PRINCE2 7 Practitioner: the 10 traps I see people fall into most
Edit: Foundation version is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Prince2/s/7AeyxAAUQa
A few people asked for a Practitioner version of my Foundation post last week, so here it is. Same idea: I write practice questions, I see which wrong answers get picked, and it's mostly the same mistakes every time.
The basics: 70 scenario-based questions, 150 minutes, open book (official PRINCE2 7 manual only), and you need 42 right (60%) to pass. That's just over two minutes per question, which sounds like plenty until you start looking things up. As with Foundation, you can ask for 25% extra time if English isn't your first language.
- Treating open book as a safety net
This is the big one. People who fail Practitioner usually know enough PRINCE2, they just run out of time flicking through the manual. If you have to look up more than one question in three, you're in trouble. Use the manual to confirm, not to learn.
- Not preparing your manual
Related to the first one. You can use the official printed manual or the official eBook, but not a printout or a copy. In the printed book, highlighting, handwritten notes and index tabs are generally fine, while loose sheets and sticky notes are not. The proctor will ask you to flick through the book on camera before you start. So mark it up properly while you study, and do your mocks with that same copy so you know where things are. Rules and proctors can differ, so check PeopleCert's current candidate guidelines before exam day.
- Picking an answer that's true but doesn't answer the question
Several options are often correct PRINCE2 statements. Only one of them fits this scenario and this question. Before you pick, ask yourself: does this actually solve what's being asked?
- Ignoring the extra information in the question
Some questions add a detail that changes the situation compared to the main scenario. Easy to miss when you're tired, and it's usually the whole point of the question.
- Choosing "maximum PRINCE2"
The answer with the most documents, meetings and formal approvals is often wrong. For a small or low-risk project the right answer is usually the tailored, lighter option. The exam checks whether you apply the method sensibly, not whether you apply all of it.
- Escalating everything
This is the flip side of the Foundation trap. At Practitioner level, if something is within tolerance, the Project Manager deals with it. Only a forecast breach of tolerance goes to the Project Board. Escalating a within tolerance problem is a wrong answer.
- Mixing up similar management products
Daily log vs issue register, lessons log vs lessons report, business case vs benefits management approach. At Foundation you only needed to recognise them. Here you need to know which one fits the situation in the scenario.
- Forgetting who approves what
Only the Project Board approves stage plans, exception plans and project closure. Work packages are agreed between the Project Manager and the Team Manager. Wrong approver = wrong answer, even if the action itself is right.
- Skipping the new parts of PRINCE2 7
People, sustainability and the digital and data management approach are new in this edition. Plenty of people study mainly the familiar practices and processes and then get caught out.
- Re-reading the whole scenario every time
Read the scenario properly once at the start and get the key facts into your head: project size, roles, what's gone wrong. Then for each question, go back only to the part you need.
What worked best for the people I've talked to: do at least two full mocks under real conditions, 150 minutes, manual only, no pausing. The first one is usually a shock on timing, and the second shows you whether you've fixed it.
Happy to answer questions here or by DM if you're preparing for it.