AgilePM Certification Guide
AgilePM® certification is the APMG qualification in Agile Project Management, the agile method built for running whole projects rather than single teams. At Training ByteSize we are an APMG accredited training organisation, so you study the official AgilePM v3 syllabus with us and sit the official APMG exam as part of your course. This guide explains what AgilePM certification is, the two levels (Foundation and Practitioner), what it costs, how the exams work, how long your certificate lasts, what changed between v2 and v3, and the simplest route to getting certified.
What is AgilePM® certification?
AgilePM (Agile Project Management) is a project management method for delivering projects in an agile way. It is built on the DSDM framework, is owned by the Agile Business Consortium and is examined worldwide by APMG International. The current version is AgilePM v3.
Where team-level agile approaches such as Scrum describe how a delivery team works, AgilePM covers the whole project: governance, roles, planning, prioritisation and control, alongside iterative delivery. AgilePM certification demonstrates that you:
- Understand the AgilePM philosophy, principles and lifecycle
- Know the roles and responsibilities in an agile project and the products each one owns
- Can prioritise, timebox and control work so that the project delivers on time and on budget
- At Practitioner level, can apply and tailor the method to a real project scenario
If you are new to project management and want the wider picture first, our guide to what is project management explains the role and how methods like AgilePM, PRINCE2 and APM fit together, and our guide to project management qualifications in the UK compares the main recognised routes. If you are planning a career move, our guide on how to become a project manager sets out the steps.
Ready to train? Compare formats, dates and prices on our AgilePM courses page.
Who awards AgilePM certification?
AgilePM certifications are awarded by APMG International, the examination institute for AgilePM. The method itself is owned by the Agile Business Consortium, which publishes the official AgilePM Reference Book used on the Practitioner exam.
Training ByteSize is an APMG Accredited Training Organisation for AgilePM (see our accreditations), which means:
- Our courses are assessed by APMG against the official AgilePM v3 syllabus
- The official APMG exam is included in every course and booked through us
- Your certificate is issued by APMG and is recognised internationally
AgilePM certification levels
AgilePM certification has two levels, Foundation and Practitioner. You can take them separately or together as a combined Foundation and Practitioner route. Practitioner requires a v3 Foundation certificate first.
AgilePM Foundation certification
Foundation is the entry point to AgilePM and the mandatory first step. It confirms that you understand the method well enough to work in an agile project team, and covers:
- The AgilePM philosophy and principles
- The project lifecycle and the products produced at each stage
- Roles and responsibilities in an agile project
- The core practices for prioritising, planning, timeboxing and controlling work
Who AgilePM Foundation is suitable for: anyone new to AgilePM or to the v3 syllabus, project team members, project managers moving to agile delivery, and anyone whose organisation has adopted AgilePM. There are no prerequisites and no project management experience is required.
Our AgilePM Foundation course runs as a three-day live course, virtually or in the classroom, or as around ten hours of online self-paced learning with six months of access.
AgilePM Practitioner certification
Practitioner confirms that you can apply and tailor AgilePM to a real project. The exam is scenario based and open book, so it tests judgement rather than recall. Candidates who pass become AgilePM Registered Practitioners.
Who AgilePM Practitioner is suitable for: project managers, team leaders, business analysts and anyone who will run or shape agile projects rather than simply take part in them.
You need a v3 Foundation certificate to sit the v3 Practitioner exam. An older v2 Foundation certificate is not accepted; see the v2 to v3 section below. Our AgilePM Practitioner course runs as a two-day live course or as around fifteen hours of online learning, with the official exam and the AgilePM handbook included.
Combined AgilePM Foundation and Practitioner
The combined route takes you from beginner to Registered Practitioner in one go: five days live, or around 25 to 30 hours online, with both official exams and the handbook included. It is the quickest and cheapest route for people who know they want the full qualification. See the AgilePM Foundation and Practitioner course.
What the AgilePM courses cover
Both levels follow the official APMG AgilePM v3 syllabus. In outline, this is what you study at each level and what the exam then tests.
