PRINCE2® (7th Edition) Foundation with Foundation Exam

This PRINCE2 Project Management Foundation course, also known as PRINCE2 Foundation, explains how the method supports successful project delivery from the initial idea through to closure. You will understand how the principles, people, practices, and processes connect, rather than learning them as separate topics.

You will learn how PRINCE2 helps teams maintain business justification, define responsibilities, manage by stages, control risks and issues, focus on products, monitor progress, and tailor the method to suit the project. These are practical tools that can help you understand how to manage a project effectively and contribute to effective project management.

PRINCE2 terminology gives project professionals a shared language for roles, decisions, controls, products, and reports. The included exam simulator and mock exam activities help reinforce this terminology and allow you to work through sample questions before the real exam.

PRINCE2® Project Management Foundation syllabus

Module 1: Key project management concepts

This module introduces the core ideas behind projects and PRINCE2 Project Management. It explains what makes a project different from business as usual and why structured management is important.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand what makes a project different from business as usual
• Recognise the purpose of project management
• Understand the structure of the PRINCE2 method
• Learn key PRINCE2 terminology
• Recognise how PRINCE2 can support project success
• Understand why the method can be adapted to different project environments

Module 2: PRINCE2 principles

The seven principles are guiding requirements that help ensure a project is managed using PRINCE2. They shape decisions throughout the project and help teams apply the method consistently.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand continued business justification
• Recognise the value of learning from experience
• Understand defined roles, responsibilities, and relationships
• Explain how managing by stages supports control
• Understand how managing by exception supports decision-making
• Recognise the importance of focusing on products
• Understand how PRINCE2 is tailored to suit the project

Module 3: People in successful projects

This module explains why people are central to project success. It covers the relationships between the project team, stakeholders, leadership, communication, and change.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand why people are central to project success
• Recognise how project teams work with stakeholders
• Understand the importance of communication
• Explain how collaboration supports delivery
• Recognise how leadership and change influence project outcomes
• Understand how stakeholder engagement can affect project performance

Module 4: PRINCE2 practices

The seven practices are management areas that must be considered throughout a PRINCE2 project. They cover the business case, organisation, plans, quality, risk, issues, and progress.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand the purpose of the business case practice
• Recognise how organising defines roles and responsibilities
• Understand how plans support delivery and control
• Explain how quality control supports agreed product standards
• Understand how risk is identified, assessed, and controlled
• Recognise why risks and issues should be addressed continuously
• Understand how a suitable response or backup plan can support risk control
• Understand how progress tracking and reporting improve visibility

Module 5: PRINCE2 processes

The seven processes describe how a PRINCE2 project moves from start-up and initiation through delivery, stage control, and closure. Together, they show which activities and decisions take place at each point in the project lifecycle.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand how to start up a project
• Explain how a project is directed
• Understand how a project is initiated
• Recognise how stages are controlled
• Understand how product delivery is managed
• Explain how a stage boundary is managed
• Understand how a project is closed

Module 6: Governance and control

This module focuses on how PRINCE2 supports clear governance and project control. You will learn how structured decision-making, tolerances, reporting, and accountability help keep work aligned with agreed objectives.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand how governance can support project success
• Recognise how decision-making is structured
• Explain how tolerances are used
• Understand how reporting supports visibility
• Recognise how project controls keep work aligned with objectives
• Understand how PRINCE2 supports accountability

Module 7: Sustainability, digital and data management

This module covers areas that reflect modern project environments. It explains how sustainability, digital tools, reliable information, and data management can influence decisions and delivery.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand how sustainability can affect project performance
• Recognise why environmental and social factors may influence decisions
• Understand how digital tools and data support project delivery
• Explain how reliable information supports better decision-making
• Recognise how modern tools can support communication and control
• Understand why projects need to adapt to changing working environments

Module 8: Tailoring PRINCE2

This module explains how PRINCE2 can be adjusted to suit the size, complexity, sector, and needs of a project. Tailoring helps keep the method practical without removing the controls that support managing successful projects.

Learning outcomes:

• Understand why tailoring is important
• Recognise how project size and complexity affect application
• Understand how PRINCE2 can be adjusted for different sectors
• Explain how tailoring supports practical delivery
• Recognise how to keep the method useful without overcomplicating it
• Understand how tailored project management can support better outcomes

You can work through these modules flexibly before using the included preparation resources to get ready for your Foundation exam.

This foundation e-learning course is delivered fully online through our interactive eLearning platform. It takes approximately 12 hours to complete, and you receive 12 months of online course access.

You can log in when it suits you, complete the modules step by step, and revisit lessons whenever you need a refresher. The flexible e-learning format lets you organise your study around work, family, or other commitments.

Your resources include the official manual, process map, online course content, exam simulator, and mock exam activities for structured exam preparation. The simulator allows you to practise the exam format and review your understanding using sample questions. These activities work like sample exams, helping you manage your time and approach your first attempt with a clearer idea of what to expect.

The PRINCE2 Foundation exam confirms that you understand the method and its terminology well enough to work as an informed member of a project management team.

• Exam format: Multiple-choice
• Question types: Standard, missing word, list, and negative questions
• Number of questions: 60 multiple-choice questions
• Marks available: 60
• Required pass mark: 36 out of 60, or 60%
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Open or closed book: Closed book
• Materials allowed: None
• Exam delivery: Online via remote proctor

The Foundation exam is included in the course price, so you do not need to purchase a separate exam voucher. You have 12 months from the purchase date to schedule and take the assessment.

If you take the exam in a language that is not your native or primary working language, you may be eligible for additional time. You must also check that your device and testing environment meet the official requirements before booking or sitting the exam.

Passing Foundation allows you to progress to PRINCE2 Practitioner. Practitioner training develops your ability to apply and tailor the method to practical scenarios and real-world projects.

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