CAMP vs PRINCE2: A Detailed Comparison

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) and Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE2) are extremely popular Project Management certifications. Both these certifications can significantly boost your career, giving you an edge over other candidates without the certifications. However, this raises the question: which of these certifications is the right choice for you - CAPM or Prince2?  

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), over 1.6M people hold PMI certifications worldwide, including PMP, ACP and CAPM. Similarly, Axelos says over 1M PRINCE2 certified professionals are working with DevOps, Lean and Agile methodologies. If you feel confused about which certification is the right choice, this blog might help you. Read this blog to learn the difference between CAMP vs PRINCE2 and what each provides. 

Table of Contents

1) An overview of CAPM and PRINCE2

2) CAPM vs PRINCE2: Requirements    

3) CAPM vs PRINCE2: Prospects   

4) CAPM or PRINCE2: Which is the right choice? 

5) Conclusion 

An overview of CAPM and PRINCE2 

CAPM and PRINCE2 are both extremely popular certifications that share certain similarities. Both these certifications cover subjects related to Project Management and are well-recognised across different parts of the world. Before we decide which of these is right for you, between CAPM and PRINCE2, let's go through a general overview of both certifications.   

CAPM is a beginner-level certification provided by PMI, making it a great choice for candidates aspiring to start their journey in Project Management. It can act as a verification of your skills and knowledge of Project Management concepts. It can become your first necessary step in advancing your career as a Project Manager, allowing you to build a foundation before approaching more advanced courses or certifications.   

PRINCE2 certification is a relatively advanced certification provided by AXELOS, covering the detailed subjects of the Project Management process. While CAPM focuses on delivering the project's results, this certification also covers the knowledge necessary to guide a team through the entire development process.   

PRINCE2 certification has three categories which have varying difficulty, standards and credibility. These three certifications are as follows: 

PRINCE2 Foundation: It is the beginner-level certification in PRINCE2, qualifying a candidate to pursue the two further certifications. This certification covers the basics of Project Management and other PRINCE2 principles. It includes a general understanding of Project Management principles as well as best practices established by PRINCE2. 

PRINCE2 Practitioner: Practitioner certification extends further upon the knowledge you have gained through the Foundation certification. This certification will polish your learning to the degree that you can easily implement Project Management principles in real-time Projects. It covers the Project Management framework concepts such as Scrum, Cynefin, Lean Start-Up and Kanban. 

PRINCE2 Agile: You can qualify for this certification by being certified in foundation and practitioner certification. This certification provides details on the principles you may have learned in PRINCE2 certifications previously but also focuses on Agile methodology.
 

CAPM vs PRINCE2: requirements  

Both these certifications have requirements that a candidate needs to meet to be certified by its governing body. These requirements can include your former education or your previous work experience. Let's go through these requirements in detail. 

CAPM Requirements  

This certification has relatively simple prerequisites for the certification. If you have 23 hours of formal training in Project Management, you are qualified to take the certification exam. Additionally, you need to have a high school diploma or equivalent qualification to be qualified to take the exam. This certification doesn't require you to have any other certifications as it is an entry-level certification.  

Qualifying for the CAPM exam has simple guidelines, with the exam being a three-hour-long MCQ examination. The exam has 150 questions, and PMI decides on passing scores with Psychometric evaluation, so it doesn't have a clear passing score. However, it is generally assumed that scoring 75% allows you to safely pass the exam and receive the certification. 

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PRINCE2 Requirements 

PRINCE2 has relatively higher requirements as an advanced certification, divided into three parts. The PRINCE2 Foundation certification exam has 60 MCQ questions with a passing grade of 50%. You will have one hour to finish the exam by achieving 33 marks out of 60.   

The PRINCE2 Practitioner exam is an exception to the MCQ pattern, as it has 68 objective questions instead. You will have two and a half hours or 180 minutes to answer these questions, and your passing grade is 55%. 

CAPM vs PRINCE2: Prospects 

CAPM Certification demonstrates the knowledge and dedication of an individual in the Project Management role. It has wide acceptance in different industries because the certification focuses on general Project Management principles. This allows candidates to broaden their horizons in whichever industry they wish to pursue in their Project Management career.   

CAPM certification boosts an aspiring Project Manager’s career, allowing you to get more lucrative salary packages. This certification is, however, limited in other aspects as it is still a beginner-level certification, only viable for beginner roles. Some job roles you can aim for after being certified in CAPM are Business Analyst, Team Leader and Project Manager.  

The PRINCE2 certification allows you to enter IT-specialised Project Management roles, as the certification focuses on IT industries. This can be considered a trade-off between the two, as the PRINCE2 certification lacks versatility. While PRINCE2 certification may not hold as much value outside the IT industry, it makes stepping into the IT industry easier as a Project Manager. 

