If you aspire to grow in the project management profession, CAPM and PMP are globally recognized certificates by PMI and boost your knowledge and skills in project management. Then which certification you should choose? PMP or CAPM? It all depends on your career stage and professional experience. The primary difference between PMP and CAPM is that CAPM is an Associate certificate and requires no professional experience as a prerequisite. PMP certification, on the other hand, is a Professional certificate that requires at least 36 months of experience in leading project activities
Let’s start with a quick comparison of CAPM and PMP certificates based on prerequisites, eligibility, and at what level of your profession these are suitable?
| Particulars | CAPM Certificate | PMP Certificate |
| Level of certificate | It is an entry-level Associate certificate in project management. It can fast-track your project management opportunities even with less experience. | It is a Professional certificate. It enhances your career for more complex project management opportunities. |
| Educational Background | Secondary diploma | Graduates/Bachelor’s degrees but Secondary diploma holders can also do PMP certification, with more project experience in leading project activities as mentioned in next. |
| Project Experience | No Pre-requisite | For Graduates – 36 months of leading project experience in the last 8 years For non-graduates or diploma holders – 60 months of leading project experience in the last 8 years |
| Project Management Education | 23 contact hours of formal education as per the CAPM content outline | 35 contact hours of formal education as per the PMP content outline |
| Who Should Apply | Anyone who wants to include project management skills in their current role. | Anyone who has the required project experience and wants to increase opportunities to lead the most challenging projects with high salaries |
| Exam Difficulty Level | The exam tests your understanding of project management concepts and terminologies. | The exam tests your ability to handle complex project management situations or scenarios. |
| Exam Syllabus | Currently, the CAPM exam is based on the PMBOK Guide – Sixth Edition even though PMI has released PMBOK Guide – Seventh Edition. You can say that the CAPM exam content outline is the syllabus of the exam and PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition covers most of it. Note – CAPM exam is going to change early in 2023 and will focus on all three key approaches to executing projects- Predictive (waterfall) Agile The mix of Predictive & Agile (Hybrid) Following would be the new content outline – Preview the newest Exam Content Outline | PMP exam is based on the PMP exam content outline and focuses on skills to lead projects for all three key approaches- Predictive (waterfall) Agile The mix of Predictive & Agile (Hybrid) PMBOK Guides do not cover everything for the PMP exam content outline, you need to refer to more books and content. |
| PDU requirement to renew | You need to earn 15 PDUs every three years to maintain the certification | You need to earn 60 PDUs every three years to maintain the certification |
| Exam Questions | 150 questions for 3 hours | 180 questions for 230 minutes |
| Exam Fee | The PMP exam fee is $300 for non-members and $225 for members The PMI membership fee is $129/per year plus $10 application fees. | The PMP exam fee is $555 for non-members and $405 for members The PMI membership fee is $129/per year plus $10 application fees. |
So, in summary, PMP certification is the world’s leading Professional certificate in project management, and CAPM is a reputed entry-level Associate certificate. So choose PMP if you are an experienced professional, but if you are a naive professional and want to grow in the field of project management, choose CAPM. Doing CAPM can progress your career fast for better opportunities even in your early career stage.
I hope this blog helped you in understanding the difference between CAPM and PMP certification. Still, if you have more questions in mind? Contact us; I will be happy to assist
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