Project Managers – PRINCE2 and APM PMQ

Project Manager –  PRINCE2 Practitioners

You will be able to demonstrate knowledge of all elements of project management by gaining APM PMQ through a shorter route. Holders display an understanding of how these elements interact and how their project fits into their strategic and commercial environment. APM PMQ is recognised both nationally and internationally, giving candidates a qualification that can be carried from one job to the next or from one industry to another.

Benefits to the individual include:

• Potentially earn up to £10,000 more per year
• Recognition as an aspiring professional
• Time-saving, with a shorter training course and exam
• Increase your career options with a range of employers through an enhanced CV
• Make a more effective and more valued contribution to projects

There is a growing recognition of the value that competent and capable project professionals can offer, with accreditation becoming increasingly mandated when looking for a new role*. Organisations can achieve competitive advantage and improved project delivery through a highly skilled and qualified P&PM community. This route provides a quicker route to that advantage, by recognizing that community’s learning from the PRINCE2 Practitioner qualification.

Benefits to the organisation:

• APMP fills the knowledge gap beyond PRINCE2 Practitioner, further developing your organisation’s project management function
• Increased likelihood of project success
• Enhanced recognition of your project management capability
• A shorter training course and exam is cheaper, with staff spending less time out of the office
• Visible investment in staff

APM PMQ for PRINCE2® Practitioners

Getting ahead of the pack has never been more crucial to developing a successful career.

The Association for Project Management has developed a route to achieving its flagship qualification, APM PMQ: The APM Project Management Qualification, specifically designed for current registered PRINCE2 Practitioners. With a shorter training course and exam, this route will save you time and money.

APM PMQ for PRINCE2 Practitioners – get ahead of the pack

APM PMQ develops your knowledge and understanding beyond your learning from PRINCE2, to help you grow into a committed and capable project professional. It prepares you to deliver project success in critical areas such as budgeting and cost management, conflict management and teamwork.

There are 73 assessment criteria from the APM Body of Knowledge 6th editionexamined in the APM PMQ syllabus.

As 26 of these are covered by PRINCE2 Practitioner, you will only be examined on the remaining 47 assessment criteria, including communication, earned value management, procurement and negotiation.

The benefits of APM PMQ: The APM Project Management Qualification for PRINCE2 Practitioners

You will be able to demonstrate knowledge of all elements of project management by gaining APM PMQ through a shorter route. Holders display an understanding of how these elements interact and how their project fits into their strategic and commercial environment.

APM PMQ is recognised both nationally and internationally, giving candidates a qualification that can be carried from one job to the next or from one industry to another.
Benefits to the individual include:

• Potentially earn up to £10,000 more per year
• Recognition as an aspiring professional
• Time-saving, with a shorter training course and exam
• Increase your career options with a range of employers through an enhanced CV
• Make a more effective and more valued contribution to projects

The difference between APM PMQ and PRINCE2

Some of the key differences between APM PMQ and PRINCE2 are detailed below.

The APM PMQ syllabus addresses 73 assessment criteria from the APM Body of Knowledge 6th edition. (Current PRINCE2 Practitioners will only have to cover 47 assessment criteria) The PRINCE2 syllabus addresses 10 topics, covering all of the Principles, Themes, Processes and the Tailoring of PRINCE2

Assesses the candidate’s breadth of knowledge in all areas of project management, from the strategic and commercial implications of their role, to the technical, commercial, organisational and people management skills required to successfully participate in a project team Assesses whether the candidate could apply PRINCE2 to the running and managing of a non-complex project within an environment supporting PRINCE2

The exam lasts three hours, in which the candidate must answer ten questions from a selection of sixteen.

Current PRINCE2 Practitioners will only sit a two hour paper, answering six questions from ten The exam lasts two and a half hours, in which the candidate must answer all eight questions

The exam is closed book The exam is open book, i.e. the candidate is allowed access to their own copy of the PRINCE2 manual

The questions require essay-based answers, providing either lists, descriptions, explanations or calculations Uses objective test questions which require a candidate to choose a response to a question from a set of choices, only one of which is correct

Project management methods, of which PRINCE2® is the paradigm, offer the project manager a tried and tested structure and guidance in support of ‘what, when, where and who’, with two notable exceptions; PRINCE2® offers very limited guidance on ‘why’ and ‘how’, in that there are no detailed project management tools and techniques covered as part of the method.

