With the growth of CBT and online courses, plus the entry of new players in the market driving the fees down, has PRINCE2 finally achieved ‘commodity’ status? You can register for an online training course, tick and flick your way through the materials, then take your voucher to APMG and sit the exam. If your CBT ATO offers exam ordering, you can even take your exam online now: a complete certification without leaving your home.
And at a bargain basement price. The “Stack them high and sell them low” mentality is taking over PRINCE2 and related products.
But at what cost to the “value” of the certification? Sure, over one million exams have been taken in PRINCE2 and we are still seeing exponential growth. But until recently, most of them were in face-to-face, classroom led, experienced practitioner/trainer supported and workshop assisted. Can you really understand Product-based planning by clicking through the CBT slides and taking some practice questions?
Whoa, back up there. Who said anything about “understanding?” I just need the certification!
It’s a challenge. I have just reviewed two CBT packages and frankly, they leave me cold. Sure, you can learn the principles, themes and processes by rote and take lots of practice exams so you get an online pass. But does that really prepare you to use the method in a real project?
For me, the problem is about “Value vs Cost”. Our vision statement is “Changing the world … one project manager at a time”. Sorry, a CBT pass without understanding is not a world-changing experience. How does it add value to the method with large numbers of people getting certified without a depth of understanding?
But if that’s what you want, we’re not going down to the beach with King Canute. You can’t stop the tide. In 2013, we will offer a two-stream approach.
You want a CBT, low cost, quickie course for instant certification? We’ll sell you one. No blame, no shame, it is what it is. We’ll give you a “click here” opportunity to become instantly certified to foundation level (just add water and stir).
But if you want Quality, well folks, that still comes at a Cost. We will take you through a facilitated journey of discovery and understanding. We will put you with a group of like-minded seekers of truth and provide rich interaction and extensive workshops to tease out a greater understanding of the method.
We’ll use humour, insights, experience, wisdom and knowledge. We’ll support you, encourage you and guide you. We’ll provide excellent trainers, facilities, materials, meals and a learning environment. That’s the Yellowhouse experience. But it will cost you more. Not that our fees are going up – they have been flat-lining for three years with downward pressure from CBT and new entrants to the market. Welcome to the real world.
With Yellowhouse, you get what you pay for. You choose. Select “Quality” and we’ll put you through to an Operator; select “Cost” and yes, we will provide a CBT service at a cheaper price.
We are not opposed to CBT and online learning – it is a growing field. It’s just that some things can only be learned by interactive learning. CBT is like watching a cooking show on TV – unless you can actually taste the food, you don’t really know how good it is.
PRINCE2®, MSP®, MoP®, P3O®, P3M3® and ITIL® are Registered Trade Marks of the Cabinet Office; The Swirl logo™ is a Trade Mark of the Cabinet Office; Yellowhouse is an APMG Accredited Training Organization and an Accredited Consulting Organization
