There
are two popular Project Management Certifications world-wide – one is PMP while
the other one is PRINCE2. They have
certifications called Project Management Professional , called PMP in short, conducted by PMI and PRINCE2 delivered by Axelos.
These
two certifications are equally reputed and accepted across the globe. In this
article we will compare the two certifications. Before that let us understand
what they are.
PMP (Project
Management Professional)
PMP
certification is not restricted to any particular industry but it covers
all concepts of Project Management which are applicable across projects. Thus
people can leverage PMP irrespective of their industry background.
PMP gives you knowledge and skills which are necessary for successful project
management and delivery.
PRINCE
2 (Projects IN Controlled Environments)
Owned
by UK's Cabinet Office, PRINCE2 is the project management methodology
which was designed for various projects of the UK government.
Presently it is owned by a new joint venture company called AXELOS based in
UK.
It
consists of 3 stages of certification:
1.
Foundation Course (It is basic level and easy to pass)
2.
PRINCE2 Practitioner (moderate level )
3.
PRINCE2 Professional (It is expert level)
One
needs to pass the Foundation level certification before one can do the
Practitioner level certification. It is not uncommon for individuals to do both
the levels at the same time.
Some
people believe that PMP is more oriented towards service sector projects while
PRINCE2 is more aligned towards manufacturing and industrial sectors. They
insist that the methodologies should be applied to their industries only to be
more effective.
Based
on usage of the methodologies, we find that PMP is generally used by American
companies for their projects. These companies utilize PMP certified project
managers to deliver their projects across the world or geography.
Prince2
on the other hand is primarily used in UK and Europe. Besides, it is also used
in other colonial countries of UK like Canada, Australia and parts of
Middle-East and Asia. Often, Aid agencies of UK and Europe undertake projects
in developing countries and insist on PRINCE2 certified Project Managers.
So
whenever an individual wants to get certified in Project Management they are
unsure of which certification to follow. One way to decide is to check the
geography in which the person will deliver projects. Based on the company and
the geography, they can choose the appropriate certification.
While
both the certifications are comparable and acceptable, one should remember that
PMP Certification is equivalent to PRINCE2 practitioner level only. We also
find that there are individuals who have done both the certifications. However,
it is not necessary to do both – as both of them are equivalent. On the other
hand we find several talented individuals who do not have either of these
certifications but are experts in Project Management.
As
far as differences among the exams go, PMP examination is conducted in Online
Mode only while PRINCE2 is available in Online and Paper exam modes. Some
individuals are more comfortable with paper exams and hence they often choose
PRINCE2 for their certifications. PMP exams are multiple choice questions while
the Prince2 foundation is fully multiple choice while Practitioner exam is
scenario based and more elaborate.
If
one wish to focus on a career as a Project Manager then it is better to go for
certification – which one to do should be driven by the geography in which they
operate.
Disclaimer:
PaliumSkills offers training on PRINCE2 and PMP Certification to individuals and
corporates. Our experienced team of Project Management professionals guides
individuals through the certification process.
Palium
also conducts trainings on demand to meet specific needs of customer. In course
of training participants learn and understand concepts from knowledgeable
trainers which help them to implement them at their workplace.
This article is written by Abhijoy
Mitra. The views shared are those of the individual and he has no connection to
any coaching centers or teaching faculties.
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