow it, you are in control. Following a plan, you will know how you are going and whether you need to do something differently. Your plan is also a motivation for you. It will drive you towards your goal and empower you to succeed in the exam.

So, write down your plan. Write the names of the books, write down what other documents you will refer to. Also, write the sources from where you will get the material. Moreover, define a timeline for all the tasks that you will perform.

Ensure that you prepare a realistic schedule and that you also follow it. Go through all the books that you had planned to study. Watch the videos, refer to the other study material that you also planned to use. Make sure that you adhere to your plan. Remember, if you do not study with a plan, earning the certification may become difficult for you.

Step 3: Practice the Prince2 Exam

Unless you have taken a Prince2 practice exam, your Prince2 certification preparation can never be complete. By just going through the study material, you cannot tell whether you have studied everything or you have grasped the complete understanding of Prince2. When you go through the practice questions, then only you can assess your practice and know where you currently stand. So, use a maximum number of practice questions and aim for over 95% score.

You should take the practice exam at least two times, then only you will be able to know your strengths and your weaknesses. If after a practice exam you find out that you are scoring low, go through the Prince2 study material, again and again, take the practice test. The more you practice, the better result you will be able to achieve.

Watch Prince2 Practitioner Certification Training – Sample Video

Once you have completed the practice exam, go through your wrong answers. Find out why you did not answer some questions right. Then go back to your study material and ensure you understand and memorize the stuff well this time.

When you will take the Prince2 course, you will get sample Prince2 exam questions from your training provider, for your practice. If these are not many then you should download more sample questions from the Internet. Be careful though that when you look for the Prince2 practice exam, make sure that it is aligned with the latest Prince2 2017 edition manual. So, do not risk your Prince2 certification exam; practice the sample questions before you conclude your exam preparation.

Take Notes During Preparation

When you are preparing for the Prince2 certification exam, many exam preparation tips, ideas, and other thoughts will come to your mind. Write them down. When you write notes, these will later help you get a better understanding of things. Moreover, writing notes will help you engage more with the study material and ultimately make it easy for you to prepare for the exam.

Note-taking is not just about writing text. You can also draw diagrams, charts, mind maps, or anything else that will help you in your exam preparation. If you like, take e-notes. Nowadays, we have budget-friendly tablets available and some are specially made for note-taking. If you are using a PC for your study, you can write notes in a Windows notepad.

So, write notes however you like. Keeping it part of your exam preparation activities will help you throughout your exam preparation journey.

Two Important Points to Remember

Remember that before you take the Prince2 practice exam, you have gone through all the Prince2 certification study material. It is because if you have not completed the study and are attempting the practice exam, you may see questions about the topics that you have not studied from the Prince2 manual yet. So, complete your study first and then take the practice exam.

Learn more in our Free Prince2 Training.

Also, remember that if you are scoring 90% in the practice exam at your home, you will be able to score 80% or less in the Prince2 exam at the test center. It is because, during the real exam, you have limited time available, your mind is under stress. Consequently, you cannot concentrate as much as you can while taking the practice exam in the comfort of your home.

How to Renew Your Prince2 Certification Once You’ve Earned It

Prince2 Foundation Certificate Renewal

Once you earn your Prince2 Foundation certificate, it will never expire. You do not have to involve in any activity, contribute to your workplace or community, or do any other things. You do not even have to make a certificate renewing payment. Your certificate will remain valid for a lifetime.

Prince2 Practitioner Renewal

The Prince2 Practitioner certification is valid for three years from the date when you earn it. At the end of the third year, you must renew it, else it will expire. You have three options to renew your Prince2 Practitioner certification. Either re-sit the Prince2 Practitioner exam or maintain the certification through a subscription with My Prince2 or participate in other allowed activities. When you utilize the resources from My Prince2 or involve in other activities, you will earn CPD points. CPDs are continuing professional development points and you need to earn 20 CPD points each year. So, that means every three years, you will need to earn 60 CPD points. One CPD point is worth one hour of work. That means you have to spend 20 hours doing different and the allowed activities to fulfil the 20 CPD requirement, each year.

