I Want to Sit the Exams... How do I start?

So you've decided that you want to sit the PRINCE2 Examinations... what's the best way?

Learning is a very personal thing and it really does depend on your personal preference whether you sit a course and examination with an Accredited Training Organisation, or teach yourself the subject using your own reading material and then sit the examination via an Open Centre.

From the 6th July 2009 until 31st December 2009, candidates can undertake either the PRINCE2 2005 Qualification Scheme or the PRINCE2: 2009 Qualification Scheme. After the 31st December 2009, the PRINCE2 2005 exams will no longer be available. Find out more about the PRINCE2: 2009 Refresh, or view our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Exams

• If you want to become a Registered Practitioner, you MUST sit the Foundation Examination and then the Practitioner Examination, in that order.
• You can sit both exams in the same week or even day, or you can split them and sit them months (or even years!) apart.
• If you pass both examinations in the same week, you will receive a Practitioner Certificate but not a Foundation Certificate - as you cannot sit the Practitioner exam without first having passed the Foundation, it is not necessary to send a separate Foundation Certificate.
• You do not have to take a course to sit the examinations - it is down to your personal preference.

The Choices

If you would prefer to be trained by a tutor, with the benefits of full-time tuition and attention, a course might suit you best -

• Take a training course and one or both exams with an Accredited Training Organisation (ATO)
  
  Most training organisations offer a selection of courses, ranging from overviews without examinations, to Foundation courses where you sit the Foundation exam after a short course, to combined Foundation and Practitioner courses where you are trained intensively for a week and sit both exams. Of course if you sit a Foundation course and exam, you can then go back and sit the Practitioner course and exam at a later date. Alternatively you could sit a course without an examination, then go on to sit the examination only at a later date, either with an ATO or via one of our Open Centres. To contact an ATO and request details of their courses, use our Accredited Organisation Search Facility.

If you cannot afford to attend a course, or would prefer to teach yourself at your own pace, an Open Centre Examination might be your choice -

• Teach yourself about PRINCE2 and take one or both examinations through an Open Centre
  
  If you are self-motivated and would prefer to learn PRINCE2 at your own pace, you might like to buy our Core PRINCE2 Exam Book Bundle and then book onto an Open Centre Examination when you are confident that you are ready to sit the examinations. Hundreds of candidates every month sit the examinations via Open Centres. 
  
  When you are ready to take the Examinations, visit the Open Centre Examinations page to choose from the available venues and dates. All fees are shown on the page, and you can download an application form to fill in and fax back. 

We hope this brief summary helps you to make a decision about the examinations, and wish you luck with your chosen route.