Day of the PRINCE2® Examination [Do’s and Don’ts]

PRINCE2® is going to make a lot of difference in your life and career. Now, as the training session is over and you are going to appear in the examination, you need to be confident and focused. Though hugely popular in the UK job market and across industries, PRINCE2® certification is also getting recognition in other countries as well. Thousands of employers in Europe give priority to the PRINCE2® certified candidates. Seeing its awe-inspiring acceptability, even seasoned professionals are opting for PRINCE2® certification courses.  So, when the course curriculum is over and the date of the examination is announced, plan for the day of the examination well-ahead.

Path to PRINCE2® certifications

If you are already into it, perhaps you know the path. However, if you have missed something, you can get to know it thoroughly here. For newcomers, the whole path of PRINCE2® certifications needs to be very clear. Remember, the day of the examination is the final day of preparation before you achieve your target of gaining PRINCE2® certification. By the end of your preparation journey, you would have got a clear idea on the PRINCE2® eligibility requirements, benefits and other nitty-gritty of the certification process!

Do's and Don'ts

Keep the following in mind on the exam day:

• Wake up early in the morning, refresh, and quickly review all the important points.
• Have a light breakfast before leaving for the exam Centre.
• Reach the Centre at least 35-40 minutes prior to exam start time.

Dos and Don’ts at the exam Centre

• As the exam starts, you need to be poised and confident.
• Don’t think about the office or home, it’s just a matter of 60 minutes or 150 minutes after which you will get ample time to ponder over your day-to-day hassles and responsibilities.
• Quickly review each question and don’t feel helpless/dejected if any question seems tough.
• Start answering one by one but read each question very carefully before answering.
• Take a few seconds rest every 15 minutes just by taking deep breaths or closing your eyes.

Preparation for the exam day

Just a few days before the examination, you will be asked to fill in your profile details form where you would have to write your name and address apart from some other details. Be careful while writing your name and address as it will appear in your certificate that will be dispatched. 

Be calm and maintain a positive frame of mind on the examination day! You need to carry a photo identity, the approved book (if it is an open book examination), pen, pencil, and eraser to the exam hall.  Apart from these articles, you are not permitted to carry any other material. If you are carrying any non-permitted article, you would have to hand it over to the invigilator before entering the exam Centre. For the Practitioner level exams, a hard copy of the approved manual is permitted.

Preparation for the PRINCE2® Certification examination

You need to be well-prepared for the examination at any level – Foundation or Practitioner. The examination is not going to be easy due to limited time and a large number of questions. You would have to think fast and solve the problems correctly within the given duration!

The purpose of the Foundation certification is to test whether you will be able to be a productive member of a project management team that uses PRINCE2®. To pass the certification examination successfully, you need to demonstrate that you understand the significance of the PRINCE2® terms and principles. The questions are set in such a way that your understanding of all the eight process and sub-processes, eight components, basis of the techniques applied, and the purpose of roles will be tested. 

In the Practitioner examination, your understanding level on processes, themes, and techniques will be tested. Your knowledge of the interactions among PRINCE2® management products, techniques, processes, and themes will be tested. The questions are set to see how well you apply your knowledge on these different aspects in real-world situations. 

In the PRINCE2® Agile Foundation certification, your concept and understanding of PRINCE2® governance needs, different Agile techniques such as Kanban, Start-up, Scrum, etc., and the interface of PRINCE2® and agile process of working will be tested. 

The PRINCE2® Agile Practitioner certification examination is a scenario-based examination. This includes case studies where different scenarios are given followed by questions related to them which you would have to solve. 

Always remember, that this is a tight exam and time will be short and questions will be more.  So, it will be a real test of your speed, acumen, and knowledge. All these aspects need to be properly integrated if you want to pass the exam and become a PRINCE2® certified professional. This capability only improves with diligent practice. You would have to prepare well before the examination. Attend the classes regularly, understand the concepts well, use reference books as required, revise and practice a lot with examination papers from the previous years.

Different PRINCE2® certifications and their purposes

PRINCE2® Foundation certification course teaches you the core principles of PRINCE2® and the meanings of the terms used in PRINCE2®. Foundation certification helps you become a part of a project management team that is all set to use PRINCE2® methodology. This certification is the gateway to the world of PRINCE2®. 

The second step is the PRINCE2® Practitioner certification. With this, you have actually stepped into the world of PRINCE2®. Here you get complete knowledge on how to apply PRINCE2® and manage a project in this environment. This curriculum gives you an opportunity to understand the applicability of PRINCE2® products, principles, themes, and processes.

