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PMP® vs PRINCE2®: what is actually different?

PMP and PRINCE2 certify different things. The PMP is experience-based: you document years of leading projects, then answer scenario questions drawn from any approach. PRINCE2 7, issued by PeopleCert, certifies knowledge of one method, at Foundation level with no listed prerequisites and at Practitioner level in an open-book exam (PMI® and PeopleCert, as of October 2026).

Exam
PMP
Updated
Oct 13, 2026

01A credential and a method

PMI's outline says the PMP exam is not written to any single text, and its scenarios come from predictive, agile and hybrid projects. How the PMBOK® Guide fits in is on the PMBOK Guide and the PMP exam.

Holding PRINCE2 does not answer PMP questions for you. PRINCE2 gives you a method's vocabulary, roles and procedures; a PMP item describes a situation and asks what the project manager should do next, so the details of that situation carry the weight, whatever method the organization uses.

If you are weighing scale rather than method, PMP vs PgMP® covers program management; the certification overview has the rest.

02PMP and PRINCE2 7 side by side

From PMI's PMP page and PeopleCert's PRINCE2 7 Foundation and Practitioner pages, as of October 2026

PointPMPPRINCE2 7 FoundationPRINCE2 7 Practitioner
IssuerPMIPeopleCert (AXELOS)PeopleCert (AXELOS)
Entry24 to 60 months leading projects, plus 35 training hoursNone listedPrerequisites apply; see PeopleCert
Exam180 questions, 240 minutes, two 10-minute breaks60 multiple-choice questions, 60 minutes, closed book56 questions worth 70 marks, 150 minutes, open book
Pass markNot published; set by psychometric analysis60%60%
Upkeep60 PDUs every 3 yearsRenew every 3 years, 60 CPD pointsSubject to renewal, 60 CPD points
Exam fee$405 member / $655 non-member (PMI U.S. store)Not listed on PeopleCert's pageNot listed on PeopleCert's page

03The usual follow-ups

Should I take PMP or PRINCE2?

Start from what you can document and what your employers or clients ask for. The PMP needs 24 to 60 months of project leadership; PRINCE2 7 Foundation lists no prerequisites, so it is open earlier in a career (PMI and PeopleCert, as of October 2026).

Can a PRINCE2 course count toward the PMP's 35 hours?

For the hours that cover topics in the PMP outline, it can, subject to audit, and from December 1, 2026 live classes count only from specific provider types. What counts toward the 35 hours has the full rule.

04Sources

  1. PMI: PMP certification page checked Oct 13, 2026
  2. PMI: PMP Examination Content Outline (rev. August 11, 2026) checked Oct 13, 2026exam length, approach mix
  3. PMI Certification Handbook (rev. June 2026) checked Oct 13, 2026how PMI sets the passing score
  4. PeopleCert: PRINCE2 7 Foundation checked Oct 13, 2026exam format, pass mark, renewal
  5. PeopleCert: PRINCE2 7 Practitioner checked Oct 13, 2026exam format, pass mark, renewal