The PRINCE2 is a principles-based project management method. Its principles are universal so they can be applied anywhere, anytime, on any project.

1. PRINCE2 Resources
e-book 2
Phone: +44 (0)207 148 5985
Email: info@knowledgetrain.co.uk

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
PRINCE2 Project Management Explained
PRINCE2® process diagrams
PRINCE2® vs Agile or PRINCE2 Agile®?
Popularity of PRINCE2®: Illustrated guide
PRINCE2 Agile®
PRINCE2® Helped This Student Get A Job
PRINCE2® myths exposed
PMP vs. PRINCE2 certification
PRINCE2 FAQs

3. PRINCE2 Project Management
Explained
Introduction
PRINCE2 project management consists of:
1. PRINCE2 Methodology
Structured methodology guidance in the form of the official
PRINCE2 manual (‘Managing Successful Projects Using
PRINCE2® 2017 Edition’, ISBN: 9780113315338, 18 May 2017).
2. PRINCE2 Certification
Professional qualifications aimed at people either in the project
management profession or seeking entry into the profession.
3. PRINCE2 Training
Hundreds of PRINCE2 courses take place every week somewhere
in the world. That’s thousands of people studying to learn about
PRINCE2 and gaining PRINCE2 project management
qualifications.
4. PRINCE2 Practitioners
There are hundreds of thousands of active PRINCE2 professionals
applying PRINCE2 in their daily jobs forming an active body of
PRINCE2 practitioners.

4. PRINCE2 Project Management Methodology
The PRINCE2 is a principles-based project management method.
Its principles are universal so they can be applied anywhere,
anytime, on any project.
It provides guidance about managing core project management
themes. Its themes cover business justification, organization,
quality, risk, plans, change and monitoring progress. The themes
enable the project management team to control the timescales,
costs, quality, scope, benefits and risks on the project.
It also provides a project lifecycle model in the form of processes.
These describe what decisions need to be taken, who is
responsible for taking decisions, and when the decision should
take place.
All the themes and processes in PRINCE2 are to be tailored
appropriate to the scale, complexity and risk of the project. The
PRINCE2 manual provides guidance on the full methodology
(principles, themes, processes) and about tailoring the method.
PRINCE2 Project Management Certification
PRINCE2 project management qualifications are very popular.
Since 1996 over 1.5 million PRINCE2 exams have been taken.
This makes PRINCE2 the most popular project management
certification anywhere in the world.
The 2 levels of PRINCE2 Project Management Certification are:
➢ Foundation level – aimed at people working on projects
➢ Practitioner level - aimed at people managing or directing
projects.
PRINCE2 Project Management Courses
PRINCE2 Training Courses typically teach students the basics of
the methodology. This is a requirement for passing the PRINCE2
Foundation exam.
Higher-level Practitioner courses teach people how to apply the
methodology to a non-complex project scenario. Such a course will
prepare students to pass the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam.

5. PRINCE2 Project Management Practitioners
Because PRINCE2 is a proven project management methodology,
it’s widely practiced throughout the world. It’s popular because it
provides many benefits both to individual practitioners and to
organisations.
PRINCE2 Practitioners can take advantage of the AXELOS
membership scheme. This is an online content subscription
enabling members to apply best practices and develop their skills
and knowledge.

6. PRINCE2 Project Management infographic

7. PRINCE2® process diagrams
The 2 diagrams below show the PRINCE2 process model. The
first diagram shows a more detailed representation because it
includes the activities of each process. The second diagram is less
detailed but shows the time sequence of each process. These
diagrams form part of our training materials on our
classroom PRINCE2 courses.
You can download PDF versions which have been designed to be
printed out at A3 size.
Both diagrams have been updated to reflect the latest version of
PRINCE2 which was released in 2017.

8. PRINCE2 activity diagram
Note: you can add this diagram to your web site but you must link
back to this page as the original source.
Each of the 7 processes are shown by the large coloured
rectangles. These are: Directing a Project, Starting Up a Project,
Initiating a Project, Controlling a Stage, Managing a Stage
Boundary, Managing Product Delivery and Closing a Project.
The diagram above shows the 7 PRINCE2 processes. These are
the large coloured rectangles on the diagram. Inside each process
rectangle are smaller rectangles representing each activity which
occurs within the process. Each rectangle also lists the products
(or outputs) or the process.
The diagram does not show the details of where every
management product gets updated, because the diagram would
become too complex by doing this. Instead, the diagram focuses
on where the products are created, reviewed and approved and
the most important updates.

9. Activities
You can see that inside each process rectangle are several
smaller rectangles. These smaller rectangles are the activities
which form each process. Each of the activities has a name which
is shown on the rectangle. An activity in PRINCE2 is simply a
series of steps to be performed. The PRINCE2 manual describes
who is responsible for each step, what should be produced and
when it should occur.
Triggers
A trigger in PRINCE2 is an event or a decision which triggers one
of the 7 processes. Triggers on the diagram are shown by a pale
grey lozenge shape. Each trigger has a name and an arrow
attached to it. The direction of the arrow shows which process is
triggered.
Inside each process rectangle are a list of outputs with letters after
them. The letters indicate what happens to each output as follows:
➢ A – the output is approved in the process
➢ C – the output is created in the process
➢ R – the output is reviewed in the process
➢ U - the output is updated in the process
Some of the outputs have an asterisk (*) after them. This indicates
that the output is not one of the PRINCE2 management products.
Outputs
Attached to some of the triggers are coloured swirl shapes. These
are meant to indicate the outputs which are used as inputs into the
next process. The shapes contain numbers which indicate the
outputs concerned and the colour of the shape indicates from
which process it is an output.
For example, take a look at the arrow which comes out of the
yellow process (starting up a project). There is a trigger attached to
the arrow called "Request to initiate a project". You can see a
yellow swirl shape attached to it. Yellow indicates that the outputs
are listed in the yellow rectangle (i.e. the starting up a project).
process). In this case, the two numbers are 8 and 9. Looking these
up in the list of outputs from starting up a project tells us that the
project brief and the initiation stage plan are used as inputs into
the process which is triggered next – i.e. the directing a
project process.

10. PRINCE2 sequence diagram
Note: you can add this diagram to your web site but you must link
back to this page as the original source.
The diagram above shows the 7 PRINCE2 processes occurring in
time sequence. On this diagram time is running from left to right.
Management stages
The vertical thin black lines represent the start and end of a
PRINCE2 management stage. On the left, the 3 curly braces
named “Directing”, “Managing” and “Delivering” represent the 3
levels of the PRINCE2 project management team namely,
the project board, the project manager, and the team
manager levels.
Management levels
The curly braces indicate which processes are performed by each
level of the project management team. At the top of the diagram,
you can see that part of the starting up a project process and all of

11. the directing a project process is performed by the "Directing" level
i.e. the project board.
At the bottom of the diagram you can see the braces labelled
"Delivering" and to the right of the label you can see the process
labelled managing product delivery. This is performed by the
"Delivering" level of the project management team i.e. the team
manager.
In the centre of the diagram on the left, you can see the
"Managing" curly brace. This refers to the project manager. To the
right of the braces you can see that part of the starting up a
project process is performed by the project manager as well as all
of the initiating a project, controlling a stage, managing a stage
boundary and closing a project processes.
The lines and process in orange indicates what happens in an
exception situation. The grey ellipse shapes represent PRINCE2
triggers (events of decisions which trigger a process). The arrow
attached to the trigger shows which process is triggered.
Time-driven controls
The diagram also shows 2 time-driven controls – highlight reports
and checkpoint reports. These are shown at regular intervals on
the diagram and are also shown in the key at the bottom of the
diagram.

