CRACK PRINCE2 IN 7 DAYS A STEP-BY-STEP STEP-BY-STEP GU IDE
Table of Contents
What is PRINCE2®?
Principles of PRINCE2®
PMP ® vs. PRINCE2®
Who Should Take PRINCE2 ®?
PRINCE2® Certifications
Exam Preparation – 7 Days Plan
PRINCE2® Foundation Course – Exam structure and strategy
PRINCE2® Practitioner Exam – Exam structure and strategy
Practice Tests
What is PRINCE2®? PRINCE2® (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a process-based project management methodology which was developed by the government of United Kingdom and has become a de facto standard for all government information systems projects. However, the standard is widely recognized in the private sector, in the UK and internationally. When preparing for your PRINCE2 ® certification, it is important that you have the official PRINCE2® manual or an appropriate condensed study material. When you register with an authorized training organization such as Simplilearn, you are provided with such material, mock tests and other resources which will be valuable before, during and after the exam.
Principles of PRINCE2®? PRINCE2® project management standard is driven by seven principles which have been formulated considering past project execution experiences. These principles form the basic characteristics of the PRINCE2 ® methodology and processes.
Business Justification Any PRINCE2® project must have continued business justification i.e. a reason to start and remain viable throughout the project lifecycle.
Learn from Experience Each project should maintain a “Lessons Log” so as to avoid reinventing the wheel for future projects.
Roles & Responsibilities Users, business stakeholders, and business interests must be considered while defining roles and responsibilities of the people involved in the project.
Manage by Stages Each stage in the project should be planned, monitored, and controlled.
Manage by Exception Each project should have pre-defined tolerances to create the boundary limit of delegated authority.
Focus on Products Proper definition of product quality and delivery must be mentioned.
Tailor to Suit the Environment Methodology must be tailored to suit the project’s environment, importance, capabilities, and risks.
PRINCE2® defines various aspects of project management and leaves the decision of management tools and frameworks to the task managers. GANTT Charts, PERT charts, and Critical path analysis are the possible tools that can be used.
PMP® vs. PRINCE2® Contrary to popular belief PRINCE2® and PMP® are not competitors; they are two totally different project management techniques. While PMP ® is a perspective methodology that is knowledge-based, PRINCE2 ® is a descriptive methodology that is process-based. PRINCE2 ® has a series of processes defining what needs to be done, when, how, and by whom. While PMP ® defines the role of a Project Manager, PRINCE2 ® defines the role of everyone involved in a project. PMP ® is better known in the USA, Canada, Middle East, and Australia while PRINCE2 ® is popular in UK, Europe, and even Australia. Though quite different, PMP® and PRINCE2 ® complement each other really well. In fact many professionals prefer to be trained and certified in both so that both methodologies can be used to the fullest. For such professionals, Simplilearn offers the Complete Project Management Pack which has PRINCE2®, PMP and 7 other Project Management online courses.
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Globally recognized and demanded, the PMP® demonstrates that you have the experience, education and competency to successfully lead and direct projects.
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- PMI® Official Website
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The Practitioner examination assesses whether a candidate could apply PRINCE2® to running and managing a non-complex project within an environment supporting PRINCE2®.
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- APMG-International PRINCE2® Certification leaflet
Who Should Take PRINCE2®? PRINCE2® applies to all types of projects, be it engineering, IT, business, finance, construction, and health care, alongside IT. Unlike other project management methodologies, PRINCE2 ® focuses on non-IT related fields as well and caters to all professionals involved in the project. Product managers, engineers, business analysts, trainers, and people working in non-managerial domains can take up this certification.
PRINCE2® Certifications PRINCE2® certification program includes two levels of qualification: Foundation and Practitioner. Each level of the course is role-specific. Professionals in supporting roles of a project should take up Foundation training and for professionals in a lead role, Practitioner certification is recommended.
PRINCE2® Foundation The Foundation program provides an introduction to PRINCE2 ® methodology and terminologies, apart from shedding light on documents, roles, and stages in PRINCE2 ®. For professionals involved in supporting roles of projects (marketing, administration, and technical job), the Foundation level of training would suffice but it is always advisable to complete the Practitioner certification along with the Foundation level as continuous preparation will aid in better understanding of concepts and improve your chances of clearing the Practitioner exam.