AgilePM Foundation syllabus
- The AgilePM philosophy and the eight principles, and how they differ from a traditional, plan-driven approach
- The lifecycle of an agile project, including the alternative configurations for different kinds of project
- The products produced during an agile project and what each one is for
- The roles and responsibilities in an agile project team, and the management style that makes them work
- How AgilePM governs delivery when the team itself is working in Scrum
The Foundation course explains how to lay the foundations for a successful agile project, how an agile project is managed using AgilePM, and how communication between teams, risk and spend are handled differently from a traditional project.
AgilePM Practitioner syllabus
Practitioner assumes the Foundation knowledge and works on application. The course and exam focus on applying the framework to complex project scenarios, managing stakeholders, and tailoring the lifecycle, roles and products to fit a specific project. Because the exam is open book, the emphasis is on judgement: reading a scenario, deciding what AgilePM requires, and finding the supporting guidance in the handbook quickly.
Each product page has the full course outline for its level: Foundation, Practitioner and the combined course.
AgilePM certification cost
The cost of AgilePM certification depends on the level and how you study. Every Training ByteSize price below includes the official APMG exam. All prices exclude VAT.
| Study option | Foundation | Practitioner | Foundation and Practitioner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online self-paced, exam included, six months access | £545 + VAT | £595 + VAT | £795 + VAT |
| Virtual classroom or classroom in Nantwich, exam included | £1,095 + VAT | £1,095 + VAT | £1,995 + VAT |
| Nantwich residential, exam included | £1,295 + VAT | £1,195 + VAT | £2,395 + VAT |
A few things worth knowing about AgilePM costs:
- Study-only options. If you only want the online materials without an exam, Foundation study-only is £185 + VAT and the combined Foundation and Practitioner study-only option is £250 + VAT.
- Exam only. If you need to book or resit an exam on its own, the AgilePM Foundation exam is £220 + VAT and the Practitioner exam is £325 + VAT. Contact us to book.
- The handbook. The Practitioner exam is open book, restricted to the official AgilePM handbook. It is included with our online Practitioner and combined courses and can be bought separately.
- Spread the cost. Our learn now, pay later option splits the course fee into three monthly instalments with no interest and no fees.
- Pass Promise. Online AgilePM Foundation qualifies for our Pass Promise: complete the course, score 80% or more on your final exam simulator attempt, and if you still fail the official exam we cover one resit.
- Group training. Teams of learners can save up to 30% on individual prices with in-company or blended delivery. Get in touch through the AgilePM courses page.
AgilePM certification exams
Both exams are set by APMG. They can be taken online at a time that suits you, through APMG’s remote proctoring service, or on the last day of a live course. Online exams need a computer with a webcam and microphone; see our guide to booking your exam.
AgilePM Foundation exam
- Multiple choice
- 50 questions
- Pass mark 25 out of 50 (50%)
- 40 minutes
- Closed book
For a question-by-question look at what the Foundation exam asks and how to prepare, read our AgilePM Foundation exam guide.
AgilePM Practitioner exam
- Objective testing, based on a project scenario
- 4 questions, 20 marks each
- Pass mark 40 out of 80 (50%)
- Two and a half hours
- Open book, restricted to the official AgilePM handbook
The Practitioner exam is where most candidates need practice. The questions describe a project scenario and ask you to decide what the method requires in that situation, so knowing where things are in the handbook matters as much as knowing the theory. Our Practitioner courses include an exam simulator and sample papers for exactly that reason.
How long does AgilePM certification last?
AgilePM Foundation does not expire. Once you have passed, the certificate is yours.
AgilePM Practitioner certification is valid for five years. Between three and five years after certifying, Registered Practitioners sit a shorter re-registration exam to confirm their knowledge is current and keep their Registered status. After five years the certificate itself remains valid, but you lose Registered Practitioner status, and reinstating it means passing the full Practitioner exam again. Re-registration is a good deal simpler than that, so it pays to diarise it.
AgilePM v2 to v3: what changed
AgilePM v3 is the current version of the method and the version all our courses and exams use. It keeps the DSDM foundations but shifts the emphasis from documents and rules towards value, delivery, leadership and governance, with clearer guidance on modern agile practices and how AgilePM sits alongside approaches like Scrum. The exam experience changed too: scenario-based questions with less pure theory. Our post on what AgilePM v3 means in practice goes into the detail.