12. PRINCE2® vs Agile or
PRINCE2 Agile®?
There's a lot of confusion between PRINCE2[1] and agile methods,
and indeed debate (PRINCE2 vs Agile) about which should be
used on projects. In fact, both can and are being used increasingly
on projects – often together.
In 2015, AXELOS, the owners of PRINCE2 launched PRINCE2
Agile. PRINCE2 Agile is an attempt to get the best of both worlds –
the structure and governance of PRINCE2, combined with the
flexibility of agile.
This article compares PRINCE2 and agile methods and
approaches and explains how PRINCE2 Agile can bridge the gap
between the two.
PRINCE2 vs agile
PRINCE2
PRINCE2 is the world's most widely used project management
methodology. PRINCE2 qualifications are a standard feature of
project management job specifications in the UK and have grown
in popularity since PRINCE2 was launched in 1996.

13. Currently, over 150,000 PRINCE2 exams are sat somewhere in
the world every year.
Agile
‘Agile’ is an umbrella term used to refer to numerous product
development methods, frameworks and techniques used by
development teams.
Agile approaches emerged from the software industry in the
1990’s, to try to overcome many of the problems which had beset
traditional software projects, namely: late delivery, over budget,
and low quality.
There are many different agile approaches, the most famous being
Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming, and Lean. All agile
approaches are based upon the 12 agile principles.
Who is PRINCE2 for?
PRINCE2 is a customer-focused project management
methodology. It offers a set of principles, themes and processes to
enable an organisation’s key managers to justify a project. It helps
them understand “why should we do it (the project)?” and “are the
benefits worth the costs and risks of doing the project?”. It also
focuses on how to manage a project effectively to ensure it
remains a worthwhile investment in a changing business
environment.
PRINCE2 was developed by the UK government in 1996 as a
generic project management methodology.
Focus of PRINCE2
Principles
PRINCE2 is based upon a set of 7 principles which guide all
aspects of the methodology.
Since it is a project management methodology, it describes the
roles and responsibilities of all members of the project
management team. This includes higher levels such as the project
board, as well as the project manager and team manager roles.
Themes
It also covers a wide range of key project management themes –
business case, organization, change, risk, planning, quality and
progress. Success on a PRINCE2 project is measured by how well
it enables the benefits to be realized by the customer organization.

14. Processes
PRINCE2 also includes a full project management lifecycle which
explains which role is responsible for taking key decisions at
crucial times during a project.
PRINCE2 recognizes that on projects there are all kinds of
products (outputs) which are produced by teams of people with
various specialist skills. These teams have myriad ways of working
and PRINCE2 does not attempt to guide how they should work.
Instead, PRINCE2 simply defines the interface between the project
and these teams in terms of reporting, accountability and the work
to be done.
Who is agile for?
History of agile
Agile approaches were developed by engineers in the software
industry in the 1990s when trying to address problems with
software projects being consistently late, over-budget or delivering
low quality software.
Agile approaches are now increasingly being used in industries
besides the software industry.
Focus of agile
Agile approaches don’t concern themselves with the wider
questions about whether a project is worth it, or whether the
benefits can be realized afterwards. They do focus however on
delivering value to the customer by delivering products
incrementally, in the most efficient manner possible.
These products are likely to do what the user/customer needs
because the customers have been involved in a constant cycle of
defining and prioritizing requirements, developing, testing and
providing feedback.
Delivery of working products
Agile methods are aimed at the teams doing the work - whether
part of a project or not. They focus on questions for the team such
as ‘what needs to be delivered next week?’, and ‘is the working
software what the customer needs?’
Collaboration
One of the agile principles is that people on teams must work
together collaboratively with the customer. This is done by defining

15. and prioritizing requirements, developing, testing and providing
feedback in a continuous and repetitive cycle of iterations. Often,
the customer will be co-located with the development team.
Self-organisation
Self-organisation by teams is also one of the agile principles. Agile
teams determine their own tools and techniques to use (e.g. task
backlogs, burn-down charts, Kanban boards), rather than these
being mandated by a project manager.
Comparing PRINCE2 and agile
Planning
One key difference between PRINCE2 and Agile methods is that
PRINCE2 is often described as a predictive (plan-based) approach,
while Agile calls for short-term, incremental achievements
independent of an over-arching plan (the adaptive approach).
This means that, while PRINCE2 enables the customer to remain
focused on the project’s original business goals, Agile approaches
are very responsive to changes in the project environment and
customer requirements.
Agile approaches operate on the assumption that the development
process is (predictably) unpredictable. They encourage complete
transparency, close collaboration and frequent delivery of usable
sub-products that will eventually contribute to the final product
delivered.
Levels of plan
PRINCE2 has the concept of ‘levels of plan’. This suggests that
different plans are required by different levels of the project
management team. There are 3 levels of plan in PRINCE2:
➢ Long-term – this is a high-level project plan which is required
by the key decision-makers (the project board);
➢ Medium-term – this is a stage plan required by the project
manager for every stage of the project;
➢ Short-term – this is a team plan required by each team
manager (leader) to cover the work done by their team. This is
a detailed plan.
Sprints and timeboxing
Agile approaches such as Scrum, take this concept even further by
suggesting a detailed plan for each ‘sprint’. A Scrum sprint is

16. based upon the key Agile concept of a ‘time-box’ - a fixed time
period typically ranging from between 1-4 weeks.
Delivering working products
At the end of every Scrum sprint a delivery of working software is
made to the customer. Delivering working software at the end of
each sprint guarantees that the software will never be delivered
late.
The customer receives ever increasing increments of working
software until, at the end of the final sprint, they receive the fully
built and tested system.
Time-boxes and team plans
The agile concept of time-boxes or iterations fits in neatly with
PRINCE2’s concept of a team plan because there can be one or
more time-boxes within a team plan.
PRINCE2 doesn’t prescribe how many time-boxes a team plan
should contain because that’s a decision for the self-organizing
Agile team members.
Responding to change
Cost of change
One criticism of more predictive project management approaches
is that it is difficult and costly to manage changes. Changes are
managed through formal change control processes, and decisions
taken by a change authority.
In agile approaches, changes can be done quickly. This is
because customer requirements (e.g. software features) are
described by the customer in the form of tasks which are prioritised
in a backlog.
Because planning is never done further in advance than the next
iteration (1-4 weeks usually), tasks can be quickly re-assigned a
different priority, new tasks added, or unnecessary tasks removed.
PRINCE2 doesn’t have to be waterfall
There is a perception (wrong in my view) that PRINCE2 struggles
to adapt to changing business requirements.
This view is based upon the assumption that PRINCE2 is a project
‘waterfall’ approach. A waterfall approach is where requirements

