AGMT Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify

What "AGMT Requirements" Actually Covers

Architectural Glass & Metal Technician requirements are not a single checklist item - they're a layered set of conditions covering documented field hours, safety training, a signed candidate agreement, and two distinct exam components administered under Administrative Management Systems, Inc. with AGMCC oversight. The January 14, 2026 Candidate Handbook and the September 15, 2025 KBT Study Guide are the governing documents for this cycle, and every eligibility rule below is drawn from those sources.

If you're new to the credential itself, start with What Is AGMT? or AGMT Certification for context before working through eligibility mechanics. This article assumes you already know you want to pursue AGMT and need the specifics on qualifying.

The 7,500-Hour Work Experience Requirement

The core eligibility gate is documented glazing work experience: 7,500 hours completed within a five-year window. This isn't self-reported estimation - the handbook expects verifiable hours tied to actual glazing work, which is why candidates typically track this alongside employer records rather than reconstructing it right before applying.

• Hours must fall within a rolling five-year period, not accumulated indefinitely over a career.
• The experience requirement exists independently of the KBT and PBT - passing both exams without meeting the hour threshold does not complete certification.
• Hours should reflect hands-on glazing work relevant to the systems and materials covered across the seven KBT domains, not adjacent trades.

Early Testing: The 7,000-Hour Pathway

Candidates who haven't yet reached 7,500 hours aren't necessarily locked out. Anyone with at least 7,000 hours may test early on the KBT and PBT. The catch: if you pass under this pathway, you must document completion of the full 7,500-hour requirement within 12 months of passing the PBT.

Safety Training: OSHA 10 or Canadian Equivalent

Alongside hours, candidates must hold OSHA 10 certification or qualifying Canadian safety training. This is a prerequisite check, not a tested domain - you won't see OSHA-specific questions on the KBT, but you cannot register without proof of completion. If your OSHA 10 card is several years old, confirm it's still accepted under the current handbook before submitting your application; requirements are reviewed with each handbook revision.

Candidate Agreement and Registration Mechanics

The third eligibility component is procedural: signing the candidate agreement, which governs conduct, retake policies, and how your record is maintained. Once hours, safety training, and the agreement are in place, registration opens for both the KBT and PBT, though many candidates schedule the KBT first since it doesn't require travel to a practical testing setup.

For a full walkthrough of when testing windows open and how scheduling deadlines interact with eligibility, see AGMT Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.

Two Exams, Not One: KBT and PBT

AGMT certification requires clearing two separate assessments, and the requirements around each differ substantially.

Passed PBT sections are retained within the handbook's defined retake period, meaning you don't have to re-clear a section you've already passed if you need to retake others. For a deeper breakdown of exactly what these numbers mean for your prep, see AGMT Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.

KBT Domains You Must Be Ready For

Because the KBT is the primary knowledge gate for AGMT eligibility on this site's focus, it's worth knowing exactly how the 125 questions are distributed across the seven content domains before you register.

The remaining domains - Glass and Panels (14%), Construction Documents and Layout (11%), Glazing Theory (11%), and Tools/Equipment of the Trade (9%) - round out the exam. For a full breakdown of all seven domains with study priorities for each, see AGMT Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 7 Content Areas.

Fees Tied to Eligibility and Retakes

Once you've met the eligibility requirements, the fee structure (effective July 1, 2026, in USD) determines your actual out-of-pocket cost to sit for both exam components.

Because passed PBT sections carry forward within the retake period, a candidate who fails only Sealing pays $550 to retake that section rather than $1,000 for the full battery. For the complete cost picture, including renewal fees, see AGMT Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.

Sequencing Your Prep Around Eligibility Dates

Meeting AGMT requirements is partly administrative - hours, safety training, paperwork - and partly a study problem. Once your eligibility is confirmed, sequence your KBT preparation around domain weight and your PBT prep around the systems you'll physically demonstrate.

For a more detailed week-by-week breakdown with resource recommendations, see AGMT Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and for an honest assessment of overall difficulty, read How Hard Is the AGMT Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.

Staying Eligible After You Certify

AGMT certification lasts four years, and renewal itself carries its own requirements - meaning "eligibility" doesn't end once you pass. To renew, you need:

• A current KBT result
• 32 continuing-education hours, split into 16 hours per two-year segment
• 4,000 work hours during the certification term, or a PBT retest if you can't document those hours

The standard renewal package is $600. If you're weighing whether the ongoing renewal commitment is worth the certification's long-term value, Is the AGMT Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 covers that tradeoff in detail.

Who Actually Requires AGMT Eligibility

Glazing contractors, curtainwall installers, and architectural metal fabricators use AGMT eligibility criteria as a hiring and advancement filter because the hour and safety requirements mirror what's needed to work independently on commercial glazing crews. Employers who bid on curtainwall and storefront projects often prefer or require technicians who've cleared both the KBT and PBT, since the credential verifies knowledge and physical execution rather than one or the other. For a look at where AGMT-eligible and certified technicians typically find work, see AGMT Jobs and, for structured coursework that helps build toward the 7,500-hour and 7,000-hour thresholds, AGMT Training.

Practicing under exam-style conditions before you commit to a testing date is one of the most reliable ways to confirm you're actually ready. You can work through AGMT practice test questions modeled on the KBT's four-option format to gauge domain-by-domain readiness, and revisit the practice test platform as you move closer to your scheduled date.

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