This is the remit of the APM PMQ: The APM Project Management Qualification for PRINCE2® Practitioners course and examination.

APM qualifications are aligned to the International Project Management Association (IPMA) Four-Level-Certification system, where the APMP: The APM Project Management Qualification is recognised at IPMA Level D. APM PMQ Mastery provides delegates with comprehensive knowledge and understanding to prepare them for the APMP: The APM Project Management Qualification examination.

It recognises the prior learning that a PRINCE2® Practitioner has attained by removing from the examinable syllabus, topics that would have already been assessed within the PRINCE2® Practitioner Exam.

It will enable you to:

• Understand all elements of the APM PMQ syllabus
• Get to grips with the specific examination language
• Learn strategies and tactics for approaching the examination

You will learn how to

• Describe the management structure by which projects operate
• Explain the structure of project lifecycles
• Examine contexts and environments in which projects are delivered
• Define governance of project management and the use of structured methodologies
• Plan and manage communication in the project environment
• Explain principles of leadership and teamwork
• Recognize the importance of stakeholder management
• Apply project management planning techniques for success
• Describe project scope management
• Define and develop scheduling and resource management
• Prepare for effective project procurement

Participants will gain:

• All the knowledge needed to pass the APM PMQ examination
• An in-depth understanding of generic project management
• A memorable experience with unique and useful course materials
• Confidence to put the knowledge into practice, and so further develop project management skills

Make the most of your PRINCE2 qualification and step onto the APM (and International Project Management Association) qualification ladder.

PRINCE2 is perhaps the most widely used project management method in the UK and further afield. But is just that – a method – a series of process steps that if followed will help in the delivery of a successful project. What PRINCE2 lacks the APM’s APM PMQ qualification contains – including:

• How to analyse a project’s context
• How to analyse stakeholders
• How to schedule and understand the project’s critical path(s)
• How to monitor progress using earned value analysis… and much more – in fact 25 different areas of essential project management knowledge.

This fast track course, is exclusively or PRINCE2 Practitioners , recognizing this prior learning by taking out the examinable syllabus those topics that have already been assessed within the PRINCE2 exam.

The course will enable delegates to understand all elements of the APM PMQ syllabus and learn strategies and tactics for approaching the examination.

Who is this course for

This course is exclusively or PRINCE2 Practitioners and you will not be able to sit the exam without your PRINCE2 registration number. In addition to this general it is suitable for project managers, and aspiring project managers and those who work in a project environment.

Benefits to your organisation

Attendees gain a fully rounded appreciation of what is involved in managing a project: topics are explored in detail, with the emphasis on what needs to be done in running a project, such as the use of milestone charts and earned value analysis in reporting.

Benefits to you as an individual
You will, by learning 37 syllabus areas, gain a good understanding of what a project is and what a project manager’s job involves. This includes techniques such as risk assessment, planning and reporting and ‘softer’ elements of project management such as communication, motivation and teamwork.

You will learn how to

• Apply the tools and techniques suggested by the Association of Project Managers
• Contextualise a project in different environments, such as business as usual, programme and portfolio
• Use and apply a social roles model
• Use and apply a situational leadership model
• Approach conflict in project management in different ways, each suited to a given circumstance
• The 2 hour exam the paper consists of 10 questions covering 25 topics. 6 of which candidates must answer. A mark of 55% is required to pass.

Exam results will come directly to you from APM

Who is the course designed for?

This fast-track APM PMQ for PRINCE2 Practitioners course is designed for individuals who hold a current PRINCE2® Registered Practitioner qualification and are looking to broaden their knowledge and qualifications by learning and taking the APM PMQ examination. Project Managers, Team Managers and Project Support members will benefit from attending the course by understanding many project management aspects that the PRINCE2® method does not cover in depth.

What are the APM PMQ for PRINCE2 Practitioners course objectives?

• Build on project management context and knowledge gained from PRINCE2®
• Understand the concepts, techniques and processes in APM PMQ for PRINCE2®
• Appreciate business processes and lifecycle models for projects and project management
• Use critical path analysis techniques and manage resource conflicts
• Select and apply appropriate project monitoring and control methods
• Use a systematic approach to analysing and planning a project
• Consider and apply appropriate conflict management and negotiating techniques
• Appreciate the project context and actively manage the project stakeholders
• Apply work breakdown structures and map responsibilities
• Recognise the importance of developing effective leadership skills and communication techniques
• Prepare for the APM PMQ for PRINCE2® Practitioners 2 hour exam.

