AIGP 2026 Preparation: A Smooth Transition With Updated Training Materials
AIGP 2026 preparation requires more than a simple content refresh. The IAPP confirmed that the updated AIGP Body of Knowledge applies to exams taken from February 1, 2026 onward, introducing a structural shift in how AI governance is examined.
22Academy has chosen a phased update strategy that reflects both exam timing and learning reality. Candidates preparing for the 2025 exam can continue studying without distraction, while candidates planning to test in 2026 already gain access to updated content as it becomes relevant. This approach avoids version confusion and ensures continuity throughout the transition period.
Understanding the scope of the 2026 curriculum changes
The 2026 AIGP curriculum does not merely add new topics. It reframes governance itself. The focus shifts from governing isolated AI models to governing complete AI systems operating within organisational, legal, and societal environments.
The updated Body of Knowledge also formalises additional lifecycle roles, strengthens legal framing in line with the finalized EU AI Act, and introduces new deployment patterns that require different governance controls. These changes affect multiple domains simultaneously, which is why some lessons required immediate updates while others needed full redesign.
Updates already live in the course
Several lessons have already been updated because their revised content applies equally to both the 2025 and 2026 exams. These updates strengthen alignment with the new governance approach without introducing exam-version conflicts.
- Lesson 12, Third-Party Risk Management
This lesson now reflects modern AI supply chains. It covers transparency obligations for vendors, documentation requirements for AI components, and acceptable use clauses that restrict downstream deployment. The update prepares candidates to assess third-party AI risks as part of system-level governance rather than isolated procurement checks. - Lesson 13, The EU AI Act and Privacy
The lesson has been realigned with the finalized EU AI Act. It places stronger emphasis on purpose limitation, layered transparency obligations, and the interaction between AI regulation and GDPR principles. Candidates learn how privacy governance operates across the AI lifecycle rather than at the point of data collection alone. - Lesson 22, Obligations for AI Systems
This update introduces Fundamental Rights Impact Assessments in the context of high-risk AI systems. It explains when such assessments apply, how they complement conformity assessments, and what documentation and record-keeping duties providers and deployers must maintain to demonstrate compliance. - Lesson 33, Applicable Laws
Legal compliance is no longer treated as a standalone identification exercise. The lesson now frames legal obligations as embedded design constraints that influence system architecture, data choices, deployment decisions, and monitoring practices throughout the AI lifecycle.
Updates coming in January for AIGP 2026 preparation
The following lessons will be updated in January to fully align with the 2026 Performance Indicators. These updates apply specifically to candidates taking the exam on or after February 1, 2026 and will be clearly marked as such in the course.
- Lesson 5, Leadership and Compliance
This lesson will expand its focus on governance leadership. It introduces steering committees, defined accountability structures, and measurable governance performance indicators. Candidates will learn how governance leads coordinate across departments and demonstrate oversight effectiveness using documented metrics rather than informal reporting. - Lesson 9, AI Lifecycle Roles
The update provides explicit definitions of developers, providers, deployers, and users. It explains the provider role in detail, including obligations to supply usage constraints, system documentation, and transparency information. This reflects modern AI supply chains where governance responsibilities extend beyond a single organisation. - Lesson 11, Security Policies
This lesson will be updated to address contemporary AI-specific security risks. Topics include model inversion, data re-identification, inference attacks, and the limits of traditional security controls. The focus remains on governance-level understanding rather than technical implementation. - Lesson 27, Executive Order 14110
The content will be reframed to position the executive order as a historical milestone. The lesson explains how it shaped enduring governance principles such as interagency coordination and standards-based oversight, even though the order itself is no longer in force. - Lesson 29, NIST ARIA Program
This update positions ARIA as a methodological evolution rather than a standalone program. It explains how ARIA’s emphasis on measurability and repeatable evaluation informed later governance frameworks and why these concepts remain relevant for assessing AI systems in practice. - Lesson 30, ISO AI Standards
ISO/IEC 42005 will be integrated alongside existing standards. The lesson explains how this standard supports system-level impact assessment and contextual risk analysis, complementing ISO/IEC 42001 and strengthening governance beyond abstract management systems. - Lesson 50, Deployment Options
The lesson will introduce agentic architectures as a distinct deployment model. It explains how multi-agent systems create governance challenges related to autonomy, feedback loops, and privilege escalation, and why these risks require different oversight strategies than traditional deployments.
Practice materials and exam alignment
Content updates alone are not sufficient for AIGP 2026 preparation. Practice materials must reflect the updated terminology, reasoning depth, and system-level perspective of the exam.
All module-level test questions are being reviewed and updated accordingly. In addition, a new trial exam will be released in the last week of January, designed specifically for candidates taking the 2026 exam. Throughout the course, version-specific articles and questions are clearly marked to ensure candidates always prepare for the correct exam version.
The AIGP Exam Prep Suite and the 2026 transition
The AIGP Exam Prep Suite combines the full course, practice questions, module tests, and trial exams into a single structured preparation program. It is designed to support long-term study while accommodating curriculum changes without disruption.
You can find the current version of the Prep Suite here.
This page will be updated to reflect the 2026 transition, but the core approach remains unchanged. The Prep Suite supports version-aware preparation, repeated practice, and clear guidance throughout the transition period.
Preparing with confidence for the 2026 exam
The move to the 2026 AIGP curriculum reflects how AI governance has matured in practice. It raises expectations around system-level reasoning, legal integration, and accountability without discarding existing foundations.
By updating the course (and other materials) in phases and aligning both content and practice materials, 22Academy ensures that AIGP 2026 preparation remains structured, transparent, and exam-focused. Candidates can continue studying with confidence as the certification enters its next stage.
