APM Project Fundamentals Qualification
(APM PFQ)

  • APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ) Feature

    Frequent Virtual Classroom courses running

  • APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ) Feature

    On demand Distance Learning (including exam)

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    Dedicated virtual courses for Larger Groups

APM Project Fundamentals Qualification
What’s covered…
Gain a broad understanding of project management.

Gain a broad understanding of the principles of the profession.

Learn the principles of project management.

Learn the fundamental principles of project management.

No prior knowledge or experience is required.

No prior knowledge or experience is required

Assessment
Multiple Choice Questions 60
Multiple Choice

Exam questions over a one hour period.

Multiple Choice Questions 95%

APM candidates who beleive that taking an APM qualification will add value to their career.*

What is The APM PFQ
Project Fundamentals Qualification?

The APM PFQ Project Fundamentals Qualification, formerly known as the APM Introductory Certificate, is a qualification developed by the Association for Project Management, the chartered body for the project profession. It is a practical course for those new to managing projects or members of project teams who want a better understanding of the processes, tools and language of project management.


APM Accredited
Parallel Project Training is an APM accredited training provider, ensuring you receive the best professional project management training available.

At the end of the course, you will:

  • FeaturesBe able to apply the fundamental principles of project management including:
    • Defining the business case
    • Establishing scope
    • Drawing up a plan for project delivery
    • Identifying and managing risk
    • Monitoring and tracking project progress
    • Controlling change
  • FeaturesBe equipped with the practical skills and knowledge to successfully deliver benefits to your organisation through well-managed projects
  • FeaturesGain a recognised project management qualification to enhance your career prospects as a project professional
  • FeaturesDevelop the behaviours and leadership skills needed to become a successful project manager
  • FeaturesConfidently sit the APM Project Fundamentals Qualification examination

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Your Learning Options

Downloadable Content

APM Accredited

Upcoming APM Project Fundamentals Courses (PFQ)

Apr 03
APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ)
2 days, 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM
  • £775.00 excl. VAT
MS Teams View
May 16
APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ)
2 days, 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM
  • £775.00 excl. VAT
MS Teams View
Jun 11
APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ)
2 days, 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM
  • £775.00 excl. VAT
MS Teams View
Jul 15
APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ)
2 days, 09:00 AM BST – 05:00 PM BST
  • £815.00 excl. VAT
Online View
Aug 19
APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ)
2 days, 09:00 AM BST – 05:00 PM BST
  • £815.00 excl. VAT
Online View
Sep 16
APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ)
2 days, 09:00 AM BST – 05:00 PM BST
  • £815.00 excl. VAT
Online View
Oct 14
APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ)
2 days, 09:00 AM BST – 05:00 PM BST
  • £815.00 excl. VAT
Online View
Nov 11
APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ)
2 days, 09:00 AM GMT – 05:00 PM GMT
  • £815.00 excl. VAT
Online View

What Topics Will The Course Cover?

Project Management And The Operating Environment

We differentiate projects from non-projects, explore programme and portfolio management, the influence of the business and political context on project success

Project Lifecycles

Projects may be managed via a range of lifecycles including linear, iterative (such as Agile) and hybrid lifecycles. We will be exploring the different phases of the different lifecycles and their use

Project Roles

Here we will explore the various roles and responsibilities of the Project manager, Project Governance, Sponsor, Product Owner, and the Users. Working closely together these roles will be a powerful force towards the achievement of a successful project

Project Management Planning

This will include understanding the role of a project schedule, planning and managing key resources and budgeting and cost management. The role and purpose of the business case and the development of options will be explored

Project Planning

This is a significant section of the course. It includes several key areas including:

  1. The development of an overall plan for both linear and iterative lifecycles.
  2. The role of stakeholders in developing this plan and the delivery of the project.
  3. The role of a project schedule, the project baselines, planning and managing key resources and budgeting and cost management.
  4. The purpose of the case, the development of options and definition success criteria and benefits. In this section we discuss the roles of the sponsor and project manager.
  5. Different techniques to develop a robust cost estimate including analytical, analogous and parametric estimating. In this section we also discuss how the accuracy of the estimate is improves during the project lifecycle.
  6. The purpose and benefits of project progress reporting.

Scope Management

During this session we will be clearly defining how the scope for a project is derived, planned, and managed using a number of different techniques. We will cover the topic of change control as an essential part of preventing ‘scope creep’

Understand Scheduling and Resource Management

Scheduling is a key skill when managing projects. In this section we look at a number of different approaches to scheduling including, critical path, milestone planning, time boxing. For each we discuss how both internal and external resources can be planned, including external procurement

Risk and Issue Management

During this session we will look at systematic ways to understand, catalogue and deal with risks and issues. Using appropriate theory, we will explore the topic and provide useful tools to deal with them including the use of a risk and issue register. Importantly in this section we discuss the processes for issue resolution

Quality Management

Discussing and concluding adequate mechanisms for the management of quality on a project,including the use of various quality control techniques. The session will also cover the role of gate reviews

Understanding Communication

How to get the best from the team and how to undertake a suitable and focused level of project communications

Leadership and Teamwork

Working in teams is a natural and necessary undertaking in most job roles, in a project it is even more profound and the need to ‘get up and running’ quickly is paramount. Understanding some basic theory in this respect is valuable for new project managers.

