You can see it againUnder pressure people bring back shapes and positions long after the wording has gone.
Picture superiority · Shepard 1967, Standing 1973
PEOPLECERTMoP Foundation
The MoP Foundation certification proves you have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the Management of Portfolios (MoP) guidance. It is designed for professionals working in portfolio management roles, including those involved in investment decision-making, project and programme delivery, and benefits realisation. Earning this certification equips you to work effectively as an informed member of a Portfolio Office and serves as the prerequisite for the MoP Practitioner qualification.
Exam formatClosed book
Duration40 minutes
DeliveryPeopleCert
Passing score25 out of 50 marks
Free questions528
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What MoP Foundation proves, and what it asks of you
What this certification covers, who it is written for, and what the exam itself looks like on the day.
7domains
19objectives
126concepts
What it is
What this certification is
What it validates, who it is written for, and the experience it assumes.
About this certification
The MoP Foundation certification validates your understanding of the core principles, practices, and techniques of the Management of Portfolios (MoP) guidance. It is ideal for individuals who want to demonstrate they have sufficient knowledge to work effectively as a member of a portfolio office or in various portfolio management positions. The certification covers the full portfolio management lifecycle, from establishing portfolio management principles to implementing and sustaining them.
Achieving MoP Foundation also sets you on a clear career path: it is a mandatory prerequisite for the MoP Practitioner qualification, which focuses on applying and tailoring the MoP guidance in real-world scenarios. Whether you are a portfolio manager, a member of a management board, or a business change professional, this certification provides the foundational knowledge needed to contribute to successful portfolio management and organisational strategy.
Who it’s for
MoP Foundation is suitable for professionals involved in a range of formal and informal portfolio management roles, encompassing investment decision-making, project and programme delivery, and benefits realisation. It is also valuable for those involved in the selection and delivery of business change initiatives, including members of Management Boards and Directors of Change, Senior Responsible Owners (SROs), and portfolio, programme, project, business change, and benefits managers. Business case writers and project appraisers will also benefit from this certification, as it provides a solid grounding in how portfolios are aligned with organisational strategy and how benefits are tracked and realised.
Recommended experience
No formal experience is required, but familiarity with portfolio management concepts and involvement in portfolio-related activities is beneficial. Experience in project or programme management roles; Involvement in investment decision-making or benefits realisation; Understanding of organisational strategy and how projects and programmes align with it
The syllabus
What you’ll learn
Every domain and objective PeopleCert measures, with the weight they carry on the exam.
The official PeopleCert exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
Overview
- Know facts, terms and concepts relating to an Overview of portfolio management
- Understand the terms and concepts relevant to an overview of portfolio management
Implement, sustain and measure
- Know facts, terms and concepts relating to implementing, sustaining and measuring portfolio management
- Understand how to implement, sustain and measure portfolio management
- Be able to apply and tailor the recommended approaches taken to implementing, sustaining and measuring portfolio management to a scenario
- Be able to identify, analyse and distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate application of the recommended approaches to implementing, sustaining and measuring portfolio management within a scenario
Strategic and organizational context
- Know facts, terms and concepts relating to the relationships between portfolio management and other corporate functions and activities with a role in delivering strategic objectives
- Understand the key aspects of the relationships between the portfolio and other corporate functions and activities with a role in delivering strategic objectives
Portfolio management principles
- Know facts, terms and concepts relating to the principles upon which efficient and effective approaches to portfolio management are built
- Understand the principles upon which efficient and effective approaches to portfolio management are built
Portfolio definition cycle
- Know facts, terms and concepts relating to the portfolio definition cycle
- Understand the terms and concepts relating to the portfolio definition cycle
- Be able to apply and tailor the practices and techniques of the portfolio definition cycle to a scenario
- Be able to identify, analyse and distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate application of portfolio definition practices and techniques to a scenario
Portfolio delivery cycle
- Know facts, terms and concepts relating to the portfolio delivery cycle
- Understand the terms and concepts relating to the portfolio delivery cycle
- Be able to apply and tailor the practices, techniques and responsibilities of the portfolio delivery cycle to a scenario
- Be able to identify, analyse and distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate application of portfolio delivery practices and techniques to a scenario
Roles and documentation
- Know facts, terms and concepts relating to the main portfolio management roles and key documentation
On the day
The exam itself
Everything PeopleCert publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
No mandatory prerequisites — this certification has no required predecessor exam or credential.
