in Belfast

Foundation Examination

The purpose of the foundation qualification is to determine whether a candidate has sufficient knowledge and understanding of the MSP guidance to interact effectively with those involved in the management of a programme or act as an informed member of a programme office, business change team or project delivery team working within an environment supporting MSP.

The foundation qualification is also a pre-requisite for the practitioner qualification.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Members of a programme office, business change team members, project delivery team members, anyone who needs to understand the terminology and concepts underpinning MSP and those wishing to pursue higher level qualifications (e.g. programme managers, business change managers (BCMs) and senior responsible owners (SROs).

EXAMINATION FORMAT:

• Multiple choice questions
• 75 questions per paper with one mark available per question 
• Five questions to be trial and not counted in scores 
• 35 marks required to pass (out of 70 marks available) - 50% 
• 60 minutes? duration 
• Closed book.

Practitioner Examination

The purpose of the practitioner qualification is to determine whether a candidate has sufficient knowledge and understanding of the MSP guidance to apply the guidance to their own work and, hence, act as an informed member of a programme management team. That is, someone responsible for managing, leading, supporting or advising on work within an MSP environment. Candidates should be capable of applying the MSP guidance in a relatively uncomplicated programme within an environment that uses MSP.

This level is also a prerequisite for programme management professionals progressing toward the advanced practitioner qualification, and those aspiring to become programme management professionals in the future.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

Project managers, BCMs, experts and advisers working within a programme office and other specialist/governance roles involved in supporting programmes following the MSP guidance together with those wishing to pursue higher level qualifications (e.g. programme managers). This level is also suitable for SROs.

EXAMINATION FORMAT:

• Objective testing 
• Eight questions per paper, 80 marks available in total 
• 40 marks required to pass - 50% 
• Two-and-a-half hours? duration 
• Open book (only the MSP Guide is allowed)