APM PFQ study plan

Distinguish between risk, issue, assumption, and dependency by writing one worked example of each from a project you have seen

Construct a risk register template with columns for risk description, cause, effect, probability, impact, proximity, owner, and response

Apply the four risk responses (avoid, reduce, transfer, accept) to six short scenarios and justify each choice in one sentence

Explain how issue management differs from risk management in timing, ownership, and escalation path

Describe the escalation route a risk or issue takes through a governance structure, from team to sponsor

Separate quality planning, quality assurance, and quality control, and state which life cycle stage each is most active in

Map a change control process end to end: request, impact assessment, decision, implementation, communication, closure

Explain configuration management and why it underpins effective change control

Describe how tolerance limits and change thresholds determine who can approve a change

Answer 25 practice questions covering risk, issue, quality, and change, then classify every error by root cause

Compare linear, iterative, incremental, and hybrid life cycles and state the project conditions that favour each

Map the phases of a project (concept, definition, implementation, handover and closure) to the activities and decisions occurring in each

Explain how gate or stage boundary reviews control progression between phases

Relate the extended project life cycle to benefits realisation after handover

Identify which life cycle type would suit four contrasting project scenarios and defend each recommendation

Distinguish project success criteria from success factors and give three examples of each

Convert three project outputs into measurable outcomes and benefits with units, baselines, and target dates

Explain the benefits management process from identification through definition, planning, realisation, and review

Draft a short business case including a simple options appraisal and a justification section

Explain why benefits ownership sits outside the project team in most governance models

Explain the four purposes of governance: direction setting, decision-making, assurance, and escalation

Describe the responsibilities of sponsor, project manager, team members, steering group, and PMO

Differentiate project assurance from project support and identify who provides each

Explain how governance structures scale with project size, risk, and organisational context

Trace a decision from the team level up to the steering group and identify who could overrule it

Plot at least ten stakeholders on a power and interest grid and tailor an engagement approach to each quadrant

Write a stakeholder engagement plan specifying approach, frequency, and owner for each key stakeholder

Select appropriate communication channels and formats for different audiences, including sponsor, end users, and suppliers

Explain the components of a communication plan: what, when, how, to whom, and how feedback is captured

Identify three likely causes of communication breakdown on a project and a mitigation for each

Decompose a sample project scope into a work breakdown structure with at least three levels

Sequence activities and identify dependencies, then derive the critical path through the network

Calculate total float for non-critical activities and explain the schedule implication of float being consumed

Compare estimating approaches including analogous, parametric, three-point, and bottom-up, and select one for a given situation

Explain how the schedule baseline links to resource planning and cost baseline development

Re-attempt every question in your error log and confirm each cause of error is now resolved

Complete two full timed practice papers under exam conditions and record domain-level scores

Compile a one-page recall sheet of definitions, process steps, and role boundaries across all seven domains

Target the two weakest domains from your mock scores with a focused two-hour revision block each

Rehearse the distinction between risk and issue, and between quality assurance and quality control, until both can be explained in under thirty seconds