CAPM – Path to a Successful Career in Project Management!

Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)  is an entry-level certification course offered by the reputed Project Management Institute. The CAPM certificate is for project handling practitioners or individuals who aspire to build a career in project management. Outlined with a focus on beginners in the field, CAPM holds global recognition. It validates certification holders’ knowledge about terminologies and processes for performing effective project management.

CAPM is appropriate for individuals aspiring to enter into profiles related to project management and who want to exhibit and officially authenticate the knowledge they possess.

Why Choose CAPM Certification?

CAPM certification automatically demonstrates that the person has a strong grasp of the fundamentals of project management. These fundamentals include the ability to initiate a project, planning & preparation, monitoring & controlling, cost estimation & controlling, quality management & assurance, recruiting & leading an efficient team, preparing backups for the unexpected and finally successfully closing a project. For entry & middle-level professionals, CAPM offers knowledge on managing larger projects, carrying out additional responsibilities and getting noticed by potential organizations.

Eligibility Criteria

One of the reasons behind its popularity is that eligibility criteria for CAPM certification is not as rigorous as for PMP. The minimum requirement is:

• a secondary diploma i.e. equivalent to high school
• a minimum of 1500 hours of experience in project management or
• 23 hours of project management education.

Refer to this blog – what is PMP.

CAPM certification, being the basic qualification, does not imply that the certificate holder will have inherent leadership quality for project management. Alhough it clearly shows a robust foundation and inclination towards a project management career. A CAPM certified professional carries a reputation of a dedicated employee aspiring to a career in project management. One of the fundamentals of CAPM says that a project can be successfully accomplished by:

• designing a Work Breakdown Structure,
• segregating the project into simpler packages,
• proceeding further with proper guidelines and
• adhering to those methods

FEE STRUCTURE 

The certification fee varies with different segments. Below is the summary of the fee structure.

Know more about CAPM Courses

CAPM or PMP

PMP is an experience-based certification whereas CAPM is knowledge-based certification. Whether to go for CAPM Course or the more credible certification of Project Management Course depends on your experience.

PMP 

Unlike CAPM, Project Management Professional certification requires a minimum of 4500 hours of experience in leading & directing projects. If you already hold CAMP certification, then the question arises if you should pursue PMP certification. If you do not hold any prior experience in project management, then you should first go for CAPM certification, establish fundamentals for project management well to fetch a good learning job. Once you gain basic experience, then you should pursue PMP for gaining in-depth knowledge and for better opportunities. Therefore, we can consider CAPM a concrete path to move towards PMP, if not PMP, then it can assist in a good commencement of a project management career.

CAPM certification can give you a start in project management and can provide a competitive advantage in the market. This eliminates any confusion about whether to go for it or not. HR Department of various organizations recognize CAPM and along with that the fact that a professional with CAPM certification is utmost about aspiring a career in project management. CAPM certified professionals are not expected to handle leading positions at the beginning of their careers.

While CAMP can give you the push, it is your experience that will take you ahead. It is important to keep on upgrading your skills in the domain in order to gain success.

Q1. What are the benefits of CAPM certification?

Ans. CAPM certification officially validates that you are aware of each step of the project management process. Along with that:

• It lays down a strong foundation for project management professionals. 
• With CAPM, you would have a competitive advantage over others.
• Professionals with certification in CAPM are eligible to sit in the PMP exam.

Q2. Should I go for PMP or CAPM examination?

Ans. It depends on your qualification. You should go for PMP in case you have experience in project management. If you don’t have experience, then you should opt for the CAPM exam. 

Q3. What is the eligibility criteria for the PMP examination?

Ans. For the PMP examination, you would need a bachelors degree and 4500 hours of experience in project management. 

Q4. What is the eligibility criteria for the CAPM examination?

Ans. For CAPM, you should have a secondary degree (either high school diploma, associate degree or global equivalent). They should also complete 23 hours of project management education before sitting in the examination.

Q5. How can you maintain your CAPM certification?

Ans. CAPM certification holders will have to earn and report 15 Professional Development Unit (PDUs) every three years for maintaining it.

Q6. Which part of the exam holds the highest weightage?

Ans. Project communication management holds the highest weightage (10%). In this part, you will be required to identify tools, inputs, techniques and output that has been defined in the three project communication management process. You will also be asked questions around the key concepts and approaches including special considerations for agile environments. 

Q7. What is the examination structure of CAPM?

Ans. CAPM is a 3 hours long examination that comprises of 150 MCQs. Out of these, 15 questions are pretest questions that are used for testing the validity of future examination questions. These questions are not included while counting the score 

Q8. What is the reference material for the CAPM examination?

Ans. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®Guide) – Sixth Edition is the reference study material for preparation. 

Q9. What opportunities are available for CAPM certified professionals?

Ans. CAPM professionals can become PMO, Senior Project Manager, Consultant, Business Analyst, Relational Administrator, Marketing coordinator for communication among other opportunities related to project management. 

Q10. Can a CAPM certified professional become eligible for PMP?

Ans. Yes, a CAPM certified professional can become eligible for PMP. In order to do so, the person should hold a bachelors degree. The professional should have 4500 hours of working experience in project management at the time of the PMP exam.