Passing the PRINCE2 Exams For Dummies

355 Pages·2013·8.285 MB·English

by  Nick Graham

P a s s i n g t h e
P R I N C E 2®
E x a m s
FOR

DUMmIES‰
by Nick Graham
A John Wiley and Sons, Ltd, Publication
Passing the PRINCE2® Exams For Dummies®
Published by:
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
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Southern Gate
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ISBN 978-1-118-34965-6 (paperback); ISBN 978-1-118-34962-5 (ebk);
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Printed in Great Britain by TJ International Ltd
Contents at a Glance
Introduction ............................................................................1
Part I: Explaining the Exams .....................................................5
Chapter 1: Understanding the PRINCE2 Exams ................................................................................7
Chapter 2: Revising and Preparing for the Exams ..........................................................................21
Chapter 3: Dealing with Disappointment .........................................................................................45
Part II: Revising the Processes ................................................53
Chapter 4: Starting Up a Project .......................................................................................................55
Chapter 5: Directing a Project ...........................................................................................................71
Chapter 6: Initiating a Project ...........................................................................................................87
Chapter 7: Controlling a Stage.........................................................................................................101
Chapter 8: Managing Product Delivery ..........................................................................................117
Chapter 9: Managing a Stage Boundary .........................................................................................133
Chapter 10: Closing a Project ..........................................................................................................147
Part III: Revising the Themes ................................................161
Chapter 11: Business Case ...............................................................................................................163
Chapter 12: Organization .................................................................................................................179
Chapter 13: Quality ...........................................................................................................................195
Chapter 14: Plans ..............................................................................................................................209
Chapter 15: Risk ................................................................................................................................227
Chapter 16: Change...........................................................................................................................243
Chapter 17: Progress ........................................................................................................................259
Part IV: Revising the Method as a Whole ...............................271
Chapter 18: Revising the Management Products ..........................................................................273
Chapter 19: Knowing How PRINCE2 Fits Together .......................................................................289
Part V: The Part of Tens .......................................................305
Chapter 20: Ten Things for Your Revision ....................................................................................307
Chapter 21: Ten Things to Remember Before Taking an Exam ..................................................311
Chapter 22: Ten Points To Be Clear About On Products .............................................................315
Index ..................................................................................323

