AIGP exam guide
AIGP certification and exam
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The AIGP (Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional) is the IAPP's certification for people who govern AI, such as privacy, legal, compliance, risk and product professionals. The exam has 100 multiple-choice questions (85 scored) in 165 minutes, scored from 100 to 500 with a pass at 300. Since 2 February 2026, it follows Body of Knowledge v2.1, which has four domains.
In short
- 100 questions (85 scored, 15 unscored), 165 minutes, scaled 100 to 500, pass at 300.
- Four domains under BoK v2.1, effective 2 Feb 2026: foundations, laws and frameworks, governing development, governing deployment.
- An optional 15-minute break splits the exam into two halves. You can't return to the first half after submitting it.
- BoK v2.1 predates the 2026 EU Digital Omnibus and Colorado's SB 26-189, so learn the original and the amended rules.
| Awarded by | IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals) |
|---|---|
| Questions | 100 multiple-choice: 85 scored, 15 unscored |
| Time | 165 minutes, with an optional 15-minute break at the halfway point |
| Scoring | Scaled 100 to 500; 300 or above passes |
| Blueprint | Body of Knowledge v2.1, effective 2 February 2026 (4 domains, 13 competencies) |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or OnVUE online proctoring |
| Retakes | Buy a new exam; earliest retake is 7 days after the previous attempt |
What is the AIGP?
The AIGP is the IAPP's credential for professionals who govern AI. It tests whether you can apply laws, standards and governance practices across the AI life cycle, from design to deployment and monitoring. Details are on the official IAPP AIGP page.
It is aimed at people who build, run or oversee AI governance programs. That includes privacy, legal, compliance, risk, audit, product and data professionals.
To keep the credential active, you need IAPP membership or a certification maintenance fee, plus continuing education under the IAPP's CPE policy. An active AIGP also counts toward the IAPP's Fellow of Information Privacy designation, alongside a CIPP. Both points are in the candidate handbook.
AIGP Quest is an independent, free study app. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the IAPP.
What is the AIGP exam format?
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 100 multiple-choice: 85 scored, plus 15 unscored trial items you can't identify |
| Time | 165 minutes |
| Break | Optional 15-minute break at the halfway point |
| Scoring | Scaled 100 to 500; 300 or above passes |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or OnVUE online proctoring |
| Results | Pass or fail and your score on screen at the end; an email explains how to see a section breakdown |
The IAPP candidate handbook adds rules worth knowing:
- A question may have one or more correct answers. It tells you when to pick more than one.
- Some questions follow a scenario, so expect clusters of questions on one case.
- The halfway break splits the exam into two halves, each with half the questions and half the time. Once you submit the first half, you can't go back to it.
- Answering every scored question correctly gives 500. The pass mark is set by psychometric review and mapped to 300, so don't convert your score to a percentage.
- You must sit the exam within one year of buying it. After a fail, you buy a new exam and wait at least seven days to retest.
What are the four AIGP domains?
The exam follows the AIGP Body of Knowledge and Exam Blueprint, version 2.1, effective 2 February 2026. It has four domains and 13 competencies. The blueprint sets a range of questions for each domain.
| Domain | Focus | Questions | Start here |
|---|---|---|---|
| I. Understanding the foundations of AI governance | What AI is, its harms and risks, and setting up governance roles, policies and procedures | 16 to 20 | Lesson I.A.1 |
| II. Understanding how laws, standards and frameworks apply to AI | Privacy and other existing laws, AI-specific laws, and the OECD, NIST and ISO frameworks | 19 to 23 | Lesson II.A.1 |
| III. Understanding how to govern AI development | Designing, building, training, testing, releasing and maintaining AI systems | 21 to 25 | Lesson III.A.1 |
| IV. Understanding how to govern AI deployment and use | Deciding to deploy, assessing systems, and governing use, monitoring and retirement | 21 to 25 | Lesson IV.A.1 |
The ranges add up to 77 to 93, which brackets the 85 scored items. Domains III and IV together carry 42 to 50 of them.