PRINCE2® Practitioner After PRINCE2® Foundation, the next level of certification is Practitioner which requires PRINCE2® Foundation certification as a pre-requisite. The Practitioner program is highly recommended for all project managers or professionals (product managers and business analysts) in leading roles of a project. This training teaches a practical approach to PRINCE2®. The Practitioner course focuses on how to execute and manage different aspects of a project within a PRINCE2® environment. The training provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship between PRINCE2 ® principles, products, processes, and themes that are involved.
Exam Preparation Once you have decided to take the PRINCE2® examination, it is important to have the right study plan so that you cover all the important topics during your preparation. This guide contains a consolidated study plan which will help you during the preparation. Take out 1-2 hours/day for the exam preparation and within a week, you will be ready for the actual examination. Please note that the Practitioner Exam is open-book so candidates can carry a copy of PRINCE2® manual to the exam. Most ATOs including Simplilearn offers you a copy of manual to be used during the exam or you can buy your own copy from official site. This preparation plan was prepared after carefully analyzing the study patterns of PRINCE2 ® aspirants trained by Simplilearn and consulting our trainers. Following instructions presented in this guide will help you create your own study plan and prepare you for the certification exam in the most effective way. However, to ensure you thoroughly understand the application of PRINCE2 ® to projects, training from accredited training providers like Simplilearn can prove to be useful. The exam tips and tricks mentioned during the training sessions will surely help you in your endeavor. You can attend classroom sessions conducted by Simplilearn at various locations. If you do not have time to attend classroom sessions, you can opt for Online or Virtual Class which will give you the required Contact Hours and enable you to prepare as per your convenience. For more details on eligibility, exam format, application tips and other specifics, please visit Simplilearn’s PRINCE2 ® page here.
The study plan mentioned in this eBook is prepared by carefully examining the official PRINCE2® manual. The handbook provided by Simplilearn during the training includes all key chapters from the official manual. You should use a condensed study material or the official PRINCE2® manual during preparation.
1
DAY 1
On the first day, you must spend time understanding the PRINCE2 ® environment as a whole along with the principles, variables, characteristics, etc.
The Introduction Chapter
(20-25 mins)
The certification exam will have questions on the characteristics of a PRINCE2 ® project, the six variables, the structure of PRINCE2 ® and what PRINCE2® is not.
Principles of PRINCE2®
(30-40 mins)
It is very important to understand all seven PRINCE2 ® principles. Drawing a table listing down principles and themes will help in your preparation for the exam.
2
DAY 2
We’ve listed down important tables that you need to study closely when preparing for your PRINCE2® certification. These tables can be found in the official PRINCE2® manual.
Introduction to PRINCE2® Themes
(10-15 mins)
The certification exam will feature questions based on the seven themes of PRINCE2 ®. These themes are further integrated into each of the seven processes of PRINCE2 ®.
Business Case
(25-30 mins)
The important sections from this chapter include the relationship between Output, Outcome and Benefit, PRINCE2® approach to Business Case, contents of a Business Case and a Benefits Review Plan. Remember to read table 4.1 from the PRINCE2 ® manual (Responsibilities relevant to the Business Case). When studying this chapter, it helps if you have an actual business case for reference. Simplilearn’s PRINCE2 ® training gives you access to Industry-based case studies that will help you understand the concepts better.
Organization
(35-40 mins)
The PRINCE2® principle of defined roles and responsibilities states that a PRINCE2 ® project will always have three primary categories of stakeholders. Understand various levels of management within the project management team and go through all the main roles of the project management team, including but not limited to the Project Manager, Senior User, Senior Supplier and Executive. You can expect questions based on this theme so it is important to develop a comprehensive understanding between the roles and responsibilities of each.
3
DAY 3
Quality
(40-45 mins)
Table 6.1 in the PRINCE2® manual helps you understand the relationship between Project Assurance and Quality Assurance; other important sections from this chapter include Quality Management Strategy, the Project Product Description, Product Description and the Quality Review Technique. Table 6.3 in the PRINCE2 ® manual summarizes the responsibilities in the Quality Theme.
Plans
(25-30 mins)
Plan and Quality are complimentary themes in PRINCE2 ®. The most important topics of this chapter include the different levels of plan and the PRINCE2 ® approach to plans. Table 7.1 gives a summary of the responsibilities in the Plans Theme.