17. are documented and approved before moving to a design phase,
followed by a build phase and finally a testing phase.
There is nothing in PRINCE2 which prescribes such a waterfall
approach. In fact, the latest PRINCE2 manual (2017) assumes that
on many projects, requirements emerge and evolve as the project
continues.
PRINCE2 manages such changes to project scope using its
change control approach. However, lower level changes, such as
a feature requests can easily be managed at the team level using
the prioritization techniques common in agile approaches.
Using both PRINCE2 and Agile
The best of both worlds
Whereas PRINCE2 focuses on understanding what products are
required to support the business needs, agile focuses on
completing those products in an efficient manner, incrementally
delivering more working software (products) as the work
progresses.
Utilizing agile approaches on PRINCE2 projects therefore can
bring the best of both worlds – the structure and direction of
PRINCE2, coupled with the flexibility and responsiveness of agile.
PRINCE2 isn’t concerned with how teams organize or the methods
they use. It does however define a simple interface between the
customer organisation which is paying for the project and the
supplier organisation which provides the teams to do the specialist
work.
Business focus and timely delivery
This therefore means that teams on a PRINCE2 project can use
any development approach they choose – including any of the
agile approaches. Providing they comply with the interface defined
by PRINCE2, teams can utilize the benefits of agile (such as on-
time delivery), whilst the customer maintains the benefits of
PRINCE2’s focus on the business justification.
Quick comparision of PRINCE2 and agile
PRINCE2 Agile methods
Useful for the customer to justify
a project
Useful for the supplier to deliver
working software

18. PRINCE2 Agile methods
Focuses on higher management
levels
Focuses on lower-level teams
Answers questions such as
“should we do the project?” and
“are the benefits worth the costs
and risk?”
Answers questions such as
“what do we deliver next
week?” “how will we know it (a
product) is finished?”
More predictive approach More adaptive approach
PRINCE2 Agile
In 2015, in recognition that many people were struggling to find a
way of applying PRINCE2 on agile projects, AXELOS launched
PRINCE2 Agile[2].
PRINCE2 Agile at its core is essentially the same as PRINCE2.
They both rely upon the exact same principles, themes and
processes. The only real difference is that the PRINCE2 Agile
guidance explains in detail how to tailor these elements for agile
projects.
Fix or flex?
In particular, PRINCE2 Agile explains what to ‘fix or flex’ for the 6
performance targets of PRINCE2 (time, cost, quality, scope, risks,
benefits).
For PRINCE2 Agile, time and cost are fixed. These cannot change.
However, in order to be able to deliver what the customer truly
needs, scope and products’ quality criteria can be flexed.
What to flex has to be agreed with the customer. Typically, this is
done using Agile prioritization techniques such as MoSCoW,
coupled with sprint backlogs.
The other 2 performance targets (benefits and risk) may be either
fixed or flexed depending upon the customer’s needs.
Conclusion
Simply choosing to use a particular method or approach will never
guarantee a project is always successful. In fact, any method or
approach used without thinking will make a mess of any project.

19. PRINCE2’s focus on the business justification and whether a
project remains justified when the business environment changes
remains its biggest asset. It helps to ensure that projects proceed
based upon sound business sense.
The ability to respond quickly to changes with on-time delivery of
products which deliver value to the customer is the biggest
contribution of agile approaches.
So, is it a matter of choosing either PRINCE2 or agile methods? I
don’t think so. If you’re looking for a robust project management
methodology to use on agile projects, then PRINCE2 Agile fits the
bill perfectly.
PRINCE2 Agile gives practitioners both the control and
governance to guide the project, whilst at the same time provides
the agility and ability to deliver rapidly in a changing business
environment.
If you want to learn more about PRINCE2 Agile, or want to
become certified, take a look at our PRINCE2 Agile training page.
References
[1]AXELOS (2017). Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2. 2017 ed.
Norwich: The Stationery Office. 400.
[2]AXELOS (2015). PRINCE2 Agile. Norwich: The Stationery Office. 356.

20. Popularity of PRINCE2®:
Illustrated guide
The popularity of PRINCE2 as the preferred project management
qualification of choice continues to grow around the world. Check
out the infographic below for the statistics until 2012 and read the
article below for updates since then! Very useful for anyone
thinking whether or not to gain PRINCE2 certification.
“As the article explains, we forecast that by the end of 2019
the total number of PRINCE2 exams sat since 1996 will reach over
2 million.
Simon Buehring
To see infographic click this link:
https://www.knowledgetrain.co.uk/project-
management/prince2/prince2-popularity-grows

21. Recent update (end 2018)
Since 2012 when I first started to compile statistics for the number
of PRINCE2 examinations sat across the world the total number of
exams had just reached 1 million exams.
Since then, the annual release of examination statistics has not
been forthcoming from the accreditation body. Therefore, if we
assume that the same number of exams each year since remained
at the 2012 level of 145,000, then a further 870,000 exams have
been sat since 2012.
So, by the end of 2018 we have a total estimate of 1,870,000
exams taken worldwide sine 1996. If the presumed annual number
of exams continues into 2019, then we can safely assume that by
the end of 2019 over 2 million PRINCE2 exams will have been
taken.
The rest of this article remains unchanged since it was first
published in 2012.
Original article (2012)
In 2012 (the last year when annual figures were released by
the PRINCE2 accreditation body) showed the number of PRINCE2
examinations taken globally rose 5% compared with 2011. The
figures show more than 144,000 people sat PRINCE2
examinations in 2012 compared with 136,000 the previous year.
By the end of 2012, more than 1 million candidates had taken
PRINCE2 exams since 1996.
In fact, the total number of exams taken in 2012 was the highest
on record, beating the previous record (in 2011) by more than
8,000. 2012 also saw record numbers of candidates take both
Foundation and Practitioner examinations.
Growth outside UK
The growth of PRINCE2 exams occurred in all regions except in
the UK which suffered a fall in exams of 6%. The fastest growing
regions during 2012 were Central Asia with a 148% increase in
exams compared with the previous year, Scandinavia with a
growth of 61%, Eastern Europe with 23%, North America with 16%,
Africa and East Asia with 11%, Australasia with 9% and Western
Europe (excluding the UK) with a 1% increase.
The general increase in exams across regions was also matched
in individual countries where statistics are available, although the

22. rate of increase was uneven. Again, the UK was the exception to
the general rule along with the Netherlands and Italy. Although the
UK remained the largest market, 2012 showed a 6% year on year
fall in exams. The Netherlands suffered an even larger 13% fall in
the number of examinations. These figures probably reflect the fact
that both countries have the most mature market for PRINCE2,
and the market has reached saturation point in both countries. Italy
showed a fall in the number of exams of 8%.
On a positive note however, India proved to be the fastest growing
country in 2012 with a total increase in exams of 168%. After India,
the next fastest growing countries were Denmark (52%), France
(42%). China (26%), Poland and South Africa (both 20%), Czech
Republic (15%), Germany (14%) and Australia (4%).
The phenomenal growth of PRINCE2 is expected to continue and
has already passed the 1 million mark in September 2012. Only 10
years ago, only 35,000 PRINCE2 exams were sat, compared with
the 144,000 in 2012. This is a 400% increase over 10 years.
Taking exams online
Interestingly, the number of candidates now taking PRINCE2
exams online is also experiencing rapid growth as more students
study using accredited eLearning courses. Statistics showed a
126% increase in candidates taking their PRINCE2 exams online
in 2012 compared with the previous year.

