1.1 Current Exam Facts

Why these facts matter

Before you memorise life cycles or risk registers, lock in how the APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) is organised. Logistics shape study time, booking choices, and exam-day tactics. The facts below follow the Association for Project Management (APM) Project Management Qualification Handbook — currently version 4, revised April 2026 (document reference APM-QS-PMQ2-1 V6) — together with the published open online exam details on the APM website. Always check the version-control table on the handbook’s final page: APM revises it in place at the same URL, so a downloaded copy can silently go stale. Treat handbook and APM website figures as the authority when training-provider marketing differs.

Qualification identity and level

The full name is the APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ). It sits at Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 7, described as equivalent to Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) Level 4. That places PMQ above introductory awareness credentials and below advanced, experience-validated chartered routes. You are tested on broad professional knowledge across project set-up, people, planning, and deployment—not on a narrow software tool or a single industry method.

The awarding body is the Association for Project Management, the UK-based professional body for project, programme, and portfolio management. PMQ is one of APM’s flagship knowledge qualifications and is widely recognised by UK employers, public-sector programmes, and contractors who want evidence of structured project thinking.

Who the exam is for

APM does not publish a formal education prerequisite (degree, GCSEs, or equivalent). Candidates are typically people with about two to three years in a project environment, or learners on a project management apprenticeship or degree pathway. In practice that means project coordinators, assistant project managers, work-package leads, PMO analysts, and practitioners who already sit in delivery meetings and need a common language for governance, planning, risk, and stakeholders.

If you are newer than that profile, you can still sit PMQ, but plan more study hours for scenario judgment and APM terminology. If you are already managing projects, use experience as a bridge: map every workplace example back to the 24 learning objectives rather than relying on unexamined habits.

Qualification time and guided learning

APM describes total qualification time of about 75 hours and guided learning of about 32 hours. Total qualification time covers taught hours, private study, practice papers, and revision. Guided learning is the structured taught element you might receive through an APM Accredited Training Provider. Self-study open-exam candidates still work inside the same overall envelope: roughly 75 hours of serious preparation is a realistic planning figure for an experienced practitioner, not a weekend skim.

Assessment format at a glance

The current assessment is a 2.5-hour online exam delivered on the Surpass platform. The paper has 40 questions worth 90 marks in total. The exam is split into two parts with an optional break of up to 30 minutes between them. The break does not consume the 2.5 hours of exam time, so using it for a short reset is free in clock terms.

All 24 learning objectives are assessed. Coverage is distributed across four competence areas (detailed in the next section of this chapter), but you should not assume any learning objective is optional.

Pass mark: APM sets each paper’s pass mark using a modified Angoff standard-setting method. That means the pass mark varies by exam version to reflect question difficulty. Do not memorise or invent a single fixed pass percentage. Plan to attempt every question and maximise marks rather than aiming at a mythical cut score.

Language of assessment

The exam is delivered and assessed in English. APM recommends English ability equivalent to IELTS 6.0, PTE Academic 51, CEFR B2, or TOEFL iBT 76 or higher. Short-response and long-response items require clear written English and correct use of project management terms. If English is not your first language, practise writing multi-point answers under time pressure, not only selecting options.

Study routes and fees

You can prepare through:

1. An APM Accredited Training Provider course (classroom, virtual classroom, or blended), which may bundle teaching, materials, and an exam booking.
2. Self-study with APM materials and the open online exam route.

Published open online exam fees are:

Provider courses may price training and the exam together differently. Always check the live APM open-exams page and your provider’s quote before budgeting. Resits use a different exam paper.

Syllabus map: Competence Framework and four areas

The PMQ syllabus maps to the APM Competence Framework. Learning is organised into four competence areas with published exam coverage ranges:

These ranges guide revision weighting. They do not mean you can skip a thinner area—all 24 learning objectives remain in scope.

Key facts table

Pathway note: Chartered Project Professional

PMQ supports progression toward Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) by building the knowledge base and professional vocabulary employers and assessors expect. ChPP is not automatic after PMQ. Chartered status requires additional experience evidence, professional practice validation, and APM’s chartered assessment process. Treat PMQ as a strong knowledge milestone on a longer professional path, not as a shortcut to the charter.

Practical takeaway for week one

In your first study week, do three administrative tasks: confirm whether you will book via an Accredited Training Provider or the open online route; download the current handbook and sample paper; and build a calendar that fits ~75 hours across six to ten weeks. Only after that should you dive deep into individual learning objectives. Knowing the rules of the qualification keeps revision honest and prevents wasted effort on outdated formats or invented pass percentages.

Results, re-sits and exam regulations

Logistics do not stop when you click Finish. Four handbook rules decide what happens next, and each one has caught candidates out.

Results take up to eight weeks. APM advises you of your result within eight weeks of the exam, by email. Successful candidates also receive a PDF certificate and an email from APM's partner Credly to claim a digital badge. Results are not given over the telephone, and if you studied with an Accredited Training Provider they are notified too. You receive a breakdown of scores against the learning outcome but no additional feedback — so do not expect a marked script explaining where five-mark answers fell short.

Borderline fails are re-marked automatically. If your overall score falls within 1 mark of the pass mark, APM automatically re-marks it. The re-marker checks both the human-marked questions and the items the assessment system scored automatically. You do not have to request this.

Re-sits use a different paper. You may re-sit through an Accredited Training Provider or through the open online exam, at any time of year. All re-sits use a different exam paper, so memorising the questions you half-remember from attempt one is wasted effort — re-study the weak learning outcomes named in your score breakdown instead.

Cancellation is charged. Cancelling fewer than five calendar days before the exam date incurs a cancellation fee, and a no-show without prior notice is charged the full examination fee. If you booked through a training provider, only that provider can cancel your booking; open online exam candidates contact APM directly.

Reasonable adjustments

APM makes reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 for candidates with a short- or long-term condition or a disability — for example extra time, additional rest breaks, a reader or scribe, a screen reader, or permission to use specialist equipment. The deadlines are strict and examinable as practical planning, not as exam content:

• Requests must reach the Reasonable Adjustments Team at least 12 working days before the exam date.
• APM confirms agreed adjustments within five working days of receiving a complete application.
• Current supporting documentation is required, signed and dated.
• Each agreed adjustment applies for six months unless otherwise specified.

If you may need an adjustment, start that application before you book study time — it is the single logistics task with a hard lead time.