PRINCE2 7 Foundation and Practitioner Exam Tips – Part 2
Your Vital PRINCE2 7 Foundation and Practitioner Exam Kit
Just like any project and journey, giving your basic exam key it together can make a big difference to your confidence and performance, so take special note of the following points.
Those of the PRINCE2 exams will be marked by a computer relying on shaded ovals that you filled in with a pencil during your exam. Most exam providers will give you the pencil with an eraser on the end, but it will have been used several times before – so do not expect it to be in pristine condition.
Wooden pencils are far better than an automatic pencil as you will be shading in many ovals, and automatic pencils are prone to breaking their pencil lead. If you were using the wooden pencil that was handed out, it is highly likely that it has been dropped. This can cause failure in an exam, because you will waste much time sharpening and re-sharpening the broken pencil lead.
I would also recommend bringing your own pencil sharpener so that you know you have a new one that works effectively. You should expect to have to erase some of your answer choices during the exam, then again, the eraser on the end of the pencil that has been provided, maybe that the worn. A plastic eraser is better than a rubber one as they will rub out pencil thoroughly and cleanly.
Photographic ID
To avoid stand-ins and other forms of cheating, you will need to produce a photographic ID to sit the exam, and if you forget to bring one you will not be allowed to take part. So, bring your driving license or passport to prove you are who you say you are. Occasionally the company identification parts with picture or other form of a security pass will be acceptable, but do not leave it to chance.
PRINCE2 7 Exam Refreshments
Providing it is okay for medical reasons, I have seen great results when candidates bring high caffeine energy drinks with them, as they can improve help concentration and focus. Getting dehydrated can be a problem, so even bringing a plastic bottle of water into the exam can be helpful.
If you are bringing sweets, candy or chocolate into the exam with you, please take care they are not wrapped in noisy cellophane wrappers.
The PRINCE2 7 Official Manual
You can bring the Official Manual into the Practitioner exam with you. This is the only exam and the only document that you can bring and no other reference material is permitted. I will give you some more advice on that in this article.
If you are taking the exam in your second language, you can bring the dictionary into the exam to help with translation as well as a PRINCE2 glossary in your first language is one has been produced. But to check this out before the exam.
PRINCE2 7 Revision strategy
I know and we have all done it at some point in the past, that do not plan to revise late into the night the day before the exam as it is far better to get an early night and arrive in the exam room fresh and alert.
PeopleCert, the owners of the PRINCE2 Method, have released to official sample papers for the Foundation exam, and a further two for the Practitioner exam. This is important practice as you will get an opportunity to attempt to practice the entire exam under real exam conditions.
Revising using a sample paper also has an added benefit in that it will give you the precise feedback on those parts of the PRINCE2 method that you need to further revise.
The PRINCE2 7 Practitioner Exam
Tabbing your Manual
You can put sticky tabs on the edges of pages within your Manual to help you find things quickly. You are only allowed to mark up these tabs with the name of the reference item. Over the course of the exam, this can save a lot of time rather than frantically thumbing through the manual desperately searching for a chapter.
Having taught countless PRINCE2 training events across the globe, I have seen a variety of tabbing examples – some of them were a work of art! Some folks just use a single colour and tab just a few essential items, while others have tabs on all three edges of their manual in multiple colors.
It pays to become very familiar with your PRINCE2 Manual, and to highlight key sections of each chapter. Two examples here are the different types of risk actions for both threats and opportunities, and the steps in the formal quality review.
Marking up your PRINCE2 7 Manual
You can write notes on to the surface of the pages in your Manual, and this may include notes to yourself the references or brief explanations. Be careful here not to attempt to rewrite the whole of the Manual!
You can annotate your manual by highlighting or underlining key points.
Be aware however, that while you can write onto the surface of the page, you are not alone to write reference notes on separate sheets of paper and slip or glue them into the Manual. Neither are you allowed to write extra information on too sticky notes and fix them into the pages.
Good Luck on becoming a PRINCE2 Practitioner!
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