Demonstrate Hands – On Mastery of Best Practices at the APMP Practitioner Level

Practitioners demonstrate by way of a rigorous review of their experience record that they can successfully apply best practices in the workplace.

Practitioner Objective Testing Exam (OTE) Frequently Asked Questions

What is the APMP Practitioner OTE?

The APMP Practitioner Objective Testing Exam (OTE) has been developed to replace the Proposal Practitioner Assessment Questionnaire (PPAQ).

The APMP Practitioner OTE assesses the knowledge and skills that demonstrate proficiency in proposal and bid management based on the APMP Competency Framework and Syllabus.

The APMP certification syllabus documents the knowledge and skills required of practitioners.

The APMP Practitioner OTE is a challenging exam that tests participants' knowledge based on:

  • A provided scenario
  • Their experience with the APMP approach as referenced in the APMP Body of Knowledge (BOK)

The questions will test your knowledge and understanding of APMP best practices at two recognised learning levels:

  • Learning Level 3: Application of best practices for a given situation within a scenario
  • Learning Level 4: Analysis of best practices for a given situation or activity within a scenario and how the questions differ from those in the APMP Foundation Exam

Whereas the questions in the APMP Foundation Exam are scenario-independent and multiple choice, the questions in the APMP Practitioner OTE require you to provide answers tracked to the scenario provided. The questions in the APMP Practitioner OTE are more challenging because they are designed for professionals with at least 3 years of industry experience in bidding and proposals.

The answers for both exams are referenced in the APMP BOK—the official reference guide for all APMP certification exams.

For those who want a deeper explanation, consider the following:

Reference models used across other professional qualifications have been used to grade each question on the combination of its test type and learning level. Psychometric data to date shows that question difficulty broadly aligns to learning levels. 

You will see the following types of questions in the APMP Practitioner OTE:

  • Classic (tests application). You will be asked to choose one correct answer from a list of three or four different options.
  • Multiple Response (tests analysis). You will be asked to choose two correct options from a list. This test type follows the same format as the Classic test type, but more than one response is required for the answer. This is the only test type that requires more than one response. Both responses must be correct to gain a mark; if more or fewer than two responses are chosen, no marks will be given.
  • Matching (tests application). You will be asked to link items in one list to items in a second list. Each question item has only one correct response, but options from the second list may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
  • Sequence Matching (tests application). You will be asked to position events in a sequence. The activities in Column 1 will be placed in the sequence in which they should be performed. You will be asked to select an option from Column 2 for each activity in Column 1.
  • Assertion Reason (tests analysis). You will be asked to evaluate two statements (an assertion and a reason that is documented in the APMP Practitioner Study Guide) to determine if either, both, or neither is true. If both statements are true, you will need to consider whether the reason explains why the assertion is true.

What does the APMP Practitioner Exam look like?

The APMP Practitioner Exam is primarily given online. The exam consists of three booklets:

  1. The Scenario Booklet
  2. The Question Booklet
  3. The Answer Booklet

1) The Scenario Booklet

The exam will use one scenario that is based on an easily understood business model that is not specific to any country or culture. Scenario information will be kept to a minimum, but will include the following:

  • A company's background and its specific bid/proposal
  • Bid/proposal objective
  • Bid/proposal timeline and milestones, if appropriate
  • Bid/proposal current challenges and the progress that has been made to date
  • Bidding organisations
  • Additional information as necessary to support specific questions

2) The Question Booklet

This booklet has six main questions. The main questions will have three to six parts, called part questions. The main question will provide scenario-specific information for a competency area, and the part questions will be introduced with additional information. Read the main question and the part questions in full. All information within the main question and the part question applies only to that question and should not be used to answer any other question.

3) Answer Booklet

The answer booklet is where you record your answers for each part question.

Do I need the APMP Foundation Level Certification before taking the APMP Practitioner OTE?

Yes. You must have gained APMP Foundation Certification before you can take the APMP Practitioner OTE. The registration process will require that you input your Foundation candidate number. Without this, you will not be allowed through to the APMP Practitioner OTE.

What is the pass mark for the APMP Practitioner OTE?

It is a challenging exam. The pass mark for the APMP Practitioner OTE is 50 percent—that is, 40 marks out of 80.

Is extra time allowed for candidates for whom English is a second language, candidates with disabilities and/or special needs?

Yes. When you begin the process of registering for the online exam, you can check a box to indicate that you require extra time. When this box is checked you are allowed an extra 35 minutes for the exam, giving you a new total of 3 hours and 5 minutes.