If you already hold a v2 certificate, two things matter. The v3 Practitioner exam requires a v3 Foundation certificate, so a v2 Foundation on its own will not get you onto Practitioner. And you do not have to start again: our AgilePM v2 to v3 bridging courses cover only what has changed and take you to the v3 certificate in a fraction of the time.
AgilePM compared with other agile certifications
“Agile certification” covers several very different qualifications, so it helps to be clear what each one is for.
- AgilePM is a complete project management method for agile delivery, with governance and roles for the whole project. It is the natural choice if you manage projects rather than sprints.
- PRINCE2 is a project governance method rather than a delivery approach. Many UK project managers hold both; see our PRINCE2 certification guide.
- PRINCE2 Agile combines PRINCE2 governance with agile delivery and is aimed at people already working in PRINCE2 environments.
- Scrum certifications (Scrum Master, Product Owner) describe how a single delivery team works. They are team-level rather than project-level qualifications.
- PMI-ACP is the Project Management Institute’s broad agile credential, covering several agile approaches and aimed at practitioners who already have agile project experience.
For a fuller comparison read PRINCE2 vs Scrum vs AgilePM.
Is AgilePM certification worth it?
If you manage projects, yes. AgilePM is a project management credential rather than a team-level one, so it is recognised by employers as evidence that you can run an agile project, not just take part in one. It is APMG certified, it maps directly onto how agile projects are run in organisations that still need governance, budgets and dates, and it is one of the few agile certifications with a Practitioner level that tests application rather than recall.
Foundation on its own is worth having if you work in or around agile projects. Practitioner is the level that changes how you are seen as a project manager, and the combined course is the most cost-effective way to reach it.
How to get AgilePM certified with Training ByteSize
- Choose your level and format:
- Study online at your own pace with six months of access, or join a live virtual or classroom course.
- Use the quiz bank and exam simulator until you are passing comfortably.
- Sit the official APMG exam online, or on the last day of your live course.
- Receive your AgilePM certificate from APMG.
Why choose Training ByteSize for AgilePM certification?
- APMG Accredited Training Organisation, teaching the official AgilePM v3 syllabus
- The official exam included in every course, with the handbook included on Practitioner routes
- Online, virtual, classroom, residential and in-company formats
- Exam simulator, sample papers and trainer support while you study
- Pass Promise on online Foundation and interest-free instalments on every course
AgilePM certification FAQs
What is AgilePM certification?
AgilePM certification is the APMG qualification in Agile Project Management, a method built on the DSDM framework for running whole projects in an agile way. It has two levels, Foundation and Practitioner, and the current version is v3.
How much does AgilePM certification cost?
With Training ByteSize, AgilePM Foundation starts at £545 + VAT online with the exam included, Practitioner at £595 + VAT and the combined Foundation and Practitioner course at £795 + VAT. Live virtual and classroom courses cost more; the full table is above.
How hard is the AgilePM exam?
Foundation is a 40-minute, 50-question multiple choice exam with a 50% pass mark, and the course plus the quiz bank is designed to get you there. Practitioner is harder: two and a half hours of scenario-based questions, open book, with a 50% pass mark. It rewards practice with the handbook and sample papers rather than memorising.
Do I need AgilePM Foundation before Practitioner?
Yes. You must hold a v3 Foundation certificate to sit the v3 Practitioner exam. The combined course covers both in sequence.
I have AgilePM v2. Is it still valid?
Your v2 certificate is still yours, but a v2 Foundation is not accepted as the prerequisite for the v3 Practitioner exam. The bridging courses are the quickest way to bring a v2 qualification up to v3.
Does AgilePM certification expire?
Foundation does not expire. Practitioner is valid for five years, with a re-registration exam between years three and five to keep Registered Practitioner status.
Which is better, PRINCE2 or AgilePM?
They do different jobs. PRINCE2 governs a project; AgilePM delivers one in an agile way. If your organisation runs agile projects, AgilePM is the more useful qualification. If it runs PRINCE2, PRINCE2 Agile may suit better. Many project managers end up holding both.
Can I take the AgilePM exam online?
Yes. Both exams can be taken online through APMG’s remote proctoring service, 24 hours a day, within your course licence period. You need a computer with a webcam and microphone.
Start your AgilePM certification journey
If you are ready to work towards AgilePM certification, compare our accredited Foundation, Practitioner and combined courses, with the official exam included in every one.