Signature APMP Certifications
Bid/Proposal Foundation Certification
APMP Foundation-level Certification is the entry-level for the APMP Certification Program. Candidates who would like to pursue a Practitioner-level Certification must begin at this level.
Bid/Proposal Practitioner Certification
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.
Capture Practitioner Certification
The APMP Capture Practitioner OTE assesses the knowledge and skills that demonstrate proficiency in proposal and bid management based on the APMP Competency Framework and Syllabus.
Bid/Proposal Professional Certification
The APMP Professional-Level Certification demonstrates significant contributions to an organization and/or the profession, as well as proven leadership and communications skills.
APMP Foundation-Level Certification (CF APMP)
APMP Foundation-level Certification is the entry level for the APMP Certification Program. Candidates who would like to pursue a Practitioner-level Certification must begin at this level.
On December 5, 2024, APMP released the NEW (Version 4) APMP Foundation Certification Exam and NEW Study Guide—the next evolution in setting your career up for success.
What's New in the Version 4 Foundation Certification Exam?
The V4 Foundation Exam is the most up-to-date resource for bid and proposal professionals. Here’s what’s new:
- Focus on Essentials: Reflects today’s most relevant strategies to help you succeed in your field.
- Significant Updates: With 70% updated content, the exam emphasizes practical skills in:
- Creating deliverables
- Focusing on the customer
- Managing processes
- Using tools and systems
- Streamlined Framework: Organized for efficiency, prioritizing actionable strategies.
- Practical Enhancements: Adds storytelling techniques, proposal graphics, and customer-focused content.
- Strategic Relevance: Greater focus on value propositions, discriminators, and win themes to stay competitive.
The exam tests your knowledge of proposal and bid management best practices in 22 entry-level and early career competencies. The exam is:
- 75 questions
- Multiple choice
- Pass-fail
- Open-book
The exam is timed, and the candidate has up to 65 minutes to answer all questions.
Important Updates for V4 of the Foundation Certification Exam
- For those with V3 exam vouchers — If you’ve already been assigned a voucher for the V3 exam, you must complete your exam by March 5, 2025.
- Need help? We can contact APMG to identify voucher holders and email you directly with further instructions.
- For training course participants — If you’re attending a course with an APMP Approved Training Organization (ATO), confirm which version of the exam you’ll take. This ensures you and your ATO can prepare accordingly.
- For V4 exam sign-ups — Starting December 5, 2024, all new candidates should purchase the V4 Foundation Study Guide and register for the V4 exam. V3 and V4 will both be available until March 5, 2025.
Why should I pursue APMP Foundation Certification?
- To demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of best practices for proposal and bid management
- To demonstrate your commitment to your own professional development in the industry
- To prepare yourself for additional responsibility and more complex assignments
- To advance to the sweet spot of APMP’s Certification Program ‒ the Practitioner level.
Eligibility
- Candidates should have at least one year of experience in a bid and proposals environment; this experience does not have to be continuous. Time spent working or supporting sales and marketing also counts.
- Your experience may be verified with a reference you choose. This is done on a random sample basis. You may not be asked for a reference, and/or the reference may not be checked.
- Candidates do not have to be a member of APMP to take the exam, but the cost for non-member candidates is more than the cost of membership.
How much does the exam cost?
APMP Members: $425 / Nonmembers: $780
*APMP pricing is in USD. To discover alternative currencies in which Certification Fees may be paid, please visit the website of our Independent examining body, APMG.
Prepare for the exam.
You may study for the APMP’s Foundation Level exam by following as many of these recommended study aids that you are comfortable with.
- APMP’s Foundation Study Guide is the primary reference for Foundation-level certification. The guide provides the answers to all the questions tested on the Foundation exam.
- APMP’s Glossary of Terms provides a list and definition of terms used throughout the Foundation-level exam. The APMP Glossary provides a significant head start in preparing to take the new APMP Foundation Exam.
- Participate in any of the self-paced e-learning (available 24/7) or periodic webinars offered by APMP Accredited Training Organizations (ATOs).