What is the exam like? One-hour with 60 questions and a pass mark of 60%. The vast majority of people do well in this exam.

The APM PFQ exam can be sat in a classroom environment, or online via an online proctoring service. We will arrange your exam for both options, so please contact us for more details.

How Can I Study And What’s Included?

Virtual ClassroomSelf Paced Learning
Cost £775 £325
Delivery method2 Days of Classroom TrainingOnline
Learning resources e-Learning Portal e-Learning Portal
Printed learning materials Study Guide Study Guide
Other learning materials Podcasts Podcasts
Exam resources Practice Online Exam Papers Practice Exam Papers
  Book Now Book Now

Your Learning Options for Project Fundamentals Course

APM PFQ Classroom Course

We have professional trainers who make courses engaging and fun. All of our trainers are experienced project leaders who will help you acquire the skills and capabilities needed to be more successful in a project environment.

Our training solutions don’t mean sitting in a classroom (real or virtual) and simply listening to a trainer talking from the front of the room. They involve active participation in real-world tasks and collaborating with others using realistic case studies. Courses include watching webinars and listening to podcasts; getting involved in buzz groups, discussions, practical demonstrations, role-play and simulations. All intended to support your study goals and personal career development.

The PFQ is a 1-hour multiple-choice examination with 60 questions. The results are published in 10 to 12 weeks.

The APM PFQ examination can be sat in a classroom environment, or online via an Online Proctoring service. You can book your examination at a time to suit you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 360 days a year. We can arrange your exam for both of these options, so please contact us for more details.

Find Out More

About the APM PFQ Distance Learning Course

For the distance learning course, Parallel worked in partnership with the APM to write the official study guide for this APM PFQ qualification based on the APM Body of Knowledge 7th Edition (BoK 7). Our course is presented by the authors of the study guide (John Bolton and Paul Naybour). As with our APM PMQ classroom course we include a wide range of learning resources, providing with you with a flexible approach to your study. You can study in print, on-line, or as you travel in the car or the train to develop a fundamental awareness of project management terminology.

The package includes:

  • FeaturesThe Fundamentals study guide written by Parallel
  • FeaturesTwenty bite-size video lectures presented by the authors of the Parallel Fundamentals study guide
  • FeaturesEighteen reflection exercises in which you consider how to apply the principles to your projects
  • Features
  • Twenty five podcasts which you can download and listen to as you travel
  • FeaturesTwenty four case study episodes in which you watch a new project manager apply the principles of project management to their first project
  • Features104 sample questions to check your progress with the course
  • FeaturesA full sample exam paper

We don’t expect you will use all these resources as we find that different people have different learning styles; some prefer the printed resources, some find the podcasts fit into their working week, whilst other prefer the on-line lectures.

If I Study Distance Learning How Do I Take The Exam?

Once you have completed your distance learning study you can take the APM Project Fundamentals Exam.

This is an on-line exam which you can take at any time convenient to you. During the exam you are observed by a remote proctor using a web cam, so you do need to book your slot 72 hours in advance.

As you register for the course we will send you a link to take the exam when you are ready. To help prepare for the exam we have included a sample paper from the APM in the study material.

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Sample Content: Video Lectures

These are presented a short bite-size presentations by the authors of the study guide (John Bolton and Paul Naybour) of the course contents. They cover all the areas required in this project management APM PFQ Project Fundamentals syllabus and are fast paced and engaging. They will help you develop a fundamental awareness of project management terminology. Topics included are:

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Project Management Principles
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Definition
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Project Concept
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Issue Management

Sample Content: Reflection Exercises

During the Project Fundamentals course we also invite you to consider the implications of what we have learned and how you can apply these lessons to the projects you manage day to day. For example:

  • FeaturesConsidering the questions we would ask a sponsor at a start up meeting?
  • FeaturesConsidering the success factors, benefits and KPI for the example project and how these apply to your project?
  • FeaturesAnalysis of the different stakeholder’s in a project?
  • FeaturesConsidering the best structure for a project management plan?
  • FeaturesConsidering how to respond to a risk or and issue?

The aim of these reflection exercises is to help you think about the ways in which you can apply the key learning points from the course to the projects you manage day-to-day.

Sample Content: Podcast

In this podcast the Parallel team discuss the following assessment criteria:

  • FeaturesDefine the term ‘project’
  • FeaturesState the differences between a project and business as usual
  • FeaturesDefine the term ‘project management’
  • FeaturesState the key purpose of project management
  • FeaturesDefine the terms ‘programme management’ and ‘portfolio management’ and their relationship with project management

Your Learning Options

How To Take The Exam

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Preparation For The Online Exam
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How Long Can I Access My Training For?
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Who Will Teach The Sessions?
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How Long Will The Course Be?
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What If I Miss Part Of A Session?

What You Will Need To Take The Exam

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Which APM Body of Knowledge (BoK) Do I Need?
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What Equipment Will I Need For The Exam?
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Technical Requirements and Compatibility

More About Project Management…

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Why Project Management Matters