The PRINCE2® Agile certification is yet another kind of advanced PRINCE2® certification designed to assist professionals to customize the management control while working in an agile environment. This qualification has two parts: Foundation and Practitioner. The Foundation course provides an overview of the whole PRINCE2® Agile concept and its terminologies while the Practitioner course makes you an expert in the PRINCE2® Agile process. 

Prerequisites for taking PRINCE2® examination. 

For appearing in the PRINCE2® Foundation no specific qualification is required. However, if you have a basic understanding of Project Management, you will be able to understand the course and attend the examination with more confidence. 

For appearing in the PRINCE2® Practitioner examination you need to complete the PRINCE2® Foundation course or need to have any of the following certifications:

• Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification
• IMPA level A, B, C, or D
• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®

A PRINCE2® Agile certification to requires you to cross two stages to gain the certification. For appearing in the PRINCE2® Agile Foundation examination no prior professional qualification is required; however, basic knowledge on the key aspects of Project Management can give you extra mileage. On the other hand, for appearing in the PRINCE2® Agile Practitioner certification exam you need to have any of the following certifications:

• PRINCE2® Foundation or PRINCE2® Agile Foundation
• Project Management Professional (PMP)® Certification
• IPMA level A, B, C, or D
• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®

Examination Formats of different PRINCE2® Certifications

Your preparation for examination is never complete without having a thorough knowledge of examination format. In all the above-mentioned PRINCE2® certifications objective type multiple choice questions are given. 

The examination format of PRINCE2® Foundation 2017 version is as follows:

• It is a closed book 60 minutes examination.
• Total 60 questions are given, and all are objective type multiple choice questions.
• Each question carries 1 mark.
• Pass marks are 33 (55%)

The examination format of PRINCE2® Foundation 2009 version is as follows:

• It is a closed book 60 minutes examination. 
• Total 75 questions are given all are objective type multiple choice questions.
• Each question carries 1 mark.
• 5 questions are for trial the marks here are not counted.
• Pass marks are 35 (50% out of 70 questions with 1 mark each). 

The examination format for PRINCE2® Practitioner 2009 version is as follows:

• It is an open book 150 minutes (2 hours 30 minutes) examination.
• All questions are objective type. 
• Total of 8 questions are given. 
• In each question there are 10 question items are present
• Total marks are 80 and pass marks are 44 (55%)
• Official study module Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2®2009 Edition is allowed in the exam room. 

The examination format for PRINCE2® Practitioner 2017 version is as follows:

• It is an open book 150 minutes (2 hours 30 minutes) examination.
• All questions are objective type. 
• Total 68 questions are given with 1 mark each.
• Pass marks are 38 (55%)
• Official study module Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2®2017 Edition is allowed in the exam room.

If you are appearing in the PRINCE2® Agile Foundation Certification, the following is the examination format:

• It is closed book 60 minutes examination.
• Total 50 questions are given with 1 mark each.
• Pass marks are 35 (55%).

If you are appearing for the PRINCE2® Agile Practitioner Certification following is the examination format:

• It is an open book 150 minutes (2 hours 30 minutes) examination.
• All questions are objective type. 
• Total 50 questions are given with 1 mark each.
• Pass marks are 30 (60%)
• Official study module PRINCE2® Agile Guidance in hard copy is allowed in the exam room.

Beside these examinations, there is PRINCE2® Re-Registration qualification examination. This is applicable to all PRINCE2® Practitioners who are using the certification for at least 3 years. So, before the expiry of 3 years from the original qualification, you can sit for re-registration examination to renew your certificate for another 3 years. However, there is another option open whereby you can maintain your certification by earning at least 20 CPD points, i.e., 60 CPD points at the end of 3rd year.

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Importance of PRINCE2® qualification

The PRINCE2® project management process helps you to understand the project management standard in the UK and several other countries. PRINCE2® certification improves the employment prospects of the candidates and also makes you sharp at your project management-related responsibilities. PRINCE2® certification adds weight to your CV and sets you as a class apart from the others. In the UK and several other countries, companies consider PRINCE2® Practitioner Certification or PRINCE2® Agile Practitioner Certification as a must-have for potential candidates. 

Process of appearing in the PRINCE2® Certification Examination

The examination is mandatory at all levels of PRINCE2® Certification. The examination is taken at the end of the training period. The training center arranges the examination on behalf of all the trainees. In case you have self-studied, you have to contact APMG International service for scheduling your examination. APMG International would arrange a physical examination center, or you could also appear online examination anytime. If you are interested in online examination, you need to have an unhindered internet connection and a webcam along with other essential computer setups. As the examinations are getting harder with time, it is always feasible, though not mandatory, to get an admission in an accredited training institute for a full-length course curriculum.