PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation Certification is a professional certification offered by AXELOS, a global leader in best practice guidance and certification. This certification aims to confirm that an individual has a grasp of both PRINCE2® and agile methodologies and can effectively apply them to project management.
PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a commonly employed project management method offering a structure for handling projects, regardless of their size or complexity. It emphasizes a process-based approach to project management, offering guidance on project governance, planning, and control.
Agile methodologies, in contrast, are collaborative and iterative approaches to project management, giving priority to adaptability and responsiveness to evolving requirements. While frequently used in software development, these methodologies are also relevant to various other project types.
PRINCE2 Agile: Benefits
The PRINCE2 Agile certification offers several benefits to individuals and organizations, including:
- Increased Flexibility: PRINCE2 Agile combines the structure and governance of PRINCE2 with the flexibility and responsiveness of agile methodologies. This allows project teams to adapt to changing requirements and deliver projects more efficiently.
- Improved Collaboration: Agile methodologies emphasize collaboration between team members, stakeholders, and customers. PRINCE2 Agile encourages this collaboration by providing a framework for communication and decision-making.
- Enhanced Project Management Skills: By combining PRINCE2 and agile methodologies, individuals can gain a broader understanding of project management and develop skills in both traditional and agile approaches.
- Improved Career Opportunities: The PRINCE2 Agile certification is recognized globally and can lead to increased job opportunities and career advancement for individuals who hold the certification.
- Better Project Outcomes: PRINCE2 Agile offers a organized method to project management, assisting teams in delivering projects punctually, within budget, and meeting the desired quality standards.
- Competitive Advantage: Organizations that adopt PRINCE2 Agile methodologies can gain a competitive advantage by delivering projects more efficiently and effectively.
Overall, the PRINCE2 Agile certification offers a valuable combination of structure and flexibility that can help individuals and organizations to improve their project management processes and outcomes.
PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation Certification Exam Glossary
- Agile: An adaptable and iterative way of managing projects that highlights collaboration, responsiveness to change, and delivering value to the customer.
- Agilometer: A tool used to measure how agile a project is.
- Backlog: A prioritized list of features or tasks that need to be completed in a project.
- Burndown chart: A graphical representation of the remaining work in a project over time.
- Business case: A document that justifies the need for a project and outlines the benefits and costs.
- Daily stand-up: A short daily meeting where team members share updates on their progress, plans, and any obstacles they are facing.
- Definition of done: A mutual agreement on what defines the completion of a task or feature.
- Epics: Large pieces of work that are broken down into smaller, more manageable pieces called user stories.
- Iteration: A timeboxed period of work in an Agile project, typically 1-4 weeks.
- Kanban board: A visual tool used for managing the flow of work in a project.
- Minimum viable product (MVP): A version of a product that has just enough features to be released to customers for feedback.
- Product backlog: A prioritized list of all the features or tasks that need to be completed in a project.
- Product owner: The individual in charge of outlining and ranking the features of a product.
- Retrospective: A meeting held at the end of each iteration to reflect on what went well, what could be improved, and to make changes for the next iteration.
- Scrum: An Agile framework that emphasizes iterative and incremental development, with a focus on delivering working software at the end of each iteration.
- Scrum Master: The individual in charge of guiding the Scrum process and making sure the team adheres to Agile principles.
- Sprint: A timeboxed period of work in a Scrum project, typically 1-4 weeks.
- User story: A short, simple description of a feature or requirement from the perspective of the end user.
- Velocity: A gauge of the volume of work a team can finish in one iteration or sprint.
PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation Certification Exam Guide
Here are some resources for the PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation Certification Exam:
- AXELOS website – The official website of AXELOS, the organization that manages the PRINCE2 Agile® certification. This website contains information about the certification, as well as study resources and sample exams.
- PRINCE2 Agile® Handbook – This handbook is a comprehensive guide to PRINCE2 Agile®, covering all the concepts and principles you need to know for the certification exam.
- PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation Exam Study Guide – This study guide is a comprehensive resource that covers all the topics that are tested on the PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation Certification Exam.
- Online Training – This online training course is provided by AXELOS and covers all the topics you need to know for the certification exam.
PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation Certification Exam Tips and Tricks
This certification is widely recognized in project management, blending the effective practices of PRINCE2 and Agile methodologies. Here are some tips and tricks to assist you in passing the exam:
- Understand the PRINCE2 Framework: It is important to have a good understanding of the PRINCE2 framework and its components, such as principles, themes, and processes. This will help you to understand how PRINCE2 and Agile methodologies can work together.
