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A Beginner's Guide for CAPM Exam Preparation
CAPM Exam Preparation Guide
Certifications
enable project team members or leaders to validate their competence, update
their knowledge, and reap the rewards of the profession. If you are working as
part of a project team, a freshly minted project manager or seeking to become
one, gaining a CAPM credential is a good launch pad to grow your career,
especially if you have yet to earn a college degree or build a solid portfolio
of successfully completed projects. Our practical guide to CAPM exam prep below
will give you the answers to your most important questions and set you on the
right track to get certified. Want to learn more?
What
is CAPM?
Introduced
in 2003, CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) is the entry-level
certification granted by the Project Management Institute (PMI). PMI is the
premiere authority and standards-setting organization in the project management
field. Established in 1969, PMI has around half a million members and its
certifications are recognized worldwide and transferable across industries.
Earning a CAPM certification training course means that your knowledge of basic principles and
terminologies in project management is affirmed by PMI through a meticulously
developed and globally recognized assessment test. Many companies are now
leaning towards a project-based model to manage costs, improve operational
efficiencies, and drive better business outcomes. In fact, employers would
reportedly need around 87.7 million individuals to serve in project
management-oriented roles by 2027. Earning your CAPM credential is a great way
to benefit from that wave of opportunity.
Who
is suitable for CAPM certification?
APM
is ideal for people without extensive project management experience who want to
improve their competencies, gain more responsibility, and have proof of their
formal education in project management. This may mean that you work as part of
a project team, but have no management experience, or perhaps you are an
entry-level project manager. Project team members who intend to assume
specialist roles and not necessarily manage the project themselves may also
pursue CAPM certification to elevate their performance and fitness in
project-oriented settings. The CAPM certification is best for individuals who
are not experienced enough to pursue the more advanced PMP certification
(Project Management Professional), which has more difficult eligibility
requirements. Fresh college graduates and project managers who qualify for and
want to pass the PMP exam may choose to earn CAPM first as a way to train and
prepare for the more stringent PMP assessment process.
Prerequisites
·
To
be eligible for CAPM, you require:
·
A
secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree or global equivalent)
·
23
hours of project management education completed by the time you sit for the
exam
·
Tip:
you can earn the required education hours through online training like
CertOcean project
management courses.
Affectivity
period
A
CAPM certification has a five-year validity. Holders wishing to retain their
credentials need to retake the test every five years.
Certification
process overview
The
entire process will follow this general template:
·
Application
Submission (you have 90 days to complete your application)
·
Application
Completeness Review and Audit (PMI will review all your application documents)
·
Payment
(you need to submit payment of all related fees before you can set your exam
schedule)
·
Exam
(you can take the exam up to 3 times per year of testing validity)
·
Certification
Cycle (If you pass, you need to retake the exam after five years to retain the
certification)
The
CAPM examination
Mode
of testing: You can take the online exam from the comfort of your home or office;
or you can take it at approved testing centers around the world.
Number
of test items: The exam has 150 multiple choice questions, including 15
non-scored questions.
Testing
period: sYou have three hours to finish the exam.
Here
are some useful tips to help you pass the CAPM assessment test:
·
Create
a general plan. You can use this section as a template.
·
Be
sure to download and read the CAPM
Handbook.
·
Purchase
(or borrow) and voraciously devour the PMBOK
Guide.
·
Understand
the entire
certification process and
the requirements you need to submit.
·
Complete
the application process.
·
Schedule
your exam smartly. Choose a time and date when you are certain nothing else
will demand your utmost focus.
·
Create
a hard schedule for review and training. Give definite time and effort to fully
grasp the key concepts, processes, and terminologies in the PMBOK
Guide.
·
Understand
the CAPM exam composition and
mechanics.
·
Don’t
give extreme focus on any one chapter of the PMBOK Guide. The
exam usually distributes questions more or less evenly across chapters so be
sure to aim for mastery of the entire guide.
·
Consider
and use learning aids such as the PMI® CAPM
Exam Prep mobile app.
·
Take accredited
preparatory CAPM courses whenever possible.
·
Clear
your mind of unnecessary clutter on exam date.
·
During
the exam, read questions carefully. They could be trick questions, so review
your final choices.
·
Hope
for the best but prepare for the worst (remember, you’re entitled to two more
attempts if you fail the first one).
You
can certainly survive in project management without any certifications, but
having one can lift your fortune in some crucial areas. Career advancement,
salary raises, and preferential treatment in job recruitment are some of them.
More importantly, having the knowledge that you have passed an
industry-recognized test also bolsters your self confidence and professional
pride. A CAPM certification enhances your professional credibility and helps
distinguish you from other non-certified project management practitioners. It
is also a pathway to earning more advanced certifications, like PMP, once you
have more experience under your belt. If you’re ready to take the next step in
your project management career, CertOcean PMI accredited courses can help.
CertOcean’ CAPM Certification Training course is complete with bite-sized video
tutorials, exercises and quiz questions to fully prepare you to pass your exam.
If you need a refresher on the basics of project management, take our CAPM
Foundations course first to master the fundamentals. And, both courses meet the
CAPM certification education hours required to sit the exam.
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