AgilePM Foundation study guide · 2026

The 10 AgilePM Foundation domains, explained

10 areas and 30 syllabus topics. APMG International does not publish weights for these areas, so each gets equal space here. Each guide explains what the area covers, how it is assessed and where candidates slip.

Start with Domain 1 See all domains
Questions
50
Time
40 minutes
Passing score
60% (30 of 50 questions)
Outline
AgilePM v3 Foundation syllabus (AgilePM Reference Book v3 edition 2; v3 exams from 8 September 2025)

Exam blueprint

APMG International does not publish weights, so every area is drawn the same size.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  1. 1 Key agile concepts
  2. 2 Scrum overview
  3. 3 AgilePM fundamentals
  4. 4 Individuals and interactions
  5. 5 Collaboration and communication
  6. 6 Project lifecycle framework
  7. 7 Requirements, estimating and prioritisation
  8. 8 Planning and control
  9. 9 Risk management and the project approach
  10. 10 Governance, compliance and AgilePM products

All 10 domains

30 official syllabus topics 30–40 hrs suggested study

  1. Domain 01

    Key agile concepts

    The why behind every AgilePM question: business agility in a VUCA world, the four Agile Manifesto values and twelve principles, and why running a project is a bigger job than building a product.

    Inside this domain

    • Business agility and why projects must respond to VUCA
    • The Agile Manifesto and its principles in a project context
    • How agile project management differs from product development alone

    Watch for Agile means no documentation

    Syllabus topics
    3
    Questions est.
    ~5
    Study time est.
    3–4 hrs
  2. Domain 02

    Scrum overview

    AgilePM v3 uses Scrum as its product delivery engine, so you need the Scrum values, accountabilities, events, artefacts and commitments exactly, plus the empirical theory that makes iterative, incremental delivery work.

    Inside this domain

    • Scrum values, roles and events
    • Scrum artefacts and commitments
    • How Scrum theory underpins iterative, incremental delivery

    Watch for Scrum Master as manager

    Syllabus topics
    3
    Questions est.
    ~5
    Study time est.
    3–4 hrs
  3. Domain 03

    AgilePM fundamentals

    The core of the framework: AgilePM's philosophy, its principles, and the fixed time, cost and quality with flexible features that drive many AgilePM answers, plus how the framework wraps Scrum.

    Inside this domain

    • The AgilePM philosophy and underlying ethos
    • AgilePM principles and how they guide project behaviour
    • How AgilePM and Scrum combine to support real-world projects

    Watch for Protect scope, move the date

    Syllabus topics
    3
    Questions est.
    ~5
    Study time est.
    3–4 hrs
  4. Domain 04

    Individuals and interactions

    Who does what on an AgilePM project and how they lead: servant leadership and empowerment, the business, technical and management roles at project level, and how they meet the Product Owner, Scrum Master and team.

    Inside this domain

    • Agile leadership principles and behaviours
    • AgilePM roles, responsibilities and key relationships
    • How stakeholders, Product Owner, Scrum Master and team collaborate

    Watch for Project Manager owns the business case

    Syllabus topics
    3
    Questions est.
    ~5
    Study time est.
    3–4 hrs
  5. Domain 05

    Collaboration and communication

    How AgilePM teams work together and keep everyone informed: what real collaboration looks like, choosing rich communication channels and planning communication, and making process and progress transparent.

    Inside this domain

    • What effective collaboration looks like on agile projects
    • Communication skills, channels and planning
    • Transparency of process and progress across the project

    Watch for Document for sign-off

    Syllabus topics
    3
    Questions est.
    ~5
    Study time est.
    3–4 hrs
  6. Domain 06

    Project lifecycle framework

    The AgilePM lifecycle from pre-project through feasibility, foundations, development and deployment to post-project benefits, how increments flow through it, and how to configure it for a given project.

    Inside this domain

    • The AgilePM project lifecycle and types of increment
    • Purpose and key work in each phase from pre-project to post-deployment
    • How lifecycles can be configured for different contexts

    Watch for Architecture in Feasibility

    Syllabus topics
    3
    Questions est.
    ~5
    Study time est.
    3–4 hrs
  7. Domain 07

    Requirements, estimating and prioritisation

    How AgilePM handles requirements: the hierarchy from business need to user story, functional and non-functional types, INVEST stories that evolve over time, relative estimating under uncertainty, and the MoSCoW rules.

    Inside this domain

    • Requirements hierarchy and types of requirement
    • User stories, INVEST and working with requirements over time
    • Agile estimating, dealing with uncertainty and the MoSCoW rules

    Watch for Important means Must

    Syllabus topics
    3
    Questions est.
    ~5
    Study time est.
    3–4 hrs
  8. Domain 08

    Planning and control

    How AgilePM plans at several levels and stays in control: planning that firms up across the lifecycle, timeboxes, tracking progress through delivered products, managing by exception within tolerances, and fitting it all to Scrum.