What does the APM PMQ for PRINCE2 Practitioners Mastery System cover?

• Structure of organisations and projects
• Project life cycle
• Project contexts and environments
• Governance and structured methodologies
• Communication
• Leadership and teamwork
• Schedule and resource management
• Procurement

APMP for PRINCE2® Practitioners Exam

• Two hour closed-book, essay-style paper
• Answer six from ten questions covering 25 topics
• The pass mark is 55%

As a PRINCE2 practitioner, you’re familiar with project methodology. However, do you want to learn the other skills fundamental to successful project management?
The APM PMQ qualification includes procurement, scheduling, the management of information, stakeholders, earned value and the interpersonal skills of leading, motivating, managing and building the team.
As a PRINCE2 qualified project manager, you already know all about the UK’s leading project management methodology. However, do you want to learn the other skills fundamental to successful project management? The APM PMQ qualification widens your knowledge by covering additional topics such as procurement, scheduling, the management of information, stakeholders, earned value and the interpersonal skills of leading, motivating, managing and building the team.

The focus of this intensive three-day course is to provide you with a level of knowledge that will enhance your personal effectiveness in project management and give you an additional professional qualification that is recognised worldwide.

As a PRINCE2 Practitioner you gain exemptions from the full APM PMQ syllabus which means you can gain the qualification based on a shorter study period.

Successful candidates are able to participate in projects from individual assignments through to large capital projects. APM PMQ is a qualification that successful candidates can carry from one job to another or from one industry to another.

APMP for PRINCE2 Practitioners covers ten high level learning outcomes from the APM Body of Knowledge. Awareness of these is considered fundamental to the professional management of projects.
Please ensure that your PRINCE2 Practitioner qualification was obtained within the previous five years because older certificates do not permit entry into the two-hour exam.
It is also essential that you provide proof of your PRINCE2 Practitioner status such as your certificate, or candidate number which will be checked prior to you being allowed to sit the APM PMQ shortened examination.
By the end of The Projex Academy APM PMQ For PRINCE2 Practitioners, you will be able to:

• Understand all of the concepts, techniques and processes in the APM PMQ for PRINCE2 Practitioners syllabus
• Use practical skills and techniques to help further your career in project management
• Achieve the APM PMQ qualification, the UK’s leading project management qualification
• Project management
• Programme management
• Portfolio management
• Infrastructure
• Lifecycle
• Setting the Environment
• Operations management
• Interpersonal Skills
• Communication
• Conflict management
• Delegation
• Leadership
• Negotiation
• Teamwork
• Integrative Management
• Control
• Information management
• Organisation
• Planning
• Stakeholder management
• Scope Management
• Benefits management
• Requirements management
• Schedule Management
• Resource scheduling
• Time scheduling
• Financial and Cost Management
• Budgeting and cost control
• Investment appraisal
• Resource Management
• Contract
• Procurement
• Provider selection and management
• Health and safety
• Law

Who is The Projex Academy APM PMQ For PRINCE2 Practitioners for?

• Project Managers
• Team Managers
• Project Support members

Project Management Mastery focuses on practical project management skills. You’ll see how to apply proven techniques, templates and tools for each project phase presented in the course – initiating, defining and organizing, planning, tracking and managing and closing out.

You’ll learn a streamlined, flexible, step-by-step approach to managing projects of any size. By the end of the course, you will have acquired hands-on experience in producing and implementing a powerful project plan, including execution and control strategies.

The concepts and processes presented are reinforced through demonstrations, structured exercises and group laboratories. You’ll also have a chance to apply the concepts and processes to actual company projects or to a case study. Plus you’ll get a comprehensive Project Management Process Guide to take with you as a handy reference.

Your organization will benefit from:

• Organization-wide consistency of terminology and methodology for managing projects of varying size and complexity
• Systematic management of risk and change
• Cost-effectiveness as a result of learning project management best practices
• Enhanced ability to develop fact-based data for project decision making

Learn how to:

• Review and validate project objectives
• Establish a multi-functional project team
• Define the framework by which team members will work together
• Develop a work breakdown structure (WBS) and assign ownership to each task
• Produce a schedule that can be managed by critical path and float
• Refine estimates and finalize resource requirements
• Develop risk management plans
• Track, assess, and communicate project status
• Manage issues, changes, and additional risks
• Conduct close-out reviews and communicate key lessons learned