Qualifications
Project Management is live now. Agile, Business Change and Planning roll out through 2027. Every IPP qualification combines formal assessment with real evidence of project practice, a credential that tells an employer something meaningful.
The full framework
Each pathway has three levels: Award, Foundation Certificate, and Practitioner Certificate. Every qualification maps to an IPP membership tier. A Fellow is a Fellow regardless of which pathway they qualified through.
Already qualified elsewhere? If you hold a degree, a recognised qualification from another body, or the experience, you can join as an Associate without taking the IPP Award, through assessed entry. The IPP reviews your evidence before you pay.
FCPM launches 2026. All other qualifications are 2027 scope. Fellow (FIPP) is conferred by panel assessment on top of the Practitioner Certificate and senior experience, not by a separate exam. ChIPP Chartered status is a separate professional designation, available to Members and Fellows once IPP achieves Royal Charter status.
Qualification detail
Select a pathway to see the full qualification set, assessment format, and fees.
APME Award level
The awareness-level entry point. Covers the core concepts of project management without the full technical depth of the Foundation Certificate. Ideal for those new to the discipline or professionals who work alongside projects.
Assessment fee
FCPM Foundation level
The primary entry point into professional membership. Covers all 8 IPP competency areas at Foundation level. Delivered on demand via Activate — no exam centre, no booking window. Scenario questions make up at least 30% of the paper.
Assessment fee
PCPM Practitioner level 2027
For project practitioners with at least 12 months of active delivery experience. Combines a written assessment with a Calibrate evidence portfolio. Two assessors review independently. A third moderates. The rigour is genuine.
Assessment fee
AAE Award level 2027
Awareness-level qualification covering core agile concepts: Scrum, Kanban, iterative delivery, sprint ceremonies, and the agile mindset. Entry point for those exploring the Agile pathway or working alongside agile teams.
Assessment fee
FCAPM Foundation level 2027
Agile frameworks and practices applied to project and product delivery. Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, and hybrid delivery. For Scrum Masters and agile practitioners who want a structured, evidence-based credential.
Assessment fee
PCAPM Practitioner level 2027
Applied agile competence with documented delivery experience. Written assessment and Calibrate portfolio covering agile-specific competency areas. Minimum 12 months leading agile delivery required.
Assessment fee
ABCA Award level 2027
Awareness-level qualification covering change management models, stakeholder engagement, benefits realisation, and the change manager's role. Entry point for business analysts, project managers involved in change programmes, or those exploring the pathway.
Assessment fee
FCBC Foundation level 2027
Organisational change, benefits realisation, and stakeholder-led delivery. For change managers and business analysts working on programmes and strategic initiatives who want a recognised, structured credential.
Assessment fee
PCBC Practitioner level 2027
Applied business change competence with documented experience. Written assessment and Calibrate portfolio covering change-specific competency areas including stakeholder engagement, benefits management, and transformation delivery.
Assessment fee
APE Award level 2027
Awareness-level qualification covering scheduling fundamentals, work breakdown, the critical path, and the planner's role. Entry point for project controls staff, schedulers, or anyone exploring the planning pathway.
Assessment fee
FCP Foundation level 2027
Project planning and scheduling: defining and sequencing the work, building and resourcing a schedule, and keeping the plan real through delivery. For planners and project controls professionals who want a recognised, structured credential.
Assessment fee
PCP Practitioner level 2027
Applied planning and controls competence with documented experience. Written assessment and Calibrate portfolio covering schedule development, resource and cost integration, and progress control.
Assessment fee
Equivalence
A transparent comparison. No criticism of other frameworks. Equivalences are indicative, based on level and scope. They do not represent formal mutual recognition arrangements.
IPP seeks mutual recognition with established bodies from year three onwards, once our own credibility is established through rigorous standards and growing member recognition.
A separate track, longer term
ChIPP is not the next step after FIPP. It is a separate professional designation, assessed on competence — open to both Members (MIPP) and Fellows (FIPP). You do not need to be a Fellow to apply for Chartered status. Fellowship recognises contribution to the profession. Chartered status recognises proven professional competence. They are different things.
IPP is working toward Royal Charter status. ChIPP will be formally conferred once that process is complete. Members who join now and progress through the framework will be among the first eligible to apply when it opens.
Indicative requirements: MIPP or FIPP active for 3 or more years, 7 to 10 years senior experience, panel review by IPP assessors, peer endorsement from two existing Members or Fellows.