AGMT Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt

What the AGMT Credential Actually Covers

The Architectural Glass & Metal Technician (AGMT) credential is administered by Administrative Management Systems, Inc. with oversight from the AGMCC, and it exists to verify that a glazier can safely and correctly fabricate, install, and seal architectural glass and metal systems - curtainwall, storefront, entrances, and the sealants that keep buildings weathertight. If you're new to the credential, our overview on What Is AGMT? and the companion piece on AGMT Meaning walk through the terminology in plain language, while What Is AGMT Certification? explains how the credential fits into a glazing career.

This guide focuses on the knowledge-based test (KBT), which is the primary written exam most candidates prepare for first. It governs the domain breakdown you'll see throughout this article, per the January 14, 2026 Candidate Handbook and the September 15, 2025 KBT Study Guide. Certification itself is not granted on the KBT alone - you also need to clear all three performance-based test (PBT) sections - but the KBT is where most self-study time gets spent, and it's the focus of this study guide.

KBT and PBT: Two Very Different Tests

Candidates sometimes assume AGMT is a single written exam. It isn't. The credential is built from two distinct evaluations that test different skills.

The KBT is a closed-book, computer-based test delivered at Prometric test centers (or comparable test-center environments), available in English and Spanish. It consists of 125 graded four-option multiple-choice questions administered in a 2-hour window, and it may include additional unscored beta items mixed in without notice - so don't assume every strange question is one you should have known cold. A non-scientific calculator is supplied at the workstation; you won't need to bring your own and shouldn't expect a scientific model.

The PBT, by contrast, is hands-on. It's split into three graded sections, each with its own time limit and passing score:

All three PBT sections must be passed individually - there's no averaging across sections. Passed sections are retained within the handbook's retake window, so a candidate who clears Curtainwall and Storefront but not Sealing only needs to retest the section they missed. For a deeper breakdown of how difficult each component tends to feel in practice, see How Hard Is the AGMT Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.

The Seven KBT Domains, Ranked by Weight

The KBT is organized into seven domains with fixed weights. Knowing these weights tells you exactly where to spend your study hours - and where not to. For a full walkthrough of each domain's subtopics, our dedicated resource, AGMT Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 7 Content Areas, goes deeper than we can here.

The remaining domains - Glazing Theory (11%), Construction Documents and Layout (11%), and Tools/Equipment of the Trade (9%) - carry lighter weight individually, but together they represent nearly a third of the exam and shouldn't be skipped. Glazing Theory in particular underpins how you interpret everything in the heavier domains.

Eligibility, Registration, and Fees

Before you can sit for either test, you need to meet the eligibility bar: 7,500 glazing work hours accumulated within five years, completion of OSHA 10 (or qualifying Canadian safety training), and a signed candidate agreement. If you're still accumulating hours, our detailed breakdown at AGMT Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify covers documentation specifics.

There's a notable early-testing provision: candidates with at least 7,000 hours can sit for the exams before hitting the full 7,500-hour threshold, provided they document completion of the full experience requirement within 12 months of passing the PBT. This matters for scheduling - it means you don't have to wait idle if you're close but not quite at the full hour count.

Fees, effective July 1, 2026, break down as follows:

Retakes are priced separately: KBT retake is $250 flat, while PBT retakes run $550 for one section, $900 for two, or $1,000 for all three. Since passed PBT sections are retained within the handbook's retake period, most candidates who fail only pay for the sections they need to redo. For the full cost picture including renewal pricing, see AGMT Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.

Exactly What You Need to Pass

The KBT passing threshold is 92 out of 125 scored questions, or 73.6%. That means you can miss up to 33 scored questions and still pass - a margin worth remembering when you hit a handful of tough items in a row and start to panic. Beta items don't count toward your score either way, so a strange or oddly worded question isn't necessarily a sign you're bombing the exam.

Each PBT section has its own numeric threshold - 462/600 for Curtainwall, 321/425 for Storefront/Entrance, and 79/100 for Sealing - and each is graded independently. A deeper analysis of what these numbers mean in practice, including how graders typically allocate points across a PBT section, is available in AGMT Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.

Building a Domain-Weighted Study Schedule

You don't need an elaborate study system to prepare for the KBT - you need a schedule that mirrors the exam's own domain weighting. A simple six-week plan built around the heaviest domains first, then a review pass, works well for most working glaziers studying around a full job schedule.

If you're unsure how this compares to broader exam difficulty expectations, AGMT Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows is a useful companion read once you've got a study rhythm going.

Preparing for the Three PBT Sections

The PBT can't be crammed from a book - it has to be practiced with tools in hand. Each section rewards a different kind of preparation:

• Curtainwall (3 hours 30 minutes, 462/600): The longest and highest-stakes section. Practice full assembly sequences under time pressure so the clock doesn't catch you mid-step.
• Storefront/Entrance (2 hours, 321/425): Precision on fit and alignment matters more here than raw speed - rushing tends to cost points on tolerance, not time.
• Sealing (45 minutes, 79/100): The shortest section but tight on time. Bead consistency and tooling technique need to be automatic, not something you're thinking through for the first time on test day.

Because passed sections carry forward within the retake window, it's reasonable to treat the PBT as three separate exams you can pass independently rather than one giant hurdle. If your on-site training didn't cover all three system types equally, flag that gap early and find shop time to close it before you schedule.

Where First-Time Candidates Lose Points

A few patterns show up repeatedly among candidates who don't pass on the first attempt:

• Underweighting Sealants and Gaskets. At 21% of the KBT, this domain deserves the most review hours, but many candidates study it like any other topic.
• Treating beta items as scored questions. A confusing question doesn't necessarily count against you - don't let it derail your pacing on the rest of the 2-hour window.
• Skipping PBT dry runs. Passing knowledge questions about curtainwall assembly doesn't guarantee you can execute it inside 3 hours 30 minutes without rehearsal.
• Ignoring the calculator. The supplied non-scientific calculator has limits - know its functions before test day rather than discovering them mid-exam.

Our full guide on How Hard Is the AGMT Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 covers these pressure points in more detail, and pairing that with structured timed practice on our practice test platform is the most direct way to find your weak spots before test day rather than during it.

After You Pass: Renewal and Career Path

AGMT certification lasts four years. Renewal requires a current KBT, 32 continuing-education hours split into 16 per two-year segment, and either 4,000 work hours logged during the certification term or a PBT retest. The standard renewal package costs $600. Building CE tracking into your calendar now, rather than scrambling near expiration, keeps renewal painless.

On the career side, AGMT-certified technicians are typically sought by glazing contractors, curtainwall installation firms, and general contractors bidding on commercial facade work where verified skill on sealing, storefront, and curtainwall systems matters to the client. If you're weighing whether the time and fee investment pays off, Is the AGMT Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and AGMT Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis lay out the considerations, and AGMT Jobs is a good starting point for understanding what employers look for. For anyone still building toward eligibility, AGMT Training and our broader AGMT Certification overview are worth bookmarking alongside this guide, and running a few full-length sessions on the AGMT practice test before you register is one of the simplest ways to confirm you're actually ready.

Frequently Asked Questions