PRINCE2 Foundation Exam Guide: Format, Passing Score, Cost & 15 Sample Questions
PRINCE2 Foundation is the entry level of the PRINCE2 project management method. Here is what PeopleCert lists for the Version 7 exam's format, pass mark, prices and renewal, how the method is organized, and 15 practice questions from our video.
PeopleCert's PRINCE2 Project Management Foundation (Version 7) exam has 60 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, closed book, and you need 60% (36 of 60) to pass. No prerequisites are listed, it is offered in 14 languages, and official results arrive within two business days. The exam bundle is listed at US$701 including VAT.
PRINCE2 Foundation facts at a glance
| Questions | 60: multiple choice |
|---|---|
| Time limit | 60 min: 25% more time if the exam is not in your native language |
| Passing score | 60%: 36 of 60 |
| Exam bundle | US$701: incl. VAT: voucher, official eBook and Learning Resource Kit |
| Book policy | Closed book: no notes or manual |
| Prerequisites | None listed: entry level of the PRINCE2 scheme |
| Languages | 14: official results within 2 business days |
| Renewal | Every 3 years: 60 CPD points, or pass another exam in the same suite |
Checked against the official PeopleCert page and the sources listed at the end of this page on 2026-10-26.
Watch: PRINCE2 Foundation video
PRINCE2 Foundation Exam 2026: Format, Passing Score, Cost & Sample Questions
PRINCE2 Foundation practice questions: 15 from our video
These are the 15 sample questions from our PRINCE2 Foundation video, in three groups of five: the principles, the practices, and the processes and roles. Pick an answer and press Check Answer to see the explanation. Every question is original, not from a real exam.
12 or more correct (80%) is a comfortable target in our estimate. The real exam needs 36 of 60 and has four times as many questions, so treat this set as a check, not a prediction.
PRINCE2 7 Foundation prices
PeopleCert sells the Foundation in bundles. These are its listed US dollar prices; training providers set their own.
| Option | Listed price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Exam bundle | US$701 | Exam voucher, official eBook, Learning Resource Kit |
| eLearning | US$1,029 | Interactive eLearning and auto-marked sample papers |
| eLearning+ | US$1,338 | A free retake and the Official Mock Exam |
| Official Mock Exam | US$109 | Sold on its own |
| Rescheduling | Free over 48 h | US$60 between 48 and 4 hours; US$120 under 4 hours |
Source: PeopleCert: PRINCE2 Project Management Foundation (Version 7)
How PRINCE2 is organized
PRINCE2 (Projects In Controlled Environments) is a project management method, and the Foundation exam tests whether you know its structure and vocabulary. It is built from seven principles, seven practices and seven processes, plus defined roles such as the project board and the project manager.
- Principles: ensure continued business justification, learn from experience, define roles, responsibilities and relationships, manage by stages, manage by exception, focus on products, and tailor to suit the project.
- Practices (called themes before Version 7): business case, organizing, plans, quality, risk, issues and progress. Each answers a question, from why we are doing the project to where we are now.
- Processes, following the life of a project: starting up, directing, initiating, controlling a stage, managing product delivery, managing a stage boundary, and closing a project.
After Foundation: the Practitioner exam
The next step is PRINCE2 Project Management Practitioner (Version 7): 56 questions and sub-questions worth 70 marks, 150 minutes, open book, 60% to pass. PeopleCert accepts PRINCE2 7 Foundation as a prerequisite, along with earlier PRINCE2 certificates and credentials such as PMP, CAPM and IPMA levels A to D. PeopleCert's PRINCE2 Project Manager title requires both Foundation and Practitioner in Version 7.
If you fail an exam, PeopleCert offers a paid re-sit option (Take2) that is enabled after a fail; the eLearning+ bundle includes a free retake.
PRINCE2 or PMP?
They are different kinds of credential. PRINCE2 is a specific method with its own principles, processes and roles, and Foundation has no prerequisites. The PMP, from the Project Management Institute, covers a broader body of knowledge and requires documented project experience. Which you need often depends on your employer, and some project managers hold both.
How to study for PRINCE2 Foundation
Our planning estimate: two to four weeks at 30 to 60 minutes a day. Week one, learn the seven principles, practices and processes by name. Week two, learn the purpose of each practice and the main management products. Week three, learn the roles, especially the project board. Spend the last days on full mock exams, including PeopleCert's official mock, and review every miss.
On exam day you have about a minute per question, so keep moving and flag the hard ones. Closed book means exact terms matter: exception report, product description, stage boundary. For each question, ask which principle, practice or process it is really testing.
Sample PRINCE2 Foundation questions with answers
One question from each content area of the practice set above, with the answer and explanation. Try it before you open the answer.
The seven principles
The project board checks at the end of every stage that the business case is still valid, and can stop the project if it is not. Which principle is this?
- Learn from experience
- Ensure continued business justification
- Manage by exception
- Focus on products
Show answer
B. Ensure continued business justification
This is ensure continued business justification. A project needs a justified reason to start and to continue, and the board may close it if the case no longer holds.
The seven practices
Which practice shows why the project is worth doing?
- Business case
- Organizing
- Progress
- Plans
Show answer
A. Business case
This is the business case practice. It covers the reasons, benefits, costs, and risks that justify the project, and it must be reviewed as the project moves forward.
Processes and roles
Which process appoints the Executive and Project Manager?
- Initiating a project
- Directing a project
- Closing a project
- Starting up a project
Show answer
D. Starting up a project
This is starting up a project. It happens before initiation, and it confirms that the project is worthwhile enough to plan properly.
PRINCE2 Foundation FAQ
How many questions are on the PRINCE2 Foundation exam?
60 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, closed book.
What is the PRINCE2 Foundation pass mark?
60%, which is 36 correct answers out of 60.
How much does PRINCE2 Foundation cost?
PeopleCert lists the exam bundle at US$701 including VAT, eLearning at US$1,029 and eLearning+ at US$1,338. Training providers set their own prices.
Are there prerequisites for PRINCE2 Foundation?
PeopleCert lists none. Foundation is the entry level, and it counts toward the prerequisite for the Practitioner exam.
How long does PRINCE2 Foundation last?
It renews every three years with 60 CPD points, or by passing another exam in the same product suite before the renewal date.
Related practice and guides
Sources
Exam facts on this page were checked against these official pages on 2026-10-26.
- PeopleCert: PRINCE2 Project Management Foundation (Version 7)
- PeopleCert: PRINCE2 Project Management Practitioner (Version 7)
- PeopleCert: PRINCE2 7 Foundation Mock exam
- PeopleCert: PRINCE2 framework
- PeopleCert: General FAQ
OpenExamHub is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with PeopleCert or AXELOS. PRINCE2 is a registered trademark of PeopleCert. The practice questions are original, not from a real exam. Exam details and prices are set by PeopleCert and can change; confirm them on PeopleCert's current pages before you book.