THE ADVANTAGES OF BECOMING QUALIFIED IN THE APM PFQ AND PMQ
SUMMARY OF BLOG
Marina is excited to share information from a recent discussion with Alistair Oldroyd, a PSO consultant at PL Projects. Alistair has recently had the opportunity to take the Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ) and Project Management Qualification (PMQ), within the same year.
Marina thought it would be a great opportunity to hear from Alistair’s personal experience about the advantages of taking (both) the APM PFQ and PMQ. It is her hope that this blog will help PLP’s interested training participants answer the question “should I take both the PFQ and PMQ?”, let us read what Alistair had to say…
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PFQ AND PMQ?
Before we get into the advantages of taking the PFQ and the PMQ (instead of one or the other), let us refresh our memories about the differences between the two APM qualifications.
Both are internationally recognised qualifications, taught by our trainers (Mike, Josie and Mark), in our virtual classroom environment. However, the content, length of training for the qualification and the price, differs.
The PFQ takes place across two and a half days, and is valued at £495.00 + VAT. The PFQ is an introductory course to project management, teaching you different PM definitions, tools and methodologies, but doesn’t go into the topics in great detail.
The PMQ, however, provides any detail that the fundamentals course lacks. This training takes place across 14 weeks (10 weeks of training with 14 weeks of revision) given that it is a much more challenging course that requires participants to learn the material in-depth, which dives deeper into the profession. Our trainers prepare you for a written essay (instead of a multiple-choice exam like the PFQ) by completing mock tests, homework and group work. This course is valued at £1,195.00 + VAT; we also recommend purchasing a study guide as an additional helpful resource.
So, what is someone’s experience with successfully completing both qualifications, and were the qualifications beneficial?
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF TAKING THE PFQ AND PMQ?
According to Alistair, despite their differences, each course has its own benefits. Alistair took the PFQ in July 2021 and the PMQ in October 2021, passing both qualifications with high marks.
Alistair explains it was important to him to understand the fundamentals before enrolling in the PMQ. The PFQ assisted Alistair with acclimatising to specific APM language for the PMQ; remembering definitions and hearing information for the second time from the PFQ, really helped him understand what he was learning in the PMQ.
He also believes that our trainers take the time to understand if you’re the “right” person to take the PMQ. He felt the trainers really cared if he was successful or not and only recommended him taking the PMQ because how of well he performed in the PFQ. This gave him the confidence to enrol onto the next qualification.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Both qualifications have proved extremely beneficial to Alistair’s career. He has a year’s working experience, two PM qualifications under his belt and hopefully he will be returning to PL Projects after graduation to support more of our clients.
If you want to participate in the PFQ and or PMQ, visit our website (training page) or contact our BDM for more information at [email protected].