CAPMCertified Associate in Project Management
The entry point to PMI project management certification
CertPath Score
7.5
/10
About this certification
The CAPM is PMI's entry-level credential for those with some project experience who want to demonstrate PM fundamentals. It validates understanding of the PMBOK Guide and project management terminology without requiring years of formal PM leadership.
What you'll validate
- ✓PMBOK fundamentals
- ✓Project lifecycle
- ✓Process groups and knowledge areas
- ✓Risk and quality basics
- ✓Stakeholder fundamentals
Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Accessible with minimal experience
- +5-year validity (longer than PMP)
- +Good stepping stone to PMP
Disadvantages
- −Less recognized than PMP
- −May not justify cost vs PMP for experienced professionals
Who it's for
Best for
- →Early-career professionals entering PM
- →Those building toward PMP
Not ideal for
- ×Experienced project managers (get PMP directly)
Career paths this unlocks
Study Resources
Affiliate links — we may earn a commissionTop picks for CAPM
Register for the exam
Apply and pay at PMI.org — PMI member pricing saves $150 on PMP exam fee
More places to study
Most popular cert prep courses, often on sale for $14.99
Highest-rated practice exams for AWS, Azure, and GCP
University-backed courses from Google, IBM, DeepLearning.AI
Practice tests and hands-on labs for 30+ cert tracks
Official study guides and exam prep books
Hands-on cloud sandboxes and cert prep subscriptions
1-month free trial — includes 21,000+ cert prep courses
CertPath earns a commission when you purchase through these links — at no extra cost to you. We only recommend resources we'd stand behind.
Jobs for CAPM holders
CAPM holders typically see a 5–15% salary increase.
Job links open external sites. Search results are live and not curated by CertPath.
Quick Facts
- Exam Cost
- $300 (PMI member price $225)
- Exam Duration
- 150 minutes
- Questions
- ~150
- Passing Score
- Above the target
- Exam Format
- Multiple Choice
- Study Time
- ~100 hours
- Validity
- 5 years
- Salary Impact
- Moderate (5–15% uplift typical)
Prerequisites
- !High school diploma + 23 hours PM education
Provider
Project Management Institute
The world leader in project management certification
Actyra Training
Custom eLearning built on the science of how people actually learn
Actyra designs and builds cert-prep training programs for enterprise teams — custom courseware grounded in cognitive science.
Talk to a training expert →