Cheapest way to get Prince 2/MSP qualification

SRH_2

I was recently made redundant and I want to do everything I can to improve my chances of getting another job. I've done a lot of project/programme management in the past but have no qualifications to back this up (with the current job market experience doesn't seem to count - not helped also that my last job title did not include the word 'programme').

I'd really like to do the MSP course (or Prince 2 at a push if MSP is too expensive) but want to find the cheapest way possible. I've done a lot of home study and distance learning before so quite happy to do it myself if taught lessons in a classroom are too expensive.

Does anyone know:

* Which are the best colleges/organisations for doing MSP with?
* Which are the cheapest?
* Is is possible to study solo and then just take the exam? (I've seen the book on Amazon for around £42 but not sure how you then enter the exams without going through a training organisation).

I'm going to continue to look for apply for every job I can find but if I can find a way to continue doing programme management then all the better.

SRH_2

Bump bump bump

saintjammyswine

PM with your location, I may be able to find a local FE College that has access to ESF Skills Support for Redundancy which provides funding for re-training. You may be able to get Prince2 for free.

EmmaHerts

They actually have this on offer at Groupon at the moment.

Mikeone

I believe that there are open exams for Prince2, so you can study for yourself and simply take the exam at an APMG-approved centre (link below)

http://www.apmg-international.com/

Not sure about MSP.

Will be watching this thread with interest. I'm looking at taking a Prince2 (or other PM qualification) but have found searching for courses to be a minefield! There are a lot of organisations offering discounted rates (some at just over £500 ex VAT for Foundation and Practitioner), which seems alright, but they've engaged in some very suspect practices which have caused me to lose all trust in them.

There's a thread on here (link below) that started as a simple question about the course, but ended up as a flamewar between a handful of one-time posters who were each defending one company while attacking its rivals. It looked very strongly as though three of the discount course providers had staff deliberately open MSE accounts to do this. If they have to do that to support their business I want nothing to do with them. As far as online astroturfing goes, it was laughably amateurish. I won't name any of them but take heed!

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3352344

Slinky

Well I was the first one to answer on that thread before it all kicked off, all I can say was my husband was happy with his course from the Knowledge Academy.

You pays your money and you takes your choice.

Mikeone

I'm sure that many of their students are happy and successful with their courses. It's just difficult to make an informed choice as a potential customer when the companies have made such flagrant attempts to juke online reviews and forums like this. It's difficult to tell a genuine review from a fake one. In my view, they've done more damage to their reputation by indulging in this sort of behaviour than they would have done by letting mild criticisms go unchallenged. Indeed, as you say, your post was a postive one anyway.

FWIW I thought your response was fair -your post count speaks for itself. It's the parade of Posts: 1 comments that sounded alarm bells for me.

Slinky

Indeed!...

SRH_2

Great. Thanks Everyone. Saint - I will PM you.

InsideInsurance

You have to remember that Prince2 is a very short course. To go from nothing to the fully qualified Practitioner is normally done over a week however the first 2.5 days is learning the material, 0.5 of the 3rd day is doing the Foundation paper. Day 4 is revision and the more indepth questioning style (its on the same material as Foundation) and Day 5 is the Practitioner paper.

So out of a full week course there is only 2.5 days of actual learning!

I did my Prince2 with a couple of people that had no project management experience and their only project experience had been as SMEs on topics like PR for projects and they passed both papers with no problems (they were bright people but nothing special)

If you have formal project management experience with waterfall style projects then the course is really about learning the different terminology and one or two special ways of approaching things (eg product breakdown diagrams)