1.1 Current Exam Facts
Key Takeaways
The current Practitioner exam has 56 questions and sub-questions worth 70 marks, 150 minutes of standard time and a 42-mark pass score; only official Version 7 guidance is permitted, in printed or approved eBook form.
The pass mark is 60%, which equals 42 of 70 marks; there is no negative marking
Two question types: Classic (1 mark, 4 options, which can use Yes/No-because) and Matching (3 marks, match 3 items to 5-6 options where each option can be used once, more than once, or not at all)
The four learning outcomes are weighted Principles 10%, People management 9%, Practices 51%, and Processes 30%
Renew every 3 years by resitting, passing another eligible PRINCE2 product-suite exam, or maintaining continuous PeopleCert Plus membership for 3 years and logging 20 CPD points each year, including at least 5 professional-experience points annually.
PRINCE2 7 Practitioner — Current Exam Facts
Quick Answer: The PRINCE2 7 Practitioner exam is a 70-mark, 150-minute open-book assessment administered by PeopleCert. The pass mark is 60% (42 of 70 marks). It uses two scenario-based question types — Classic (1 mark) and Matching (3 marks) — and tests Bloom's Levels 3 (Apply) and 4 (Analyse) across four learning outcomes weighted Principles 10%, People 9%, Practices 51%, and Processes 30%.
The PRINCE2 Project Management Practitioner (Version 7) certification from PeopleCert assesses applying and tailoring the method to project scenarios. Foundation assesses knowledge of the method; Practitioner focuses on its application in context.
Format and Logistics
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 56 questions and sub-questions (PeopleCert) |
| Marks available | 70 |
| Time allowed | 150 minutes (2 hours 30) |
| Eligible language accommodation | +25% → 188 minutes when awarded for testing outside the native or working language |
| Format | Open book — official Version 7 guidance, printed or approved eBook |
| Manual annotation | Annotation and tabulation allowed; no sticky notes or loose-leaf papers |
| Pass mark | 60% = 42 of 70 marks |
| Negative marking | None |
| Question types | Classic (1 mark, 4 options) and Matching (3 marks, match 3 items to 5–6 options) |
| Bloom's levels | Level 3 (Apply) and Level 4 (Analyse) |
| Prerequisite | One accepted credential: PRINCE2 Project Management Foundation (Version 7); PRINCE2 5th or 6th Edition Foundation or Practitioner; PMP; CAPM; PMQ; PPQ; IPMA Levels A-D; CSPM-2; or CSPM-3 |
| Renewal cycle | 3 years from the original certification date; check the account’s renewal date |
| Renewal | Resit; pass another eligible exam in the same product suite; or continuous PeopleCert Plus for 3 years with 20 CPD/year, including at least 5 professional-experience points/year |
| Certification body | PeopleCert |
| Exam package cost | Check current regional PeopleCert checkout and included resources |
| Accredited training | Optional; provider and package costs vary |
| Official guidance | Check whether your chosen package includes the eBook or other learning resources |
Use only the official Version 7 guidance. The printed book may be annotated and tabulated, but sticky notes and loose-leaf papers are prohibited. PeopleCert permits the official eBook on a second portable device, such as a smartphone, tablet or laptop, and supplies electronic guidance within the exam interface. Follow current proctoring instructions and have any permitted printed book ready for inspection.
Question Types
PeopleCert describes the examination as 56 questions and sub-questions worth 70 marks. The syllabus describes 70 one-mark part-responses, including Classic questions and three-part Matching questions. Keep the published question/sub-question count separate from the mark total: a multi-part question can require more than one response. Those headline figures do not, on their own, establish a fixed number of Classic and Matching question groups. Plan around the available marks and the instructions for each question instead.
Read the shared Project Scenario, which supplies background about the project to which the questions apply. Some questions also require Additional Information about people or circumstances in that project. The syllabus says this extra material is needed for at least one question; it does not say every question has a separate Additional Information block. Use any extra information supplied for the particular question together with the shared scenario and the question stem.
Classic items (1 mark each). Four options, one correct. Questions can use the "Yes/No, because…" stem: the first part is a yes/no judgement, the second part is the justification. Both halves must be correct for the answer to be correct. A "Yes" with a wrong reason scores zero.
Matching items (3 marks each). You are given three items (for example, three project situations) and 5–6 options (for example, risk responses). You must match each of the three items to one option. Each option can be used once, more than once, or not at all — so elimination is not as simple as "use each option once." The three responses account for three marks in total, with each part worth one mark. Treat them as separate decisions: confidence about one match is not a reason to invent an answer for another. The available options need not form a one-to-one matching set.
Blueprint: Four Learning Outcomes
| Learning outcome | Weight | What it tests |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 Principles in context | 10% | Applying the 7 principles to scenarios |
| LO2 People management in successful projects | 9% | Leadership, culture, communication, change management, ecosystems (new in v7) |
| LO3 Apply and tailor the practices | 51% | The 7 practices (business case, organising, plans, quality, risk, issues, progress) and their techniques |
| LO4 Apply and tailor the processes | 30% | The 7 processes and their activities, inputs, outputs, and management products |
Practices dominate the exam at 51% — more than half of your marks come from LO3. Plan your study time accordingly: be fluent in every practice's purpose, primary technique, supporting techniques, and management products before you move into process detail.
Prerequisite, Validity, and Renewal
You must hold one accepted prerequisite: PRINCE2 Project Management Foundation (Version 7); PRINCE2 5th or 6th Edition Foundation or Practitioner; PMP; CAPM; PMQ; PPQ; IPMA Levels A–D; CSPM-2; or CSPM-3. Check PeopleCert's current prerequisite list and provide the required evidence. Foundation is one route rather than a compulsory additional qualification for holders of an accepted equivalent. If you are coming from PRINCE2 6, note that v7 renamed themes to practices, added the People element, and updated the management-product structure — do not assume the v6 syllabus maps cleanly onto v7.
The certification requires renewal every 3 years from its original certification date. Check the renewal date shown in your PeopleCert account. PeopleCert offers three renewal routes: resit the Practitioner exam; pass another exam within the PRINCE2 product suite (which renews every certification you hold in that suite); or maintain continuous PeopleCert Plus membership for three years and log 20 CPD points in each year, including at least 5 professional-experience points annually. That is 60 points over three years, with annual and activity-type requirements rather than an unrestricted lump sum. PeopleCert states that CPD points previously collected in MyAxelos are available in the PeopleCert Plus account. Follow the current PeopleCert membership and CPD instructions when maintaining the certification. Choose one of the current renewal routes rather than assuming that historical re-registration arrangements apply.
Check the Source for Your Sitting
Use the PeopleCert Practitioner product page for current exam metrics and prerequisites, the PeopleCert FAQ for permitted-book and proctoring rules, and the renewal page for the current routes. Package prices, included learning resources and optional re-sits can differ. Check what your own order includes rather than treating a regional price or a training provider’s bundle as a worldwide examination fee.
What is the pass mark for the PRINCE2 7 Practitioner exam?
55% (38 of 68 marks)
57% (40 of 70 marks)
60% (42 of 70 marks)
65% (46 of 70 marks)
A candidate chooses the printed-book route for the Version 7 Practitioner exam. Which statement correctly describes the permitted guidance?
The official Version 7 guidance may have permitted annotations and tabulation.
The official Version 7 guidance may be accompanied by one loose revision sheet.
The official Version 7 guidance may be accompanied by a separate training-provider process map.
The official Version 7 guidance is allowed only if every page remains unmarked.
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.