Practice taking the exam.
After reviewing the Study Guide and Glossary, you may practice the exam online by visiting this webpage and selecting "APMP Foundation" from the dropdown menu.
Book your exam
You may take the exam by choosing one of these options:
- Online — You may study on your own and then take the exams online via the APM Group website. The APM Group is the organization that administers the certification exam and assessment processes for APMP.
- In-person — APMP’s Approved Training Organizations (ATOs) offer face-to-face Foundation Level training and exam sessions periodically throughout the world. Go to the APMP Training Calendar for a list of upcoming public sessions.
If you have any other questions about the Foundation exam, contact [email protected].
APMP Practitioner-Level Certification (CP APMP)
The Practitioner OTE is a 2.5-hour, online exam that involves:
- A provided scenario
- Questions (about the scenario) that have been designed to test your knowledge and understanding of APMP best practices at two recognized learning levels
- Your experience combined with the APMP approach as laid out in the APMP Body of Knowledge (BOK)
Eligibility
Candidates for the Practitioner-level certification must be APMP members in good standing and have earned the APMP Foundation-level Certification.
Candidates must also have at least three years of experience in the bid and proposal field.
How much does the exam cost?
APMP Members Only: $425
*APMP pricing is in USD. To discover alternative currencies in which Certification Fees may be paid, please visit the website of our Independent examining body, APMG.
Prepare for the Exam
Read the APMP Practitioner OTE Preparation Guide (version 4.0) to learn more about:
- how to prepare for the exam
- what to expect before, during, and after the exam
- advice regarding how to take the exam
Practice for the Exam
After reviewing the Preparation Guide, you may practice for the exam online. It is a 2.5-hour exam, just like the real exam, and will help you understand the layout and OTE exam nuances. You can take the sample exam by visiting this webpage and selecting "APMP Practitioner" from the dropdown menu.
Book your Exam
After reading the guide and taking the practice exam, you will need to schedule a time to sit for the exam.
Click the button below, then on the page that opens find APMP's Practitioner exam in the left column:
Questions?
If you have additional questions on the APMP Practitioner OTE that are not answered in the Preparation Guide, please reach out to us.
APMP Capture Practitioner-Level Certification (CAP APMP)
The Capture Practitioner OTE is for anyone who is out seeking business, doing business development, and is pursuing new business. It is a 2.5-hour, online exam for Capture / Opportunity / BD / Pursuit that involves:
- A provided scenario
- Questions (about the scenario) that have been designed to test your knowledge and understanding of APMP best practices at two recognized learning levels
- Your experience combined with the APMP approach as laid out in the APMP Body of Knowledge (BOK)
Eligibility
Candidates for the Capture Practitioner-level certification must:
- be APMP members in good standing
- have at least three years of experience in the capture, sales, bid, and/or proposal fields
How much does the exam cost?
APMP Members Only: $425
*APMP pricing is in USD. To discover alternative currencies in which Certification Fees may be paid, please visit the website of our Independent examining body, APMG.
Submit the Exam Application
Before you begin preparing for the exam, you will need to submit a completed Capture Practitioner Examination Application. Complete the form, then scan and submit via the APMG portal site, which is listed at the bottom of the application.
Prepare for the Exam
Read the APMP Opportunity & Capture Practitioner OTE Preparation Guide (version 4.0) edition for Opportunity/Capture Managers to learn more about:
- how to prepare for the exam
- what to expect before, during, and after the exam
- advice regarding how to take the exam
Practice for the Exam
After reviewing the Preparation Guide, you may practice the exam online. It is a 2.5-hour exam, just like the real exam, and will help you understand the layout and OTE exam nuances. You can take the sample exam by visiting this webpage and selecting "APMP Capture Practitioner" from the dropdown menu.
Book your Exam
After reading the guide and taking the practice exam, you will need to schedule a time to sit for the exam.
Click the button below, then on the page that opens find APMP's Practitioner exam in the left column:
Questions?
