Hello. My name’s Paul Naybour from Parallel Project Training.
We’re really excited about the relaunch of the APM PMQ qualification this September. The APM has revamped the exam format, eliminating the need for writing ten short essays or answering 16 questions in 3 hours. Instead, the question paper now includes multiple choice questions, select-from-list questions, short answer questions, and long answer questions.
We believe this new format will appeal to those who struggled with the old essay-style format and to organisations looking for a more suitable assessment method.
To help you prepare, we’ve developed a set of sample questions available in two formats: a sample exam on Moodle and an AI-powered exam simulator. In this video, I will briefly explain how to use these tools.
Using the Moodle Sample Exam
Once you register, you’ll receive a link and login details for our Moodle site. Sometimes, the email with this information might go to your spam folder. If you can’t find it, use the ‘lost password’ function on the Moodle site to get a new password automatically. If this doesn’t work, contact us, and we can reset your password manually.
To access the sample exam, log in to Moodle with your username and password and click on the link for the exam. The exam includes 18 multiple choice questions, with some requiring single answers and others multiple answers. These questions can be tricky, especially the multiple-answer ones. Additionally, there are select-from-list questions where you choose the most appropriate word or phrase from a list.
The most challenging part might be the long answer questions, which require a paragraph or two, rather than the 500-word essays of the old format. Once you’ve completed the exam, you’ll see a summary page where you can review and submit your answers. We automatically mark the multiple choice, select-from-list, and short answer questions. For the long answer questions, we’ve provided sample answers so you can compare and self-assess your responses.
AI-Powered Question Simulator
The second tool is our AI-powered question simulator, designed for those who want more practice. This tool uses GPT technology to generate questions based on the APM syllabus and glossary of terms. It’s free to use, though the free tier limits the number of questions you can generate. For unlimited access, there’s a paid option at $20 per month.
You can ask the simulator to generate multiple choice questions on specific topics, such as ethics. For example, it might ask, “A project manager is offered an expensive gift by a supplier to secure a contract. Which principle applies?” You can also request long answer questions, and the simulator will randomly select one from the syllabus.
The simulator evaluates your answers, providing feedback on areas for improvement. It’s a great tool to understand the type of questions, how to structure your answers, and what a good answer looks like.
We hope you find these tools useful. If you’re interested in retaking the PMQ or if your organisation wants to reengage with the qualification, please get in touch. We’d be delighted to discuss our reset programs or support options that best suit your needs.
Thank you for watching, and I’ll see you soon.