PRINCE2 is owned and managed by AXELOS. AXELOS is a joint venture between the UK government, and Capita plc.
AXELOS is responsible for ensuring PRINCE2 is kept up to date, setting the PRINCE2 exams and maintaining the PRINCE2 syllabuses.
Management of PRINCE2 exams and candidates, and accreditation of PRINCE2 training companies such as Knowledge Train is the responsibility of the PRINCE2 exam institute (PeopleCert).
PRINCE2 certification levels
PRINCE2 certification provides 2 globally recognized qualifications – Foundation and Practitioner. Previously there used to be a 3rd certification (PRINCE2 Professional) but this is no longer supported by AXELOS.
PRINCE2 Foundation certification
To gain the PRINCE2 Foundation certification a student must pass the PRINCE2 Foundation exam.
This is the entry-level PRINCE2 certification – no project experience or qualifications are required.
It is suitable for people working on or supporting projects, and for people wanting to learn about PRINCE2.
Passing this exam shows that a candidate understands the terminology and key concepts of the PRINCE2 methodology. It also shows that a candidate can act as an informed member of a project management team using PRINCE2.
The PRINCE2 Foundation exam is 1-hour, has 60 multiple-choice questions, and has a pass-mark of 55%. This exam has a 97% pass rate (UK national average).
PRINCE2 Practitioner certification
To gain the PRINCE2 Practitioner certification a student must pass the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam.
This is the higher-level PRINCE2 certification – no project experience is required.
Any one of the following qualifications is a prerequisite for students before they can sit the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam (out of date certifications do not qualify):
- PRINCE2 Foundation.
- PMI®Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®.
- PMI® Project Management Professional (PMP)®.
- 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) – in the UK, the equivalent qualification is the Association for Project Management (APM) Project Management Qualification (PMQ) certificate.
Passing the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam shows that a candidate can apply PRINCE2 to a project within an environment supporting PRINCE2 and is able to tailor the PRINCE2 themes, processes, and management products to a non-complex project.
The PRINCE2 Practitioner exam is 2.5-hours, has 68 multiple-choice questions, and has a pass mark of 55%.
This exam has a 73% pass rate (UK national average).
PRINCE2 Agile certification
PRINCE2 Agile is a variation of PRINCE2 aimed specifically at agile projects. There is no difference between the core PRINCE2 methodology and PRINCE2 Agile. The only difference rests within the guidance. In the PRINCE2 Agile guidance, more examples are provided to illustrate how PRINCE2 can be applied on agile projects.
There are 2 levels of PRINCE2 Agile certification – Foundation and Practitioner.
PRINCE2 Agile Foundation certification
To gain the PRINCE2 Agile Foundation certification student must pass the PRINCE2 Agile Foundation Exam.
This is the entry-level PRINCE2 Agile certification – no project experience or qualifications are required.
It is suitable for people working on or supporting agile projects, and for people wanting to learn about PRINCE2 Agile.
Passing this exam shows that a candidate understands the PRINCE2 governance requirements clearly and comprehensively. It also shows that a candidate has a range of knowledge of agile concepts and techniques such as Scrum, Kanban, Lean Start-up and Cynefin.
The PRINCE2 Agile Foundation exam is 1-hour, has 50 multiple-choice questions, and has a pass-mark of 55%.
PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner certification
To gain the PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner certification a student must pass the PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner Exam.
This is the higher-level PRINCE2 Agile certification – no project experience is required.
Any one of the following qualifications is a prerequisite for students before they can sit the PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner exam (out of date certifications do not qualify):
- PRINCE2 Foundation.
- PRINCE2 Agile Foundation.
- PMI®Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®.
- PMI® Project Management Professional (PMP)®.
- 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) – in the UK, the equivalent qualification is the APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) certificate.
Passing the PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner exam shows that a candidate can blend PRINCE2 structure, governance and control with agile methods, techniques, and approaches on a non-complex project.
The PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner exam is 2.5-hours, has 50 multiple-choice questions, and has a pass mark of 60%.