If you have additional questions on the APMP Capture Practitioner OTE that are not answered in the Preparation Guide, please email [email protected].
APMP Professional-Level Certification (CPP APMP)
Watch our Professional Primer video!
Why Pursue Professional?
Professional-level Certification demonstrates to peers, clients, and organizations that:
- You have achieved the top-level Certification in your profession, only achieved by a limited number of business development professionals.
- You are recognized for making a significant contribution to your organization and/or the profession.
- You are recognized for your ability to lead and direct others in achieving broad-reaching goals.
- You are recognized for thought leadership and "out of the box” thinking
The Professional Certification level is appropriate for senior bid and proposal managers and BD professionals with 7 or more years in the profession and have experience in leadership, thought leadership, and senior stakeholder management.
Qualifying for Professional
To earn your APMP Professional certification, qualify by making a significant impact in your own organization or in one of APMP’s business development communities. You must document and present that impact to a panel of assessors, demonstrating superior leadership, senior stakeholder engagement and management, and communications skills.
To earn Professional Certification you must:
- Be a current APMP member.
- Achieve APMP Foundation-level and APMP Practitioner-level certification.
- Have seven years of experience in a bid and proposal environment.
- Provide a reference that will be asked to rate you on nine behavioral and attitude-based competencies in the areas of managing and motivating others to carry out required actions.
- Develop a Proposal Professional Impact Paper (PPIP) providing evidence of how you have had a significant impact on your organization and/or the profession.
- Participate in a 45-minute panel interview (telephone or face-to-face) to present and answer questions about your PPIP.
How much does the exam cost?
APMP Members Only: $900
*APMP pricing is in USD. To discover alternative currencies in which Certification Fees may be paid, please visit the website of our Independent examining body, APMG.
Register for the APMP Professional Certification
The APMP Professional Certification Format
Select a reference who knows you professionally and can rate your leadership skills on pre-defined statements related to the questionnaire.
How to Prepare Your PPIP
Prepare your Proposal Professional Impact Paper (PPIP) using the PPIP Template and following the Standards and Guidelines. As a leader, you are expected to be able to design, develop, prepare and rehearse your presentation without requiring a great deal of mentoring or advice from the APMP Assessors.
Your presentation is limited to 12 slides. You are expected to demonstrate the use of the best practices documented in the APMP BoK for Developing and Delivering Presentations and Graphics and Action Captions within your slide set.
Submit your PPIP submit directly to the Chief Examiner, [email protected], for assessment and attach a copy of your payment receipt. The subject line should use the syntax: [First Name] {Last Name] PPIP.
PPIP Presentation and Interview
After your PPIP is assessed, you may be invited to present the impact to a panel of assessors, via conference call or in person. The assessors will evaluate your communications skills against prescribed standards. After your presentation, you will be asked 4 behavioral and leadership questions, which will be provided to you in advance, with the standards for answering. After the interview, the panel will immediately prepare evaluation scores and confirm your results.
How to Select Your Impact
Your impact must represent a significant professional achievement that demonstrates your business development commitment and initiative. The impact must illustrate the sustainable improvement in areas such as customer interaction, proposal and bid management, individual or organizational development, processes, or infrastructure improvement. It must represent a project where you were personally responsible and successfully demonstrated that your organization, a client’s organization, or the proposal profession had a quantifiable gain.
Activities associated with your day-to-day job are not eligible for your professional impact, which must reach beyond your normal activities and assignments. Be sure you pick the right subject and follow the Standards and Guidelines listed in the document below:
For More Information
If you have questions, contact Kimberly Kissel at [email protected].
Register for APMP Professional Certification
Professional Certification Information
This collection of documents provides general information and support for the Certification Program Professional level.
- APMP Professional Reference Questionnaire - Complete this questionnaire first and upload to the APMG Candidate Portal
- Applying for APMP Professional Certification
- APMP Professional Standards and Guidance
- APMP Professional - Candidate Booking System Guidance
- APMP Professional Impact Paper Template
- APMP Professional Impact Self Scoring Matrix
- APMP CV Template