CertificationMoP Foundation
Exam formatClosed book
Duration40 minutes
Passing score25 out of 50 marks
DeliveryPeopleCert
LanguagesEnglish
After you pass
Where this credential goes next
The path PeopleCert lays out, how the credential is kept, and where to book.
Step-by-step path to MoP Foundation
Credential earnedMoP Foundation Certification Renewal and maintenance
PeopleCert certifications need renewal every three years. Keep your certification current with PeopleCert's renewal program. Stay current with the latest technologies and maintain your certification.
Learn more about renewal requirements Lifecycle status
This certification is currently active and available. PeopleCert maintains this certification to validate current skills and industry relevance.
Exam status: ActiveMaintained by PeopleCert
Exam registration
Register for the exam through PeopleCert, PeopleCert’s authorized testing partner.
Schedule your examVisit the official PeopleCert certification page for exam policies and requirements.
View the official pageYour coach
And when you are serious, your coach Pip takes over
Your coach in the app reads what you have answered with the book closed and tells you one thing to do tonight. It will not count an answer you gave with the page open, and it will tell you when you are not ready.
See how the coach worksBefore you book
Questions people ask
How does MoP Foundation relate to the MoP Practitioner certification?
MoP Foundation is a mandatory prerequisite for the MoP Practitioner qualification. You must pass the Foundation exam before you can attempt the Practitioner level.
Can I take the MoP Foundation exam online?
Yes, you can take the MoP Foundation exam online through PeopleCert Online Proctoring. You can also take it at a Pearson VUE test center.
What is the rescheduling policy for the MoP Foundation exam?
Rescheduling an exam up to 48 hours before its start time is free. Rescheduling at a later stage is subject to additional charges.
Is the MoP Foundation exam open book?
No, the MoP Foundation exam is closed book. You cannot refer to any materials during the exam.
What job roles does the MoP Foundation certification map to?
MoP Foundation is suitable for professionals in portfolio management roles, including members of Management Boards, Directors of Change, Senior Responsible Owners, portfolio, programme, project, business change, and benefits managers, as well as business case writers and project appraisers.
Does the MoP Foundation exam include a hands-on or lab component?
No, the MoP Foundation exam is a knowledge-based exam. It does not include a hands-on or lab component.
What is the Take2 re-sit option for MoP Foundation?
Take2 gives you a second chance at retaking the MoP Foundation exam at a fixed, attractive price. It is an optional add-on available at the time of exam purchase.
Are there any regional restrictions for taking the MoP Foundation exam?
The MoP Foundation exam is available globally through PeopleCert's online proctoring and Pearson VUE test centers. Check the PeopleCert website for availability in your region.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 528 questions, free, no account needed.
The curriculum
The whole exam, mapped and written
Every domain, every objective, and every concept PeopleCert measures — each one written out.
7domains
19objectives
126concepts
112free pages
The domains, and what sits inside them
Every objective below is a page you can open and practise now, without an account.
The official PeopleCert exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
1Overview48 questions
2Implement, sustain and measure102 questions
Know facts, terms and concepts relating to implementing, sustaining and measuring portfolio management2 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Understand how to implement, sustain and measure portfolio management7 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Be able to apply and tailor the recommended approaches taken to implementing, sustaining and measuring portfolio management to a scenario6 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Be able to identify, analyse and distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate application of the recommended approaches to implementing, sustaining and measuring portfolio management within a scenario8 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →
3Strategic and organizational context40 questions
Know facts, terms and concepts relating to the relationships between portfolio management and other corporate functions and activities with a role in delivering strategic objectives3 concepts · 2 pagesOpen →Understand the key aspects of the relationships between the portfolio and other corporate functions and activities with a role in delivering strategic objectives6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →
4Portfolio management principles41 questions
5Portfolio definition cycle135 questions
Know facts, terms and concepts relating to the portfolio definition cycle6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Understand the terms and concepts relating to the portfolio definition cycle11 concepts · 9 pagesOpen →Be able to apply and tailor the practices and techniques of the portfolio definition cycle to a scenario5 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Be able to identify, analyse and distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate application of portfolio definition practices and techniques to a scenario10 concepts · 8 pagesOpen →
6Portfolio delivery cycle146 questions
Know facts, terms and concepts relating to the portfolio delivery cycle8 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Understand the terms and concepts relating to the portfolio delivery cycle14 concepts · 10 pagesOpen →Be able to apply and tailor the practices, techniques and responsibilities of the portfolio delivery cycle to a scenario7 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Be able to identify, analyse and distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate application of portfolio delivery practices and techniques to a scenario6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →
7Roles and documentation16 questions
Not a table of contents
Every line on this map already opens
In front of every objective the practice pages are already there, free and without an account. This is one objective, opened.
