APM PFQ study guide
APM PFQ · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The APM Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ) is the Association for Project Management's introductory, multiple-choice qualification in project management. APM states: "We’re the only chartered membership organisation for the project profession in the world", and reports that it has "over 40,000 members and more than 480 corporate partners". The APM PFQ study guide has 7 sections and about 2,171 words.
01Project life cycles
A project life cycle is the sequence of phases a project passes through from idea to closure. In APM terms the core phases are concept, definition, deployment and transition; the extended life cycle adds benefits realisation after handover.
335 words, about 2 min02Success and benefits management
An output is what the project produces (a system, a building, a report). An outcome is the resulting change in the business.
334 words, about 2 min03Governance and project roles
Governance is the framework of authority, accountability, decision rights and reporting that surrounds a project. It answers: who can approve, who is accountable, what tolerances apply and how assurance is obtained.
326 words, about 2 min04Stakeholder and communication management
A stakeholder is anyone with an interest in, or influence over, the project. Begin with a stakeholder register recording name, role, interest, influence, attitude and engagement needs.
278 words, about 1 min05Planning and scheduling
Planning starts with scope definition, then a work breakdown structure (WBS) that decomposes deliverables into manageable work packages. From the WBS you identify activities, sequence them with dependencies, estimate durations and resources, and build a schedule.
301 words, about 2 min06Risk and issue management
A risk is an uncertain event that, if it occurs, will affect objectives; it has not happened yet. An issue is a problem that has already occurred and needs action now.
303 words, about 2 min07Quality and change control
Quality planning defines the standards and acceptance criteria an output must meet. Quality assurance is process-focused and preventive: it checks that people follow the agreed process.
294 words, about 1 min