Project management is one of the fastest-growing professions. PMI’s Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is an entry-level certification for project practitioners designed for those with less experience.

With the rapid growth in management practices, CAPM-certified professionals have a high demand and lead in career opportunities.

This certification was introduced in 2003 to meet the increasing demand for an entry-level certification in project management.

Regardless of your career stage, the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® is an asset that will distinguish you in the job market and enhance your credibility and effectiveness working on — or with — project teams.

CAPM certification is one of the easiest professional designations to achieve in project management.

Those planning to earn CAPM certification are not required to have project management experience or a 4-year degree. CAPM is ideal for recent community college graduates or even current students who want to bolster their resume with a credential that shows a commitment to a career in project management

Plus, investing in this can lead to several benefits for you and your future career.

You should apply for CPAM If you’d like to manage bigger projects and gain more responsibility or add project management skills into your current role, then the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is right for you.

What are the benefits of CAPM certification?

  1. You have better career opportunities. CAPM certification is globally accepted & recognized by all major companies. This certification helps to meet the gap in project management skills and understand managerial roles. Hence, a CAPM-certified professional gets increased possibilities in the job market.

2. Opportunity in Versatile Job Profiles like:

  • Consultants
  • Business Analyst
  • Relational Administrator
  • Operational Support associate
  • PMO
  • Senior Project Manager in IT
  • Marketing Coordinator for Communications

3.By studying for the CAPM exam, you will learn about various project management tools & techniques. You will also learn about proven project management practices known to improve the success rate of the projects. 

4. CAPM certification boosts the project management knowledge of a candidate and infuses leadership skills into them to lead in the workplace. It also helps new bees in project management learn how to manage a team effectively in various working environments. A CAPM-certified associate in project management can thus play a vital resource in any business function.

5. You’ll lay a foundation for the PMP certification.

6. This certification undoubtedly boosts the professional credibility of a candidate and boosts confidence.

CAPM is totally worth it for anyone starting their career in project management with no experience, and CAPM will be a significant first step towards PMP certification.

If you are preparing for PMP, check this out: How this 5-Step Study Plan helped me pass the PMP Certification Exam on the first attempt?

How to get CAPM certification?

The prerequisites for the CAPM exam are as follows:

  • Educational background with a secondary degree that could be a high school diploma, an associate degree, or the global equivalent
  • 1500 hours of professional experience on a project team which consists of 5 process groups – Initiating Process, Planning Process, Executing Process, Monitoring/Controlling Process, and Closing Process
  • Or have 23 contact hours of formal project management education to fulfill the prerequisite requirements

CAPM Certification Exam Pattern:

  • Number of questions in the exam: 150 multiple-choice questions
  • Duration: 3 hours
  • Maintenance period: The candidate must retake the exam every five years.
  • No negative marking

What is the cost of CAPM Certification?

According to PMI’s CAPM Handbook, the CAPM is a computer-based training (CBT) test that costs

  • For PMI members: $225
  • For non-PMI members, $300.

How much time is taken to prepare for the CPAM Exam?

It can be detrimental to assume that since this test is basic to project management, it will involve less preparation time. A typical CAPM exam requires 45-60 hours of preparation time in total which is equivalent to 8-10 weeks, with 6 hours of studying each week.

What’s the validity period of the CAPM Certification?

The maintenance requirement for this credential is a re-exam after 5 years for re-certification.

CAPM Certification exam content outline

1. Introduction to Project Management (6%) 

2. Project Environment (6%) 

3. Role of the Project Manager (7%) 

4. Project Integration Management (9%) 

5. Project Scope Management (9%) 

6. Project Schedule Management (9%) 

7. Project Cost Management (8%) 

8. Project Quality Management (7%) 

9. Project Resource Management (8%) 

10. Project Communication Management (10%) 

11. Project Risk Management (8%) 

12. Project Procurement Management (4%) 

13. Project Stakeholder Management (9%) 

Important tips for the CAPM Certification exam

Clearing the CAPM Exam in one go is not very easy. Serious and good exam preparation is essential to crack the exam regardless of your experience. 

Here are some tips on how you can clear the exam on your first attempt:

  1. Review the CAPM examination content outline. Prepare a study plan that covers all the activities that further lead to the success of CAPM Certification. 
  2. Set up a detailed study plan and stick with it. It takes 20 days or so to form a habit. Once you are in the grove, it will become easy.
  3. Don’t memorize ITTO’s – rather understand the patterns (i.e. work perf. Info is an output of control processes).
  4. Do not underestimate the importance of Agile consideration. You would see around 10-20% of the questions revolving around Agile considerations.
  5. Formulas may be intimidating at first, but end up making sense if you put a little thought process into it.
  6. Know how to map the knowledge areas with the process groups. Also, familiarize yourself with terms and recognize what it describe (input, tool, technique, or output)
  7. Go through the study course/material and make notes. Flashcards help a lot. For example – some folks have trouble with remembering terms like crashing vs fast tracking, so writing them down helps.
  8. Revise PMBoK at least three times by the time you appear for the exam. It helps to go through it once in detail and other two times, you can skim through the topics. During the process of going through the book, create your own cheat sheets and notes. Go through these notes one day before the exam.
  9. Practice multiple practice tests, which help you to increase your confidence levels. Try to take 2-3 practice exams every two weeks, even if you have not finished the course, and based on the result, adjust your study plan. Try scoring 80-90% on tests.
  10.  Form a good study group or join a community. This can always be helpful; you can interact and ask questions or join our forums and get connected with certified PMP professionals.
  11. You can share and get project management experiences with one another that will help you and many others prepare for the exam. 

CAPM Exam Practice Question Set Or Bundle

Check out these practice tests for your preparation.

What After the CAPM Exam?

Your thought could be what after clearing CAPM? Of course, you will start on the career growth path and climb up the success ladder. 

Along with this, you need to be aware that CAPM is valid for five years and needs renewal. But, by this time, you may have earned enough experience to be eligible for project manager certification (PMP) – the gold standard in project management. So, the choice is yours!

Read: Preparation guide for PMI-PMP certification

Why Project Management Certification?

It is a hard skill to master, but worth the while. And here’s why:

  • Chaos Management: The foremost function of a project is to define a plan and organize the chaos.
  • Schedule Development: A carefully curated schedule with timely checks is the key to a successful project.
  • Career Advancement: Project Management ensures an influx of career opportunities to boost self-growth.
  • Higher Remuneration: Certified Project Managers earn 18% higher salaries as compared to non-certified project managers.
  • Collaboration and Coordination: A project not only encourages teamwork but also synchronizes individual efforts.
  • Global Recognition: Project Managers with a certification to back them up can work in any industry, anywhere in the world.
  • New skillset and toolset: In-depth knowledge of the field helps in successful achievement of goals.
  • Cost Control: Reducing the risk of overruns can be done with the help of effective project management strategies.
  • Dynamicity factor: With a dynamic business environment, project management manages change.
  • Resource Maximisation: Project Risk Management enforces the economic utilization of financial and human resources.
For a complete list of Project Management related certifications offered by PMI, click here

Conclusion

On a concluding note, you can find reasonable chances to start your CAPM certification preparation. If you are capable of approaching your preparations with a simple perspective, then you are more likely to navigate your way through the preparations easily. Most important of all, candidates should know what to expect from the exam and what is expected of them.

So, a clear impression of the exam’s basic details, online training course, and practice tests could boost the chances of success of your preparation. However, candidates should maintain a proactive attitude towards their preparations and capitalize on every opportunity that comes their way.