23. PRINCE2 Agile®
This article explains in detail what is PRINCE2 Agile. It forms a
comprehensive, yet brief summary of the main aspects of
PRINCE2 Agile. If you are planning on getting PRINCE2 Agile
certification then this article will be good preparation before
attending a PRINCE2 Agile course
What is PRINCE2 Agile?
PRINCE2 Agile is an agile project management solution which
combines the flexibility and responsiveness of agile with the
governance of PRINCE2®.
PRINCE2 Agile was launched by AXELOS in 2015 in response to
demands from the user community. PRINCE2 Agile exists at the
boundary between project management and agile product delivery.
PRINCE2 Agile is composed of 2 things:
➢ The official guidance[1]; and,
➢ A certification scheme (PRINCE2 Agile
Foundation and PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner)

24. PRINCE2 and agile
We will now look at both agile and PRINCE2 and look at the
strengths of each.
Agile
Agile approaches were born in the 1990’s in the software industry
as a response to a long-term trend of software projects being
delivered late, over budget and with quality problems.
We will use the term ‘agile approaches’ to refer to all of the many
development practices, methods, techniques and frameworks
which subscribe to the values in the Agile Manifesto. Some of the
most common methods include Scrum, Kanban and XP.
Agile strengths and weaknesses
The strengths of agile approaches rest in their ability to deliver
value to the customer early and often. Agile approaches are
iterative and incremental. Agile teams focus on only doing the work
prioritized with the customer in the current iteration and avoiding
wasted effort.
Agile is well-suited to projects where customer requirements are
not known at the start, or are likely to change, or where the project
environment is subject to external changes. Agile enables changes
to be made quickly and cheaply, when compared with more
traditional waterfall approaches.
Agile approaches are designed to enable teams to deliver value
quickly and frequently, but they neglect the business justification
for the project. Because agile approaches are not project
management methods, they miss seeing the bigger picture about
why the project is being done.
PRINCE2
Since 1996, PRINCE2[2] has become the most popular generic
project management methodology in the world. It is used by many
organizations and governments because it provides clear guidance
about effective project control and governance.
PRINCE2 is not usually thought of as being part of the agile
community because it is a project management methodology.
Instead PRINCE2 is usually classified as a ‘predictive’ approach –
one which relies upon planning by a project manager, and

25. delegation of authority from a higher management level to lower
levels, usually through something known as ‘tolerance’.
PRINCE2 strengths and weaknesses
The main strength of PRINCE2 is its focus on the business
justification. A PRINCE2 project is funded based upon a cost-
benefit analysis to determine whether the project should continue
or not.
Another strength of PRINCE2 is its project governance. PRINCE2
defines several controls which enable senior management to gain
visibility about project progress, and to take effective, informed
decisions about the project.
Readers must be clear however that PRINCE2 is not a
development method, and there is nothing intrinsically agile about
PRINCE2. It can be used in both in agile and non-agile ways.
Why combine PRINCE2 with agile?
To answer the question ‘why combine PRINCE2 with agile?’, it
important to consider both the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Whilst on their own, both PRINCE2 and agile approaches are
perfectly good in and of themselves, they can both be even more
valuable if they are used together. That’s the rationale behind the
creation of PRINCE2 Agile.
PRINCE2 Agile
Strengths
Decisions based
upon business
justification;
Project governance;
Ability to deliver early and
often;
Good for projects where
requirements are unknown
or subject to change;
Weaknesses
Not specifically agile;
Is not a development
methodology;
No business justification;
Is not a project management
methodology;

26. Tailoring PRINCE2 for agile
PRINCE2 is formed of 4 inter-related elements:
➢ Principles – these form the building blocks for everything else.
They describe good practices;
➢ Themes – these are important aspects of project management
which must be addressed continuously throughout the project;
➢ Processes – these describe who takes which decision and
when;
➢ Tailoring – every project is different therefore practitioners
must apply PRINCE2 to suit the specific environment in which
the project operates.
Prior to 2017, the PRINCE2 manual didn’t provide much guidance
about tailoring PRINCE2. Tailoring was mainly left as something
that more experienced project managers would do.
Since 2017, the latest version of the PRINCE2 manual provides
much more guidance about tailoring PRINCE2 and has become
much more practical as a result.
Understanding how to tailor PRINCE2 is extremely important when
considering PRINCE2 Agile. That’s because the underlying
methodology of PRINCE2 informs everything in the PRINCE2
Agile guidance.
However, the latter provides much more guidance about tailoring
for agile projects, and also includes a valuable overview of several
agile practices. We will explore tailoring PRINCE2 for agile
projects.
Management by exception
PRINCE2 uses 6 tolerance areas (time, cost, quality, scope,
benefits, risks) to delegate authority from a higher management
level to lower level. This is the PRINCE2 principle ‘management by
exception’.
For example, the project board might give a time tolerance of +/- of
the time target (e.g. +/- 1 month). By doing this, it gives the project
manager room to manoeuvre if progress starts to slip from the plan.
Management by exception saves senior management time it
doesn’t need to be involved in every small decision when
slippages occur which are within the delegated tolerance.

27. Fixing and flexing
Whereas in a traditional waterfall project, time and cost are often
seen as the most important variables. In agile, scope and quality
are the most important.
PRINCE2 Agile introduces the concepts of ‘fixing and flexing’. In
PRINCE2 Agile, time and cost are fixed (i.e. have zero tolerance),
but scope and quality (actually quality criteria) are flexible (do have
tolerance). The other 2 tolerance areas in PRINCE2 (benefits and
risk) may be either fixed or flexed (might have tolerance).
Five targets
Underlying the concept of fixing and flexing are 5 targets in
PRINCE2 Agile. These are:
➢ Be on time and hit deadlines;
➢ Protect the level of quality;
➢ Embrace change;
➢ Keep teams stable;
➢ Accept that the customer does not need everything.
Applying PRINCE2 principles on agile projects
Whether all the PRINCE2 principles are being applied on a project
determines whether a project is genuinely being run as a
PRINCE2 project or run as a PINO (PRINCE2 In Name Only)
project.
So, how can you apply the principles on a PRINCE2 Agile project?
Let’s see.
Continued business justification
Here the PRINCE2 Agile emphasis is on delivering customer value
by defining a minimum viable product (MVP). An MVP is a product
with just enough features to satisfy customers early and provide
feedback for future product development. If the project is to fail, it’s
better to fail early. An MVP helps with that decision.
Learn from experience
The team and the customer learn by having retrospectives, short
feedback loops and by working in an ‘inspect and adapt’ manner.

