Which Training Course Should I Take - P3O® or House of PMO Essentials?

When you’re first starting out in project support or PMO, one of the first things you’ll probably do is search for any training that is available to help you.

Over the last decade or so, the only choice has been the P3O® Foundation level course

Now there’s a new certification suite to choose from, which may be more relevant for you.

So, you’ve completed P3O® Foundation – what’s next?

You don’t need to do the P3O® Practitioner level… yet – so which course could you do?
If you’ve taken the P3O® Foundation and are looking for some more practical help on how you actually perform in the role of Project Adminstrator or PMO Analyst – it’s the Essentials for PMO Administrators, or Essentials for PMO Analysts.
P3O® is good at giving the big picture of what PMOs are – the House of PMO Essentials helps you to do the job.
When it talks about the high level functions and services in the P3O® Foundation (p.52) and you were hoping for more detail around things like risk management, reporting or benefits management – this is where the Essentials for PMO Administrators and PMO Analysts may come in handy.
If you found that the P3O® Foundation focused too much on setting up a PMO when actually you’re working in one rather than managing one – the House of PMO Essentials Suite can help.

Let’s take a look at the courses in a little more detail…

Course Length

The P3O® Foundation and Essentials for PMO Administrators coure are both three days long, with the Essentials for PMO Analyst course spanning a full five days.

Theres a lot to cover over the five days, but the certification really enables delegates to gain the essential knowledge and understanding of how to undertake the role of a PMO Analyst – not just looking at the responsibilities of the role, but also the key skills, behaviours and competencies required to succeed.

Course Content

As outlined above, the certifications have different aims – the P3O® suite provides a fantastic overview of P3O® structures, models, implementation, tools and roles, and is fantastic for those working in and implementing PMOs within their organisation. This can often be more beneficial for those currently, or looking to, manage or set-up PMOs in their organisation.

The House of PMO Essentials courses delve into the PMO roles outlined in the PMO Competency Framework, and outlines the key skills, behaviours, competencies and responsibilities of those working in PMO roles – delegates can expect to leave the course with a clear understanding of their role, in line with best practice. In this case, the PMO Service Catalogue, the PMO Competency Framework (developed by the House of PMO) and Praxis Framework.

Your PMO role within your specific organisation or department doesn’t touch on all the PMO competences BUT it’s good to understand what they are because you never know when you’ll be ask to get involved in new areas!

We’ve found this is a key reason PMO Managers are booking their team onto the Essentials courses – they’re practical, cover the basics (the essentials), brings their team members up to speed with what’s expected of them in the job, as well as give them a clear idea of the career progression opportunities within the PMO.

Certification Bodies

P3O® is accredited by AXELOS, and the House of PMO Essentials suite is accredited by APMG.

Exam Structure

The P3O® Foundation exam is 60 minutes, with 75 multiple choice questions to answer.

The Essentials for PMO Administrators exam is 45 minutes, with 60 multiple choice questions to answer

The Essentials for PMO Analysts exam is 90 minutes, with 75 multiple choice questions to answer.

All the exams require delegates to achieve 50% of marks to receive a pass.

Training Options

We have the widest variety of training options for our P3O® Foundation training – we offer classroom, virtual classroom, eLearning and Distance Learning options, so regardless of budget and time restraints you can get certified.

Our Essentials courses are available via classroom and virtual classroom training

ALL of of courses (whether that be certified, or specialised) are available to be brought in-house, meaning the whole team get trained together – and everyone is on the same page! Get in touch with us about bringing our courses in-house here.

Where can I find out more?

You can visit the course pages for P3O® Foundation, Essentials for PMO Administrators and Essentials for PMO Analysts.

We’ve also hosted a number of taster sessions, which you can view below…

For any other questions – why not get in touch? Or give us a call at 0207 164 6901

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The P3O® courses on this page are offered by PMO Learning. P3O® is a [registered] trade mark of AXELOS Limited. P3O® is a registered trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.