PRINCE2® 7th Edition Your Questions Answered (FAQ)

Blog Prince2 v7 FAQ-1

We live in a fast-paced, dynamic, ever-changing world and by extension organisations’ priorities have changed too, therefore how projects are managed and run has also changed. The 7th Edition of PRINCE2^®, the world's leading project management methodology is coming - here's our FAQ on what you need to know.

Why are these changes happening?

Ever since it was first created back in 1996, PRINCE2^® has become the most widely used methodology for the managing and running of projects globally, enabling organisations to deliver change successfully within time, cost and quality requirements. Providing structure & control mechanisms addresses factors that can threaten these targets being achieved.

Over the years, the methodology has gone through numerous updates to respond to this. The current 6^th edition was launched in July 2017. As the business world & the project industry changes, the guidance provided by PRINCE2^® needs to adapt as well hence the launch of PRINCE2^® 7^th edition this autumn.

What are the key additions from 6th Edition to 7th Edition?

People: The previous version was structured around what is known as the 4 integrated elements of Principles, Themes (now called Practices), Processes, and Tailoring to suit the project environment. In the 7^th Edition a 5^th integrated element has been added called People.

Because projects introduce change, this will affect people in their business as usual or normal operational activities - the success of any project is dependent on the capabilities of the project team, the strength of their relationships with the people who will be impacted by that change. This People integrated element therefore provides guidance on the management of those relationships.

Sustainability: The 6^th Edition talked about the 6 aspects of project performance that need to be managed for a project to be successful, the 6 being Time, Cost, Quality, Scope, Benefits & Risk. In the 7^th Edition a 7^th aspect of project performance has been added called Sustainability.

Sustainability is a major concern in the real world today, businesses are likely to have sustainability objectives and commitments that the project needs to adhere or contribute too. The 7^th edition addresses this as one of the target areas that needs to be managed, and is included through the defining of role responsibilities, documentation such as plans & reports, it is incorporated into various Practices such as the Business Case practice, and some processes such as including activities to confirm sustainability requirements are been met.

Digital & Data: To meet the evolving needs of Project Management Professionals a Digital & Data Management Approach has now been added. The purpose of this is to define –
1. How digital technology will be used to support project management and project work.
2. How data and information will be created used and managed across the project ecosystem, lifecycle, and beyond.

What has been improved from 6th Edition to 7th Edition?

Improved Flexibility: Rules within the methodology have been reduced and streamlined whilst maintaining the core elements and ethos of PRINCE2^®.
Language & Terminologies: PRINCE2^®language and terminologies have been simplified throughout, making it easier to understand and more relatable to a wider market.
Agile: The 5^th Edition of PRINCE2^® methodology was perfectly formed to be used to manage and run projects where Agile frameworks such as SCRUM, Kanban or XP are used by the teams. In the 7^th Edition greater guidance is now given on tailoring the methodology to support these Agile environments including the provision of scenarios or examples to demonstrate this.

What are the benefits of PRINCE2® 7th Edition for Project Managers?

The PRINCE2 methodology provides project managers with the knowledge, skills, structure and control mechanisms to successfully deliver projects - regardless of the size, scale, complexity or market sector they are operating within. This 7^th Edition takes into account additional elements such as sustainability, data management, and managing relationships both internally and externally to the project.

What is the duration of the courses?

The duration has changed for this new 7th Edition as follows:

PRINCE2 Foundation course: 3 Days
PRINCE2 Practitioner course: 2 Days

How long is the Foundation Exam?

The Foundation exam is a 1-hour exam, consisting of 60 multiple choice questions, each carrying 1 mark. There is no negative marking. It is a closed book exam – so no materials permitted during the exam.

How long is the Practitioner Exam?

The practitioner exam is 2 hours 30 minutes in duration. It consists of 70 multiple choice questions each carrying 1 mark. It is an open book exam, you are permitted to reference the PRINCE2 7^th Edition official book/eBook. All questions are scenario based. One difference with the new version Practitioner exam - 4 project scenarios are detailed within the first chapter of the manual. It will be based on one of those 4 scenarios, whereas with previous versions the scenario was unseen prior to the exam.

What is the pass mark for the PRINCE2® 7th Edition exams?

The pass mark for both exams is now 60% - a slight increase from the previous version which was 55%. PRINCE2 Foundation you need to get 36 or more of the 60 questions correct to Pass, and for PRINCE2 Practitioner you need to get 42 or more of the 70 questions correct in order to Pass.

What are the pre-requisites for the course & exams?

PRINCE2 Foundation: there are no pre-requisite requirements for attending the course or taking the exam. So, you can undertake the training irrespective of your previous experience levels.
PRINCE2 Practitioner: delegates will need a good understanding of PRINCE2 for this course. To sit the exam you must be certified in one of the following:
- PRINCE2^® 7^th Edition Foundation
- PRINCE2^® 6^th Edition Foundation & / or Practitioner
- Project Management Qualification (PMQ)
- Project Professional Qualification (PPQ)
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
- IPMA Level A (Certified Projects Director)
- IPMA Level B (Certified Senior Project Manager)
- IPMA Level C (Certified Project Manager)
- IPMA Level D (Certified Project Management Associate)

You can attend the PRINCE2 Foundation 7^th Edition course and then move straight into the PRINCE2 Practitioner course in the same week. It is intensive, but depending on how you learn many delegates find this to be the best way for them. Equally other delegates, prefer to split the two courses over two different weeks.

I have passed the 6th edition Foundation exam, I wish to do Practitioner, can I sit the new version?

The short answer is Yes.

However, as the 7^th edition now includes new components (See “What are the key additions…” question above) you need the new version of the official PRINCE2 7th Edition book/eBook, and to familiarise yourself with the new components and language changes before taking the 7^th Edition Practitioner exam. It may be more straightforward to take the 6^th Edition Practitioner exam now, and in 3 years time when you must renew your registration as a PRINCE2^®Practitioner then upskill to the 7^th Edition.

I passed Foundation 5th edition, between Jan 2009 & 1st July 2017, can I go straight to the 7th Edition Practitioner to upskill/renew my Practitioner accreditation?

Unfortunately no, you can’t.

The 5^th Edition certification does NOT qualify as a pre-requisite for sitting the 7^th Edition Practitioner exam due to changes to the methodology. You therefore have 2 options:

You can still take the current 6^th Edition (2017 version) Practitioner exam as your 5th Edition (2009 version) Foundation qualification meets the pre-requisite requirements for that exam.
Undertake the new 7^th Edition (2023) Foundation & Practitioner courses.

How long is the certification valid for?

PRINCE2^® certification is valid for 3 years from the date of passing the exam. This was back-dated to include previous editions of PRINCE2^®.

You can renew your certification by:

Re-take the same exam before the renewal date.
Attend another course and take the associated exam within the same product suite before the renewal date.
You must be subscribed to MyAxelos for the 3-year period while you collect and log CPD points (Continued Professional Development) before your renewal date. If you earn sufficient CPD points yearly your certification is automatically renewed.

I am booked onto PRINCE2® 6th Edition, should I wait in order to take 7th Edition instead?

No, not at all. The current 6^th edition is still very valuable and highly recognised as a qualification and will provide you with the necessary knowledge & skills to be an effective Project Manager. Whilst the 7^th Edition does include some updates, at its heart it is still the same ethos & structure as 6^th Edition just with some tweaks. We would advise you don’t change your plans and go ahead with your scheduled course.