28. Defined roles and responsibilities
PRINCE2 Agile keeps all the defined PRINCE2 roles but assigns
some agile responsibilities. In addition, some agile roles are added.
Manage by stages
In PRINCE2 Agile, stages should be short and consist of regular
timeboxed delivery (sprints) focusing on product releases to the
customer.
Manage by exception
Tolerances for cost and time are zero (fixed) but variable (flexed)
for scope and quality. This empowers the team to organise their
work in the most efficient manner to deliver the agreed scope for
the timebox (sprint).
Focus on products
PRINCE2 Agile maintains a product-focus by prioritisation of
product features, products and their quality criteria.
Tailor to suit the project
PRINCE2 Agile recommends the use of the Agilometer tool. This
helps the project management team assess the suitability of the
project environment for agile working.
Tailoring the PRINCE2 themes for agile
Now, let’s look at tailoring the PRINCE2 themes for a PRINCE2
Agile project.
Business case
Benefits tolerances may be flexed in PRINCE2 Agile, so it is
recommended to apply a ‘best case, worst case, expected case’
analysis to the expected benefits. What’s key is to link the amount
of product delivered to the expected benefits.
PRINCE2 Agile recommends the explicit definition of the minimum
viable product. The business case should explain how the MVP
contributes to the expected benefits. The MVP enables
assumptions to be tested early and is a good way to mitigate risk.
Organization
PRINCE2 Agile recommends all the PRINCE2 roles with specific
tailoring of their responsibilities. Particular attention should be

29. focused on how the team manager is integrated into the delivery
team.
Also, attention must be given to the relationship between the
PRINCE2 team manager, project manager and common agile
roles such as product owner, scrum master, agile coach, business
ambassador. For example, can the team manager role be
performed by the scrum master role?
Quality
Both scope and quality are flexible in PRINCE2 Agile. Therefore,
on PRINCE2 Agile projects, it is necessary that stakeholders
understand that a reduction in scope does not mean a reduction in
quality too.
On a PRINCE2 Agile project, acceptance criteria and quality
criteria are prioritised, and quality tolerances are defined. Agile
concepts such as definitions of ‘done’ and ‘ready’ help ensure that
the team knows when work can be stopped or is ready for
deployment.
Plans
Planning is an area where there are a lot of agile techniques and
approaches. On PRINCE2 Agile projects, low tech approaches,
such as a simple backlog list in place of a stage plan can be
considered.
It might also be useful to use release plans in the form of a backlog
within the stage plan. These would typically contain several sprints.
The priority in PRINCE2 Agile is always to look at how much value
can be delivered in a fixed timeframe.
Risk
Agile techniques address many of the familiar project risks by:
➢ avoiding too much detail at the start;
➢ daily stand-ups;
➢ frequent delivery of product;
➢ frequent demos;
➢ customer interaction;
➢ self-managed teams.

30. However, agile working comes with its own risks e.g. the
challenges of continual customer engagement.
A PRINCE2 Agile project must ensure that risk management
processes are not bureaucratic. The level of formality should be
appropriate to the needs of the project e.g. a few columns on the
team board might suffice, rather than using an electronic risk
register.
Change
PRINCE2 and agile both see change as inevitable. PRINCE2 Agile
recommends that significant change affecting the justification of
the project is managed through change control.
Lower-level change (e.g. product features) must be more
responsive and can be dealt with by prioritization techniques by
the customer working alongside the team.
Progress
This is another area where there are lots of agile approaches and
techniques. Agile focuses on tracking what is delivered using
metrics such as velocity, lead times or value.
PRINCE2 Agile recommends that tolerances are set for scope and
quality. Often, burndown and burnup charts can be used to
demonstrate any value realized.
Tailoring the PRINCE2 processes for agile
Now, let’s look at tailoring the PRINCE2 processes for a PRINCE2
Agile project.
Starting up a project and initiating a project
These processes are likely to be combined on PRINCE2 Agile
projects. They should be swift enough to put in place the
foundations for the rest of the project. They should focus on
business justification and defining the minimum viable product.
The project initiation documentation (PID) may exist as an
information radiator. The project should be planned as several
releases. This requires the definition of ‘done’.

31. Controlling a stage and managing product delivery
In PRINCE2 Agile, stages are made up of timeboxes – either
releases or sprints. Delivery must be focused on which features to
deliver to enable the expected benefits. Teams work
collaboratively and are involved in sprint planning and estimating.
Each stage may include one or more releases or sprints.
Progress, issues and risks can be tracked in stand-ups,
information radiators, burn charts, sprint demos.
The work package still forms the vital interface between the project
manager and the team. It’s the work package which brings
PRINCE2 and agile working together and should be collaboratively
defined.
The work package is the boundary of control between the project
manager and the team and it empowers the team to self-organize
and enables rich communication.
Managing a stage boundary
Stage boundaries enables the team to look both forwards and
backwards. Looking backwards, it helps the team understand:
➢ How did we do?
➢ How much was delivered?
➢ To what quality?
➢ What benefit was delivered?
➢ Did the process work well?
➢ Release reviews and retrospectives?
Looking forwards, it helps the team to:
➢ Plan the next stage, releases and sprints;
➢ Review the product and release backlogs;
➢ Perform release planning.
Also, just as in PRINCE2, it enables the project board to review the
business case, project plan and decide whether to continue.
Closing a project
This process enables the team and the project manager to look
both forwards and backwards. It looks at when the benefits will be
realized and provides the final operational handover and
acceptance.

32. Directing a project
The project board in PRINCE2 Agile must manage by exception to
help empower the development teams. Progress reporting must
focus on the amount of product delivered and the benefits realized.
The project board should attend key demos to gain an insight into
the details of the project. Decision-making may be based upon
information pulled from radiators.
PRINCE2 Agile focus areas
There are several focus areas in PRINCE2 Agile which we will look
at now.
Agilometer
The Agilometer is a tool which assesses the suitability of the
project environment for agile working. It helps the project
management team understand the most effective way to tailor
PRINCE2 Agile.
The tool contains 6 factors represented by sliders. The
environment is assessed for each factor on a simple scale of low
to high. The 6 factors are:
➢ Flexibility on what is delivered;
➢ Level of collaboration;
➢ Ease of communication;
➢ Ability to work iteratively and deliver incrementally;
➢ Advantageous environmental conditions;
➢ Acceptance of agile.
It should be used pre-project and then repeated at subsequent
stage boundaries. All the sliders are considered individually - they
are not ‘added up’ or averaged.
Requirements
The PRINCE2 Agile approach to requirements involves ordering
them from higher levels to lower levels. Each level can be
prioritized using standard agile prioritization techniques such as
MoSCoW.
Requirements should be placed into 2 or 3 levels such as:
➢ High level – project product description or product groups;
➢ Medium level – product descriptions;