BoK v2.1 was approved on 9 September 2025. That predates the EU's 2026 Digital Omnibus and Colorado's SB 26-189. Learn each law as first adopted and as amended, and read every question for which version it describes. Our hubs on the EU AI Act and the Colorado AI Act show both.
How should you study for the AIGP?
A simple plan in five steps:
- Read the official blueprint. Download the BoK from the IAPP and treat its performance indicators as your syllabus.
- Learn one competency at a time. Our free lessons follow the BoK in order, starting at lesson I.A.1. Each ends with exam tips and a recap.
- Review little and often. Short daily sessions beat weekend cramming, because recalling facts repeatedly is what makes them stick. AIGP Quest schedules spaced review for you.
- Practice with explanations. After each question, read why the wrong options are wrong. Many distractors are true statements that don't answer the question asked.
- Sit timed mocks. Do a full 100-question mock a few weeks out and again in the final week. Use the results to choose what to revisit.
Keep a one-page sheet of numbers and dates. Include EU AI Act fine tiers and dates, NIST's four functions and seven characteristics, and the ISO trio. The reference hubs are built for that: NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001 and the EU AI Act. For a shared vocabulary, start with AI governance.
What exam technique works on AIGP questions?
Many AIGP questions are judgment calls where more than one option sounds right. The app teaches you to read for the qualifier first.
| Qualifier | What it signals | Your move |
|---|---|---|
| BEST, MOST, PRIMARY | Several options may be true | Pick the one that most directly fixes the problem in the stem |
| FIRST, NEXT, INITIAL | A sequencing question | Ask what must happen before anything else: usually understand the context, assess, then act |
| NOT, EXCEPT, LEAST | Three options are true | Mark each true or false, then pick the false one |
| ALWAYS, NEVER, ONLY | An absolute | Be suspicious unless it states a hard legal rule, such as a prohibited practice |
Two more habits help. Answer from the BoK, not from how your employer does things. On EU law questions, ask how badly the use could harm health, safety or fundamental rights. The risk tier usually follows.
What should you do on exam day?
- Pace yourself. 165 minutes for 100 questions is about 1 minute 39 seconds each. Each half gets half the time.
- Review before you submit the first half. You can't return to it after the break, so check your flagged questions first.
- Read case questions backward. Read the question and the last lines of the scenario first, then the scenario itself.
- Don't dwell on odd questions. Fifteen items are unscored trials. Make your best choice and move on.
- Answer everything. Never leave a question blank.
- Bring the right ID. Test centers require two qualifying forms of ID, and the name must match your IAPP profile. Online check-in opens 30 minutes before your appointment.
Change log
- 7 Nov 2026: Page published.
Pages in this guide
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the AIGP exam?
100 multiple-choice questions. 85 are scored and 15 are unscored trial items mixed in, which you can't tell apart. You have 165 minutes, with an optional 15-minute break at the halfway point that splits the exam into two halves.
What is the passing score for the AIGP exam?
300 on a scale of 100 to 500. The IAPP sets the pass mark through beta testing, psychometric analysis and expert review, then maps it to 300. Getting every scored question right gives 500. Because the scale is not a percentage, you can't work out your result from the share of questions you got right.
What does the AIGP exam cover in 2026?
Body of Knowledge v2.1, effective 2 February 2026. Its four domains cover AI governance foundations; laws, standards and frameworks; governing AI development; and governing AI deployment and use. Domain II includes the EU AI Act, South Korea's AI Basic Act, US federal and state law, and the OECD, NIST and ISO frameworks.
Does the AIGP exam include the EU AI Act Digital Omnibus?
BoK v2.1 was approved on 9 September 2025, before the Omnibus (Regulation (EU) 2026/1744) existed, so questions may reflect the original dates. Learn both. High-risk duties originally applied from 2 August 2026 (Annex III) and 2 August 2027 (Annex I). They now apply from 2 December 2027 and 2 August 2028.
Can I retake the AIGP exam if I fail?
Yes. Buy a new exam once your result shows in your MyIAPP profile. You can't book a retake sooner than seven days after your previous attempt. Each purchased exam must be taken within one year of purchase.