APM PMQ Exam Hints and Tips 2025

Hi, my name is Callum. I’m the lead trainer for Training ByteSize, and I want to talk about the new version of the AMP PMQ course and share my experiences with it over the last few weeks. I’ll also go through some exam hints and tips, and things I’ve learned from running courses and seeing a few exams. I even took the exam myself in September to get a feel for the new format since my previous PMQ was a handwritten exam.

I imagine most, if not all, of you have heard about the new exam and its format changes. I won’t go into too much detail, but it’s now a two-and-a-half-hour exam, as opposed to the old three-hour, 15-minute format.

It’s a mix of multiple-choice, written, and “select box” questions. Even the long-answer questions are more succinct than the old essay-style exam. The information required is more concise – I’d describe it as bullet-point friendly.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve noticed a few things about the new exam worth discussing. One key point is to read the questions very carefully. When I retook the PMQ, the questions I struggled with most (despite being very familiar with content of the APM courses) were the longer, scenario-based ones.
These questions have a lot of text, and I found that in the exam environment, under pressure with the timer ticking, they were particularly challenging. There’s a lot of information and scene-setting for context. I found these required more time to read, and they often seemed designed to catch you out, especially some of the multiple-choice questions. They use specific words and phrases that you might glance at and think you understand, when a more careful reading reveals a slightly different question. So, my advice is to read all the questions carefully, but especially the longer, scenario-based ones with lots of context.

Another thing I’ve found, and this has come up in discussions with delegates, is to avoid bringing outside context into the questions. I was guilty of this myself, and I know others who’ve taken the exam have done the same. They bring in outside circumstances and think, “Well, if it was this, I’d do that.” But it’s not “this”—it’s the question they’re asking. You need to read it carefully and be mindful of bringing in external thoughts and circumstances. The question doesn’t give you all the information; it only asks what your response would be in that specific scenario. Adding “what about this?” and “what about that?” is irrelevant if that information isn’t provided.

So, read the question, read the context, and answer within the context provided. That’s something I’ve found helpful. Once I understood this, I found the questions much more straightforward.

Another question type that can cause problems is the multiple-choice question with six possible answers, where you have to choose which two or three are correct. There are still four options (A, B, C, and D) for selecting the correct combination.

A technique that worked well for me, and has since worked for others, is to use the scrap paper provided in the exam. I wrote the numbers one through six and crossed out the options I thought were incorrect. I read through the list and tried to identify which one immediately seemed right. I’d tick it and then look at the A, B, C, and D options to see which ones included that particular answer. This helped narrow it down, because usually, two options won’t have the one you think is correct. Then, I’d compare the remaining options and see which one was more correct.
This “checklist” approach helps you identify the wrong answers and work out the right ones. Most people who’ve used this technique have felt quite confident with their answers afterward.

For the written questions, read the question carefully. They often use keywords like “explain” and “differences between.” If it asks you to explain something, like “explain five steps of configuration management,” you can’t just list the steps. You have to explain what each step involves. Simply writing “planning, identification, control, status accounting, and verification audit” will get you zero marks. You need to elaborate on what happens in each step.

So, read the long-answer questions carefully. They are asking for detail, but not loads of it. It’s not an essay. I’d say a sentence or two for each of your five points. Sometimes they split the questions, so a five-mark question might be “explain two benefits of X” and “explain how you’d use it in this context.” Make sure you read the context and scenario provided.

I found the long-answer questions not too bad once I got into the flow. I found some of the multiple-choice questions trickier because of the wording. The long-answer questions are more about explaining why you’re doing something or what something is, which I found more straightforward.

Don’t write loads of detail; it’s a waste of time. There’s only one mark per point, so no need for long paragraphs. I recommend using bullet points for the five-mark long answers, as it prevents you from writing too much. For the short-answer questions, keep them brief. There’s a limited character count anyway, but a couple of words, a phrase, or a short sentence will suffice.

The timing seems fair, but keep an eye on it. Some people spend too long on the first half and don’t have enough time for the second. The timer is always on screen. You can take a break after the first half, but be mindful that once you submit those answers, they’re gone.

If you get stuck on a question, there’s a flag option in the bottom right corner. Flag it and move on. Don’t waste time mulling it over. Get through the questions you can answer quickly and confidently. Then, come back to the flagged questions later.

If you still don’t know the answer to a multiple-choice question, have a guess. Try to narrow it down first. Often, you can eliminate two options that seem obviously wrong, giving you a 50/50 chance. Then, try to determine which of the remaining two is more correct.

For long-answer questions, you need the knowledge. Don’t expect to “blag” it just because there are multiple-choice questions. It’s still a difficult exam. They’ve retained the difficulty, just made it more accessible by reducing the amount of writing.

Once you submit the first half, you’ll go to a break. You can’t return to those questions. The break is non-mandatory for online exams. You can leave the room, but don’t bring notes back in. You could do some revision, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

The second half is the same as the first. There’s no set order for question types. They’re mixed up. Each question is on its own page, so you won’t get them mixed up.

Aim to have at least an hour and 15 minutes left for the second half. If you run out of time, you’ll be booted out. In the second half, you can finish early or let the timer run out.

When you’re ready to finish, click the “finish” button. I finished with about 25 minutes to spare, but most people have around 5 to 10 minutes left.

Overall, the feedback is that it’s a more accessible and straightforward experience than the old version. There’s a greater breadth of knowledge required, as all questions are mandatory.

Do your checks early. Don’t leave it to the day of the exam. The setup process is very simple and straightforward. You’ll be asked to show your desk, your wall, your ceiling, and your ears. Make sure your microphone and camera are working, especially if you’re using a work laptop.

That’s my thoughts on the exam so far. Results are looking positive. I’ll be making more of these updates as I gather more information. Thank you for reading!