33. ➢ Low level – a requirements list or user stories.
Rich communication
Rich communication fosters collaboration. The aim is to have as
much face to face communication coupled with the highest level of
visualization.
Visualization doesn’t have to be high tech. Low tech tools such as
whiteboards, flipcharts and sticky notes are often quicker and
better than computerized tools.
Workshops
Workshops can be useful in several ways on a project. They are
often used to elicit requirements from stakeholders. To get the best
value from a workshop, preparation is vital. That means setting
objectives and agenda, inviting attendees, organising the logistics
and enabling pre-reading.
Frequent releases
Frequent releases have several benefits including:
➢ Enabling early delivery of benefits to the customer;
➢ Allowing for feedback;
➢ Likely to reduce risk;
➢ Giving confidence through visibility and evidence;
➢ Fostering engagement with project stakeholders;
➢ Making releasing easier and perhaps second nature.
Benefits of PRINCE2 Agile
PRINCE2 Agile offers several benefits including:
➢ It allows practitioners to focus on both project management and
product delivery;
➢ It works with any established agile approach;
➢ It enables on-time delivery using time-boxing;
➢ It encourages collaboratively on projects whilst remaining
corporate-friendly;
➢ It is easily scalable;
➢ It increases stakeholder confidence;
➢ It provides tools to manage and react to changing requirements.

34. Conclusion
PRINCE2 Agile is an agile project management framework
suitable for modern, agile projects. It combines the structure,
control and project governance of PRINCE2 with the flexibility and
responsiveness of agile.
PRINCE2 Agile builds upon the strengths of PRINCE2 as a project
management methodology, plus the strengths of agile
development approaches to produce a framework which is fully
scalable, agile, and focused on realising benefits for the customer.
Students wanting to get ahead in their careers should consider
getting one of the PRINCE2 Agile certifications by attending one of
these PRINCE2 Agile courses.
References
[1]AXELOS (2015). PRINCE2 Agile. Norwich: The Stationery Office. 356.
[2]AXELOS (2017). Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2. 2017 ed.
Norwich: The Stationery Office. 400.

35. PRINCE2® Helped This
Student Get A Job
Many people ask us if PRINCE2 gets you a job or helps you
progress in your career. The simple answer is – yes! This interview
with Lisa Gobell, a former Knowledge Train student, proves how
valuable PRINCE2 is to your project management career. Read on
to find out more!
Overview
Gobell took a PRINCE2
Foundation course with
Knowledge Train last year. She
is now a Business Support
Manager for Project One
Consulting Limited, a project
management firm based near
Manchester.
This article is an interview we conducted with her, to find out how
PRINCE2 helped her career. We hope you find it useful!

36. Why did you take a PRINCE2 course?
Lisa: I was considering a career change into project management.
A friend told me that the PRINCE2 qualification helped her become
a project manager. She told me it was globally recognized. Being
from Australia, I needed something transferrable in case I ever
moved back. Even if I decided not to pursue project management
as my core role, I wanted more confidence in how to manage a
project – no matter how big or small - so that I could lead change
in any organization I worked for. Having this qualification on my CV
would show my dedication and commitment to personal
development. It would also make me more eligible for promotions
and salary increases over time.
Who told you PRINCE2 would help your career?
Lisa: A friend of mine changed to a project management career.
The first thing she did to prepare for that change was to gain
PRINCE2 Foundation qualification. This is because employers
wanted to see the qualification on her CV before allowing her
through to interview. I also did my own research online and it was
clear that PRINCE2 was recognized in various industries and
multiple countries.
What job did you have prior to the course?
Lisa: Principal Advisor. I was an investment advisor and family
office advisor to wealthy individuals and families.
Did you apply for project management jobs?
Lisa: Yes, and although it did not result in a project management
role, I have become a Business Support/Operations Manager in a
project management company. I work within the operational side of
the business, so I manage projects which allow the business to
grow over time. For example, helping to implement a new IT
system for client resourcing or managing the fit-out of our building.
Did the course enable you to get a job?
Lisa: Yes. Business Support Manager, as described above. The
course gave me the confidence to sell myself in the interview when
they described the sorts of projects I would be managing. It also
helped me to familiarize myself with the project terms that are used
daily amongst my managers and colleagues, of which 95% are
project managers themselves.

37. Has the course helped your career in other ways?
Lisa: Yes, it gave me the confidence to excel at my role when
managing projects. I feel more comfortable when seeking advice
from my colleagues who are project managers, because I am more
familiar with the terminology they are using that were very foreign
to me before.
How did you find work after the course?
Lisa: I Googled project management organizations and applied for
junior level jobs online in the hope I would quickly be promoted up
the ladder (because I didn’t have any project management
experience before, so I couldn’t jump into a higher-level role). I
contacted recruiters who specialized in this industry and
subscribed to industry reports, so I could stay up to date and learn
new names of companies out there that may be hiring.
Was job-hunting easier after the course?
Lisa: Yes. It gave me the confidence to send my CV out with
descriptions of some small-scale project management work I had
done, plus the qualification to back it up which I didn’t have
previously.
What job interviews did you get after the course?
Lisa: I was very fortunate and got my current job very quickly,
within about 2 weeks of looking. This was the only interview I
attended.
Did you feel well-prepared for job interviews?
Lisa: Yes, this was a factor of my own dedication but the
confidence that extra qualification gave me.
Have you taken other courses since?
Lisa: No, but I intend to do the PRINCE2 Practitioner
course eventually.
What are your future career plans?
Lisa: I intend on staying in my current role for many years and
haven’t thought past then. The business continues to grow, and it
means more and more projects for me to manage to keep the
business up to date with regulation, IT infrastructure, and anything
else to keep us efficient.

38. Would you recommend PRINCE2 to others?
Lisa: Yes. It’s about having a qualification on your CV to get you
through the door. You may already have some small-scale project
management experience, but the qualification then gives you the
confidence to use the right terminology in interviews to describe
your experience. It will also make you feel more comfortable when
talking to colleagues once you have the job.

39. PRINCE2® myths exposed
Since I started as a PRINCE2 trainer way back in 2006, I’ve come
across a number of common misconceptions about PRINCE2. In
this article I’ll try to challenge some of the most common of these
myths.
1. PRINCE2 is only for IT projects
The idea that PRINCE2 is only suitable for IT projects couldn’t be
further from the truth. This misconception probably arises from the
method’s earliest incarnation as a project management framework
developed by the Central Computer and Telecommunications
Agency in the late 1980s. As such, ‘Projects in Controlled
Environments’ (PRINCE) was originally devised to support the UK
government’s IT projects.
In fact, so effective was the method that its potential to serve any
kind of project was quickly realised, leading to the introduction of
PRINCE2 in the mid-1990s. Its status as a ‘best practice’ project
management method richly deserved, PRINCE2 has now helped
thousands upon thousands of organisations to better plan and
manage their projects.
The truth is that as a generic project management method,
PRINCE2 can be applied to any project, large or small, in any
industry. Its adaptability is one of the many reasons for the
method’s success and popularity in over 150 countries.