Table of Contents
Introduction .............................................................................1
About This Book .................................................................................................................1
What You’ll Need Alongside This Book ...........................................................................2
The manual and PRINCE2 For Dummies ................................................................2
The official practice papers .....................................................................................2
Foolish Assumptions ..........................................................................................................3
How This Book Is Organised .............................................................................................3
Part I: Explaining the Exams ....................................................................................3
Part II: Revising the Processes ................................................................................3
Part III: Revising the Themes ...................................................................................3
Part IV: Revising the Method As a Whole ..............................................................4
Part V: The Part of Tens ...........................................................................................4
Icons Used in This Book ....................................................................................................4
Where to Go from Here ......................................................................................................4
Part I: Explaining the Exams .....................................................5
Chapter 1: Understanding the PRINCE2 Exams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Grasping the Exam Basics .................................................................................................7
Taking exams on a training course – or not ..........................................................8
Taking exams at a public centre .............................................................................9
Unlocking Exam Success ...................................................................................................9
Understanding the Exams and Levels ............................................................................10
Understanding the Foundation exam ...................................................................11
Going on to Practitioner.........................................................................................12
Understanding the Practitioner Exam ..................................................................13
Understanding the Re-registration exam .............................................................16
Managing Exam Nerves ....................................................................................................17
Handling Special Requirements ......................................................................................18
Taking the exams in your second language ........................................................18
Taking the exams if you’re dyslexic .....................................................................18
Dealing with special physical needs .....................................................................19
Applying for special provision ..............................................................................19
Having a problem on the day ................................................................................20
Chapter 2: Revising and Preparing for the Exams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Planning Your Revision ....................................................................................................21
Putting Time Aside for Revision .....................................................................................22
Keeping your evenings free during a course .......................................................22
Keeping your days free during a course ..............................................................23
Including revision in distance learning ................................................................24
Calculating the revision time you need ...............................................................24
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Passing the PRINCE2 Exams For Dummies
Preparing for the Exams ..................................................................................................25
Gearing Up for the Foundation Exam .............................................................................26
Marking up your answers ......................................................................................26
Understanding the Foundation question style....................................................26
Writing on the question paper ..............................................................................27
Developing a strategy for Foundation ..................................................................27
Gearing Up for the Practitioner Exam ............................................................................32
Understanding the meaning of ‘open book’ ........................................................32
Marking up your answers ......................................................................................33
Developing a strategy for Practitioner .................................................................33
Getting to grips with Practitioner question styles .............................................36
The Practitioner Scenario For This Book ......................................................................42
Preparing the new business unit ..........................................................................42
Chapter 3: Dealing with Disappointment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Handling Failure ................................................................................................................45
Putting the exams in context .................................................................................45
Having a bad time with a Foundation paper .......................................................46
Looking forward, not back .....................................................................................47
Finding Out What Went Wrong .......................................................................................47
Finding holes in your knowledge ..........................................................................48
Finding holes in your understanding ...................................................................49
Hitting difficulties with question styles ...............................................................49
Timing out ................................................................................................................49
Struggling With Exam Nerves ..........................................................................................50
Deciding About a Re-take .................................................................................................51
Preparing for the Next Shot .............................................................................................51
Getting the Right Mindset ................................................................................................52
Part II: Revising the Processes ................................................53
Chapter 4: Starting Up a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Getting to Grips With the Process Model ......................................................................55
Revising the Start Up Process .........................................................................................56
Revision checklist – Foundation ...........................................................................56
Revision checklist – Practitioner ..........................................................................56
Clarifying Some Key Points .............................................................................................57
Getting an overview of Starting Up a Project ......................................................57
Going fast with Start Up .........................................................................................57
Being clear that Start Up isn’t a stage ..................................................................58
Knowing your brief from your PID ........................................................................58
Understanding nesting – the brief as a folder .....................................................59
Being clear on roles and job descriptions ...........................................................59
Practising With Some Questions ....................................................................................59
Foundation-level questions ...................................................................................60
Practitioner-level questions ..................................................................................62
Answers to the Foundation-level questions ........................................................67
Answers to the Practitioner-level questions .......................................................68
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Table of Contents
Chapter 5: Directing a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Revising the Directing a Project Process ......................................................................71
Revision checklist – Foundation ...........................................................................72
Revision checklist – Practitioner ..........................................................................72
Clarifying Some Key Points .............................................................................................73
Understanding that boards manage, not do........................................................73
Focusing on decision making ................................................................................73
Seeing where the process kicks in ........................................................................74
Wondering what an Exception Assessment is ....................................................75
Seeing the integration of exception management ..............................................75
Practising With Some Questions ....................................................................................76
Foundation-level questions ...................................................................................76
Practitioner-level questions ..................................................................................79
Answers to the Foundation-level questions ........................................................83
Answers to the Practitioner-level questions .......................................................84
Chapter 6: Initiating a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Revising the Initiation Process .......................................................................................87
Revision checklist – Foundation ...........................................................................88
Revision checklist – Practitioner ..........................................................................88
Clarifying Some Key Points .............................................................................................89
Getting an overview of Initiating a Project ..........................................................89
Understanding the process and the stage ...........................................................89
Knowing why feasibility isn’t Initiation ................................................................90
Seeing how the PID fits with other products .......................................................90
Appreciating the full use of the PID ......................................................................91
Getting clear on the Benefits Review Plan ...........................................................91
Practising With Some Questions ....................................................................................92
Foundation-level questions ...................................................................................93
Practitioner-level questions ..................................................................................95
Answers to the Foundation-level questions ........................................................98
Answers to the Practitioner-level questions .......................................................99
Chapter 7: Controlling a Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Revising the Controlling a Stage Process ....................................................................101
Revision checklist – Foundation .........................................................................102
Revision checklist – Practitioner ........................................................................103
Clarifying Some Key Points ...........................................................................................104
Understanding Work Packages ...........................................................................104
Getting to grips with exception management ...................................................104
Being clear on when to escalate and when not to ............................................105
Appreciating the extent of the stage status review ..........................................105
Handling issues and risks ....................................................................................106
Practising With Some Questions ..................................................................................106
Foundation-level questions .................................................................................107
Practitioner-level questions ................................................................................110
Answers to the Foundation-level questions ......................................................113
Answers to the Practitioner-level questions .....................................................114
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Passing the PRINCE2 Exams For Dummies
Chapter 8: Managing Product Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Revising the Managing Product Delivery Process ......................................................117
Revision checklist – Foundation .........................................................................118
Revision checklist – Practitioner ........................................................................119
Clarifying Some Key Points ...........................................................................................119
Understanding who runs the process ................................................................120
Seeing when to produce a Team Plan ................................................................120
Understanding the exception cascade ...............................................................120
Looping the loop with teamwork ........................................................................121
Practising With Some Questions ..................................................................................121
Foundation-level questions .................................................................................122
Practitioner-level questions ................................................................................125
Answers to the Practitioner-level questions .....................................................130
Chapter 9: Managing a Stage Boundary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Revising the Managing a Stage Boundary Process .....................................................134
Revision checklist – Foundation .........................................................................135
Revision checklist – Practitioner ........................................................................135
Clarifying Some Key Points ...........................................................................................136
Understanding the two triggers ..........................................................................136
Seeing why exception doesn’t always need the stage boundary process .....136
Knowing what gets created and what gets updated ........................................137
Practising With Some Questions ..................................................................................137
Foundation-level questions .................................................................................138
Practitioner-level questions ................................................................................141
Answers to the Foundation-level questions ......................................................145
Answers to the Practitioner-level questions .....................................................145
Chapter 10: Closing a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Revising the Closure Process ........................................................................................147
Revision checklist – Foundation .........................................................................147
Revision checklist – Practitioner ........................................................................148
Clarifying Some Key Points ...........................................................................................149
Having a closure stage . . . or not ........................................................................149
Understanding follow-on actions ........................................................................149
Seeing why benefits reviews can come later .....................................................150
Updating the Benefits Review Plan .....................................................................150
Practising With Some Questions ..................................................................................150
Foundation-level questions .................................................................................151
Practitioner-level questions ................................................................................154
Answers to the Foundation-level questions .....................................................157
Answers to the Practitioner-level questions .....................................................158