- Learn the Agile Principles: Familiarize yourself with the Agile principles, values, and practices. This will help you to understand how Agile methodologies can be integrated into the PRINCE2 framework.
- Study the Exam Content: Make sure you know the exam content, including the exam format, number of questions, and time limit. This will help you to manage your time effectively during the exam.
- Practice with Sample Questions: Use sample questions to practice for the exam. This will help you get familiar with the exam structure and pinpointing areas where you can enhance your understanding.
- Attend a PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation Training Course: Attend a training course to get a better understanding of the PRINCE2 Agile® methodology and to learn about the exam content. This will also help you to prepare for the exam.
- Use Study Materials: Use study materials such as books, articles, and online resources to reinforce your knowledge and to improve your understanding of the PRINCE2 Agile® methodology.
- Take Breaks: It is important to take breaks during your study sessions to avoid burnout and to help you to retain information better.
- Stay Calm and Focused: In the exam, keep composed and concentrated. Carefully read the questions and respond to the best of your understanding. Avoid spending excessive time on any single question.
By following these tips and tricks, you can increase your chances of passing the PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation Certification exam. Good luck!
Prince2 Agile Foundation Exam Format
Prince2 Agile Foundation Questions are in Objective Test Questions (OTQs) format, in which there are four options from which one option is selected. For this exam, you will get one hour to complete 50 questions. This is a closed book exam for which you will have to score 55% to pass the exam. The exam can be given in English, German, Polish, and Dutch language. Also, Prince2 Agile Foundation Exam Cost is £245.
You must know that candidates taking the exam in a language that is not their native or working language may be awarded 25% extra time. So, they will 75 minutes in total.
Prince2 Agile Foundation Course Structure
For getting a better understanding of the exam, check out the Prince2 Agile Foundation Syllabus
1. Understand key concepts relating to projects and PRINCE2
1.1 Recalling the PRINCE2 principles:
- Firstly, continued business justification
- Learn from experience
- Thirdly, defined roles and responsibilities
- Manage by stages
- Then, manage by exception
- Focus on products
- Lastly, tailor to suit the project environment
1.2 Explaining the purpose of the PRINCE2 themes:
- Business case
- Organization
- After that, Quality
- Plans
- Risk
- Change
- Lastly, progress
1.3 Explaining the purpose of the PRINCE2 processes.
- Firstly, starting up a project
- Initiating a project
- Thirdly, directing a project
- Controlling a stage
- Then, managing product delivery
- Managing a stage boundary
- Lastly, closing a project
1.4 Explaining the purpose of the following PRINCE2 management products.
- Firstly, business case (A.2.1)
- Checkpoint report (A.3.1)
- Thirdly, highlight report (A.11.1)
- Project brief (A.19.1)
- After that, Project initiation documentation (A.20.1)
- Project product description (A.21.1)
- Lastly, the work package (A.26.1)
1.5 Explaining the responsibilities of the following PRINCE2 roles.
- Project board
- Executive
- Then, the Senior user
- Senior supplier
- Project manager
- Lastly, team manager
2. Understanding key concepts for projects and PRINCE2 Agile
2.1 Explaining how PRINCE2 Agile is used in a project context. And, also explaining the difference between projects and business as usual (BAU).
2.2 Recalling which agile ways of working are suitable for use with PRINCE2 Agile.
- Kanban
- Lean startup
- Scrum
2.3 Describing the need to ‘blend and weave’ PRINCE2 with agile at all levels of a project (project direction, project management and product delivery). Also including the eight guidance points.
