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APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ)

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Course overview

The APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) is a respected certification covering essential project management concepts, from planning and risk management to communication and teamwork. Recognised across industries, it’s ideal for those aiming to advance their project management career with a comprehensive skill set. 

Advance your project management skills with APM PMQ

The APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) course builds a solid foundation in project management principles, helping you develop key skills and a deeper understanding of effective practices. Ideal for experienced project managers, it sharpens your awareness, strengthens your approach, and equips you to manage projects with confidence and clarity. 

Learning objectives

You’ll gain an understanding of:  

  • Project lifecycle stages, governance structures and sustainability considerations  
  • The business case as the project’s justification in terms of benefits, costs, and risks 
  • Transition management, benefits management, stakeholder engagement and communication management  
  • Leadership, team management and conflict resolution 
  • Diversity, ethics, compliance, and professionalism 
  • Requirements management, quality management, and solutions development 
  • Integrated planning, schedule and resource management, and change control 
  • Risk and issue management, budgeting, and cost control 

What you'll learn

The APM Project Management Qualification is perfect for project professionals who want to build their knowledge of all key areas of project management. It helps you manage everything from small tasks to large-scale projects, showing how all the pieces fit together in a strategic and commercial context. 

Learning plan

The APM PMQ learning plan will ensure you understand the essential details related to this course. It explains the commitment required to meet the APM assessment criteria and complete the ILX course. 

Project Frameworks and Governance

You will explore the essential frameworks and governance structures that drive successful project management. You’ll learn about life cycles and how dividing projects into distinct stages helps organise and structure your work effectively. The course will guide you through governance arrangements, showing how they establish authority and accountability while aligning with organisational practices. 

You’ll also discover how to create and use a business case to justify decisions based on benefits, costs, and risks. Additionally, you’ll gain insight into sustainability, learning how to balance environmental, social, economic, and administrative considerations to deliver projects with meaningful, lasting impact. 

Planning and Resource Management

The APM PMQ course gives you the tools to master planning and resource management. You’ll learn how to develop an integrated project plan, bringing together multiple processes into a single cohesive strategy. Schedule management will help you create effective, time-based plans that balance activities and resources, while resource management shows you how to identify, schedule, and oversee the resources your project needs. You’ll also dive into budgeting and cost control, gaining the skills to estimate costs, agree budgets, and track spending to maintain financial oversight throughout your projects. 

Delivery and Quality Assurance

You will build expertise in delivering projects and ensuring quality at every step. You’ll learn procurement strategies to secure the resources you need while maximising value. The course will guide you through quality management, helping you ensure your project outputs meet agreed standards. Risk and issue management will give you the confidence to identify potential challenges and opportunities and plan your responses effectively.  

Through the PMQ course, you’ll also explore change control processes, enabling you to manage requests and adjustments in a structured way. With assurance and review techniques, you’ll gain the ability to assess your project’s status and demonstrate its ongoing viability. 

People, Leadership, and Stakeholder Management

There is a key focus on the skills you need to manage people and stakeholders effectively. You’ll learn how to engage and communicate with internal and external stakeholders to achieve your project goals. Leadership training will help you empower and inspire your team, while team management techniques will guide you in building and sustaining high-performing groups. You’ll develop strategies for conflict resolution, enabling you to address and resolve disputes to keep your project on track.  

The course also explores diversity and inclusion, showing you how to foster a positive, inclusive environment that values all perspectives. Finally, you’ll strengthen your understanding of ethics, compliance, and professionalism, ensuring your work remains moral, legal, and socially responsible. 

What's included
  • APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) accredited training  
  • APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) exam 
  • Online pre-course for live virtual and classroom courses 
  • 40+ hours of ILX learning resources 
  • Tutor support 
  • Further optional extras are available at checkout 

FAQs

The APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) course equips professionals with the essential tools and techniques for effective project management. It covers risk, planning, quality, communication, and leadership, providing a strong foundation for career success. 

How long is the APM PMQ course?

For in-person or live virtual classroom, you have 10 hours of online pre-course work to do before attending a five-day workshop. You then need to complete 40 hours of additional online learning resources before sitting your exam. 

The eLearning course consists of 40 hours of self-paced learning and attendance at a minimum of eight online revision workshops, while the blended learning option also includes 40 hours of self-paced eLearning, which must be completed before attending a three-day workshop. With both, you get access to more than 40 hours of online learning resources that will help you prepare for your exam. 

What is the format of the APM PMQ exam?

The exam is 2.5 hours long with an optional 30-minute break. It will test your project management knowledge through four new question types: 

  • Multiple response (20 questions, each worth 1 mark) 
  • Select from the list (5 questions, each worth 2 marks) 
  • Short response (5 questions, each worth 2 marks) 
  • Long response (10 questions, each worth 5 marks) 

APM recommends a minimum of 75 hours of learning to ensure you are fully prepared for the exam. 

What is the difference between directed development and guided learning?

Every APM training course is now required to include elements of directed development, which is online, self-paced study, and guided learning, which is instructor-led training. To understand more about how the learning is split, please download the learning plan. 

Is the APM PMQ course right for me?

The APM Project Management Qualification is aimed at experienced project professionals with at least 2–3 years in the field. It offers an opportunity to enhance project management understanding and is ideal for those looking to develop their career. It's a suitable progression for APM Project Fundamentals Qualification holders.

This qualification could appeal to those within the following job roles: 

  • Project Managers 
  • Project office personnel 
  • Project team members 
  • Recently appointed project officers 

Is the APM PMQ course accredited?

Yes, ILX’s PMQ course goes through a thorough accreditation process with APM. 

What our customers say

“Quick response times and good customer service. Thanks to Alisha (Customer Service Advisor at ILX) for all her help.” 

Paul Earnshaw, APM PMQ learner

“Awesome teacher who made the content fun to learn and easy to retain. 

I thought the tutor was great. They were professional with great and interesting explanations, and they made learning the course content fun. The teaching prepared me well for the exams.” 

Emily Meades, ILX learner
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