Learning from My Own Mistakes: A PRINCE2 Trainer’s Exam Experience

by Dave  - January 27, 2025

How My PRINCE2 Exam Taught Me Valuable Lessons

As an Accredited PRINCE2 7 Trainer, I too, had to take and pass (at a much higher pass mark obviously) the Practitioner exam.

This experience reminded me of the many changes made from the old 6th edition (2017), and the new PRINCE2 7th Edition.

Although the student will recognise many parts of the new method from previous additions, there are nevertheless many changes.

I know this from first experience as it took me nearly six months to completely redesign our flagship self-study PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner Masterclass training course.

So, this blog is all about my first-hand experience of retaking the exam along with tips and advice for the key sections within the new PRINCE2 7 Official Guide/Manual.

First, I will give you I set of slide graphics that set the scene for a successful exam pass, and then I will give you a set of tips to get a great score in YOUR exam – and a well-deserved pass of course!

Learning from My Own Mistakes: A PRINCE2 Trainer's Exam Experience
Learning from My Own Mistakes: A PRINCE2 Trainer's Exam Experience
Learning from My Own Mistakes: A PRINCE2 Trainer's Exam Experience
Learning from My Own Mistakes: A PRINCE2 Trainer's Exam Experience
Learning from My Own Mistakes: A PRINCE2 Trainer's Exam Experience
Learning from My Own Mistakes: A PRINCE2 Trainer's Exam Experience
Learning from My Own Mistakes: A PRINCE2 Trainer's Exam Experience
Learning from My Own Mistakes: A PRINCE2 Trainer's Exam Experience
Learning from My Own Mistakes: A PRINCE2 Trainer's Exam Experience

Here we go:

What I learnt from my PRINCE2 7 Exam

Use my “dummy Answer” approach when answering the regular 4 answer option questions as there will be an answer which is correct in and of itself but does not answer the question.

Learning from My Own Mistakes: A PRINCE2 Trainer's Exam Experience


There are two matching question types:

Type 1

Here, you will have 3 questions within a rectangle. On the left-hand side each question contains a statement of information. On the right-hand side you will have several answer options in alphabetical order. Each question will need to be aligned with one of the answers.

Type 2

This consists of four answer options labelled A, B, C, D. The first two are “yes” answers, and the final two are “no” answers. Only one of the option answers is correct.

PRINCE2 standard practitioner question

The question can take several forms for example:

  • which principle is being applied and why?
  • How well does this apply to a given principle?
  • is this an appropriate application?
  • is this an appropriate way?
  • how should the project manager BEST respond?
PRINCE2 matching practitioner question

PRINCE2 7th edition practitioner exam pass tips

You can bring blank sheets of paper into the exam with you. From the scenario, draw the timeline with stages as this can help you when setting a question within context. For example, a question may talk about stage 3.

If this is the final stage in the scenario then you would know for example that the closing a project process would be used.

The people element

This is new and I recommend that you read all 15 pages from the official guide. Understand the structure and the content of all of the management products within this section.

PRINCE2 Principles

Read all 9 pages in the official guide as there is new information and some principles have been renamed. There are many exam questions on the principles so be clear about the differences between, say, manage by stages and manage by exception.

Sustainability

This is a new topic and relates to the 17 United Nations goals covering environmental, social, and governance areas. Sustainability has also been added as a seventh performance metric and a seventh tolerance.

PRINCE2 7 
sustainability goals

These sustainability targets are included with within the business case management product.

Scenario examples

Sprinkled throughout the official guide are helpful examples Contained within each of the 7 practices (formerly called themes).

PRINCE2 7 Scenario example

You can easily spot them as they are contained within a separate text box and labelled Scenario: Read each of these as they can help you learn how to tailor the PRINCE2 7 method.

The Issues Practice

This is new and used to be called the change theme. However, this practice correctly refers to issues which can be positive or negative, of which, changes such as requests for change or off specifications, form a subset.

Make sure you are familiar with the structure and content of each issues practise management product.

PRINCE2 Process RACI Tables

Lookout for questions such as “who is responsible?”, or “who needs to be advised?”, or “Who else needs to be told?” Because of such a general question, the answer options may not be obvious.

However, the examiner is normally relating to what can be found within the new RACI table relevant process.

PRINCE2 7 RACI Table example

For example if a question states “who else would you want to advise when requesting project authorization?”, then checking the RACI table (above) for those who need to be Informed (such as project support), will give you the answer.

PRINCE2 7 Product Descriptions

These now have different content, and you will want to make yourself familiar with them.

For example, each now contains quality specifications, and you want to be familiar with functional specifications (how to perform, what it must do), and non-functional specifications (how it does it, and product characteristics).

The 7 PRINCE2 7 Processes

Although these have not changed in terms of their names, there are some different activities to learn and new sections. Make yourself familiar with the activities within each as some of these have changed, and pay attention to bulleted sections such as “Recommendations for the project manager”, and “Application of the practises to this process”

For an easy high-level view of the new PRINCE2 7th Edition Processes and key management products – do check out my PRINCE2 7 Roadmap graphic and tuition video

PRINCE2 7th Edition Process and products roadmap

The 7 PRINCE2 Practices

In particular make sure you read the new “focus on key roles for the practise”, and “key relationships with principles” sections, as there are many exam questions on these.

The Project Log

This is a new log, and you will want to become familiar with its content consisting of logs and registers.

Be aware that it is set up in the starting up a project process, where only the lessons log and daily log are used.

The rest of the project log contents are set up in the initiating a project process and consists of the issue, product, quality, and risk registers.

The Risk Practice

Although much of this remains the same, there are new sections particularly on rish techniques.

Risk questions are often got wrong because the student was not familiar with the application of risk responses.

There are seven of these to learn, so ensure if say a response is written out as a sentence you were able to spot which response it relates to.

Remember the differences between a risk and an issue. A risk Is something that has yet to happen, whereas an issue has already happened. Watch out for the use of future or past tense when used in questions to help choose the correct answer.

Learn the management products (as in all practises), and the typical content of each. Also review and understand the management products contained within appendix A off the official guide.

The most common exam failure

The most common feedback error from a question by the examiner is normally “does not answer the question”, or “does not answer why the question ……” As always, take time to read the question details and look for the answer that directly addresses the question.

Projex Academy PRINCE2 7 Foundation and Practitioner Masterclass

Our new self-study master class training course is unique in that it contains our powerful process and product road map videos, and each of the 18 modules consists of typically 10 video lessons insuring you get to learn the PRINCE2 7 method easy bite sized chunks.

Projex Academy PRINCE2 7th Edition Masterclass

Accompanying each module is a detailed handbook which includes relevant workshop exercises to test your understanding, and foundation and practitioner exam sample questions on those topics. You also get the correct answer for each question along with its rationale.

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FREE training Courses

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What does it take to become a PRINCE2 7 trainer?
Why the PRINCE2 7th edition Foundation exam may be all you need

Dave

David spent 25 years as a senior project manager for USA multinationals, and has deep experience in project management. He now develops a wide range of project-related streaming video training products under the Masterclass brand name. In addition, David runs project management training seminars across the world, and is a prolific writer on the many topics of project management.

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