APM PFQ
APM PFQ topic

Risk & Issue Management questions for the APM PFQ

Identifying, analysing and responding to risks and issues.

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A favourite PFQ area, so precision pays. You need the risk process, the difference between a risk and an issue, and the response strategies for threats and opportunities.

What risk covers in the PFQ

  • The risk process: identify, assess, plan responses, implement, review
  • Probability and impact, and the risk register
  • Threat responses: avoid, reduce, transfer, accept
  • Opportunity responses: exploit, enhance, share, reject
  • The difference between a risk (may happen) and an issue (has happened)

Where candidates lose marks

Treating a risk and an issue as the same — a risk is uncertain, an issue has already occurred.

Confusing 'transfer' with 'avoid' — transfer moves the impact, avoid removes the cause.

Forgetting opportunities — risk management addresses upside as well as downside.

Test yourself on risk

Free, timed, exam-style questions across all ten PFQ topics — with an explanation for every answer and a per-topic breakdown.

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Risk questions, answered

What is the difference between a risk and an issue?

A risk is uncertain — it may or may not happen. An issue has already happened and needs managing now. Treating the two as the same is a common exam mistake.

What are the response strategies for threats and opportunities?

For threats: avoid, reduce (mitigate), transfer, accept. For opportunities: exploit, enhance, share, reject. Risk management deals with upside as well as downside.

The other nine topics

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