Whats PMP?

PMPis short for Project Management Professional, and is a professional certificate from PMI(Project
Management Institute).
PMI is a USA based non-for-profit organization focused on project management, which has
developed and published a number of standards, including:

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide)

The Standard for Program Management

The Standard for Portfolio Management

Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3)

And also a number of practice standards and frameworks:

Practice Standard for Project Risk Management

Practice Standard for Earned Value Management

Practice Standard for Project Configuration Management

Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures

Practice Standard for Scheduling

Project Manager Competency Development Framework

Theres no doubt that PMBOK Guide is the most famous standard among these, and people are
using it (or trying to use it) worldwide; thats why it even has threeextensions:

Software Extension to the PMBOK Guide

Construction Extension to the PMBOK Guide

Government Extension to the PMBOK Guide

Which help you use the PMBOK Guide more effectively in certain application areas.
PMI has recently added a line of practice guides, which includes:

Managing Changes in Organizations: A Practice Guide

These are great sources of knowledge for everyone involved in the project management field, and
you should definitely be serious about using them.
PMI also has a number of certifications. Once you are interested to, and have the requirements,
you can take the exams and you will be awarded with globally recognized certificates upon passing
the exams, which is great, not only because you can easily prove your knowledge, but also
because in the process of preparing for the exams, you will learn a lot and you will have to fill in a
lot of gaps in your knowledge.
These are the PMIs certifications:

Project Management Professional (PMP) as you might guess, this is about the PMBOK
Guide, but you should know that the exam questions are about theproject management
body of knowledge in general, and the PMBOK Guide is just a part of it; well, an important
part.

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) a simple form of PMP

Program Management Professional (PgMP)

Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)SM

PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) yes, theres no standalone publication for this
yet, but theres a syllabus and they award certifications

PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)

PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP) All of you project planners out there, this is useful
for you.

OPM3 Professional Certification

Well, thats all. Lets now take a look at PRINCE2.
What are PRINCE2 Certifications?
PRINCE2is a project management methodology previously owned by the UKs Cabinet Office.
PRINCE2, among other Best Practices are now owned by AXELOS, a new joint venture company in
the UK.
This Best Practice family consist of the following:

PRINCE2 project management

MSP program management

MoP portfolio management

M_o_R risk management

MoV value management

P3O project, program, and portfolio management offices (PMO)

P3M3 project, program, and portfolio management maturity model

ITIL IT service management

And of course, there are exams and certifications for all of them; usually in two levels of Foundation
and Practitioner.
There are three levels of certification for PRINCE2 however:

PRINCE2 Foundation its the simple one

PRINCE2 Practitioner Its the important one

PRINCE2 Professional well, its just too hard!

When people are talking about PRINCE2 certifications, they usually refer to the PRINCE2 Foundation
and PRINCE2 Practitioner. The former is easier than PMP and its unfair to compare them, while the
latter is as hard as PMP, or as some people believe, even harder than PMP.
The main source for the both Foundation and Practitioner exams is an official publication named
Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2.
Ill cover both PRINCE2 certifications in this article.
Different Viewpoints of the PMBOK Guide and PRINCE2
You should know that theres a big different between the PMBOK Guide and PRINCE2. The PMBOK
Guide is a knowledge, while PRINCE2 is amethodology. PMBOK Guide PRINCE2 Knowledge
(explains what you should know) Methodology (explains what you should do) Descriptive (explains
the good practices) Prescriptive (tells you what to do) Answers HOW questions Answers WHAT,
WHEN, and WHOM questions
So, which one do you need? Obviously both of them!
Just take a look at the PMBOK Guide 5th Edition, page 2: This standard is a guide rather than a
specific methodology. One can use different methodologies and tools (e.g. agile,
waterfall, PRINCE2) to implement the project management framework.
And theres a similar state in the official PRINCE2 manual, pages 230 and 231, which also mentions
the PMBOK Guide.
Therefore, these two standards are not competitors, you need both of them (or similar
replacements for each of them) to be able to manage your projects successfully.

Where are They Used in the World?

