APM PMQ practice questions and the complete exam guide
Free, exam-style APM Project Management Qualification practice across all 12 Body of Knowledge topics — with an explanation for every answer, and a plain-English guide to the format, marks, pass mark and how to prepare.
No account needed to start. No card required.
The APM PMQ at a glance
A knowledge-based qualification from the Association for Project Management, based on the APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition. Broadly equivalent to RQF Level 4.
APM does not publish a fixed pass mark — it is set per sitting with the modified Angoff method (around 55% indicative). We treat that as a preparation target, not an official threshold.
Every topic in the Body of Knowledge
Practice is organised into the twelve areas the PMQ draws on — so a weak topic shows up as a weak topic, not as a gap in the practice set. Each has its own guide.
Where the PMQ fits
APM's qualifications form a ladder. The PMQ is the knowledge benchmark most employers ask for.
The entry-level award: a one-hour, 60-question multiple-choice exam on the core terms and concepts. No experience needed, and a natural first step before the PMQ.
The knowledge-based benchmark most employers ask for: a 2.5-hour, scenario-based exam across the whole Body of Knowledge. The qualification this section prepares you for.
A competence-based assessment for those already applying project management in a real role — the step beyond the PMQ.
APM's highest standard: chartered status, assessed against experience and professional practice rather than by an exam.
Start free, then go deeper
- Exam-style questions across the syllabus
- Timed, marked instantly
- An explanation for every answer
- Per-topic breakdown at the end
- No account, no card
- Over 700+ exam-style questions
- Twelve timed practice tests, no repeats
- Drill individual topics, weakest first
- Practise every question you got wrong
- An explanation for every answer
- Works on the web and on the app
New to the PMQ?
The complete guide covers the exam format and marks, all twelve Body of Knowledge topics, the pass mark, fees, how it compares to the PFQ, and an eight-week study plan.
Read the complete guideThe same question bank on iOS and Android, with flashcards and progress tracking.
APM PMQ questions, answered
The APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) is a knowledge-based qualification from the Association for Project Management, based on the APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition. It is the benchmark most UK employers ask for and is broadly equivalent to RQF Level 4.
It is a 2.5-hour, scenario-based exam of 40 questions worth 90 marks: 20 multiple-response (1 mark each), 5 select-from-a-list and 5 short-response (2 marks each), and 10 long-response questions (5 marks each). There is an optional 30-minute break between the two parts.
APM does not publish a fixed pass mark. It is set for each sitting using the modified Angoff method, so it varies slightly with the difficulty of the paper. The figure quoted across the industry is an indicative 55%, but treat it as a preparation target rather than an official threshold.
No. You can sit the PMQ without the PFQ and without prior experience. Many people take the PFQ first as a gentler introduction, but it is not a prerequisite.
Only partly. Half the marks come from multiple-response and select-from-list questions, and half from written short- and long-response answers. Our practice builds the knowledge behind every question with instant explanations, so you are ready for both the objective and the written parts.
You can start with free practice questions — no account and no card. Pro then opens over 700 exam-style questions across all twelve topics, twelve timed practice tests, and topic drills aimed at your weakest areas.
Most APM Accredited providers suggest around 80 to 120 hours of structured study, typically spread over a few weeks to a few months alongside work. The written-response questions reward practising how you lay out an answer, not just reading, so build timed practice in from early on.
No formal experience is required — the PMQ is a knowledge qualification, so it can be prepared for from a standing start. Around two to three years of project experience is often recommended because it makes the scenarios easier to relate to, but it is not a prerequisite.
No. The PMQ is a closed-book exam — you cannot refer to notes or the Body of Knowledge during it. It is sat online with a remote invigilator, or at an accredited provider's centre.
No. Once you pass, the APM PMQ does not expire and does not need renewing. Continuing professional development keeps your wider knowledge current, but the qualification itself is permanent.
They are different tools. PRINCE2 teaches a specific project management method you apply step by step; the APM PMQ tests broad project management knowledge across the whole Body of Knowledge, independent of any single method. They sit at a comparable level, and many project managers hold both — PRINCE2 for the method, the PMQ for the underpinning knowledge.
The paper is out of 90 marks. Multiple-response and select-from-list questions are marked objectively; short- and long-response questions are marked by an examiner, roughly one mark per distinct, relevant point. The pass mark is set per sitting using the modified Angoff method (around 55% indicatively), so aim to be comfortably above that in practice.