4
DAY 4
Risk
(30-35 mins)
Important topics covered in this section include the Risk Management Strategy, especially the risk management procedure, and the different risk responses. Understanding the definition of the various risk responses helps prepare both for the Foundation as well as Practitioner certification exams. Understand the risk owner and risk actionee roles.
Change
(25-30 mins)
Important sections include different types of issues, the configuration management strategy including the configuration management procedure and the issue and change control procedure. Table 9.3 summarizes the responsibilities relevant to the Change theme.
5
DAY 5
On Day 5, you can complete the final theme-Progress and begin with PRINCE2® processes.
Progress
(40-45 mins)
Important sections from this chapter include exceptions and tolerances, Project Board controls and Project manager controls, the relationship between management stages and technical stages. Tables 10.1 and 10.2 will be very helpful during the Practitioner certification exam.
Introduction to PRINCE2® Processes
(20-25 mins)
There are 7 processes in PRINCE2 ®. Draw up a table containing who uses various processes, what are the major management products of each process and what are the possible triggers for each process. Read the PRINCE2 ® recommended sections in each process from the PRINCE2® manual.
6
DAY 6
On the sixth day of preparation, you must spend quality time in preparing the 7 processes and also tailoring the PRINCE2® environment to projects. Ideally, understanding and memorizing each process will take about 15 minutes each.
PRINCE2® Processes
(15 min each)
Thoroughly go through each of the below mentioned processes and read the purpose of each process. Read all sections which contain "PRINCE2 ® recommends the following actions".
Starting up a Project Process Directing a Project Process
Initiating a Project Process Controlling a Stage Process Managing Product Delivery Process Managing a Stage Boundary Process Closing a Project Process
Tailoring PRINCE2® to Project Environment
(20-25 mins)
Read the comparison between tailoring and embedding. Table 19.2 Examples of projects of different scales.
7
DAY 7
The last day of preparation must be dedicated to solving practice tests. The best way to prepare for the real exam is with mock tests. Please attempt full-length PRINCE2® mock tests and try to time yourself during the test. This will give you a clear picture of your weak areas that need additional preparation. PRINCE2® training from Simplilearn offers multiple, full-length practice tests so that you
become familiar with the exam structure and pattern before taking up your certification exam.
PRINCE2® Practitioner Exam & Exercises
(60-70 mins)
Analyze the types of questions in the Foundation and Practitioner exam. Solve Sample questions. You can take practice tests from Simplilearn to analyze your preparation for the exam. When practicing with mock tests, it is equally important that you evaluate wrong answers and understand gaps in your preparation.
PRINCE2® Foundation Course – Exam structure and strategy The exam board (APMG International) specifies that successful candidates should understand: Benefits of adopting PRINCE2 ® in their projects. Purpose of PRINCE2 ® roles, management products, and themes. PRINCE2® principles Purpose, objective, and context of PRINCE2 ® processes.
Exam Structure The PRINCE2® Foundation exam is intended to show the understanding about the basic principles and terminology of the method. Exam is one hour long. Consists of 75 questions, out of which 70 questions are live. 5 questions to be trial and not counted in scores. The questions are multiple choice format with four options : A,B,C,D (usually). The pass percentage is 50 percent. That means you need to score 35 marks or more to pass. Exam is a closed book which means you cannot carry manuals or any other printed materials.
Exam Strategy Once you have completed preparation for the Foundation exam, the next big step is to manage your time during the examination. Here’s a strategy that can help you while taking the exam.
Glance through the Questions
(30 mins)
Give yourself a bare minimum of 25 seconds to read each equation and answer the ones you are confident of. By doing this, you might have at least solved about 30-35 questions.
Give it a Second Try
(25 minutes)
This time around, read and answer the questions that you had left unanswered in the first try. However, you mustn’t spend more than 30 seconds while trying to answer these questions. This will save you of 5 minutes, which you can spend on questions whose answers you are pretty unsure of. When in doubt, eliminate possible incorrect answers and then try guessing the right one (remember there are no negative marks).
Exam Tricks and Tips Practice sample exams available as part of your training program. As the questions are compiled from a limited question bank, the tested method to clear the Foundation exam is to practice as many sample questions as possible. Keep your revision notes well-organized. Use different visual methods to differentiate between various chapters. Memorize the PRINCE2® processes, components, PRINCE2 ® techniques, alongside the relation between processes, components, and techniques.