    Inside this domain

    • AgilePM planning concepts and planning across the lifecycle
    • Tracking progress, responding to change and management by exception
    • Integrating AgilePM planning with Scrum events and artefacts

    Watch for Extend the timebox

    Syllabus topics
    3
    Questions est.
    ~5
    Study time est.
    3–4 hrs
  9. Domain 09

    Risk management and the project approach

    How AgilePM manages risk: integrating risk management into the lifecycle, understanding which risks agility reduces and which it creates, and using the Project Approach Questionnaire to test whether the conditions for agile success are in place.

    Inside this domain

    • Risk in agile projects and how AgilePM integrates risk management
    • How agility in practice affects risk exposure
    • Using the Project Approach Questionnaire to identify and address risks

    Watch for PAQ as risk register

    Syllabus topics
    3
    Questions est.
    ~5
    Study time est.
    3–4 hrs
  10. Domain 10

    Governance, compliance and AgilePM products

    How AgilePM satisfies governance without losing agility: traditional and agile governance side by side, building regulatory compliance into delivery, and the business case and management products that support financial control.

    Inside this domain

    • Traditional vs agile governance and how AgilePM supports both
    • Regulatory and compliance considerations in agile projects
    • Financial governance and AgilePM products that support it

    Watch for Ignore the gates

    Syllabus topics
    3
    Questions est.
    ~5
    Study time est.
    3–4 hrs

Suggested study order

No official weights are published, so follow the outline order, across about 30–40 hrs of study.

  1. 1 Key agile concepts 3–4 hrs
  2. 2 Scrum overview 3–4 hrs
  3. 3 AgilePM fundamentals 3–4 hrs
  4. 4 Individuals and interactions 3–4 hrs
  5. 5 Collaboration and communication 3–4 hrs
  6. 6 Project lifecycle framework 3–4 hrs
  7. 7 Requirements, estimating and prioritisation 3–4 hrs
  8. 8 Planning and control 3–4 hrs
  9. 9 Risk management and the project approach 3–4 hrs
  10. 10 Governance, compliance and AgilePM products 3–4 hrs

Try one

Practice questionDomain 1: Key agile concepts

A new project manager asks how the Agile Manifesto expects the team to treat processes and tools, comprehensive documentation, contract negotiation and following a plan?

One trap from every domain

The answer that looks right, and the clue that gives it away.

  • Domain 1

    Agile means no documentation

    Clue Absolute words such as 'no', 'never' or 'eliminate' attached to a right-hand item.

  • Domain 2

    Scrum Master as manager

    Clue Any option where the Scrum Master directs or allocates work.

  • Domain 3

    Protect scope, move the date

    Clue A threatened deadline with requirements of mixed priority.

  • Domain 4

    Project Manager owns the business case

    Clue The decision concerns whether the project is still worth funding.

  • Domain 5

    Document for sign-off

    Clue Several stakeholders with differing views and a need for a decision.

  • Domain 6

    Architecture in Feasibility

    Clue The activity is about how the solution will be built and delivered.

  • Domain 7

    Important means Must

    Clue Words such as 'workaround', 'manually' or 'temporarily' in the stem.

  • Domain 8

    Extend the timebox

    Clue Late work near the end of a timebox.

Other Project Management certifications

Study guides for exams that overlap with AgilePM Foundation.

Practise what you read

AgilePM Foundation domains: common questions

How many domains are in the AgilePM Foundation exam?

AgilePM Foundation has 10 domains with 30 official syllabus topics between them: Key agile concepts, Scrum overview, AgilePM fundamentals, Individuals and interactions, Collaboration and communication, Project lifecycle framework, Requirements, estimating and prioritisation, Planning and control, Risk management and the project approach and Governance, compliance and AgilePM products.

What is the AgilePM Foundation exam format?

Questions: 50. Time allowed: 40 minutes. Passing score: 60% (30 of 50 questions).

How long should I study for AgilePM Foundation?

Our planning estimate is 30–40 hrs across all domains, split by weight. It is an editorial estimate, not an official figure, so adjust it to your experience and to how you score on practice questions.

Where should I start?

Work through the areas in order, since each builds on the one before. Use the checklist on each page to confirm you can do what it asks before moving on.

Which outline is this guide based on?

This guide follows AgilePM v3 Foundation syllabus (AgilePM Reference Book v3 edition 2; v3 exams from 8 September 2025), published by APMG International. It was last reviewed in October 2026.

Domain names, weights and syllabus topics come from APMG International's official outline (AgilePM v3 Foundation syllabus (AgilePM Reference Book v3 edition 2; v3 exams from 8 September 2025)). Question counts and study hours are editorial planning estimates, not official figures. Last reviewed October 2026.