HERMES Foundation Exam

The HERMES Foundation Certification is a professional qualification in the field of project management.
This certification confirms an understanding of the HERMES project management method. Having prior project work experience is beneficial but not essential for participants.

HERMES Foundation Target Audience

  • Project Managers
  • Project Team Members
  • Controllers
  • Decision Makers
  • PMO Staff
  • Quality Management
  • Governance/Steering Management

HERMES 5 Foundation Exam Format

  • Language: German, English, French
  • Duration: 60 minutes
  • Questions: 40
  • Objective test questions
  • Materials: No reference materials allowed
  • The exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions from the following topic areas:
    • HERMES Fundamentals (including methodology structure, views, phases, deliverables, tasks, roles, modules, and scenarios)
    • Application area and structure of the standard scenario “Service – Product”
    • Modules of the “Service – Product” standard scenario
    • Project organisation (roles) of the “Service – Product” standard scenario

A prerequisite for passing the exam is foundational knowledge of HERMES and project management.
It is recommended to attend a 2- to 3-day training course.
Benefits include sustainable improvement in project quality, reduced risks during project execution, and the ability to create custom scenarios for your own projects.

HERMES Foundation Sample Questions

  1. The exam includes 40 sample single-choice questions.
  2. Only one answer is correct per question.
  3. Correct answers are awarded 1 point.
  4. Unanswered or incorrect answers receive 0 points.
  5. No negative points can be earned for a question.

The exam covers the following topic areas:

  • a) HERMES Fundamentals (e.g., methodology structure, views, phases, deliverables, tasks, roles, modules, and scenarios)
  • b) Application area and structure of the standard scenario “Service – Product”
  • c) Modules of the “Service – Product” standard scenario
  • d) Project organisation (roles) of the “Service – Product” standard scenario

There are three types of questions: standard, negative, and completion (missing word).

Example of a “Standard” Question

Which statement about the “Organisation ” module is correct?

a) The “Organisation” module describes the implementation organization.
b) The “Organisation” module describes the adaptation of the organization.
c) The project organisation is defined in the “Organisation” module.
d) The operational organization is defined in the “Organisation” module.

Example of a “Missing Word” Question

Complete correctly: Modules…

a) …are building blocks for creating projects and scenarios.
b) …are thematic groupings of deliverables, tasks, and roles that are not directly related to solution development and implementation.
c) …do not consist of tasks and deliverables.
d) …describe the lifecycle of projects with specific characteristics.

Example of a “Negative” Question

There are four fundamental ways to adapt an existing scenario or create your own individual scenario. Which is not one of them?

a) Remove tasks and deliverables
b) Add a project-specific role to a module
c) Remove modules from an existing scenario
d) Integrate an additional domain-specific module into the existing scenario

HERMES Foundation Learning Objectives

After completing the HERMES training , participants should:

  • Understand the fundamentals of HERMES project management
  • Have an overview of the application and structure of the two standard scenarios “Service/Product Development” and “Adaptation”
  • Have gained in-depth insights into the modules “Project Steering, Project Management, Project Basics, Procurement, Organisation, Product, and Implementation Organisation” in the context of a complete project using the “Service/Product Development” or “Adaptation” scenarios
  • Have explored project organisation (roles) and their responsibilities in depth within a project context based on the “Service/Product Development” or “Adaptation” scenarios
  • Know how to create individual scenarios
  • Pass the Foundation exam in order to receive the HERMES Certification

HERMES Foundation Certification

Participants who pass the exam receive a certificate.
Those who do not pass will receive a certificate of participation indicating the exam attempt.

The certification body that offers HERMES certification in Switzerland is TÜV SÜD Academy.

The HERMES Foundation Certificate is valid for life and does not expire.

TÜV SÜD provides comprehensive information on certification and recertification on its website.

Visit our HERMES Foundation page or contact us to learn more!

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