Your career prospects and salary range will vary depending on your certification level. Some job roles you can aim for after getting certified from PRINCE2 include IT Project Manager, Technical Project Manager, Program Manager and Senior Manager. 

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CAPM or PRINCE2: Which is the right choice? 

Here are more factors you can consider while choosing these certifications for your future.

Geographical location 

While both certifications are globally recognised, the preference and viability of these certifications may vary based on your location. For example, the CAPM certification exam originated in the USA, making it more popular there than PRINCE2. Additionally, CAPM certification is quite popular in North America, Canada, Asia and the Middle East, a trait shared by most PMI certifications.   

Compared to CAPM, the PRINCE2 certification is much more popular and accepted in Europe and Australia, with the certification originating in the UK. This makes PRINCE2 more acceptable and preferred in the UK than CAPM. You must factor in your geographic location before pursuing any of these examinations. 

Personal experience  

PRINCE2 is considered an advanced certification which is a good choice for individuals with former experience in Project Management roles. PRINCE2 is a better option if you aim for higher positions. This is not the case with CAPM certification, as pursuing higher Project Mangement roles with a beginner-level certification is extremely difficult.  

CAPM is a significantly better choice for people who have just started their career or are willing to start a career as a Project Manager. Both these certifications do not demand previous experience in Project Management; however, some prior experience can be extremely helpful in getting certified in PRINCE2. This is mostly because PRINCE2 focuses on advanced subjects, especially in PRINCE2 Agile certification.  

If you have prior experience as a Project Manager, PRINCE 2 certification will be a better choice. You can benefit from aiming for a higher position, such as Senior Project Manager. On the contrary, you can go for CAPM certification if you wish to aim for beginner-level roles. Clearing CAPM certification will also help you qualify for more advanced certification by PMI if you choose to do so. 

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Difference in jargon 

One of the core issues of the management field is the lack of standardised language across different certification bodies. As a result, you will encounter different terminologies across the exams. This makes it extremely difficult to transition from one to another, even more so because both certifications are aimed at different experience levels.     

Let's say in your earlier stages; you decide to go for CAPM certification; switching to PRINCE2 would be considerably harder. On the positive side, PRINCE2 certifications are divided into three certifications, allowing you to build a foundation that will help you take the professional-level exam. 

Expiration 

Like most PMI exams, the CAPM examination gives you a certificate which needs renewal after a certain duration. For CAPM certification, this renewal period takes place after every three years. This is done by participating in learning activities or giving back to the industry, which allows you to gain Professional Development Points (PDUs). These PDUs are gained by performing an hour of each activity and submitting evidence to the PMI website.  

You must gather at least 15 PDUs in three years to renew your CAPM certification. Failing to do so would result in the CAPM certification being considered invalid. This characteristic is not shared with PRINCE2 certification as it has no expiration date. If renewing certification after every few years seems like a chore, you can go for PRINCE2 certification.    

Methodology  

PRINCE2 certifications follow a predefined structure that clearly understands the goal and aim. It establishes a project's deliverables, stages and processes, which will be later implemented in the industry. PRINCE2 structures its syllabus around Agile methodologies. Additionally, it covers subjects such as communication, risk management and the roles and responsibilities of Project Managers and Team Leaders.  

CAPM follows a less specific and more flexible methodology, covering development scopes such as time and budget without specifying a methodology. As a result, CAPM principles apply to non-Agile frameworks such as Waterfall models. This makes it much more applicable in different industries than PRINCE2, which has its syllabus strictly built around implementing Agile frameworks.

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Which is the right choice? 

Both these certifications are, in fact, the right choice based on your needs and circumstances. In the early stages, where you have no prior working experience, CAPM will be the perfect choice for you. Similarly, you might witness that as you build up more experience, a higher position will be much more achievable with a PRINCE2 certification.  

If you are situated in European countries, such as Germany, CAPM will favour you greatly. On the contrary, if you are in the USA, Middle East or Canada, PRINCE2 would be a better choice. Both these certifications are about equally popular globally, making this criterion end in a draw. Overall, both certifications are extremely good options to boost your career growth with time. 

Your choice should not be rushed; these certifications and their respective governing bodies are well-reputed. It is simply a matter of your requirements, experience level and goal that you need to consider before choosing one of these certifications. Consider these factors well, as both these certifications require time and effort to pass the exam and earn their certifications.

Conclusion 

As this blog concludes, we hope it has helped you better understand which certification is right for you, CAPM or PRINCE2. As evident throughout the blog, both have their respective benefits. This blog covered the details of these certifications, their relevancy across different industries, and the requirements to acquire them. Hopefully, this will allow you to make a more informed choice; thank you for reading. 

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