Project Management Institute (PMI) · Certification guide

CAPM® — Certified Associate in PM

Entry-level PMI certification for future project managers.

The Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® is PMI's entry-level credential, designed for students and early-career professionals who want to prove foundational PM knowledge before leading a project end-to-end.

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Study the CAPM® theory

Jump into the syllabus and read every domain and task.

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Take the 12-question diagnostic

About 8 minutes. See your pass probability by domain.

Study time

40–80

Questions

150

Duration

180 min

Validity

3 yr cycle

Syllabus

What the CAPM® exam covers

The CAPM® exam is organised into 1 domains. Each domain below has its own page with the full list of tasks and the theory behind them.

CAPM® Domains
Top-level domains of the CAPM® exam.
4 tasks

Exam format

What to expect on exam day

Questions

150 questions

Duration

180 minutes

Passing score

Panel-set — no published numeric cut score

Delivery

Pearson VUE test centre or online proctored

Certificate validity

3-year cycle — 15 PDUs required to renew

Languages

English + selected localised versions

Eligibility

Who can sit the CAPM®

Secondary degree (high school diploma, associate's, or global equivalent)
23 hours of project management education completed before the exam

Who it's for

Is CAPM® right for you?

Students and recent graduates

Project coordinators and PMO analysts

Business analysts, developers, and testers moving into delivery

Career outcomes

What CAPM® does for your career

Recognised globally as a foundational PM credential
Strong signal for graduate schemes and internal transfers into PM roles
Direct pathway toward PMP once you have delivery experience

FAQ

Common CAPM® questions

Is CAPM easier than PMP?

Yes. CAPM tests knowledge of frameworks and terminology; PMP tests situational judgement based on years of delivery experience.

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Related certifications

Ready when you are

Find out if you're ready for CAPM®

12 adaptive questions. No account, no card. You'll get a pass probability and a personalised plan.

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Exam facts sourced from the official candidate handbook. KnowledgeMap is not affiliated with PMI or Scrum.org.