40. In the most recent version of the PRINCE2 manual which was
released in 2017, lots of additional guidance was introduced about
tailoring PRINCE2 to different project environments. This means
that PRINCE2 is even more practical and useful today than it’s
ever been.
2. PRINCE2 is only for waterfall projects
Again, this misconception probably arose because when PRINCE2
started out in 1996, the concept of agile projects hadn’t even been
thought of. In the 80s and early 90s almost every project was
conducted in a waterfall approach.
As agile projects have become more prevalent, best-practice
methods such as PRINCE2 have kept up to date by understanding
how to adapt the core PRINCE2 method so that agile methods can
be incorporated. So today, PRINCE2 can be used on incremental,
iterative or waterfall projects.
3. Preparing for a PRINCE2 course takes a long time
Using carefully designed pre-course materials, Knowledge Train
focuses the time you spend prior to the course. Usually, our
delegates spend on average about 7 hours of study prior to
attending one of our Foundation courses.
Tightly focused and clearly written, our PRINCE2 prep materials
introduces the method and its key terminology, while a full-colour
process model diagram helps to reinforce major concepts. The
prep uses a variety of learning tools - text, videos and diagrams,
often in the form of mindmaps.
Our trainers understand that it is unhelpful to overburden people in
the days or weeks leading up to their course. The majority of
Knowledge Train’s PRINCE2 delegates are busy professionals
with demanding schedules, so the pre-course preparation is
designed with their needs in mind.
Available via our convenient and easy to use portal, the
preparatory reading is accompanied by several interactive features,
including quiz questions to stimulate your learning.
4. PRINCE2 is project management software
PRINCE2 is in fact a generic project management method, not
computer software. The method is underpinned by key principles,
themes, and processes designed to give your project the best
chance of success at every stage of its development. Among the

41. areas targeted by PRINCE2 training are the importance of the
business case, strategies for managing quality, risk, stakeholders
and configuration items.
Highly adaptable, the PRINCE2 framework can be applied to any
project, regardless of its size or the nature of the business
environment in which it operates. Since its introduction in 1996,
PRINCE2 has benefited more than 20,000 organisations and is a
leading project management method in both the private and public
sector.
PRINCE2 courses are a popular choice among individuals seeking
effective project management training. Knowledge Train is
accredited by AXELOS to deliver PRINCE2 training and
offers classroom-based courses in London with the option to study
via elearning also available.
Naturally, PRINCE2 can be implemented alongside project
management and project support software.
5. You need experience to attend a course
The truth is that PRINCE2 training is open to all. There are no pre-
requisites to attending a PRINCE2 course; you are not required
either to hold a certain qualification or possess ‘real world’ project
management experience in order to train in the method. PRINCE2
can be applied to any kind of project, and this is reflected in the
diversity of people who train with us.
Some delegates on Knowledge Train’s PRINCE2 courses are
working on, supporting, or managing projects and require formal
training in this field; some attend because they are retraining to
work in project management and wish to enhance their
employment prospects with PRINCE2 qualifications; others may
simply be interested in the subject matter.
The first level of PRINCE2 training, Foundation, is ideal if you are
working on or supporting projects using the PRINCE2 framework.
Achieving Foundation certification demonstrates that you possess
a clear understanding of the PRINCE2 approach to projects. If you
aim to manage projects using PRINCE2, you would also benefit
from training at Practitioner level. Registered PRINCE2
Practitioner status is often cited by employers as a requirement
among candidates for project manager job vacancies.

42. 6. PRINCE2 exams are essay-based
Whichever PRINCE2 exam you wish to take – Foundation or
Practitioner – you will not be asked to write any essays.
All PRINCE2 exams are based on the multiple-choice testing
format, whether they are paper-based or taken online. For each
question, candidates select what they believe to be the correct
answer from a list of four options.
Until a few years ago, anyone being examined at Practitioner level
was required to complete an essay-based exam. Now, people are
often relieved to find that it is no longer necessary to write at length
when attempting to obtain or re-register the PRINCE2 Practitioner
qualification! Even if you originally passed the essay-based
Practitioner exam, for example, you would complete a multiple-
choice Practitioner exam when aiming to renew the qualification.
Multiple-choice exams can marked faster than essay-based
papers, reducing the amount of time it takes to provide candidates
with their results. Provisional Foundation or Practitioner exam
results are normally sent to our delegates on the same day of the
exam. Official results are sent 2-3 business days later, alongside
an e-certificate if you have passed.

43. PMP vs. PRINCE2 certification
This article compares the differences
between PRINCE2 vs. PMP as professional project management
certifications.
Project Management Professional (PMP)® is the most popular
qualification from the Project Management Institute (PMI).
PRINCE2 qualifications are provided by PeopleCert on behalf of
AXELOS.
There are several factors to consider when weighing up PMP
versus PRINCE2. These will know be explained.
Difficulty
The most difficult is PMP certification. That’s because it requires a
minimum of 4,500 hours and a 4-year degree. Alternatively, 7,500
hours plus a secondary degree would suffice.
PRINCE2 Foundation certification can be obtained just by passing
the exam. No experience or degree is required for either the
Foundation or Practitioner levels. Several certifications can qualify
you to sit the Practitioner exam.

44. Degree
Hours of
project
experience
Previous
qualifications
PMP
Minimum of
secondary
degree
Minimum of
4,500
None
PRINCE2
Foundation
None 0 None
PRINCE2
Practitioner
None 0
Any of: PRINCE2
Foundation, or PMI
CAPM®, or PMI
PMP®, or IPMA Level
A® to D®.
Exam format
The PMP exam is the longest and has the most questions. The
pass mark is not published.
Duration
(minutes)
Questions
Pass
mark
Style
Exam
format
PMP 240
200
multiple-
choice
Unknown
Closed-
book
Exam centre
PRINCE2
Foundation
60
60 multiple-
choice
55%
Closed-
book
Exam centre
or online
using remote
proctor
PRINCE2
Practitioner
150
68 multiple-
choice
55%
Open-
book
Exam centre
or online
using remote
proctor
Syllabus
The PMP exam is based primarily upon the content of the
PMBOK® Guide (sixth edition), but not exclusively. Both PRINCE2
exams are based upon the official manual Managing Successful
Projects Using PRINCE2® (2017 Edition). You can read how
PRINCE2 compares with the PMBOK® Guide in another article.

