PRINCE2® 5th Edition Practitioner Certification

In 2017, AXELOS revised the PRINCE2 guidance and certification scheme. For more information on the latest version of the certification see our PRINCE2 6th edition certifications page.

PRINCE2 5th Edition Foundation and Practitoner exams are no longer available in Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Norwegian and Polish as PRINCE2 6th Edition has now been translated into these languages.

PRINCE2 5th Edition Foundation and Practitioner examinations can still be booked in the following languages:

• Chinese
• Czech
• Italian
• Japanese
• Romanian
• Russian
• Spanish
• Swedish
• Portuguese (Brazil)

PRINCE2 5th Edition Re-Registration examinations can still be booked in the following languages:

• Chinese
• Italian
• Spanish
• Swedish
• Portuguese (Brazil)

Typically classroom training for PRINCE2 Practitioner 5th Edition lasts one and a half days and the examination takes place at the end of the training (this will vary depending on training provider). However, you can self-study for the Practitioner exam and you may also choose to take the training in another format such as distance learning. Training is delivered by Axelos' Accredited Training Organizations who set their own rates, so prices will vary.

See our PRINCE2 Practitioner, 6th Edition page for more information about taking this version of the certification.

To take the PRINCE2 Practitioner examination you must provide proof of having passed one of the following:

• PRINCE2 5th Edition (Foundation or Practitioner)
• PRINCE2 6th Edition (Foundation)
• Project Management Qualification (PMQ)*
• Project Professional Qualification (PPQ)*
• Project Management Professional (PMP)**
• 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).***

For more information on which certifications are now recognized as approved prior learning for the PRINCE2 Practitioner certification, please refer to our guide:

Read the guide (PDF, 265KB).

*‘PMQ and PPQ’ are registered marks of the Association for Project Management

*‘PMQ’ is a registered mark of the Association for Project Management.

**'PMP and CAPM' are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

***‘IPMA Level A/B/C/D’ are registered trademarks of the International Project Management Association.

APM, PMI and IPMA are not affiliated with AXELOS, nor do they endorse any AXELOS qualifications.

Please ensure that before you book an exam where a prerequisite is required, that you hold verified proof of completion of that prerequisite (i.e. certificate, or letter from Axelos or former Examination Institute confirming you hold a current certification). Your examination results will be withheld until the correct prerequisite is provided to PeopleCert. If you are unable to provide the required prerequisite, then you will need to successfully complete the prerequisite before the higher-level exam result is released.

• Objective testing 
• Eight questions: 10 question items per question, each worth one mark
• 44 marks or more required to pass (out of 80 available): 55%
• Two-and-a-half hours’ (150 minutes) duration, no additional reading time
• Open book. Candidate may use a printed hard copy of the Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2® 2009 Edition. The manual may be annotated and tabulated but no sticky notes and loose leaf papers containing additional notes will be allowed.

Due to the impact of the coronavirus, from 13 April 2020 to 31 December 2021 individuals are now permitted to print PDFs for exams and use PDFs or official e-books on a second e-device (portable digital devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops) during open book exams.

See our PRINCE2 Practitioner 6th Edition page for more information about taking this version of the certification.

Your PRINCE2 5th Edition Practitioner certificate should be renewed within three to five calendar years of its issue date. To do this you can take a re-registration examination set at the same standard as the Practitioner examination.

The re-registration certification enables you to demonstrate your commitment to continuing professional development. It also demonstrates the value of your knowledge of PRINCE2 to employers, peers and colleagues. The re-registration examination comprises an exam paper set at the same standard as the Practitioner examination and is based on the 5th Edition PRINCE2 Manual.

• Objective testing
• Three questions: 10 items per question, each worth one mark
• 17 marks or more required to pass (out of 30 available): 55%
• One hour’s (60 minutes) duration, no additional reading time 
• Candidates may use the official printed hard copy of the Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2^® 5th Edition Edition guide. The manual may be annotated and tabulated but no sticky notes and loose leaf papers containing additional notes will be allowed.

During Open Book examinations you have the option to use your Official Core Guidance Paperback Book, if you have one, or your Official Core Guidance eBook. Learn more here.

Re-registration through MyAxelos is no longer available for PRINCE2 5th Edition.