What Is AGMT?

What Is AGMT, Exactly?

AGMT stands for Architectural Glass & Metal Technician, a credential built specifically for glaziers who fabricate, install, and troubleshoot curtainwall, storefront, entrance systems, and related glass-and-metal building envelope components. If you've landed here searching for "what is AGMT," it's worth pinning down early: this acronym is shared by other, unrelated certifications in other industries, and this site - and this article - is exclusively about the glazing trade credential. Every fact below comes from the official AGMT program documentation, not from any other AGMT-named program.

AGMT is not a single exam. It's a two-part certification: a closed-book knowledge test and a hands-on practical test with three distinct sections. Passing both is what earns the credential. That structure is a big part of why candidates researching how hard the AGMT exam actually is often underestimate the workload - the written portion is only half the story.

Who Administers AGMT and What Governs It

AGMT is administered by Administrative Management Systems, Inc., with program oversight from the AGMCC. Two governing documents currently define the record: the January 14, 2026 Candidate Handbook and the September 15, 2025 KBT Study Guide. Anyone preparing should treat these as the primary source of truth over any third-party summary, including ours - we simply organize and explain what's in them.

This site's primary focus is the knowledge-based test (KBT). When you see domain percentages or "Exam" details referenced elsewhere on agmtexam.com, understand that those figures describe the KBT specifically, not the PBT sections, which are scored and structured differently.

Inside the Knowledge-Based Test (KBT)

The KBT is a closed-book, proctored exam delivered at Prometric test centers. It consists of 125 graded four-option multiple-choice questions administered in a 2-hour window. Some candidates will also see additional unscored beta items mixed in - these are indistinguishable from graded questions and are used to evaluate future exam content, so there's no way to identify and skip them.

To pass, a candidate needs a raw score of 92 out of 125, which works out to 73.6%. That's the exact bar - not an estimate - and it's detailed further in our breakdown of the AGMT passing score and what it means for how many questions you can afford to miss.

• Delivered in English or Spanish
• Closed-book, but a non-scientific calculator is supplied at the test center
• Four-option multiple-choice format only - no multi-select or fill-in items described in current materials

Because the KBT is closed-book, memorization of terminology, code references, material properties, and sequencing matters more than it would in an open-reference format. This is a key reason candidates lean on a dedicated AGMT study guide rather than trying to learn everything from field experience alone - plenty of experienced glaziers know the work but haven't drilled the vocabulary the exam tests.

The Performance-Based Test (PBT) Sections

Passing the KBT alone does not make you AGMT-certified. Candidates must also pass all three sections of the performance-based test, each with its own time limit and passing score:

These are hands-on, scored practical evaluations - not written questions about the topics. A candidate can pass one or two PBT sections and retain those passed scores within the handbook's retake period while retesting only the sections not yet passed, which matters when budgeting time and money for a retake attempt.

The Seven KBT Domains

The KBT is built from seven content domains, each weighted differently. Knowing these weights tells you exactly where to spend your study hours. For a full breakdown of every subtopic inside each domain, see the AGMT exam domains guide, but here's the weighting at a glance:

The remaining three domains carry smaller but still meaningful weight:

• Domain 1: Glazing Theory - 11% - foundational principles behind why glazing systems are designed the way they are
• Domain 3: Construction Documents and Layout - 11% - reading drawings, specs, and shop layouts accurately
• Domain 2: Tools / Equipment of the Trade - 9% - the smallest domain, covering correct tool selection and use

Who Can Sit for AGMT

AGMT isn't open to anyone off the street - eligibility is tied to documented field experience. The standard path requires:

• 7,500 glazing work hours completed within the preceding five years
• OSHA 10 certification, or qualifying Canadian safety training for candidates outside the U.S.
• A signed candidate agreement

There's also an early-testing path: applicants with at least 7,000 hours may test 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 is useful for candidates who are close to eligible and want to lock in a testing window rather than wait. Full details on documentation requirements are covered in our AGMT requirements article.

AGMT Fees and Retake Costs

Effective July 1, 2026, the USD fee structure for a first-time candidate is:

That $1,400 figure is the baseline before any applicable extras. Retake pricing is separate and section-specific:

• KBT retake: $250
• PBT retake, one section: $550
• PBT retake, two sections: $900
• PBT retake, all three sections: $1,000

Because passed PBT sections are retained within the handbook's retake period, most candidates who fail on a first attempt only pay to retest the specific section(s) they missed. A full cost scenario walkthrough - including how retake pricing stacks up against the initial fee - is available in the AGMT certification cost breakdown.

Certification Term and Renewal

AGMT certification is valid for four years. Renewal isn't automatic - it requires three things:

• A current, passing KBT result
• 32 continuing-education hours, split into 16 hours per two-year segment of the certification term
• 4,000 work hours during the certification term, or a PBT retest if that hour threshold isn't met

The standard renewal package costs $600. Because renewal ties directly back to a fresh KBT pass, the domain weightings and passing score you studied for initially remain relevant every renewal cycle - this isn't a one-and-done credential.

Who Hires AGMT-Certified Technicians

Employers hiring for architectural glazing work - commercial glazing contractors, curtainwall installation crews, storefront and entrance system installers, and building envelope subcontractors - use AGMT certification as a documented, third-party-verified way to confirm a technician's competency across the full scope of the trade rather than just one specialty. Because the credential requires passing hands-on sections in Curtainwall, Storefront/Entrance, and Sealing separately, a certified AGMT has demonstrated proficiency across the breadth of typical commercial glazing scopes, not just one narrow task.

If you're weighing whether pursuing the credential makes sense for your career trajectory, our articles on AGMT salary expectations and whether AGMT certification is worth it go deeper into the employment and earnings angle than this overview can.

Mapping a Study Plan to the KBT Domains

Generic study advice - spaced repetition, timed practice blocks, flashcards - only becomes useful once it's mapped to AGMT's actual domain weights. Since Sealants and Gaskets / Ancillary Materials carries the most weight at 21%, followed by Systems at 18% and Quality Control / Failure Prevention at 16%, a study calendar should front-load those three before moving to the smaller domains.

Running practice questions under real time pressure matters here specifically because the KBT gives you roughly under a minute per question on average across the 2-hour window. Our AGMT practice test platform is built around this exact domain breakdown, so you can drill weak domains individually before attempting full simulated exams. For a more detailed week-by-week plan, see the full AGMT study guide.

Frequently Asked Questions