Putting the current cost of living crisis aside, many of us are taking extra time to plan around our upcoming purchases, set budgets, and think ahead in terms of monthly payments and direct debit.

To this end, if you’re currently thinking it’s the right time in your career to complete and gain a new qualification, naturally cost will be one of the biggest deciding factors for you.

To make your decision as easy as possible, below we provide you with all the information you may need about the costs and the benefits of spending your hard-earned money.

PRINCE2® Qualifications: What are they?  

Highly respected and sought after by employers around the world, PRINCE2® qualifications follow a process-based methodology, designed as a structured and effective way to manage projects in real time. These certificates offer you both the fundamental and practical skills you need to be a successful project manager – or simply gain the knowledge you need to work on projects effectively.

PRINCE2 stands for Projects In Controlled Environments, and their qualifications were created to give you the tools you need to address the needs and solutions of various project scenarios while elevating your role and, ultimately, your career.

There are three PRINCE2® qualifications to choose from, depending on where you’re at in your career currently, and where you want to go, you can enrol on any of the following:

PRINCE2® Foundation: This course requires no prior experience to be able to enrol, and is typically for those starting out in project management.

PRINCE2® Practitioner: This course requires either the completion of a PRINCE2® Foundation course or equivalent and is for those with some prior experience in project management. Covering practical themes, processes and principles, once this course is complete, you’ll be a fully qualified PRINCE2® Practitioner.

PRINCE2® Foundation & Practitioner Combined: This course is perfect for those who are looking to study a two-in-one qualification as it requires no experience and saves you time and money.

What affects the cost of a PRINCE2® qualification?

There are different PRINCE2 qualifications you can gain, and depending on which course and at which level, the cost will differ.

The provider in which you use to complete your qualification will also impact the overall cost. Across the UK, there are many online providers that offer the chance to gain this qualification, and the costs vary between them all.

The method by which you choose to study when gaining your qualification will also affect the price, with some providers explicitly offering classroom learning options, while others offer either a blended or 100% online approach. Depending on how you best absorb information, your preferred learning method will be the deciding factor on which provider you eventually enrol with.  

Keep in mind that if you choose to focus on either classroom or blended learning, there are extra costs to consider, including the cost of commuting to your place of learning, the costs of physical textbooks, and sometimes, exam fees.

Looking at costs

There are two PRINCE2® levels to study, and three courses to choose from. These include the PRINCE2® Foundation, the PRINCE2 Practitioner, and the PRINCE2® Combined certificates. We break down the costs below -

How much does a PRINCE2® Foundation course cost?

This course is designed to gain a basic but firm understanding of the core skills required to become a project manager and is perhaps more suited to those who are just starting out. Considering the various factors, we reviewed above; this course will cost you anywhere from £490 to £1000.

How much does a PRINCE2® Practitioner course cost?

A step up from the Foundation course, this certificate is designed to teach learners how to use the PRINCE2® methodology to successfully manage and complete their projects. To gain this qualification you will have had to gain the Foundation certificate – or equivalent – to qualify. As the more advanced of the two certificates, this course is naturally more expensive (but still affordable), varying between £530 to £1200.

How much does the PRINCE2® Foundation and Practitioner combined course cost?

Finally, this course covers both the Foundation and Practitioner certificates, teaching you the necessary skills and methodology, as well as how to implement it – saving you both time and money. Taking into consideration any learning materials, exam fees and so on, the cost of this course varies between £875 to £1400.

Now that you know what goes into the costs of the well-respected PRINCE2® qualifications, we hope that you have enough information to take the next step in elevating your career and move forward with enrolling on a project management course.

If you’re interested in a 100% online PRINCE2® qualification with Acacia, download your free course guide today.