Know facts, terms and concepts relating to an Overview of portfolio management5 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
25 questions on this objective, five to a page. Every range above is a real page, open now, with no account.
Reading the map is not the same as knowing the ground
The curriculum tells you what is on the exam. Proving you know it is a different job — and it is the one the closed-book run does.
Free questions
528 questions. No account, no card.
The whole bank is open. 5 questions to a page, every answer explained, and a discussion thread on each one.
528questions
112pages
19objectives
Freealways
Start anywhereKnow facts, terms and concepts relating to an Overview of portfolio management 25 questions · 5 pages
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1Overview48 questions
2Implement, sustain and measure102 questions
3Strategic and organizational context40 questions
4Portfolio management principles41 questions
5Portfolio definition cycle135 questions
6Portfolio delivery cycle146 questions
What a practice page gives you
1Five to a page
Short enough to finish, long enough to matter.
2Every answer explained
Not only which one is right — why the others are wrong.
3A discussion on each
Ask, answer, and vote. Every question has its own thread.
A question, and the idea behind it
Every question comes from a concept
These are not trivia. Each one is written against a concept in the book, so when you get one wrong there is somewhere to go and find out why.
The visual book
See it once. Carry it into the exam.
The pages shown here come from our AI-900 book — an example of how each concept is written in plain language and, where the idea needs one, drawn as a full page you can take in at a glance.
126concepts
528free questions
Why a picture, and not another paragraph
Three reasons, and each one is a real finding rather than a slogan.
You can see it againThe whole idea at onceWhere it starts, what happens in the middle, what comes out, and the mistake to avoid.
Multimedia principle · MayerThe look-alikes sit togetherThe pairs the exam tests are drawn side by side, so the difference is seen, not told.
Dual coding · PaivioWhat one page is made of
You are never asked to read a poster here — only to see how one is built. After that, every other page is legible at a glance.
1A numbered strip on top
The idea as a sequence, followed with a finger before a word is read.
2Panels for the parts
What it is, how the machine learns it, when it is the right tool.
3The trap, framed
The distinction the exam tests, given its own box instead of buried in prose.
4One line at the bottom
The sentence to carry into the exam room.
Open book, on purpose
Answer it with the picture beside you
This is the part that teaches. The illustration and the written explanation stay where they are while you work, so a scenario stops being a memory test and becomes something you can simply look at.
It teaches · it does not count
A smartphone uses AI to unlock when the owner looks at the camera. Which AI capability is being used?
AImage classification
BFacial recognition
COptical character recognition
DObject detection
Look at the five steps. Detect finds a face, align straightens it, encode turns it into numbers, search compares it with a stored face, and decide answers one question: is this the same person? Classification would only say “a face”. Detection would only draw a box. Neither decides whose.
Then the page shuts, and it starts counting
The same questions come back with the book closed — that run is the one that counts. After it, your coach picks one thing for tonight, sized to the time you have, and brings pages back before you lose them.
Testing effect · Roediger & Karpicke 2006 · spacing effect · Cepeda et al. 2006
Official resources
Straight from PeopleCert
Where the exam is defined, scheduled and scored.
2official links
126concepts mapped
The source
PeopleCert’s own pages
We link to them rather than repeat them, so nothing here goes stale behind them.
Checked against the source
Every objective on the official PeopleCert outline already has questions here
We build from the official skills outline, not from a summary of it — 19 objectives, 126 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When PeopleCert changes the outline, this page changes with it.
19objectives on the outline→126concepts written→528free questions
An official page tells you what will be asked. It cannot tell you what you will get right.
That is the only question worth answering the night before, and no link answers it. You answer it by taking the questions with the book closed, and seeing what comes back.