PRINCE2 required for promotion

MG42Maniac

MG42Maniac

MG42Maniac

Associate
Joined
28 Jan 2005
Posts
1,842
Location
Lymington
Hi guys,

Looking for some advice in regards to the PRINCE2 foundation exam.

I work as a Business Analyst for a software company providing electronic data capture to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. I've been a BA for coming on 5 years now after starting in QA and moving across.

I got told today a promotion to Senior BA along with a large pay rise is mine for the taking as soon as I have passed the PRINCE2 Foundation exam. Alongside the promotion & pay rise the company will be reimburse the cost of a successful exam and reward me with £500. The insentive is there.

I've shown an interest in project management and did some 'project managing' for the last software release. This was basically setting up MS project, updating everyones progress and firing off pretty reports to directors. There was also some risk management but this was limited.

I'm pretty much new to project management and not sure the best way to go about learning the basics of PRINCE2. I've had a look at the practice exam and 80% of it is totally unfamiliar.

I basically need to pass the foundation exam ASAP by learning it in my own time. I want to try and pass by the end of March so my higher salary comes in my pay at the end of March.

How easy is the foundation exam for a PM newbie? I was planning to read through the dummies guides and have a crack at the exam but the £200 fee is putting me off as if I fail I've effectively wasted £200.

I've not studied for an exam since I was at college 8 years ago so need to dust off the cognitive cobwebs as it were!

Any of you PRINCE2 certified guys got any suggestions?

Cheers! :D
 
I'm doing this online at the moment.

I will warn you, I have fallen asleep doing it at least six times. Twice today.

God speed.
 
Presumably since they are making it a requirement they have had other people achieve this qualification before you? Ask around at your employer for advice on learning the course. H might have some material, or at least be able to point you in the right direction.
 
MG42Maniac said:
Hi guys,

Looking for some advice in regards to the PRINCE2 foundation exam.

I work as a Business Analyst for a software company providing electronic data capture to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. I've been a BA for coming on 5 years now after starting in QA and moving across.

I got told today a promotion to Senior BA along with a large pay rise is mine for the taking as soon as I have passed the PRINCE2 Foundation exam. Alongside the promotion & pay rise the company will be reimburse the cost of a successful exam and reward me with £500. The insentive is there.

I've shown an interest in project management and did some 'project managing' for the last software release. This was basically setting up MS project, updating everyones progress and firing off pretty reports to directors. There was also some risk management but this was limited.

I'm pretty much new to project management and not sure the best way to go about learning the basics of PRINCE2. I've had a look at the practice exam and 80% of it is totally unfamiliar.

I basically need to pass the foundation exam ASAP by learning it in my own time. I want to try and pass by the end of March so my higher salary comes in my pay at the end of March.

How easy is the foundation exam for a PM newbie? I was planning to read through the dummies guides and have a crack at the exam but the £200 fee is putting me off as if I fail I've effectively wasted £200.

I've not studied for an exam since I was at college 8 years ago so need to dust off the cognitive cobwebs as it were!

Any of you PRINCE2 certified guys got any suggestions?

Cheers! :D
Click to expand...

Take the face to face course.

I took this 4 years ago and nailed it, at the time was much more naive and a lot less career driven at the time (I'm 25).
 
PRINCE2 is a ****ing cakewalk. My idiot housemate did it and made as big of a deal of it as if I was doing my CFA. You can slam it in a week or two of crammed revision. Just get it done and move on.
 
PRINCE foundation is easy. But... :confused:
MG42Maniac said:
did some 'project managing' ... was basically setting up MS project, updating everyones progress and firing off pretty reports to directors.
Click to expand...
Actually that probably is all that's needed given how government projects **** up! :p

I'd be a bit concerned about my employer not paying for training of employees. Do you not have a training budget or personal development plan or anything?
 
[DOD]Asprilla;25931033 said:
Prince2? Old hat, come over to the dark side of Kanban.
Click to expand...

In what way is Kanban a replacement for PRINCE2?

Two completely different things aren't they?

How does kanban even relate to project/programme management :p
 
It's really not hard to get a Prince2 foundation certificate. It takes a 2-3 days max!

Compare this to a proper qualification (MSc, MBA etc).. I Don't understand why these things are worth anything..

It's just a hoop to jump through.. If you fail, you're actually retarded.
 
I've done PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner a few years ago. I know people who've done it by self study, but I'd highly recommend doing a course. It's very dry and there's nothing interesting about it. It'll cost, but you can do Foundation in a 2/3 days and they'll hammer home the pertinent bits for the exam.

It's not necessary to know the entire contents of the manual to pass the exam. The main value of the course, particularly at Practitioner level, is the marking up of the manual to use during the exam. Having tabs in the book saved lots of time during the exam.

We got someone in from a company called Remarc to train 10 of us at work, but they we're excellent and everyone passed the Foundation exam and 9 passed the Practitioner exam.
 
zegna said:
It's really not hard to get a Prince2 foundation certificate. It takes a 2-3 days max!

Compare this to a proper qualification (MSc, MBA etc).. I Don't understand why these things are worth anything..

It's just a hoop to jump through.. If you fail, you're actually retarded.
Click to expand...

You answered your own question, weeds out the retards!
 
Foundation is easy, Practitioner not so much though still not as hard as some exams.

I did the intense course for a week last year and passed both, day 1 and 2 was foundation with the foundation exam at the end of day 2 and 3/4/5 are Practitioner with exam at the end of day 5.

As above I recommend you do a course rather than try and do it on your own as it is very very dry!
 
Last edited:
agree with blueboy - its too boring for self study - it's just a 'framework' for project management which nobody in the real world really uses anyway lol.

God knows how I managed to pass and get the practitioner qualification too! - I'm an IT techie not a project manager lol. Highly recommend the 2 days courses available from third part trainers like remark, qa etc - they'll blast it out for two days solid and get it over and done with.

Think the foundation was a pass rate of like 65% and the practitioner one is 73% or something - If I can do it you can too mate. Crack on ;)

PS - Its open book too ;)
 
Last edited:
I did this a few years with a self study CBT course plus exam for £500 - it's extremely boring though so you need to be disciplined to do it that way. Exam is not hard if you have done the study.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom