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15 Top Tips to help you prepare for your PRINCE2, MSP, Change Management, Agile, Better Business Cases and other Foundation and Practitioner examinations.

Over the years, we have seen many people take their Foundation and Practitioner exams in a range of different subjects. We have seen many people pass those exams, and a few people fail them, including some who should not have. We do not want you to fall into that latter category, so here are a few tips which just might help you.

The majority of people who take a Foundation exam this week will pass – the vast majority. So you do not want to be one of those few who fails, do you?

We hope that the following pointers will mean that you join those who pass – not fail. This is why some people will fail:

1. Not taking the Pre-course work seriously enough – it’s like not starting a project correctly, you are always playing catch-up. Give yourself enough time – it will take longer than you think if it is to be worthwhile

2. Not committing to the actual classroom sessions. Don’t get distracted by emails, smart phones, or that meeting that you just have to pop out for. It’s likely you could be missing vital information

3. Not planning the week and making enough room in the evening for study – there is a lot to get through in these professional courses and good quality evening work is a real necessity if you want to both do well in the exam and really learn the method

4. Deciding not to try the sample papers. They are an incredible learning aid; in fact, we consider them to be a core part of our learning material. Try them and learn from your mistakes

5. Not always trusting your gut feeling when answering questions.  The majority of the time when delegates change their answers it is the correct option to the wrong option

6. Not reading the question properly – take your time, and read the question carefully. Do not assume what the question is asking you

7. Not reading or thinking through all the options, instead jumping to the wrong answer

8. Loss of concentration and end up marking the wrong answer – it is an intense exam and you will need to stay focused. Make sure that you are giving your answer (which is on a separate answer sheet) to the correct question

9. Ignoring the time. Far too many people fail because they have run out of time, so keep a check

10. General exam nerves – keep it in context. Remember, a hundred years from now no-one will remember this exam!

Although most people will pass their Foundation exam, things get a little tougher in the Practitioner exam.

All the points above apply, plus

11. Not referring to the scenario and/or additional information when being instructed to do so – it is there for a purpose, as it provides information that will help you answer the question

12. Not opening the manual/guide/reference book to the relevant section when being asked a question about it – the text book is the one resource that you can use, so use it!

13. Not using the text book wisely during the exam – use the manual, but do not be distracted by it. Make sure that you know where to find your information; this is no time for browsing!

14. Sometimes forgetting that it is an exam about a specific method, and not a general exam about, say, project management – the terminology of that method reigns in this exam

15. Taking the wrong approach and misunderstanding the question type, especially Assertion/Reason style questions – these are a specific question type that requires a little practice before the exam. Good reason to attend a good quality accredited training course, such as those run by Pearce Mayfield...

And finally, if you are coming to us for your training, you can be sure that your course leader will be more than happy to answer any questions that you have throughout the course. Please do not hesitate to ask them to clarify any queries that you might have. We all want you to be as prepared as you possibly can be for your examinations.