Remember that you must earn the CPD points under the following categories:

Community Participation: This category includes attending industry events like conferences, webinars, etc. Reading books, blogs, discussion forums, etc also comes in this category.

Self-Study: This includes reading relevant books, manuals, publications, articles, journals, white papers, case studies, or blog posts.

Professional Experience: This category includes coaching colleagues or students, mentoring individuals or groups. It also includes supporting your seniors in their project management tasks.

Training & Qualifications: This includes taking in-house training, going through e-learning, participating in webinars or professional training from awarding bodies.

Out of the 20 required CPD points, your five CPD points must be from the Professional Experience category. The remaining 15 points can come from other categories.

My Prince2

What is My Prince2? Well, My Prince2 is an online subscription that gives you access to the latest content and resources to help you apply to your workplace what you’ve learned in Prince2. It also gives you the opportunity to develop your knowledge and the skills that relate to the innovations and developments in project and program management. So, what exactly will you get from this subscription? Well, you will get access to toolkits, templates, publications, reports, white papers, etc. All these resources will increase your knowledge and ability to manage projects at your organization.

Subscription to My Prince2 is available at AXELOS’s website. It costs US$ 69 per year and the three-year subscription will cost you US$ 207. So, you do not have to purchase the subscription for three years altogether, you may subscribe yearly also. When you subscribe to My Prince2 and utilize the available resources for your learning and development, you will earn CPD points.

Retake the Prince2 Exam

This may be an easier option for some people and for some, it may be worth going through all the effort exam preparation again.

Other Options to Earn CPD Points

My Prince2 is not the only way through which you can earn the CPD points, there are other ways too. For instance, if you attend a conference or seminar related to Prince2, you will earn CPD points. You may find free or paid such opportunities, which you may like to attend. Other than these, you can take part in webinars, from your home. Besides, through self-study, you can earn the CPD points. So, if you read relevant articles, guides, or books, these activities too will earn you CPD points.

The Master of Project Academy also offers a 45+ Prince2 CPD Online Course Bundle to help you renew your Prince2 Certification.

Which Certificate Renewal Option is Best For You?

You have learned that you can renew your Prince2 certification in three ways – by taking the exam again, going through the material on My Prince2, or by participating in activities off My Prince2 that earn you CPD points.

Now, you may get confused as to which option to opt for. Well, what you need to do to choose the best certification renewal option is to first access your capability and skills. Determine your development needs and identify the activities that you need to involve in. You have many options but choose the option that you think will not only easily renew your certification but also enhance your skills and knowledge about project management.

Going forward, make a plan on how you will complete your CPD earning activities. If you choose not to take the re-examination route then start undertaking the activities to earn the CPD points. Once you have earned all the required CPD points, you will reach the final stage. Now, you will log your activities with AXELOS. During this process, you will also have to describe your learning or select the skills that you have acquired.

Summary: Prince2 Certification

Earning a Prince2 certification is a huge accomplishment. Earning this certification is an excellent way to position yourself for the amazing possibilities in the field of project management. Unlike many certifications, the Prince2 Foundation certification does not have any eligibility requirements. However, as you have learned the Prince2 Practitioner certification does have requirements that you must fulfil before you could take the exam. Likewise, the Prince2 Practitioner certification also has renewal requirements to keep your certificate active and also to allow you to keep developing your skills in the project management field.

We have explained in this post how you fulfil the Prince2 Practitioner certification requirements. We have also mentioned the certificate renewal requirements as well as the exam fee for both the Prince2 Foundation and the Practitioner certification. By going through the details, you must have been motivated towards the Prince2 certification.

So, if you are aiming for a higher position or looking for a career switch, the Prince2 certification will prove to be a game-changer for you. With a little investment of money and time, you too can transform your career and start earning better.