MSP ® FAQs

What is MSP?
What are the benefits of using MSP?
Do I/we need MSP?
Why has MSP been so successful around the world?
How can I train for the MSP examinations?
How do I sit the exams?
Are there any pre-requisites for the MSP examinations?
Which languages are the MSP exams available in?
What are the main MSP publications and where can I purchase them?
Which languages are the MSP manuals available in?
How long are the MSP qualifications valid for?
Please can you give me more details on the MSP re-registration exam?
When can I expect the results of my MSP Examinations?
When will I receive my certificate?
How can I advertise myself as MSP qualified on my business card?
Can I use the MSP logo?

What is MSP?

Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) is definitive guidance in managing inter-related projects as a coordinated programme of business change in order to manage risks and realise benefits more effectively. MSP is widely adopted in the public and private sectors, and developed by a consortium of over 100 organisations including from within services industries.

Along with the other Programme and Project Management guidance available from AXELOS Limited, MSP aims to:

provide industry referenced standards;
provide a framework of best practice principles and concepts drawn from latest experiences and proven practice;
enable practitioners to adapt the guidance to real life situations;
be accessible by teams and organisations as well as by individual practitioners;
help practitioners improve their decision making and to become better at implementing beneficial change;
enable individuals to demonstrate their level of knowledge and understanding of the each product by obtaining a globally recognised qualification.

What are the benefits of using MSP?

There are no fees or charges to use MSP;
It is an internationally recognised programme management method;
It is a de facto standard of programme management in many countries and industries;
It is widely used throughout Europe, Australia, USA and South East Asia;
It provides a framework for effective control within a programme environment;
It is a process-based approach to programme management;
It provides a structured organisational framework;
It supports control and direction at appropriate levels of authority;
It provides a consistent, methodical and controlled approach to management of programmes;
It is a flexible method that can be tailored to suit the scale and complexity of any programme;
It encapsulates Good Practice in Programme Management, and is refreshed every three or four years.

Do I/we need MSP?

Let us answer this question by asking you:

Is your organisation thinking about major transformational change?
Would you like a controlled approach to managing major changes to business as usual for your organisation?
Does your organisation have a consistent approach to identifying and assessing alternative means of achieving strategic objectives?
In your organisation do people always know and understand their role and responsibilities in a transformational change?
Do you have difficulty in achieving strategic objectives?
Do you have difficulty prioritising projects in a programme?
Do you want to use an approach that demonstrates how to involve stakeholders throughout the life of the change, and ensure business ownership of change initiatives, including initiatives heavily dependent on technology?
Are stakeholders often confused by the terminology used by parties involved in a programme?
Would you like to use consistent terminology, processes and templates across your projects?
Would you like to adopt a programme management method that is internationally recognised and supported by tens of thousands of users around the world and independently managed by an international body of experts?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions then you will benefit from the use of MSP.

Why has MSP been so successful around the world?

Pass marks for the PRINCE2 examinations are as follows:

Foundation:You will need to score at least 35/70 to pass the Foundation exam.
Practitioner:You will need to score at least 59/108 to pass the Practitioner exam.
Re-Registration:You will need to score at least 20/36 to pass the Re-Registration exam.

How can I train for the PRINCE2 examinations?

Inspiring Projects offers the full range of MSP certification examinations. Please click here for more information about the different qualifications.

How do I sit the exams?

Inspiring Projects includes the examinations as part of our training courses.

Are there any pre-requisites for the MSP exams?

There are no pre-requisites for the Foundation exam. Candidates must achieve a pass at Foundation level before attempting the Practitioner exam.

Which languages are the MSP exams available in?

Information on the available exam languages for MSP can be viewed here.

What are the main MSP publications and where can I purchase them?

MSP has one main manual supporting the qualification scheme, published by The Stationary Office, called "Managing Successful Programmes".

Inspiring Projects provides this manual as part of the course fee unless advised otherwise by the delegate.

To purchase, please either go to our Publications page or the Best Management Practice website.

Which languages are the MSP manuals available in?

The "Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 - 2009 Edition" manual is currently available in:

English
Danish
Dutch
German
Polish
French
Spanish
Mandarin Chinese
Norwegian

Further translations are in progress / under consideration.

How long are the MSP qualifications valid for?

The Foundation and Practitioner certificates are yours forever; neither certification will expire. Candidates who pass the Practitioner exam are recognised as a "MSP Registered Practitioner". Individuals will remain registered for a period of 5 years. To maintain their registered status, practitioners must complete and pass a MSP re-registration exam 3-5 years following their initial/previous practitioner certification.

Please can you give me more details on the MSP re-registration exam?

AXELOS have withdrawn the Reregistration exam, and are instead promoting a continuing professional development scheme called MyMSP. For more information check here.

When can I expect the results of my MSP Examinations?

MSP Foundation examinations can be marked on location with provisional results provided immediately after marking. Practitioner answer sheets are marked by the Examination Institute and the results released soon after.

When will I receive my certificate?

A Foundation certificate will be dispatched to you approximately 2 weeks after we have received your exam paper back into our offices, if you only took the Foundation exam.

If you sat a Practitioner exam or both exams, a Practitioner certificate will be dispatched on average 10 working days after the Practitioner results have been released by the Examination Institute.

How can I advertise myself as MSP qualified on my business card?

Candidates who have passed the MSP Practitioner examination can put "Registered MSP Practitioner" on their business cards.

Also, if they did not opt out at the time of the exam, their status will be published on the MSP Successful Candidates website.

Can I use the MSP logo?

Only organisations licensed to do so are allowed to use the MSP logo. Such organisations include MSP ATOs (Accredited Training organisations) and MSP ACOs (Accredited Consulting organisations) accredited by Peoplecert. The MSP logo is a registered trademark of AXELOS Limited and must not be used without their permission or appropriate license.

PRINCE2®, MSP®, MoP®, M_o_R®, MoV®, P3O® and MoV® are registered trade marks of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved
The Swirl logo™ is a trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.