CAPM
CAPM
1Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts
36%
2Predictive, Plan-Based Methodologies
17%
3Agile Frameworks and Methodologies
20%
4Business Analysis Frameworks
27%
Certification comparison
CAPM vs PMP
CAPM is for people starting out in project management. PMP is for people who already lead projects and can show years of doing it.
Last updated
Side by side
The two exams at a glance
Every figure comes from the vendor’s own pages, through our exam guides, and is checked every week.
| PMI CAPM | PMI PMP | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | PMI | PMI |
| Exam code | CAPM | PMP |
| Level | BeginnerPMI calls it Entry | AdvancedPMI calls it Professional |
| Written for | Project or business leader | Project or business leader |
| Questions | 150 | 180 |
| Time | 180 min | 240 min |
| Passing score | Not published by PMI | Not published by PMI |
| Exam cost | Varies by countryMembers pay less, and PMI shows your price before you pay | $655Non-member price; PMI members pay $405 |
| Experience | No experience · 23 hours of project management educationEligibility | 3 years leading projects (5 without a degree) · 35 hours of trainingEligibility |
| Renewal | Every 3 years: 15 PDUs | Every 3 years: 60 PDUs |
| Exam outline | 4 domainsLargest: Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts (36%) | 3 domainsLargest: Process (41%) |
| What’s changing | No change announced | No change announced |
Levels are our own rating, from the level each vendor gives its exam. How we check our facts
Exam domains
What each exam covers
Each domain’s share of the exam, as the vendor publishes it. Where one exam has two versions on sale, this is the newer one.
PMP
PMP
1People
33%
2Process
41%
3Business Environment
26%
Which one
Which should you take?
Choose CAPM if
you’re a student, a recent graduate or a team member moving into project work, without the experience PMP requires.
Choose PMP if
you’ve led projects for several years and want the credential that senior project roles ask for.
Which one first?
Take CAPM first only if you can’t yet meet PMP’s experience requirement. If you can, go straight to PMP: CAPM isn’t a prerequisite. If you do hold CAPM, PMI counts it as the project management training PMP asks for.
Beyond the numbers
What really differs
Who can sit the exam
CAPM asks for a short course in project management and no experience. PMP asks for years of leading projects, which PMI may audit.
What’s tested
CAPM checks that you know the concepts and vocabulary of predictive, agile and business analysis work. PMP is mostly scenarios: what a project manager should do next.
Keeping it
Both are kept on a three-year cycle by earning professional development units, and PMP asks for far more of them.
FAQs
Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers.
Find quick answers or contact our support team.
Should I take CAPM or PMP first?
Take CAPM first only if you can’t yet meet PMP’s experience requirement. If you can, go straight to PMP: CAPM isn’t a prerequisite. If you do hold CAPM, PMI counts it as the project management training PMP asks for.
Which is harder, CAPM or PMP?
PMP. We rate PMP advanced and CAPM beginner, going by the level each vendor gives its exam and the experience it expects.
What experience do I need for CAPM and PMP?
CAPM: You don’t need any experience. To sit the exam, PMI requires 23 hours of project management education. PMP: To sit the exam, PMI requires 3 years leading projects (5 without a degree) and 35 hours of training.
Which costs more, CAPM or PMP?
CAPM: Varies by country. Members pay less, and PMI shows your price before you pay. PMP: $655 (non-member price; PMI members pay $405). Check PMI’s site for the price in your country.
