PASSING PRINCE2? FOUNDATION CERTIFICATE MADE EASY

What is PRINCE2??

PRINCE2? stands for PRojects IN Controlled Environments. It is a project management methodology, applicable to wide range of industries and sectors. The framework can be used for variety of projects, regardless of their scale or duration as it can be tailored to meet specific requirements. When using PRINCE2? you can choose from principles, themes and processes it involves, making sure your project is successful. 

Why I decided to obtain the certificate?

Upskilling is essential in today’ workplace and it is mainly your own responsibility to make your you keep up to date with changes happening in your industry, new technologies being developed, new approaches applied. My focus is to make sure I can excel and add value to any project I am involved in. Studying for the certification helped me organize my knowledge and served as a refresher for the information and skills I got from my PMP certification.

Another important matter was I could study myself, using books purchased, mobile applications and browsing the web, which is crucial when you have two little children around.

Books worth reading

There are two books I can recommend as useful and easy to digest when it comes to studying for the PRINCE2? exam. The first publication is PRINCE2 Made Simple Updated 2017 Version by Ian Lawton, it is very short and may seem it does not give you enough insight, however reading it is the best way to summarize and organize your knowledge before the exam. It has all relevant topics classified and briefly explained. It makes it easy to go back to any subject without having to search through tons of pages or websites (which not always share verified information).

Another book I purchased is Nick Graham’s Passing the PRINCE2 Exams For Dummies. This one can last for longer as it gives you tips for both Foundation and Practitioner exams. The publication can last for longer as it gives hints and tips to answer questions for both Foundation and Practitioner exams. It is a great help if you wish to recap or deepen your understanding of certain topics. It makes it easier to understand how exams questions are built and how to read them to give the best answer.

Apps that I found helpful

Apps are a great way to learn for the exam if you commute or wait in a queue, because you can use it easily to read short article, definition or do a mock test. Based on my experience from PMP exam preparation, mock tests and quizzes are the best way to make sure you are ready to pass the examination. One app is called QA PRINCE2? Accelerator and can be downloaded for free. It gives clear explanations of the PRINCE2? material and offers exam-type questions to check your knowledge.

The other app that can be downloaded for free is ExamMobile: PRINCE2 Foundation, however I ended up using it rarely.

An app that offers test questions similar to exam content is PRINCE2 Exam Prep 2019. It is a paid app however it does not cost much. It gives some choice of 15/30/60 questions’ mock exams, depending on how much spare time you have.

Passing the exam

The most convenient thing in PRINCE2? examination is that you can register for the exam and pass it in your own premises at the time convenient to you. It was very important for me as my younger daughter was just born and I was able to arrange help in advance.

Before you are cleared to start the exam, a remote assistant asks to show the room you are in through your web camera. The only issue I had here was the late version of my MAC operation system, but I made sure I updated it and downloaded exam software one day before the exam. The preparation materials are very helpful and explain step by step how to prepare from the formal and technical perspective.

The exam itself was rather straight forward, I was familiar with the questions content. It took me around 6 weeks to prepare and most of this time was going through mock test and quizzes.

If you are about to take PRINCE2? exam, good luck!