APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ)

The Association for Project Management (APM) range of project management qualifications are designed to support you throughout every stage of your project management career. APM qualifications reflect the knowledge that you have, the work that you do, and the skills that you’ve developed. APM and QA provide a progressive structure for your career development to advance your project management knowledge and grow your skills. The Project Management Qualification (PMQ) is a knowledge-based qualification and is APM’s most popular certification, enabling you to demonstrate knowledge of all elements of project management. You'll be able to demonstrate an understanding of how these elements interact and how your project fits into your strategic and commercial environment.

95% of people believe that taking an APM qualification will add value to their career.

Source: APM Qualifications Survey

APM has identified significant benefits for successful PMQ candidates.

• Learn the latest mix of tools, techniques, processes and skills in project management
• Enhance your CV and earning potential through gaining an internationally recognised qualification
• Improved confidence, engagement, and credibility in your role

What’s included?

Your pre-course learning will include the official PMQ resources:

• Qualification Handbook – includes all the key information that you need to know about the PMQ, including the syllabus, exam format, and logistical details.
• Learner Study Pack – helps guide you through each syllabus topic, using a variety of techniques to develop knowledge.

Supplementary QA course materials (including a Learner Guide and Exercise Workbook) have been designed by award winning instructional designers to ensure that the course provides an interactive and engaging learning experience. Our expert trainers explain the PMQ syllabus through a wide range of individual and group exercises, case-study application, and learning ‘games’.

The PMQ syllabus is based on APM’s Competence Framework and not APM’s Body of Knowledge. There are 24 individual learning objectives spread across four key areas.

1. Setting up for success – We analyse the optimum delivery model for a project and how it should be governed throughout its life cycle.

2. Preparing for change – key techniques in this section consider how organisations judge whether a project represents value-for-money and how to ensure that the business (or customer) is ready for any resultant change.

3. People and behaviours – project managers must engage with internal and external stakeholders (including the project team) in a professional and ethical manner.

4. Planning and managing deployment - irrespective of the chosen delivery model, projects must be planned and delivered in a way that respects the key constraints of schedule, budget, and quality. Risk and scope change must also be managed in a proactive and structured manner.

The target candidate for PMQ certification is:

• Project Management professionals with two-to-three years’ experience in the role – or
• Learners who have embarked on a project management apprenticeship or degree programme

Learners who don’t satisfy either criteria should consider the APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ).

APM has set the qualification at Regulated Qualifications Framework Level-4 (or Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Level-7). 72 hours of total study time are recommended prior to taking the exam:

• 40 hours of personal directed study (your Learner Guide will provide details of how to make best use of your pre-course learning and exam revision)
• 32 hours of guided learning (provided by your QA course)

The full list of 24 PMQ learning objectives can be found below. Each of these topics will be covered during your course. Full details of the content for each learning objective can be found in the syllabus section of the PMQ Handbook. This can be downloaded from APM’s website.'

Setting up for Success

1. Life cycles

2. Governance arrangements

3. Sustainability

4. Business case

Preparing for Change

5. Procurement

6. Reviews

7. Assurance

8. Transition management

9. Benefits management

People and Behaviours

10. Stakeholder engagement and communication management

11. Conflict resolution

12. Leadership

13. Team management

14. Diversity and inclusion

15. Ethics, compliance, and professionalism

Planning and Managing Deployment

16. Requirements management

17. Solutions development

18. Quality management

19. Integrated planning

20. Schedule management

21. Resource management

22. Budgeting and cost control

23. Risk and issue management

24. Change control

Examination Details

You will sit the online PMQ exam on the final afternoon of your course. Use of any study materials is not permitted during the exam.

• Duration: 2.5 hours and completed in two parts. You can take an optional break of up to 30 minutes between part-1 and part-2. The break is in addition to the 2.5 hours exam time. You cannot go back to Part-1 of your exam after it is submitted.

• 40 questions worth a total of 90 marks. You will attempt all questions.

  • 20 ‘multiple response’ questions (worth 1 mark each)

  • 5 ‘select the missing words’ questions (worth 2 marks each)

  • 5 ‘short-response’ questions (worth 2 marks each)

  • 10 ‘long-response’ questions (worth 5 marks each)

• APM has implemented a variable pass-mark for each exam paper that will be determined by the difficulty of the specific paper that you are assigned.

Full details of the APM qualifications can be found at: Project management qualifications & training | PFQ | PMQ | PPQ; (apm.org.uk)