ITIL 5 vs PRINCE2 7
Service management or project management?
Short answer
ITIL if you run services; PRINCE2 if you run projects.
These answer different questions. ITIL 5 is about running services that continue indefinitely — incidents, changes, service levels, continual improvement. PRINCE2 is about governing work that has a defined start and end.
The exams differ sharply too. PRINCE2 7 Foundation gives you 60 questions in 60 minutes at a forgiving 60% pass mark. ITIL 5 Foundation is 40 questions in 60 minutes at 65%, and its difficulty is vocabulary: the exam tests precise definitions.
Both are PeopleCert credentials with a three-year renewal, so the ongoing commitment is the same.
If your organisation delivers change through projects, PRINCE2 is the common language. If it operates systems people depend on daily, ITIL is.
Side by side
ITIL 5
ITIL 5 Foundation
- Awarding body
- PeopleCert
- Level
- Foundation
- Questions
- 40
- Time
- 60 min
- Pass mark
- 65% (26)
- Per question
- 90s
- Format
- Closed book
- Cost
- ~$400
- Prerequisite
- None
- Practice questions
- 518
PRINCE2 7
PRINCE2 7 Foundation
- Awarding body
- PeopleCert
- Level
- Foundation
- Questions
- 60
- Time
- 60 min
- Pass mark
- 60% (36)
- Per question
- 60s
- Format
- Closed book
- Cost
- ~£350
- Prerequisite
- None
- Practice questions
- 241
Who each one is for
ITIL 5
IT service managers, support and operations staff, and anyone working in or alongside an IT service organisation.
Practise ITIL 5 free →PRINCE2 7
Project managers, project support staff, and anyone working in an organisation that runs projects under PRINCE2.
Practise PRINCE2 7 free →