MSP 5th Edition - What's changed in Managing Successful Programmes?

20 April 2021 | Produced by Kandy Shaw

Axelos launched the fifth edition of Managing Successful Programmes® (MSP) on 26 October 2020.  The previous update to this training occurred in 2011.  The new revisions have been made in response to a multitude of changes that have occurred in both programme and project management since the previous update. 

Why the changes?

In all aspects of life, change is inevitable.  For organisations, new business processes, change in supplier relationships, and a whole host of other changes have taken place since the last MSP® update. Programme management, as a framework for managing change, is a tool for bringing information, people and activities together in order to achieve a common goal.  It is a method of approach for setting up and running a programme of projects.  So, with the speed of change and the increasing popularity of Agile ways of working, programme management training needed to be updated. 

What are the differences?

As the challenging digital environment changes, so too must the new MSP® training encompass those changes.  The launch of the new edition of the MSP® book, therefore, brings with it a completely redesigned qualification.

The old MSP training consisted of three levels: MSP Foundation®, MSP Practitioner® and MSP Advanced.  In the new training, however, there is no longer an Advanced level.  You only complete the Foundation and Practitioner level. 

MSP Foundation explores the key concepts of MSP®, providing an entry-level overview of the framework and vocabulary.  This exam remains 60 minutes long, but the number of multiple-choice questions has been reduced from 75 down to 60. It covers all key concepts at basic level.

The Practitioner exam has also been refocused.  Now there are no new concepts introduced at this level, but rather the focus is on the same concepts learned at Foundation being applied at a higher cognitive level. The given scenario forces the candidate to analyse and make decisions on concepts in a given context.

The Practitioner exam also remains 150 minutes long, but the questions have been reduced from 80 to 70.  This means that the candidate is assessed on an exam that focuses on the key MSP® concepts rather than on one specific concept.

Benefits of the Changes to MSP®

• More enhanced learning experience.
• More streamlined exam.
• The simplified scenario in the Practitioner exam reduces reading time so the candidate can focus more on the questions. (It also means that for those taking their exam online, the scenario does not have to be visible on-screen).

Axelos say that the new MSP ® training and exam means that “the candidate will enjoy a product and assessment method that focuses on what is truly crucial for a Programme Manager”.