2.4 Explaining the roles and responsibilities of the PRINCE2 Agile delivery team.
- Firstly, customer subject matter expert
- Customer representative
- Then, supplier subject matter expert
- Supplier representative
3. Understanding how PRINCE2 principles, themes, processes and management products are applied in an agile context
3.1 Explaining how the PRINCE2 principles will be applied in an agile context.
- Firstly, continued business justification
- Learn from experience
- Thirdly, defined roles and responsibilities
- Manage by stages
- Manage by exception
- Focus on products
- Lastly, tailor to suit the project environment
3.2 Explaining the PRINCE2 Agile behaviours.
- Transparency
- Collaboration
- Thirdly, rich communication
- Self-organization
- Lastly, exploration
3.3 Explaining the PRINCE2 Agile guidance for each theme.
- Firstly, business case
- Organization
- Thirdly, quality
- Plans
- Risk
- Change
- Lastly, progress
3.4 Explaining the PRINCE2 Agile guidance for each process.
- Starting up a project
- Initiating a project
- Thirdly, directing a project
- Controlling a stage
- Managing product delivery
- Managing a stage boundary
- Lastly, closing a project
3.5 Explaining the PRINCE2 Agile guidance for tailoring the following PRINCE2 management products.
- Firstly, business case
- Checkpoint report
- Highlight report
- Then, project brief
- Project initiation documentation
- After that, project product description
- Work package
3.6 Explaining what to fix and what to flex, including setting tolerances and the five targets.
- Fix and flex tolerances
- Be on time and hitting deadlines
- Then, protect the level of quality
- Embrace change
- Keep teams stable
- Lastly, accept that the customer doesn’t need everything
4. Understanding the agile ways of working, key terms and techniques.
4.1 Recalling the definition of the following agile terms.
- Firstly, backlog (sprint, release & product)
- Benefit (value)
- Epic
- Then, information radiator
- Spike
- Stand up meeting
- After that, timebox (sprint, release)
- Velocity
- Lastly, waterfall methodology
4.2 Explaining key Agile concepts and techniques.
- Firstly, scrum
- Lean Startup (incl. MVP)
- Retrospectives
- Then, user stories (incl. Definition of ‘ready’ and ‘done’)
- Workshops
- Burn charts
- Agile Estimation (points and T-Shirt sizing)
- Lastly, working Agreements
5. Understand the focus areas in an agile context
5.1 Explaining the PRINCE2 Agile focus areas.
- Agilometer
- Requirements
- Rich communication
- Frequent releases
Now, moving on, in the next coming sections we will talk about the essential learning resources and ways that can help you in having a good preparation for the exam.
AXELOS: Learning Resources
For the PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation Certification exam, Axelos provides PRINCE2 Agile® Guidance which supports the PRINCE2 Agile certification. We’ve explored PRINCE2 Agile earlier and grasped its significance. It’s the latest and most applicable perspective on agile project management methods, encompassing a broad spectrum of agile concepts like SCRUM, Kanban, and Lean Startup. Now, let’s delve into the essential features of the PRINCE2 Agile Foundation Study Guide.
Key features
PRINCE2 Agile guide covers:
- Firstly, tailoring the integrated set of PRINCE2 principles, themes, and processes
- Secondly, the process of producing the PRINCE2 management products
- Thirdly, techniques to map the common agile roles to the PRINCE2 project management team structure
- Lastly, the process of incorporating the fundamental agile behaviors, concepts, and techniques into PRINCE2.
Things you must know:
Firstly, the strength of PRINCE2 is in the areas of project direction and project management. Whereas agile on the other hand has a very strong focus on product delivery. However, when PRINCE2 and agile are combined together. Then, project direction, project management, and project delivery are all optimized for creating the world’s most complete project management solution.
PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation: Practice Tests
Prince2 Agile® Foundation Practice Exams play an essential part while preparing for the exam. This is because assessing yourself will help you know about your strength and weakness. Moreover, this will also improve your answering and time management skills. But, what’s important here is to get the best available practice tests. There are many sources out there where you can get the Practice tests related to the PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation exam. Related to this, practice tests provided by Testprep Training provide a detailed review of your performance, especially your strengths and your weak areas. Further, for the PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation exam, Testprep Training also provides you with:
- Firstly, full-length mock exams with 150 unique questions.
- Secondly, they provide objective-based questions based on the exam course outline.
- Thirdly, a detailed explanation for every question.
- Lastly, lifetime access to the practice tests.
Expert’s Corner
PRINCE2 Agile has the title of most complete agile project management solution globally for providing the flexibility and responsibility of agile with PRINCE2. So, holding PRINCE2 Agile® Foundation Certification itself increases your level in the market as a project manager. This will provide clarity about PRINCE2 governance requirements clearly as well as the interface between PRINCE2 and agile ways of working. So, if you are an agile professional, project manager, or someone with an interest in projects then, this is the key to moving onto the advanced level. For exam preparation, you can take help from accredited training providers for getting assistance and by using sample tests to assess yourself. At last, get yourself prepared, gain practical experience in the project management areas and pass the exam.