Well, PMBOK Guide and PRINCE2 are not competitors, but most people do not believe so, and thats
why many people are trying to decide which one is better for them; which is a wrong question!
None of them replaces the other one; they are different things.
But anyway, each of them are better known in certain countries. PMBOK Guide PRINCE2 USA,
Canada, Middle East, Australia UK, Europe, Australia
Hows the Exams?
And now lets take a look at the three exams: PMP PRINCE2 Foundation PRINCE2 Practitioner
200 Questions 75 Questions 810 Questions Multiple Choice Multiple Choice Objective Testing
Abstract Questions Abstract Questions Scenario Based Questions 62% pass mark* 50% pass mark
55% pass mark 240 Minutes 60 Minutes** 150 Minutes** Closed book Closed book Open book
Exam center Exam center*** / Online Exam center*** / Online
* Ok, it used to be 61% or 62%, but they use a complicated system now which is not based on a
predefined passing score. However, its said to be close to a 62% passing score.
** If youre not taking the exam in your *** tongue, you will have a little more time to take the
exam.
*** You can actually take the exam in any place, given that the place is approved by your training
organization and an official proctor is there while youre taking the exam.
The big different between the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam and the other two is that the Practitioner
exam questions are based on a scenario. The exam papers describe a project and you have to
answer different questions based on that scenario. The other two exams are a collection of normal
abstract multiple choice questions which are completely independent.
Passing the PRINCE2 Foundation exam is the easiest among these three. The PMP and the PRINCE2
Practitioner are in the same level; some people believe that the PMP exam is harder, and others
believe that PRINCE2 Practitioner is harder.
Whats the Prerequisites?
Not everyone can take the exams! PMP PRINCE2 Foundation PRINCE2 Practitioner At least 3
years of experience in the project management field (5 years if you dont have a four-year degree)
A formal training might be required* Being certified as PRINCE2 Foundation At least 4500 hours
experience in leading and directing projects (7500 hours if you dont have a four-year degree) A
formal training might be required* 35 hours of formal project management education
* it depends on the training organization which takes the exam
The formal trainings can be online in all three cases.
How to Register for the Exam?
OK, lets say youve decided to take the exam and youre ready; how should you register to take
the exam? PMP exam PRINCE2 exams By registering at PMI.ORG, and taking the exam in
Prometric exam centers around the world. Usually by registering at an accelerated training
organization and taking the exam online (wherever you are), at an exam center, or at any other
place youve arranged with your training organization.
The training organizations have an important role in your PRINCE2 certification process. You cannot
take the exam directly from AXELOS. So, be careful with the organization you choose. And by the
way, the accelerated training organizations are allowed to set their own prices; thats why you see
different prices in different websites.
Renewing the Certificates
These certificates are not permanent, you should renew them. Both PMI and AXELOS want to be
sure that everyone certified by them have enough knowledge all the time. PMP PRINCE2
Foundation PRINCE2 Practitioner Every 3 years It doesnt expire Every 3 to 5 years By PDUs*
By a relatively shorter exam
* A PDU (Professional Development Unit) is an activity you take which increases your project
management knowledge/capabilities or others (reading or writing books and articles, attending
seminars, train others or get trained, etc).
Cost!
And yes, they cost you both time, and money. But dont worry, its worth it. PMP PRINCE2
Foundation PRINCE2 Practitioner 465/$555* 270/$365** 360/$485**
* you would also need to pay a fee for your formal training; usually starts at as low as 50 for the

most affordable online trainings.

** prices differ among different training organizations, and you might also need to pay a fee for the
training, which usually starts as low as 75 for the most affordable online trainings. Most
accelerated training organizations provide you with a package of the training and exam for a total
price.
In case of PRINCE2 Practitioner, you should also pay a fee for renewing your certificate by taking a
short exam.
You would also like to have the official publications. You should buy the PRINCE2 publications
separately, but you can download all the PMI publications for free, once you become a member.
Source of the Exam
The source of the PRINCE2 exams is the official manual, Managing Successful Projects with
PRINCE2.
The main source of the PMP exam is the PMBOK Guide, but the exam is not limited to the guide and
you need to have a broader knowledge. Therefore, you should read a PMP exam preparation book
or/and take a good-enough online/classroom course.
Conclusion
OK, I hope youve found all the information you were looking for.
If youre going to decide, I strongly suggest you remember that PRINCE2 and PMBOK Guide are not
competitors, and youd better learn both of them. In case of getting certified, why not get both
types of certifications? If you would like to, this is my suggestion:

Learn both PRINCE2 and PMBOK Guide in an introductory level

Learn PRINCE2 more seriously

Take and pass the PRINCE2 Foundation exam

Learn PMBOK Guide super-seriously

Take and pass the PMP exam

Learn PRINCE2 super-seriously

Take and Pass the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam

And dont stop there! There are lots more to learn, including:

Agile methods such as Scrum

Program management

Portfolio management
And you can also improve your theme knowledge and techniques, such as risk management,
benefits management, configuration management, scheduling, etc.
Good luck.
Check our PRINCE2 Learning Materials and Exam Offers