Appendix A

Looking into MSP Qualifications

If reading MSP For Dummies gives you the programme management bug (no nasty spots, I promise), you may want to take some of the MSP exams. Here I provide the basic structure of the MSP exam system as well as a few tips on the purpose of the exams and how to tackle them.

Examining the Exam Format and Sequence

You can take three MSP examinations:

  • Foundation
  • Practitioner
  • Advanced Practitioner

remember.eps You need to pass the exams in sequence: that is, you have to pass the Foundation exam before you can sit the Practitioner exam and pass the Practitioner exam before you can pass the Advanced Practitioner exam. If you read that sentence carefully, and I'm sure you always do, you can see a slight difference in what I say about this sequence (I imply that you can sit the Advanced Practitioner before passing the Practitioner).

When you sit the Foundation exam, it's marked immediately. So you can sit the Foundation exam, take a break for an hour or so, and then sit the Practitioner exam.

The Practitioner exam may also be marked immediately, or you may have to wait a few weeks. You can sit the Practitioner exam and then immediately afterwards sit the Advanced Practitioner exam. But if later marking reveals that you failed your Practitioner, your Advanced Practitioner exam is put in abeyance until you pass the Practitioner exam at another attempt.

An increasingly ...

Get MSP For Dummies now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.