What You Need to Know to be a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) - CAPM Exam

The demand for Project Management in businesses is vastly increasing upon realizing the benefits of creating effective action plans to make successful projects. Since Project Management is not a small task that requires techniques and principles in planning, implementing, monitoring, and review, most companies if not all, require associates who are well-trained in the field. For entry-level individuals, passing the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) exam is an utmost consideration.

CAPM exam is administered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) to basically target starters in improving their skills and knowledge. Its aim is to give the less-experienced individual the credibility of starting a career in project management. CAPM certification, like any other adds value to one's credentials, and creates a foundation in the field. Passing it will also give you a step closer to nailing the harder and more technical Project Management Professional (PMP) exam. As a Certified Associate, you will have more opportunities to build your career in the field. It recognizes you as a person with the essential knowledge of the processes and techniques involved in project management. But first, you must meet all the requirements to make you an eligible candidate, pass the actual examination, and adhere to PMI's Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, and Renewal Agreement.

For project team members, junior practitioners, beginners, and project management aspirants, taking the CAPM is ideal. A good thing about CAPM is that it does not require too many things to be qualified like having an extensive experience. In CAPM, One only needs to have a High school diploma, an associate's degree, and either a 1500-hour professional experience as at least a member of a project management. team ,or a 23-hour formal project management education. If you qualify to these simple requirements or equivalent, then you have to pass your application and prepare to take the exam.

Application is easy and convenient. You may visit PMI's website, apply online, fill in the form completely with the appropriate data and information, and pay the examination fee with your credit card. Online application will only take 24 hours of processing, while postal application will take 10 to 20 working days. If you are a PMI member, you have to pay $225 to take the exam whether it is the paper-based or the computer-based test. Non-members however are billed at $300. If you wish to become a member, you have to pay the membership cost of $129 and have discount benefits on PMI products.

The preparation needs a lot of reading and understanding Project Management particularly the terminologies. There are many ways to prepare for the exam; you can enroll to preparation courses available in your area or you can buy PMI books, references and handouts which you may purchase online or in bookstores. There are also available unconventional resources like e-books, audio-books, and review software to help you self-study.

In CAPM exam, you have to answer 150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours at the most. Compared to PMP, the CAPM exam is relatively easier. The questions in the exam will be taken from PMI's Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) which will include topics on introduction, framework, basic concepts, and definition of terms. Before you take the exam, you must be well-aware of the fundamentals of project management to avoid failing. Take note that you can only take CAPM three times. The results of the computer-based exam will be given immediately, while the paper-based requires six to eight weeks of waiting time. If you passed you will be accredited as an official CAPM which you have to re-register every 5 years. Now, you can start your career as a Certified Associate in Project Management.

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