If you are taking the exam under the supervision of an instructor/invigilator, you should make them aware of your situation at the earliest opportunity and they will make appropriate arrangements for you.

Do I need to allow extra time to prepare for the exam?

If you are taking the exam online, you should give yourself an additional 30 minutes to sign on; so the proctor can review your testing area with the webcam. If you are taking the exam under the supervision of an instructor/ invigilator, they will allow you the preparation time required.

Are breaks offered during the exam?

When you take the APMP Practitioner OTE online, you will be allowed a total of 10 minutes to take breaks. This can be taken in the form of two 5-minute breaks during the total exam time.

The break can be taken at any time after the first 50 minutes. You may take your break(s) when you have completed one of the main questions; of which there are six. This means that you must answer all part questions in a main question before you take a break.

If you take the paper based APMP Practitioner OTE in a classroom environment, breaks will be at the discretion of the invigilator.

How soon do I get my result if I take the exam online?

When taking the exam online, you will be notified of your result within a few minutes of completing the exam. This will be in the form of an email from the APM Group. The APM Group is the organisation that administers the program on behalf of the APMP. The email will also provide you with a link to your candidate portal, where you will be able to download your certificate and get feedback on your score against the key competency areas.

What should I do to prepare for the exam?

It is essential that you study the APMP Practitioner Study Guide. We are not testing your experience within your company, rather your knowledge of understanding the application of accepted industry best practices.

We also recommend that you attend an Approved Training Organisation (ATO) orientation session. The ATOs will explain in more detail what to expect in the exam. They will familiarise you with the different question types and discuss how to apply the scenario, your own experience, and the APMP BOK best practices.

Should I take the exam without looking at the Practitioner Study Guide?

No. It is essential to review the Practitioner Study Guide before taking the exam. The APMP BoK serves as the primary reference for the APMP Practitioner OTE. Every APMP Certification is required to have a primary reference to meet international standards. For the APMP Practitioner OTE, the reference work is the relevant parts of the APMP BoK. This knowledge is captured in the Study Guide and published periodically. Every question related to the provided scenario has an answer in the APMP Practitioner Study Guide.

What is the difference between the APMP BoK, the Practitioner Study Guide, and the Industry Glossary?

The APMP BoK is the online reference for the APMP Practitioner OTE and the APMP Foundation Exam. It provides all information and additional subtopics that are tested at these certification levels. 

The Practitioner Study Guide is the printed version of the relevant information from the APMP BoK and is available for candidates to study and refer to during the exam.

The Industry Glossary is useful for Foundation candidates to quickly look up terms and alternative or equivalent terms used in the Foundation Exam. It too can be used for study when you are taking the APMP Practitioner OTE.

The APMP Industry Glossary is available for sale in the APMP Store at www.apmp.org.

Can I look at the APMP BoK, the Practitioner Study Guide, and the Industry Glossary during the exam?

Yes. You may use the APMP BoK, the Practitioner Study Guide, and the Industry Glossary as reference materials during the exam. However, we strongly advise you not to rely on these materials during the exam. There is not enough time to look up the answer to a wide variety of questions. It is essential for you to study the relevant APMP best practices in the APMP Practitioner Study Guide before attempting the exam.

If I choose to take my exam through an APMP Approved Training Organisation (ATO), will the ATO book the exam for me, or can I do it myself?

Your ATO may choose to book the exam for you or may ask you to do it yourself. When you engage the ATO for training help, ask what the standard practice is.

You can book the exam directly via the APMG website at https://apmginternational.com/our-services/exams in the Business Exams section.

Who is the APM Group, and why are they scheduling my exam?

The APM Group is APMP's certification provider. They serve as the administrator for all APMP certification programs and administer exams to the standards and syllabus defined and determined by APMP.

What happens if I do not pass the exam?

If you fail your exam, you may retake it. There is no waiting period, so you may take it as often as you like. You will have to pay the full fee each time you take the exam, so it is a good idea to make sure you have prepared as well as you possibly can.

What happens when I pass the exam?

Congratulations! You will be recognised as certified at the APMP Practitioner Level and will receive your electronic certificate and a digital badge to promote your accomplishment.  You will also be invited to look ahead to see if you would like to pursue APMP Professional certification.

For More Information

If you have any other questions about the preparing your Practitioner PPAQ contact Peter Coyle CPP APMP – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Register and pay for your Practitioner qualification

The programme uses a process of examination and competency-based assessment, which is consistent and measured against world best practice standards.

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