45. What is examined? Pages of guidance
PMP
PMBOK Guide Process
groups
756 (for PMBOK Guide, but
other reading is recommended)
PRINCE2
Foundation
PRINCE2 methodology
and terminology
400
PRINCE2
Practitioner
Application of the
methodology to a
scenario
400
Cost
PMP exams can be purchased directly from the Project
Management Institute. The cost is cheaper if you are a PMI
member.
The price of PRINCE2 exams is usually included in either
a classroom or online course. Exams can also be purchased
without training.
Exam price* (correct on 17/03/2019)
PMP
PMI member: US$405
Non-member: US$555
PRINCE2 Foundation
GBP299 (exam centre)
GBP320 (online)
PRINCE2 Practitioner
GBP349 (exam centre)
GBP370 (online)
Popularity
Like all PMI certifications, PMP is popular in the USA, Canada,
South America, Africa and Asia. PRINCE2 is popular in the UK,
Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
When did it
start?
Countries/regions where
popular
Number of exams
taken
PMP 1984 USA, Americas, Africa, Asia 750,000*
PRINCE2 1996
UK, Europe, Australia, New
Zealand
1,000,000*
(Foundation)
500,000*
(Practitioner)

46. *Neither PMI nor AXELOS publish the number of exams
undertaken but reasonable estimates can be given based upon
information in the public domain.
Trainer accreditation
The quality of PMP training and trainers is variable. This is
because there is no accreditation for either PMP courses or
trainers.
All PRINCE2 courses and PRINCE2 trainers however must be
accredited by PeopleCert. This means that there is a minimum
level of quality if you take an accredited PRINCE2 course.
Of course, there is a lot of ‘grey market’ training provided by
people or companies with no accreditation in PRINCE2. The
quality of such training is likely to be poor.
Accreditation body
Accreditation of
trainers
Accreditation of
courses
PMP PMI No Yes
PRINCE2
PeopleCert of on behalf
of AXELOS
Yes Yes
Maintaining certification
PMI requires a candidate to maintain professional development
units (PDUs). These can be obtained in a variety of ways including
attending classroom, online or virtual training, reading relevant
materials or attending relevant events.
Similarly, AXELOS has Continuous Professional Development
(CPD) points. These can be obtained in similar ways to those of
PMI’s PDUs. PRINCE2 Foundation certificate never expires, so
there is no requirement for renewal.
Ways to renew
PMP 60 PDUs every 3 years
PRINCE2
Foundation
N/A
PRINCE2
Practitioner
20 CPDs per year for 3 years; OR, pass Practitioner
exam within 3 years.
Which is better – PMP or PRINCE2?

47. When deciding whether PMP or PRINCE2 is best consider these
factors.
1. Do you have project management experience?
If not, take PRINCE2.
2. Do you have at least a secondary degree?
If not, take PRINCE2.
3. Where do you intend to seek work?
If it’s Europe or Australasia, choose PRINCE2, otherwise PMP.
4. Do you want to get certified quickly?
If so, choose PRINCE2 – it’s faster and easier.
5. Do you want to learn detailed project management
techniques?
If so, choose PMP, although this will be a harder choice.
CAPM®, PMBOK®, Project Management Body of Knowledge®,
PMP®, Project Management Professional (PMP)® are registered
marks of Project Management Institute, Inc.
IPMA Level A® and IPMA Level D® are Registered Trade Marks
of IPMA in Switzerland and other countries.

48. PRINCE2 FAQs
What does PRINCE2 stand for?
PRINCE2 stands for PRojects IN Controlled Environments.
It’s the world’s leading project management methodology.
What is PRINCE2?
PRINCE2 is the world’s leading project management
methodology. PRINCE2 is based on modern best practices in
project management.
You can use PRINCE2 in any industry and on any type or scale of
project. PRINCE2 helps organisations achieve many important
things, including:
• Taking sensible investment decisions about projects
• Keeping control over things such as time, cost, quality, risk
and scope
• Delivering outputs which will help achieve its goals.
PRINCE2 gives guidance to people taking decisions on projects.
It answers questions about:

49. • What decisions to take?
• Who takes decisions?
• When to take decisions?
• What documents or reports are required to support those
decisions?
What's the history of PRINCE2?
1975 - Simpact Systems Ltd (UK) created a project management
method called PROMPT.
1979 - Adopted as the standard for all UK Government IT projects.
1989 - PRINCE was created by CCTA (the Central Computer and
Telecommunications Agency) by revising PROMPT.
1996 - PRINCE2 was created as a generic project management
method.
2017 - Most recent updates to PRINCE2 manual.
Who is PRINCE2 for?
PRINCE2 certification is for people who either:
➢ Work on projects or teams
➢ Support projects
➢ Lead teams
➢ Manage projects
➢ Direct projects
➢ Sponsor projects
➢ Manage operations.
What is the PRINCE2 methodology?
PRINCE2 is the world’s leading structured project management
methodology. PRINCE2 provides guidance about the best ways
to manage projects. It helps organizations get better control over
projects. In turn this enables a better return on investment.
The PRINCE2 method is structured into 7 well-defined processes
to address typical project management needs.

50. PRINCE2 consists of 4 integrated elements:
1. Principles
2. Themes
3. Processes
4. Tailoring to the project environment.
More details: PRINCE2 Methodology Explained >
What is PRINCE2 project management?
PRINCE2 project management refers to the application of the
PRINCE2 methodology to a project.
When applying PRINCE2, you must do the following:
1. Apply the 7 principles of PRINCE2
2. Adapt the 7 PRINCE2 themes to meet your project’s needs
3. Adapt the 7 PRINCE2 processes to meet your project’s
needs
4. Adapt the 26 management products of PRINCE2
5. Assign the roles and responsibilities defined by PRINCE2 to
a specific individual.
To learn how to apply PRINCE2 on different projects, people
normally study the PRINCE2 Practitioner level qualification.
Read more: What is PRINCE2? >
Is PRINCE2 right for me?
If you’re concerned whether you can understand and pass
the PRINCE2 exams, consider these facts.
• You don't need experience to attend a course
• Over 1.2million people have passed PRINCE2 exams since
1996
• In the UK, the average pass rates for exams for all training
companies are:
o 97% PRINCE2 Foundation exam
o 73% PRINCE2 Practitioner exam
If you apply yourself to studying, then you’ve got a great chance of
becoming PRINCE2 certified.

51. Do I need experience to take PRINCE2?
No. Many people attend courses having no previous project
management experience. Others come with some experience.
The course assumes students have no experience. We will teach
you a core understanding of project management using PRINCE2.
Before taking a Practitioner course, you need to have the
PRINCE2 Foundation qualification.
Foundation and Practitioner - what’s the
difference?
Here are the main differences between PRINCE2 Foundation and
PRINCE2 Practitioner.
PRINCE2 Foundation PRINCE2 Practitioner
Entry-level qualification Higher-level qualification
No experience or qualifications
required
PRINCE2 Foundation required
Learn a basic understanding of
PRINCE2
Learn to apply PRINCE2 to simple projects
For people working on or
supporting projects
For people managing or directing projects,
and operational managers
2-day course 2.5-day course
1-hour exam, 60 questions,
55% pass mark
2.5-hour exam, 68 questions, 55% pass
mark
How do I renew my PRINCE2?
To renew your PRINCE2 Practitioner, you need to pass the
Practitioner exam. We recommend you attend a course to learn
the latest 2017 version of PRINCE2. There are classroom and
online course options to choose from.
Is PRINCE2 software?
No. PRINCE2 is a method to help you manage projects. It’s not a
software tool.
What’s the latest version of PRINCE2?
The latest version of PRINCE2 is the 2017 version.

52. What is the PRINCE2 manual?
The official PRINCE2 manual contains guidance about the
methodology.
Title: ‘Managing Successful Projects Using PRINCE2® 2017
Edition’.
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9780113315338
Published: 18 May 2017