You can learn more tricks and tips which will be helpful in your preparation by taking up PRINCE2® Foundation training at Simplilearn.
PRINCE2® Practitioner Exam – Exam structure and strategy Candidates taking the Practitioner Exam should: Understand relationships between roles, management products, principles, themes, procedures, and techniques. Be able to apply PRINCE2 ® principles, themes, and processes to a project within PRINCE2® environment.
Exam Structure The pre-requisite to appear for the Practitioner exam is to clear the Foundation examination. All Practitioner-level candidates should have sound knowledge of the practical applications of PRINCE2® processes and principles. Exam will be conducted for 2.5 hours. It is an open book exam. You will be allowed to carry a copy of the official PRINCE2 ® manual with you. You need to score 44 marks or more (i.e. 50%) out of 80 marks, to clear the examination. Questions will be based on 8 of the 10 syllabus areas with 6 theme-based questions and 2 process-based questions. A Scenario booklet, question booklet, and answer sheets will be given to you during the examination. Scenario booklet will have details about a specific project while the question booklet will have 80 questions. Five question styles are followed in the Practitioner exam.
Multiple Choice: Pick the answer from the options available. Matching: Link items from the two lists with one another. Sequencing: Put all events in correct sequence. Multiple Response: Pick two answers from the options available. Reason/Assertion: Decide if a given assertion and reason statement is true or false.
Exam Strategy Once you have thoroughly prepared for the examination, the next important step is to manage your time effectively during the exam. You will have about 150 minutes for giving the exam. Here’s a strategy that can help you while taking the exam.
Read the Scenario Booklet
(5 minutes)
First and foremost, read the scenario booklet thoroughly. Highlight or underline the key things. If possible, tag things such as reason, events, matching, etc. Do this for 5 minutes.
Answer all at once
(136 minutes)
You can allocate equal amount of time for all questions in all syllabus areas. This means, you have 17 minutes for each syllabus area. Make sure that you answer all the 10 questions in each syllabus area.
Final Revision
(9 minutes)
Even after spending substantial amount of time on each syllabus area, you will still be left with 9 minutes. Check all the answers you have written during this time.
Exam Tricks and Tips Remember, you can carry the manual along with you for the exam. Make sure you write all your notes, process diagrams, and key points on the manual itself. Make a note of the product symbols on the manual, if you have trouble interpreting the product breakdown structure. You can lose marks, if you don’t pay attention to this area. Make sure you fill at least 80% of the oval space provided for answers. Do not use a pen to fill-in your answers. Scanners won’t identify them. You cannot lose marks for writing any wrong answer, so make sure to attempt all questions. While preparing for the Practitioner exam, make sure you know the Glossary section of PRINCE2® Manual correctly.
You can learn more tricks and tips that will be helpful in your preparation by taking up PRINCE2® Practitioner training at Simplilearn.
Practice Tests Once you have thoroughly prepared for the examination, it is time to take practice tests. Simplilearn’s practice test will give you a clear idea about the actual examination. Click on the Practice Tests to start practicing for the same.
Have you been working in the project management domain for a long time? It’ll greatly help your career if you are certified in other areas of project management as well. In addition to PRINCE2®, Simplilearn offers a variety of courses in Project Management.
CAPM® Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) ® Certification is an entry-level credential in project management offered by the PMI ®. The CAPM test evaluates professionals' fundamental knowledge and terminology and processes in project management.
PMI-ACP® PMI® Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) ® certification conducted by the PMI ® is offered to professionals establishing Agile skills.
PgMP® PgMP® is a professional certification offered by the reputed PMI ® that demonstrates one’s ability to manage complex and multiple projects.
ITIL® One can gain operational efficiency through multiple IT Service Management certification trainings which helps in delivering the desired service level.
PRINCE2® training from Simplilearn gives you the right guidance and flexibility to prepare as per your convenience.
Classroom Sessions
29 Hrs e-Learning content
90 Days e-Learning Access
45 PDUs Offered
PRINCE2 participant hand book
Courseware Approved by APMG & PEOPLECERT
20 downloadable e-books
Doubt clearing sessions
Good Luck!
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