The APM PMQ is a knowledge-based qualification assessing the broader aspects of project management. Based on the APM Body of Knowledge 7th Edition (2019), covering 80 topics across 4 chapters — from setting up for success and preparing for change, to people and behaviours, and planning and managing deployment.
The APM Body of Knowledge 7th Edition (2019) is the foundational knowledge resource for the project management profession, published following APM's award of Royal Charter in 2017. It covers the management of projects, programmes and portfolios — collectively referred to as 'project-based working' — across four chapters. Chapter 1 addresses how leaders set up projects for success within a strategic organisational context. Chapter 2 covers the end-to-end life cycle from early shaping to transition into use. Chapter 3 focuses on people and behaviours — stakeholder engagement, team leadership, and professional responsibilities. Chapter 4 covers the technical disciplines of defining outputs, integrated planning, and controlling deployment. The body of knowledge explicitly acknowledges the choice between linear, iterative, hybrid, and extended life cycles, avoiding oversimplification of the 'waterfall vs agile' debate. The PMQ qualification is widely recognised across UK and international organisations, particularly in the public and infrastructure sectors.