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27 different·4 in common
🧭 Overview
Certifying body≠ differs
PMI
PeopleCert / AXELOS
Focus≠ differs
PMI's certification for agile practitioners across frameworks.
The application-level PRINCE2 certification — apply the method to a scenario.
Best suited for≠ differs
Practitioners with agile team experience (1–2 yrs)
Practising PMs in PRINCE2 markets
Pass mark≠ differs
Proficiency bands (no fixed %)
55%
Difficulty= same
3 / 5
3 / 5
Open book≠ differs
No
Yes
🚀 Career & roles
Career prospects≠ differs
PMI's agile credential spanning Scrum, Kanban, Lean and XP — suits practitioners in agile delivery who want a broad, framework-agnostic agile cert.
Proves you can apply and tailor PRINCE2 to a real project. Frequently mandatory for PM roles in UK/EU and in government tenders.
Post-certification roles≠ differs
Agile PM · Scrum Master · Agile Coach · Delivery Lead · Product Owner
Project Manager · Senior PM · Programme Office · Delivery Manager
Demand trend≠ differs
Growing — agile delivery roles in demand
Stable — often mandated in UK/EU/gov job specs
Typical salary≠ differs
Comparable to other agile certs; strongest when paired with PMP
Strong in UK/EU; comparable to PMP within those regions
🌍 Recognition & market
Recognition≠ differs
PMI (USA) · recognised worldwide · broader than single-framework certs
AXELOS / PeopleCert · highly recognised across the UK/Commonwealth
Popular in≠ differs
USA, Europe, India, ANZ
UK, Europe, Australia, Middle East, Africa
Companies hiring≠ differs
Product companies, IT services, digital & consulting
Government, consulting, public sector, enterprises
Industry verticals≠ differs
IT/software, fintech, telecom, digital
Public sector, IT, construction, finance, utilities
Tech horizontals≠ differs
Software delivery, product, cloud/DevOps teams
Method-agnostic; enterprise & government delivery
📝 Exam format
Questions≠ differs
120 questions
68 questions
Duration≠ differs
180 min · 3h
150 min · 2h 30m
Question types≠ differs
Multiple choice
Objective testing · scenario-based (open book)
Delivery= same
Test centre · Online proctored
Test centre · Online proctored
Languages≠ differs
English
English + others
🎓 Eligibility & process
Eligibility / prerequisites≠ differs
12 months general project experience + 8 months agile + 21 contact hours
PRINCE2 Foundation (or PMP/CAPM/IPMA) required first
Application process≠ differs
Online application (audit possible) → pay fee → schedule within 1 year
Hold Foundation → book Practitioner (course + open-book exam) via PeopleCert/ATO
💸 Cost & effort
Training cost (approx)≠ differs
USD 300–1,000
USD 500–1,500
Exam / application fee≠ differs
USD 495
USD 500
Prep time≠ differs
~8 weeks
~4 weeks
Study hours≠ differs
~90 hours
~35 hours
🔄 Validity & renewal
Validity= same
3 years
3 years
Renewal≠ differs
30 PDUs every 3 years
Renew within 3 years via CPD (MyPRINCE2) or re-exam
Retake policy≠ differs
Up to 3 attempts within a one-year eligibility period.
No mandatory wait; rebook and pay the exam fee.
📈 ROI
ROI score= same
4 / 5
4 / 5
Worth it?≠ differs
Solid for agile career paths; the broad coverage differentiates it from Scrum-only certs.
High in UK/EU/government markets where it is a hiring gate — strong regional ROI.
📊 Syllabus — domain weighting
🌀PMI-ACP
- Agile Principles & Mindset16%
- Value-Driven Delivery20%
- Stakeholder Engagement17%
- Team Performance16%
- Adaptive Planning12%
- Problem Detection & Resolution10%
- Continuous Improvement9%
🏰PRINCE2 Practitioner
- Principles15%
- Themes45%
- Processes40%
Career, cost, effort and ROI figures are indicative — they vary by region, employer and experience.